From Tech Skills to Life Skills: Google Online Marketing Challenge and Experiential Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Croes, Jo-Anne V.; Visser, Melina M.

2015-01-01

The Google Online Marketing Challenge (GOMC) is a global, online student competition sponsored by Google. It is a prime example of an experiential learning activity that includes using real money ($250 sponsored by Google) with a real client. The GOMC has yielded compelling results in student engagement and learning objectives related to the…

Geometry and the Design of Product Packaging

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cherico, Cindy M.

2011-01-01

The most common question the author's students ask is, "When will I ever use this in real life?" To address this question in her geometry classes, the author sought to create a project that would incorporate a real-world business situation with their lesson series on the surface area and volume of three-dimensional objects--specifically, prisms,…

Total Environment Education: An Open Design to Real Life Learning Experiences.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Indiana State Dept. of Public Instruction, Indianapolis.

Six global objectives--energy, earth resources, waste disposal, population, interdependence, and quality of life--are used as a framework in preparing this open design for environmental education, one which emphasizes behavioral change in the affective domain. To aid classroom teachers in achieving these goals, the guide is divided into five…

High correlation between performance on a virtual-reality simulator and real-life cataract surgery.

PubMed

Thomsen, Ann Sofia Skou; Smith, Phillip; Subhi, Yousif; Cour, Morten la; Tang, Lilian; Saleh, George M; Konge, Lars

2017-05-01

To investigate the correlation in performance of cataract surgery between a virtual-reality simulator and real-life surgery using two objective assessment tools with evidence of validity. Cataract surgeons with varying levels of experience were included in the study. All participants performed and videorecorded three standard cataract surgeries before completing a proficiency-based test on the EyeSi virtual-reality simulator. Standard cataract surgeries were defined as: (1) surgery performed under local anaesthesia, (2) patient age >60 years, and (3) visual acuity >1/60 preoperatively. A motion-tracking score was calculated by multiplying average path length and average number of movements from the three real-life surgical videos of full procedures. The EyeSi test consisted of five abstract and two procedural modules: intracapsular navigation, antitremor training, intracapsular antitremor training, forceps training, bimanual training, capsulorhexis and phaco divide and conquer. Eleven surgeons were enrolled. After a designated warm-up period, the proficiency-based test on the EyeSi simulator was strongly correlated to real-life performance measured by motion-tracking software of cataract surgical videos with a Pearson correlation coefficient of -0.70 (p = 0.017). Performance on the EyeSi simulator is significantly and highly correlated to real-life surgical performance. However, it is recommended that performance assessments are made using multiple data sources. © 2016 Acta Ophthalmologica Scandinavica Foundation. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Object grouping based on real-world regularities facilitates perception by reducing competitive interactions in visual cortex

PubMed Central

Kaiser, Daniel; Stein, Timo; Peelen, Marius V.

2014-01-01

In virtually every real-life situation humans are confronted with complex and cluttered visual environments that contain a multitude of objects. Because of the limited capacity of the visual system, objects compete for neural representation and cognitive processing resources. Previous work has shown that such attentional competition is partly object based, such that competition among elements is reduced when these elements perceptually group into an object based on low-level cues. Here, using functional MRI (fMRI) and behavioral measures, we show that the attentional benefit of grouping extends to higher-level grouping based on the relative position of objects as experienced in the real world. An fMRI study designed to measure competitive interactions among objects in human visual cortex revealed reduced neural competition between objects when these were presented in commonly experienced configurations, such as a lamp above a table, relative to the same objects presented in other configurations. In behavioral visual search studies, we then related this reduced neural competition to improved target detection when distracter objects were shown in regular configurations. Control studies showed that low-level grouping could not account for these results. We interpret these findings as reflecting the grouping of objects based on higher-level spatial-relational knowledge acquired through a lifetime of seeing objects in specific configurations. This interobject grouping effectively reduces the number of objects that compete for representation and thereby contributes to the efficiency of real-world perception. PMID:25024190

ARSC: Augmented Reality Student Card--An Augmented Reality Solution for the Education Field

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

El Sayed, Neven A. M.; Zayed, Hala H.; Sharawy, Mohamed I.

2011-01-01

Augmented Reality (AR) is the technology of adding virtual objects to real scenes through enabling the addition of missing information in real life. As the lack of resources is a problem that can be solved through AR, this paper presents and explains the usage of AR technology we introduce Augmented Reality Student Card (ARSC) as an application of…

Discrete harmony search algorithm for scheduling and rescheduling the reprocessing problems in remanufacturing: a case study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gao, Kaizhou; Wang, Ling; Luo, Jianping; Jiang, Hua; Sadollah, Ali; Pan, Quanke

2018-06-01

In this article, scheduling and rescheduling problems with increasing processing time and new job insertion are studied for reprocessing problems in the remanufacturing process. To handle the unpredictability of reprocessing time, an experience-based strategy is used. Rescheduling strategies are applied for considering the effect of increasing reprocessing time and the new subassembly insertion. To optimize the scheduling and rescheduling objective, a discrete harmony search (DHS) algorithm is proposed. To speed up the convergence rate, a local search method is designed. The DHS is applied to two real-life cases for minimizing the maximum completion time and the mean of earliness and tardiness (E/T). These two objectives are also considered together as a bi-objective problem. Computational optimization results and comparisons show that the proposed DHS is able to solve the scheduling and rescheduling problems effectively and productively. Using the proposed approach, satisfactory optimization results can be achieved for scheduling and rescheduling on a real-life shop floor.

Spectrum analysis of radar life signal in the three kinds of theoretical models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, X. F.; Ma, J. F.; Wang, D.

2017-02-01

In the single frequency continuous wave radar life detection system, based on the Doppler effect, the theory model of radar life signal is expressed by the real function, and there is a phenomenon that can't be confirmed by the experiment. When the phase generated by the distance between the measured object and the radar measuring head is л of integer times, the main frequency spectrum of life signal (respiration and heartbeat) is not existed in radar life signal. If this phase is л/2 of odd times, the main frequency spectrum of breath and heartbeat frequency is the strongest. In this paper, we use the Doppler effect as the basic theory, using three different mathematical expressions——real function, complex exponential function and Bessel's function expansion form. They are used to establish the theoretical model of radar life signal. Simulation analysis revealed that the Bessel expansion form theoretical model solve the problem of real function form. Compared with the theoretical model of the complex exponential function, the derived spectral line is greatly reduced in the theoretical model of Bessel expansion form, which is more consistent with the actual situation.

Methodology for object-oriented real-time systems analysis and design: Software engineering

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schoeffler, James D.

1991-01-01

Successful application of software engineering methodologies requires an integrated analysis and design life-cycle in which the various phases flow smoothly 'seamlessly' from analysis through design to implementation. Furthermore, different analysis methodologies often lead to different structuring of the system so that the transition from analysis to design may be awkward depending on the design methodology to be used. This is especially important when object-oriented programming is to be used for implementation when the original specification and perhaps high-level design is non-object oriented. Two approaches to real-time systems analysis which can lead to an object-oriented design are contrasted: (1) modeling the system using structured analysis with real-time extensions which emphasizes data and control flows followed by the abstraction of objects where the operations or methods of the objects correspond to processes in the data flow diagrams and then design in terms of these objects; and (2) modeling the system from the beginning as a set of naturally occurring concurrent entities (objects) each having its own time-behavior defined by a set of states and state-transition rules and seamlessly transforming the analysis models into high-level design models. A new concept of a 'real-time systems-analysis object' is introduced and becomes the basic building block of a series of seamlessly-connected models which progress from the object-oriented real-time systems analysis and design system analysis logical models through the physical architectural models and the high-level design stages. The methodology is appropriate to the overall specification including hardware and software modules. In software modules, the systems analysis objects are transformed into software objects.

Toddlers’ referential understanding of pictures

PubMed Central

Ganea, Patricia A.; Preissler, Melissa Allen; Butler, Lucas; Carey, Susan; DeLoache, Judy S.

2010-01-01

Pictures are referential in that they can represent objects in the real world. Here we explore the emergence of understanding of the referential potential of pictures in the second year of life. In Study 1, 15-, 18-, and 24-month-old children learned a word for a picture of a novel object (e.g., “blicket”) in the context of a picture-book interaction. Later they were presented with the picture of a blicket along with the real object it depicted and asked to indicate “a blicket.” Many of the 24-, 18-month-olds and even 15-month-olds indicated the real object as an instance of a “blicket”, consistent with an understanding of the referential relation between pictures and objects. In Study 2, children were tested with an exemplar object that differed in color from the depicted object to determine if they would extend the label they had learned for the depicted object to a slightly different category member. The 15-, 18- and 24-month-old participants failed to make a consistent referential response. The results are discussed in terms of whether pictorial understanding at this age is associative or symbolic. PMID:19560783

A novel knowledge-based system for interpreting complex engineering drawings: theory, representation, and implementation.

PubMed

Lu, Tong; Tai, Chiew-Lan; Yang, Huafei; Cai, Shijie

2009-08-01

We present a novel knowledge-based system to automatically convert real-life engineering drawings to content-oriented high-level descriptions. The proposed method essentially turns the complex interpretation process into two parts: knowledge representation and knowledge-based interpretation. We propose a new hierarchical descriptor-based knowledge representation method to organize the various types of engineering objects and their complex high-level relations. The descriptors are defined using an Extended Backus Naur Form (EBNF), facilitating modification and maintenance. When interpreting a set of related engineering drawings, the knowledge-based interpretation system first constructs an EBNF-tree from the knowledge representation file, then searches for potential engineering objects guided by a depth-first order of the nodes in the EBNF-tree. Experimental results and comparisons with other interpretation systems demonstrate that our knowledge-based system is accurate and robust for high-level interpretation of complex real-life engineering projects.

On-Board Real-Time Optimization Control for Turbo-Fan Engine Life Extending

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zheng, Qiangang; Zhang, Haibo; Miao, Lizhen; Sun, Fengyong

2017-11-01

A real-time optimization control method is proposed to extend turbo-fan engine service life. This real-time optimization control is based on an on-board engine mode, which is devised by a MRR-LSSVR (multi-input multi-output recursive reduced least squares support vector regression method). To solve the optimization problem, a FSQP (feasible sequential quadratic programming) algorithm is utilized. The thermal mechanical fatigue is taken into account during the optimization process. Furthermore, to describe the engine life decaying, a thermal mechanical fatigue model of engine acceleration process is established. The optimization objective function not only contains the sub-item which can get fast response of the engine, but also concludes the sub-item of the total mechanical strain range which has positive relationship to engine fatigue life. Finally, the simulations of the conventional optimization control which just consider engine acceleration performance or the proposed optimization method have been conducted. The simulations demonstrate that the time of the two control methods from idle to 99.5 % of the maximum power are equal. However, the engine life using the proposed optimization method could be surprisingly increased by 36.17 % compared with that using conventional optimization control.

All about Properties of Matter. Physical Science for Children[TM]. Schlessinger Science Library. [Videotape].

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

2000

Most children know how to describe an object--by color, size, and shape. Here they'll learn that all objects are made of matter and that all matter can be described with basic scientific properties--mass, weight, volume and density. Each of these properties is described using fun, real-life examples. With clear illustrations and hands-on…

Intercepting real and simulated falling objects: what is the difference?

PubMed

Baurès, Robin; Benguigui, Nicolas; Amorim, Michel-Ange; Hecht, Heiko

2009-10-30

The use of virtual reality is nowadays common in many studies in the field of human perception and movement control, particularly in interceptive actions. However, the ecological validity of the simulation is often taken for granted without having been formally established. If participants were to perceive the real situation and its virtual equivalent in a different fashion, the generalization of the results obtained in virtual reality to real life would be highly questionable. We tested the ecological validity of virtual reality in this context by comparing the timing of interceptive actions based upon actually falling objects and their simulated counterparts. The results show very limited differences as a function of whether participants were confronted with a real ball or a simulation thereof. And when present, such differences were limited to the first trial only. This result validates the use of virtual reality when studying interceptive actions of accelerated stimuli.

Computation offloading for real-time health-monitoring devices.

PubMed

Kalantarian, Haik; Sideris, Costas; Tuan Le; Hosseini, Anahita; Sarrafzadeh, Majid

2016-08-01

Among the major challenges in the development of real-time wearable health monitoring systems is to optimize battery life. One of the major techniques with which this objective can be achieved is computation offloading, in which portions of computation can be partitioned between the device and other resources such as a server or cloud. In this paper, we describe a novel dynamic computation offloading scheme for real-time wearable health monitoring devices that adjusts the partitioning of data between the wearable device and mobile application as a function of desired classification accuracy.

Trajectory-adaptive route choice models : specification, choice set generation, and estimation.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2013-03-01

The objective of the research is to investigate adaptive route choice behavior using individuallevel route choice data from GPS (Global Positioning System) observations in a real-life : network, where a traveler could revise the route choice based up...

An object location memory paradigm for older adults with and without mild cognitive impairment.

PubMed

Külzow, Nadine; Kerti, Lucia; Witte, Veronica A; Kopp, Ute; Breitenstein, Caterina; Flöel, Agnes

2014-11-30

Object-location memory is critical in every-day life and known to deteriorate early in the course of neurodegenerative disease. We adapted the previously established learning paradigm "LOCATO" for use in healthy older adults and patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Pictures of real-life buildings were associated with positions on a two-dimensional street map by repetitions of "correct" object-location pairings over the course of five training blocks, followed by a recall task. Correct/incorrect associations were indicated by button presses. The original two 45-item sets were reduced to 15 item-sets, and tested in healthy older adults and MCI for learning curve, recall, and re-test effects. The two 15-item versions showed comparable learning curves and recall scores within each group. While learning curves increased linearly in both groups, MCI patients performed significantly worse on learning and recall compared to healthy controls. Re-testing after 6 month showed small practice effects only. LOCATO is a simple standardized task that overcomes several limitation of previously employed visuospatial task by using real-life stimuli, minimizing verbal encoding, avoiding fine motor responses, combining explicit and implicit statistical learning, and allowing to assess learning curve in addition to recall. Results show that the shortened version of LOCATO meets the requirements for a robust and ecologically meaningful assessment of object-location memory in older adults with and without MCI. It can now be used to systematically assess acquisition of object-location memory and its modulation through adjuvant therapies like pharmacological or non-invasive brain stimulation. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Understanding Human Original Actions Directed at Real-World Goals: The Role of the Lateral Prefrontal Cortex

PubMed Central

Sitnikova, Tatiana; Rosen, Bruce R.; Lord, Louis-David; West, W. Caroline

2014-01-01

Adaptive, original actions, which can succeed in multiple contextual situations, require understanding of what is relevant to a goal. Recognizing what is relevant may also help in predicting kinematics of observed, original actions. During action observation, comparisons between sensory input and expected action kinematics have been argued critical to accurate goal inference. Experimental studies with laboratory tasks, both in humans and nonhuman primates, demonstrated that the lateral prefrontal cortex (LPFC) can learn, hierarchically organize, and use goal-relevant information. To determine whether this LPFC capacity is generalizable to real-world cognition, we recorded functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data in the human brain during comprehension of original and usual object-directed actions embedded in video-depictions of real-life behaviors. We hypothesized that LPFC will contribute to forming goal-relevant representations necessary for kinematic predictions of original actions. Additionally, resting-state fMRI was employed to examine functional connectivity between the brain regions delineated in the video fMRI experiment. According to behavioral data, original videos could be understood by identifying elements relevant to real-life goals at different levels of abstraction. Patterns of enhanced activity in four regions in the left LPFC, evoked by original, relative to usual, video scenes, were consistent with previous neuroimaging findings on representing abstract and concrete stimuli dimensions relevant to laboratory goals. In the anterior left LPFC, the activity increased selectively when representations of broad classes of objects and actions, which could achieve the perceived overall behavioral goal, were likely to bias kinematic predictions of original actions. In contrast, in the more posterior regions, the activity increased even when concrete properties of the target object were more likely to bias the kinematic prediction. Functional connectivity was observed between contiguous regions along the rostro-caudal LPFC axis, but not between the regions that were not immediately adjacent. These findings generalize the representational hierarchy account of LPFC function to diverse core principles that can govern both production and comprehension of flexible real-life behavior. PMID:25224997

Web-of-Objects (WoO)-Based Context Aware Emergency Fire Management Systems for the Internet of Things

PubMed Central

Shamszaman, Zia Ush; Ara, Safina Showkat; Chong, Ilyoung; Jeong, Youn Kwae

2014-01-01

Recent advancements in the Internet of Things (IoT) and the Web of Things (WoT) accompany a smart life where real world objects, including sensing devices, are interconnected with each other. The Web representation of smart objects empowers innovative applications and services for various domains. To accelerate this approach, Web of Objects (WoO) focuses on the implementation aspects of bringing the assorted real world objects to the Web applications. In this paper; we propose an emergency fire management system in the WoO infrastructure. Consequently, we integrate the formation and management of Virtual Objects (ViO) which are derived from real world physical objects and are virtually connected with each other into the semantic ontology model. The charm of using the semantic ontology is that it allows information reusability, extensibility and interoperability, which enable ViOs to uphold orchestration, federation, collaboration and harmonization. Our system is context aware, as it receives contextual environmental information from distributed sensors and detects emergency situations. To handle a fire emergency, we present a decision support tool for the emergency fire management team. The previous fire incident log is the basis of the decision support system. A log repository collects all the emergency fire incident logs from ViOs and stores them in a repository. PMID:24531299

Web-of-Objects (WoO)-based context aware emergency fire management systems for the Internet of Things.

PubMed

Shamszaman, Zia Ush; Ara, Safina Showkat; Chong, Ilyoung; Jeong, Youn Kwae

2014-02-13

Recent advancements in the Internet of Things (IoT) and the Web of Things (WoT) accompany a smart life where real world objects, including sensing devices, are interconnected with each other. The Web representation of smart objects empowers innovative applications and services for various domains. To accelerate this approach, Web of Objects (WoO) focuses on the implementation aspects of bringing the assorted real world objects to the Web applications. In this paper; we propose an emergency fire management system in the WoO infrastructure. Consequently, we integrate the formation and management of Virtual Objects (ViO) which are derived from real world physical objects and are virtually connected with each other into the semantic ontology model. The charm of using the semantic ontology is that it allows information reusability, extensibility and interoperability, which enable ViOs to uphold orchestration, federation, collaboration and harmonization. Our system is context aware, as it receives contextual environmental information from distributed sensors and detects emergency situations. To handle a fire emergency, we present a decision support tool for the emergency fire management team. The previous fire incident log is the basis of the decision support system. A log repository collects all the emergency fire incident logs from ViOs and stores them in a repository.

Real-time video analysis for retail stores

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hassan, Ehtesham; Maurya, Avinash K.

2015-03-01

With the advancement in video processing technologies, we can capture subtle human responses in a retail store environment which play decisive role in the store management. In this paper, we present a novel surveillance video based analytic system for retail stores targeting localized and global traffic estimate. Development of an intelligent system for human traffic estimation in real-life poses a challenging problem because of the variation and noise involved. In this direction, we begin with a novel human tracking system by an intelligent combination of motion based and image level object detection. We demonstrate the initial evaluation of this approach on available standard dataset yielding promising result. Exact traffic estimate in a retail store require correct separation of customers from service providers. We present a role based human classification framework using Gaussian mixture model for this task. A novel feature descriptor named graded colour histogram is defined for object representation. Using, our role based human classification and tracking system, we have defined a novel computationally efficient framework for two types of analytics generation i.e., region specific people count and dwell-time estimation. This system has been extensively evaluated and tested on four hours of real-life video captured from a retail store.

Shape and texture fused recognition of flying targets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kovács, Levente; Utasi, Ákos; Kovács, Andrea; Szirányi, Tamás

2011-06-01

This paper presents visual detection and recognition of flying targets (e.g. planes, missiles) based on automatically extracted shape and object texture information, for application areas like alerting, recognition and tracking. Targets are extracted based on robust background modeling and a novel contour extraction approach, and object recognition is done by comparisons to shape and texture based query results on a previously gathered real life object dataset. Application areas involve passive defense scenarios, including automatic object detection and tracking with cheap commodity hardware components (CPU, camera and GPS).

My Stakes Well Done.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Domenech, Daniel A.

2000-01-01

The question of validity, or how high-stakes tests are being used and interpreted, threatens to undermine the entire standards movement. Joint standards developed by three professional associations say decisions affecting students' life chances should not be based on test scores alone. Objectivity and teaching to tests are real concerns. (MLH)

Compact Laser Multi-gas Spectral Sensors for Spacecraft Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tittel, Frank K.

1997-01-01

The objective of this research effort has been the development of a new gas sensor technology to meet NASA requirements for spacecraft and space station human life support systems for sensitive selective and real time detection of trace gas species in the mid-infrared spectral region.

New England University Transportation Center : Annual Report : 2007-2008 / Year 20

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2009-10-16

The joy of research is often in the doing; but the real objective of research and a focused passion of the task should be how the work will improve the nation's quality of life. Transportation systems are facing disruptive changes in technology, demo...

PISA 2009 Results: Executive Summary

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

OECD Publishing (NJ1), 2010

2010-01-01

The OECD (Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development) Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) focuses on young people's ability to use their knowledge and skills to meet real-life challenges. This orientation reflects a change in the goals and objectives of curricula themselves, which are increasingly concerned with what…

Le Voyage: An "Objective" Approach to French Travel.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ecklund, Constance L.

1981-01-01

Describes a French introductory course that prepares students to travel in France and relies entirely on materials and themes related to such travel. Use of realia and props helps the instructors to stage real-life situations. Emphasis is placed on comprehension and oral language communication. (MES)

Mobile EEG on the bike: disentangling attentional and physical contributions to auditory attention tasks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zink, Rob; Hunyadi, Borbála; Van Huffel, Sabine; De Vos, Maarten

2016-08-01

Objective. In the past few years there has been a growing interest in studying brain functioning in natural, real-life situations. Mobile EEG allows to study the brain in real unconstrained environments but it faces the intrinsic challenge that it is impossible to disentangle observed changes in brain activity due to increase in cognitive demands by the complex natural environment or due to the physical involvement. In this work we aim to disentangle the influence of cognitive demands and distractions that arise from such outdoor unconstrained recordings. Approach. We evaluate the ERP and single trial characteristics of a three-class auditory oddball paradigm recorded in outdoor scenario’s while peddling on a fixed bike or biking freely around. In addition we also carefully evaluate the trial specific motion artifacts through independent gyro measurements and control for muscle artifacts. Main results. A decrease in P300 amplitude was observed in the free biking condition as compared to the fixed bike conditions. Above chance P300 single-trial classification in highly dynamic real life environments while biking outdoors was achieved. Certain significant artifact patterns were identified in the free biking condition, but neither these nor the increase in movement (as derived from continuous gyrometer measurements) can explain the differences in classification accuracy and P300 waveform differences with full clarity. The increased cognitive load in real-life scenarios is shown to play a major role in the observed differences. Significance. Our findings suggest that auditory oddball results measured in natural real-life scenarios are influenced mainly by increased cognitive load due to being in an unconstrained environment.

Color constancy in a naturalistic, goal-directed task

PubMed Central

Radonjić, Ana; Cottaris, Nicolas P.; Brainard, David H.

2015-01-01

In daily life, we use color information to select objects that will best serve a particular goal (e.g., pick the best-tasting fruit or avoid spoiled food). This is challenging when judgments must be made across changes in illumination as the spectrum reflected from an object to the eye varies with the illumination. Color constancy mechanisms serve to partially stabilize object color appearance across illumination changes, but whether and to what degree constancy supports accurate cross-illumination object selection is not well understood. To get closer to understanding how constancy operates in real-life tasks, we developed a paradigm in which subjects engage in a goal-directed task for which color is instrumental. Specifically, in each trial, subjects re-created an arrangement of colored blocks (the model) across a change in illumination. By analyzing the re-creations, we were able to infer and quantify the degree of color constancy that mediated subjects' performance. In Experiments 1 and 2, we used our paradigm to characterize constancy for two different sets of block reflectances, two different illuminant changes, and two different groups of subjects. On average, constancy was good in our naturalistic task, but it varied considerably across subjects. In Experiment 3, we tested whether varying scene complexity and the validity of local contrast as a cue to the illumination change modulated constancy. Increasing complexity did not lead to improved constancy; silencing local contrast significantly reduced constancy. Our results establish a novel goal-directed task that enables us to approach color constancy as it emerges in real life. PMID:26381834

A Framework of Simple Event Detection in Surveillance Video

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Weiguang; Zhang, Yafei; Lu, Jianjiang; Tian, Yulong; Wang, Jiabao

Video surveillance is playing more and more important role in people's social life. Real-time alerting of threaten events and searching interesting content in stored large scale video footage needs human operator to pay full attention on monitor for long time. The labor intensive mode has limit the effectiveness and efficiency of the system. A framework of simple event detection is presented advance the automation of video surveillance. An improved inner key point matching approach is used to compensate motion of background in real-time; frame difference are used to detect foreground; HOG based classifiers are used to classify foreground object into people and car; mean-shift is used to tracking the recognized objects. Events are detected based on predefined rules. The maturity of the algorithms guarantee the robustness of the framework, and the improved approach and the easily checked rules enable the framework to work in real-time. Future works to be done are also discussed.

Perspectives of Elementary School Teachers on Outdoor Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Palavan, Ozcan; Cicek, Volkan; Atabay, Merve

2016-01-01

Outdoor education stands out as one of the methods to deliver the desired educational outcomes taking the needs of the students, teachers and the curricular objectives into consideration. Outdoor education focuses on experimental, hands-on learning in real-life environments through senses, e.g., through visual, auditory, and tactile means,…

Small-Group Standardized Patient Encounter Improves Athletic Training Students' Psychosocial Intervention and Referral Skills

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Walker, Stacy E.; Weidner, Thomas G.; Thrasher, Ashley B.

2016-01-01

Context: Athletic trainers provide psychological support, counseling, intervention, and referral to patients during clinical practice. However, students are rarely exposed to real-life opportunities to develop these skills. Objective: To determine if a small-group standardized patient (SP) encounter improved athletic training students'…

The Decontextualization of Form and Function in the Development of Pretence

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bigham, Sally; Bourchier-Sutton, Alison

2007-01-01

Through the process of decontextualization, the behaviours and objects used in children's pretence become increasingly detached from their real-life contexts and uses (Flavell, 1985). However, whilst age-related changes in children's pretence have been reasonably well documented, the relationship between the decontextualization of form and…

Competency Tests and Graduation Requirements. Second Edition.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Keefe, James W.

Interest in applied performance testing and concern about the quality of the high school diploma are finding a common ground: graduation requirements. A competency is a complex capability applicable in real life situations, and can be used as program objectives in a competency-based, criterion-referenced program. In such a program, applied…

Automatic guidance of attention during real-world visual search.

PubMed

Seidl-Rathkopf, Katharina N; Turk-Browne, Nicholas B; Kastner, Sabine

2015-08-01

Looking for objects in cluttered natural environments is a frequent task in everyday life. This process can be difficult, because the features, locations, and times of appearance of relevant objects often are not known in advance. Thus, a mechanism by which attention is automatically biased toward information that is potentially relevant may be helpful. We tested for such a mechanism across five experiments by engaging participants in real-world visual search and then assessing attentional capture for information that was related to the search set but was otherwise irrelevant. Isolated objects captured attention while preparing to search for objects from the same category embedded in a scene, as revealed by lower detection performance (Experiment 1A). This capture effect was driven by a central processing bottleneck rather than the withdrawal of spatial attention (Experiment 1B), occurred automatically even in a secondary task (Experiment 2A), and reflected enhancement of matching information rather than suppression of nonmatching information (Experiment 2B). Finally, attentional capture extended to objects that were semantically associated with the target category (Experiment 3). We conclude that attention is efficiently drawn towards a wide range of information that may be relevant for an upcoming real-world visual search. This mechanism may be adaptive, allowing us to find information useful for our behavioral goals in the face of uncertainty.

The Implementation of Payload Safety in an Operational Environment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cissom, R. D.; Horvath, Tim J.; Watson, Kristi S.; Rogers, Mark N. (Technical Monitor); Vanhooser, T. (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

The objective of this paper is to define the safety life-cycle process for a payload beginning with the output of the Payload Safety Review Panel and continuing through the life of the payload on-orbit. It focuses on the processes and products of the operations safety implementation through the increment preparations and real-time operations processes. In addition, the paper addresses the role of the Payload Operations and Integration Center and the interfaces to the International Partner Payload Control Centers.

Capabilities and Choices: Do They Make Sen'se for Understanding Objective and Subjective Well-Being? An Empirical Test of Sen's Capability Framework on German and British Panel Data

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Muffels, Ruud; Headey, Bruce

2013-01-01

In Sen's Capability Approach (CA) well-being can be defined as the freedom of choice to achieve the things in life which one has reason to value most for his or her personal life. Capabilities are in Sen's vocabulary therefore the real freedoms people have or the opportunities available to them. In this paper we examine the impact of capabilities…

A Laboratory Study on the Reliability Estimations of the Mini-CEX

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

de Lima, Alberto Alves; Conde, Diego; Costabel, Juan; Corso, Juan; Van der Vleuten, Cees

2013-01-01

Reliability estimations of workplace-based assessments with the mini-CEX are typically based on real-life data. Estimations are based on the assumption of local independence: the object of the measurement should not be influenced by the measurement itself and samples should be completely independent. This is difficult to achieve. Furthermore, the…

Using Interactive Multimedia to Teach Pedestrian Safety: An Exploratory Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Glang, Ann; Noell, John; Ary, Dennis; Swartz, Lynne

2005-01-01

Objectives: To evaluate an interactive multimedia (IMM) program that teaches young children safe pedestrian skills. Methods: The program uses IMM (animation and video) to teach children critical skills for crossing streets safely. A computer-delivered video assessment and a real-life street simulation were used to measure the effectiveness of the…

M-AssIST: Interaction and Scaffolding Matters in Authentic Assessment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Santos, Patricia; Cook, John; Hernández-Leo, Davinia

2015-01-01

Authentic assessment is important in formal and informal learning. Technology has the potential to be used to support the assessment of higher order skills particularly with respect to real life tasks. In particular, the use of mobile devices allows the learner to increase her interactions with physical objects, various environments (indoors and…

The Images and Realities of Career Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Parnell, Dale

It is important that career education goals and objectives be clarified and any present inaccurate images by changed. Career education can be defined as that delivery system which helps students develop the necessary competencies to function in the real-life role of producer or wage earner. Thinking in terms of competencies required to function…

Application of Andrew's Plots to Visualization of Multidimensional Data

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Grinshpun, Vadim

2016-01-01

Importance: The article raises a point of visual representation of big data, recently considered to be demanded for many scientific and real-life applications, and analyzes particulars for visualization of multi-dimensional data, giving examples of the visual analytics-related problems. Objectives: The purpose of this paper is to study application…

How Big Is a 16-Penny Nail? A Measurement Lesson for Middle Grades

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Engel, Bill; Schmidt, Diane L.

2004-01-01

Many common objects can provide numerous opportunities for students to develop mathematical concepts and skills. The lesson described in this article provided an excellent opportunity for middle school students to discover how real-life situations do not always present obvious "right" answers. As students explored a question related to the…

Foregrounding Sociomaterial Practice in Our Understanding of Affordances: The Skilled Intentionality Framework.

PubMed

van Dijk, Ludger; Rietveld, Erik

2016-01-01

Social coordination and affordance perception always take part in concrete situations in real life. Nonetheless, the different fields of ecological psychology studying these phenomena do not seem to make this situated nature an object of study. To integrate both fields and extend the reach of the ecological approach, we introduce the Skilled Intentionality Framework that situates both social coordination and affordance perception within the human form of life and its rich landscape of affordances. We argue that in the human form of life the social and the material are intertwined and best understood as sociomateriality. Taking the form of life as our starting point foregrounds sociomateriality in each perspective we take on engaging with affordances. Using ethnographical examples we show how sociomateriality shows up from three different perspectives we take on affordances in a real-life situation. One perspective shows us a landscape of affordances that the sociomaterial environment offers. Zooming in on this landscape to the perspective of a local observer, we can focus on an individual coordinating with affordances offered by things and other people situated in this landscape. Finally, viewed from within this unfolding activity, we arrive at the person's lived perspective: a field of relevant affordances solicits activity. The Skilled Intentionality Framework offers a way of integrating social coordination and affordance theory by drawing attention to these complementary perspectives. We end by showing a real-life example from the practice of architecture that suggests how this situated view that foregrounds sociomateriality can extend the scope of ecological psychology to forms of so-called "higher" cognition.

Foregrounding Sociomaterial Practice in Our Understanding of Affordances: The Skilled Intentionality Framework

PubMed Central

van Dijk, Ludger; Rietveld, Erik

2017-01-01

Social coordination and affordance perception always take part in concrete situations in real life. Nonetheless, the different fields of ecological psychology studying these phenomena do not seem to make this situated nature an object of study. To integrate both fields and extend the reach of the ecological approach, we introduce the Skilled Intentionality Framework that situates both social coordination and affordance perception within the human form of life and its rich landscape of affordances. We argue that in the human form of life the social and the material are intertwined and best understood as sociomateriality. Taking the form of life as our starting point foregrounds sociomateriality in each perspective we take on engaging with affordances. Using ethnographical examples we show how sociomateriality shows up from three different perspectives we take on affordances in a real-life situation. One perspective shows us a landscape of affordances that the sociomaterial environment offers. Zooming in on this landscape to the perspective of a local observer, we can focus on an individual coordinating with affordances offered by things and other people situated in this landscape. Finally, viewed from within this unfolding activity, we arrive at the person’s lived perspective: a field of relevant affordances solicits activity. The Skilled Intentionality Framework offers a way of integrating social coordination and affordance theory by drawing attention to these complementary perspectives. We end by showing a real-life example from the practice of architecture that suggests how this situated view that foregrounds sociomateriality can extend the scope of ecological psychology to forms of so-called “higher” cognition. PMID:28119638

Thoracic Injury Risk as a Function of Crash Severity – Car-to-car Side Impact Tests with WorldSID Compared to Real-life Crashes

PubMed Central

Sunnevång, Cecilia; Rosén, Erik; Boström, Ola; Lechelt, Ulf

2010-01-01

Side airbags reduce the risk of fatal injury by approximately 30%. Due to limited real-life data the risk reducing effect for serious injury has not yet been established. Since side airbags are mainly designed and validated for crash severities used in available test procedures little is known regarding the protective effect when severity increases. The objective of this study was to understand for which crash severities AIS3+ thorax occupant protection in car-to-car nearside collisions need to and can be improved. The aim was fulfilled by means of real life data, for older cars without side airbag, and a series of car-to-car tests performed with the WorldSID 50%-ile in modern and older cars at different impact speeds. The real life data showed that the risk of AIS3+ injury was highest for the thorax followed by the pelvis and head. For both non-senior and senior occupants, most thorax injuries were sustained at lateral delta-v from 20 km/h to 40 km/h. In this severity range, senior occupants were found to have approximately four times higher risk of thoracic injury than non-senior occupants. The crash tests at lateral impact speed 55 km/h (delta-v 32 km/h) confirmed the improved performance at severities represented in current legal and rating tests. The structural integrity of the modern car impacted at 70 km/h showed a potential for improved side impact protection by interior countermeasures. PMID:21050600

Performance improvement: an active life cycle product management

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cucchiella, Federica; Gastaldi, Massimo; Lenny Koh, S. C.

2010-03-01

The management of the supply chain has gained importance in many manufacturing firms. Operational flexibility can be considered a crucial weapon to increase competitiveness in a turbulent marketplace. It reflects the ability of a firm to properly and rapidly respond to a variable and dynamic environment. For the firm operating in a fashion sector, the management of the supply chain is even more complex because the product life cycle is shorter than that of the firm operating in a non-fashion sector. The increase of firm flexibility level can be reached through the application of the real option theory inside the firm network. In fact, real option may increase the project value by allowing managers to more efficiently direct the production. The real option application usually analysed in literature does not take into account that the demands of products are well-defined by the product life cycle. Working on a fashion sector, the life cycle pattern is even more relevant because of an expected demand that grows according to a constant rate that does not capture the demand dynamics of the underlying fashion goods. Thus, the primary research objective of this article is to develop a model useful for the management of investments in a supply chain operating in a fashion sector where the system complexity is increased by the low level of unpredictability and stability that is proper of the mood phenomenon. Moreover, unlike the traditional model, a real option framework is presented here that considers fashion product characterised by uncertain stages of the production cycle.

Thoracic Injury Risk as a Function of Crash Severity - Car-to-car Side Impact Tests with WorldSID Compared to Real-life Crashes.

PubMed

Sunnevång, Cecilia; Rosén, Erik; Boström, Ola; Lechelt, Ulf

2010-01-01

Side airbags reduce the risk of fatal injury by approximately 30%. Due to limited real-life data the risk reducing effect for serious injury has not yet been established. Since side airbags are mainly designed and validated for crash severities used in available test procedures little is known regarding the protective effect when severity increases.The objective of this study was to understand for which crash severities AIS3+ thorax occupant protection in car-to-car nearside collisions need to and can be improved. The aim was fulfilled by means of real life data, for older cars without side airbag, and a series of car-to-car tests performed with the WorldSID 50%-ile in modern and older cars at different impact speeds.The real life data showed that the risk of AIS3+ injury was highest for the thorax followed by the pelvis and head. For both non-senior and senior occupants, most thorax injuries were sustained at lateral delta-v from 20 km/h to 40 km/h. In this severity range, senior occupants were found to have approximately four times higher risk of thoracic injury than non-senior occupants. The crash tests at lateral impact speed 55 km/h (delta-v 32 km/h) confirmed the improved performance at severities represented in current legal and rating tests. The structural integrity of the modern car impacted at 70 km/h showed a potential for improved side impact protection by interior countermeasures.

Automatic guidance of attention during real-world visual search

PubMed Central

Seidl-Rathkopf, Katharina N.; Turk-Browne, Nicholas B.; Kastner, Sabine

2015-01-01

Looking for objects in cluttered natural environments is a frequent task in everyday life. This process can be difficult, as the features, locations, and times of appearance of relevant objects are often not known in advance. A mechanism by which attention is automatically biased toward information that is potentially relevant may thus be helpful. Here we tested for such a mechanism across five experiments by engaging participants in real-world visual search and then assessing attentional capture for information that was related to the search set but was otherwise irrelevant. Isolated objects captured attention while preparing to search for objects from the same category embedded in a scene, as revealed by lower detection performance (Experiment 1A). This capture effect was driven by a central processing bottleneck rather than the withdrawal of spatial attention (Experiment 1B), occurred automatically even in a secondary task (Experiment 2A), and reflected enhancement of matching information rather than suppression of non-matching information (Experiment 2B). Finally, attentional capture extended to objects that were semantically associated with the target category (Experiment 3). We conclude that attention is efficiently drawn towards a wide range of information that may be relevant for an upcoming real-world visual search. This mechanism may be adaptive, allowing us to find information useful for our behavioral goals in the face of uncertainty. PMID:25898897

An energy-efficient transmission scheme for real-time data in wireless sensor networks.

PubMed

Kim, Jin-Woo; Barrado, José Ramón Ramos; Jeon, Dong-Keun

2015-05-20

The Internet of things (IoT) is a novel paradigm where all things or objects in daily life can communicate with other devices and provide services over the Internet. Things or objects need identifying, sensing, networking and processing capabilities to make the IoT paradigm a reality. The IEEE 802.15.4 standard is one of the main communication protocols proposed for the IoT. The IEEE 802.15.4 standard provides the guaranteed time slot (GTS) mechanism that supports the quality of service (QoS) for the real-time data transmission. In spite of some QoS features in IEEE 802.15.4 standard, the problem of end-to-end delay still remains. In order to solve this problem, we propose a cooperative medium access scheme (MAC) protocol for real-time data transmission. We also evaluate the performance of the proposed scheme through simulation. The simulation results demonstrate that the proposed scheme can improve the network performance.

An Energy-Efficient Transmission Scheme for Real-Time Data in Wireless Sensor Networks

PubMed Central

Kim, Jin-Woo; Barrado, José Ramón Ramos; Jeon, Dong-Keun

2015-01-01

The Internet of things (IoT) is a novel paradigm where all things or objects in daily life can communicate with other devices and provide services over the Internet. Things or objects need identifying, sensing, networking and processing capabilities to make the IoT paradigm a reality. The IEEE 802.15.4 standard is one of the main communication protocols proposed for the IoT. The IEEE 802.15.4 standard provides the guaranteed time slot (GTS) mechanism that supports the quality of service (QoS) for the real-time data transmission. In spite of some QoS features in IEEE 802.15.4 standard, the problem of end-to-end delay still remains. In order to solve this problem, we propose a cooperative medium access scheme (MAC) protocol for real-time data transmission. We also evaluate the performance of the proposed scheme through simulation. The simulation results demonstrate that the proposed scheme can improve the network performance. PMID:26007722

Cracking the Code of Effective Learning through Management of Learning Experiences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Al-Fuqaha, Isam Najib

2016-01-01

This article is an attempt to explore why the efforts of universities fall short of accomplishing their objectives, and fail to improve the caliber of their graduates, as large numbers of them are unable to encounter real-life problems. It also probes the relations between four independent demographic variables (gender, age, experience, and…

Oscillations of a Meterstick on Two Rotating Shafts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Balta, Nuri

2016-01-01

Most students find real-world examples of harmonic oscillations interesting. Besides, normal and friction forces are the types of concepts in physics that are readily applicable to their everyday life. For instance, we depend on these forces to write, to drive cars, to pick up objects, and even to walk! And yet introductory physics students have…

The ECLSS Advanced Automation Project Evolution and Technology Assessment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dewberry, Brandon S.; Carnes, James R.; Lukefahr, Brenda D.; Rogers, John S.; Rochowiak, Daniel M.; Mckee, James W.; Benson, Brian L.

1990-01-01

Viewgraphs on Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS) advanced automation project evolution and technology assessment are presented. Topics covered include: the ECLSS advanced automation project; automatic fault diagnosis of ECLSS subsystems descriptions; in-line, real-time chemical and microbial fluid analysis; and object-oriented, distributed chemical and microbial modeling of regenerative environmental control systems description.

Algorithm Animations for Teaching and Learning the Main Ideas of Basic Sortings

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Végh, Ladislav; Stoffová, Veronika

2017-01-01

Algorithms are hard to understand for novice computer science students because they dynamically modify values of elements of abstract data structures. Animations can help to understand algorithms, since they connect abstract concepts to real life objects and situations. In the past 30-35 years, there have been conducted many experiments in the…

Talking Science in an ESL Pre-K: Theory-Building with Realia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kinard, Tim; Gainer, Jesse

2015-01-01

What is realia and theory-building? Tim Kinard and Jesse Gainer explain that when students explore using "realia," they are not just being exposed to abstract concepts or text on a page, they are using "real-life" objects to build understandings of the natural world while they builds vocabulary about it. Handling and discussing…

Using Story Boxes in Language Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Collins, Rita

2009-01-01

Story boxes and story bags are containers for holding realia that are used to enhance reading and provide a variety of activities for encouraging language acquisition and use. Whatever the packaging, these are good ways to develop students' interest in books. Using realia, or real-life objects, to teach a foreign language is not a novel concept.…

SLS-PLAN-IT: A knowledge-based blackboard scheduling system for Spacelab life sciences missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kao, Cheng-Yan; Lee, Seok-Hua

1992-01-01

The primary scheduling tool in use during the Spacelab Life Science (SLS-1) planning phase was the operations research (OR) based, tabular form Experiment Scheduling System (ESS) developed by NASA Marshall. PLAN-IT is an artificial intelligence based interactive graphic timeline editor for ESS developed by JPL. The PLAN-IT software was enhanced for use in the scheduling of Spacelab experiments to support the SLS missions. The enhanced software SLS-PLAN-IT System was used to support the real-time reactive scheduling task during the SLS-1 mission. SLS-PLAN-IT is a frame-based blackboard scheduling shell which, from scheduling input, creates resource-requiring event duration objects and resource-usage duration objects. The blackboard structure is to keep track of the effects of event duration objects on the resource usage objects. Various scheduling heuristics are coded in procedural form and can be invoked any time at the user's request. The system architecture is described along with what has been learned with the SLS-PLAN-IT project.

Cardiovascular reactivity in real life settings: Measurement, mechanisms and meaning

PubMed Central

Zanstra, Ydwine Jieldouw; Johnston, Derek William

2011-01-01

Cardiovascular reactivity to stress is most commonly studied in the laboratory. Laboratory stressors may have limited ecological validity due to the many constraints, operating in controlled environments. This paper will focus on paradigms that involve the measurement of cardiovascular reactions to stress in real life using ambulatory monitors. Probably the most commonly used paradigm in this field is to measure the response to a specific real life stressor, such as sitting an exam or public speaking. A more general approach has been to derive a measure of CV variability testing the hypothesis that more reactive participants will have more variable heart rate or blood pressure. Alternatively, self-reports of the participants’ perceived stress, emotion or demands may be linked to simultaneously collected ambulatory measures of cardiovascular parameters. This paper examines the following four questions: (1) What is the form and what are the determinants of stress-induced CV reactivity in real life? (2) What are the psychophysiological processes underlying heart rate and blood pressure reactivity in real life? (3) Does CV reactivity determined in the laboratory predict CV reactivity in real life? (4) Are ambulatory cardiovascular measures predictive of cardiovascular disease? It is concluded that the hemodynamic processes that underlie the blood pressure response can reliably be measured in real life and the psychophysiological relationships seen in the laboratory have been obtained in real life as well. Studies examining the effects of specific real life stressors show that responses obtained in real life are often larger than those obtained in the laboratory. Subjective ratings of stress, emotion and cognitive determinants of real life stress (e.g. demand, reward and control) also relate to real life CV responses. Surprisingly, ambulatory studies on real life cardiovascular reactivity to stress as a predictor of cardiovascular disease are rare. Measuring the CV response to stress in real life may provide a better measure of the stress-related process that are hypothesized to cause disease than is possible in the laboratory. In addressing these questions, below we review the studies that we believe are representative of the field. Therefore, this review is not comprehensive. PMID:20561941

From the Origins of Life to Intelligence: The Emergence of Symbolic Constructs

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Colombano, Silvano P.; Clancy, Daniel (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

Intelligence cannot be understood - and cannot be 'artificially recreated' - without also understanding how it fits as a phenomenon in the evolution of matter. I say 'matter' instead of 'life' because my thesis is that the distinction between matter, with its associated interactions, and life, is simply in the complexity of these interactions and in the number of 'symbolic levels' that are defined by these interactions. Most of us think of symbols only in the context of language. This is understandable, since it is at this level where it is easiest to draw a distinction between natural objects and their 'names', i.e., the different sets of 'abstract' objects that can be manipulated to produce models of the 'real' world. Of course sets of abstract objects can also acquire names and be manipulated at higher and higher conceptual levels. When we use the words 'philosophy' or 'the Declaration of Independence' we use abstract constructs that will only make sense in other specific abstract contexts. Additional information is contained in the original extended abstract.

Mirabegron improves quality-of-life, treatment satisfaction, and persistence in patients with overactive bladder: a multi-center, non-interventional, real-world, 12-month study.

PubMed

Freeman, Robert; Foley, Steve; Rosa Arias, José; Vicente, Eduardo; Grill, Robert; Kachlirova, Zuzana; Stari, Anny; Huang, Moses; Choudhury, Nurul

2018-05-01

Observational studies can provide evidence about patient outcomes in routine clinical practice. This prospective, non-interventional study (BELIEVE) is the largest real-world European study to date to assess quality-of-life, treatment satisfaction, resource utilization, and persistence in patients with overactive bladder (OAB) who were prescribed mirabegron as part of routine clinical practice. The primary objective was to evaluate change from baseline in quality-of-life based on overactive bladder questionnaire (OAB-q) sub-scales. Secondary objectives included evaluation of treatment persistence, patient satisfaction, healthcare resource utilization and adverse events (AEs). Follow-up was for 12 months with visit windows at 2-4 and 10-12 months. Median change from baseline in total OAB-q and its sub-scales (Health-related quality-of-life [HRQoL] and symptom bother scale) were assessed. Overall, 862 patients were enrolled from eight European countries. In the Full Analysis Set (FAS), 73.7% were female, mean age was 61.2 years; 47.7% ≥65 years. At baseline, 41.3% had switched from other OAB treatments, 42.2% were treatment naïve, 10.1% were lapsed, and 6.4% were on combination treatment. Symptom bother and HRQoL total scores improved from baseline to 2-4 and 10-12 months. There was a notable improvement in dry rate, increasing from 34.9% at baseline to 43.7% at 10-12 months in the FAS, and a reduction in pad use. Persistence was high, with 53.8% of FAS patients remaining on mirabegron at 10-12 months. Overall, no unexpected safety issues were observed and AEs were consistent with the known safety profile of mirabegron. Patients receiving mirabegron in a real-world setting reported meaningful improvements in QoL and health status, with a persistence rate of 53.8% at 12 months for the FAS. No unexpected safety issues were observed, and AEs were consistent with the known safety profile of mirabegron.

Robust estimators for speech enhancement in real environments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sandoval-Ibarra, Yuma; Diaz-Ramirez, Victor H.; Kober, Vitaly

2015-09-01

Common statistical estimators for speech enhancement rely on several assumptions about stationarity of speech signals and noise. These assumptions may not always valid in real-life due to nonstationary characteristics of speech and noise processes. We propose new estimators based on existing estimators by incorporation of computation of rank-order statistics. The proposed estimators are better adapted to non-stationary characteristics of speech signals and noise processes. Through computer simulations we show that the proposed estimators yield a better performance in terms of objective metrics than that of known estimators when speech signals are contaminated with airport, babble, restaurant, and train-station noise.

Speed Biases With Real-Life Video Clips

PubMed Central

Rossi, Federica; Montanaro, Elisa; de’Sperati, Claudio

2018-01-01

We live almost literally immersed in an artificial visual world, especially motion pictures. In this exploratory study, we asked whether the best speed for reproducing a video is its original, shooting speed. By using adjustment and double staircase methods, we examined speed biases in viewing real-life video clips in three experiments, and assessed their robustness by manipulating visual and auditory factors. With the tested stimuli (short clips of human motion, mixed human-physical motion, physical motion and ego-motion), speed underestimation was the rule rather than the exception, although it depended largely on clip content, ranging on average from 2% (ego-motion) to 32% (physical motion). Manipulating display size or adding arbitrary soundtracks did not modify these speed biases. Estimated speed was not correlated with estimated duration of these same video clips. These results indicate that the sense of speed for real-life video clips can be systematically biased, independently of the impression of elapsed time. Measuring subjective visual tempo may integrate traditional methods that assess time perception: speed biases may be exploited to develop a simple, objective test of reality flow, to be used for example in clinical and developmental contexts. From the perspective of video media, measuring speed biases may help to optimize video reproduction speed and validate “natural” video compression techniques based on sub-threshold temporal squeezing. PMID:29615875

Speed Biases With Real-Life Video Clips.

PubMed

Rossi, Federica; Montanaro, Elisa; de'Sperati, Claudio

2018-01-01

We live almost literally immersed in an artificial visual world, especially motion pictures. In this exploratory study, we asked whether the best speed for reproducing a video is its original, shooting speed. By using adjustment and double staircase methods, we examined speed biases in viewing real-life video clips in three experiments, and assessed their robustness by manipulating visual and auditory factors. With the tested stimuli (short clips of human motion, mixed human-physical motion, physical motion and ego-motion), speed underestimation was the rule rather than the exception, although it depended largely on clip content, ranging on average from 2% (ego-motion) to 32% (physical motion). Manipulating display size or adding arbitrary soundtracks did not modify these speed biases. Estimated speed was not correlated with estimated duration of these same video clips. These results indicate that the sense of speed for real-life video clips can be systematically biased, independently of the impression of elapsed time. Measuring subjective visual tempo may integrate traditional methods that assess time perception: speed biases may be exploited to develop a simple, objective test of reality flow, to be used for example in clinical and developmental contexts. From the perspective of video media, measuring speed biases may help to optimize video reproduction speed and validate "natural" video compression techniques based on sub-threshold temporal squeezing.

Serial Liver Stiffness Measurements and Monitoring of Liver-Transplanted Patients in a Real-Life Clinical Practice

PubMed Central

Rinaldi, Luca; Valente, Giovanna; Piai, Guido

2016-01-01

Background Liver transplanted patients need close surveillance for early signs of graft disease. Objectives Transient elastography can safely be repeated over time, offering serial liver stiffness measurement values. Serial stiffness measurements were compared to single baseline stiffness measurements in predicting the appearance of liver-related clinical events and guiding subsequent clinical decisions. Methods One hundred and sixty liver transplanted patients were observed for three years in our real-life practice. Results Liver stiffness measurements were stable in 75% of patients, decreased in 4% of patients, and increased in 21% of patients. The pattern of increased stiffness measurements was associated with both HCV-RNA positive status and the presence of an active biliary complication of liver transplantation and was more predictive of a clinically significant event resulting from any disease of the transplanted liver when compared to a stable pattern or to a single liver stiffness measurement. The procedures that were consequently performed were often diagnostic for unexpected situations, both in HCV-RNA positive and HCV-RNA negative patients. Conclusions The pattern of longitudinally increased liver stiffness measurements efficiently supported clinical decisions for individualized management strategies. Repeated transient elastography in real-life clinical practice appears to have a practical role in monitoring liver transplanted patients. PMID:28123442

Using a 3D Virtual Supermarket to Measure Food Purchase Behavior: A Validation Study

PubMed Central

Jiang, Yannan; Steenhuis, Ingrid Hendrika Margaretha; Ni Mhurchu, Cliona

2015-01-01

Background There is increasing recognition that supermarkets are an important environment for health-promoting interventions such as fiscal food policies or front-of-pack nutrition labeling. However, due to the complexities of undertaking such research in the real world, well-designed randomized controlled trials on these kinds of interventions are lacking. The Virtual Supermarket is a 3-dimensional computerized research environment designed to enable experimental studies in a supermarket setting without the complexity or costs normally associated with undertaking such research. Objective The primary objective was to validate the Virtual Supermarket by comparing virtual and real-life food purchasing behavior. A secondary objective was to obtain participant feedback on perceived sense of “presence” (the subjective experience of being in one place or environment even if physically located in another) in the Virtual Supermarket. Methods Eligible main household shoppers (New Zealand adults aged ≥18 years) were asked to conduct 3 shopping occasions in the Virtual Supermarket over 3 consecutive weeks, complete the validated Presence Questionnaire Items Stems, and collect their real supermarket grocery till receipts for that same period. Proportional expenditure (NZ$) and the proportion of products purchased over 18 major food groups were compared between the virtual and real supermarkets. Data were analyzed using repeated measures mixed models. Results A total of 123 participants consented to take part in the study. In total, 69.9% (86/123) completed 1 shop in the Virtual Supermarket, 64.2% (79/123) completed 2 shops, 60.2% (74/123) completed 3 shops, and 48.8% (60/123) returned their real supermarket till receipts. The 4 food groups with the highest relative expenditures were the same for the virtual and real supermarkets: fresh fruit and vegetables (virtual estimate: 14.3%; real: 17.4%), bread and bakery (virtual: 10.0%; real: 8.2%), dairy (virtual: 19.1%; real: 12.6%), and meat and fish (virtual: 16.5%; real: 16.8%). Significant differences in proportional expenditures were observed for 6 food groups, with largest differences (virtual – real) for dairy (in expenditure 6.5%, P<.001; in items 2.2%, P=.04) and fresh fruit and vegetables (in expenditure: –3.1%, P=.04; in items: 5.9%, P=.002). There was no trend of overspending in the Virtual Supermarket and participants experienced a medium-to-high presence (88%, 73/83 scored medium; 8%, 7/83 scored high). Conclusions Shopping patterns in the Virtual Supermarket were comparable to those in real life. Overall, the Virtual Supermarket is a valid tool to measure food purchasing behavior. Nevertheless, it is important to improve the functionality of some food categories, in particular fruit and vegetables and dairy. The results of this validation will assist in making further improvements to the software and with optimization of the internal and external validity of this innovative methodology. PMID:25921185

Multi-Objective Random Search Algorithm for Simultaneously Optimizing Wind Farm Layout and Number of Turbines

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Feng, Ju; Shen, Wen Zhong; Xu, Chang

2016-09-01

A new algorithm for multi-objective wind farm layout optimization is presented. It formulates the wind turbine locations as continuous variables and is capable of optimizing the number of turbines and their locations in the wind farm simultaneously. Two objectives are considered. One is to maximize the total power production, which is calculated by considering the wake effects using the Jensen wake model combined with the local wind distribution. The other is to minimize the total electrical cable length. This length is assumed to be the total length of the minimal spanning tree that connects all turbines and is calculated by using Prim's algorithm. Constraints on wind farm boundary and wind turbine proximity are also considered. An ideal test case shows the proposed algorithm largely outperforms a famous multi-objective genetic algorithm (NSGA-II). In the real test case based on the Horn Rev 1 wind farm, the algorithm also obtains useful Pareto frontiers and provides a wide range of Pareto optimal layouts with different numbers of turbines for a real-life wind farm developer.

A Survey of Health-Related Activities on Second Life

PubMed Central

Beard, Leslie; Wilson, Kumanan; Morra, Dante

2009-01-01

Background Increasingly, governments, health care agencies, companies, and private groups have chosen Second Life as part of their Web 2.0 communication strategies. Second Life offers unique design features for disseminating health information, training health professionals, and enabling patient education for both academic and commercial health behavior research. Objectives This study aimed to survey and categorize the range of health-related activities on Second Life; to examine the design attributes of the most innovative and popular sites; and to assess the potential utility of Second Life for the dissemination of health information and for health behavior change. Methods We used three separate search strategies to identify health-related sites on Second Life. The first used the application’s search engine, entering both generic and select illness-specific keywords, to seek out sites. The second identified sites through a comprehensive review of print, blog, and media sources discussing health activities on Second Life. We then visited each site and used a snowball method to identify other health sites until we reached saturation (no new health sites were identified). The content, user experience, and chief purpose of each site were tabulated as well as basic site information, including user traffic data and site size. Results We found a wide range of health-related activities on Second Life, and a diverse group of users, including organizations, groups, and individuals. For many users, Second Life activities are a part of their Web 2.0 communication strategy. The most common type of health-related site in our sample (n = 68) were those whose principle aim was patient education or to increase awareness about health issues. The second most common type of site were support sites, followed by training sites, and marketing sites. Finally, a few sites were purpose-built to conduct research in SL or to recruit participants for real-life research. Conclusions Studies show that behaviors from virtual worlds can translate to the real world. Our survey suggests that users are engaged in a range of health-related activities in Second Life which are potentially impacting real-life behaviors. Further research evaluating the impact of health-related activities on Second Life is warranted. PMID:19632971

An automated methodology development. [software design for combat simulation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hawley, L. R.

1985-01-01

The design methodology employed in testing the applicability of Ada in large-scale combat simulations is described. Ada was considered as a substitute for FORTRAN to lower life cycle costs and ease the program development efforts. An object-oriented approach was taken, which featured definitions of military targets, the capability of manipulating their condition in real-time, and one-to-one correlation between the object states and real world states. The simulation design process was automated by the problem statement language (PSL)/problem statement analyzer (PSA). The PSL/PSA system accessed the problem data base directly to enhance the code efficiency by, e.g., eliminating non-used subroutines, and provided for automated report generation, besides allowing for functional and interface descriptions. The ways in which the methodology satisfied the responsiveness, reliability, transportability, modifiability, timeliness and efficiency goals are discussed.

An Improved Memetic Algorithm for Break Scheduling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Widl, Magdalena; Musliu, Nysret

In this paper we consider solving a complex real life break scheduling problem. This problem of high practical relevance arises in many working areas, e.g. in air traffic control and other fields where supervision personnel is working. The objective is to assign breaks to employees such that various constraints reflecting legal demands or ergonomic criteria are satisfied and staffing requirement violations are minimised.

Light. Physical Science in Action[TM]. Schlessinger Science Library. [Videotape].

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

2000

Why does light behave the way it does? How does it travel from its source to the objects it illuminates and then to human eyes? Students will learn about waves, including the concepts of reflection, absorption, refraction and how light is related to the colors that can be seen. With a hands-on activity and real-life examples, these concepts are…

It's a Wonderful Life: Using Public Domain Cinema Clips To Teach Affective Objectives and Illustrate Real-World Algebra Applications.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Palmer, Loretta

A basic algebra unit was developed at Utah Valley State College to emphasize applications of mathematical concepts in the work world, using video and computer-generated graphics to integrate textual material. The course was implemented in three introductory algebra sections involving 80 students and taught algebraic concepts using such areas as…

Training Professionals to Implement a Group Model for Alleviating Loneliness among Older People--10-Year Follow-Up Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jansson, Anu H.; Savikko, Niina M.; Pitkälä, Kaisu H.

2018-01-01

Background and objectives: Although randomized controlled trials (RCTs) have been performed to alleviate loneliness among older people, little is known about how they have been implemented, or whether they are effective in real life. Our RCT-based model, "Circle of Friends" (CoF) proved to be effective in improving the wellbeing, health…

Enhancing Moral and Ethical Judgment through the Use of Case Histories: An Ethics Course for Pre-Service Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mc Danel de García, Mary Anne

2013-01-01

This article refers to an action research project involving pre-service teachers. The purpose of this study was to determine if specific learning outcomes could be successfully employed as objectives for an ethics course for preservice teacher preparation. Real life case histories were used by students to identify and reflect upon moral and…

Ecological validity of the five digit test and the oral trails test.

PubMed

Paiva, Gabrielle Chequer de Castro; Fialho, Mariana Braga; Costa, Danielle de Souza; Paula, Jonas Jardim de

2016-01-01

Tests evaluating the attentional-executive system are widely used in clinical practice. However, proximity of an objective cognitive test with real-world situations (ecological validity) is not frequently investigated. The present study evaluate the association between measures of the Five Digit Test (FDT) and the Oral Trails Test (OTT) with self-reported cognitive failures in everyday life as measured by the Cognitive Failures Questionnaire (CFQ). Brazilian adults from 18-to-65 years old voluntarily performed the FDT and OTT tests and reported the frequency of cognitive failures in their everyday life through the CFQ. After controlling for the age effect, the measures of controlled attentional processes were associated with cognitive failures, yet the cognitive flexibility of both FDT and OTT accounted for by the majority of variance in most aspects of the CFQ factors. The FDT and the OTT measures were predictive of real-world problems such as cognitive failures in everyday activities/situations.

The Kinematic Learning Model using Video and Interfaces Analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Firdaus, T.; Setiawan, W.; Hamidah, I.

2017-09-01

An educator currently in demand to apply the learning to not be separated from the development of technology. Educators often experience difficulties when explaining kinematics material, this is because kinematics is one of the lessons that often relate the concept to real life. Kinematics is one of the courses of physics that explains the cause of motion of an object, Therefore it takes the thinking skills and analytical skills in understanding these symptoms. Technology is one that can bridge between conceptual relationship with real life. A framework of technology-based learning models has been developed using video and interfaces analysis on kinematics concept. By using this learning model, learners will be better able to understand the concept that is taught by the teacher. This learning model is able to improve the ability of creative thinking, analytical skills, and problem-solving skills on the concept of kinematics.

Temporal compression in episodic memory for real-life events.

PubMed

Jeunehomme, Olivier; Folville, Adrien; Stawarczyk, David; Van der Linden, Martial; D'Argembeau, Arnaud

2018-07-01

Remembering an event typically takes less time than experiencing it, suggesting that episodic memory represents past experience in a temporally compressed way. Little is known, however, about how the continuous flow of real-life events is summarised in memory. Here we investigated the nature and determinants of temporal compression by directly comparing memory contents with the objective timing of events as measured by a wearable camera. We found that episodic memories consist of a succession of moments of prior experience that represent events with varying compression rates, such that the density of retrieved information is modulated by goal processing and perceptual changes. Furthermore, the results showed that temporal compression rates remain relatively stable over one week and increase after a one-month delay, particularly for goal-related events. These data shed new light on temporal compression in episodic memory and suggest that compression rates are adaptively modulated to maintain current goal-relevant information.

Evaluation of Smartphone Applications for Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Training in South Korea

PubMed Central

Cho, Yongtak; Song, Yeongtak; Lim, Tae Ho; Kang, Hyunggoo

2016-01-01

Objective. There are many smartphone-based applications (apps) for cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training. We investigated the conformity and the learnability/usability of these apps for CPR training and real-life supports. Methods. We conducted a mixed-method, sequential explanatory study to assess CPR training apps downloaded on two apps stores in South Korea. Apps were collected with inclusion criteria as follows, Korean-language instruction, training features, and emergency supports for real-life incidents, and analyzed with two tests; 15 medical experts evaluated the apps' contents according to current Basic Life Support guidelines in conformity test, and 15 nonmedical individuals examined the apps using System Usability Scale (SUS) in the learnability/usability test. Results. Out of 79 selected apps, five apps were included and analyzed. For conformity (ICC, 0.95, p < 0.001), means of all apps were greater than 12 of 20 points, indicating that they were well designed according to current guidelines. Three of the five apps yielded acceptable level (greater than 68 of 100 points) for learnability/usability. Conclusion. All the included apps followed current BLS guidelines and a majority offered acceptable learnability/usability for layperson. Current and developmental smartphone-based CPR training apps should include accurate CPR information and be easy to use for laypersons that are potential rescuers in real-life incidents. For Clinical Trials. This is a clinical trial, registered at the Clinical Research Information Service (CRIS, cris.nih.go.kr), number KCT0001840. PMID:27668257

Challenges for Rule Systems on the Web

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hu, Yuh-Jong; Yeh, Ching-Long; Laun, Wolfgang

The RuleML Challenge started in 2007 with the objective of inspiring the issues of implementation for management, integration, interoperation and interchange of rules in an open distributed environment, such as the Web. Rules are usually classified as three types: deductive rules, normative rules, and reactive rules. The reactive rules are further classified as ECA rules and production rules. The study of combination rule and ontology is traced back to an earlier active rule system for relational and object-oriented (OO) databases. Recently, this issue has become one of the most important research problems in the Semantic Web. Once we consider a computer executable policy as a declarative set of rules and ontologies that guides the behavior of entities within a system, we have a flexible way to implement real world policies without rewriting the computer code, as we did before. Fortunately, we have de facto rule markup languages, such as RuleML or RIF to achieve the portability and interchange of rules for different rule systems. Otherwise, executing real-life rule-based applications on the Web is almost impossible. Several commercial or open source rule engines are available for the rule-based applications. However, we still need a standard rule language and benchmark for not only to compare the rule systems but also to measure the progress in the field. Finally, a number of real-life rule-based use cases will be investigated to demonstrate the applicability of current rule systems on the Web.

Is fear in your head? A comparison of instructed and real-life expressions of emotion in the face and body.

PubMed

Abramson, Lior; Marom, Inbal; Petranker, Rotem; Aviezer, Hillel

2017-04-01

The majority of emotion perception studies utilize instructed and stereotypical expressions of faces or bodies. While such stimuli are highly standardized and well-recognized, their resemblance to real-life expressions of emotion remains unknown. Here we examined facial and body expressions of fear and anger during real-life situations and compared their recognition to that of instructed expressions of the same emotions. In order to examine the source of the affective signal, expressions of emotion were presented as faces alone, bodies alone, and naturally, as faces with bodies. The results demonstrated striking deviations between recognition of instructed and real-life stimuli, which differed as a function of the emotion expressed. In real-life fearful expressions of emotion, bodies were far better recognized than faces, a pattern not found with instructed expressions of emotion. Anger reactions were better recognized from the body than from the face in both real-life and instructed stimuli. However, the real-life stimuli were overall better recognized than their instructed counterparts. These results indicate that differences between instructed and real-life expressions of emotion are prevalent and raise caution against an overreliance of researchers on instructed affective stimuli. The findings also demonstrate that in real life, facial expression perception may rely heavily on information from the contextualizing body. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

Social influence on associative learning: double dissociation in high-functioning autism, early-stage behavioural variant frontotemporal dementia and Alzheimer's disease.

PubMed

Kéri, Szabolcs

2014-05-01

Most of our learning activity takes place in a social context. I examined how social interactions influence associative learning in neurodegenerative diseases and atypical neurodevelopmental conditions primarily characterised by social cognitive and memory dysfunctions. Participants were individuals with high-functioning autism (HFA, n = 18), early-stage behavioural variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD, n = 16) and Alzheimer's disease (AD, n = 20). The leading symptoms in HFA and bvFTD were social and behavioural dysfunctions, whereas AD was characterised by memory deficits. Participants received three versions of a paired associates learning task. In the game with boxes test, objects were hidden in six candy boxes placed in different locations on the computer screen. In the game with faces, each box was labelled by a photo of a person. In the real-life version of the game, participants played with real persons. Individuals with HFA and bvFTD performed well in the computer games, but failed on the task including real persons. In contrast, in patients with early-stage AD, social interactions boosted paired associates learning up to the level of healthy control volunteers. Worse performance in the real life game was associated with less successful recognition of complex emotions and mental states in the Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test. Spatial span did not affect the results. When social cognition is impaired, but memory systems are less compromised (HFA and bvFTD), real-life interactions disrupt associative learning; when disease process impairs memory systems but social cognition is relatively intact (early-stage AD), social interactions have a beneficial effect on learning and memory. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Distinct Visual Processing of Real Objects and Pictures of Those Objects in 7- to 9-month-old Infants

PubMed Central

Gerhard, Theresa M.; Culham, Jody C.; Schwarzer, Gudrun

2016-01-01

The present study examined 7- and 9-month-old infants’ visual habituation to real objects and pictures of the same objects and their preferences between real and pictorial versions of the same objects following habituation. Different hypotheses would predict that infants may habituate faster to pictures than real objects (based on proposed theoretical links between behavioral habituation in infants and neuroimaging adaptation in adults) or to real objects vs. pictures (based on past infant electrophysiology data). Sixty-one 7-month-old infants and fifty-nine 9-month-old infants were habituated to either a real object or a picture of the same object and afterward preference tested with the habituation object paired with either the novel real object or its picture counterpart. Infants of both age groups showed basic information-processing advantages for real objects. Specifically, during the initial presentations, 9-month-old infants looked longer at stimuli in both formats than the 7-month olds but more importantly both age groups looked longer at real objects than pictures, though with repeated presentations, they habituated faster for real objects such that at the end of habituation, they looked equally at both types of stimuli. Surprisingly, even after habituation, infants preferred to look at the real objects, regardless of whether they had habituated to photos or real objects. Our findings suggest that from as early as 7-months of age, infants show strong preferences for real objects, perhaps because real objects are visually richer and/or enable the potential for genuine interactions. PMID:27378962

[Public spending on health and population health in Algeria: an econometric analysis].

PubMed

Messaili, Moussa; Kaïd Tlilane, Nouara

2017-07-10

Objective: The objective of this study was to estimate the impact of public spending on health, among other determinants of health, on the health of the population in Algeria, using life expectancy (men and women) and infant mortality rates as indicators of health status. Methods: We conducted a longitudinal study over the period from 1974 to 2010 using the ARDL (Autoregressive Distributed Lags) approach to co-integration to estimate the short-term and long-term relationship. Results: Public spending on health has a positive, but not statistically significant impact, in the long and short term, on life expectancy (men and women). However, public spending significantly reduces the infant mortality rate. The long-term impact of the number of hospital beds is significant for the life expectancy of men, but not for women and infant mortality, but is significant for all indicators in the short-term relationship. The most important variables in improving the health of the population are real GDP per capita and fertility rate.

Countertransference and the erotic.

PubMed

Ulanov, Ann Belford

2009-03-01

Eros is like a huge spark that ignites our passion and then confronts us with the problem of living out this fire in ordinary space and time. What do we each know of this spark, this flame? Who or what was it's object? Where have we felt this force for unity in ourselves, with another person, with life itself? Where are we unlived erotically? Where are the chinks in our erotic life? In focusing on the erotic in clinical work, we usually begin with the analysand's transference. I want to explore eros in the life of the analyst for our relation to eros influences the clinical work we do. When eros is constellated, two possibilities of relationship present themselves: to an actual other who must be reckoned with as real, and to a psychic content, equally real, which we do not invent or control. How do we experience this electricity? What is our desire like? What does it take us back to, and toward what unseen purpose does it propel us? Eros brings with it a sense of purpose, of going somewhere important, something that enlists body, soul, and spirit.

Three Dimensional (3D) Printing: A Straightforward, User-Friendly Protocol to Convert Virtual Chemical Models to Real-Life Objects

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rossi, Sergio; Benaglia, Maurizio; Brenna, Davide; Porta, Riccardo; Orlandi, Manuel

2015-01-01

A simple procedure to convert protein data bank files (.pdb) into a stereolithography file (.stl) using VMD software (Virtual Molecular Dynamic) is reported. This tutorial allows generating, with a very simple protocol, three-dimensional customized structures that can be printed by a low-cost 3D-printer, and used for teaching chemical education…

Software sensors for bioprocesses.

PubMed

Bogaerts, Ph; Vande Wouwer, A

2003-10-01

State estimation is a significant problem in biotechnological processes, due to the general lack of hardware sensor measurements of the variables describing the process dynamics. The objective of this paper is to review a number of software sensor design methods, including extended Kalman filters, receding-horizon observers, asymptotic observers, and hybrid observers, which can be efficiently applied to bioprocesses. These several methods are illustrated with simulation and real-life case studies.

Mobile Game Based Learning: Can It Enhance Learning of Marginalized Peer Educators?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roy, Anupama; Sharples, Mike

2015-01-01

This paper describes an investigatory project to pilot an SMS based game to enhance the training of peer educators of MSM (Males having Sex with Males) groups in India. The objective of this research was to increase the efficacy of the MSM peer educators by bridging the gap between the training needs and their real life experiences. An SMS based…

Computational optimization and biological evolution.

PubMed

Goryanin, Igor

2010-10-01

Modelling and optimization principles become a key concept in many biological areas, especially in biochemistry. Definitions of objective function, fitness and co-evolution, although they differ between biology and mathematics, are similar in a general sense. Although successful in fitting models to experimental data, and some biochemical predictions, optimization and evolutionary computations should be developed further to make more accurate real-life predictions, and deal not only with one organism in isolation, but also with communities of symbiotic and competing organisms. One of the future goals will be to explain and predict evolution not only for organisms in shake flasks or fermenters, but for real competitive multispecies environments.

Evaluation of Wearable Haptic Systems for the Fingers in Augmented Reality Applications.

PubMed

Maisto, Maurizio; Pacchierotti, Claudio; Chinello, Francesco; Salvietti, Gionata; De Luca, Alessandro; Prattichizzo, Domenico

2017-01-01

Although Augmented Reality (AR) has been around for almost five decades, only recently we have witnessed AR systems and applications entering in our everyday life. Representative examples of this technological revolution are the smartphone games "Pokémon GO" and "Ingress" or the Google Translate real-time sign interpretation app. Even if AR applications are already quite compelling and widespread, users are still not able to physically interact with the computer-generated reality. In this respect, wearable haptics can provide the compelling illusion of touching the superimposed virtual objects without constraining the motion or the workspace of the user. In this paper, we present the experimental evaluation of two wearable haptic interfaces for the fingers in three AR scenarios, enrolling 38 participants. In the first experiment, subjects were requested to write on a virtual board using a real chalk. The haptic devices provided the interaction forces between the chalk and the board. In the second experiment, subjects were asked to pick and place virtual and real objects. The haptic devices provided the interaction forces due to the weight of the virtual objects. In the third experiment, subjects were asked to balance a virtual sphere on a real cardboard. The haptic devices provided the interaction forces due to the weight of the virtual sphere rolling on the cardboard. Providing haptic feedback through the considered wearable device significantly improved the performance of all the considered tasks. Moreover, subjects significantly preferred conditions providing wearable haptic feedback.

Influence of quasi-spherical polarization on results of bioelectromagnetic studies.

PubMed

Dlugosz, Tomasz

2015-01-01

One of the most interesting questions in bioelectromagnetic and compatibility studies is differences between results of experiments performed in different labs in "identical" conditions, especially in bioelectromagnetics studies. A reason of these differences may be due to differences in investigated objects, particularly in in vivo experiments. However, the author, as engineer, would like to focus the readers' attention on the technical aspects of exposure systems namely: presence and role of mutual interaction between the object under test and the exposure system, interaction between exposure objects, the role of polarization and the similarity of real-life exposure to those applied in experiments, etc. All these factors may change the results of experiments and lead to false conclusions.

Impact of chronic urticaria on quality of life and work in Japan: Results of a real-world study.

PubMed

Itakura, Asako; Tani, Yumiko; Kaneko, Naoko; Hide, Michihiro

2018-06-13

Little attention has been given to the burden of chronic urticaria (CU) in Japan compared with other skin diseases, such as atopic dermatitis (AD) and psoriasis. The primary objective of the RELEASE study was to evaluate the real-life quality-of-life impairment in CU patients in Japan. Data were collected from 1443 urticaria, 1668 AD and 435 psoriatic patients; 552 urticaria patients who presented urticaria symptoms for over 6 weeks were defined as CU. The mean Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) total score was 4.8, 6.1 and 4.8 in CU, AD and psoriatic patients, respectively. Disease control of urticaria evaluated by the Urticaria Control Test (UCT) and DLQI exhibited a strong correlation with a Spearman's rank correlation coefficient of -0.7158. CU and AD patients had relatively higher scores in all Work Productivity and Activity Impairment - General Health subscales except for absenteeism. At the time of the survey, approximately 64% of CU patients reported UCT scores of <12 and demonstrated higher work productivity loss and activity impairment versus patients with UCT scores of ≥12. Patients with lower UCT scores also displayed a higher percentage of dissatisfaction with their health state and the treatment they received. Approximately 85% of patients with CU had visited dermatology clinics, and less than 20% had visited hospital, indicating existence of a highly burdened population outside specialized centers. These results highlight the unmet medical needs of CU patients, suggesting the need to increase awareness of CU burden among both physicians and patients and to pursue improved real-life patient care. © 2018 Novartis K.K. The Journal of Dermatology published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of Japanese Dermatological Association.

Research of real-time communication software

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Maotang; Guo, Jingbo; Liu, Yuzhong; Li, Jiahong

2003-11-01

Real-time communication has been playing an increasingly important role in our work, life and ocean monitor. With the rapid progress of computer and communication technique as well as the miniaturization of communication system, it is needed to develop the adaptable and reliable real-time communication software in the ocean monitor system. This paper involves the real-time communication software research based on the point-to-point satellite intercommunication system. The object-oriented design method is adopted, which can transmit and receive video data and audio data as well as engineering data by satellite channel. In the real-time communication software, some software modules are developed, which can realize the point-to-point satellite intercommunication in the ocean monitor system. There are three advantages for the real-time communication software. One is that the real-time communication software increases the reliability of the point-to-point satellite intercommunication system working. Second is that some optional parameters are intercalated, which greatly increases the flexibility of the system working. Third is that some hardware is substituted by the real-time communication software, which not only decrease the expense of the system and promotes the miniaturization of communication system, but also aggrandizes the agility of the system.

Motor learning from virtual reality to natural environments in individuals with Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

PubMed

Quadrado, Virgínia Helena; Silva, Talita Dias da; Favero, Francis Meire; Tonks, James; Massetti, Thais; Monteiro, Carlos Bandeira de Mello

2017-11-10

To examine whether performance improvements in the virtual environment generalize to the natural environment. we had 64 individuals, 32 of which were individuals with DMD and 32 were typically developing individuals. The groups practiced two coincidence timing tasks. In the more tangible button-press task, the individuals were required to 'intercept' a falling virtual object at the moment it reached the interception point by pressing a key on the computer. In the more abstract task, they were instructed to 'intercept' the virtual object by making a hand movement in a virtual environment using a webcam. For individuals with DMD, conducting a coincidence timing task in a virtual environment facilitated transfer to the real environment. However, we emphasize that a task practiced in a virtual environment should have higher rates of difficulties than a task practiced in a real environment. IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATION Virtual environments can be used to promote improved performance in ?real-world? environments. Virtual environments offer the opportunity to create paradigms similar ?real-life? tasks, however task complexity and difficulty levels can be manipulated, graded and enhanced to increase likelihood of success in transfer of learning and performance. Individuals with DMD, in particular, showed immediate performance benefits after using virtual reality.

Tubular Crystals and Helical Arrays: Structural Determination of HIV-1 Capsid Assemblies Using Iterative Helical Real-Space Reconstruction

PubMed Central

Zhang, Peijun; Meng, Xin; Zhao, Gongpu

2013-01-01

Helical structures are important in many different life forms and are well-suited for structural studies by cryo-EM. A unique feature of helical objects is that a single projection image contains all the views needed to perform a three-dimensional (3D) crystallographic reconstruction. Here, we use HIV-1 capsid assemblies to illustrate the detailed approaches to obtain 3D density maps from helical objects. Mature HIV-1 particles contain a conical- or tubular-shaped capsid that encloses the viral RNA genome and performs essential functions in the virus life cycle. The capsid is composed of capsid protein (CA) oligomers which are helically arranged on the surface. The N-terminal domain (NTD) of CA is connected to its C-terminal domain (CTD) through a flexible hinge. Structural analysis of two- and three-dimensional crystals provided molecular models of the capsid protein (CA) and its oligomer forms. We determined the 3D density map of helically assembled HIV-1 CA hexamers at 16 Å resolution using an iterative helical real-space reconstruction method. Docking of atomic models of CA-NTD and CA-CTD dimer into the electron density map indicated that the CTD dimer interface is retained in the assembled CA. Furthermore, molecular docking revealed an additional, novel CTD trimer interface. PMID:23132072

External validity of the ARISTOTLE trial in real-life atrial fibrillation patients.

PubMed

Hägg, Lovisa; Johansson, Cecilia; Jansson, Jan-Håkan; Johansson, Lars

2014-10-01

Our primary objective was to determine the proportion of patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) eligible for enrollment in a randomized controlled trial for a novel oral anticoagulant, the ARISTOTLE trial. A secondary objective was to describe the reasons for trial ineligibility. We performed a cross-sectional study of an unselected population including 2274 patients in Skellefteå, Sweden with at least one verified episode of AF on or before December 31, 2010. Patients were classified as suitable or unsuitable for anticoagulant treatment according to current guidelines. The enrollment criteria from the ARISTOTLE trial were extracted from the original publication and applied to the population. Among all patients with AF, 1579 were classified as suitable for anticoagulant treatment. Of these, only 658 patients (42%) were eligible for participation in the ARISTOTLE trial. Among the 921 patients ineligible for participation, 498 did not meet the ECG criteria, 272 had psychosocial problems, and in addition, 78 patients were excluded due to both of these criteria. Our study shows that a majority of the patients in an unselected population with AF suitable for anticoagulant treatment were ineligible for participation in the ARISTOTLE trial. The applicability of the ARISTOTLE trial is therefore unknown for a considerable proportion of patients with AF in real life. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Impact of study design on development and evaluation of an activity-type classifier.

PubMed

van Hees, Vincent T; Golubic, Rajna; Ekelund, Ulf; Brage, Søren

2013-04-01

Methods to classify activity types are often evaluated with an experimental protocol involving prescribed physical activities under confined (laboratory) conditions, which may not reflect real-life conditions. The present study aims to evaluate how study design may impact on classifier performance in real life. Twenty-eight healthy participants (21-53 yr) were asked to wear nine triaxial accelerometers while performing 58 activity types selected to simulate activities in real life. For each sensor location, logistic classifiers were trained in subsets of up to 8 activities to distinguish between walking and nonwalking activities and were then evaluated in all 58 activities. Different weighting factors were used to convert the resulting confusion matrices into an estimation of the confusion matrix as would apply in the real-life setting by creating four different real-life scenarios, as well as one traditional laboratory scenario. The sensitivity of a classifier estimated with a traditional laboratory protocol is within the range of estimates derived from real-life scenarios for any body location. The specificity, however, was systematically overestimated by the traditional laboratory scenario. Walking time was systematically overestimated, except for lower back sensor data (range: 7-757%). In conclusion, classifier performance under confined conditions may not accurately reflect classifier performance in real life. Future studies that aim to evaluate activity classification methods are warranted to pay special attention to the representativeness of experimental conditions for real-life conditions.

Discovering objects in a blood recipient information system.

PubMed

Qiu, D; Junghans, G; Marquardt, K; Kroll, H; Mueller-Eckhardt, C; Dudeck, J

1995-01-01

Application of object-oriented (OO) methodologies has been generally considered as a solution to the problem of improving the software development process and managing the so-called software crisis. Among them, object-oriented analysis (OOA) is the most essential and is a vital prerequisite for the successful use of other OO methodologies. Though there are already a good deal of OOA methods published, the most important aspect common to all these methods: discovering objects classes truly relevant to the given problem domain, has remained a subject to be intensively researched. In this paper, using the successful development of a blood recipient information system as an example, we present our approach which is based on the conceptual framework of responsibility-driven OOA. In the discussion, we also suggest that it may be inadequate to simply attribute the software crisis to the waterfall model of the software development life-cycle. We are convinced that the real causes for the failure of some software and information systems should be sought in the methodologies used in some crucial phases of the software development process. Furthermore, a software system can also fail if object classes essential to the problem domain are not discovered, implemented and visualized, so that the real-world situation cannot be faithfully traced by it.

Enhancing Scientific Collaboration, Transparency, and Public Access: Utilizing the Second Life Platform to Convene a Scientific Conference in 3-D Virtual Space

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McGee, B. W.

2006-12-01

Recent studies reveal a general mistrust of science as well as a distorted perception of the scientific method by the public at-large. Concurrently, the number of science undergraduate and graduate students is in decline. By taking advantage of emergent technologies not only for direct public outreach but also to enhance public accessibility to the science process, it may be possible to both begin a reversal of popular scientific misconceptions and to engage a new generation of scientists. The Second Life platform is a 3-D virtual world produced and operated by Linden Research, Inc., a privately owned company instituted to develop new forms of immersive entertainment. Free and downloadable to the public, Second Life offers an imbedded physics engine, streaming audio and video capability, and unlike other "multiplayer" software, the objects and inhabitants of Second Life are entirely designed and created by its users, providing an open-ended experience without the structure of a traditional video game. Already, educational institutions, virtual museums, and real-world businesses are utilizing Second Life for teleconferencing, pre-visualization, and distance education, as well as to conduct traditional business. However, the untapped potential of Second Life lies in its versatility, where the limitations of traditional scientific meeting venues do not exist, and attendees need not be restricted by prohibitive travel costs. It will be shown that the Second Life system enables scientific authors and presenters at a "virtual conference" to display figures and images at full resolution, employ audio-visual content typically not available to conference organizers, and to perform demonstrations or premier three-dimensional renderings of objects, processes, or information. An enhanced presentation like those possible with Second Life would be more engaging to non- scientists, and such an event would be accessible to the general users of Second Life, who could have an uprecedented opportunity to witness an example of scientific collaboration typically reserved for members of a particular field or focus group. With a minimal investment in advertising or promotion both in real and virtual space, the possibility exists for scientific information and interaction to reach a far broader audience through Second Life than with any other currently available means for comparable cost.

A quantitative approach to measure road network information based on edge diversity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Xun; Zhang, Hong; Lan, Tian; Cao, Weiwei; He, Jing

2015-12-01

The measure of map information has been one of the key issues in assessing cartographic quality and map generalization algorithms. It is also important for developing efficient approaches to transfer geospatial information. Road network is the most common linear object in real world. Approximately describe road network information will benefit road map generalization, navigation map production and urban planning. Most of current approaches focused on node diversities and supposed that all the edges are the same, which is inconsistent to real-life condition, and thus show limitations in measuring network information. As real-life traffic flow are directed and of different quantities, the original undirected vector road map was first converted to a directed topographic connectivity map. Then in consideration of preferential attachment in complex network study and rich-club phenomenon in social network, the from and to weights of each edge are assigned. The from weight of a given edge is defined as the connectivity of its end node to the sum of the connectivities of all the neighbors of the from nodes of the edge. After getting the from and to weights of each edge, edge information, node information and the whole network structure information entropies could be obtained based on information theory. The approach has been applied to several 1 square mile road network samples. Results show that information entropies based on edge diversities could successfully describe the structural differences of road networks. This approach is a complementarity to current map information measurements, and can be extended to measure other kinds of geographical objects.

Virginity: A Very Personal Decision

MedlinePlus

... sexually active, but these teens are actors, not real people with real concerns. They don't have to worry about ... these TV and movie plots are stories, not real life. In real life, every teen can, and ...

Apraxia, mechanical problem solving and semantic knowledge: contributions to object usage in corticobasal degeneration.

PubMed

Spatt, Josef; Bak, Thomas; Bozeat, Sasha; Patterson, Karalyn; Hodges, John R

2002-05-01

To investigate the nature of the apraxia in corticobasal degeneration (CBD) five patients with CBD and five matched controls were compared on tests of: i) meaningless and symbolic gesture production, ii) a battery of semantic tasks based on 20 everyday items (involving naming and picture-picture matching according to semantic attributes, matching gestures-to-objects, object usage from name and with the real object) and iii) a novel tool test of mechanical problem solving. All five patients showed severe impairment in the production of meaningless and symbolic gestures from command, and by imitation, and were also impaired when using real objects. Deficits were not, however, restricted to action production: four were unable to match gestures to objects and all five showed impairment in the selection and usage of novel tools in the mechanical problem solving task. Surprising was the finding of an additional semantic knowledge breakdown in three cases, two of whom were markedly anomic. The apraxia in CBD is, therefore, multifactorial. There is profound breakdown in the organisation and co-ordination of motor programming. In addition, patients show central deficits in action knowledge and mechanical problem solving, which has been linked to parietal lobe pathology. General semantic memory may also be affected in CBD in some cases and this may then contribute to impaired object usage. This combination of more than one deficit relevant for object use may explain why CBD patients are far more disabled by their dyspraxia in everyday life than any other patient group.

The influence of illness-related variables, personal resources and context-related factors on real-life functioning of people with schizophrenia.

PubMed

Galderisi, Silvana; Rossi, Alessandro; Rocca, Paola; Bertolino, Alessandro; Mucci, Armida; Bucci, Paola; Rucci, Paola; Gibertoni, Dino; Aguglia, Eugenio; Amore, Mario; Bellomo, Antonello; Biondi, Massimo; Brugnoli, Roberto; Dell'Osso, Liliana; De Ronchi, Diana; Di Emidio, Gabriella; Di Giannantonio, Massimo; Fagiolini, Andrea; Marchesi, Carlo; Monteleone, Palmiero; Oldani, Lucio; Pinna, Federica; Roncone, Rita; Sacchetti, Emilio; Santonastaso, Paolo; Siracusano, Alberto; Vita, Antonio; Zeppegno, Patrizia; Maj, Mario

2014-10-01

In people suffering from schizophrenia, major areas of everyday life are impaired, including independent living, productive activities and social relationships. Enhanced understanding of factors that hinder real-life functioning is vital for treatments to translate into more positive outcomes. The goal of the present study was to identify predictors of real-life functioning in people with schizophrenia, and to assess their relative contribution. Based on previous literature and clinical experience, several factors were selected and grouped into three categories: illness-related variables, personal resources and context-related factors. Some of these variables were never investigated before in relationship with real-life functioning. In 921 patients with schizophrenia living in the community, we found that variables relevant to the disease, personal resources and social context explain 53.8% of real-life functioning variance in a structural equation model. Neurocognition exhibited the strongest, though indirect, association with real-life functioning. Positive symptoms and disorganization, as well as avolition, proved to have significant direct and indirect effects, while depression had no significant association and poor emotional expression was only indirectly and weakly related to real-life functioning. Availability of a disability pension and access to social and family incentives also showed a significant direct association with functioning. Social cognition, functional capacity, resilience, internalized stigma and engagement with mental health services served as mediators. The observed complex associations among investigated predictors, mediators and real-life functioning strongly suggest that integrated and personalized programs should be provided as standard treatment to people with schizophrenia. Copyright © 2014 World Psychiatric Association.

What you fear will appear: detection of schematic spiders in spider fear.

PubMed

Peira, Nathalie; Golkar, Armita; Larsson, Maria; Wiens, Stefan

2010-01-01

Various experimental tasks suggest that fear guides attention. However, because these tasks often lack ecological validity, it is unclear to what extent results from these tasks can be generalized to real-life situations. In change detection tasks, a brief interruption of the visual input (i.e., a blank interval or a scene cut) often results in undetected changes in the scene. This setup resembles real-life viewing behavior and is used here to increase ecological validity of the attentional task without compromising control over the stimuli presented. Spider-fearful and nonfearful women detected schematic spiders and flowers that were added to one of two identical background pictures that alternated with a brief blank in between them (i.e., flicker paradigm). Results showed that spider-fearful women detected spiders (but not flowers) faster than did nonfearful women. Because spiders and flowers had similar low-level features, these findings suggest that fear guides attention on the basis of object features rather than simple low-level features.

As seen on TV: observational study of cardiopulmonary resuscitation in British television medical dramas

PubMed Central

Gordon, P N; Williamson, S; Lawler, P G

1998-01-01

Objective: To determine the frequency and accuracy with which cardiopulmonary resuscitation is portrayed in British television medical dramas. Design: Observational study. Subjects: 64 episodes of three major British television medical dramas: Casualty, Cardiac Arrest, and Medics. Main outcome measures: Frequency of cardiopulmonary resuscitation shown on television; age, sex, and diagnosis of the patients undergoing resuscitation; rate of survival through resuscitation. Results: Overall 52 patients had a cardiorespiratory arrest on screen and 3 had a respiratory arrest alone, all the arrests occurring in 40 of the 64 episodes. Of the 52 patients having cardiorespiratory arrest, 32 (62%) underwent an attempt at cardiopulmonary resuscitation; 8 attempts were successful. All 3 of the patients having respiratory arrests alone received ventilatory support and survived. On 48% of occasions, victims of cardiac arrest seemed to be less than 35 years old. Conclusions: Cardiorespiratory resuscitation is often depicted in British television medical dramas. Patients portrayed receiving resuscitation are likely to be in a younger age group than in real life. Though the reasons for resuscitation are more varied and more often associated with trauma than in reality, the overall success rate is nevertheless realistic. Widespread overoptimism of patients for survival after resuscitation cannot necessarily be blamed on British television medical dramas. Key messagesA quarter of patients in British television medical dramas who received cardiopulmonary resuscitation on screen seemed to surviveThis figure is comparable to initial survival rates in a series of patients in real lifePatients on television are more likely to suffer cardiac arrest as a result of trauma than in real life, and patients undergoing resuscitation are likely to be younger than patients in real lifeThe overall survival rate of patients after cardiopulmonary resuscitation in British television medical drama seems to be more realistic than in American medical dramas PMID:9740563

A Comprehensive Revision of the Logistics Planning Exercise (Log-Plan-X).

DTIC Science & Technology

1981-06-01

teaching objectives. The difference between conventional teaching methods and simulation rests in the fact that most conventional techniques focus on...Communication and Humanitie. AFIT/LSH, WPAFB OH 45433220 V&. MONITORING AGENCY NAME9 & ADORES(II different fron Ca.U.Ufind Office) is. SECURITY UNCLASSIFIED I...error systems in real life can be very costly. Simulations can be an efficient and effective alternative to such trial and error methods by allowing

Data Analytics for Smart Parking Applications.

PubMed

Piovesan, Nicola; Turi, Leo; Toigo, Enrico; Martinez, Borja; Rossi, Michele

2016-09-23

We consider real-life smart parking systems where parking lot occupancy data are collected from field sensor devices and sent to backend servers for further processing and usage for applications. Our objective is to make these data useful to end users, such as parking managers, and, ultimately, to citizens. To this end, we concoct and validate an automated classification algorithm having two objectives: (1) outlier detection: to detect sensors with anomalous behavioral patterns, i.e., outliers; and (2) clustering: to group the parking sensors exhibiting similar patterns into distinct clusters. We first analyze the statistics of real parking data, obtaining suitable simulation models for parking traces. We then consider a simple classification algorithm based on the empirical complementary distribution function of occupancy times and show its limitations. Hence, we design a more sophisticated algorithm exploiting unsupervised learning techniques (self-organizing maps). These are tuned following a supervised approach using our trace generator and are compared against other clustering schemes, namely expectation maximization, k-means clustering and DBSCAN, considering six months of data from a real sensor deployment. Our approach is found to be superior in terms of classification accuracy, while also being capable of identifying all of the outliers in the dataset.

Data Analytics for Smart Parking Applications

PubMed Central

Piovesan, Nicola; Turi, Leo; Toigo, Enrico; Martinez, Borja; Rossi, Michele

2016-01-01

We consider real-life smart parking systems where parking lot occupancy data are collected from field sensor devices and sent to backend servers for further processing and usage for applications. Our objective is to make these data useful to end users, such as parking managers, and, ultimately, to citizens. To this end, we concoct and validate an automated classification algorithm having two objectives: (1) outlier detection: to detect sensors with anomalous behavioral patterns, i.e., outliers; and (2) clustering: to group the parking sensors exhibiting similar patterns into distinct clusters. We first analyze the statistics of real parking data, obtaining suitable simulation models for parking traces. We then consider a simple classification algorithm based on the empirical complementary distribution function of occupancy times and show its limitations. Hence, we design a more sophisticated algorithm exploiting unsupervised learning techniques (self-organizing maps). These are tuned following a supervised approach using our trace generator and are compared against other clustering schemes, namely expectation maximization, k-means clustering and DBSCAN, considering six months of data from a real sensor deployment. Our approach is found to be superior in terms of classification accuracy, while also being capable of identifying all of the outliers in the dataset. PMID:27669259

Real Objects Can Impede Conditional Reasoning but Augmented Objects Do Not.

PubMed

Sato, Yuri; Sugimoto, Yutaro; Ueda, Kazuhiro

2018-03-01

In this study, Knauff and Johnson-Laird's (2002) visual impedance hypothesis (i.e., mental representations with irrelevant visual detail can impede reasoning) is applied to the domain of external representations and diagrammatic reasoning. We show that the use of real objects and augmented real (AR) objects can control human interpretation and reasoning about conditionals. As participants made inferences (e.g., an invalid one from "if P then Q" to "P"), they also moved objects corresponding to premises. Participants who moved real objects made more invalid inferences than those who moved AR objects and those who did not manipulate objects (there was no significant difference between the last two groups). Our results showed that real objects impeded conditional reasoning, but AR objects did not. These findings are explained by the fact that real objects may over-specify a single state that exists, while AR objects suggest multiple possibilities. Copyright © 2017 Cognitive Science Society, Inc.

Network modeling for reverse flows of end-of-life vehicles

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

Ene, Seval; Öztürk, Nursel

2015-04-15

Highlights: • We developed a network model for reverse flows of end-of-life vehicles. • The model considers all recovery operations for end-of-life vehicles. • A scenario-based model is used for uncertainty to improve real case applications. • The model is adequate to real case applications for end-of-life vehicles recovery. • Considerable insights are gained from the model by sensitivity analyses. - Abstract: Product recovery operations are of critical importance for the automotive industry in complying with environmental regulations concerning end-of-life products management. Manufacturers must take responsibility for their products over the entire life cycle. In this context, there is amore » need for network design methods for effectively managing recovery operations and waste. The purpose of this study is to develop a mathematical programming model for managing reverse flows in end-of-life vehicles’ recovery network. A reverse flow is the collection of used products from consumers and the transportation of these products for the purpose of recycling, reuse or disposal. The proposed model includes all operations in a product recovery and waste management network for used vehicles and reuse for vehicle parts such as collection, disassembly, refurbishing, processing (shredding), recycling, disposal and reuse of vehicle parts. The scope of the network model is to determine the numbers and locations of facilities in the network and the material flows between these facilities. The results show the performance of the model and its applicability for use in the planning of recovery operations in the automotive industry. The main objective of recovery and waste management is to maximize revenue and minimize pollution in end-of-life product operations. This study shows that with an accurate model, these activities may provide economic benefits and incentives in addition to protecting the environment.« less

Seek and you shall remember: Scene semantics interact with visual search to build better memories

PubMed Central

Draschkow, Dejan; Wolfe, Jeremy M.; Võ, Melissa L.-H.

2014-01-01

Memorizing critical objects and their locations is an essential part of everyday life. In the present study, incidental encoding of objects in naturalistic scenes during search was compared to explicit memorization of those scenes. To investigate if prior knowledge of scene structure influences these two types of encoding differently, we used meaningless arrays of objects as well as objects in real-world, semantically meaningful images. Surprisingly, when participants were asked to recall scenes, their memory performance was markedly better for searched objects than for objects they had explicitly tried to memorize, even though participants in the search condition were not explicitly asked to memorize objects. This finding held true even when objects were observed for an equal amount of time in both conditions. Critically, the recall benefit for searched over memorized objects in scenes was eliminated when objects were presented on uniform, non-scene backgrounds rather than in a full scene context. Thus, scene semantics not only help us search for objects in naturalistic scenes, but appear to produce a representation that supports our memory for those objects beyond intentional memorization. PMID:25015385

Gamer Girls, Gold Farmers, and Activism "In Real Life"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Musgrave, Megan L.

2016-01-01

This essay analyzes the graphic novel "In Real Life" as an example of Cory Doctorow and Jen Wang's intention to raise young people's awareness about gender and economic disparities within the gaming industry. Broadly, "In Real Life" combats the pervasive cultural anxiety that Jane McGonigal challenges in her book "Reality…

Using Objective, Real-Time Measures to Investigate the Effect of Actual Physical Activity on Affective States in Everyday Life Differentiating the Contexts of Working and Leisure Time in a Sample with Students

PubMed Central

Kanning, Martina

2013-01-01

Multiple studies suggest that physical activity causes positive affective reactions and reduces depressive mood. However, studies and interventions focused mostly on structured activity programs, but rarely on actual physical activity (aPA) in daily life. Furthermore, they seldom account for the context in which the aPA occur (e.g., work, leisure). Using a prospective, real-time assessment design (ambulatory assessment), we investigated the effects of aPA on affective states (valence, energetic arousal, calmness) in real-time during everyday life while controlling for the context. Eighty-seven undergraduates students (Age: M = 24.6; SD = 3.2, females: 54%) participated in this study. aPA was assessed through accelerometers during 24-h. Palmtop devices prompted subjects approximately every 45 min during a 14-h daytime period to assess their affective states and the context. We analyzed within- and between-person effects with hierarchical modeling (HLM 6.0). Multilevel analyses revealed that both aPA and context influenced subsequent affective states. The interaction of aPA and context did predict energetic arousal only. State levels of affects did not differ between men and women. For both men and women, aPA in everyday life has an effect on individual’s affective states. For valence and calmness, it seems to be independent of the context in which the aPA occur. For energetic arousal, men reported to have lower feelings of energy and women reported to have more feelings of energy during leisure time compared to working episodes. PMID:23346064

3D visual mechinism by neural networkings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sugiyama, Shigeki

2007-04-01

There are some computer vision systems that are available on a market but those are quite far from a real usage of our daily life in a sense of security guard or in a sense of a usage of recognition of a target object behaviour. Because those surroundings' sensing might need to recognize a detail description of an object, like "the distance to an object" and "an object detail figure" and "its figure of edging", which are not possible to have a clear picture of the mechanisms of them with the present recognition system. So for doing this, here studies on mechanisms of how a pair of human eyes can recognize a distance apart, an object edging, and an object in order to get basic essences of vision mechanisms. And those basic mechanisms of object recognition are simplified and are extended logically for applying to a computer vision system. Some of the results of these studies are introduced on this paper.

Real-Time Occlusion Handling in Augmented Reality Based on an Object Tracking Approach

PubMed Central

Tian, Yuan; Guan, Tao; Wang, Cheng

2010-01-01

To produce a realistic augmentation in Augmented Reality, the correct relative positions of real objects and virtual objects are very important. In this paper, we propose a novel real-time occlusion handling method based on an object tracking approach. Our method is divided into three steps: selection of the occluding object, object tracking and occlusion handling. The user selects the occluding object using an interactive segmentation method. The contour of the selected object is then tracked in the subsequent frames in real-time. In the occlusion handling step, all the pixels on the tracked object are redrawn on the unprocessed augmented image to produce a new synthesized image in which the relative position between the real and virtual object is correct. The proposed method has several advantages. First, it is robust and stable, since it remains effective when the camera is moved through large changes of viewing angles and volumes or when the object and the background have similar colors. Second, it is fast, since the real object can be tracked in real-time. Last, a smoothing technique provides seamless merging between the augmented and virtual object. Several experiments are provided to validate the performance of the proposed method. PMID:22319278

Hybrid Reality Lab Capabilities - Video 2

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Delgado, Francisco J.; Noyes, Matthew

2016-01-01

Our Hybrid Reality and Advanced Operations Lab is developing incredibly realistic and immersive systems that could be used to provide training, support engineering analysis, and augment data collection for various human performance metrics at NASA. To get a better understanding of what Hybrid Reality is, let's go through the two most commonly known types of immersive realities: Virtual Reality, and Augmented Reality. Virtual Reality creates immersive scenes that are completely made up of digital information. This technology has been used to train astronauts at NASA, used during teleoperation of remote assets (arms, rovers, robots, etc.) and other activities. One challenge with Virtual Reality is that if you are using it for real time-applications (like landing an airplane) then the information used to create the virtual scenes can be old (i.e. visualized long after physical objects moved in the scene) and not accurate enough to land the airplane safely. This is where Augmented Reality comes in. Augmented Reality takes real-time environment information (from a camera, or see through window, and places digitally created information into the scene so that it matches with the video/glass information). Augmented Reality enhances real environment information collected with a live sensor or viewport (e.g. camera, window, etc.) with the information-rich visualization provided by Virtual Reality. Hybrid Reality takes Augmented Reality even further, by creating a higher level of immersion where interactivity can take place. Hybrid Reality takes Virtual Reality objects and a trackable, physical representation of those objects, places them in the same coordinate system, and allows people to interact with both objects' representations (virtual and physical) simultaneously. After a short period of adjustment, the individuals begin to interact with all the objects in the scene as if they were real-life objects. The ability to physically touch and interact with digitally created objects that have the same shape, size, location to their physical object counterpart in virtual reality environment can be a game changer when it comes to training, planning, engineering analysis, science, entertainment, etc. Our Project is developing such capabilities for various types of environments. The video outlined with this abstract is a representation of an ISS Hybrid Reality experience. In the video you can see various Hybrid Reality elements that provide immersion beyond just standard Virtual Reality or Augmented Reality.

Non-Stop Lab Week: A Real Laboratory Experience for Life Sciences Postgraduate Courses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Freitas, Maria João; Silva, Joana Vieira; Korrodi-Gregório, Luís; Fardilha, Margarida

2016-01-01

At the Portuguese universities, practical classes of life sciences are usually professor-centered 2-hour classes. This approach results in students underprepared for a real work environment in a research/clinical laboratory. To provide students with a real-life laboratory environment, the Non-Stop Lab Week (NSLW) was created in the Molecular…

The Use of Authentic Materials with Low-Level Learners of English

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Unver, Meral M.

2017-01-01

In real life, people are exposed to various listening situations ranging from songs to chatting in social occasions (Ur, 1984). The variety of topics and nature of real-life listening situations put strain on learners of English; therefore, textbooks for language teaching are aimed to reflect these real life situations. However, listening, as…

Violence Exposure in Real-Life, Video Games, Television, Movies, and the Internet: Is There Desensitization?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Funk, Jeanne B.; Baldacci, Heidi Bechtoldt; Pasold; Tracie; Baumgardner, Jennifer

2004-01-01

It is believed that repeated exposure to real-life and to entertainment violence may alter cognitive, affective, and behavioral processes, possibly leading to desensitization. The goal of the present study was to determine if there are relationships between real-life and media violence exposure and desensitization as reflected in related…

Care Reasoning in Real-Life Moral Conflicts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Juujarvi, Soile

2006-01-01

This article examines real-life moral conflicts from the perspective of the ethic of care. Fifty-six (Time 1) and 57 (Time 2) real-life dilemmas provided by students representing different fields of study were analysed in terms of level of care reasoning according to Skoe's Ethic of Care Interview. The results showed that antisocial temptation and…

Comparison of real-life accidental falls in older people with experimental falls in middle-aged test subjects.

PubMed

Kangas, M; Vikman, I; Nyberg, L; Korpelainen, R; Lindblom, J; Jämsä, T

2012-03-01

Falling is a common accident among older people. Automatic fall detectors are one method of improving security. However, in most cases, fall detectors are designed and tested with data from experimental falls in younger people. This study is one of the first to provide fall-related acceleration data obtained from real-life falls. Wireless sensors were used to collect acceleration data during a six-month test period in older people. Data from five events representing forward falls, a sideways fall, a backwards fall, and a fall out of bed were collected and compared with experimental falls performed by middle-aged test subjects. The signals from real-life falls had similar features to those from intentional falls. Real-life forward, sideways and backward falls all showed a pre impact phase and an impact phase that were in keeping with the model that was based on experimental falls. In addition, the fall out of bed had a similar acceleration profile as the experimental falls of the same type. However, there were differences in the parameters that were used for the detection of the fall phases. The beginning of the fall was detected in all of the real-life falls starting from a standing posture, whereas the high pre impact velocity was not. In some real-life falls, multiple impacts suggested protective actions. In conclusion, this study demonstrated similarities between real-life falls of older people and experimental falls of middle-aged subjects. However, some fall characteristics detected from experimental falls were not detectable in acceleration signals from corresponding heterogeneous real-life falls. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Using a 3D virtual supermarket to measure food purchase behavior: a validation study.

PubMed

Waterlander, Wilma Elzeline; Jiang, Yannan; Steenhuis, Ingrid Hendrika Margaretha; Ni Mhurchu, Cliona

2015-04-28

There is increasing recognition that supermarkets are an important environment for health-promoting interventions such as fiscal food policies or front-of-pack nutrition labeling. However, due to the complexities of undertaking such research in the real world, well-designed randomized controlled trials on these kinds of interventions are lacking. The Virtual Supermarket is a 3-dimensional computerized research environment designed to enable experimental studies in a supermarket setting without the complexity or costs normally associated with undertaking such research. The primary objective was to validate the Virtual Supermarket by comparing virtual and real-life food purchasing behavior. A secondary objective was to obtain participant feedback on perceived sense of "presence" (the subjective experience of being in one place or environment even if physically located in another) in the Virtual Supermarket. Eligible main household shoppers (New Zealand adults aged ≥18 years) were asked to conduct 3 shopping occasions in the Virtual Supermarket over 3 consecutive weeks, complete the validated Presence Questionnaire Items Stems, and collect their real supermarket grocery till receipts for that same period. Proportional expenditure (NZ$) and the proportion of products purchased over 18 major food groups were compared between the virtual and real supermarkets. Data were analyzed using repeated measures mixed models. A total of 123 participants consented to take part in the study. In total, 69.9% (86/123) completed 1 shop in the Virtual Supermarket, 64.2% (79/123) completed 2 shops, 60.2% (74/123) completed 3 shops, and 48.8% (60/123) returned their real supermarket till receipts. The 4 food groups with the highest relative expenditures were the same for the virtual and real supermarkets: fresh fruit and vegetables (virtual estimate: 14.3%; real: 17.4%), bread and bakery (virtual: 10.0%; real: 8.2%), dairy (virtual: 19.1%; real: 12.6%), and meat and fish (virtual: 16.5%; real: 16.8%). Significant differences in proportional expenditures were observed for 6 food groups, with largest differences (virtual - real) for dairy (in expenditure 6.5%, P<.001; in items 2.2%, P=.04) and fresh fruit and vegetables (in expenditure: -3.1%, P=.04; in items: 5.9%, P=.002). There was no trend of overspending in the Virtual Supermarket and participants experienced a medium-to-high presence (88%, 73/83 scored medium; 8%, 7/83 scored high). Shopping patterns in the Virtual Supermarket were comparable to those in real life. Overall, the Virtual Supermarket is a valid tool to measure food purchasing behavior. Nevertheless, it is important to improve the functionality of some food categories, in particular fruit and vegetables and dairy. The results of this validation will assist in making further improvements to the software and with optimization of the internal and external validity of this innovative methodology.

Real life working shift assignment problem

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sze, San-Nah; Kwek, Yeek-Ling; Tiong, Wei-King; Chiew, Kang-Leng

2017-07-01

This study concerns about the working shift assignment in an outlet of Supermarket X in Eastern Mall, Kuching. The working shift assignment needs to be solved at least once in every month. Current approval process of working shifts is too troublesome and time-consuming. Furthermore, the management staff cannot have an overview of manpower and working shift schedule. Thus, the aim of this study is to develop working shift assignment simulation and propose a working shift assignment solution. The main objective for this study is to fulfill manpower demand at minimum operation cost. Besides, the day off and meal break policy should be fulfilled accordingly. Demand based heuristic is proposed to assign working shift and the quality of the solution is evaluated by using the real data.

Dynamic Computation Offloading for Low-Power Wearable Health Monitoring Systems.

PubMed

Kalantarian, Haik; Sideris, Costas; Mortazavi, Bobak; Alshurafa, Nabil; Sarrafzadeh, Majid

2017-03-01

The objective of this paper is to describe and evaluate an algorithm to reduce power usage and increase battery lifetime for wearable health-monitoring devices. We describe a novel dynamic computation offloading scheme for real-time wearable health monitoring devices that adjusts the partitioning of data processing between the wearable device and mobile application as a function of desired classification accuracy. By making the correct offloading decision based on current system parameters, we show that we are able to reduce system power by as much as 20%. We demonstrate that computation offloading can be applied to real-time monitoring systems, and yields significant power savings. Making correct offloading decisions for health monitoring devices can extend battery life and improve adherence.

Virtual grasping: closed-loop force control using electrotactile feedback.

PubMed

Jorgovanovic, Nikola; Dosen, Strahinja; Djozic, Damir J; Krajoski, Goran; Farina, Dario

2014-01-01

Closing the control loop by providing somatosensory feedback to the user of a prosthesis is a well-known, long standing challenge in the field of prosthetics. Various approaches have been investigated for feedback restoration, ranging from direct neural stimulation to noninvasive sensory substitution methods. Although there are many studies presenting closed-loop systems, only a few of them objectively evaluated the closed-loop performance, mostly using vibrotactile stimulation. Importantly, the conclusions about the utility of the feedback were partly contradictory. The goal of the current study was to systematically investigate the capability of human subjects to control grasping force in closed loop using electrotactile feedback. We have developed a realistic experimental setup for virtual grasping, which operated in real time, included a set of real life objects, as well as a graphical and dynamical model of the prosthesis. We have used the setup to test 10 healthy, able bodied subjects to investigate the role of training, feedback and feedforward control, robustness of the closed loop, and the ability of the human subjects to generalize the control to previously "unseen" objects. Overall, the outcomes of this study are very optimistic with regard to the benefits of feedback and reveal various, practically relevant, aspects of closed-loop control.

Becoming Dragon: a mixed reality durational performance in Second Life

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cárdenas, Micha; Head, Christopher; Margolis, Todd; Greco, Kael

2009-02-01

The goal for Becoming Dragon was to develop a working, immersive Mixed Reality system by using a motion capture system and head mounted display to control a character in Second Life - a Massively Multiplayer Online 3D environment - in order to examine a number of questions regarding identity, gender and the transformative potential of technology. This performance was accomplished through a collaboration between Micha Cardenas, the performer and technical director, Christopher Head, Kael Greco, Benjamin Lotan, Anna Storelli and Elle Mehrmand. The plan for this project was to model the performer's physical environment to enable them to live in the virtual environment for extended amounts of time, using an approach of Mixed Reality, where the physical world is mapped into the virtual. I remain critical of the concept of Mixed Reality, as it presents an idea of realities as totalities and as objective essences independent of interpretation through the symbolic order. Part of my goal with this project is to explore identity as a process of social feedback, in the sense that Donna Haraway describes "becoming with"iii, as well as to explore the concept of Reality Spectrum that Augmentology.com discusses, thinking about states such as AFK (Away From Keyboard) that are in-between virtual and corporeal presence.iv Both of these ideas are ways of overcoming the dualisms of mind/body, real/virtual and self/other that have been a problematic part of thinking about technology for so long. Towards thinking beyond these binaries, Anna Munster offers a concept of enfolding the body and technologyv, building on Gilles Deleuze's notion of the baroque fold. She says "the superfold... opens up for us a twisted topology of code folding back upon itself without determinate start or end points: we now live in a time and space in which body and information are thoroughly imbricated."vi She elaborates on this notion of body and code as becoming with each other saying "the incorporeal vectors of digital information draw out the capacities of our bodies to become other than matter conceived as a mere vessel for consciousness or a substrate for signal... we may also conceive of these experiences as a new territory made possible by the fact that our bodies are immanently open to these kinds of technically symbiotic transformations"vii. A number of the technologies used in this performance were used in an attempt to blur the line between the actual and the digital, such as motion capture, live video streaming into Second Life and 3D fabrication of physical copies of Second Life avatars. The performance was developed using the following components: - An Emagin Z800 immersive head mounted display (HMD) allowed the performer to move around in the physical environment within Calit2 and still remain "in game". Head tracking and stereoscopic imagery help to provide a realistic feeling of immersion. We built on the University of Michigan 3D (UM3D) lab's stereoscopic patch for the Second Life client, updating it to work with the latest version of Second Life. - A motion tracking system. A Vicon MX40+ motion capture system was installed into the Visiting Artist Lab at CRCA, which served as the physical performance space, to allow real-time motion tracking data to be sent to a PC running Windows. Using this data, the plan was to map the physical motion in the real world back into game space, so that, for example, the performer could easily get to their food source or to the restroom. We developed a C++ bridge that includes a parser for the Vicon real time data stream in order to communicate this to the Second Life server to produce changes in avatar and object positions based on real physical movement. The goal was to get complete body gestures into Second Life in near real time. - A Puredata patch called Lila, developed by Shahrokh Yadegadi of UCSD, which was used to modulate the performer's voice, to provide a voice system that allowed chat ability in Second Life, which was less gendered and less human.

The Real-Time ObjectAgent Software Architecture for Distributed Satellite Systems

DTIC Science & Technology

2001-01-01

real - time operating system selection are also discussed. The fourth section describes a simple demonstration of real-time ObjectAgent. Finally, the...experience with C++. After selecting the programming language, it was necessary to select a target real - time operating system (RTOS) and embedded...ObjectAgent software to run on the OSE Real Time Operating System . In addition, she is responsible for the integration of ObjectAgent

Quality of life improvement after a three-year course of sublingual immunotherapy in patients with house dust mite and grass pollen induced allergic rhinitis: results from real-life.

PubMed

Novakova, Silviya Mihaylova; Staevska, Maria Toncheva; Novakova, Plamena Ivanova; Yoncheva, Manuela Dimitrova; Bratoycheva, Maria Stoykova; Musurlieva, Nina Mihaylova; Tzekov, Valeri Dimitrov; Nicolov, Dimitar Georgiev

2017-09-29

Along with its high prevalence, the burden of allergic rhinitis rests upon the serious impact on quality of life of patients. Allergic rhinitis is associated with impairments in daily activities, work and school performance, and practical problems. Patients suffer from sleep disorders and emotional problems. Тhe advantages of sublingual immunotherapy on quality of life have only recently begun to emerge. The objective of this prospective real-life study was to evaluate the effect of a three-year course of sublingual immunotherapy with house dust mite (HDM) and grass pollen extracts on quality of life in adults with allergic rhinitis. A total number of 191 adult patients [105 (54,979%) men; mean age 27.3 years (SD-6.14)] with moderate to severe allergic rhinitis and clinically relevant sensitization to house dust mites or grass pollen were prospectively evaluated in the course of management of their disease. Health-related quality of life was assessed by Rhinoconjunctivitis Quality of Life Questionnaire at baseline and after three-year course of sublingual immunotherapy. The mean overall Qol score assessed at baseline and at the end of the third year of treatment decreased significantly in patients treated with HDM extract (from 2.95 to 0.76) as well as with Grass pollen extract (from 2.83 to 1.22) (р < 0.001). The improvements in treated with HDM extract were as followed: activities - 3.52 to 0.68; sleep- 2.48 to 0.31; general problems - 1.79 to 0.49; practical problems - 3.57 to 0.68; nasal symptoms - 3.91 to 0.74; eye symptoms - 2.92 to 0.39; emotions - 3.03 to 0.39. The improvements in grass pollen group were: activities - 3.68 to 1.69; sleep- 1.85 to 0.84; general problems - 1.74 to 0.97; practical problems - 3.52 to 1.37; nasal symptoms - 3.72 to 1.57; eye symptoms - 3.58 to 1.3; emotions - 2.48 to 1.19. Our study conducted in real life provided evidence that a three-year course of SLIT with HDM extract as well as with grass pollen extract significantly increased QoL in patients with allergic rhinitis.

Real-Life Dilemma Resolution among Malaysian Adolescents: A Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Balakrishnan, Vishalache

2011-01-01

This paper is based on a participatory action research. The research is based on a process of resolving real-life moral dilemmas in the Moral Education classroom. It critically analyses the types of real-life moral dilemmas that a selected group of secondary students thought about. It also indicates the moral choices that they make based on their…

3D printing and IoT for personalized everyday objects in nursing and healthcare

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Asano, Yoshihiro; Tanaka, Hiroya; Miyagawa, Shoko; Yoshioka, Junki

2017-04-01

Today, application of 3D printing technology for medical use is getting popular. It strongly helps to make complicated shape of body parts with functional materials. We can complement injured, weakened or lacked parts, and recover original shape and functions. However, these cases are mainly focusing on the symptom itself, not on everyday lives of patients. With life span extending, many of us will live a life with chronic disease for long time. Then, we should think about our living environment more carefully. For example, we can make personalized everyday objects and support their body and mind. Therefore, we use 3D printing for making everyday objects from nursing / healthcare perspective. In this project, we have 2 main research questions. The first one is how to make objects which patients really require. We invited many kinds of people such as engineer, nurses and patients to our research activity. Nurses can find patient's real demands firstly, and engineers support them with rapid prototyping. Finally, we found the best collaboration methodologies among nurses, engineers and patients. The second question is how to trace and evaluate usages of created objects. Apparently, it's difficult to monitor user's activity for a long time. So we're developing the IoT sensing system, which monitor activities remotely. We enclose a data logger which can lasts about one month with 3D printed objects. After one month, we can pick up the data from objects and understand how it has been used.

Automatic Clustering Using Multi-objective Particle Swarm and Simulated Annealing

PubMed Central

Abubaker, Ahmad; Baharum, Adam; Alrefaei, Mahmoud

2015-01-01

This paper puts forward a new automatic clustering algorithm based on Multi-Objective Particle Swarm Optimization and Simulated Annealing, “MOPSOSA”. The proposed algorithm is capable of automatic clustering which is appropriate for partitioning datasets to a suitable number of clusters. MOPSOSA combines the features of the multi-objective based particle swarm optimization (PSO) and the Multi-Objective Simulated Annealing (MOSA). Three cluster validity indices were optimized simultaneously to establish the suitable number of clusters and the appropriate clustering for a dataset. The first cluster validity index is centred on Euclidean distance, the second on the point symmetry distance, and the last cluster validity index is based on short distance. A number of algorithms have been compared with the MOPSOSA algorithm in resolving clustering problems by determining the actual number of clusters and optimal clustering. Computational experiments were carried out to study fourteen artificial and five real life datasets. PMID:26132309

Transient responses' optimization by means of set-based multi-objective evolution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Avigad, Gideon; Eisenstadt, Erella; Goldvard, Alex; Salomon, Shaul

2012-04-01

In this article, a novel solution to multi-objective problems involving the optimization of transient responses is suggested. It is claimed that the common approach of treating such problems by introducing auxiliary objectives overlooks tradeoffs that should be presented to the decision makers. This means that, if at some time during the responses, one of the responses is optimal, it should not be overlooked. An evolutionary multi-objective algorithm is suggested in order to search for these optimal solutions. For this purpose, state-wise domination is utilized with a new crowding measure for ordered sets being suggested. The approach is tested on both artificial as well as on real life problems in order to explain the methodology and demonstrate its applicability and importance. The results indicate that, from an engineering point of view, the approach possesses several advantages over existing approaches. Moreover, the applications highlight the importance of set-based evolution.

8th Grade Student's Skill of Connecting Mathematics to Real Life

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Altay, Mesture Kayhan; Yalvaç, Betül; Yeltekin, Emel

2017-01-01

The purpose of this study is to examine 8th grade students' skills of connecting mathematics to real life. This study uses survey design since it aims to determine existing situations regarding to students' skills of connecting mathematics to real life. The study sample consists of 176 students in total, who are studying at a state school in the…

The Effect of Television-Mediated Aggression and Real-Life Aggression on the Behavior of Lebanese Children.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Day, Richard C.; Ghandour, Maryam

1984-01-01

Investigates the effect of television-mediated aggression and real-life aggression on the behavior of Lebanese children. Observations made of 48 boys and 48 girls six to eight years of age revealed that boys as a group were more aggressive than girls and exhibited more imitative aggression. Girls were more violent after viewing real-life violence.…

The Effect of Teaching Practices with Real Life Content in Light and Sound Learning Areas

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yalçin, Sema Altun; Yalçin, Pasa; Akar, M. Said; Sagirli, Meryem Özturan

2017-01-01

In this present study, it was aimed to investigate the effect of teaching practices with real life content in light and sound learning areas. With this purpose, it was intended to determine the contribution of teaching practices with real life content (TPRLC) to the levels of pre-service teachers' skills to associate the light and sound learning…

Conveying hope in consultations with patients with life-threatening diseases: the balance between supporting and challenging the patient

PubMed Central

Werner, Anne; Steihaug, Sissel

2017-01-01

Objective There is limited knowledge about the communication of hope and denial in consultations with patients with life-threatening diseases on a practical level. In this study, we explored a real-life medical consultation between a doctor and a patient with incurable cancer, focusing on conveying hope. Design and methods We found one consultation especially suited for illustrating how a physician can convey and reinforce hope without attaching it to curative treatment. The consultation was analysed using a method for discourse analysis, where we took as a point of departure that discourse means language in use. Results The doctor communicated in a recognising manner, expressing respect for the patient as a subject and an authority of his own experiences. The doctor and patient succeeded in creating a good working alliance characterised by warmth and trust. Within this context, there was room for the doctor to challenge the patient’s views and communicate disagreement. Conclusions The doctor succeeds in conveying and maintaining hope. Within a good working alliance with the patient the doctor can convey hope by balancing between supporting and challenging him. Exploring and grasping the patient’s real concerns is essential for being able to relieve and comfort him and convey hope. PMID:28585884

Assessing the Real-World Cost-Effectiveness of Adjuvant Trastuzumab in HER-2/neu Positive Breast Cancer

PubMed Central

Hedden, Lindsay; O'Reilly, Susan; Lohrisch, Caroline; Chia, Stephen; Speers, Caroline; Kovacic, Laurel; Taylor, Suzanne

2012-01-01

Background. Among women with surgically removed, high-risk HER-2/neu-positive breast cancer, trastuzumab has demonstrated significant improvements in disease-free and overall survival. The objective of this study is to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of the currently recommended 12-month adjuvant protocol of trastuzumab using a Markov modeling approach and real-world cost data. Methods. A 10-health-state Markov model tracked patients' quarterly transitions between health states in the local and advanced states of breast cancer. Clinical data were obtained from the joint analysis of the National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project and North Central Cancer Treatment Group, as well as from the metastatic study conducted by Norum et al. Clinical outcomes were adjusted for quality of life using utility estimates published in a systematic review. Real cost data were obtained from the British Columbia Cancer Agency and were evaluated from a payer perspective. Costs and utilities were discounted at 5% per year, respectively, for a 28-year time horizon. Results. In the base case analysis, treatment with a 12-month adjuvant trastuzumab regimen resulted in a gain of 1.38 quality-adjusted life years or 1.17 life years gained at a cost of $18,133 per patient. Thus, the cost per QALY gained for the base case is $13,095. Cost per LYG is $15,492. Conclusions. Over the long term, treatment of HER-2/neu mutation positive breast cancer with a 12-month protocol of trastuzumab in the adjuvant setting is predicted to be cost-effective in a Canadian context. PMID:22302231

Adherence to statins is associated with reduced incidence of idiopathic venous thromboembolism: real-life data from a large healthcare maintenance organisation.

PubMed

Rabinowich, Liane; Steinvil, Arie; Leshem-Rubinow, Eran; Berliner, Shlomo; Zeltser, David; Rogowski, Ori; Shalev, Varda; Raz, Raanan; Chodick, Gabriel

2012-12-01

Previous reports on the association between statin use and venous thromboembolism (VTE) did not examine patient adherence to medications, thus their applicability in a real life setting is questionable. Our objective was to investigate the association between the use of statins and incidence of first ever idiopathic VTE. A retrospective cohort study. A large healthcare maintenance organisation. Included were statin initiators aged 30 years or older since 2003 who did not have a statin prescription for at least 4 years before that and had at least 18 months follow-up. Excluded were patients with known risk factors for VTE. End of follow-up was defined as the first of the following: leaving Maccabi Healthcare Services, death, VTE or October 27, 2010. Prescription drug purchase data was analysed in order to evaluate the association between statin use and adherence and between VTE prevention. VTE diagnosis during follow-up. The study population included 127 822 subjects (53 618 females). The follow-up period was comprised of 594 190 patient years, and included 1375 VTE cases and 5-year cumulative incidence rate of 1.15%. Cox regression analysis demonstrated a significantly lower VTE risk of 19% and 22% in the more adherent patient groups, compared to the risk for the lowest adherence group. The simvastatin dose, the most frequently prescribed statin, was negatively associated with the risk of VTE. In a real life healthcare maintenance organisation setting, better adherence to statins is associated with a reduced risk of first ever idiopathic VTE events.

Learning better by repetition or variation? Is transfer at odds with task specific training?

PubMed Central

Bonney, Emmanuel; Ferguson, Gillian D.; Smits-Engelsman, Bouwien C. M.

2017-01-01

Objective Transfer of motor skills is the ultimate goal of motor training in rehabilitation practice. In children with Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD), very little is known about how skills are transferred from training situations to real life contexts. In this study we examined the influence of two types of practice on transfer of motor skills acquired in a virtual reality (VR) environment. Method One hundred and eleven children with DCD and their typically developing (TD) peers, aged 6–10 years (M = 8.0 SD = 1.0) were randomly assigned to either variable (n = 56) or repetitive practice (n = 55). Participants in the repetitive practice played the same exergame (ski slalom) twice weekly for 20 minutes, over a period of 5 weeks, while those in the variable group played 10 different games. Motor skills such as balance tasks (hopping), running and agility tasks, ball skills and functional activities were evaluated before and after 5 weeks of training. Results ANOVA repeated measures indicated that both DCD and TD children demonstrated transfer effects to real life skills with identical and non-identical elements at exactly the same rate, irrespective of the type of practice they were assigned to. Conclusion Based on these findings, we conclude that motor skills acquired in the VR environment, transfers to real world contexts in similar proportions for both TD and DCD children. The type of practice adopted does not seem to influence children’s ability to transfer skills acquired in an exergame to life situations but the number of identical elements does. PMID:28333997

Optimization of RFID network planning using Zigbee and WSN

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hasnan, Khalid; Ahmed, Aftab; Badrul-aisham, Bakhsh, Qadir

2015-05-01

Everyone wants to be ease in their life. Radio frequency identification (RFID) wireless technology is used to make our life easier. RFID technology increases productivity, accuracy and convenience in delivery of service in supply chain. It is used for various applications such as preventing theft of automobiles, tolls collection without stopping, no checkout lines at grocery stores, managing traffic, hospital management, corporate campuses and airports, mobile asset tracking, warehousing, tracking library books, and to track a wealth of assets in supply chain management. Efficiency of RFID can be enhanced by integrating with wireless sensor network (WSN), zigbee mesh network and internet of things (IOT). The proposed system is used for identifying, sensing and real-time locating system (RTLS) of items in an indoor heterogeneous region. The system gives real-time richer information of object's characteristics, location and their environmental parameters like temperature, noise and humidity etc. RTLS reduce human error, optimize inventory management, increase productivity and information accuracy at indoor heterogeneous network. The power consumption and the data transmission rate of the system can be minimized by using low power hardware design.

Tele Hyper Virtuality

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Terashima, Nobuyoshi

1994-01-01

In the future, remote images sent over communication lines will be reproduced in virtual reality (VR). This form of virtual telecommunications, which will allow observers to engage in an activity as though it were real, is the focus of considerable attention. Taken a step further, real and unreal objects will be placed in a single space to create an extremely realistic environment. Here, imaginary and other life forms as well as people and animals in remote locations will gather via telecommunication lines that create a common environment where life forms can work and interact together. Words, gestures, diagrams and other forms of communication will be used freely in performing work. Actual construction of a system based on this new concept will not only provide people with experiences that would have been impossible in the past, but will also inspire new applications in which people will function in environments where it would have been difficult if not impossible for them to function until now. This paper describes Tele Hyper Virtuality concept, its definition, applications, the key technologies to accomplish it and future prospects.

Observed Free-Play Patterns of Children with ADHD and Their Real-Life Friends.

PubMed

Normand, Sébastien; Soucisse, Marie Michèle; Melançon, Marie Pier Vézina; Schneider, Barry H; Lee, Matthew D; Maisonneuve, Marie-France

2018-04-26

Previous observational studies conducted in highly structured, analog situations indicate that children with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) mismanage their relationships with same-age peers and friends. Such structured situations may not, however, fully represent the true nature of children's play, which is typically characterized by free choice, intrinsic motivation, and spontaneity. The unique objective of the current observational study was to describe how 87 children with ADHD and 46 comparison (76% boys) aged 7-13 years behave when interacting with their real-life dyadic friends during an unstructured, free-play situation. Results indicate that dyads comprising one referred child with ADHD and an invited friend ("ADHD dyads") engaged in less cooperative play, displayed less companionship, and showed less sensitivity to friends than comparison dyads. ADHD dyads also engaged in more conflict and exhibited significantly more negative affect than comparison dyads. These findings complement and extend, possibly with somewhat enhanced ecological validity, results obtained in previous studies on the friendships of children with ADHD featuring closed-field observations and questionnaire methodology.

Visuo-spatial orienting during active exploratory behavior: Processing of task-related and stimulus-related signals.

PubMed

Macaluso, Emiliano; Ogawa, Akitoshi

2018-05-01

Functional imaging studies have associated dorsal and ventral fronto-parietal regions with the control of visuo-spatial attention. Previous studies demonstrated that the activity of both the dorsal and the ventral attention systems can be modulated by many different factors, related both to the stimuli and the task. However, the vast majority of this work utilized stereotyped paradigms with simple and repeated stimuli. This is at odd with any real life situation that instead involve complex combinations of different types of co-occurring signals, thus raising the question of the ecological significance of the previous findings. Here we investigated how the brain responds to task-related and stimulus-related signals using an innovative approach that involved active exploration of a virtual environment. This enabled us to study visuo-spatial orienting in conditions entailing a dynamic and coherent flow of visual signals, to some extent analogous to real life situations. The environment comprised colored/textured spheres and cubes, which allowed us to implement a standard feature-conjunction search task (task-related signals), and included one physically salient object that served to track the processing of stimulus-related signals. The imaging analyses showed that the posterior parietal cortex (PPC) activated when the participants' gaze was directed towards the salient-objects. By contrast, the right inferior partial cortex was associated with the processing of the target-objects and of distractors that shared the target-color and shape, consistent with goal-directed template-matching operations. The study highlights the possibility of combining measures of gaze orienting and functional imaging to investigate the processing of different types of signals during active behavior in complex environments. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Virtual reality and neuropsychological assessment: The reliability of a virtual kitchen to assess daily-life activities in victims of traumatic brain injury.

PubMed

Besnard, Jeremy; Richard, Paul; Banville, Frederic; Nolin, Pierre; Aubin, Ghislaine; Le Gall, Didier; Richard, Isabelle; Allain, Phillippe

2016-01-01

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) causes impairments affecting instrumental activities of daily living (IADL). However, few studies have considered virtual reality as an ecologically valid tool for the assessment of IADL in patients who have sustained a TBI. The main objective of the present study was to examine the use of the Nonimmersive Virtual Coffee Task (NI-VCT) for IADL assessment in patients with TBI. We analyzed the performance of 19 adults suffering from TBI and 19 healthy controls (HCs) in the real and virtual tasks of making coffee with a coffee machine, as well as in global IQ and executive functions. Patients performed worse than HCs on both real and virtual tasks and on all tests of executive functions. Correlation analyses revealed that NI-VCT scores were related to scores on the real task. Moreover, regression analyses demonstrated that performance on NI-VCT matched real-task performance. Our results support the idea that the virtual kitchen is a valid tool for IADL assessment in patients who have sustained a TBI.

Recent trends in robot-assisted therapy environments to improve real-life functional performance after stroke.

PubMed

Johnson, Michelle J

2006-12-18

Upper and lower limb robotic tools for neuro-rehabilitation are effective in reducing motor impairment but they are limited in their ability to improve real world function. There is a need to improve functional outcomes after robot-assisted therapy. Improvements in the effectiveness of these environments may be achieved by incorporating into their design and control strategies important elements key to inducing motor learning and cerebral plasticity such as mass-practice, feedback, task-engagement, and complex problem solving. This special issue presents nine articles. Novel strategies covered in this issue encourage more natural movements through the use of virtual reality and real objects and faster motor learning through the use of error feedback to guide acquisition of natural movements that are salient to real activities. In addition, several articles describe novel systems and techniques that use of custom and commercial games combined with new low-cost robot systems and a humanoid robot to embody the " supervisory presence" of the therapy as possible solutions to exercise compliance in under-supervised environments such as the home.

Recent trends in robot-assisted therapy environments to improve real-life functional performance after stroke

PubMed Central

Johnson, Michelle J

2006-01-01

Upper and lower limb robotic tools for neuro-rehabilitation are effective in reducing motor impairment but they are limited in their ability to improve real world function. There is a need to improve functional outcomes after robot-assisted therapy. Improvements in the effectiveness of these environments may be achieved by incorporating into their design and control strategies important elements key to inducing motor learning and cerebral plasticity such as mass-practice, feedback, task-engagement, and complex problem solving. This special issue presents nine articles. Novel strategies covered in this issue encourage more natural movements through the use of virtual reality and real objects and faster motor learning through the use of error feedback to guide acquisition of natural movements that are salient to real activities. In addition, several articles describe novel systems and techniques that use of custom and commercial games combined with new low-cost robot systems and a humanoid robot to embody the " supervisory presence" of the therapy as possible solutions to exercise compliance in under-supervised environments such as the home. PMID:17176474

Exploring and modelling impacts of third molar experience on quality of life: a real-time qualitative study using Twitter.

PubMed

Hanna, Kamal; Sambrook, Paul; Armfield, Jason M; Brennan, David S

2017-10-01

This study had two objectives: (i) to explore and model domains describing the real-time impact of third molars (TMs) on quality of life (QoL); and (ii) to assess the percentage coverage, in some generic health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) instruments, of the TM QoL domains identified in this study. A global cross-sectional sample of tweets containing 'wisdom tooth' over a 1-week period retrieved 3,537 tweets. After random quota sampling, classification and filtering, only 843 tweets were included in the thematic analysis. A TM QoL model was constructed based on the associations of the identified domains. Domains for the selected generic HRQoL and OHRQoL instruments were plotted against the domains identified in the study to calculate the percentage coverage for each. The QoL domains identified were pain (n = 348, 41%), mood (n = 173, 20%), anxiety and fear (n = 54, 7%), enjoying food (n = 41, 4%), coping (n = 37, 4%), daily activities (n = 34, 4%), sleep (n = 24, 2%), social life (n = 19, 2%), physical health (n = 17, 2%), ability to think (n = 9, 1%), self-care (n = 8, 1%) and sporting & recreation (n = 2, <1%). The Assessment Quality of Life instrument (AQoL-8D) covers 87% of the TM QoL domains, while the rest of the HRQoL and OHRQoL instruments cover 33-60%. This study shows how Twitter can be used to obtain real-time QoL data, which might be used to model how TMs impact on QoL. The TM QoL domains identified in the study were generally under-represented among the generic OHRQoL instruments assessed while, the HRQoL AQoL-8D covered most of the TM QoL domains. The QoL domains identified in the study might be used to develop a new OHRQoL measure for TMs. © 2017 FDI World Dental Federation.

A Psychological Perspective of Teen Romances in Young Adult Literature.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dickson, Cheryl L.

2001-01-01

Suggests that just as violence on television is hypothesized to increase real-life violence, television romance can likely affect views of real-life romance. Hypothesizes that literature could undo television's mistakes and bridge the gap between real love and fantasy love. (SG)

Psyche--the meeting of mind and soul: current psychoanalytic views on the mental representation of god.

PubMed

Clemens, Norman A

2013-11-01

The author presents an overview of two contemporary, related psychoanalytic perspectives on religious phenomena. Based on data from systematic interviews, Ana-Maria Rizzuto explores the way the human mind forms the idea of God as it evolves through the various stages of childhood and adult development. The object-representation of God is greatly influenced by the mental representations of mother, father, and other important adults in the child's life. Object relations theory and the writings of Winnicott play an important role in these concepts. William Meissner, a Jesuit priest as well as a psychoanalyst, addresses Freud's views of religious belief as an illusion, or when accepted with certainty as real, as a delusion. Instead, Meissner sees religious belief as a developmental process that resides in the mental realm of transitional phenomena where spirituality, creativity, appreciation of beauty, transcendental states, play, and the psychoanalytic process itself also take place. In psychoanalytic treatment, religious phenomena are not exempt from exploration and understanding, perhaps resulting in more mature development of object representations, ego functions, and the superego functions of conscience and ego ideal as well as more mature religious life.

Cost effective simulation-based multiobjective optimization in the performance of an internal combustion engine

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aittokoski, Timo; Miettinen, Kaisa

2008-07-01

Solving real-life engineering problems can be difficult because they often have multiple conflicting objectives, the objective functions involved are highly nonlinear and they contain multiple local minima. Furthermore, function values are often produced via a time-consuming simulation process. These facts suggest the need for an automated optimization tool that is efficient (in terms of number of objective function evaluations) and capable of solving global and multiobjective optimization problems. In this article, the requirements on a general simulation-based optimization system are discussed and such a system is applied to optimize the performance of a two-stroke combustion engine. In the example of a simulation-based optimization problem, the dimensions and shape of the exhaust pipe of a two-stroke engine are altered, and values of three conflicting objective functions are optimized. These values are derived from power output characteristics of the engine. The optimization approach involves interactive multiobjective optimization and provides a convenient tool to balance between conflicting objectives and to find good solutions.

Interactive Reference Point Procedure Based on the Conic Scalarizing Function

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

In multiobjective optimization methods, multiple conflicting objectives are typically converted into a single objective optimization problem with the help of scalarizing functions. The conic scalarizing function is a general characterization of Benson proper efficient solutions of non-convex multiobjective problems in terms of saddle points of scalar Lagrangian functions. This approach preserves convexity. The conic scalarizing function, as a part of a posteriori or a priori methods, has successfully been applied to several real-life problems. In this paper, we propose a conic scalarizing function based interactive reference point procedure where the decision maker actively takes part in the solution process and directs the search according to her or his preferences. An algorithmic framework for the interactive solution of multiple objective optimization problems is presented and is utilized for solving some illustrative examples. PMID:24723795

[Analytical performances of real-time PCR by Abbott RealTime CMV with m2000 for the detection of cytomegalovirus in urine].

PubMed

De Monte, Anne; Cannavo, Isabelle; Caramella, Anne; Ollier, Laurence; Giordanengo, Valérie

2016-01-01

Congenital cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection is the leading cause of sensoneurinal disability due to infectious congenital disease. The diagnosis of congenital CMV infection is based on the search of CMV in the urine within the first two weeks of life. Viral culture of urine is the gold standard. However, the PCR is highly sensitive and faster. It is becoming an alternative choice. The objective of this study is the validation of real-time PCR by Abbott RealTime CMV with m2000 for the detection of cytomegalovirus in urine. Repeatability, reproducibility, detection limit and inter-sample contamination were evaluated. Urine samples from patients (n=141) were collected and analyzed simultaneously in culture and PCR in order to assess the correlation of these two methods. The sensitivity and specificity of PCR were also calculated. The Abbott RealTime CMV PCR in urine is an automated and sensitive method (detection limit 200 UI/mL). Fidelity is very good (standard deviation of repeatability: 0.08 to 0.15 LogUI/mL and reproducibility 0.18 LogUI/mL). We can note a good correlation between culture and Abbott RealTime CMV PCR (kappa 96%). When considering rapid culture as reference, real-time PCR was highly sensitive (100%) and specific (98.2%). The real-time PCR by Abbott RealTime CMV with m2000 is optimal for CMV detection in urine.

Wave Phase-Sensitive Transformation of 3d-Straining of Mechanical Fields

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smirnov, I. N.; Speranskiy, A. A.

2015-11-01

It is the area of research of oscillatory processes in elastic mechanical systems. Technical result of innovation is creation of spectral set of multidimensional images which reflect time-correlated three-dimensional vector parameters of metrological, and\\or estimated, and\\or design parameters of oscillations in mechanical systems. Reconstructed images of different dimensionality integrated in various combinations depending on their objective function can be used as homeostatic profile or cybernetic image of oscillatory processes in mechanical systems for an objective estimation of current operational conditions in real time. The innovation can be widely used to enhance the efficiency of monitoring and research of oscillation processes in mechanical systems (objects) in construction, mechanical engineering, acoustics, etc. Concept method of vector vibrometry based on application of vector 3D phase- sensitive vibro-transducers permits unique evaluation of real stressed-strained states of power aggregates and loaded constructions and opens fundamental innovation opportunities: conduct of continuous (on-line regime) reliable monitoring of turboagregates of electrical machines, compressor installations, bases, supports, pipe-lines and other objects subjected to damaging effect of vibrations; control of operational safety of technical systems at all the stages of life cycle including design, test production, tuning, testing, operational use, repairs and resource enlargement; creation of vibro-diagnostic systems of authentic non-destructive control of anisotropic characteristics of materials resistance of power aggregates and loaded constructions under outer effects and operational flaws. The described technology is revolutionary, universal and common for all branches of engineering industry and construction building objects.

Developing public policy to advance the use of big data in health care.

PubMed

Heitmueller, Axel; Henderson, Sarah; Warburton, Will; Elmagarmid, Ahmed; Pentland, Alex Sandy; Darzi, Ara

2014-09-01

The vast amount of health data generated and stored around the world each day offers significant opportunities for advances such as the real-time tracking of diseases, predicting disease outbreaks, and developing health care that is truly personalized. However, capturing, analyzing, and sharing health data is difficult, expensive, and controversial. This article explores four central questions that policy makers should consider when developing public policy for the use of "big data" in health care. We discuss what aspects of big data are most relevant for health care and present a taxonomy of data types and levels of access. We suggest that successful policies require clear objectives and provide examples, discuss barriers to achieving policy objectives based on a recent policy experiment in the United Kingdom, and propose levers that policy makers should consider using to advance data sharing. We argue that the case for data sharing can be won only by providing real-life examples of the ways in which it can improve health care. Project HOPE—The People-to-People Health Foundation, Inc.

Seeing the tipping point: Balance perception and visual shape.

PubMed

Firestone, Chaz; Keil, Frank C

2016-07-01

In a brief glance at an object or shape, we can appreciate a rich suite of its functional properties, including the organization of the object's parts, its optimal contact points for grasping, and its center of mass, or balancing point. However, in the real world and the laboratory, balance perception shows systematic biases whereby observers may misjudge a shape's center of mass by a severe margin. Are such biases simply quirks of physical reasoning? Or might they instead reflect more fundamental principles of object representation? Here we demonstrate systematically biased center-of-mass estimation for two-dimensional (2D) shapes (Study 1) and advance a surprising explanation of such biases. We suggest that the mind implicitly represents ordinary 2D shapes as rich, volumetric, three-dimensional (3D) objects, and that these "inflated" shape representations intrude on and bias perception of the 2D shape's geometric properties. Such "inflation" is a computer-graphics technique for segmenting shapes into parts, and we show that a model derived from this technique best accounts for the biases in center-of-mass estimation in Study 1. Further supporting this account, we show that reducing the need for inflated shape representations diminishes such biases: Center-of-mass estimation improved when cues to shapehood were attenuated (Study 2) and when shapes' depths were explicitly depicted using real-life objects laser-cut from wood (Study 3). We suggest that the technique of shape inflation is actually implemented in the mind; thus, biases in our impressions of balance reflect a more general functional characteristic of object perception. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

Getting a grip on reality: Grasping movements directed to real objects and images rely on dissociable neural representations.

PubMed

Freud, Erez; Macdonald, Scott N; Chen, Juan; Quinlan, Derek J; Goodale, Melvyn A; Culham, Jody C

2018-01-01

In the current era of touchscreen technology, humans commonly execute visually guided actions directed to two-dimensional (2D) images of objects. Although real, three-dimensional (3D), objects and images of the same objects share high degree of visual similarity, they differ fundamentally in the actions that can be performed on them. Indeed, previous behavioral studies have suggested that simulated grasping of images relies on different representations than actual grasping of real 3D objects. Yet the neural underpinnings of this phenomena have not been investigated. Here we used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to investigate how brain activation patterns differed for grasping and reaching actions directed toward real 3D objects compared to images. Multivoxel Pattern Analysis (MVPA) revealed that the left anterior intraparietal sulcus (aIPS), a key region for visually guided grasping, discriminates between both the format in which objects were presented (real/image) and the motor task performed on them (grasping/reaching). Interestingly, during action planning, the representations of real 3D objects versus images differed more for grasping movements than reaching movements, likely because grasping real 3D objects involves fine-grained planning and anticipation of the consequences of a real interaction. Importantly, this dissociation was evident in the planning phase, before movement initiation, and was not found in any other regions, including motor and somatosensory cortices. This suggests that the dissociable representations in the left aIPS were not based on haptic, motor or proprioceptive feedback. Together, these findings provide novel evidence that actions, particularly grasping, are affected by the realness of the target objects during planning, perhaps because real targets require a more elaborate forward model based on visual cues to predict the consequences of real manipulation. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effectiveness of early cardiology undergraduate learning using simulation on retention, application of learning and level of confidence during clinical clerkships

PubMed Central

Lin, Weiqin; Lee, Glenn K; Loh, Joshua P; Tay, Edgar L; Sia, Winnie; Lau, Tang-Ching; Hooi, Shing-Chuan; Poh, Kian-Keong

2015-01-01

INTRODUCTION This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of the use of a cardiopulmonary patient simulator in the teaching of second-year medical students. Effectiveness was measured in terms of the extent of knowledge retention and students’ ability to apply the skills learned in subsequent real-life patient contact. METHODS In this study, ten third-year medical students who had previously undergone simulator training as part of their second-year curriculum underwent an objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) and a multiple-choice question (MCQ) test to assess their ability to apply the knowledge gained during the simulator training when dealing with real patients. The performance of this group of students was compared with that of a group of ten fourth-year medical students who did not undergo simulation training. RESULTS Although the third-year medical students performed well in the OSCE, they were outperformed by the group of fourth-year medical students, who had an extra year of clinical exposure. The MCQ scores of the two groups of students were similar. Post-simulation training survey revealed that students were generally in favour of incorporating cardiopulmonary simulator training in the preclinical curriculum. CONCLUSION Cardiopulmonary simulator training is a useful tool for the education of preclinical medical students. It aids the translation of preclinical knowledge into real-life clinical skills. PMID:25715855

Dose uniformity of budesonide Easyhaler® under simulated real-life conditions and with low inspiration flow rates.

PubMed

Haikarainen, Jussi; Rytilä, Paula; Roos, Sirkku; Metsärinne, Sirpa; Happonen, Anita

2017-01-01

Budesonide Easyhaler® multidose dry powder inhaler is approved for the treatment of asthma. Objectives were to determine the delivered dose (DD) uniformity of budesonide Easyhaler® in simulated real-world conditions and with different inspiration flow rates (IFRs). Three dose delivery studies were performed using 100, 200, and 400 µg/dose strengths of budesonide. Dose uniformity was assessed during in-use periods of 4-6 months after exposure to high temperature (30°C) and humidity (60% relative humidity) and after dropping and vibration testing. The influence of various IFRs (31, 43, and 54 L/min) on the DD was also investigated. Acceptable dose uniformity was declared when mean DD were within 80-120% of expected dose; all data reported descriptively. DD was constant (range: 93-109% of expected dose) at all in-use periods and after exposure to high temperature and humidity for a duration of up to 6 months. DD post-dropping and -vibration were unaffected (range 98-105% of expected dose). Similarly, DD was constant and within 10% of expected dose across all IFRs. Results indicate that budesonide Easyhaler® delivers consistently accurate doses in various real-life conditions. Budesonide Easyhaler® can be expected to consistently deliver a uniform dose and improve asthma control regardless of high temperature and humidity or varying IFR.

Emotional and Physiological Desensitization to Real-Life and Movie Violence

PubMed Central

Mrug, Sylvie; Madan, Anjana; Cook, Edwin W.; Wright, Rex A.

2014-01-01

Youth are exposed to large amounts of violence in real life and media, which may lead to desensitization. Given evidence of curvilinear associations between exposure to violence and emotional distress, we examined linear and curvilinear associations of exposure to real-life and movie violence with PTSD symptoms, empathy, and physiological arousal, as well emotional and physiological reactivity to movie violence. College students (N=209; mean age=18.74) reported on their exposure to real-life and televised violence, PTSD symptoms, and empathy. Then, students were randomly assigned to view a series of violent or nonviolent high-action movie scenes, providing ratings of emotional distress after each clip. Blood pressure was measured at rest and during video viewing. Results showed that with increasing exposure to real-life violence, youth reported more PTSD symptoms and greater identification with fictional characters. Cognitive and emotional empathy increased from low to medium levels of exposure to violence, but declined at higher levels. For males, exposure to higher levels of real-life violence was associated with diminishing (vs. increasing) emotional distress when viewing violent videos. Exposure to televised violence was generally unrelated to emotional functioning. However, those with medium levels of exposure to TV/movie violence experienced lower elevations of blood pressure when viewing violent videos compared to those with low exposure, and those with higher levels of exposure evidenced rapid increase in blood pressure that quickly declined over time. The results point to diminished empathy and reduced emotional reactivity to violence as key aspects of desensitization to real-life violence, and more limited evidence of physiological desensitization to movie violence among those exposed to high levels of televised violence. PMID:25326900

Emotional and physiological desensitization to real-life and movie violence.

PubMed

Mrug, Sylvie; Madan, Anjana; Cook, Edwin W; Wright, Rex A

2015-05-01

Youth are exposed to large amounts of violence in real life and media, which may lead to desensitization. Given evidence of curvilinear associations between exposure to violence and emotional distress, we examined linear and curvilinear associations of exposure to real-life and movie violence with PTSD symptoms, empathy, and physiological arousal, as well emotional and physiological reactivity to movie violence. College students (N = 209; mean age = 18.74) reported on their exposure to real-life and televised violence, PTSD symptoms, and empathy. Then, students were randomly assigned to view a series of violent or nonviolent high-action movie scenes, providing ratings of emotional distress after each clip. Blood pressure was measured at rest and during video viewing. Results showed that with increasing exposure to real-life violence, youth reported more PTSD symptoms and greater identification with fictional characters. Cognitive and emotional empathy increased from low to medium levels of exposure to violence, but declined at higher levels. For males, exposure to higher levels of real-life violence was associated with diminishing (vs. increasing) emotional distress when viewing violent videos. Exposure to televised violence was generally unrelated to emotional functioning. However, those with medium levels of exposure to TV/movie violence experienced lower elevations of blood pressure when viewing violent videos compared to those with low exposure, and those with higher levels of exposure evidenced rapid increase in blood pressure that quickly declined over time. The results point to diminished empathy and reduced emotional reactivity to violence as key aspects of desensitization to real-life violence, and more limited evidence of physiological desensitization to movie violence among those exposed to high levels of televised violence.

Bridging the gap between real-life data and simulated data by providing a highly realistic fall dataset for evaluating camera-based fall detection algorithms.

PubMed

Baldewijns, Greet; Debard, Glen; Mertes, Gert; Vanrumste, Bart; Croonenborghs, Tom

2016-03-01

Fall incidents are an important health hazard for older adults. Automatic fall detection systems can reduce the consequences of a fall incident by assuring that timely aid is given. The development of these systems is therefore getting a lot of research attention. Real-life data which can help evaluate the results of this research is however sparse. Moreover, research groups that have this type of data are not at liberty to share it. Most research groups thus use simulated datasets. These simulation datasets, however, often do not incorporate the challenges the fall detection system will face when implemented in real-life. In this Letter, a more realistic simulation dataset is presented to fill this gap between real-life data and currently available datasets. It was recorded while re-enacting real-life falls recorded during previous studies. It incorporates the challenges faced by fall detection algorithms in real life. A fall detection algorithm from Debard et al. was evaluated on this dataset. This evaluation showed that the dataset possesses extra challenges compared with other publicly available datasets. In this Letter, the dataset is discussed as well as the results of this preliminary evaluation of the fall detection algorithm. The dataset can be downloaded from www.kuleuven.be/advise/datasets.

Predicting pedestrian flow: a methodology and a proof of concept based on real-life data.

PubMed

Davidich, Maria; Köster, Gerta

2013-01-01

Building a reliable predictive model of pedestrian motion is very challenging: Ideally, such models should be based on observations made in both controlled experiments and in real-world environments. De facto, models are rarely based on real-world observations due to the lack of available data; instead, they are largely based on intuition and, at best, literature values and laboratory experiments. Such an approach is insufficient for reliable simulations of complex real-life scenarios: For instance, our analysis of pedestrian motion under natural conditions at a major German railway station reveals that the values for free-flow velocities and the flow-density relationship differ significantly from widely used literature values. It is thus necessary to calibrate and validate the model against relevant real-life data to make it capable of reproducing and predicting real-life scenarios. In this work we aim at constructing such realistic pedestrian stream simulation. Based on the analysis of real-life data, we present a methodology that identifies key parameters and interdependencies that enable us to properly calibrate the model. The success of the approach is demonstrated for a benchmark model, a cellular automaton. We show that the proposed approach significantly improves the reliability of the simulation and hence the potential prediction accuracy. The simulation is validated by comparing the local density evolution of the measured data to that of the simulated data. We find that for our model the most sensitive parameters are: the source-target distribution of the pedestrian trajectories, the schedule of pedestrian appearances in the scenario and the mean free-flow velocity. Our results emphasize the need for real-life data extraction and analysis to enable predictive simulations.

Violence exposure in real-life, video games, television, movies, and the internet: is there desensitization?

PubMed

Funk, Jeanne B; Baldacci, Heidi Bechtoldt; Pasold, Tracie; Baumgardner, Jennifer

2004-02-01

It is believed that repeated exposure to real-life and to entertainment violence may alter cognitive, affective, and behavioral processes, possibly leading to desensitization. The goal of the present study was to determine if there are relationships between real-life and media violence exposure and desensitization as reflected in related characteristics. One hundred fifty fourth and fifth graders completed measures of real-life violence exposure, media violence exposure, empathy, and attitudes towards violence. Regression analyses indicated that only exposure to video game violence was associated with (lower) empathy. Both video game and movie violence exposure were associated with stronger proviolence attitudes. The active nature of playing video games, intense engagement, and the tendency to be translated into fantasy play may explain negative impact, though causality was not investigated in the present design. The samples' relatively low exposure to real-life violence may have limited the identification of relationships. Although difficult to quantify, desensitization to violence should be further studied using related characteristics as in the present study. Individual differences and causal relationships should also be examined.

[The influences of interaction during online gaming on sociability and aggression in real life].

PubMed

Fuji, Kei; Yoshida, Fujio

2010-02-01

This study examined the influences of online gaming on sociability and aggression in real life. It was hypothesized that the effects of online gaming would differ depending on the interaction style of the online-gamers. Online-gamers in Japan (n = 1 477) were asked to respond to questionnaires that measured interaction style during online gaming, the effects of sociability and aggression, as well as social and individual orientation in real life. Factor analysis of the scores for interaction style extracted five factors. Covariance structure analysis indicated that sociable interactions such as "Broadening relations" and "Feeling of belonging" promoted sociability in real life. In addition, "Release from daily hassles" promoted sociability and decreased aggression. In contrast, non-sociable and aggressive interactions decreased sociability and increased aggression. The results also suggested that a social orientation in real life promoted sociable interactions during game playing, while an individual orientation promoted non-sociable and aggressive interactions. These results supported the hypotheses and suggested that online gaming resulted in positive outcomes for those who are socially, but negative outcomes for those who are not.

The improved business valuation model for RFID company based on the community mining method.

PubMed

Li, Shugang; Yu, Zhaoxu

2017-01-01

Nowadays, the appetite for the investment and mergers and acquisitions (M&A) activity in RFID companies is growing rapidly. Although the huge number of papers have addressed the topic of business valuation models based on statistical methods or neural network methods, only a few are dedicated to constructing a general framework for business valuation that improves the performance with network graph (NG) and the corresponding community mining (CM) method. In this study, an NG based business valuation model is proposed, where real options approach (ROA) integrating CM method is designed to predict the company's net profit as well as estimate the company value. Three improvements are made in the proposed valuation model: Firstly, our model figures out the credibility of the node belonging to each community and clusters the network according to the evolutionary Bayesian method. Secondly, the improved bacterial foraging optimization algorithm (IBFOA) is adopted to calculate the optimized Bayesian posterior probability function. Finally, in IBFOA, bi-objective method is used to assess the accuracy of prediction, and these two objectives are combined into one objective function using a new Pareto boundary method. The proposed method returns lower forecasting error than 10 well-known forecasting models on 3 different time interval valuing tasks for the real-life simulation of RFID companies.

The improved business valuation model for RFID company based on the community mining method

PubMed Central

Li, Shugang; Yu, Zhaoxu

2017-01-01

Nowadays, the appetite for the investment and mergers and acquisitions (M&A) activity in RFID companies is growing rapidly. Although the huge number of papers have addressed the topic of business valuation models based on statistical methods or neural network methods, only a few are dedicated to constructing a general framework for business valuation that improves the performance with network graph (NG) and the corresponding community mining (CM) method. In this study, an NG based business valuation model is proposed, where real options approach (ROA) integrating CM method is designed to predict the company’s net profit as well as estimate the company value. Three improvements are made in the proposed valuation model: Firstly, our model figures out the credibility of the node belonging to each community and clusters the network according to the evolutionary Bayesian method. Secondly, the improved bacterial foraging optimization algorithm (IBFOA) is adopted to calculate the optimized Bayesian posterior probability function. Finally, in IBFOA, bi-objective method is used to assess the accuracy of prediction, and these two objectives are combined into one objective function using a new Pareto boundary method. The proposed method returns lower forecasting error than 10 well-known forecasting models on 3 different time interval valuing tasks for the real-life simulation of RFID companies. PMID:28459815

Restoration of motion blurred images

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gaxiola, Leopoldo N.; Juarez-Salazar, Rigoberto; Diaz-Ramirez, Victor H.

2017-08-01

Image restoration is a classic problem in image processing. Image degradations can occur due to several reasons, for instance, imperfections of imaging systems, quantization errors, atmospheric turbulence, relative motion between camera or objects, among others. Motion blur is a typical degradation in dynamic imaging systems. In this work, we present a method to estimate the parameters of linear motion blur degradation from a captured blurred image. The proposed method is based on analyzing the frequency spectrum of a captured image in order to firstly estimate the degradation parameters, and then, to restore the image with a linear filter. The performance of the proposed method is evaluated by processing synthetic and real-life images. The obtained results are characterized in terms of accuracy of image restoration given by an objective criterion.

Computer vision, camouflage breaking and countershading

PubMed Central

Tankus, Ariel; Yeshurun, Yehezkel

2008-01-01

Camouflage is frequently used in the animal kingdom in order to conceal oneself from visual detection or surveillance. Many camouflage techniques are based on masking the familiar contours and texture of the subject by superposition of multiple edges on top of it. This work presents an operator, Darg, for the detection of three-dimensional smooth convex (or, equivalently, concave) objects. It can be used to detect curved objects on a relatively flat background, regardless of image edges, contours and texture. We show that a typical camouflage found in some animal species seems to be a ‘countermeasure’ taken against detection that might be based on our method. Detection by Darg is shown to be very robust, from both theoretical considerations and practical examples of real-life images. PMID:18990669

Real-Time Aircraft Engine-Life Monitoring

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Klein, Richard

2014-01-01

This project developed an inservice life-monitoring system capable of predicting the remaining component and system life of aircraft engines. The embedded system provides real-time, inflight monitoring of the engine's thrust, exhaust gas temperature, efficiency, and the speed and time of operation. Based upon this data, the life-estimation algorithm calculates the remaining life of the engine components and uses this data to predict the remaining life of the engine. The calculations are based on the statistical life distribution of the engine components and their relationship to load, speed, temperature, and time.

Free visual exploration of natural movies in schizophrenia.

PubMed

Silberg, Johanna Elisa; Agtzidis, Ioannis; Startsev, Mikhail; Fasshauer, Teresa; Silling, Karen; Sprenger, Andreas; Dorr, Michael; Lencer, Rebekka

2018-01-05

Eye tracking dysfunction (ETD) observed with standard pursuit stimuli represents a well-established biomarker for schizophrenia. How ETD may manifest during free visual exploration of real-life movies is unclear. Eye movements were recorded (EyeLink®1000) while 26 schizophrenia patients and 25 healthy age-matched controls freely explored nine uncut movies and nine pictures of real-life situations for 20 s each. Subsequently, participants were shown still shots of these scenes to decide whether they had explored them as movies or pictures. Participants were additionally assessed on standard eye-tracking tasks. Patients made smaller saccades (movies (p = 0.003), pictures (p = 0.002)) and had a stronger central bias (movies and pictures (p < 0.001)) than controls. In movies, patients' exploration behavior was less driven by image-defined, bottom-up stimulus saliency than controls (p < 0.05). Proportions of pursuit tracking on movies differed between groups depending on the individual movie (group*movie p = 0.011, movie p < 0.001). Eye velocity on standard pursuit stimuli was reduced in patients (p = 0.029) but did not correlate with pursuit behavior on movies. Additionally, patients obtained lower rates of correctly identified still shots as movies or pictures (p = 0.046). Our results suggest a restricted centrally focused visual exploration behavior in patients not only on pictures, but also on movies of real-life scenes. While ETD observed in the laboratory cannot be directly transferred to natural viewing conditions, these alterations support a model of impairments in motion information processing in patients resulting in a reduced ability to perceive moving objects and less saliency driven exploration behavior presumably contributing to alterations in the perception of the natural environment.

Real-life compliance and persistence among users of subcutaneous and sublingual allergen immunotherapy.

PubMed

Kiel, Menno A; Röder, Esther; Gerth van Wijk, Roy; Al, Maiwenn J; Hop, Wim C J; Rutten-van Mölken, Maureen P M H

2013-08-01

Subcutaneous allergen immunotherapy (SCIT) and sublingual allergen immunotherapy (SLIT) are safe and effective treatments of allergic rhinitis, but high levels of compliance and persistence are crucial to achieving the desired clinical effects. Our objective was to assess levels and predictors of compliance and persistence among grass pollen, tree pollen, and house dust mite immunotherapy users in real life and to estimate the costs of premature discontinuation. We performed a retrospective analysis of a community pharmacy database from The Netherlands containing data from 6486 patients starting immunotherapy for 1 or more of the allergens of interest between 1994 and 2009. Two thousand seven hundred ninety-six patients received SCIT, and 3690 received SLIT. Time to treatment discontinuation was analyzed and included Cox proportional hazard models with time-dependent covariates, where appropriate. Overall, only 18% of users reached the minimally required duration of treatment of 3 years (SCIT, 23%; SLIT, 7%). Median durations for SCIT and SLIT users were 1.7 and 0.6 years, respectively (P < .001). Other independent predictors of premature discontinuation were prescriber, with patients of general practitioners demonstrating longer persistence than those of allergologists and other medical specialists; single-allergen immunotherapy, lower socioeconomic status; and younger age. Of the persistent patients, 56% were never late in picking up their medication from the pharmacy. Direct medication costs per nonpersistent patient discontinuing in the third year of treatment were €3800, an amount that was largely misspent. Real-life persistence is better in SCIT users than in SLIT users, although it is low overall. There is an urgent need for further identification of potential barriers and measures that will enhance persistence and compliance. Copyright © 2013 American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. Published by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

Real three-dimensional objects: effects on mental rotation.

PubMed

Felix, Michael C; Parker, Joshua D; Lee, Charles; Gabriel, Kara I

2011-08-01

The current experiment investigated real three-dimensional (3D) objects with regard to performance on a mental rotation task and whether the appearance of sex differences may be mediated by experiences with spatially related activities. 40 men and 40 women were presented with alternating timed trials consisting of real-3D objects or two-dimensional illustrations of 3D objects. Sex differences in spatially related activities did not significantly influence the finding that men outperformed women on mental rotation of either stimulus type. However, on measures related to spatial activities, self-reported proficiency using maps correlated positively with performance only on trials with illustrations whereas self-reported proficiency using GPS correlated negatively with performance regardless of stimulus dimensionality. Findings may be interpreted as suggesting that rotating real-3D objects utilizes distinct but overlapping spatial skills compared to rotating two-dimensional representations of 3D objects, and real-3D objects can enhance mental rotation performance.

A real-world size organization of object responses in occipito-temporal cortex

PubMed Central

Konkle, Talia; Oliva, Aude

2012-01-01

SUMMARY While there are selective regions of occipito-temporal cortex that respond to faces, letters, and bodies, the large-scale neural organization of most object categories remains unknown. Here we find that object representations can be differentiated along the ventral temporal cortex by their real-world size. In a functional neuroimaging experiment, observers were shown pictures of big and small real-world objects (e.g. table, bathtub; paperclip, cup), presented at the same retinal size. We observed a consistent medial-to-lateral organization of big and small object preferences in the ventral temporal cortex, mirrored along the lateral surface. Regions in the lateral-occipital, infero-temporal, and parahippocampal cortices showed strong peaks of differential real-world size selectivity, and maintained these preferences over changes in retinal size and in mental imagery. These data demonstrate that the real-world size of objects can provide insight into the spatial topography of object representation. PMID:22726840

How Things Work: The Physics of Everyday Life, 2nd Edition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bloomfield, Louis A.

2000-12-01

Written primarily for a one-term, undergraduate level course, this book attempts to convey an understanding and appreciation for the concepts and principles of Physics by finding them within specific objects of everyday experience. It's primary market are liberal arts students who are seeking a connection between science and the world they live in; among its many secondary markets are the growing number of institutions offering courses with scientific real-world context. These courses may also be offered to students from the Sciences, Engineering, Architecture, and other technical fields.

Psychodynamic Factors Behind Online Social Networking and its Excessive Use.

PubMed

Li, Thomas Cheuk Wing

2016-03-01

This article discusses the psychodynamic factors behind the popularity of one form of Internet activity, online social networking (SN). It views online SN as an extension of the social self, organized in a way that is more controllable than real life relating. The SN platforms reward its users with reassuring surfaces and novel self-object experiences while at the same time induces much anxiety. The addictive quality of online SN is understood in the context of collapse of dialectical space and the defensive use of this technology.

Advanced software development workstation. Comparison of two object-oriented development methodologies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Izygon, Michel E.

1992-01-01

This report is an attempt to clarify some of the concerns raised about the OMT method, specifically that OMT is weaker than the Booch method in a few key areas. This interim report specifically addresses the following issues: (1) is OMT object-oriented or only data-driven?; (2) can OMT be used as a front-end to implementation in C++?; (3) the inheritance concept in OMT is in contradiction with the 'pure and real' inheritance concept found in object-oriented (OO) design; (4) low support for software life-cycle issues, for project and risk management; (5) uselessness of functional modeling for the ROSE project; and (6) problems with event-driven and simulation systems. The conclusion of this report is that both Booch's method and Rumbaugh's method are good OO methods, each with strengths and weaknesses in different areas of the development process.

Foggy perception slows us down.

PubMed

Pretto, Paolo; Bresciani, Jean-Pierre; Rainer, Gregor; Bülthoff, Heinrich H

2012-10-30

Visual speed is believed to be underestimated at low contrast, which has been proposed as an explanation of excessive driving speed in fog. Combining psychophysics measurements and driving simulation, we confirm that speed is underestimated when contrast is reduced uniformly for all objects of the visual scene independently of their distance from the viewer. However, we show that when contrast is reduced more for distant objects, as is the case in real fog, visual speed is actually overestimated, prompting drivers to decelerate. Using an artificial anti-fog-that is, fog characterized by better visibility for distant than for close objects, we demonstrate for the first time that perceived speed depends on the spatial distribution of contrast over the visual scene rather than the global level of contrast per se. Our results cast new light on how reduced visibility conditions affect perceived speed, providing important insight into the human visual system.DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.00031.001.

Does neuropsychological performance impact on real-life functional achievements in obsessive-compulsive disorder? A preliminary study.

PubMed

Perna, Giampaolo; Cavedini, Paolo; Harvey, Philip D; Di Chiaro, Nunzia Valentina; Daccò, Silvia; Caldirola, Daniela

2016-11-01

We investigated the association between neuropsychological performance and real-life functioning in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). As a secondary aim, we investigated the association between neuropsychological performance and self-reported quality of life (QoL). We retrospectively selected 68 of 240 inpatients with OCD, who had been hospitalised for a 4-week psychiatric rehabilitation programme. We used clinical information recorded in the patients' electronic medical records. We considered the following variables: neuropsychological performance (verbal/visual memory, sustained attention, visual-constructive ability, and language fluency; in a sub-sample of 37 subjects, divided attention, working memory, and attentional shifting were also available); real-life functional achievements (social/vocational outcomes and independent living); subjectively reported QoL (WHOQOL-BREF); obsessive-compulsive (OC) symptoms severity (DY-BOCS). We found significant associations between poorer neuropsychological performance and poorer achievements in independent living and vocational outcomes. Among the different neuropsychological tests, we found significant associations between language fluency/executive processing and independent living, and between divided attention, attentional shifting, working memory and vocational outcome. We found no significant associations between neuropsychological performance and subjectively reported QoL. OC symptoms severity was not associated with real-life functional achievements. Our preliminary results suggest that poorer neuropsychological performance may be associated with impaired real-life functioning in subjects with OCD.

Biology and Fertility Life Table of the Green Aphid Chaetosiphon Fragaefolli on Strawberry Cultivars

PubMed Central

Bernardi, Daniel; Garcia, Mauro Silveira; Botton, Marcos; Nava, Dori Edson

2012-01-01

Our objective was to study the biology and develop a fertility life table for the aphid Chaetosiphon fragaefolli (Cockerell) (Hemiptera: Aphididae) on leaves of strawberry, Fragaria × ananassa, Duchesne ex Rozier (Rosales: Rosaceae), of the cultivars Albion, Aromas, Camarosa, Camino Real, Diamante, Earlibrite, and Saborosa. This study was conducted under controlled conditions: 25 ± 1 °C, 70 ± 10% RH, and 12:12 L:D . Arenas were set up consisting of leaves inside Petri dishes containing 3% agar. Female aphids obtained after the last nymphal ecdysis were individually placed in arenas for 24 hours. The following biological parameters were evaluated: duration and survival of the nymph stage and of the life cycle (nymph-nymph), daily and total fecundity, and adult longevity. The aphids completed their biological cycle on all of the cultivars. The shortest durations (in days) of the nymphal stage were on the cultivars Camino Real and Camarosa (8.67 and 8.74 days, respectively), and the longest was on Aromas (11.12 days). The lowest survival was on cultivar Aromas (51%) and the highest on Saborosa (96%). When the time to development to the adult stage was compared, the aphids developed fastest (14.63 days) and survival was highest (96%) on cultivar Saborosa. Aphids reared on cultivar Aromas leaves had the longest pre—reproductive period (8.74 days), the greatest longevity (26.88 days), and the longest duration of the life cycle (19.76 days). Based on the fertility life table, cultivars Camarosa and Saborosa were the most favorable for development of C. fragaefolli, while Albion and Aromas were the most inadequate for aphid development. PMID:22958325

Cost-effectiveness of biological treatment sequences for fistulising Crohn’s disease across Europe

PubMed Central

Baji, Petra; Gulácsi, László; Brodszky, Valentin; Végh, Zsuzsanna; Danese, Silvio; Irving, Peter M; Peyrin-Biroulet, Laurent; Schreiber, Stefan; Rencz, Fanni; Lakatos, Péter L; Péntek, Márta

2017-01-01

Background In clinical practice, treatment sequences of biologicals are applied for active fistulising Crohn’s disease, however underlying health economic analyses are lacking. Objective The purpose of this study was to analyse the cost-effectiveness of different biological sequences including infliximab, biosimilar-infliximab, adalimumab and vedolizumab in nine European countries. Methods A Markov model was developed to compare treatment sequences of one, two and three biologicals from the payer’s perspective on a five-year time horizon. Data on effectiveness and health state utilities were obtained from the literature. Country-specific costs were considered. Calculations were performed with both official list prices and estimated real prices of biologicals. Results Biosimilar-infliximab is the most cost-effective treatment against standard care across the countries (with list prices: €34684–€72551/quality adjusted life year; with estimated real prices: €24364–€56086/quality adjusted life year). The most cost-effective two-agent sequence, except for Germany, is the biosimilar-infliximab–adalimumab therapy compared with single biosimilar-infliximab (with list prices: €58533–€133831/quality adjusted life year; with estimated prices: €45513–€105875/quality adjusted life year). The cost-effectiveness of the biosimilar-infliximab–adalimumab–vedolizumab three-agent sequence compared wit biosimilar-infliximab –adalimumab is €87214–€152901/quality adjusted life year. Conclusions The suggested first-choice biological treatment is biosimilar-infliximab. In case of treatment failure, switching to adalimumab then to vedolizumab provides meaningful additional health gains but at increased costs. Inter-country differences in cost-effectiveness are remarkable due to significant differences in costs. PMID:29511561

Analysis of warm season thunderstorms using an object-oriented tracking method based on radar and total lightning data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rigo, T.; Pineda, N.; Bech, J.

2010-09-01

Monitoring thunderstorms activity is an essential part of operational weather surveillance given their potential hazards, including lightning, hail, heavy rainfall, strong winds or even tornadoes. This study has two main objectives: firstly, the description of a methodology, based on radar and total lightning data to characterise thunderstorms in real-time; secondly, the application of this methodology to 66 thunderstorms that affected Catalonia (NE Spain) in the summer of 2006. An object-oriented tracking procedure is employed, where different observation data types generate four different types of objects (radar 1-km CAPPI reflectivity composites, radar reflectivity volumetric data, cloud-to-ground lightning data and intra-cloud lightning data). In the framework proposed, these objects are the building blocks of a higher level object, the thunderstorm. The methodology is demonstrated with a dataset of thunderstorms whose main characteristics, along the complete life cycle of the convective structures (development, maturity and dissipation), are described statistically. The development and dissipation stages present similar durations in most cases examined. On the contrary, the duration of the maturity phase is much more variable and related to the thunderstorm intensity, defined here in terms of lightning flash rate. Most of the activity of IC and CG flashes is registered in the maturity stage. In the development stage little CG flashes are observed (2% to 5%), while for the dissipation phase is possible to observe a few more CG flashes (10% to 15%). Additionally, a selection of thunderstorms is used to examine general life cycle patterns, obtained from the analysis of normalized (with respect to thunderstorm total duration and maximum value of variables considered) thunderstorm parameters. Among other findings, the study indicates that the normalized duration of the three stages of thunderstorm life cycle is similar in most thunderstorms, with the longest duration corresponding to the maturity stage (approximately 80% of the total time).

Real object-based 360-degree integral-floating display using multiple depth camera

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Erdenebat, Munkh-Uchral; Dashdavaa, Erkhembaatar; Kwon, Ki-Chul; Wu, Hui-Ying; Yoo, Kwan-Hee; Kim, Young-Seok; Kim, Nam

2015-03-01

A novel 360-degree integral-floating display based on the real object is proposed. The general procedure of the display system is similar with conventional 360-degree integral-floating displays. Unlike previously presented 360-degree displays, the proposed system displays the 3D image generated from the real object in 360-degree viewing zone. In order to display real object in 360-degree viewing zone, multiple depth camera have been utilized to acquire the depth information around the object. Then, the 3D point cloud representations of the real object are reconstructed according to the acquired depth information. By using a special point cloud registration method, the multiple virtual 3D point cloud representations captured by each depth camera are combined as single synthetic 3D point cloud model, and the elemental image arrays are generated for the newly synthesized 3D point cloud model from the given anamorphic optic system's angular step. The theory has been verified experimentally, and it shows that the proposed 360-degree integral-floating display can be an excellent way to display real object in the 360-degree viewing zone.

Virtual Worlds: Relationship between Real Life and Experience in Second Life

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Anstadt, Scott P.; Bradley, Shannon; Burnette, Ashley; Medley, Lesley L.

2013-01-01

Due to the unique applications of virtual reality in many modern contexts, Second Life (SL) offers inimitable opportunities for research and exploration and experiential learning as part of a distance learning curriculum assignment. A review of current research regarding SL examined real world social influences in online interactions and what the…

Shelf Life of Food Products: From Open Labeling to Real-Time Measurements.

PubMed

Corradini, Maria G

2018-03-25

The labels currently used on food and beverage products only provide consumers with a rough guide to their expected shelf lives because they assume that a product only experiences a limited range of predefined handling and storage conditions. These static labels do not take into consideration conditions that might shorten a product's shelf life (such as temperature abuse), which can lead to problems associated with food safety and waste. Advances in shelf-life estimation have the potential to improve the safety, reliability, and sustainability of the food supply. Selection of appropriate kinetic models and data-analysis techniques is essential to predict shelf life, to account for variability in environmental conditions, and to allow real-time monitoring. Novel analytical tools to determine safety and quality attributes in situ coupled with modern tracking technologies and appropriate predictive tools have the potential to provide accurate estimations of the remaining shelf life of a food product in real time. This review summarizes the necessary steps to attain a transition from open labeling to real-time shelf-life measurements.

A Real-Life Case Study of Audit Interactions--Resolving Messy, Complex Problems

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Beattie, Vivien; Fearnley, Stella; Hines, Tony

2012-01-01

Real-life accounting and auditing problems are often complex and messy, requiring the synthesis of technical knowledge in addition to the application of generic skills. To help students acquire the necessary skills to deal with these problems effectively, educators have called for the use of case-based methods. Cases based on real situations (such…

The virtues of virtual reality in exposure therapy.

PubMed

Gega, Lina

2017-04-01

Virtual reality can be more effective and less burdensome than real-life exposure. Optimal virtual reality delivery should incorporate in situ direct dialogues with a therapist, discourage safety behaviours, allow for a mismatch between virtual and real exposure tasks, and encourage self-directed real-life practice between and beyond virtual reality sessions. © The Royal College of Psychiatrists 2017.

Collaborative Aerial-Drawing System for Supporting Co-Creative Communication

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Osaki, Akihiro; Taniguchi, Hiroyuki; Miwa, Yoshiyuki

This paper describes the collaborative augmented reality (AR) system with which multiple users can handwrite 3D lines in the air simultaneously and manipulate the lines directly in the real world. In addition, we propose a new technique for co-creative communication utilizing the 3D drawing activity. Up to now, the various 3D user interfaces have been proposed. Although most of them aim to solve the specific problems in the virtual environments, the possibility of the 3D drawing expression has not been explored yet. Accordingly, we paid special attention to the interaction with the real objects in daily life, and considered to manipulate real objects and 3D lines without any distinctions by the same action. The developed AR system consists of a stereoscopic head-mounted display, a drawing tool, 6DOF sensors measuring three-dimensional position and Euler angles, and the 3D user interface, which enables to push, grasp and pitch 3D lines directly by use of the drawing tool. Additionally users can pick up desired color from either a landscape or a virtual line through the direct interaction with this tool. For sharing 3D lines among multiple users at the same place, the distributed-type AR system has been developed that mutually sends and receives drawn data between systems. With the developed system, users can proceed to design jointly in the real space through arranging each 3D drawing by direct manipulation. Moreover, a new application to the entertainment has become possible to play sports like catch, fencing match, or the like.

Object and event recognition for stroke rehabilitation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ghali, Ahmed; Cunningham, Andrew S.; Pridmore, Tony P.

2003-06-01

Stroke is a major cause of disability and health care expenditure around the world. Existing stroke rehabilitation methods can be effective but are costly and need to be improved. Even modest improvements in the effectiveness of rehabilitation techniques could produce large benefits in terms of quality of life. The work reported here is part of an ongoing effort to integrate virtual reality and machine vision technologies to produce innovative stroke rehabilitation methods. We describe a combined object recognition and event detection system that provides real time feedback to stroke patients performing everyday kitchen tasks necessary for independent living, e.g. making a cup of coffee. The image plane position of each object, including the patient"s hand, is monitored using histogram-based recognition methods. The relative positions of hand and objects are then reported to a task monitor that compares the patient"s actions against a model of the target task. A prototype system has been constructed and is currently undergoing technical and clinical evaluation.

Detectability of Chelyabinsk-like impactors with Pan-STARRS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Micheli, Marco; Wainscoat, Richard J.; Denneau, Larry

2018-03-01

In this work we present the results of our analysis of the detectability of an object in the size range of the recent Chelyabinsk impactor under the current discovery and follow-up capabilities, using the specific observational strategy of the Pan-STARRS survey as a reference point. We first discuss the observability of real-life cases inspired by the impact trajectories of 2008 TC3, 2014 AA, the past Earth encounters with 2014 RC and 2015 TB145, the upcoming fly-by of 2012 TC4 and the Chelyabinsk event. We then expand our analysis with the investigation of synthetic impactors with realistic orbital distributions. Among the various conclusions of our analysis, we discuss how the time of first detectability of an object does not necessarily correspond to the moment when that same object can be recognized as an impactor. We also point out how objects discovered only a few days before impact can be immediately identified as impactors, partly thanks to the good astrometric quality that telescopes like Pan-STARRS currently achieve.

Objects Architecture: A Comprehensive Design Approach for Real-Time, Distributed, Fault-Tolerant, Reactive Operating Systems.

DTIC Science & Technology

1987-09-01

real - time operating system should be efficient from the real-time point...5,8]) system naming scheme. 3.2 Protecting Objects Real-time embedded systems usually neglect protection mechanisms. However, a real - time operating system cannot...allocation mechanism should adhere to application constraints. This strong relationship between a real - time operating system and the application

Categorical data processing for real estate objects valuation using statistical analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Parygin, D. S.; Malikov, V. P.; Golubev, A. V.; Sadovnikova, N. P.; Petrova, T. M.; Finogeev, A. G.

2018-05-01

Theoretical and practical approaches to the use of statistical methods for studying various properties of infrastructure objects are analyzed in the paper. Methods of forecasting the value of objects are considered. A method for coding categorical variables describing properties of real estate objects is proposed. The analysis of the results of modeling the price of real estate objects using regression analysis and an algorithm based on a comparative approach is carried out.

Bats' avoidance of real and virtual objects: implications for the sonar coding of object size.

PubMed

Goerlitz, Holger R; Genzel, Daria; Wiegrebe, Lutz

2012-01-01

Fast movement in complex environments requires the controlled evasion of obstacles. Sonar-based obstacle evasion involves analysing the acoustic features of object-echoes (e.g., echo amplitude) that correlate with this object's physical features (e.g., object size). Here, we investigated sonar-based obstacle evasion in bats emerging in groups from their day roost. Using video-recordings, we first show that the bats evaded a small real object (ultrasonic loudspeaker) despite the familiar flight situation. Secondly, we studied the sonar coding of object size by adding a larger virtual object. The virtual object echo was generated by real-time convolution of the bats' calls with the acoustic impulse response of a large spherical disc and played from the loudspeaker. Contrary to the real object, the virtual object did not elicit evasive flight, despite the spectro-temporal similarity of real and virtual object echoes. Yet, their spatial echo features differ: virtual object echoes lack the spread of angles of incidence from which the echoes of large objects arrive at a bat's ears (sonar aperture). We hypothesise that this mismatch of spectro-temporal and spatial echo features caused the lack of virtual object evasion and suggest that the sonar aperture of object echoscapes contributes to the sonar coding of object size. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Raising environmental awareness through applied biochemistry laboratory experiments.

PubMed

Salman Ashraf, S

2013-01-01

Our environment is under constant pressure and threat from various sources of pollution. Science students, in particular chemistry students, must not only be made aware of these issues, but also be taught that chemistry (and science) can provide solutions to such real-life issues. To this end, a newly developed biochemistry laboratory experiment is described that guides students to learn about the applicability of peroxidase enzymes to degrade organic dyes (as model pollutants) in simulated waste water. In addition to showing how enzymes can potentially be used for waste water remediation, various factors than can affect enzyme-based reactions such as pH, temperature, concentration of substrates/enzymes, and denaturants can also be tested. This "applied biotechnology" experiment was successfully implemented in an undergraduate biochemistry laboratory course to enhance students' learning of environmental issues as well important biochemistry concepts. Student survey confirmed that this laboratory experiment was successful in achieving the objectives of raising environmental awareness in students and illustrating the usefulness of chemistry in solving real-life problems. This experiment can be easily adopted in an introductory biochemistry laboratory course and taught as an inquiry-guided exercise. © 2013 by The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.

Why Real-Life Writing Benefits Students.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wheeler, John

1987-01-01

Recent research indicates that journalistic reporting and writing techniques effectively develop language arts competency. Such writing techniques should be taught long before the student enters high school. Benefits of real-life writing to students are discussed. (MT)

Children and adolescents of parents undergoing dialysis therapy: their reported quality of life.

PubMed

Molzahn, A E; Kikuchi, J F

1998-08-01

The objective of this study was to describe one aspect of the reported quality of life (QOL) (according to the Aristotelian-Thomistic philosophical theory of the good life) of a selected group of children and adolescents whose parents were being treated by dialysis therapy for renal failure. An exploratory descriptive design was used. Twenty-five children and adolescents ranging in age from 8 to 16 years, selected on a convenience basis, participated in the study. The setting was a major renal treatment program in Western Canada. Semi-structured interviews were held with children and adolescents privately, in their homes, once a week for two to three weeks. The interview data were subjected to content analysis. Generally, the children and adolescents seemed to possess the real goods necessary for a good life. However, they appeared to need more goods of the mind: (a) an intellective good--more information about how their various family members were feeling, and (b) decreased fear in relation to their parents' condition and treatments. Also, they discussed the need for carefree family vacations, an instrumental means to sensory pleasure--a bodily good. Overall, the QOL of this group of children and adolescents seemed to be good. The parents' renal disease and dialysis therapy had an impact on the children's lives in that sometimes it interfered with and sometimes it facilitated attainment of real goods. Further study is required to examine the effects on the QOL of children and adolescents regarding dialysis modality, age/gender of the child or adolescent, and stage of treatment.

75 FR 3272 - Culturally Significant Objects Imported for Exhibition Determinations: “The Sacred Made Real...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-01-20

... DEPARTMENT OF STATE [Public Notice 6876] Culturally Significant Objects Imported for Exhibition Determinations: ``The Sacred Made Real: Spanish Painting and Sculpture 1600-1700'' SUMMARY: Notice is hereby... objects to be included in the exhibition ``The Sacred Made Real: Spanish Painting and Sculpture 1600-1700...

2D virtual texture on 3D real object with coded structured light

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Molinier, Thierry; Fofi, David; Salvi, Joaquim; Gorria, Patrick

2008-02-01

Augmented reality is used to improve color segmentation on human body or on precious no touch artifacts. We propose a technique to project a synthesized texture on real object without contact. Our technique can be used in medical or archaeological application. By projecting a suitable set of light patterns onto the surface of a 3D real object and by capturing images with a camera, a large number of correspondences can be found and the 3D points can be reconstructed. We aim to determine these points of correspondence between cameras and projector from a scene without explicit points and normals. We then project an adjusted texture onto the real object surface. We propose a global and automatic method to virtually texture a 3D real object.

Real-Life Efficacy, Immunogenicity and Safety of Biosimilar Infliximab.

PubMed

Vegh, Zsuzsanna; Kurti, Zsuzsanna; Lakatos, Peter L

2017-01-01

Recently, the use of biosimilar infliximab (IFX) in the treatment of inflammatory bowel diseases has become widespread in some European and non-European countries. Data on the efficacy, safety and immunogenicity from real-life cohorts are accumulating. The first reports showed similar outcomes in the induction and maintenance of remission, mucosal healing, safety and immunogenicity profile to the originator IFX. In the present review, we aimed to summarize the existing knowledge on the efficacy, safety and immunogenicity profile of biosimilar IFX reported from real-life cohorts. © 2017 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Effects of aging on eye movements in the real world

PubMed Central

Dowiasch, Stefan; Marx, Svenja; Einhäuser, Wolfgang; Bremmer, Frank

2015-01-01

The effects of aging on eye movements are well studied in the laboratory. Increased saccade latencies or decreased smooth-pursuit gain are well established findings. The question remains whether these findings are influenced by the rather untypical environment of a laboratory; that is, whether or not they transfer to the real world. We measured 34 healthy participants between the age of 25 and 85 during two everyday tasks in the real world: (I) walking down a hallway with free gaze, (II) visual tracking of an earth-fixed object while walking straight-ahead. Eye movements were recorded with a mobile light-weight eye tracker, the EyeSeeCam (ESC). We find that age significantly influences saccade parameters. With increasing age, saccade frequency, amplitude, peak velocity, and mean velocity are reduced and the velocity/amplitude distribution as well as the velocity profile become less skewed. In contrast to laboratory results on smooth pursuit, we did not find a significant effect of age on tracking eye-movements in the real world. Taken together, age-related eye-movement changes as measured in the laboratory only partly resemble those in the real world. It is well-conceivable that in the real world additional sensory cues, such as head-movement or vestibular signals, may partially compensate for age-related effects, which, according to this view, would be specific to early motion processing. In any case, our results highlight the importance of validity for natural situations when studying the impact of aging on real-life performance. PMID:25713524

Effects of aging on eye movements in the real world.

PubMed

Dowiasch, Stefan; Marx, Svenja; Einhäuser, Wolfgang; Bremmer, Frank

2015-01-01

The effects of aging on eye movements are well studied in the laboratory. Increased saccade latencies or decreased smooth-pursuit gain are well established findings. The question remains whether these findings are influenced by the rather untypical environment of a laboratory; that is, whether or not they transfer to the real world. We measured 34 healthy participants between the age of 25 and 85 during two everyday tasks in the real world: (I) walking down a hallway with free gaze, (II) visual tracking of an earth-fixed object while walking straight-ahead. Eye movements were recorded with a mobile light-weight eye tracker, the EyeSeeCam (ESC). We find that age significantly influences saccade parameters. With increasing age, saccade frequency, amplitude, peak velocity, and mean velocity are reduced and the velocity/amplitude distribution as well as the velocity profile become less skewed. In contrast to laboratory results on smooth pursuit, we did not find a significant effect of age on tracking eye-movements in the real world. Taken together, age-related eye-movement changes as measured in the laboratory only partly resemble those in the real world. It is well-conceivable that in the real world additional sensory cues, such as head-movement or vestibular signals, may partially compensate for age-related effects, which, according to this view, would be specific to early motion processing. In any case, our results highlight the importance of validity for natural situations when studying the impact of aging on real-life performance.

Semantic guidance of eye movements in real-world scenes

PubMed Central

Hwang, Alex D.; Wang, Hsueh-Cheng; Pomplun, Marc

2011-01-01

The perception of objects in our visual world is influenced by not only their low-level visual features such as shape and color, but also their high-level features such as meaning and semantic relations among them. While it has been shown that low-level features in real-world scenes guide eye movements during scene inspection and search, the influence of semantic similarity among scene objects on eye movements in such situations has not been investigated. Here we study guidance of eye movements by semantic similarity among objects during real-world scene inspection and search. By selecting scenes from the LabelMe object-annotated image database and applying Latent Semantic Analysis (LSA) to the object labels, we generated semantic saliency maps of real-world scenes based on the semantic similarity of scene objects to the currently fixated object or the search target. An ROC analysis of these maps as predictors of subjects’ gaze transitions between objects during scene inspection revealed a preference for transitions to objects that were semantically similar to the currently inspected one. Furthermore, during the course of a scene search, subjects’ eye movements were progressively guided toward objects that were semantically similar to the search target. These findings demonstrate substantial semantic guidance of eye movements in real-world scenes and show its importance for understanding real-world attentional control. PMID:21426914

Semantic guidance of eye movements in real-world scenes.

PubMed

Hwang, Alex D; Wang, Hsueh-Cheng; Pomplun, Marc

2011-05-25

The perception of objects in our visual world is influenced by not only their low-level visual features such as shape and color, but also their high-level features such as meaning and semantic relations among them. While it has been shown that low-level features in real-world scenes guide eye movements during scene inspection and search, the influence of semantic similarity among scene objects on eye movements in such situations has not been investigated. Here we study guidance of eye movements by semantic similarity among objects during real-world scene inspection and search. By selecting scenes from the LabelMe object-annotated image database and applying latent semantic analysis (LSA) to the object labels, we generated semantic saliency maps of real-world scenes based on the semantic similarity of scene objects to the currently fixated object or the search target. An ROC analysis of these maps as predictors of subjects' gaze transitions between objects during scene inspection revealed a preference for transitions to objects that were semantically similar to the currently inspected one. Furthermore, during the course of a scene search, subjects' eye movements were progressively guided toward objects that were semantically similar to the search target. These findings demonstrate substantial semantic guidance of eye movements in real-world scenes and show its importance for understanding real-world attentional control. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

From Real Life to Real Life: Bringing "Double Awareness" from Action Learning Programmes into Organisational Reality

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Svalgaard, Lotte

2017-01-01

In Action Learning programmes, it is held central to work on real business challenges (task) while learning about team and self (process); staying mindful aware of the process is referred to in this paper as "double awareness", and emphasises noticing and acting on process cues while working on the task. As business challenges within…

How Accumulated Real Life Stress Experience and Cognitive Speed Interact on Decision-Making Processes

PubMed Central

Friedel, Eva; Sebold, Miriam; Kuitunen-Paul, Sören; Nebe, Stephan; Veer, Ilya M.; Zimmermann, Ulrich S.; Schlagenhauf, Florian; Smolka, Michael N.; Rapp, Michael; Walter, Henrik; Heinz, Andreas

2017-01-01

Rationale: Advances in neurocomputational modeling suggest that valuation systems for goal-directed (deliberative) on one side, and habitual (automatic) decision-making on the other side may rely on distinct computational strategies for reinforcement learning, namely model-free vs. model-based learning. As a key theoretical difference, the model-based system strongly demands cognitive functions to plan actions prospectively based on an internal cognitive model of the environment, whereas valuation in the model-free system relies on rather simple learning rules from operant conditioning to retrospectively associate actions with their outcomes and is thus cognitively less demanding. Acute stress reactivity is known to impair model-based but not model-free choice behavior, with higher working memory capacity protecting the model-based system from acute stress. However, it is not clear which impact accumulated real life stress has on model-free and model-based decision systems and how this influence interacts with cognitive abilities. Methods: We used a sequential decision-making task distinguishing relative contributions of both learning strategies to choice behavior, the Social Readjustment Rating Scale questionnaire to assess accumulated real life stress, and the Digit Symbol Substitution Test to test cognitive speed in 95 healthy subjects. Results: Individuals reporting high stress exposure who had low cognitive speed showed reduced model-based but increased model-free behavioral control. In contrast, subjects exposed to accumulated real life stress with high cognitive speed displayed increased model-based performance but reduced model-free control. Conclusion: These findings suggest that accumulated real life stress exposure can enhance reliance on cognitive speed for model-based computations, which may ultimately protect the model-based system from the detrimental influences of accumulated real life stress. The combination of accumulated real life stress exposure and slower information processing capacities, however, might favor model-free strategies. Thus, the valence and preference of either system strongly depends on stressful experiences and individual cognitive capacities. PMID:28642696

Efficacy of vildagliptin versus sulfonylureas as add-on therapy to metformin: comparison of results from randomised controlled and observational studies.

PubMed

Ahrén, Bo; Mathieu, Chantal; Bader, Giovanni; Schweizer, Anja; Foley, James E

2014-07-01

Randomised control trials (RCTs) do not always reflect real-life outcomes for glucose-lowering drugs. In this work we compared RCT and real-life data on the efficacy of the dipeptidyl peptidase-IV (DPP-4) inhibitor vildagliptin or sulfonylureas when added to metformin. Data were pooled from five RCTs examining vildagliptin (n = 2,788) and sulfonylureas (glimepiride [n = 1,259] or gliclazide [n = 433]), added to metformin. For real-life conditions, data were extracted from an observational study examining vildagliptin (n = 7,002) or sulfonylureas (n = 3,702), added to metformin monotherapy. Linear regression analyses were performed between the baseline HbA1c and the change in HbA1c (Δ HbA1c) after 24 weeks. Baseline HbA1c correlated to Δ HbA1c (r (2) = 0.36, slope = -0.54 [95% CI -0.55, -0.53; p < 0.0001]) for both treatments. With sulfonylureas, the slope of the correlation was steeper in the observational study than in RCTs (interaction coefficient = -0.327, p < 0.001), whereas for vildagliptin, the slope was virtually identical in the observational study and the RCTs (interaction coefficient = 0.024, p = 0.175). For any given baseline HbA1c, Δ HbA1c with sulfonylureas was smaller in real life than in RCTs, whereas Δ HbA1c with vildagliptin was the same. When comparing RCT to real-life data, the decrease in HbA1c from baseline with sulfonylurea treatment is smaller in real life than in RCTs, whereas the reduction with vildagliptin is essentially the same, suggesting that the full power of treatment is retained in real life for vildagliptin but not for sulfonylureas, possibly due to fear of hypoglycaemia.

Cognitive functioning is more closely related to real-life mobility than to laboratory-based mobility parameters.

PubMed

Giannouli, Eleftheria; Bock, Otmar; Zijlstra, Wiebren

2018-03-01

Increasing evidence indicates that mobility depends on cognitive resources, but the exact relationships between various cognitive functions and different mobility parameters still need to be investigated. This study examines the hypothesis that cognitive functioning is more closely related to real-life mobility performance than to mobility capacity as measured with standardized laboratory tests. The final sample used for analysis consisted of 66 older adults (72.3 ± 5.6 years). Cognition was assessed by measures of planning (HOTAP test), spatial working memory (Grid-Span test) and visuospatial attention (Attention Window test). Mobility capacity was assessed by an instrumented version of the Timed Up-and-Go test (iTUG). Mobility performance was assessed with smartphones which collected accelerometer and GPS data over one week to determine the spatial extent and temporal duration of real-life activities. Data analyses involved an exploratory factor analysis and correlation analyses. Mobility measures were reduced to four orthogonal factors: the factor 'real-life mobility' correlated significantly with most cognitive measures (between r   =  .229 and r   =  .396); factors representing 'sit-to-stand transition' and 'turn' correlated with fewer cognitive measures (between r   =  .271 and r   =  .315 and between r   =  .210 and r   =  .316, respectively), and the factor representing straight gait correlated with only one cognitive measure ( r   =  .237). Among the cognitive functions tested, visuospatial attention was associated with most mobility measures, executive functions with fewer and spatial working memory with only one mobility measure. Capacity and real-life performance represent different aspects of mobility. Real-life mobility is more closely associated with cognition than mobility capacity, and in our data this association is most pronounced for visuospatial attention. The close link between real-life mobility and visuospatial attention should be considered by interventions targeting mobility in old age.

How Accumulated Real Life Stress Experience and Cognitive Speed Interact on Decision-Making Processes.

PubMed

Friedel, Eva; Sebold, Miriam; Kuitunen-Paul, Sören; Nebe, Stephan; Veer, Ilya M; Zimmermann, Ulrich S; Schlagenhauf, Florian; Smolka, Michael N; Rapp, Michael; Walter, Henrik; Heinz, Andreas

2017-01-01

Rationale: Advances in neurocomputational modeling suggest that valuation systems for goal-directed (deliberative) on one side, and habitual (automatic) decision-making on the other side may rely on distinct computational strategies for reinforcement learning, namely model-free vs. model-based learning. As a key theoretical difference, the model-based system strongly demands cognitive functions to plan actions prospectively based on an internal cognitive model of the environment, whereas valuation in the model-free system relies on rather simple learning rules from operant conditioning to retrospectively associate actions with their outcomes and is thus cognitively less demanding. Acute stress reactivity is known to impair model-based but not model-free choice behavior, with higher working memory capacity protecting the model-based system from acute stress. However, it is not clear which impact accumulated real life stress has on model-free and model-based decision systems and how this influence interacts with cognitive abilities. Methods: We used a sequential decision-making task distinguishing relative contributions of both learning strategies to choice behavior, the Social Readjustment Rating Scale questionnaire to assess accumulated real life stress, and the Digit Symbol Substitution Test to test cognitive speed in 95 healthy subjects. Results: Individuals reporting high stress exposure who had low cognitive speed showed reduced model-based but increased model-free behavioral control. In contrast, subjects exposed to accumulated real life stress with high cognitive speed displayed increased model-based performance but reduced model-free control. Conclusion: These findings suggest that accumulated real life stress exposure can enhance reliance on cognitive speed for model-based computations, which may ultimately protect the model-based system from the detrimental influences of accumulated real life stress. The combination of accumulated real life stress exposure and slower information processing capacities, however, might favor model-free strategies. Thus, the valence and preference of either system strongly depends on stressful experiences and individual cognitive capacities.

Real-life memory and spatial navigation in patients with focal epilepsy: ecological validity of a virtual reality supermarket task.

PubMed

Grewe, P; Lahr, D; Kohsik, A; Dyck, E; Markowitsch, H J; Bien, C G; Botsch, M; Piefke, M

2014-02-01

Ecological assessment and training of real-life cognitive functions such as visual-spatial abilities in patients with epilepsy remain challenging. Some studies have applied virtual reality (VR) paradigms, but external validity of VR programs has not sufficiently been proven. Patients with focal epilepsy (EG, n=14) accomplished an 8-day program in a VR supermarket, which consisted of learning and buying items on a shopping list. Performance of the EG was compared with that of healthy controls (HCG, n=19). A comprehensive neuropsychological examination was administered. Real-life performance was investigated in a real supermarket. Learning in the VR supermarket was significantly impaired in the EG on different VR measures. Delayed free recall of products did not differ between the EG and the HCG. Virtual reality scores were correlated with neuropsychological measures of visual-spatial cognition, subjective estimates of memory, and performance in the real supermarket. The data indicate that our VR approach allows for the assessment of real-life visual-spatial memory and cognition in patients with focal epilepsy. The multimodal, active, and complex VR paradigm may particularly enhance visual-spatial cognitive resources. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Comparing the Happiness Effects of Real and On-Line Friends

PubMed Central

Helliwell, John F.; Huang, Haifang

2013-01-01

A recent large Canadian survey permits us to compare face-to-face (‘real-life’) and on-line social networks as sources of subjective well-being. The sample of 5,000 is drawn randomly from an on-line pool of respondents, a group well placed to have and value on-line friendships. We find three key results. First, the number of real-life friends is positively correlated with subjective well-being (SWB) even after controlling for income, demographic variables and personality differences. Doubling the number of friends in real life has an equivalent effect on well-being as a 50% increase in income. Second, the size of online networks is largely uncorrelated with subjective well-being. Third, we find that real-life friends are much more important for people who are single, divorced, separated or widowed than they are for people who are married or living with a partner. Findings from large international surveys (the European Social Surveys 2002–2008) are used to confirm the importance of real-life social networks to SWB; they also indicate a significantly smaller value of social networks to married or partnered couples. PMID:24019875

Acoustic Coordinated Reset Neuromodulation in a Real Life Patient Population with Chronic Tonal Tinnitus

PubMed Central

Hauptmann, Christian; Ströbel, Armin; Williams, Mark; Patel, Nitesh; Wurzer, Hannes; von Stackelberg, Tatjana; Brinkmann, Uwe; Langguth, Berthold; Tass, Peter A.

2015-01-01

Purpose. Primary tinnitus has a severe negative influence on the quality of life of a significant portion of the general population. Acoustic coordinated reset neuromodulation is designed to induce a long-lasting reduction of tinnitus symptoms. To test acoustic coordinated reset neuromodulation as a treatment for chronic, tonal tinnitus under real life conditions, an outpatient study “RESET Real Life” was commissioned by ANM GmbH. Herein we present the results of this study. Methods. In a prospective, open-label, nonrandomized, noncontrolled multicenter clinical study with 200 chronic tinnitus patients, tinnitus questionnaire TBF-12 and Global Clinical Improvement-Impression Scale (CGI-I7) are used to study the safety and efficacy of acoustic coordinated reset neuromodulation. 189 patients completed the last 12-month visit, 11 patients dropped out (8 because of nontreatment related reasons; 2 because tinnitus did not change; and 1 because tinnitus got louder). Results. Acoustic coordinated reset neuromodulation caused a statistically and clinically significant decrease in TBF-12 scores as well as in CGI-I7 after 12 months of therapy under real life conditions. There were no persistent adverse events reported that were related to the therapy. Conclusion. The field study “RESET Real Life” provides evidence for safety and efficacy of acoustic coordinated reset neuromodulation in a prospective, open-label, real life setting. PMID:26568958

Occupational Exposure to Nano-Objects and Their Agglomerates and Aggregates Across Various Life Cycle Stages; A Broad-Scale Exposure Study.

PubMed

Bekker, Cindy; Kuijpers, Eelco; Brouwer, Derk H; Vermeulen, Roel; Fransman, Wouter

2015-07-01

Occupational exposure to manufactured nano-objects and their agglomerates, and aggregates (NOAA) has been described in several workplace air monitoring studies. However, data pooling for general conclusions and exposure estimates are hampered by limited exposure data across the occupational life cycle of NOAA and a lack in comparability between the methods of collecting and analysing the data. By applying a consistent method of collecting and analysing the workplace exposure data, this study aimed to provide information about the occupational NOAA exposure levels across various life cycle stages of NOAA in the Netherlands which can also be used for multi-purpose use. Personal/near field task-based exposure data was collected using a multi-source exposure assessment method collecting real time particle number concentration, particle size distribution (PSD), filter-based samples for morphological, and elemental analysis and detailed contextual information. A decision logic was followed allowing a consistent and objective way of analysing the exposure data. In total, 46 measurement surveys were conducted at 15 companies covering 18 different exposure situations across various occupational life cycle stages of NOAA. Highest activity-effect levels were found during replacement of big bags (<1000-76000 # cm(-3)), mixing/dumping of powders manually (<1000-52000 # cm(-3)) and mechanically (<1000-100000 # cm(-3)), and spraying of liquid (2000-800000 # cm(-3)) showing a high variability between and within the various exposure situations. In general, a limited change in PSD was found during the activity compared to the background. This broad-scale exposure study gives a comprehensive overview of the NOAA exposure situations in the Netherlands and an indication of the levels of occupational exposure to NOAA across various life cycle of NOAA. The collected workplace exposure data and contextual information will serve as basis for future pooling of data and modelling of worker exposure. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Occupational Hygiene Society.

A randomized, controlled, crossover study in patients with mild and moderate asthma undergoing treatment with traditional Chinese acupuncture

PubMed Central

Pai, Hong Jin; Azevedo, Raymundo Soares; Braga, Alfésio Luís Ferreira; Martins, Lourdes Conceição; Saraiva-Romanholo, Beatriz M; de Arruda Martins, Milton; Lin, Chin An

2015-01-01

OBJECTIVES: This study sought to verify the effects of acupuncture as an adjuvant treatment for the control of asthma. METHODS: This was a randomized, controlled, crossover trial conducted at the Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo. A total of 74 patients with mild/moderate, persistent asthma were randomized into two therapeutic groups: Group A – 31 patients underwent 10 real weekly acupuncture sessions, followed by a 3-week washout period and 10 sham weekly acupuncture sessions; and Group B - 43 patients underwent 10 sham weekly acupuncture sessions, followed by a 3-week washout period and 10 real weekly acupuncture sessions. Patients used short- and long-acting β-2 agonists and inhaled corticosteroids when necessary. Prior to treatment and after each period of 10 treatment sessions, the patients were evaluated for spirometry, induced sputum cell count, exhaled nitric oxide (NO) and with the Short Form 36 (SF-36) and Questionnaire on Quality of Life-Asthma (QQLA) questionnaires. Daily peak flow and symptom diaries were registered. The level of significance adopted was 5% (α=0.05). RESULTS: In Group B, after real acupuncture, there was a decrease in eosinophils (p=0.035) and neutrophils (p=0.047), an increase in macrophages (p=0.001) and an improvement in peak flow (p=0.01). After sham acupuncture treatment, patients experienced less coughing (p=0.037), wheezing (p=0.013) and dyspnea (p=0.014); similarly, after real acupuncture, patients reported less coughing (p=0.040), wheezing (p=0.012), dyspnea (p<0.001) and nocturnal awakening episodes (p=0.009). In Group A, there was less use of rescue medication (p=0.043). After the sham procedure, patients in Group A experienced less coughing (p=0.007), wheezing (p=0.037), dyspnea (p<0.001) and use of rescue medication (p<0.001) and after real acupuncture, these patients showed improvements in functional capacity (p=0.004), physical aspects (p=0.002), general health status (p<0.001) and vitality (p=0.019). Sham acupuncture also led to significant differences in symptoms, but these were not different from those seen with real acupuncture. Spirometry and exhaled NO levels did not show a difference between sham and real acupuncture treatment. In addition, no significant difference was demonstrated between treatments regarding the quality of life evaluation. CONCLUSION: Real and sham acupuncture have different effects and outcomes on asthma control. The crossover approach was not effective in this study because both interventions led to improvement of asthma symptoms, quality of life and inflammatory cell counts. Thus, sham acupuncture cannot serve as a placebo in trials with acupuncture as the main intervention for asthma. PMID:26598077

Basic Characteristics and Spatial Patterns of Pseudo-Settlements--Taking Dalian as An Example.

PubMed

Gao, Jiaji; Zhang, Yingjia; Li, Xueming

2016-01-20

A person's living behavior patterns are closely related to three types of settlements: real-life settlements, imagined settlements, and pseudo-settlements. The term "pseudo-settlement" (PS) refers to the places that are selectively recorded and represented after the mass media chose and restructure the residence information. As the mass media rapidly develops and people's way of obtaining information gradually change, PS has already become one of the main ways for people to recognize and understand real-life settlements, as well as describe their impressions of imagined settlements. PS also has a profound impact on tourism, employment, investment, migration, real estate development, etc. Thus, the study of PSs has important theoretical and practical significance. This paper proposes to put forward residential quarters where the mass media is displayed as the object of study and establishes the pseudo-settlement index system of Dalian in and elaborate analysis of the concept of PSs. From three aspects, including pseudo-buildings, pseudo-districts and pseudo-culture, this paper uses the ArcGIS 10.0 kernel density (spacial analyst) to analyze and interpret the basic characteristics and spatial patterns of 14 elements of the PS in Dalian. Through systemic clustering analysis, it identifies eight major types of PSs in Dalian. Then it systematically elaborates current situations and characteristics of the spatial pattern of PSs in Dalian, namely: regionally concentrated, widely scattered and blank spaces without pseudo-settlements. Finally, this paper discusses the mechanism of formation of PSs in Dalian.

Basic Characteristics and Spatial Patterns of Pseudo-Settlements—Taking Dalian as An Example

PubMed Central

Gao, Jiaji; Zhang, Yingjia; Li, Xueming

2016-01-01

A person’s living behavior patterns are closely related to three types of settlements: real-life settlements, imagined settlements, and pseudo-settlements. The term “pseudo-settlement” (PS) refers to the places that are selectively recorded and represented after the mass media chose and restructure the residence information. As the mass media rapidly develops and people’s way of obtaining information gradually change, PS has already become one of the main ways for people to recognize and understand real-life settlements, as well as describe their impressions of imagined settlements. PS also has a profound impact on tourism, employment, investment, migration, real estate development, etc. Thus, the study of PSs has important theoretical and practical significance. This paper proposes to put forward residential quarters where the mass media is displayed as the object of study and establishes the pseudo-settlement index system of Dalian in and elaborate analysis of the concept of PSs. From three aspects, including pseudo-buildings, pseudo-districts and pseudo-culture, this paper uses the ArcGIS 10.0 kernel density (spacial analyst) to analyze and interpret the basic characteristics and spatial patterns of 14 elements of the PS in Dalian. Through systemic clustering analysis, it identifies eight major types of PSs in Dalian. Then it systematically elaborates current situations and characteristics of the spatial pattern of PSs in Dalian, namely: regionally concentrated, widely scattered and blank spaces without pseudo-settlements. Finally, this paper discusses the mechanism of formation of PSs in Dalian. PMID:26805859

Real-Life Stories About Addiction Struggles | NIH MedlinePlus the Magazine

MedlinePlus

... NIH CLICK IMAGE TO PLAY THE VIDEO NIHSeniorHealth Videos Offer Real-Life Stories About Addiction Struggles—and ... the National Institute on Aging, feature free, short videos for the public that complement the information in ...

Application of the SAROTA index in real-life scenario

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rojatkar, A.; Monebhurrun, V.

2014-10-01

A unique parameter referred to as the SAROTA index which accounts for both the specific absorption rate (SAR) and the over-the-air (OTA) performance of a mobile phone was previously proposed to characterize the real-life exposure. The applicability of the SAROTA index was confirmed using SAR and total radiated power (TRP) data obtained under laboratory conditions wherein the power control (PC) enforced on the mobile phone was implemented artificially. Herein the investigation is extended to measurements conducted for the speech mode of operation in real-life scenarios. Based on the actual PC implemented during the communication with the base station, the instantaneous and average real-life exposure experienced by the mobile phone user is analyzed and compared to the predicted SAROTA index. To capture the PC in real-time, a set of hardware modified phones with embedded network monitoring software are used. The instantaneous uplink transmit power level (TX_LEV) along with various downlink parameters such as the receive signal level (RX_LEV) and received signal quality (RX_QUAL) of the communication link are thus available for performing a comprehensive RF exposure analysis.

Learning Behavior Analysis of a Ubiquitous Situated Reflective Learning System with Application to Life Science and Technology Teaching

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hwang, Wu-Yuin; Chen, Hong-Ren; Chen, Nian-Shing; Lin, Li-Kai; Chen, Jin-Wen

2018-01-01

Education research has shown that reflective study can efficiently enhance learning, and the acquisition of knowledge and skills from real-life situations has become a focus of interest for scholars. The knowledge-learning model based on verbal instruction, used in traditional classrooms, does not make use of real-life situations that encourage…

POSIX and Object Distributed Storage Systems Performance Comparison Studies With Real-Life Scenarios in an Experimental Data Taking Context Leveraging OpenStack Swift & Ceph

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Poat, M. D.; Lauret, J.; Betts, W.

2015-12-01

The STAR online computing infrastructure has become an intensive dynamic system used for first-hand data collection and analysis resulting in a dense collection of data output. As we have transitioned to our current state, inefficient, limited storage systems have become an impediment to fast feedback to online shift crews. Motivation for a centrally accessible, scalable and redundant distributed storage system had become a necessity in this environment. OpenStack Swift Object Storage and Ceph Object Storage are two eye-opening technologies as community use and development have led to success elsewhere. In this contribution, OpenStack Swift and Ceph have been put to the test with single and parallel I/O tests, emulating real world scenarios for data processing and workflows. The Ceph file system storage, offering a POSIX compliant file system mounted similarly to an NFS share was of particular interest as it aligned with our requirements and was retained as our solution. I/O performance tests were run against the Ceph POSIX file system and have presented surprising results indicating true potential for fast I/O and reliability. STAR'S online compute farm historical use has been for job submission and first hand data analysis. The goal of reusing the online compute farm to maintain a storage cluster and job submission will be an efficient use of the current infrastructure.

Real-life effectiveness of budesonide/formoterol therapy in asthma: A subanalysis of the SMARTASIA study.

PubMed

Lin, Jiangtao; Tang, Yan; Xiu, Qingyu; Kang, Jian; Cai, Shaoxi; Huang, Kewu; Itoh, Yohji; Ling, Xia; Zhong, Nanshan

2016-01-01

In the Study to Investigate Real Life Effectiveness of Symbicort Maintenance and Reliever Therapy in Asthma Patients Across Asia, the effectiveness of single-inhaler budesonide/formoterol maintenance and reliever therapy was evaluated in patients with poorly controlled asthma. To study the effects of this therapy on a Chinese patient subgroup. In this 12-week, multicenter, open-label therapeutic phase IV study, patients with partially controlled or uncontrolled asthma were switched from their usual asthma treatment to budesonide/formoterol (160/4.5 μg, one inhalation twice daily and as needed) after a 2-week run-in period. Primary and secondary objectives of the study, asthma control and quality of life were assessed by using the five-item Asthma Control Questionnaire and the Standardized Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire. Asthma symptom scores, study medication use, asthma control and/or symptom-free days, and the number of asthma-related nighttime awakenings were also monitored. In total, 478 Chinese patients were enrolled and 407 patients initiated treatment. The patients displayed a significant improvement in mean (standard deviation) five-item Asthma Control Questionnaire (-0.58 ± 0.86; p < 0.0001) and Standardized Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire (0.69 ± 0.79; p < 0.0001) scores versus the run-in period. Mean (standard deviation) asthma symptom scores were significantly reduced compared with run-in (-0.30 ± 0.55 daytime, -0.31 ± 0.56 nighttime; p < 0.0001 for both), as was as-needed study medication use (-0.24 ± 1.16 daytime, -0.28 ± 0.97 nighttime; p < 0.0001 for both). Patients who received previous treatment with salmeterol/fluticasone propionate also showed improvement in asthma control. In China, asthma control in Chinese patients whose asthma was not fully controlled with previous standard therapy improved during 12 weeks of treatment with budesonide/formoterol maintenance and reliever therapy. Quality of life was improved, and treatment was well tolerated. (Clinical Trials identifier NCT00939341).

Can virtual reality exposure therapy gains be generalized to real-life? A meta-analysis of studies applying behavioral assessments.

PubMed

Morina, Nexhmedin; Ijntema, Hiske; Meyerbröker, Katharina; Emmelkamp, Paul M G

2015-11-01

In virtual reality exposure therapy (VRET), patients are exposed to virtual environments that resemble feared real-life situations. The aim of the current study was to assess the extent to which VRET gains can be observed in real-life situations. We conducted a meta-analysis of clinical trials applying VRET to specific phobias and measuring treatment outcome by means of behavioral laboratory tests or recordings of behavioral activities in real-life. Data sources were searches of databases (Medline, PsycInfo, and Cochrane). We included in total 14 clinical trials on specific phobias. Results revealed that patients undergoing VRET did significantly better on behavioral assessments following treatment than before treatment, with an aggregated uncontrolled effect size of g = 1.23. Furthermore, patients undergoing VRET performed better on behavioral assessments at post-treatment than patients on wait-list (g = 1.41). Additionally, results of behavioral assessment at post-treatment and at follow-up revealed no significant differences between VRET and exposure in vivo (g = -0.09 and 0.53, respectively). Finally, behavioral measurement effect sizes were similar to those calculated from self-report measures. The findings demonstrate that VRET can produce significant behavior change in real-life situations and support its application in treating specific phobias. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Life prolonging of disease management programs in patients with type 2 diabetes is cost-effective.

PubMed

Drabik, A; Büscher, G; Sawicki, P T; Thomas, K; Graf, C; Müller, D; Stock, S

2012-02-01

Our objective was to examine the cost-effectiveness of disease management programs (DMPs) for type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) taking into account their life prolonging effect. We compared real life costs in 19,888 propensity score matched pairs of T2DM DMP participants and T2DM patients in routine care (RC) according to sickness funds data. We estimated mean annual costs for survivors, last year of life costs for decedents, the influence of ageing on costs, incremental cost-effectiveness ratio and effects on hospitalization. Annual costs for survivors were 3,318€ (DMP) and 3,570€ (RC). The mean costs in the last year of life were 16,911€ (DMP) and 15,763€ (RC). Ageing had a cost triggering effect for survivors (30€/36€ per year in DMP-/RC-group; p<0.001) and a cost decreasing effect in the last year of life (546€/483€ per year in DMP-/RC-group; p<0.001). The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of the DMP vs. RC was -1396€ per life-year gained. Hospitalizations increased with age in case of survival and decreased with age in case of death but were always lower in the DMP-group. Despite increase in costs due to longer life DMPs are cost-effective. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

A comparison of moving object detection methods for real-time moving object detection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roshan, Aditya; Zhang, Yun

2014-06-01

Moving object detection has a wide variety of applications from traffic monitoring, site monitoring, automatic theft identification, face detection to military surveillance. Many methods have been developed across the globe for moving object detection, but it is very difficult to find one which can work globally in all situations and with different types of videos. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate existing moving object detection methods which can be implemented in software on a desktop or laptop, for real time object detection. There are several moving object detection methods noted in the literature, but few of them are suitable for real time moving object detection. Most of the methods which provide for real time movement are further limited by the number of objects and the scene complexity. This paper evaluates the four most commonly used moving object detection methods as background subtraction technique, Gaussian mixture model, wavelet based and optical flow based methods. The work is based on evaluation of these four moving object detection methods using two (2) different sets of cameras and two (2) different scenes. The moving object detection methods have been implemented using MatLab and results are compared based on completeness of detected objects, noise, light change sensitivity, processing time etc. After comparison, it is observed that optical flow based method took least processing time and successfully detected boundary of moving objects which also implies that it can be implemented for real-time moving object detection.

Location-Based Augmented Reality for Mobile Learning: Algorithm, System, and Implementation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tan, Qing; Chang, William; Kinshuk

2015-01-01

AR technology can be considered as mainly consisting of two aspects: identification of real-world object and display of computer-generated digital contents related the identified real-world object. The technical challenge of mobile AR is to identify the real-world object that mobile device's camera aim at. In this paper, we will present a…

Real-time quality assurance testing using photonic techniques: Application to iodine water system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Arendale, W. F.; Hatcher, Richard; Garlington, Yadilett; Harwell, Jack; Everett, Tracey

1990-01-01

A feasibility study of the use of inspection systems incorporating photonic sensors and multivariate analyses to provide an instrumentation system that in real-time assures quality and that the system in control has been conducted. A system is in control when the near future of the product quality is predictable. Off-line chemical analyses can be used for a chemical process when slow kinetics allows time to take a sample to the laboratory and the system provides a recovery mechanism that returns the system to statistical control without intervention of the operator. The objective for this study has been the implementation of do-it-right-the-first-time and just-in-time philosophies. The Environment Control and Life Support Systems (ECLSS) water reclamation system that adds iodine for biocidal control is an ideal candidate for the study and implementation of do-it-right-the-first-time technologies.

Virtual reality, disability and rehabilitation.

PubMed

Wilson, P N; Foreman, N; Stanton, D

1997-06-01

Virtual reality, or virtual environment computer technology, generates simulated objects and events with which people can interact. Existing and potential applications for this technology in the field of disability and rehabilitation are discussed. The main benefits identified for disabled people are that they can engage in a range of activities in a simulator relatively free from the limitations imposed by their disability, and they can do so in safety. Evidence that the knowledge and skills acquired by disabled individuals in simulated environments can transfer to the real world is presented. In particular, spatial information and life skills learned in a virtual environment have been shown to transfer to the real world. Applications for visually impaired people are discussed, and the potential for medical interventions and the assessment and treatment of neurological damage are considered. Finally some current limitations of the technology, and ethical concerns in relation to disability, are discussed.

Infrared dim target detection based on visual attention

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Xin; Lv, Guofang; Xu, Lizhong

2012-11-01

Accurate and fast detection of infrared (IR) dim target has very important meaning for infrared precise guidance, early warning, video surveillance, etc. Based on human visual attention mechanisms, an automatic detection algorithm for infrared dim target is presented. After analyzing the characteristics of infrared dim target images, the method firstly designs Difference of Gaussians (DoG) filters to compute the saliency map. Then the salient regions where the potential targets exist in are extracted by searching through the saliency map with a control mechanism of winner-take-all (WTA) competition and inhibition-of-return (IOR). At last, these regions are identified by the characteristics of the dim IR targets, so the true targets are detected, and the spurious objects are rejected. The experiments are performed for some real-life IR images, and the results prove that the proposed method has satisfying detection effectiveness and robustness. Meanwhile, it has high detection efficiency and can be used for real-time detection.

Artistic Representation with Pulsed Holography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ishii, S.

2013-02-01

This thesis describes artistic representation through pulsed holography. One of the prevalent practical problems in making holograms is object movement. Any movement of the object or film, including movement caused by acoustic vibration, has the same fatal results. One way of reducing the chance of movement is by ensuring that the exposure is very quick; using a pulsed laser can fulfill this objective. The attractiveness of using pulsed laser is based on the variety of materials or objects that can be recorded (e.g., liquid material or instantaneous scene of a moving object). One of the most interesting points about pulsed holograms is that some reconstructed images present us with completely different views of the real world. For example, the holographic image of liquid material does not appear fluid; it looks like a piece of hard glass that would produce a sharp sound upon tapping. In everyday life, we are unfamiliar with such an instantaneous scene. On the other hand, soft-textured materials such as a feather or wool differ from liquids when observed through holography. Using a pulsed hologram, we can sense the soft touch of the object or material with the help of realistic three-dimensional (3-D) images. The images allow us to realize the sense of touch in a way that resembles touching real objects. I had the opportunity to use a pulsed ruby laser soon after I started to work in the field of holography in 1979. Since then, I have made pulsed holograms of activities, including pouring water, breaking eggs, blowing soap bubbles, and scattering feathers and popcorn. I have also created holographic art with materials and objects, such as silk fiber, fabric, balloons, glass, flowers, and even the human body. Whenever I create art, I like to present the spectator with a new experience in perception. Therefore, I would like to introduce my experimental artwork through those pulsed holograms.

"A Slice of Life": The Interrelationships among Art, Play and the "Real" Life of the Young Child

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bhroin, Maire Ni

2007-01-01

This study examines the interrelationships among art, play and "real" life, as perceived by young children. Twenty-one children aged four and five in their first year of formal schooling in Ireland, were observed during art-related play activities and classes over a period of four months in 2004. Research data consisted of art works…

Optimization of Visual Information Presentation for Visual Prosthesis.

PubMed

Guo, Fei; Yang, Yuan; Gao, Yong

2018-01-01

Visual prosthesis applying electrical stimulation to restore visual function for the blind has promising prospects. However, due to the low resolution, limited visual field, and the low dynamic range of the visual perception, huge loss of information occurred when presenting daily scenes. The ability of object recognition in real-life scenarios is severely restricted for prosthetic users. To overcome the limitations, optimizing the visual information in the simulated prosthetic vision has been the focus of research. This paper proposes two image processing strategies based on a salient object detection technique. The two processing strategies enable the prosthetic implants to focus on the object of interest and suppress the background clutter. Psychophysical experiments show that techniques such as foreground zooming with background clutter removal and foreground edge detection with background reduction have positive impacts on the task of object recognition in simulated prosthetic vision. By using edge detection and zooming technique, the two processing strategies significantly improve the recognition accuracy of objects. We can conclude that the visual prosthesis using our proposed strategy can assist the blind to improve their ability to recognize objects. The results will provide effective solutions for the further development of visual prosthesis.

Optimization of Visual Information Presentation for Visual Prosthesis

PubMed Central

Gao, Yong

2018-01-01

Visual prosthesis applying electrical stimulation to restore visual function for the blind has promising prospects. However, due to the low resolution, limited visual field, and the low dynamic range of the visual perception, huge loss of information occurred when presenting daily scenes. The ability of object recognition in real-life scenarios is severely restricted for prosthetic users. To overcome the limitations, optimizing the visual information in the simulated prosthetic vision has been the focus of research. This paper proposes two image processing strategies based on a salient object detection technique. The two processing strategies enable the prosthetic implants to focus on the object of interest and suppress the background clutter. Psychophysical experiments show that techniques such as foreground zooming with background clutter removal and foreground edge detection with background reduction have positive impacts on the task of object recognition in simulated prosthetic vision. By using edge detection and zooming technique, the two processing strategies significantly improve the recognition accuracy of objects. We can conclude that the visual prosthesis using our proposed strategy can assist the blind to improve their ability to recognize objects. The results will provide effective solutions for the further development of visual prosthesis. PMID:29731769

Does Playing Sports Video Games Predict Increased Involvement in Real-Life Sports Over Several Years Among Older Adolescents and Emerging Adults?

PubMed

Adachi, Paul J C; Willoughby, Teena

2016-02-01

Given the extreme popularity of video games among older adolescents and emerging adults, the investigation of positive outcomes of video game play during these developmental periods is crucial. An important direction for research in this area is the investigation of a link between sports video game play and involvement in real-life sports among youth. Yet, this association has not been examined in the long-term among older adolescents and emerging adults, and thus represents an exciting new area for discovery. The primary goal of the current study, therefore, was to examine the long-term association between sports video game play and involvement in real-life sports clubs among older adolescents and emerging adults. In addition, we examined whether self-esteem was an underlying mechanism of this longitudinal association. We surveyed older adolescents and emerging adults (N = 1132; 70.6 % female; M age = 19.06 years, range of 17-25 years at the first assessment) annually over 3 years about their video game play, self-esteem, and involvement in real-life sports. We found a long-term predictive effect of sports video game play on increased involvement in real-life sports over the 3 years. Furthermore, we demonstrated that self-esteem was an underlying mechanism of this long-term association. Our findings make an important contribution to an emerging body of literature on the positive outcomes of video game play, as they suggest that sports video game play may be an effective tool to promote real-life sports participation and physical activity among older adolescents and emerging adults.

Mathematics and engineering in real life through mathematical competitions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

More, M.

2018-02-01

We bring out an experience of organizing mathematical competitions that can be used as a medium to motivate the student and teacher minds in new directions of thinking. This can contribute to fostering research, innovation and provide a hands-on experience of mathematical concepts with the real world. Mathematical competitions can be used to build curiosity and give an understanding of mathematical applications in real life. Participation in the competition has been classified under four broad categories. Student can showcase their findings in various forms of expression like model, poster, soft presentation, animation, live performance, art and poetry. The basic focus of the competition is on using open source computation tools and modern technology, to emphasize the relationship of mathematical concepts with engineering applications in real life.

Biological Visualization, Imaging and Simulation(Bio-VIS) at NASA Ames Research Center: Developing New Software and Technology for Astronaut Training and Biology Research in Space

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smith, Jeffrey

2003-01-01

The Bio- Visualization, Imaging and Simulation (BioVIS) Technology Center at NASA's Ames Research Center is dedicated to developing and applying advanced visualization, computation and simulation technologies to support NASA Space Life Sciences research and the objectives of the Fundamental Biology Program. Research ranges from high resolution 3D cell imaging and structure analysis, virtual environment simulation of fine sensory-motor tasks, computational neuroscience and biophysics to biomedical/clinical applications. Computer simulation research focuses on the development of advanced computational tools for astronaut training and education. Virtual Reality (VR) and Virtual Environment (VE) simulation systems have become important training tools in many fields from flight simulation to, more recently, surgical simulation. The type and quality of training provided by these computer-based tools ranges widely, but the value of real-time VE computer simulation as a method of preparing individuals for real-world tasks is well established. Astronauts routinely use VE systems for various training tasks, including Space Shuttle landings, robot arm manipulations and extravehicular activities (space walks). Currently, there are no VE systems to train astronauts for basic and applied research experiments which are an important part of many missions. The Virtual Glovebox (VGX) is a prototype VE system for real-time physically-based simulation of the Life Sciences Glovebox where astronauts will perform many complex tasks supporting research experiments aboard the International Space Station. The VGX consists of a physical display system utilizing duel LCD projectors and circular polarization to produce a desktop-sized 3D virtual workspace. Physically-based modeling tools (Arachi Inc.) provide real-time collision detection, rigid body dynamics, physical properties and force-based controls for objects. The human-computer interface consists of two magnetic tracking devices (Ascention Inc.) attached to instrumented gloves (Immersion Inc.) which co-locate the user's hands with hand/forearm representations in the virtual workspace. Force-feedback is possible in a work volume defined by a Phantom Desktop device (SensAble inc.). Graphics are written in OpenGL. The system runs on a 2.2 GHz Pentium 4 PC. The prototype VGX provides astronauts and support personnel with a real-time physically-based VE system to simulate basic research tasks both on Earth and in the microgravity of Space. The immersive virtual environment of the VGX also makes it a useful tool for virtual engineering applications including CAD development, procedure design and simulation of human-system systems in a desktop-sized work volume.

e-Monitoring of Asthma Therapy to Improve Compliance in children using a real-time medication monitoring system (RTMM): the e-MATIC study protocol.

PubMed

Vasbinder, Erwin C; Janssens, Hettie M; Rutten-van Mölken, Maureen P M H; van Dijk, Liset; de Winter, Brenda C M; de Groot, Ruben C A; Vulto, Arnold G; van den Bemt, Patricia M L A

2013-03-21

Many children with asthma do not have sufficient asthma control, which leads to increased healthcare costs and productivity loss of parents. One of the causative factors are adherence problems. Effective interventions improving medication adherence may therefore improve asthma control and reduce costs. A promising solution is sending real time text-messages via the mobile phone network, when a medicine is about to be forgotten. As the effect of real time text-messages in children with asthma is unknown, the primary aim of this study is to determine the effect of a Real Time Medication Monitoring system (RTMM) with text-messages on adherence to inhaled corticosteroids (ICS). The secondary objective is to study the effects of RTMM on asthma control, quality of life and cost-effectiveness of treatment. A multicenter, randomized controlled trial involving 220 children (4-11 years) using ICS for asthma. All children receive an RTMM-device for one year, which registers time and date of ICS doses. Children in the intervention group also receive tailored text-messages, sent only when a dose is at risk of omission. Primary outcome measure is the proportion of ICS dosages taken within the individually predefined time-interval. Secondary outcome measures include asthma control (monthly Asthma Control Tests), asthma exacerbations, healthcare use (collected from hospital records, patient reports and pharmacy record data), and disease-specific quality of life (PAQLQ questionnaire). Parental and children's acceptance of RTMM is evaluated with online focus groups and patient questionnaires. An economic evaluation is performed adopting a societal perspective, including relevant healthcare costs and parental productivity loss. Furthermore, a decision-analytic model is developed in which different levels of adherence are associated with clinical and financial outcomes. Also, sensitivity analyses are carried out on different price levels for RTMM. If RTMM with tailored text-message reminders proves to be effective, this technique can be used in daily practice, which would support children with suboptimal adherence in their asthma (self)management and in achieving better asthma control and better quality of life. Netherlands Trial Register NTR2583.

Adding Value by Hospital Real Estate: An Exploration of Dutch Practice.

PubMed

van der Zwart, Johan; van der Voordt, Theo J M

2016-01-01

To explore how hospital real estate can add value to the healthcare organization, which values are prioritized in practice, and why. Dutch healthcare organizations are self-responsible for the costs and benefits of their accommodation. Meanwhile, a lively debate is going on about possible added values of corporate and public real estate in the fields of corporate real estate management and facility management. This article connects both worlds and compares insights from literature with experiences from practice. Added values extracted from literature have been discussed with 15 chief executive officers and project leaders of recently newly built hospitals in the Netherlands. Interviewees were asked (1) which values are included in the design and management of their hospital and why, (2) to prioritize most important values from a list of nine predefined values, and (3) to explain how the chosen real estate decisions are supposed to support organizational objectives. Stimulating innovation, user satisfaction, and improving organizational culture are most highly valued, followed by improving productivity, reducing building costs, and creating building flexibility. Image, risk control, and financing possibilities got lower rankings. The findings have been used to develop a value-impact matrix that connects nine values to various stakeholders and possible interventions. The findings and the value-impact matrix can make different stakeholders aware of many possible added values of hospital real estate, potential synergy and conflicts between different values, and how to steer on value add in different phases of the life cycle. © The Author(s) 2015.

Discrimination Report ESTCP Project #MM-0437

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

Gasperikova, Erika

2008-10-01

The FY06 Defense Appropriation contains funding for the 'Development of Advanced, Sophisticated, and Discrimination Technologies for UXO Cleanup' in the Environmental Security Technology Certification Program. In 2003, the Defense Science Board observed: 'The...problem is that instruments that can detect the buried UXOs also detect numerous scrap metal objects and other artifacts, which leads to an enormous amount of expensive digging. Typically 100 holes may be dug before a real UXO is unearthed. The Task Force assessment is that much of this wasteful digging can be eliminated by the use of more advanced technology instruments that exploit modern digital processing andmore » advanced multi-mode sensors to achieve an improved level of discrimination of scrap from UXOs'. Significant progress has been made in discrimination technology. To date, testing of these approaches has been primarily limited to test sites with only limited application at live sites. Acceptance of discrimination technologies requires demonstration of system capabilities at UXO sites under real world conditions. FE Warren Air Force Base (AFB) in Cheyenne, WY is one such site. The demonstration objective was to determine the discrimination capabilities, cost and reliability of the Berkeley UXO Discriminator (BUD) in discrimination of UXO from scrap metal in real life conditions. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory performed a detection and discrimination survey of the Priority 1 area ({approx}5 acres) of the FE Warren AFB. The data included a system characterization with the emplaced calibration items and targets in the Geophysical Prove Out (GPO) area.« less

Enabling private and public sector organizations as agents of homeland security

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Glassco, David H. J.; Glassco, Jordan C.

2006-05-01

Homeland security and defense applications seek to reduce the risk of undesirable eventualities across physical space in real-time. With that functional requirement in mind, our work focused on the development of IP based agent telecommunication solutions for heterogeneous sensor / robotic intelligent "Things" that could be deployed across the internet. This paper explains how multi-organization information and device sharing alliances may be formed to enable organizations to act as agents of homeland security (in addition to other uses). Topics include: (i) using location-aware, agent based, real-time information sharing systems to integrate business systems, mobile devices, sensor and actuator based devices and embedded devices used in physical infrastructure assets, equipment and other man-made "Things"; (ii) organization-centric real-time information sharing spaces using on-demand XML schema formatted networks; (iii) object-oriented XML serialization as a methodology for heterogeneous device glue code; (iv) how complex requirements for inter / intra organization information and device ownership and sharing, security and access control, mobility and remote communication service, tailored solution life cycle management, service QoS, service and geographic scalability and the projection of remote physical presence (through sensing and robotics) and remote informational presence (knowledge of what is going elsewhere) can be more easily supported through feature inheritance with a rapid agent system development methodology; (v) how remote object identification and tracking can be supported across large areas; (vi) how agent synergy may be leveraged with analytics to complement heterogeneous device networks.

Real cases study through computer applications for futures Agricultural Engineers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moratiel, R.; Durán, J. M.; Tarquis, A. M.

2010-05-01

One of the huge concerns on the higher engineer education is the lag of real cases study that the future professionals need in the work and corporation market. This concern was reflected in Bologna higher education system including recommendations in this respect. The knowhow as why this or other methodology is one of the keys to resolve this problem. In the last courses given in Department of Crop Production, at the Agronomy Engineer School of Madrid (Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingenieros Agrónomos, UPM) we have developed more than one hundred applications in Microsoft Excel®. Our aim was to show different real scenarios which the future Agronomic Engineers can be found in their professional life and with items related to crop production field. In order to achieve our target, each application in Excel presents a file text in which is explained the theoretical concepts and the objectives, as well as some resources used from Excel syntax. In this way, the student can understand and use of such application, even they can modify and customize it for a real case presented in their context and/or master project. This electronic monograph gives an answer to the need to manage data in several real scenarios showed in lectures, calculus resolution, information analysis and manage worksheets in a professional and student level.

Earth Algebra: Real-Life Mathematics in Navajoland.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schaufele, Christopher; Srivastava, Ravindra

1995-01-01

An algebra class at Navajo Community College (Shiprock, New Mexico) uses traditional algebra topics to study real-life situations, focuses on environmental issues, encourages collaborative learning, uses modern technology, and promotes development of critical thinking and decision-making skills. Students follow principles of Dine educational…

Input Devices and Interaction Techniques for VR-Enhanced Medicine

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gallo, Luigi; Pietro, Giuseppe De

Virtual Reality (VR) technologies make it possible to reproduce faithfully real life events in computer-generated scenarios. This approach has the potential to simplify the way people solve problems, since they can take advantage of their real life experiences while interacting in synthetic worlds.

Moral emotions and moral judgments in children's narratives: comparing real-life and hypothetical transgressions.

PubMed

Gutzwiller-Helfenfinger, Eveline; Gasser, Luciano; Malti, Tina

2010-01-01

How children make meaning of their own social experiences in situations involving moral issues is central to their subsequent affective and cognitive moral learning. Our study of young children's narratives describing their interpersonal conflicts shows that the emotions and judgments constructed in the course of these real-life narratives differ from the emotions and judgments generated in the context of hypothetical transgressions. In the narratives, all emotions mentioned spontaneously were negative. In contrast, emotions attributed in the interview part covered a broader spectrum. One's own real-life transgressions were judged less severe and more justified than hypothetical transgressions. © Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

'Hello, my name is Gabriel, I am the house officer, may I examine you?' or the Objective Santa Christmas Examination (OSCE).

PubMed

Wood, D; Roberts, T; Bradley, P; Lloyd, D; O'Neill, P

1999-12-01

To design a clinical examination of high content validity suitable for use as a formative assessment tool with pre-registration house officers (PRHO'S) towards the end of their first house officer post. A multicentre collaboration between four UK medical schools who offer undergraduate curricula which are problem-based, systems-based, patient-orientated, student-centred, jargon-laden and utterly staff-bewildering. An objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) which is suitable for use with graduates of UK medical schools. It assesses the knowledge, skills and attitudes essential for future careers in a hierarchical system where protecting the senior staff from all forms of irritation is paramount. PRHO'S who excel in this examination get better references. The OSCE format can be used to provide 'real-life' scenarios appropriate to the season.

Using Markov Chains and Multi-Objective Optimization for Energy-Efficient Context Recognition.

PubMed

Janko, Vito; Luštrek, Mitja

2017-12-29

The recognition of the user's context with wearable sensing systems is a common problem in ubiquitous computing. However, the typically small battery of such systems often makes continuous recognition impractical. The strain on the battery can be reduced if the sensor setting is adapted to each context. We propose a method that efficiently finds near-optimal sensor settings for each context. It uses Markov chains to simulate the behavior of the system in different configurations and the multi-objective genetic algorithm to find a set of good non-dominated configurations. The method was evaluated on three real-life datasets and found good trade-offs between the system's energy expenditure and the system's accuracy. One of the solutions, for example, consumed five-times less energy than the default one, while sacrificing only two percentage points of accuracy.

Teaching problem solving using non-routine tasks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chong, Maureen Siew Fang; Shahrill, Masitah; Putri, Ratu Ilma Indra; Zulkardi

2018-04-01

Non-routine problems are related to real-life context and require some realistic considerations and real-world knowledge in order to resolve them. This study examines several activity tasks incorporated with non-routine problems through the use of an emerging mathematics framework, at two junior colleges in Brunei Darussalam. The three sampled teachers in this study assisted in selecting the topics and the lesson plan designs. They also recommended the development of the four activity tasks: incorporating the use of technology; simulation of a reality television show; designing real-life sized car park spaces for the school; and a classroom activity to design a real-life sized dustpan. Data collected from all four of the activity tasks were analyzed based on the students' group work. The findings revealed that the most effective activity task in teaching problem solving was to design a real-life sized car park. This was because the use of real data gave students the opportunity to explore, gather information and give or receive feedback on the effect of their reasons and proposed solutions. The second most effective activity task was incorporating the use of technology as it enhanced the students' understanding of the concepts learnt in the classroom. This was followed by the classroom activity that used real data as it allowed students to work and assess the results mathematically. The simulation of a television show was found to be the least effective since it was viewed as not sufficiently challenging to the students.

Real-time lexical comprehension in young children learning American Sign Language.

PubMed

MacDonald, Kyle; LaMarr, Todd; Corina, David; Marchman, Virginia A; Fernald, Anne

2018-04-16

When children interpret spoken language in real time, linguistic information drives rapid shifts in visual attention to objects in the visual world. This language-vision interaction can provide insights into children's developing efficiency in language comprehension. But how does language influence visual attention when the linguistic signal and the visual world are both processed via the visual channel? Here, we measured eye movements during real-time comprehension of a visual-manual language, American Sign Language (ASL), by 29 native ASL-learning children (16-53 mos, 16 deaf, 13 hearing) and 16 fluent deaf adult signers. All signers showed evidence of rapid, incremental language comprehension, tending to initiate an eye movement before sign offset. Deaf and hearing ASL-learners showed similar gaze patterns, suggesting that the in-the-moment dynamics of eye movements during ASL processing are shaped by the constraints of processing a visual language in real time and not by differential access to auditory information in day-to-day life. Finally, variation in children's ASL processing was positively correlated with age and vocabulary size. Thus, despite competition for attention within a single modality, the timing and accuracy of visual fixations during ASL comprehension reflect information processing skills that are important for language acquisition regardless of language modality. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Performance Evaluation of State of the Art Systems for Physical Activity Classification of Older Subjects Using Inertial Sensors in a Real Life Scenario: A Benchmark Study

PubMed Central

Awais, Muhammad; Palmerini, Luca; Bourke, Alan K.; Ihlen, Espen A. F.; Helbostad, Jorunn L.; Chiari, Lorenzo

2016-01-01

The popularity of using wearable inertial sensors for physical activity classification has dramatically increased in the last decade due to their versatility, low form factor, and low power requirements. Consequently, various systems have been developed to automatically classify daily life activities. However, the scope and implementation of such systems is limited to laboratory-based investigations. Furthermore, these systems are not directly comparable, due to the large diversity in their design (e.g., number of sensors, placement of sensors, data collection environments, data processing techniques, features set, classifiers, cross-validation methods). Hence, the aim of this study is to propose a fair and unbiased benchmark for the field-based validation of three existing systems, highlighting the gap between laboratory and real-life conditions. For this purpose, three representative state-of-the-art systems are chosen and implemented to classify the physical activities of twenty older subjects (76.4 ± 5.6 years). The performance in classifying four basic activities of daily life (sitting, standing, walking, and lying) is analyzed in controlled and free living conditions. To observe the performance of laboratory-based systems in field-based conditions, we trained the activity classification systems using data recorded in a laboratory environment and tested them in real-life conditions in the field. The findings show that the performance of all systems trained with data in the laboratory setting highly deteriorates when tested in real-life conditions, thus highlighting the need to train and test the classification systems in the real-life setting. Moreover, we tested the sensitivity of chosen systems to window size (from 1 s to 10 s) suggesting that overall accuracy decreases with increasing window size. Finally, to evaluate the impact of the number of sensors on the performance, chosen systems are modified considering only the sensing unit worn at the lower back. The results, similarly to the multi-sensor setup, indicate substantial degradation of the performance when laboratory-trained systems are tested in the real-life setting. This degradation is higher than in the multi-sensor setup. Still, the performance provided by the single-sensor approach, when trained and tested with real data, can be acceptable (with an accuracy above 80%). PMID:27973434

Neurobiological differences in mental rotation and instrument interpretation in airline pilots.

PubMed

Sladky, Ronald; Stepniczka, Irene; Boland, Edzard; Tik, Martin; Lamm, Claus; Hoffmann, André; Buch, Jan-Philipp; Niedermeier, Dominik; Field, Joris; Windischberger, Christian

2016-06-21

Airline pilots and similar professions require reliable spatial cognition abilities, such as mental imagery of static and moving three-dimensional objects in space. A well-known task to investigate these skills is the Shepard and Metzler mental rotation task (SMT), which is also frequently used during pre-assessment of pilot candidates. Despite the intuitive relationship between real-life spatial cognition and SMT, several studies have challenged its predictive value. Here we report on a novel instrument interpretation task (IIT) based on a realistic attitude indicator used in modern aircrafts that was designed to bridge the gap between the abstract SMT and a cockpit environment. We investigated 18 professional airline pilots using fMRI. No significant correlation was found between SMT and IIT task accuracies. Contrasting both tasks revealed higher activation in the fusiform gyrus, angular gyrus, and medial precuneus for IIT, whereas SMT elicited significantly stronger activation in pre- and supplementary motor areas, as well as lateral precuneus and superior parietal lobe. Our results show that SMT skills per se are not sufficient to predict task accuracy during (close to) real-life instrument interpretation. While there is a substantial overlap of activation across the task conditions, we found that there are important differences between instrument interpretation and non-aviation based mental rotation.

Neurobiological differences in mental rotation and instrument interpretation in airline pilots

PubMed Central

Sladky, Ronald; Stepniczka, Irene; Boland, Edzard; Tik, Martin; Lamm, Claus; Hoffmann, André; Buch, Jan-Philipp; Niedermeier, Dominik; Field, Joris; Windischberger, Christian

2016-01-01

Airline pilots and similar professions require reliable spatial cognition abilities, such as mental imagery of static and moving three-dimensional objects in space. A well-known task to investigate these skills is the Shepard and Metzler mental rotation task (SMT), which is also frequently used during pre-assessment of pilot candidates. Despite the intuitive relationship between real-life spatial cognition and SMT, several studies have challenged its predictive value. Here we report on a novel instrument interpretation task (IIT) based on a realistic attitude indicator used in modern aircrafts that was designed to bridge the gap between the abstract SMT and a cockpit environment. We investigated 18 professional airline pilots using fMRI. No significant correlation was found between SMT and IIT task accuracies. Contrasting both tasks revealed higher activation in the fusiform gyrus, angular gyrus, and medial precuneus for IIT, whereas SMT elicited significantly stronger activation in pre- and supplementary motor areas, as well as lateral precuneus and superior parietal lobe. Our results show that SMT skills per se are not sufficient to predict task accuracy during (close to) real-life instrument interpretation. While there is a substantial overlap of activation across the task conditions, we found that there are important differences between instrument interpretation and non-aviation based mental rotation. PMID:27323913

Accelerometry is associated with walking mobility, not physical activity, in persons with multiple sclerosis.

PubMed

Weikert, Madeline; Suh, Yoojin; Lane, Abbi; Sandroff, Brian; Dlugonski, Deirdre; Fernhall, Bo; Motl, Robert W

2012-06-01

Accelerometers are seemingly a criterion standard of real-life walking mobility and this is supported by assumptions and empirical data. This application would be strengthened by including objective measures of walking mobility along with a matched control sample for verifying specificity versus generality in accelerometer output. We compared associations among accelerometer output, walking mobility, and physical activity between persons with multiple sclerosis (MS) and controls without a neurological disorder. Sixty-six persons (33 MS, 33 matched controls) completed a battery of questionnaires, performed the six-minute walk (6MW) and timed-up-and-go (TUG), and wore an accelerometer for a 7-day period. After this period, participants completed the Godin Leisure-Time Exercise Questionnaire (GLTEQ) and International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ). Accelerometer output was significantly correlated with only mobility measures (6MW, ρ=.78; TUG, ρ=-.68) in MS, whereas it correlated with both mobility (6MW, ρ=.58; TUG, ρ=-.49) and physical activity (GLTEQ, ρ=.56; IPAQ, ρ=.53) measures in controls. Regression analysis indicated that only 6MW explained variance in accelerometer output in MS (β=.65, R(2)=.43). These findings support the possibility that accelerometers primarily and specifically measure real-life walking mobility, not physical activity, in persons with MS. Copyright © 2011 IPEM. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Collective signaling behavior in a networked-oscillator model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Z.-H.; Hui, P. M.

2007-09-01

We propose and study the collective behavior of a model of networked signaling objects that incorporates several ingredients of real-life systems. These ingredients include spatial inhomogeneity with grouping of signaling objects, signal attenuation with distance, and delayed and impulsive coupling between non-identical signaling objects. Depending on the coupling strength and/or time-delay effect, the model exhibits completely, partially, and locally collective signaling behavior. In particular, a correlated signaling (CS) behavior is observed in which there exist time durations when nearly a constant fraction of oscillators in the system are in the signaling state. These time durations are much longer than the duration of a spike when a single oscillator signals, and they are separated by regular intervals in which nearly all oscillators are silent. Such CS behavior is similar to that observed in biological systems such as fireflies, cicadas, crickets, and frogs. The robustness of the CS behavior against noise is also studied. It is found that properly adjusting the coupling strength and noise level could enhance the correlated behavior.

Foggy perception slows us down

PubMed Central

Pretto, Paolo; Bresciani, Jean-Pierre; Rainer, Gregor; Bülthoff, Heinrich H

2012-01-01

Visual speed is believed to be underestimated at low contrast, which has been proposed as an explanation of excessive driving speed in fog. Combining psychophysics measurements and driving simulation, we confirm that speed is underestimated when contrast is reduced uniformly for all objects of the visual scene independently of their distance from the viewer. However, we show that when contrast is reduced more for distant objects, as is the case in real fog, visual speed is actually overestimated, prompting drivers to decelerate. Using an artificial anti-fog—that is, fog characterized by better visibility for distant than for close objects, we demonstrate for the first time that perceived speed depends on the spatial distribution of contrast over the visual scene rather than the global level of contrast per se. Our results cast new light on how reduced visibility conditions affect perceived speed, providing important insight into the human visual system. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.00031.001 PMID:23110253

In Patients With Cirrhosis, Driving Simulator Performance Is Associated With Real-life Driving.

PubMed

Lauridsen, Mette M; Thacker, Leroy R; White, Melanie B; Unser, Ariel; Sterling, Richard K; Stravitz, Richard T; Matherly, Scott; Puri, Puneet; Sanyal, Arun J; Gavis, Edith A; Luketic, Velimir; Siddiqui, Muhammad S; Heuman, Douglas M; Fuchs, Michael; Bajaj, Jasmohan S

2016-05-01

Minimal hepatic encephalopathy (MHE) has been linked to higher real-life rates of automobile crashes and poor performance in driving simulation studies, but the link between driving simulator performance and real-life automobile crashes has not been clearly established. Furthermore, not all patients with MHE are unsafe drivers, but it is unclear how to distinguish them from unsafe drivers. We investigated the link between performance on driving simulators and real-life automobile accidents and traffic violations. We also aimed to identify features of unsafe drivers with cirrhosis and evaluated changes in simulated driving skills and MHE status after 1 year. We performed a study of outpatients with cirrhosis (n = 205; median 55 years old; median model for end-stage liver disease score, 9.5; none with overt hepatic encephalopathy or alcohol or illicit drug use within previous 6 months) seen at the Virginia Commonwealth University and McGuire Veterans Administration Medical Center, from November 2008 through April 2014. All participants were given paper-pencil tests to diagnose MHE (98 had MHE; 48%), and 163 patients completed a standardized driving simulation. Data were collected on traffic violations and automobile accidents from the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles and from participants' self-assessments when they entered the study, and from 73 participants 1 year later. Participants also completed a questionnaire about alcohol use and cessation patterns. The driving simulator measured crashes, run-time, road center and edge excursions, and illegal turns during navigation; before and after each driving simulation session, patients were asked to rate their overall driving skills. Drivers were classified as safe or unsafe based on crashes and violations reported on official driving records; simulation results were compared with real-life driving records. Multivariable regression analyses of real-life crashes and violations was performed using data on demographics, cirrhosis details, MHE status, and alcohol cessation patterns, at baseline and at 1 year. Drivers categorized as unsafe had more crashes and made more illegal turns on the driving simulator than drivers categorized as safe; a higher proportion of subjects with MHE were categorized as unsafe drivers at baseline (16%) than subjects without MHE (7%; P = .02), and at 1-year follow-up (18% vs 0%; P = .02). Alcohol cessation within <1 year and illegal turns during simulator navigation tasks were associated with real-life automobile crashes and MHE in regression analysis; road edge excursions in the simulator were associated with real-life traffic violations. Personal assessment of driving skills improved after each simulation episode. In a study of 205 patients with cirrhosis, we associated results from driving simulation tests with real-life driving records and MHE. Traffic safety counseling should focus on patients with cirrhosis who recently quit consuming alcohol and perform poorly on driving simulation. Copyright © 2016 AGA Institute. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Real-time object detection, tracking and occlusion reasoning

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

Divakaran, Ajay; Yu, Qian; Tamrakar, Amir

A system for object detection and tracking includes technologies to, among other things, detect and track moving objects, such as pedestrians and/or vehicles, in a real-world environment, handle static and dynamic occlusions, and continue tracking moving objects across the fields of view of multiple different cameras.

Standard Period Life Table Used to Compute the Life Expectancy of Diseased Subpopulations: More Confusing Than Helpful.

PubMed

Perron, Linda; Simard, Marc; Brisson, Jacques; Hamel, Denis; Lo, Ernest

2017-10-01

Life expectancy (LE) based on a period life table (PLT) traditionally serves as a general population summary metric. It is, however, becoming more frequently reported for chronically afflicted subpopulations. In general populations, there is always an obvious real cohort sharing the hypothetical PLT cohort characteristics, and the LE estimate is intuitively understood as that real cohort mean survival time, assuming constancy of death risks. In diseased subpopulations, the correspondence between the hypothetical cohort and a real cohort is not straightforward. Furthermore, the excess mortality of chronic diseases usually changes according to age at onset and time since onset. The standard PLT method does not allow for proper control of these issues, so the LE estimate can only be deemed valid under specific assumptions. Without clear statements about the real cohort to whom the estimate is intended and the assumptions allowing disregard of the effect of age at onset and time since onset, LEs of afflicted subpopulations computed with the PLT are only abstract numbers summarizing mortality rates. If called "life expectancy," they can be seriously misleading. The same applies to health-adjusted LE.

Vision-based overlay of a virtual object into real scene for designing room interior

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harasaki, Shunsuke; Saito, Hideo

2001-10-01

In this paper, we introduce a geometric registration method for augmented reality (AR) and an application system, interior simulator, in which a virtual (CG) object can be overlaid into a real world space. Interior simulator is developed as an example of an AR application of the proposed method. Using interior simulator, users can visually simulate the location of virtual furniture and articles in the living room so that they can easily design the living room interior without placing real furniture and articles, by viewing from many different locations and orientations in real-time. In our system, two base images of a real world space are captured from two different views for defining a projective coordinate of object 3D space. Then each projective view of a virtual object in the base images are registered interactively. After such coordinate determination, an image sequence of a real world space is captured by hand-held camera with tracking non-metric measured feature points for overlaying a virtual object. Virtual objects can be overlaid onto the image sequence by taking each relationship between the images. With the proposed system, 3D position tracking device, such as magnetic trackers, are not required for the overlay of virtual objects. Experimental results demonstrate that 3D virtual furniture can be overlaid into an image sequence of the scene of a living room nearly at video rate (20 frames per second).

Rapid gist perception of meaningful real-life scenes: Exploring individual and gender differences in multiple categorization tasks

PubMed Central

Vanmarcke, Steven; Wagemans, Johan

2015-01-01

In everyday life, we are generally able to dynamically understand and adapt to socially (ir)elevant encounters, and to make appropriate decisions about these. All of this requires an impressive ability to directly filter and obtain the most informative aspects of a complex visual scene. Such rapid gist perception can be assessed in multiple ways. In the ultrafast categorization paradigm developed by Simon Thorpe et al. (1996), participants get a clear categorization task in advance and succeed at detecting the target object of interest (animal) almost perfectly (even with 20 ms exposures). Since this pioneering work, follow-up studies consistently reported population-level reaction time differences on different categorization tasks, indicating a superordinate advantage (animal versus dog) and effects of perceptual similarity (animals versus vehicles) and object category size (natural versus animal versus dog). In this study, we replicated and extended these separate findings by using a systematic collection of different categorization tasks (varying in presentation time, task demands, and stimuli) and focusing on individual differences in terms of e.g., gender and intelligence. In addition to replicating the main findings from the literature, we find subtle, yet consistent gender differences (women faster than men). PMID:26034569

32 CFR 105.14 - Training requirements for DoD personnel.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

...-based, real-life situations to demonstrate the entire cycle of prevention, reporting, response, and...) Explain the nature of sexual assault in the military environment using scenario-based, real-life... rape myths (See SAPR Toolkit on www.sapr.mil), facts, and trends pertaining to the military population...

32 CFR 105.14 - Training requirements for DoD personnel.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

...-based, real-life situations to demonstrate the entire cycle of prevention, reporting, response, and...) Explain the nature of sexual assault in the military environment using scenario-based, real-life... rape myths (See SAPR Toolkit on www.sapr.mil), facts, and trends pertaining to the military population...

Real-Life Contextual Manifestations of Wisdom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yang, Shih-Ying

2008-01-01

Wisdom pertains to managing human affairs, and it arises in highly contextualized situations. The present study aims to investigate manifestations of wisdom in real-life contexts through semi-structured interviews with 66 individuals nominated as wise persons. All nominees were ethnic Chinese from Taiwan, an East Asian country which has…

Improvisation of Real-Life Scenarios through Intercultural Competence

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Okten, Celile Eren; Griffin, Banu Ozer

2016-01-01

This paper describes tasks based on real-life scenarios, which triggered reflective thinking, verbalization, and writing, leading to the creation of natural dialogues rather than artificial, dull monologues. One of the main aims of this approach is to engage students in a dynamic process of both learning about multicultural participants and…

Gravitational Potential: Real-life Results

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-01-01

the surface and thus locations of larger g correspond to smaller h. However, that would not happen in real life . If the earth were covered with water...spherical nonrotating planet of mass M and radius R. The density of the planet can vary radi- ally, but assume it does not vary in the angular

Connecting Social and Mathematical Thinking: The Use of "Real Life" Contexts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sawatzki, Carly

2014-01-01

This paper reports the findings of research into an educational intervention featuring open-ended mathematical problems situated in "real life" contexts and associated pedagogies. "Money and financial mathematics" is the topic in focus, with tasks termed "financial dilemmas" being trialled by 35 teachers in 16…

The real deal: Willingness-to-pay and satiety expectations are greater for real foods versus their images.

PubMed

Romero, Carissa A; Compton, Michael T; Yang, Yueran; Snow, Jacqueline C

2017-11-23

Laboratory studies of human dietary choice have relied on computerized two-dimensional (2D) images as stimuli, whereas in everyday life, consumers make decisions in the context of real foods that have actual caloric content and afford grasping and consumption. Surprisingly, few studies have compared whether real foods are valued more than 2D images of foods, and in the studies that have, differences in the stimuli and testing conditions could have resulted in inflated bids for the real foods. Moreover, although the caloric content of food images has been shown to influence valuation, no studies to date have investigated whether 'real food exposure effects' on valuation reflect greater sensitivity to the caloric content of real foods versus images. Here, we compared willingness-to-pay (WTP) for, and expectations about satiety after consuming, everyday snack foods that were displayed as real foods versus 2D images. Critically, our 2D images were matched closely to the real foods for size, background, illumination, and apparent distance, and trial presentation and stimulus timing were identical across conditions. We used linear mixed effects modeling to determine whether effects of display format were modulated by food preference and the caloric content of the foods. Compared to food images, observers were willing to pay 6.62% more for (Experiment 1) and believed that they would feel more satiated after consuming (Experiment 2), foods displayed as real objects. Moreover, these effects appeared to be consistent across food preference, caloric content, as well as observers' estimates of the caloric content of the foods. Together, our results confirm that consumers' perception and valuation of everyday foods is influenced by the format in which they are displayed. Our findings raise important new insights into the factors that shape dietary choice in real-world contexts and highlight potential avenues for improving public health approaches to diet and obesity. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Optimal efficacy of interferon-free HCV retreatment after protease inhibitor failure in real life.

PubMed

Cento, V; Barbaliscia, S; Lenci, I; Ruggiero, T; Magni, C F; Paolucci, S; Babudieri, S; Siciliano, M; Pasquazzi, C; Ciancio, A; Perno, C F; Ceccherini-Silberstein, F

2017-10-01

First-generation protease-inhibitors (PIs) have suboptimal efficacy in GT-1 patients with advanced liver disease, and patients experiencing treatment failure may require urgent retreatment. Our objective was to analyse the real-life efficacy of interferon (IFN)-free retreatment after PI-failure, and the role of genotypic-resistance-testing (GRT) in guiding retreatment choice. In this multi-centre observational study, patients retreated with IFN-free regimens after first-generation PI-failure (telaprevir-boceprevir-simeprevir) were included. Sustained-virological-response (SVR) was evaluated at week 12 of follow-up. GRT was performed by population-sequencing. After PI-failure, 121 patients (cirrhotic=86.8%) were retreated following three different strategies: A) with 'GRT-guided' regimens (N=18); B) with 'AASLD/EASL recommended, not GRT-guided' regimens (N=72); C) with 'not recommended, not GRT-guided' regimens (N=31). Overall SVR rate was 91%, but all 18 patients treated with 'GRT-guided' regimens reached SVR (100%), despite heterogeneity in treatment duration, use of PI and ribavirin, versus 68/72 patients (94.4%) receiving 'AASLD/EASL recommended, not GRT-guided' regimens. SVR was strongly reduced (77.4%) among the 31 patients who received a 'not recommended, not GRT-guided regimen' (p <0.01). Among 37 patients retreated with a PI, SVR rate was 89.2% (33/37). Four GT-1a cirrhotic patients failed an option (C) simeprevir-containing treatment; three out of four had a baseline R155K NS3-RAS. All seven patients treated with paritaprevir-containing regimens reached SVR, regardless of treatment duration and performance of a baseline-GRT. Retreatment of PI-experienced patients can induce maximal SVR rates in real life. Baseline-GRT could help to optimize retreatment strategy, allowing PIs to be reconsidered when chosen after a RASs evaluation. Copyright © 2017 European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

How does age-related macular degeneration affect real-world visual ability and quality of life? A systematic review

PubMed Central

Taylor, Deanna J; Hobby, Angharad E; Binns, Alison M; Crabb, David P

2016-01-01

Objectives To review systematically the evidence of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) affecting real-world visual ability and quality of life (QoL). To explore trends in specific topics within this body of the literature. Design Systematic review. Methods A systematic literature search was carried out using MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, PsycINFO, PsychARTICLES and Health and Psychosocial Instruments for articles published up to January 2015 for studies including people diagnosed with AMD, assessing real-world visual ability or QoL as an outcome. Two researchers screened studies for eligibility. Details of eligible studies including study design, characteristics of study population and outcomes measured were recorded in a data extraction table. All included studies underwent quality appraisal using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool 2011 Version (MMAT). Results From 5284 studies, 123 were eligible for inclusion. A range of approaches were identified, including performance-based methods, quantitative and qualitative patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs). AMD negatively affects tasks including mobility, face recognition, perception of scenes, computer use, meal preparation, shopping, cleaning, watching TV, reading, driving and, in some cases, self-care. There is evidence for higher rates of depression among people with AMD than among community dwelling elderly. A number of adaptation strategies have been associated with AMD of varying duration. Much of the research fails to report the type of AMD studied (59% of included studies) or the duration of disease in participants (74%). Of those that do report type studied, the breakdown is as follows: wet AMD 20%, dry AMD 4% and both types 17%. Conclusions There are many publications highlighting the negative effects of AMD in various domains of life. Future research should focus on delivering some of this research knowledge into patient management and clinical trials and differentiating between the types of AMD. PMID:27913556

Open the VALT™: Creation and application of a visually authentic learning tool.

PubMed

Ackland-Tilbrook, Vanessa; Warland, Jane

2015-05-01

This paper describes the process of creating and applying a Visually Authentic Learning Tool (VALT™) in an undergraduate midwifery program. The VALT was developed to facilitate learning in the topic "bleeding in pregnancy". The VALTs objective is to open the mind of the student to facilitate learning via the visual representation of authentic real life simulations designed to enhance and bring to life the written scenario. Students were asked for their feedback of the VALTs. A descriptive analysis was performed on the collated results to determine how the students rated the VALTS in terms of satisfaction and meeting their learning needs. Overall the students seemed to value the VALTs as they present an engaging and unique opportunity to promote learning whilst acknowledging and valuing different learning style within the student group. Crown Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Nurses' attitudes to euthanasia: a review of the literature.

PubMed

Verpoort, Charlotte; Gastmans, Chris; De Bal, Nele; Dierckx de Casterlé, Bernadette

2004-01-01

This article provides an overview of the scarce international literature concerning nurses' attitudes to euthanasia. Studies show large differences with respect to the percentage of nurses who are (not) in favour of euthanasia. Characteristics such as age, religion and nursing specialty have a significant influence on a nurse's opinion. The arguments for euthanasia have to do with quality of life, respect for autonomy and dissatisfaction with the current situation. Arguments against euthanasia are the right to a good death, belief in the possibilities offered by palliative care, religious objections and the fear of abuse. Nurses mention the need for more palliative care training, their difficulties in taking a specific position, and their desire to express their ideas about euthanasia. There is a need to include nurses' voices in the end-of-life discourse because they offer a contextual understanding of euthanasia and requests to die, which is borne out of real experience with people facing death.

Unraveling dynamics of human physical activity patterns in chronic pain conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Paraschiv-Ionescu, Anisoara; Buchser, Eric; Aminian, Kamiar

2013-06-01

Chronic pain is a complex disabling experience that negatively affects the cognitive, affective and physical functions as well as behavior. Although the interaction between chronic pain and physical functioning is a well-accepted paradigm in clinical research, the understanding of how pain affects individuals' daily life behavior remains a challenging task. Here we develop a methodological framework allowing to objectively document disruptive pain related interferences on real-life physical activity. The results reveal that meaningful information is contained in the temporal dynamics of activity patterns and an analytical model based on the theory of bivariate point processes can be used to describe physical activity behavior. The model parameters capture the dynamic interdependence between periods and events and determine a `signature' of activity pattern. The study is likely to contribute to the clinical understanding of complex pain/disease-related behaviors and establish a unified mathematical framework to quantify the complex dynamics of various human activities.

A novel approach to simulate chest wall micro-motion for bio-radar life detection purpose

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

An, Qiang; Li, Zhao; Liang, Fulai; Chen, Fuming; Wang, Jianqi

2016-10-01

Volunteers are often recruited to serve as the detection targets during the research process of bio-radar life detection technology, in which the experiment results are highly susceptible to the physical status of different individuals (shape, posture, etc.). In order to objectively evaluate the radar system performance and life detection algorithms, a standard detection target is urgently needed. The paper first proposed a parameter quantitatively controllable system to simulate the chest wall micro-motion caused mainly by breathing and heart beating. Then, the paper continued to analyze the material and size selection of the scattering body mounted on the simulation system from the perspective of back scattering energy. The computational electromagnetic method was employed to determine the exact scattering body. Finally, on-site experiments were carried out to verify the reliability of the simulation platform utilizing an IR UWB bioradar. Experimental result shows that the proposed system can simulate a real human target from three aspects: respiration frequency, amplitude and body surface scattering energy. Thus, it can be utilized as a substitute for a human target in radar based non-contact life detection research in various scenarios.

A critique of using age to ration health care.

PubMed Central

Hunt, R W

1993-01-01

Daniel Callahan has argued that economic and social benefits would result from a policy of withholding medical treatments which prolong life in persons over a certain age. He claims 'the real goal of medicine' is to conquer death and prolong life with the use of technology, regardless of the age and quality of life of the patient, and this has been responsible for the escalation of health care expenditure. Callahan's proposal is based on economic rationalism but there is little evidence to suggest that substantial economic savings could be achieved. Moreover, his argument raises serious moral objections. A policy of withholding treatments from members of a social group involves elements of compulsion and discrimination, both of which would intrude on the doctor-patient relationship, undermine the autonomy of elderly patients, and invoke the slippery slope towards involuntary forms of euthanasia. Life-death decisions should be based on more than the one criterion of age, and take account of more relevant factors such as the patient's usual state of well-being, her/his expressed wishes, informed consent and the type of illness. Any move to the implementation and enforcement of the policy Callahan recommends would be rejected by health professionals and the public. PMID:8459434

An FMS Dynamic Production Scheduling Algorithm Considering Cutting Tool Failure and Cutting Tool Life

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Setiawan, A.; Wangsaputra, R.; Martawirya, Y. Y.; Halim, A. H.

2016-02-01

This paper deals with Flexible Manufacturing System (FMS) production rescheduling due to unavailability of cutting tools caused either of cutting tool failure or life time limit. The FMS consists of parallel identical machines integrated with an automatic material handling system and it runs fully automatically. Each machine has a same cutting tool configuration that consists of different geometrical cutting tool types on each tool magazine. The job usually takes two stages. Each stage has sequential operations allocated to machines considering the cutting tool life. In the real situation, the cutting tool can fail before the cutting tool life is reached. The objective in this paper is to develop a dynamic scheduling algorithm when a cutting tool is broken during unmanned and a rescheduling needed. The algorithm consists of four steps. The first step is generating initial schedule, the second step is determination the cutting tool failure time, the third step is determination of system status at cutting tool failure time and the fourth step is the rescheduling for unfinished jobs. The approaches to solve the problem are complete-reactive scheduling and robust-proactive scheduling. The new schedules result differences starting time and completion time of each operations from the initial schedule.

Shelf-life extension of gilthead seabream fillets by osmotic treatment and antimicrobial agents.

PubMed

Tsironi, T N; Taoukis, P S

2012-02-01

The objectives of the study were to evaluate the effect of selected antimicrobial agents on the shelf life of osmotically pretreated gilthead seabream and to establish reliable kinetic equations for shelf-life determination validated in dynamic conditions. Fresh gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata) fillets were osmotically treated with 50% high dextrose equivalent maltodextrin (HDM, DE 47) plus 5% NaCl and 0·5% carvacrol, 0·5% glucono-δ-lactone or 1% Citrox (commercial antimicrobial mix). Untreated and treated slices were aerobically packed and stored isothermally (0-15°C). Microbial growth and quality-related chemical indices were modelled as functions of temperature. Models were validated at dynamic storage conditions. Osmotic pretreatment with the use of antimicrobials led to significant shelf-life extension of fillets, in terms of microbial growth and organoleptic deterioration. The shelf life was 7 days for control samples at 5°C. The osmotic pretreatment with carvacrol, glucono-δ-lactone and Citrox allowed for shelf-life extension by 8, 10 and 5 days at 5°C, respectively. The results of the study show the potential of adding carvacrol, glucono-δ-lactone or Citrox in the osmotic solution to extend the shelf life and improve commercial value of chilled osmotically pretreated fish products. The developed models can be a reliable tool for predicting the shelf life of fresh or minimally processed gilthead seabream fillets in the real chill chain. © 2012 The Authors. Journal of Applied Microbiology © 2012 The Society for Applied Microbiology.

Hardware accelerator design for tracking in smart camera

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Singh, Sanjay; Dunga, Srinivasa Murali; Saini, Ravi; Mandal, A. S.; Shekhar, Chandra; Vohra, Anil

2011-10-01

Smart Cameras are important components in video analysis. For video analysis, smart cameras needs to detect interesting moving objects, track such objects from frame to frame, and perform analysis of object track in real time. Therefore, the use of real-time tracking is prominent in smart cameras. The software implementation of tracking algorithm on a general purpose processor (like PowerPC) could achieve low frame rate far from real-time requirements. This paper presents the SIMD approach based hardware accelerator designed for real-time tracking of objects in a scene. The system is designed and simulated using VHDL and implemented on Xilinx XUP Virtex-IIPro FPGA. Resulted frame rate is 30 frames per second for 250x200 resolution video in gray scale.

Vision-based augmented reality system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Jing; Wang, Yongtian; Shi, Qi; Yan, Dayuan

2003-04-01

The most promising aspect of augmented reality lies in its ability to integrate the virtual world of the computer with the real world of the user. Namely, users can interact with the real world subjects and objects directly. This paper presents an experimental augmented reality system with a video see-through head-mounted device to display visual objects, as if they were lying on the table together with real objects. In order to overlay virtual objects on the real world at the right position and orientation, the accurate calibration and registration are most important. A vision-based method is used to estimate CCD external parameters by tracking 4 known points with different colors. It achieves sufficient accuracy for non-critical applications such as gaming, annotation and so on.

Using What's Learned in the Game for Use in Real Life.

PubMed

Baranowski, Moderator Tom; Fiellin, Participants Lynn E; Gay, Geri; Thompson, Deborah I

2014-02-01

A player can learn many things from playing a game for health. Some of these learnings were deliberately designed for the player to use in his or her real life, outside of any game. The effective ways to enable players to generalize what they learn in the game to their real lives (and thereby benefit from playing the game) are not clear. We have convened a group of expert health game designers and researchers to discuss this important issue.

Children's Eyewitness Memory for Multiple Real-Life Events

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Odegard, Timothy N.; Cooper, Crystal M.; Lampinen, James M.; Reyna, Valerie F.; Brainerd, Charles J.

2009-01-01

The present research examined the influence of prior knowledge on children's free recall, cued recall, recognition memory, and source memory judgments for a series of similar real-life events. Forty children (5-12 years old) attended 4 thematic birthday parties and were later interviewed about the events that transpired during the parties using…

Exploring English Language Learners (ELL) Experiences with Scientific Language and Inquiry within a Real Life Context

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Algee, Lisa M.

2012-01-01

English Language Learners (ELL) are often at a distinct disadvantage from receiving authentic science learning opportunites. This study explored English Language Learners (ELL) learning experiences with scientific language and inquiry within a real life context. This research was theoretically informed by sociocultural theory and literature on…

Rendezvous with IQ: Metacognition in Real-Life Situations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Al-Hilawani, Yasser A.

2018-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between metacognition as measured in real-life situations and IQ scores as reflected by performance on the Raven Standard Progressive Matrices Scale. It is also intended in this study to report on whether or not there were significant differences in performance on the metacognitive…

Endangered Species: Real Life in Two Dimensions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Henderson, Lynette K.

2012-01-01

The focus of "Endangered Species: Real Life in Two Dimensions" is to create awareness about a critical environmental issue. There is a special urgency to this project because large numbers of animal species are currently endangered or on the brink of extinction. In addition to being enlightened about this important topic through research, students…

The Benefits of Using Engineering as a Context for Science Lessons

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Taylor, Gemma

2014-01-01

"Real life" learning has often been suggested as a good method for engaging students in the science curriculum. In this article, an evidence-based rationale for the use of engineering as a context for "real life" science study is explained. This has been achieved through development work undertaken by the National Science…

Real-Life Challenges in Using Augmentative and Alternative Communication by Persons with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ray, Jayanti

2015-01-01

Given the linguistic and cognitive demands of communication, adult Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) users with acquired communication disorders may have difficulty using AAC systems consistently and effectively in "real-life" situations. The process of recommending AAC systems and strategies is an area of exploration,…

Analyzing Highway Speeding Data in the Statistics Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Laumakis, Paul

2011-01-01

When taking mathematics courses, students will sometimes ask their recurring question, "When will I ever use this in real life?" Educators are often unable to provide a direct connection between what they are teaching in the classroom and a real-life application. However, when such an opportunity does arise, they should seize it and…

Emotional Creativity and Real-Life Involvement in Different Types of Creative Leisure Activities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Trnka, Radek; Zahradnik, Martin; Kuška, Martin

2016-01-01

The role of emotional creativity in practicing creative leisure activities and in the preference of college majors remains unknown. This study aims to explore how emotional creativity measured by the Emotional Creativity Inventory (ECI; Averill, 1999) is interrelated with the real-life involvement in different types of specific creative leisure…

The Forms and Functions of Real-Life Moral Decision-Making.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Krebs, Dennis L.; Denton, Kathy; Wark, Gillian

1997-01-01

Observes that the Kohlbergian model of morality does not give a good account of the ways in which people make moral decisions in their everyday lives. Argues that a functional model of moral judgment and moral behavior derived from evolutionary theory may supply a better account of real-life morality. (DSK)

Real-Life Spatial Skills, Handedness, and Family History of Handedness

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ecuyer-Dab, I.; Tremblay, T.; Joanette, Y.; Passini, R.

2005-01-01

According to Annett (1985), pronounced left hemisphere lateralization for language abilities in women, as in female absolute right-handers, limits their right hemisphere capacity and spatial abilities. This study examines the degree of handedness and the family history of non-right-handedness with respect to real-life spatial abilities in women.…

Self-disclosure through weblogs and perceptions of online and "real-life" friendships among female bloggers.

PubMed

Bane, Cynthia M H; Cornish, Marilyn; Erspamer, Nicole; Kampman, Lia

2010-04-01

The current study examined female bloggers' perceptions of online and "real-life" same-sex friendships and examined relationships between self-disclosure through blogs and perceptions of the two types of friendships. Three hundred seven female bloggers (M age = 34.56 years) completed an online survey regarding friendship satisfaction and perceptions of intimacy-promoting interaction patterns in friendships. One hundred respondents' weblogs were analyzed for self-disclosure. Self-reported self-disclosure was positively correlated with number of online friendships and satisfaction with online friendships. Although participants reported having close online friends, they perceived real-life friendships as more likely than online friendships to possess intimacy-promoting interaction patterns. These perceptions did not differ as a function of self-disclosure through blogging, although bloggers who were categorized as higher in disclosure were more satisfied with online friendships than were bloggers who were categorized as lower in disclosure. These results suggest a relationship between self-disclosure through blogging and online relationship satisfaction among women in middle adulthood but that these women perceive real-life friendships as more likely to offer interaction patterns that foster intimacy.

Framsticks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Komosinski, Maciej; Ulatowski, Szymon

Life is one of the most complex phenomena known in our world. Researchers construct various models of life that serve diverse purposes and are applied in a wide range of areas — from medicine to entertainment. A part of artificial life research focuses on designing three-dimensional (3D) models of life-forms, which are obviously appealing to observers because the world we live in is three dimensional. Thus, we can easily understand behaviors demonstrated by virtual individuals, study behavioral changes during simulated evolution, analyze dependencies between groups of creatures, and so forth. However, 3D models of life-forms are not only attractive because of their resemblance to the real-world organisms. Simulating 3D agents has practical implications: If the simulation is accurate enough, then real robots can be built based on the simulation, as in [22]. Agents can be designed, tested, and optimized in a virtual environment, and the best ones can be constructed as real robots with embedded control systems. This way artificial intelligence algorithms can be “embodied” in the 3D mechanical constructs.

Evaluating the real-world predictive validity of the Body Image Quality of Life Inventory using Ecological Momentary Assessment.

PubMed

Heron, Kristin E; Mason, Tyler B; Sutton, Tiphanie G; Myers, Taryn A

2015-09-01

Perceptions of physical appearance, or body image, can affect psychosocial functioning and quality of life (QOL). The present study evaluated the real-world predictive validity of the Body Image Quality of Life Inventory (BIQLI) using Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA). College women reporting subclinical disordered eating/body dissatisfaction (N=131) completed the BIQLI and related measures. For one week they then completed five daily EMA surveys of mood, social interactions, stress, and eating behaviors on palmtop computers. Results showed better body image QOL was associated with less negative affect, less overwhelming emotions, more positive affect, more pleasant social interactions, and higher self-efficacy for handling stress. Lower body image QOL was marginally related to less overeating and lower loss of control over eating in daily life. To our knowledge, this is the first study to support the real-world predictive validity of the BIQLI by identifying social, affective, and behavioral correlates in everyday life using EMA. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A hash based mutual RFID tag authentication protocol in telecare medicine information system.

PubMed

Srivastava, Keerti; Awasthi, Amit K; Kaul, Sonam D; Mittal, R C

2015-01-01

Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) is a technology which has multidimensional applications to reduce the complexity of today life. Everywhere, like access control, transportation, real-time inventory, asset management and automated payment systems etc., RFID has its enormous use. Recently, this technology is opening its wings in healthcare environments, where potential applications include patient monitoring, object traceability and drug administration systems etc. In this paper, we propose a secure RFID-based protocol for the medical sector. This protocol is based on hash operation with synchronized secret. The protocol is safe against active and passive attacks such as forgery, traceability, replay and de-synchronization attack.

The NASA-Lewis/ERDA solar heating and cooling technology program. [project planning/energy policy

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Couch, J. P.; Bloomfield, H. S.

1975-01-01

Plans by NASA to carry out a major role in a solar heating and cooling program are presented. This role would be to create and test the enabling technology for future solar heating, cooling, and combined heating/cooling systems. The major objectives of the project are to achieve reduction in solar energy system costs, while maintaining adequate performance, reliability, life, and maintenance characteristics. The project approach is discussed, and will be accomplished principally by contract with industry to develop advanced components and subsystems. Advanced hardware will be tested to establish 'technology readiness' both under controlled laboratory conditions and under real sun conditions.

Customised 3D Printing: An Innovative Training Tool for the Next Generation of Orbital Surgeons.

PubMed

Scawn, Richard L; Foster, Alex; Lee, Bradford W; Kikkawa, Don O; Korn, Bobby S

2015-01-01

Additive manufacturing or 3D printing is the process by which three dimensional data fields are translated into real-life physical representations. 3D printers create physical printouts using heated plastics in a layered fashion resulting in a three-dimensional object. We present a technique for creating customised, inexpensive 3D orbit models for use in orbital surgical training using 3D printing technology. These models allow trainee surgeons to perform 'wet-lab' orbital decompressions and simulate upcoming surgeries on orbital models that replicate a patient's bony anatomy. We believe this represents an innovative training tool for the next generation of orbital surgeons.

[Objective functional compensation in NHIL: INAIL prosthesic protocol in Lombardy, 2007-2010].

PubMed

Calcinoni, O; Polo, L

2011-01-01

Even if NHIL gives already right to economic compensation, our Insurance aimed to real functional compensation, to reduce handicap in everyday life. Together with Professor Giordano, Audioprosthesists' Association and Manufacturers' representatives, INAIL Medical Superintendence started in 2003 a study on this problem, involving some of his forensic physician and ENT staff; in 2007-2009 INAIL issued directives innovating and planning the rules in prosthesis provision, not only acoustical ones. In 2010 started an experimental protocol to rule hearing aid provision in all INAIL centers, throughout Italy. Authors present first results of this protocol in Lombardy, related to previous and national ones.

Time-frequency feature representation using multi-resolution texture analysis and acoustic activity detector for real-life speech emotion recognition.

PubMed

Wang, Kun-Ching

2015-01-14

The classification of emotional speech is mostly considered in speech-related research on human-computer interaction (HCI). In this paper, the purpose is to present a novel feature extraction based on multi-resolutions texture image information (MRTII). The MRTII feature set is derived from multi-resolution texture analysis for characterization and classification of different emotions in a speech signal. The motivation is that we have to consider emotions have different intensity values in different frequency bands. In terms of human visual perceptual, the texture property on multi-resolution of emotional speech spectrogram should be a good feature set for emotion classification in speech. Furthermore, the multi-resolution analysis on texture can give a clearer discrimination between each emotion than uniform-resolution analysis on texture. In order to provide high accuracy of emotional discrimination especially in real-life, an acoustic activity detection (AAD) algorithm must be applied into the MRTII-based feature extraction. Considering the presence of many blended emotions in real life, in this paper make use of two corpora of naturally-occurring dialogs recorded in real-life call centers. Compared with the traditional Mel-scale Frequency Cepstral Coefficients (MFCC) and the state-of-the-art features, the MRTII features also can improve the correct classification rates of proposed systems among different language databases. Experimental results show that the proposed MRTII-based feature information inspired by human visual perception of the spectrogram image can provide significant classification for real-life emotional recognition in speech.

Systems engineering real estate development projects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gusakova, Elena; Titarenko, Boris; Stepanov, Vitaliy

2017-10-01

In recent years, real estate development has accumulated a wealth of experience in implementing major projects, which requires comprehension and systematization. The scientific instrument of system engineering is studied in the article and is substantively interpreted with reference to real estate development projects. The most perspective approaches and models are substantiated, allowing strategically to plan the life cycle of the project as a whole, and also to solve the engineering butt problems of the project. The relevance of further scientific studies of regularities and specifics of the life cycle of real estate development projects conducted at the Moscow State University of Economics and Management at the ISTA department is shown.

Real-world spatial regularities affect visual working memory for objects.

PubMed

Kaiser, Daniel; Stein, Timo; Peelen, Marius V

2015-12-01

Traditional memory research has focused on measuring and modeling the capacity of visual working memory for simple stimuli such as geometric shapes or colored disks. Although these studies have provided important insights, it is unclear how their findings apply to memory for more naturalistic stimuli. An important aspect of real-world scenes is that they contain a high degree of regularity: For instance, lamps appear above tables, not below them. In the present study, we tested whether such real-world spatial regularities affect working memory capacity for individual objects. Using a delayed change-detection task with concurrent verbal suppression, we found enhanced visual working memory performance for objects positioned according to real-world regularities, as compared to irregularly positioned objects. This effect was specific to upright stimuli, indicating that it did not reflect low-level grouping, because low-level grouping would be expected to equally affect memory for upright and inverted displays. These results suggest that objects can be held in visual working memory more efficiently when they are positioned according to frequently experienced real-world regularities. We interpret this effect as the grouping of single objects into larger representational units.

Compressed multi-block local binary pattern for object tracking

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Tianwen; Gao, Yun; Zhao, Lei; Zhou, Hao

2018-04-01

Both robustness and real-time are very important for the application of object tracking under a real environment. The focused trackers based on deep learning are difficult to satisfy with the real-time of tracking. Compressive sensing provided a technical support for real-time tracking. In this paper, an object can be tracked via a multi-block local binary pattern feature. The feature vector was extracted based on the multi-block local binary pattern feature, which was compressed via a sparse random Gaussian matrix as the measurement matrix. The experiments showed that the proposed tracker ran in real-time and outperformed the existed compressive trackers based on Haar-like feature on many challenging video sequences in terms of accuracy and robustness.

Adapting the SLIM diabetes prevention intervention to a Dutch real-life setting: joint decision making by science and practice.

PubMed

Jansen, Sophia C; Haveman-Nies, Annemien; Duijzer, Geerke; Ter Beek, Josien; Hiddink, Gerrit J; Feskens, Edith J M

2013-05-08

Although many evidence-based diabetes prevention interventions exist, they are not easily applicable in real-life settings. Moreover, there is a lack of examples which describe the adaptation process of these interventions to practice. In this paper we present an example of such an adaptation. We adapted the SLIM (Study on Lifestyle intervention and Impaired glucose tolerance Maastricht) diabetes prevention intervention to a Dutch real-life setting, in a joint decision making process of intervention developers and local health care professionals. We used 3 adaptation steps in accordance with current adaptation frameworks. In the first step, the elements of the SLIM intervention were identified. In the second step, these elements were judged for their applicability in a real-life setting. In the third step, adaptations were proposed and discussed for those elements which were deemed not applicable. Participants invited for this process included intervention developers and local health care professionals (n=19). In the first adaptation step, a total of 22 intervention elements were identified. In the second step, 12 of these 22 intervention elements were judged as inapplicable. In the third step, a consensus was achieved for the adaptations of all 12 elements. The adapted elements were in the following categories: target population, techniques, intensity, delivery mode, materials, organisational structure, and political and financial conditions. The adaptations either lay in changing the SLIM protocol (6 elements) or the real-life working procedures (1 element), or a combination of both (4 elements). The positive result of this study is that a consensus was achieved within a relatively short time period (nine months) between the developers of the SLIM intervention and local health care professionals on the adaptations needed to make SLIM applicable in a Dutch real-life setting. Our example shows that it is possible to combine the perspectives of scientists and practitioners, and to find a balance between evidence-base and applicability concerns.

Rational therapeutic choice for older patients with lymphoma.

PubMed

Bron, Dominique; Soubeyran, Pierre

2017-09-01

The choice for an optimal treatment in older lymphoma patients is a real challenge for hemato-oncologists. They have to treat a potentially curative lymphoma, and concomitantly protect their patients from unacceptable toxicities. Some recommendations are provided for the major subtypes of lymphomas including the antitumoral treatment and primarily the optimal supportive care. All the recent literature data converge to say that the approach of an older patient with a malignant hemopathy is a multistep procedure. This process comprises the appraisal of life expectancy of the patient with or without the disease, the prognostic factors of the tumor, the functional, physiological and cognitive functions evaluation, the socio-economical environment and the patient's expectancy in terms of quality of life. Major progresses have been achieved in the management of diffuse large B cell lymphoma and mantle cell lymphoma in patients up to 80 and above 80 years old. With all these information in hands, the hematologist will decide if the treatment's objective is the standard treatment with optimal supportive care (fit patients), tailor-made adapted chemotherapy (unfit patients) or preservation of quality of life (frail patients).

Congestion Prediction Modeling for Quality of Service Improvement in Wireless Sensor Networks

PubMed Central

Lee, Ga-Won; Lee, Sung-Young; Huh, Eui-Nam

2014-01-01

Information technology (IT) is pushing ahead with drastic reforms of modern life for improvement of human welfare. Objects constitute “Information Networks” through smart, self-regulated information gathering that also recognizes and controls current information states in Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs). Information observed from sensor networks in real-time is used to increase quality of life (QoL) in various industries and daily life. One of the key challenges of the WSNs is how to achieve lossless data transmission. Although nowadays sensor nodes have enhanced capacities, it is hard to assure lossless and reliable end-to-end data transmission in WSNs due to the unstable wireless links and low hard ware resources to satisfy high quality of service (QoS) requirements. We propose a node and path traffic prediction model to predict and minimize the congestion. This solution includes prediction of packet generation due to network congestion from both periodic and event data generation. Simulation using NS-2 and Matlab is used to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed solution. PMID:24784035

The Role of Authentic Objects in Museums of the History of Science and Technology: Findings from a Visitor Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hampp, Constanze; Schwan, Stephan

2015-01-01

One characteristic of science centers and science museums is that they communicate scientific findings by presenting real scientific objects. In particular, science museums focus on the historical context of scientific discoveries by displaying authentic objects, defined as original objects that once served a science-related, real-world purpose…

Optimization of Vacuum Impregnation with Calcium Lactate of Minimally Processed Melon and Shelf-Life Study in Real Storage Conditions.

PubMed

Tappi, Silvia; Tylewicz, Urszula; Romani, Santina; Siroli, Lorenzo; Patrignani, Francesca; Dalla Rosa, Marco; Rocculi, Pietro

2016-10-05

Vacuum impregnation (VI) is a processing operation that permits the impregnation of fruit and vegetable porous tissues with a fast and more homogeneous penetration of active compounds compared to the classical diffusion processes. The objective of this research was to investigate the impact on VI treatment with the addition of calcium lactate on qualitative parameters of minimally processed melon during storage. For this aim, this work was divided in 2 parts. Initially, the optimization of process parameters was carried out in order to choose the optimal VI conditions for improving texture characteristics of minimally processed melon that were then used to impregnate melons for a shelf-life study in real storage conditions. On the basis of a 2 3 factorial design, the effect of Calcium lactate (CaLac) concentration between 0% and 5% and of minimum pressure (P) between 20 and 60 MPa were evaluated on color and texture. Processing parameters corresponding to 5% CaLac concentration and 60 MPa of minimum pressure were chosen for the storage study, during which the modifications of main qualitative parameters were evaluated. Despite of the high variability of the raw material, results showed that VI allowed a better maintenance of texture during storage. Nevertheless, other quality traits were negatively affected by the application of vacuum. Impregnated products showed a darker and more translucent appearance on the account of the alteration of the structural properties. Moreover microbial shelf-life was reduced to 4 d compared to the 7 obtained for control and dipped samples. © 2016 Institute of Food Technologists®.

The RoboCup Mixed Reality League - A Case Study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gerndt, Reinhard; Bohnen, Matthias; da Silva Guerra, Rodrigo; Asada, Minoru

In typical mixed reality systems there is only a one-way interaction from real to virtual. A human user or the physics of a real object may influence the behavior of virtual objects, but real objects usually cannot be influenced by the virtual world. By introducing real robots into the mixed reality system, we allow a true two-way interaction between virtual and real worlds. Our system has been used since 2007 to implement the RoboCup mixed reality soccer games and other applications for research and edutainment. Our framework system is freely programmable to generate any virtual environment, which may then be further supplemented with virtual and real objects. The system allows for control of any real object based on differential drive robots. The robots may be adapted for different applications, e.g., with markers for identification or with covers to change shape and appearance. They may also be “equipped” with virtual tools. In this chapter we present the hardware and software architecture of our system and some applications. The authors believe this can be seen as a first implementation of Ivan Sutherland’s 1965 idea of the ultimate display: “The ultimate display would, of course, be a room within which the computer can control the existence of matter …” (Sutherland, 1965, Proceedings of IFIPS Congress 2:506-508).

The ecological and construct validity of a newly developed measure of executive function: the Virtual Library Task.

PubMed

Renison, Belinda; Ponsford, Jennie; Testa, Renee; Richardson, Barry; Brownfield, Kylie

2012-05-01

Virtual reality (VR) assessment paradigms have the potential to address the limited ecological validity of pen and paper measures of executive function (EF) and the pragmatic and reliability issues associated with functional measures. To investigate the ecological validity and construct validity of a newly developed VR measure of EF, the Virtual Library Task (VLT); a real life analogous task--the Real Library Task (RLT); and five neuropsychological measures of EF were administered to 30 patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI) and 30 healthy Controls. Significant others for each participant also completed the Dysexecutive Questionnaire (DEX), which is a behavioral rating scale of everyday EF. Performances on the VLT and the RLT were significantly positively correlated indicating that VR performance is similar to real world performance. The TBI group performed significantly worse than the Control group on the VLT and the Modified Six Elements Test (MSET) but the other four neuropsychological measures of EF failed to differentiate the groups. Both the MSET and the VLT significantly predicted everyday EF suggesting that they are both ecologically valid tools for the assessment of EF. The VLT has the advantage over the MSET of providing objective measurement of individual components of EF.

VOP memory management in MPEG-4

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vaithianathan, Karthikeyan; Panchanathan, Sethuraman

2001-03-01

MPEG-4 is a multimedia standard that requires Video Object Planes (VOPs). Generation of VOPs for any kind of video sequence is still a challenging problem that largely remains unsolved. Nevertheless, if this problem is treated by imposing certain constraints, solutions for specific application domains can be found. MPEG-4 applications in mobile devices is one such domain where the opposite goals namely low power and high throughput are required to be met. Efficient memory management plays a major role in reducing the power consumption. Specifically, efficient memory management for VOPs is difficult because the lifetimes of these objects vary and these life times may be overlapping. Varying life times of the objects requires dynamic memory management where memory fragmentation is a key problem that needs to be addressed. In general, memory management systems address this problem by following a combination of strategy, policy and mechanism. For MPEG4 based mobile devices that lack instruction processors, a hardware based memory management solution is necessary. In MPEG4 based mobile devices that have a RISC processor, using a Real time operating system (RTOS) for this memory management task is not expected to be efficient because the strategies and policies used by the ROTS is often tuned for handling memory segments of smaller sizes compared to object sizes. Hence, a memory management scheme specifically tuned for VOPs is important. In this paper, different strategies, policies and mechanisms for memory management are considered and an efficient combination is proposed for the case of VOP memory management along with a hardware architecture, which can handle the proposed combination.

Effects of gaps in priorities between ideal and real lives on psychological burnout among academic faculty members at a medical university in Japan: a cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Chatani, Yuki; Nomura, Kyoko; Horie, Saki; Takemoto, Keisuke; Takeuchi, Masumi; Sasamori, Yukifumi; Takenoshita, Shinichi; Murakami, Aya; Hiraike, Haruko; Okinaga, Hiroko; Smith, Derek

2017-04-04

Accumulating evidence from medical workforce research indicates that poor work/life balance and increased work/home conflict induce psychological distress. In this study we aim to examine the existence of a priority gap between ideal and real lives, and its association with psychological burnout among academic professionals. This cross-sectional survey, conducted in 2014, included faculty members (228 men, 102 women) at a single medical university in Tokyo, Japan. The outcome of interest was psychological burnout, measured with a validated inventory. Discordance between ideal- and real-life priorities, based on participants' responses (work, family, individual life, combinations thereof), was defined as a priority gap. The majority (64%) of participants chose "work" as the greatest priority in real life, but only 28% chose "work" as the greatest priority in their conception of an ideal life. Priority gaps were identified in 59.5% of respondents. A stepwise multivariable general linear model demonstrated that burnout scores were associated positively with respondents' current position (P < 0.0018) and the presence of a priority gap (P < 0.0001), and negatively with the presence of social support (P < 0.0001). Among participants reporting priority gaps, burnout scores were significantly lower in those with children than in those with no children (P interaction  = 0.011); no such trend was observed in participants with no priority gap. A gap in priorities between an ideal and real life was associated with an increased risk of burnout, and the presence of children, which is a type of "family" social support, had a mitigating effect on burnout among those reporting priority gaps.

Does a 20-week aerobic exercise training programme increase our capabilities to buffer real-life stressors? A randomized, controlled trial using ambulatory assessment.

PubMed

von Haaren, Birte; Ottenbacher, Joerg; Muenz, Julia; Neumann, Rainer; Boes, Klaus; Ebner-Priemer, Ulrich

2016-02-01

The cross-stressor adaptation hypothesis suggests that regular exercise leads to adaptations in the stress response systems that induce decreased physiological responses to psychological stressors. Even though an exercise intervention to buffer the detrimental effects of psychological stressors on health might be of utmost importance, empirical evidence is mixed. This may be explained by the use of cross-sectional designs and non-personally relevant stressors. Using a randomized controlled trial, we hypothesized that a 20-week aerobic exercise training does reduce physiological stress responses to psychological real-life stressors in sedentary students. Sixty-one students were randomized to either a control group or an exercise training group. The academic examination period (end of the semester) served as a real-life stressor. We used ambulatory assessment methods to assess physiological stress reactivity of the autonomic nervous system (heart rate variability: LF/HF, RMSSD), physical activity and perceived stress during 2 days of everyday life and multilevel models for data analyses. Aerobic capacity (VO2max) was assessed pre- and post-intervention via cardiopulmonary exercise testing to analyze the effectiveness of the intervention. During real-life stressors, the exercise training group showed significantly reduced LF/HF (β = -0.15, t = -2.59, p = .01) and increased RMSSD (β = 0.15, t = 2.34, p = .02) compared to the control group. Using a randomized controlled trial and a real-life stressor, we could show that exercise appears to be a useful preventive strategy to buffer the effects of stress on the autonomic nervous system, which might result into detrimental health outcomes.

Surgeons' and surgical trainees' acute stress in real operations or simulation: A systematic review.

PubMed

Georgiou, Konstantinos; Larentzakis, Andreas; Papavassiliou, Athanasios G

2017-12-01

Acute stress in surgery is ubiquitous and has an immediate impact on surgical performance and patient safety. Surgeons react with several coping strategies; however, they recognise the necessity of formal stress management training. Thus, stress assessment is a direct need. Surgical simulation is a validated standardised training milieu designed to replicate real-life situations. It replicates stress, prevents biases, and provides objective metrics. The complexity of stress mechanisms makes stress measurement difficult to quantify and interpret. This systematic review aims to identify studies that have used acute stress estimation measurements in surgeons or surgical trainees during real operations or surgical simulation, and to collectively present the rationale of these tools, with special emphasis in salivary markers. A search strategy was implemented to retrieve relevant articles from MEDLINE and SCOPUS databases. The 738 articles retrieved were reviewed for further evaluation according to the predetermined inclusion/exclusion criteria. Thirty-three studies were included in this systematic review. The methods for acute stress assessment varied greatly among studies with the non-invasive techniques being the most commonly used. Subjective and objective tests for surgeons' acute stress assessment are being presented. There is a broad spectrum of acute mental stress assessment tools in the surgical field and simulation and salivary biomarkers have recently gained popularity. There is a need to maintain a consistent methodology in future research, towards a deeper understanding of acute stress in the surgical field. Copyright © 2017 Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh (Scottish charity number SC005317) and Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Stereoscopic augmented reality with pseudo-realistic global illumination effects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de Sorbier, Francois; Saito, Hideo

2014-03-01

Recently, augmented reality has become very popular and has appeared in our daily life with gaming, guiding systems or mobile phone applications. However, inserting object in such a way their appearance seems natural is still an issue, especially in an unknown environment. This paper presents a framework that demonstrates the capabilities of Kinect for convincing augmented reality in an unknown environment. Rather than pre-computing a reconstruction of the scene like proposed by most of the previous method, we propose a dynamic capture of the scene that allows adapting to live changes of the environment. Our approach, based on the update of an environment map, can also detect the position of the light sources. Combining information from the environment map, the light sources and the camera tracking, we can display virtual objects using stereoscopic devices with global illumination effects such as diffuse and mirror reflections, refractions and shadows in real time.

Developmental changes in memorial comparisons: the effects of stimulus presentation mode.

PubMed

Wright, K P; Berch, D B

1992-06-01

First graders, fifth graders, and college students made comparative size judgments of either pictures (line drawings) or names (spoken words) of common objects by designating the "bigger" item in real life. Care was taken to equate the picture and word conditions on a number of critical parameters including method of item-pair presentation and activation of response-time intervals. All groups exhibited a symbolic distance effect. While judgments were faster with pictures than words, the magnitude of the difference did not change with age. Previous research suggesting a marked developmental decline in the magnitude of the "pictorial superiority effect" may have confounded reduced memory demands with stimulus presentation mode for young children. Finally, slopes of the symbolic distance functions were found to decrease with increasing grade level, at least from first to fifth grade. This is the first demonstration of an age-related decline in slopes for magnitude comparisons of concrete objects.

Slit identification for a uranium slab using a binary classifier based on cosmic-ray muon scattering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xiao, S.; He, W.; Chen, Y.; Dang, X.; Wu, L.; Shuai, M.

2017-12-01

Traditional muon tomographic method has been fraught with difficulty when it is applied to identify some defective high-Z objects or other complicated structures, since it usually gets into trouble when attempting to produce a precise three-dimensional image for such objects. In this paper, we present a binary classifier based on cosmic-ray muon scattering to identify the slit potentially located in a uranium slab. The superiority of this classifier is established by steering clear of the stubborn imaging procedure necessary for the conventional methods. Simulation results demonstrate its capability to spot a horizontal or vertical slit with a reasonable exposure time. The minimum width of a spotted slit is on the level of millimeters or even sub-millimeters. Therefore, this technique will be prospective in terms of monitoring the long-term status of nuclear storage and facilities in real life.

Using Markov Chains and Multi-Objective Optimization for Energy-Efficient Context Recognition †

PubMed Central

Janko, Vito

2017-01-01

The recognition of the user’s context with wearable sensing systems is a common problem in ubiquitous computing. However, the typically small battery of such systems often makes continuous recognition impractical. The strain on the battery can be reduced if the sensor setting is adapted to each context. We propose a method that efficiently finds near-optimal sensor settings for each context. It uses Markov chains to simulate the behavior of the system in different configurations and the multi-objective genetic algorithm to find a set of good non-dominated configurations. The method was evaluated on three real-life datasets and found good trade-offs between the system’s energy expenditure and the system’s accuracy. One of the solutions, for example, consumed five-times less energy than the default one, while sacrificing only two percentage points of accuracy. PMID:29286301

Visual Agnosia for Line Drawings and Silhouettes without Apparent Impairment of Real-Object Recognition: A Case Report

PubMed Central

Hiraoka, Kotaro; Suzuki, Kyoko; Hirayama, Kazumi; Mori, Etsuro

2009-01-01

We report on a patient with visual agnosia for line drawings and silhouette pictures following cerebral infarction in the region of the right posterior cerebral artery. The patient retained the ability to recognize real objects and their photographs, and could precisely copy line drawings of objects that she could not name. This case report highlights the importance of clinicians and researchers paying special attention to avoid overlooking agnosia in such cases. The factors that lead to problems in the identification of stimuli other than real objects in agnosic cases are discussed. PMID:19996516

Visual agnosia for line drawings and silhouettes without apparent impairment of real-object recognition: a case report.

PubMed

Hiraoka, Kotaro; Suzuki, Kyoko; Hirayama, Kazumi; Mori, Etsuro

2009-01-01

We report on a patient with visual agnosia for line drawings and silhouette pictures following cerebral infarction in the region of the right posterior cerebral artery. The patient retained the ability to recognize real objects and their photographs, and could precisely copy line drawings of objects that she could not name. This case report highlights the importance of clinicians and researchers paying special attention to avoid overlooking agnosia in such cases. The factors that lead to problems in the identification of stimuli other than real objects in agnosic cases are discussed.

A Study on Software-based Sensing Technology for Multiple Object Control in AR Video

PubMed Central

Jung, Sungmo; Song, Jae-gu; Hwang, Dae-Joon; Ahn, Jae Young; Kim, Seoksoo

2010-01-01

Researches on Augmented Reality (AR) have recently received attention. With these, the Machine-to-Machine (M2M) market has started to be active and there are numerous efforts to apply this to real life in all sectors of society. To date, the M2M market has applied the existing marker-based AR technology in entertainment, business and other industries. With the existing marker-based AR technology, a designated object can only be loaded on the screen from one marker and a marker has to be added to load on the screen the same object again. This situation creates a problem where the relevant marker’should be extracted and printed in screen so that loading of the multiple objects is enabled. However, since the distance between markers will not be measured in the process of detecting and copying markers, the markers can be overlapped and thus the objects would not be augmented. To solve this problem, a circle having the longest radius needs to be created from a focal point of a marker to be copied, so that no object is copied within the confines of the circle. In this paper, software-based sensing technology for multiple object detection and loading using PPHT has been developed and overlapping marker control according to multiple object control has been studied using the Bresenham and Mean Shift algorithms. PMID:22163444

A study on software-based sensing technology for multiple object control in AR video.

PubMed

Jung, Sungmo; Song, Jae-Gu; Hwang, Dae-Joon; Ahn, Jae Young; Kim, Seoksoo

2010-01-01

Researches on Augmented Reality (AR) have recently received attention. With these, the Machine-to-Machine (M2M) market has started to be active and there are numerous efforts to apply this to real life in all sectors of society. To date, the M2M market has applied the existing marker-based AR technology in entertainment, business and other industries. With the existing marker-based AR technology, a designated object can only be loaded on the screen from one marker and a marker has to be added to load on the screen the same object again. This situation creates a problem where the relevant marker'should be extracted and printed in screen so that loading of the multiple objects is enabled. However, since the distance between markers will not be measured in the process of detecting and copying markers, the markers can be overlapped and thus the objects would not be augmented. To solve this problem, a circle having the longest radius needs to be created from a focal point of a marker to be copied, so that no object is copied within the confines of the circle. In this paper, software-based sensing technology for multiple object detection and loading using PPHT has been developed and overlapping marker control according to multiple object control has been studied using the Bresenham and Mean Shift algorithms.

Real and hypothetical rewards

PubMed Central

Locey, Matthew L.; Jones, Bryan A.; Rachlin, Howard

2012-01-01

Laboratory studies of choice and decision making among real monetary rewards typically use smaller real rewards than those common in real life. When laboratory rewards are large, they are almost always hypothetical. In applying laboratory results meaningfully to real-life situations, it is important to know the extent to which choices among hypothetical rewards correspond to choices among real rewards and whether variation of the magnitude of hypothetical rewards affects behavior in meaningful ways. The present study compared real and hypothetical monetary rewards in two experiments. In Experiment 1, participants played a temporal discounting game that incorporates the logic of a repeated prisoner’s-dilemma (PD) type game versus tit-for-tat; choice of one alternative (“defection” in PD terminology) resulted in a small-immediate reward; choice of the other alternative (“cooperation” in PD terminology) resulted in a larger reward delayed until the following trial. The larger-delayed reward was greater for half of the groups than for the other half. Rewards also differed in type across groups: multiples of real nickels, hypothetical nickels or hypothetical hundred-dollar bills. All groups significantly increased choice of the larger delayed reward over the 40 trials of the experiment. Over the last 10 trials, cooperation was significantly higher when the difference between larger and smaller hypothetical rewards was greater. Reward type (real or hypothetical) made no significant difference in cooperation. In Experiment 2, real and hypothetical rewards were compared in social discounting – the decrease in value to the giver of a reward as social distance increases to the receiver of the reward. Social discount rates were well described by a hyperbolic function. Discounting rates for real and hypothetical rewards did not significantly differ. These results add to the evidence that results of experiments with hypothetical rewards validly apply in everyday life. PMID:22582110

Real-Life Research: Project Runway Makeover Model

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jaeger, Paige; Nesi, Olga M.

2014-01-01

Real-life research is incredibly varied. We research cars. We research lawn problems. We research child behavior problems, health issues, possible vacation destinations, and prices to stretch our budgets. No two scenarios are ever alike, and no two health issues should be assumed to be the same. That is reality, and that is a picture of what the…

26 CFR 1.803-5 - Real estate owned and occupied.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... (CONTINUED) INCOME TAXES Life Insurance Companies § 1.803-5 Real estate owned and occupied. The amount... and occupied in whole or in part by a life insurance company is limited to an amount which bears the... of the space not occupied by the company is equal to one-half of the rental value of the entire...

From Theory to Practice: A Path through Imperfection--Lessons from Evaluation of Policy Oriented Environmental Health Research in Belgium

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Keune, Hans; Morrens, Bert; Loots, Ilse; Springael, Johan

2011-01-01

Background: Dealing with complex issues per definition bears the burden of imperfection. Whatever comforting theoretical concepts may promise, real life complexity will take its messy toll once travelling from conceptual ambition to real life practice. We specifically reflect on the social scientific contribution to these inter- and…

Developing Situational Learning Events: A Practical Merger of Real-Life Events with Content Instruction.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Salyer, B. Keith; Thyfault, Alberta

This paper discusses the value of merging real-life events with content instruction and provides six sample lessons to illustrate such instruction. A brief review of the literature notes historic recognition of the importance of applied learning, the issue of retention and transfer of learning, the approach of using content relevant experiences…

To Solve or Not to Solve, that Is the Problem

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Braiden, Doug

2011-01-01

The senior school Mathematics syllabus is often restricted to the study of single variable differential equations of the first order. Unfortunately most real life examples do not follow such types of relations. In addition, very few differential equations in real life have exact solutions that can be expressed in finite terms. Even if the solution…

Preliminary Results of Professional Development Program for School Science Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wuttiprom, Sura; Wuttisela, Karntarat; Phonchaiya, Sonthi; Athiwaspong, Wanwalai; Chitaree, Ratchapak; Sharma, Manjula Devi

2016-01-01

Teachers need to design their courses to be as similar to real-life situations as possible as genuine learning emerges in real life as opposed to studying in class. Research-based learning is an innovative approach exploring many critical strategies for success in the twenty-first century. In it, students drive their own learning through inquiry,…

The Real Life Application of Pulleys in a Competitive Environment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tekbiyik, Ahmet

2015-01-01

The aim of this research was to explore students' application of theoretical knowledge in real-life situations using pulley systems in a competition designed for primary school students. The study was conducted with 24 primary school students who had completed year seven, and who volunteered to participate in a summer science camp. In groups, the…

Exploration of Secondary Students' Creativity by Integrating Web-Based Technology into an Innovative Science Curriculum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jang, Syh-Jong

2009-01-01

The purpose of the study was to investigate how web-based technology could be utilized and integrated with real-life scientific materials to stimulate the creativity of secondary school students. One certified science teacher and 31 seventh graders participated in this study. Several real-life experience science sessions integrated with online…

The Elements of a Good Case

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fossey, Richard; Crow, Gary M.

2011-01-01

In the broad sense, case teaching is an ancient pedagogy. Since time began, teachers have taught other people by drawing on stories from real-life experiences. In a way, then, telling stories taken from real life can be seen as case teaching. Case writing and case teaching in a college or university setting, however, require specific research and…

The Real-Life-Referent as a Standard for News Perspective Bias.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barbatsis, Gretchen S.

The concept of news perspective bias necessitates the creation of an empirical standard by which to judge that bias. A study defined and tested a real life referent applicable to planned, sustained news events that have identifiable and accessible participants. The study compared the television news coverage of court ordered busing to achieve…

Creating Machinima (3D) and Real Life Videos in an ESP Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ochoa Alpala, Carol Anne; Ortíz García, William Ricardo

2018-01-01

This research paper reports on the development of oral presentation skills in a 3D virtual world called "Moviestorm" machinima, in contrast with real-life videos. In this way, the implementation of both types of videos sought to promote the improvement of oral communication skills, specifically oral presentations in a foreign language,…

How 4 Colleges Take on Veterans' Issues, in Research and Real Life

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sander, Libby

2012-01-01

This article features four colleges and how they take on veterans' issues in research and real life. These colleges are (1) Syracuse University; (2) Purdue University; (3) University of Southern California; and (4) University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Last year Syracuse established the Institute for Veterans and Military Families to focus…

Motion Pictures and Real-Life Violence; What the Research Says.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schramm, Wilbur

There is evidence that violence in motion pictures viewed by children on screen or television can contribute to violence in real life, although the movies can rarely be blamed as the sole cause of anti-social conduct. Clinical reports cite instances of the effect on "susceptible" youngsters; e.g., emotionally disturbed individuals. Long-term…

Contextualizing Performances: Comparing Performances during TOEFL iBT™ and Real-Life Academic Speaking Activities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brooks, Lindsay; Swain, Merrill

2014-01-01

In this study we compare test takers' performance on the Speaking section of the TOEFL iBT™and their performances during their real-life academic studies. Thirty international graduate students from mixed language backgrounds in two different disciplines (Sciences and Social Sciences) responded to two independent and four integrated speaking tasks…

The Design of a Mathematics Problem Using Real-Life Context for Young Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cheng, Lu Pien

2013-01-01

In this paper the teachers' learning journey on designing a mathematics problem that involves a real-life context is reported. This is part of a larger project undertaken in a primary school in Singapore where the teachers were engaged in planning, observing and critiquing mathematics lessons to investigate teaching and learning. These unique…

Metacognition in Real Life Situations and Study Skills and Habits: Two Types of Processes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Al-Hilawani, Yasser A.

2016-01-01

The relationship between metacognition in real life situations and study skills and habits was examined using a sample of college students. Results showed no significant relationship between these two variables nor was there a significant relationship between study skills and reaction time as measured on the metacognitive test. However, there was…

The Oral Language Process in Writing: A Real-Life Writing Session.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shuy, Roger W.; Robinson, David G.

1990-01-01

Analyzes a real-life writing session involving a male executive in the construction business, his female secretary, and a male representing himself as a state official, working collaboratively to write a letter to a state official urging action on a long overdue claim. Discusses the quality of the drafts and the participants' roles. (KEH)

The Use of a Real Life Simulated Problem Based Learning Activity in a Corporate Environment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Laurent, Mark A.

2013-01-01

This narrative study examines using a real life simulated problem base learning activity during education of clinical staff, which is expected to design and develop clinically correct electronic charting systems. Expertise in healthcare does not readily transcend to the realm of manipulating software to collect patient data that is pertinent to…

Moral Emotions and Moral Judgments in Children's Narratives: Comparing Real-Life and Hypothetical Transgressions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gutzwiller-Helfenfinger, Eveline; Gasser, Luciano; Malti, Tina

2010-01-01

How children make meaning of their own social experiences in situations involving moral issues is central to their subsequent affective and cognitive moral learning. Our study of young children's narratives describing their interpersonal conflicts shows that the emotions and judgments constructed in the course of these real-life narratives differ…

Social Cohesion as a Real-Life Phenomenon: Assessing the Explanatory Power of the Universalist and Particularist Perspectives

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Janmaat, Jan Germen

2011-01-01

Unlike most studies on social cohesion, this study explores the concept as a real-life macro-level phenomenon. It assesses to what extent the conceptions of social cohesion suggested by several macro-level approaches represent coherent empirically observable forms of social cohesion. Additionally it discusses two perspectives on social…

Successful life outcome and management of real-world memory demands despite profound anterograde amnesia

PubMed Central

Duff, Melissa C.; Wszalek, Tracey; Tranel, Daniel; Cohen, Neal J.

2010-01-01

We describe the case of Angie, a 50 year-old woman with profound amnesia (General Memory Index = 49, Full Scale IQ = 126) following a closed head injury in 1985. This case is unique in comparison to other cases reported in the literature in that, despite the severity of her amnesia, she has developed remarkable real-world life abilities, shows impressive self awareness and insight into the impairment and sparing of various functional memory abilities, and exhibits ongoing maturation of her identity and sense of self following amnesia. The case provides insights into the interaction of different memory and cognitive systems in handling real-world memory demands, and has implications for rehabilitation and for successful life outcome after amnesia. PMID:18608659

Effectiveness of active-online, an individually tailored physical activity intervention, in a real-life setting: randomized controlled trial.

PubMed

Wanner, Miriam; Martin-Diener, Eva; Braun-Fahrländer, Charlotte; Bauer, Georg; Martin, Brian W

2009-07-28

Effective interventions are needed to reduce the chronic disease epidemic. The Internet has the potential to provide large populations with individual advice at relatively low cost. The focus of the study was the Web-based tailored physical activity intervention Active-online. The main research questions were (1) How effective is Active-online, compared to a nontailored website, in increasing self-reported and objectively measured physical activity levels in the general population when delivered in a real-life setting? (2) Do respondents recruited for the randomized study differ from spontaneous users of Active-online, and how does effectiveness differ between these groups? (3) What is the impact of frequency and duration of use of Active-online on changes in physical activity behavior? Volunteers recruited via different media channels completed a Web-based baseline survey and were randomized to Active-online (intervention group) or a nontailored website (control group). In addition, spontaneous users were recruited directly from the Active-online website. In a subgroup of participants, physical activity was measured objectively using accelerometers. Follow-up assessments took place 6 weeks (FU1), 6 months (FU2), and 13 months (FU3) after baseline. A total of 1531 respondents completed the baseline questionnaire (intervention group n = 681, control group n = 688, spontaneous users n = 162); 133 individuals had valid accelerometer data at baseline. Mean age of the total sample was 43.7 years, and 1146 (74.9%) were women. Mixed linear models (adjusted for sex, age, BMI category, and stage of change) showed a significant increase in self-reported mean minutes spent in moderate- and vigorous-intensity activity from baseline to FU1 (coefficient = 0.14, P = .001) and to FU3 (coefficient = 0.19, P < .001) in all participants with no significant differences between groups. A significant increase in the proportion of individuals meeting the HEPA recommendations (self-reported) was observed in all participants between baseline and FU3 (OR = 1.47, P = .03), with a higher increase in spontaneous users compared to the randomized groups (interaction between FU3 and spontaneous users, OR = 2.95, P = .02). There were no increases in physical activity over time in any group for objectively measured physical activity. A significant relation was found between time spent on the tailored intervention and changes in self-reported physical activity between baseline and FU3 (coefficient = 1.13, P = .03, intervention group and spontaneous users combined). However, this association was no longer significant when adjusting for stage of change. In a real-life setting, Active-online was not more effective than a nontailored website in increasing physical activity levels in volunteers from the general population. Further research may investigate ways of integrating Web-based physical activity interventions in a wider context, for example, primary care or workplace health promotion.

Canonical Visual Size for Real-World Objects

PubMed Central

Konkle, Talia; Oliva, Aude

2012-01-01

Real-world objects can be viewed at a range of distances and thus can be experienced at a range of visual angles within the visual field. Given the large amount of visual size variation possible when observing objects, we examined how internal object representations represent visual size information. In a series of experiments which required observers to access existing object knowledge, we observed that real-world objects have a consistent visual size at which they are drawn, imagined, and preferentially viewed. Importantly, this visual size is proportional to the logarithm of the assumed size of the object in the world, and is best characterized not as a fixed visual angle, but by the ratio of the object and the frame of space around it. Akin to the previous literature on canonical perspective, we term this consistent visual size information the canonical visual size. PMID:20822298

Using Ada: The deeper challenges

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Feinberg, David A.

1986-01-01

The Ada programming language and the associated Ada Programming Support Environment (APSE) and Ada Run Time Environment (ARTE) provide the potential for significant life-cycle cost reductions in computer software development and maintenance activities. The Ada programming language itself is standardized, trademarked, and controlled via formal validation procedures. Though compilers are not yet production-ready as most would desire, the technology for constructing them is sufficiently well known and understood that time and money should suffice to correct current deficiencies. The APSE and ARTE are, on the other hand, significantly newer issues within most software development and maintenance efforts. Currently, APSE and ARTE are highly dependent on differing implementer concepts, strategies, and market objectives. Complex and sophisticated mission-critical computing systems require the use of a complete Ada-based capability, not just the programming language itself; yet the range of APSE and ARTE features which must actually be utilized can vary significantly from one system to another. As a consequence, the need to understand, objectively evaluate, and select differing APSE and ARTE capabilities and features is critical to the effective use of Ada and the life-cycle efficiencies it is intended to promote. It is the selection, collection, and understanding of APSE and ARTE which provide the deeper challenges of using Ada for real-life mission-critical computing systems. Some of the current issues which must be clarified, often on a case-by-case basis, in order to successfully realize the full capabilities of Ada are discussed.

Speedup of lexicographic optimization by superiorization and its applications to cancer radiotherapy treatment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bonacker, Esther; Gibali, Aviv; Küfer, Karl-Heinz; Süss, Philipp

2017-04-01

Multicriteria optimization problems occur in many real life applications, for example in cancer radiotherapy treatment and in particular in intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT). In this work we focus on optimization problems with multiple objectives that are ranked according to their importance. We solve these problems numerically by combining lexicographic optimization with our recently proposed level set scheme, which yields a sequence of auxiliary convex feasibility problems; solved here via projection methods. The projection enables us to combine the newly introduced superiorization methodology with multicriteria optimization methods to speed up computation while guaranteeing convergence of the optimization. We demonstrate our scheme with a simple 2D academic example (used in the literature) and also present results from calculations on four real head neck cases in IMRT (Radiation Oncology of the Ludwig-Maximilians University, Munich, Germany) for two different choices of superiorization parameter sets suited to yield fast convergence for each case individually or robust behavior for all four cases.

Association between volume and momentum of online searches and real-world collective unrest

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qi, Hong; Manrique, Pedro; Johnson, Daniela; Restrepo, Elvira; Johnson, Neil F.

A fundamental idea from physics is that macroscopic transitions can occur as a result of an escalation in the correlated activity of a many-body system's constituent particles. Here we apply this idea in an interdisciplinary setting, whereby the particles are individuals, their correlated activity involves online search activity surrounding the topics of social unrest, and the macroscopic phenomenon being measured are real-world protests. Our empirical study covers countries in Latin America during 2011-2014 using datasets assembled from multiple sources by subject matter experts. We find specifically that the volume and momentum of searches on Google Trends surrounding mass protest language, can detect - and may even pre-empt - the macroscopic on-street activity. Not only can this simple open-source solution prove an invaluable aid for monitoring civil order, our study serves to strengthen the increasing literature in the physics community aimed at understanding the collective dynamics of interacting populations of living objects across the life sciences.

Towards Automatic Image Segmentation Using Optimised Region Growing Technique

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alazab, Mamoun; Islam, Mofakharul; Venkatraman, Sitalakshmi

Image analysis is being adopted extensively in many applications such as digital forensics, medical treatment, industrial inspection, etc. primarily for diagnostic purposes. Hence, there is a growing interest among researches in developing new segmentation techniques to aid the diagnosis process. Manual segmentation of images is labour intensive, extremely time consuming and prone to human errors and hence an automated real-time technique is warranted in such applications. There is no universally applicable automated segmentation technique that will work for all images as the image segmentation is quite complex and unique depending upon the domain application. Hence, to fill the gap, this paper presents an efficient segmentation algorithm that can segment a digital image of interest into a more meaningful arrangement of regions and objects. Our algorithm combines region growing approach with optimised elimination of false boundaries to arrive at more meaningful segments automatically. We demonstrate this using X-ray teeth images that were taken for real-life dental diagnosis.

Real-time color measurement using active illuminant

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tominaga, Shoji; Horiuchi, Takahiko; Yoshimura, Akihiko

2010-01-01

This paper proposes a method for real-time color measurement using active illuminant. A synchronous measurement system is constructed by combining a high-speed active spectral light source and a high-speed monochrome camera. The light source is a programmable spectral source which is capable of emitting arbitrary spectrum in high speed. This system is the essential advantage of capturing spectral images without using filters in high frame rates. The new method of real-time colorimetry is different from the traditional method based on the colorimeter or the spectrometers. We project the color-matching functions onto an object surface as spectral illuminants. Then we can obtain the CIE-XYZ tristimulus values directly from the camera outputs at every point on the surface. We describe the principle of our colorimetric technique based on projection of the color-matching functions and the procedure for realizing a real-time measurement system of a moving object. In an experiment, we examine the performance of real-time color measurement for a static object and a moving object.

Object classification for obstacle avoidance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Regensburger, Uwe; Graefe, Volker

1991-03-01

Object recognition is necessary for any mobile robot operating autonomously in the real world. This paper discusses an object classifier based on a 2-D object model. Obstacle candidates are tracked and analyzed false alarms generated by the object detector are recognized and rejected. The methods have been implemented on a multi-processor system and tested in real-world experiments. They work reliably under favorable conditions but sometimes problems occur e. g. when objects contain many features (edges) or move in front of structured background.

Time-Frequency Feature Representation Using Multi-Resolution Texture Analysis and Acoustic Activity Detector for Real-Life Speech Emotion Recognition

PubMed Central

Wang, Kun-Ching

2015-01-01

The classification of emotional speech is mostly considered in speech-related research on human-computer interaction (HCI). In this paper, the purpose is to present a novel feature extraction based on multi-resolutions texture image information (MRTII). The MRTII feature set is derived from multi-resolution texture analysis for characterization and classification of different emotions in a speech signal. The motivation is that we have to consider emotions have different intensity values in different frequency bands. In terms of human visual perceptual, the texture property on multi-resolution of emotional speech spectrogram should be a good feature set for emotion classification in speech. Furthermore, the multi-resolution analysis on texture can give a clearer discrimination between each emotion than uniform-resolution analysis on texture. In order to provide high accuracy of emotional discrimination especially in real-life, an acoustic activity detection (AAD) algorithm must be applied into the MRTII-based feature extraction. Considering the presence of many blended emotions in real life, in this paper make use of two corpora of naturally-occurring dialogs recorded in real-life call centers. Compared with the traditional Mel-scale Frequency Cepstral Coefficients (MFCC) and the state-of-the-art features, the MRTII features also can improve the correct classification rates of proposed systems among different language databases. Experimental results show that the proposed MRTII-based feature information inspired by human visual perception of the spectrogram image can provide significant classification for real-life emotional recognition in speech. PMID:25594590

Development of a VRLA battery with improved separators, and a charge controller, for low cost photovoltaic and wind powered installations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fernandez, M.; Ruddell, A. J.; Vast, N.; Esteban, J.; Estela, F.

There are many applications and uses for which it is more advantageous to use solar installations than to extend the electrical network and connect to it. This kind of applications are numerous covering from isolated houses to telephone repeaters and the like. These kind of applications share some common characteristics like being located in remote not easy accessible areas, require relatively low power for operation, and being difficult to maintain. Up to now the use of photovoltaic systems, no matter the impressive growth they are experimenting, suffer from some drawbacks, mainly related with the life expectations and reliability of such systems, and as a consequence of the cost of these systems, when calculated on a lifetime basis. To try to contribute to solve these problems, a project partially founded by the European Commission, has been carried out, with the main objective of increasing the life of these systems, and consequently to make them more attractive from the point of view of cost on a lifetime basis for consumers. Presently, the life of PV systems is limited by its weakest component, the battery. Battery failure modes in PV applications, are related with well known phenomena like corrosion, but also due to the special nature of this installations, with other factors like corrosion and growth in the upper part of the group, induced by the development of acid stratification inside the battery, with the more prone standard flooded types now in major use, and to a lesser extent the new valve regulated lead acid (VRLA) types beginning to be used. The main objectives of this project, were: to develop a new glass microfibre separator material, capable of minimizing acid stratification inside the battery. To develop a new VRLA battery, with a life duration of 800 cycles on cycling at 60% DOD and partial state of charge (PSOC) conditions. To develop a new charge regulator, that takes into account the condition of the battery in the near term, to modify its setting charging point. The fourth objective was the design and implementation of a PV/wind demonstration system, to test all the PV components under real conditions. The project has been successful, having achieved a life increase of 50%, moving achievable life from previous 500-750 cycles for the new battery and system.

Discourses of Indiscipline: An Informal Hobbesian Riposte to Cate Watson

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McManus, Michael

2006-01-01

Classroom battles are real and not a metaphor. Warfare is a historical and present fact of human life. Life really is a battle and conflict inevitable; injuries to the psyche are just as real as those to the body. Schools cannot step outside society. It is not Foucault but Thomas Hobbes who offers the most perceptive insight into human behaviour…

26 CFR 1.803-5 - Real estate owned and occupied.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... (CONTINUED) INCOME TAXES (CONTINUED) Life Insurance Companies § 1.803-5 Real estate owned and occupied. The... estate owned and occupied in whole or in part by a life insurance company is limited to an amount which... rental value of the space not occupied by the company is equal to one-half of the rental value of the...

26 CFR 1.803-5 - Real estate owned and occupied.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... (CONTINUED) INCOME TAXES (CONTINUED) Life Insurance Companies § 1.803-5 Real estate owned and occupied. The... estate owned and occupied in whole or in part by a life insurance company is limited to an amount which... rental value of the space not occupied by the company is equal to one-half of the rental value of the...

26 CFR 1.803-5 - Real estate owned and occupied.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... (CONTINUED) INCOME TAXES (CONTINUED) Life Insurance Companies § 1.803-5 Real estate owned and occupied. The... estate owned and occupied in whole or in part by a life insurance company is limited to an amount which... rental value of the space not occupied by the company is equal to one-half of the rental value of the...

26 CFR 1.803-5 - Real estate owned and occupied.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... (CONTINUED) INCOME TAXES (CONTINUED) Life Insurance Companies § 1.803-5 Real estate owned and occupied. The... estate owned and occupied in whole or in part by a life insurance company is limited to an amount which... rental value of the space not occupied by the company is equal to one-half of the rental value of the...

The Impossibility of "Real-Life" Word Problems (According to Bakhtin, Lacan, Zizek and Baudrillard)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gerofsky, Susan

2010-01-01

In recent years a great deal of work on mathematical word problems has focused on efforts to bring more of "real life" into the problems themselves and students' uptake of these problems. Following on from earlier studies of the word problem as a pedagogical and literary genre, the author argues that we cannot unproblematically assume an ability…

Do Children Do What They Say? Responses to Hypothetical and Real-Life Social Problems in Children with Mild Intellectual Disabilities and Behaviour Problems

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

van Nieuwenhuijzen, M.; Bijman, E. R.; Lamberix, I. C. W.; Wijnroks, L.; de Castro, B. Orobio; Vermeer, A.; Matthys, W.

2005-01-01

Abstract: Background Most research on children's social problem-solving skills is based on responses to hypothetical vignettes. Just how these responses relate to actual behaviour in real-life social situations is, however, unclear, particularly for children with mild intellectual disabilities (MID). Method: In the present study, the spontaneous…

Using Real-Worldness and Cultural Difference to Enhance Student Learning in a Foundation Phase Life Skills Module

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Koen, Mariette; Ebrahim, Hasina Banu

2013-01-01

Our aim was to explore how real-world experience, inclusive of engagement with cultural differences, influences the quality of students' learning in a Life Skills module in pre-service Foundation Phase teacher education. The study was conducted with 147 students in their final year of the Bachelor of Education (Foundation Phase specialisation), at…

Real Life Math Mysteries: A Kids' Answer to the Question, "What Will We Ever Use This For?"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Washington, Mary Ford

This book contains real-life mathematics problems and is designed to conform to the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics' (NCTM) goals as outlined in the NCTM Curriculum and Evaluation Standards for School Mathematics. The problems come from each person's day-to-day experiences in their careers. Persons from various careers represented are…

Real-Life Solutions to Real-Life Problems: Collaborating with a Non-Profit Foundation to Engage Honors Students in Applied Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stark, Emily

2013-01-01

Colleges and universities have long emphasized undergraduate research experiences as valuable activities for students. Collegiate honors programs in particular have embraced the role of student research as an integral experience for high-ability students, leading the way in developing the thesis-based model of undergraduate research that is…

A Lesson Based on the Use of Contexts: An Example of Effective Practice in Secondary School Mathematics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harvey, Roger; Averill, Robin

2012-01-01

The importance of using real-life contexts in teaching mathematics is emphasised in many policy and curriculum statements. The literature indicates using contexts to teach mathematics can be difficult and few detailed exemplars exist. This article describes the use of real-life contexts in one New Zealand Year 11 algebra lesson. Data included a…

Real Life Calls for Real Books: Literature to Help Children Cope with Family Stressors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roberts, Sherron Killingsworth; Crawford, Patricia A.

2008-01-01

This article provides a rationale and related practical suggestions for using literature as a support system for social-emotional development as children cope with the stresses, anxieties, and feelings of loss that can occur in family life. The authors discusses types of books, how to choose them, and how teachers can use authentic literature to…

Using Real-Life Data When Teaching Statistics: Student Perceptions of this Strategy in an Introductory Statistics Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Neumann, David L.; Hood, Michelle; Neumann, Michelle M.

2013-01-01

Many teachers of statistics recommend using real-life data during class lessons. However, there has been little systematic study of what effect this teaching method has on student engagement and learning. The present study examined this question in a first-year university statistics course. Students (n = 38) were interviewed and their reflections…

Blue Tigers, Black Tapirs, & the Pied Raven of the Faroe Islands: Teaching Genetic Drift Using Real-Life Animal Examples

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Robischon, Marcel

2015-01-01

Genetic drift is a concept of population genetics that is central to understanding evolutionary processes and aspects of conservation biology. It is frequently taught using rather abstract representations. I introduce three real-life zoological examples, based on historical and recent color morphs of tigers, tapirs, and ravens, that can complement…

Curriculum-Based Measurement of Mathematics Competence: From Computation to Concepts and Applications to Real-Life Problem Solving

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fuchs, Lynn S.; Fuchs, Douglas; Courey, Susan J.

2005-01-01

In this article, the authors explain how curriculum-based measurement (CBM) differs from other forms of classroom-based assessment. The development of CBM is traced from computation to concepts and applications to real-life problem solving, with examples of the assessments and illustrations of research to document technical features and utility…

Wireless Sensor Networks--A Hands-On Modular Experiments Platform for Enhanced Pedagogical Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Taslidere, E.; Cohen, F. S.; Reisman, F. K.

2011-01-01

This paper presents the use of wireless sensor networks (WSNs) in educational research as a platform for enhanced pedagogical learning. The aim here with the use of a WSN platform was to go beyond the implementation stage to the real-life application stage, i.e., linking the implementation to real-life applications, where abstract theory and…

Children with Imaginary Companions Focus on Mental Characteristics When Describing Their Real-life Friends

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Davis, Paige E.; Meins, Elizabeth; Fernyhough, Charles

2014-01-01

Relations between having an imaginary companion (IC) and (i) descriptions of a real-life friend, (ii) theory of mind performance, and (iii) reported prosocial behaviour and behavioural difficulties were investigated in a sample of 5-year-olds (N?=?159). Children who had an IC were more likely than their peers without an IC to describe their best…

Real-Time Laser Ultrasound Tomography for Profilometry of Solids

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zarubin, V. P.; Bychkov, A. S.; Karabutov, A. A.; Simonova, V. A.; Kudinov, I. A.; Cherepetskaya, E. B.

2018-01-01

We studied the possibility of applying laser ultrasound tomography for profilometry of solids. The proposed approach provides high spatial resolution and efficiency, as well as profilometry of contaminated objects or objects submerged in liquids. The algorithms for the construction of tomograms and recognition of the profiles of studied objects using the parallel programming technology NDIVIA CUDA are proposed. A prototype of the real-time laser ultrasound profilometer was used to obtain the profiles of solid surfaces of revolution. The proposed method allows the real-time determination of the surface position for cylindrical objects with an approximation accuracy of up to 16 μm.

Twenty-year follow-up of children with and without speech-language impairments: family, educational, occupational, and quality of life outcomes.

PubMed

Johnson, Carla J; Beitchman, Joseph H; Brownlie, E B

2010-02-01

Parents, professionals, and policy makers need information on the long-term prognosis for children with communication disorders. Our primary purpose in this report was to help fill this gap by profiling the family, educational, occupational, and quality of life outcomes of young adults at 25 years of age (N = 244) from the Ottawa Language Study, a 20-year, prospective, longitudinal study of a community sample of individuals with (n = 112) and without (n = 132) a history of early speech and/or language impairments. A secondary purpose of this report was to use data from earlier phases of the study to predict important, real-life outcomes at age 25. Participants were initially identified at age 5 and subsequently followed at 12, 19, and 25 years of age. Direct assessments were conducted at all 4 time periods in multiple domains (demographic, communicative, cognitive, academic, behavioral, and psychosocial). At age 25, young adults with a history of language impairments showed poorer outcomes in multiple objective domains (communication, cognitive/academic, educational attainment, and occupational status) than their peers without early communication impairments and those with early speech-only impairments. However, those with language impairments did not differ in subjective perceptions of their quality of life from those in the other 2 groups. Objective outcomes at age 25 were predicted differentially by various combinations of multiple, interrelated risk factors, including poor language and reading skills, low family socioeconomic status, low performance IQ, and child behavior problems. Subjective well-being, however, was primarily associated with strong social networks of family, friends, and others. This information on the natural history of communication disorders may be useful in answering parents' questions, anticipating challenges that children with language disorders might encounter, and planning services to address those issues.

A Virtual Out-of-Body Experience Reduces Fear of Death

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

Immersive virtual reality can be used to visually substitute a person’s real body by a life-sized virtual body (VB) that is seen from first person perspective. Using real-time motion capture the VB can be programmed to move synchronously with the real body (visuomotor synchrony), and also virtual objects seen to strike the VB can be felt through corresponding vibrotactile stimulation on the actual body (visuotactile synchrony). This setup typically gives rise to a strong perceptual illusion of ownership over the VB. When the viewpoint is lifted up and out of the VB so that it is seen below this may result in an out-of-body experience (OBE). In a two-factor between-groups experiment with 16 female participants per group we tested how fear of death might be influenced by two different methods for producing an OBE. In an initial embodiment phase where both groups experienced the same multisensory stimuli there was a strong feeling of body ownership. Then the viewpoint was lifted up and behind the VB. In the experimental group once the viewpoint was out of the VB there was no further connection with it (no visuomotor or visuotactile synchrony). In a control condition, although the viewpoint was in the identical place as in the experimental group, visuomotor and visuotactile synchrony continued. While both groups reported high scores on a question about their OBE illusion, the experimental group had a greater feeling of disownership towards the VB below compared to the control group, in line with previous findings. Fear of death in the experimental group was found to be lower than in the control group. This is in line with previous reports that naturally occurring OBEs are often associated with enhanced belief in life after death. PMID:28068368

Daily Marital Interaction Quality and Carotid Artery Intima Medial Thickness in Healthy Middle Aged Adults

PubMed Central

Joseph, Nataria T.; Kamarck, Thomas W.; Muldoon, Matthew F.; Manuck, Stephen B.

2014-01-01

Objective To examine the association between marital interaction quality during daily life and subclinical cardiovascular disease (CVD). Studies have shown that marital status and quality of marriage are associated with cardiovascular health. However, little is known about the role of marital interaction quality during daily life in contributing to these effects. Methods The sample consisted of 281 healthy, employed middle-aged adults who were married or living with a partner in a marital-like relationship (mean age = 42.0 years, 88% white, 52% men). Marital interaction quality was assessed using hourly real-time Ecological Momentary Assessments (EMAs) for 4 days, with participants rating their current or recent partner interactions on positive and negative characteristics (e.g., agreeableness and conflict). Carotid artery intima medial thickness (IMT) was assessed using ultrasound imaging. Results Adjusting for demographics, positive marital interaction was inversely associated with IMT, [b = −.02 F(1, 275) = 9.18, p = .002], and negative marital interaction was positively associated with IMT, [b = .02 F(1, 275) = 10.29, p = .001]. These associations were not accounted for by behavioral and biological cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors and were consistent across age, sex, race, and education. The associations were also independent of marital interaction frequency, nonmarital social interaction quality, and personality factors. Global reports of marital quality, in contrast, were not associated with IMT. Conclusions Marital quality as measured during real-time interactions between partners was associated with subclinical cardiovascular disease in healthy middle-aged adults. This study supports the utility of real-time social interaction assessment for characterizing links between social relationships and cardiovascular health. PMID:24915293

National observatory on the therapeutic management in ambulatory care patients aged 65 and over, with type 2 diabetes, chronic pain or atrial fibrillation.

PubMed

Becquemont, Laurent; Benattar-Zibi, Linda; Bertin, Philippe; Berrut, Gilles; Corruble, Emmanuelle; Danchin, Nicolas; Delespierre, Tiba; Derumeaux, Geneviève; Falissard, Bruno; Forette, Francoise; Hanon, Olivier; Pasquier, Florence; Pinget, Michel; Ourabah, Rissane; Piedvache, Céline

2013-01-01

The primary objective of the S.AGES cohort is to describe the real-life therapeutic care of elderly patients. Patients and methods. This is a prospective observational cohort study of 3 700 non-institutionalized patients over the age of 65 years with either type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), chronic pain or atrial fibrillation (AF) recruited by French general practitioners (GPs). Follow-up is planned for 3 years. Baseline characteristics. In the chronic pain sub-cohort, 33% of patients are treated with only grade 1 analgesics, 29% with grade 2 analgesics and 3% with grade 3 analgesics, and 22% have no pain treatment. In the T2DM sub-cohort, 61% of patients have well-controlled diabetes (Hb1c<7%) and 18% are treated with insulin. In the AF sub-cohort, 65% of patients have a CHADS2 score greater than 2, 77% are treated with oral anticoagulants, 17% with platelet inhibitors, 40% with antiarrhythmic drugs and 56% with rate slowing medications. Conclusion. The S.AGES cohort presents a unique opportunity to clarify the real-life therapeutic management of ambulatory elderly subjects and will help to identify the factors associated with the occurrence of major clinical events. © 2013 Société Française de Pharmacologie et de Thérapeutique.

Management of diabetes in Morocco: results of the International Diabetes Management Practices Study (IDMPS) – wave 5

PubMed Central

Chadli, Asmae; El Aziz, Siham; El Ansari, Nawal; Ajdi, Farida; Seqat, Mehdi; Latrech, Hanane; Belmejdoub, Ghizlaine

2016-01-01

Objectives: The International Diabetes Mellitus Practice Study (IDMPS) is a 5-year survey documenting changes in diabetes treatment practices in developing countries. The primary objective of this survey was to assess the therapeutic management of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in real-life medical practice. The secondary objectives were to evaluate the clinical management of type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) and to assess the proportion of all diabetic patients failing to reach the glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) <7% target. Methods: Data were analysed for 738 patients (240 with T1DM and 498 with T2DM) included in wave 5 of the IDMPS in Morocco in 2011. Results: Nearly two-thirds (61%) of T2DM patients were treated with oral glucose-lowering drugs (OGLDs) alone, 13.1% were treated with insulin alone and 23.3% were treated with OGLDs plus insulin. Insulin use was less frequent, was initiated later and involved a greater use of premixes versus basal/prandial schedules compared to other populations evaluated in the IDMPS. The majority (92.5%) of T1DM patients were treated with insulin alone and the remainder received insulin plus an OGLD. Insulin protocols included basal + prandial dosing (37.5%) and premix preparations (41.3%). The recommended target of HbA1c <7% was achieved by only 22.2% of T1DM patients and 26.8% of T2DM patients. More macrovascular but fewer microvascular complications were reported in T2DM compared to T1DM patients. Late complications increased with disease duration so that 20 years after diagnosis, 75.7% of T2DM patients were found to have at least one late complication. Conclusions: The clinical burden of diabetes is high in Morocco and the majority of patients do not achieve the recommended glycaemia target, suggesting that there is a huge gap between evidence-based diabetic management and real-life practice. Better education of patients and improved compliance with international recommendations are necessary to deliver a better quality of diabetic care. PMID:27293539

A novel GLM-based method for the Automatic IDentification of functional Events (AIDE) in fNIRS data recorded in naturalistic environments.

PubMed

Pinti, Paola; Merla, Arcangelo; Aichelburg, Clarisse; Lind, Frida; Power, Sarah; Swingler, Elizabeth; Hamilton, Antonia; Gilbert, Sam; Burgess, Paul W; Tachtsidis, Ilias

2017-07-15

Recent technological advances have allowed the development of portable functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS) devices that can be used to perform neuroimaging in the real-world. However, as real-world experiments are designed to mimic everyday life situations, the identification of event onsets can be extremely challenging and time-consuming. Here, we present a novel analysis method based on the general linear model (GLM) least square fit analysis for the Automatic IDentification of functional Events (or AIDE) directly from real-world fNIRS neuroimaging data. In order to investigate the accuracy and feasibility of this method, as a proof-of-principle we applied the algorithm to (i) synthetic fNIRS data simulating both block-, event-related and mixed-design experiments and (ii) experimental fNIRS data recorded during a conventional lab-based task (involving maths). AIDE was able to recover functional events from simulated fNIRS data with an accuracy of 89%, 97% and 91% for the simulated block-, event-related and mixed-design experiments respectively. For the lab-based experiment, AIDE recovered more than the 66.7% of the functional events from the fNIRS experimental measured data. To illustrate the strength of this method, we then applied AIDE to fNIRS data recorded by a wearable system on one participant during a complex real-world prospective memory experiment conducted outside the lab. As part of the experiment, there were four and six events (actions where participants had to interact with a target) for the two different conditions respectively (condition 1: social-interact with a person; condition 2: non-social-interact with an object). AIDE managed to recover 3/4 events and 3/6 events for conditions 1 and 2 respectively. The identified functional events were then corresponded to behavioural data from the video recordings of the movements and actions of the participant. Our results suggest that "brain-first" rather than "behaviour-first" analysis is possible and that the present method can provide a novel solution to analyse real-world fNIRS data, filling the gap between real-life testing and functional neuroimaging. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Real-time detection of moving objects from moving vehicles using dense stereo and optical flow

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Talukder, Ashit; Matthies, Larry

2004-01-01

Dynamic scene perception is very important for autonomous vehicles operating around other moving vehicles and humans. Most work on real-time object tracking from moving platforms has used sparse features or assumed flat scene structures. We have recently extended a real-time, dense stereo system to include real-time, dense optical flow, enabling more comprehensive dynamic scene analysis. We describe algorithms to robustly estimate 6-DOF robot egomotion in the presence of moving objects using dense flow and dense stereo. We then use dense stereo and egomotion estimates to identity other moving objects while the robot itself is moving. We present results showing accurate egomotion estimation and detection of moving people and vehicles under general 6-DOF motion of the robot and independently moving objects. The system runs at 18.3 Hz on a 1.4 GHz Pentium M laptop, computing 160x120 disparity maps and optical flow fields, egomotion, and moving object segmentation. We believe this is a significant step toward general unconstrained dynamic scene analysis for mobile robots, as well as for improved position estimation where GPS is unavailable.

Virtually numbed: immersive video gaming alters real-life experience.

PubMed

Weger, Ulrich W; Loughnan, Stephen

2014-04-01

As actors in a highly mechanized environment, we are citizens of a world populated not only by fellow humans, but also by virtual characters (avatars). Does immersive video gaming, during which the player takes on the mantle of an avatar, prompt people to adopt the coldness and rigidity associated with robotic behavior and desensitize them to real-life experience? In one study, we correlated participants' reported video-gaming behavior with their emotional rigidity (as indicated by the number of paperclips that they removed from ice-cold water). In a second experiment, we manipulated immersive and nonimmersive gaming behavior and then likewise measured the extent of the participants' emotional rigidity. Both studies yielded reliable impacts, and thus suggest that immersion into a robotic viewpoint desensitizes people to real-life experiences in oneself and others.

[The space of passion].

PubMed

Gori, R

1990-01-01

The figures and speech of passion are clinically polymorphous and heterogeneous: from the baroque of the mystical ecstasy, the iconophily of religious and political ideologies, the collector's usual fetishism and the paranoiac insanity of hatred to the passions of knowing and loving. These are at the same time a passion for life as well as for self-destruction, for showing oneself as well for not knowing oneself, for representing oneself as well as for non representing oneself. Passion bares the impossible of mourning, its real point that gives a boost to the continual work. Passion confronts us to the essence of the being, to its fundamental distress. The being, whose shadow is projecting itself on the object of the passion, gives a name and a face to that object, and receives back its marks. That explains why passion is always accompanied by suffering. Moreover, passion is suffering according to its etymology: until the XVIth century, the word "passionate" meant somebody who suffered physically. The nature of the object of the passion (a relic, a part of a sentence, an indication, the track of an object or any other subject) changes nothing to the structure of the speech of passion.

Creativity, visualization abilities, and visual cognitive style.

PubMed

Kozhevnikov, Maria; Kozhevnikov, Michael; Yu, Chen Jiao; Blazhenkova, Olesya

2013-06-01

Despite the recent evidence for a multi-component nature of both visual imagery and creativity, there have been no systematic studies on how the different dimensions of creativity and imagery might interrelate. The main goal of this study was to investigate the relationship between different dimensions of creativity (artistic and scientific) and dimensions of visualization abilities and styles (object and spatial). In addition, we compared the contributions of object and spatial visualization abilities versus corresponding styles to scientific and artistic dimensions of creativity. Twenty-four undergraduate students (12 females) were recruited for the first study, and 75 additional participants (36 females) were recruited for an additional experiment. Participants were administered a number of object and spatial visualization abilities and style assessments as well as a number of artistic and scientific creativity tests. The results show that object visualization relates to artistic creativity and spatial visualization relates to scientific creativity, while both are distinct from verbal creativity. Furthermore, our findings demonstrate that style predicts corresponding dimension of creativity even after removing shared variance between style and visualization ability. The results suggest that styles might be a more ecologically valid construct in predicting real-life creative behaviour, such as performance in different professional domains. © 2013 The British Psychological Society.

Working memory is not fixed-capacity: More active storage capacity for real-world objects than for simple stimuli

PubMed Central

Brady, Timothy F.; Störmer, Viola S.; Alvarez, George A.

2016-01-01

Visual working memory is the cognitive system that holds visual information active to make it resistant to interference from new perceptual input. Information about simple stimuli—colors and orientations—is encoded into working memory rapidly: In under 100 ms, working memory ‟fills up,” revealing a stark capacity limit. However, for real-world objects, the same behavioral limits do not hold: With increasing encoding time, people store more real-world objects and do so with more detail. This boost in performance for real-world objects is generally assumed to reflect the use of a separate episodic long-term memory system, rather than working memory. Here we show that this behavioral increase in capacity with real-world objects is not solely due to the use of separate episodic long-term memory systems. In particular, we show that this increase is a result of active storage in working memory, as shown by directly measuring neural activity during the delay period of a working memory task using EEG. These data challenge fixed-capacity working memory models and demonstrate that working memory and its capacity limitations are dependent upon our existing knowledge. PMID:27325767

Working memory is not fixed-capacity: More active storage capacity for real-world objects than for simple stimuli.

PubMed

Brady, Timothy F; Störmer, Viola S; Alvarez, George A

2016-07-05

Visual working memory is the cognitive system that holds visual information active to make it resistant to interference from new perceptual input. Information about simple stimuli-colors and orientations-is encoded into working memory rapidly: In under 100 ms, working memory ‟fills up," revealing a stark capacity limit. However, for real-world objects, the same behavioral limits do not hold: With increasing encoding time, people store more real-world objects and do so with more detail. This boost in performance for real-world objects is generally assumed to reflect the use of a separate episodic long-term memory system, rather than working memory. Here we show that this behavioral increase in capacity with real-world objects is not solely due to the use of separate episodic long-term memory systems. In particular, we show that this increase is a result of active storage in working memory, as shown by directly measuring neural activity during the delay period of a working memory task using EEG. These data challenge fixed-capacity working memory models and demonstrate that working memory and its capacity limitations are dependent upon our existing knowledge.

Subjective quality of life in psychosis: Evidence for an association with real world functioning?

PubMed

Leendertse, Pien; Myin-Germeys, Inez; Lataster, Tineke; Simons, Claudia J P; Oorschot, Margreet; Lardinois, Mariëlle; Schneider, Maude; van Os, Jim; Reininghaus, Ulrich

2018-03-01

Subjective quality of life (SQOL) is an established patient-reported outcome in psychosis. However, current self-report measures of SQOL may be affected by recall bias and may not fully capture dynamic changes in SQOL over time. This study aimed to examine the ecological validity of self-reported and momentary assessment measures of SQOL, and their association with emotional experience, social interaction and activity in real life, in both patients with psychotic disorder (n = 56) and controls (n = 71). Self-reported QOL was assessed with the WHO-QOL, momentary QOL and real life experiences were assessed with the Experience Sampling Method (ESM). Results show that both measures were significantly associated in patients and controls, and associations with emotional experience were most relevant, momentary QOL being a stronger predictor than self-reported QOL. The association between momentary QOL and negative affect was stronger in patients than in controls. Overall, momentary QOL was more consistently associated with affect, social interaction and activity, while self-reported QOL displayed a more narrow association with mostly affect. Concluding, concurrent assessment of self-reported QOL and momentary QOL showed that momentary QOL may enhance the ecological validity of SQOL measurement. Experience sampling research may broaden our perspective on SQOL and its associations with real life functioning. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Commanding and Controlling Satellite Clusters (IEEE Intelligent Systems, November/December 2000)

DTIC Science & Technology

2000-01-01

real - time operating system , a message-passing OS well suited for distributed...ground Flight processors ObjectAgent RTOS SCL RTOS RDMS Space command language Real - time operating system Rational database management system TS-21 RDMS...engineer with Princeton Satellite Systems. She is working with others to develop ObjectAgent software to run on the OSE Real Time Operating System .

Collaborative real-time scheduling of multiple PTZ cameras for multiple object tracking in video surveillance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Yu-Che; Huang, Chung-Lin

2013-03-01

This paper proposes a multi-PTZ-camera control mechanism to acquire close-up imagery of human objects in a surveillance system. The control algorithm is based on the output of multi-camera, multi-target tracking. Three main concerns of the algorithm are (1) the imagery of human object's face for biometric purposes, (2) the optimal video quality of the human objects, and (3) minimum hand-off time. Here, we define an objective function based on the expected capture conditions such as the camera-subject distance, pan tile angles of capture, face visibility and others. Such objective function serves to effectively balance the number of captures per subject and quality of captures. In the experiments, we demonstrate the performance of the system which operates in real-time under real world conditions on three PTZ cameras.

A method for real-time visual stimulus selection in the study of cortical object perception.

PubMed

Leeds, Daniel D; Tarr, Michael J

2016-06-01

The properties utilized by visual object perception in the mid- and high-level ventral visual pathway are poorly understood. To better establish and explore possible models of these properties, we adopt a data-driven approach in which we repeatedly interrogate neural units using functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) to establish each unit's image selectivity. This approach to imaging necessitates a search through a broad space of stimulus properties using a limited number of samples. To more quickly identify the complex visual features underlying human cortical object perception, we implemented a new functional magnetic resonance imaging protocol in which visual stimuli are selected in real-time based on BOLD responses to recently shown images. Two variations of this protocol were developed, one relying on natural object stimuli and a second based on synthetic object stimuli, both embedded in feature spaces based on the complex visual properties of the objects. During fMRI scanning, we continuously controlled stimulus selection in the context of a real-time search through these image spaces in order to maximize neural responses across pre-determined 1cm(3) rain regions. Elsewhere we have reported the patterns of cortical selectivity revealed by this approach (Leeds et al., 2014). In contrast, here our objective is to present more detailed methods and explore the technical and biological factors influencing the behavior of our real-time stimulus search. We observe that: 1) Searches converged more reliably when exploring a more precisely parameterized space of synthetic objects; 2) real-time estimation of cortical responses to stimuli is reasonably consistent; 3) search behavior was acceptably robust to delays in stimulus displays and subject motion effects. Overall, our results indicate that real-time fMRI methods may provide a valuable platform for continuing study of localized neural selectivity, both for visual object representation and beyond. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A method for real-time visual stimulus selection in the study of cortical object perception

PubMed Central

Leeds, Daniel D.; Tarr, Michael J.

2016-01-01

The properties utilized by visual object perception in the mid- and high-level ventral visual pathway are poorly understood. To better establish and explore possible models of these properties, we adopt a data-driven approach in which we repeatedly interrogate neural units using functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) to establish each unit’s image selectivity. This approach to imaging necessitates a search through a broad space of stimulus properties using a limited number of samples. To more quickly identify the complex visual features underlying human cortical object perception, we implemented a new functional magnetic resonance imaging protocol in which visual stimuli are selected in real-time based on BOLD responses to recently shown images. Two variations of this protocol were developed, one relying on natural object stimuli and a second based on synthetic object stimuli, both embedded in feature spaces based on the complex visual properties of the objects. During fMRI scanning, we continuously controlled stimulus selection in the context of a real-time search through these image spaces in order to maximize neural responses across predetermined 1 cm3 brain regions. Elsewhere we have reported the patterns of cortical selectivity revealed by this approach (Leeds 2014). In contrast, here our objective is to present more detailed methods and explore the technical and biological factors influencing the behavior of our real-time stimulus search. We observe that: 1) Searches converged more reliably when exploring a more precisely parameterized space of synthetic objects; 2) Real-time estimation of cortical responses to stimuli are reasonably consistent; 3) Search behavior was acceptably robust to delays in stimulus displays and subject motion effects. Overall, our results indicate that real-time fMRI methods may provide a valuable platform for continuing study of localized neural selectivity, both for visual object representation and beyond. PMID:26973168

``Staying in Focus'' - An Online Optics Tutorial on the Eye

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hoeling, Barbara M.

2011-02-01

The human eye and its vision problems are often used as an entry subject and attention grabber in the teaching of geometrical optics. While this is a real-life application students can relate to, it is difficult to visualize how the eye forms images by studying the still pictures and drawings in a textbook. How to draw a principal ray diagram or how to calculate the image distance from a given object distance and focal length might be clear to most students after studying the book, but even then they often lack an understanding of the "big picture." Where is the image of a very far away object located? How come we can see both far away and close-by objects focused (although not simultaneously)? Computer animations,2 popular with our computer-game savvy students, provide considerably more information than the still images, especially if they allow the user to manipulate parameters and to observe the outcome of a "virtual" experiment. However, as stand-alone learning tools, they often don't provide the students with the necessary physics background or instruction on how to use them.

Effects of age on a real-world What-Where-When memory task

PubMed Central

Mazurek, Adèle; Bhoopathy, Raja Meenakshi; Read, Jenny C. A.; Gallagher, Peter; Smulders, Tom V.

2015-01-01

Many cognitive abilities decline with aging, making it difficult to detect pathological changes against a background of natural changes in cognition. Most of the tests to assess cognitive decline are artificial tasks that have little resemblance to the problems faced by people in everyday life. This means both that people may have little practice doing such tasks (potentially contributing to the decline in performance) and that the tasks may not be good predictors of real-world cognitive problems. In this study, we test the performance of young people (18–25 years) and older people (60+-year-olds) on a novel, more ecologically valid test of episodic memory: the real-world What-Where-When (WWW) memory test. We also compare them on a battery of other cognitive tests, including working memory, psychomotor speed, executive function, and episodic memory. Older people show the expected age-related declines on the test battery. In the WWW memory task, older people were more likely to fail to remember any WWW combination than younger people were, although they did not significantly differ in their overall WWW score due to some older people performing as well as or better than most younger people. WWW memory performance was significantly predicted by other measures of episodic memory, such as the single-trial learning and long-term retention in the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning task and Combined Object Location Memory in the Object Relocation task. Self-reported memory complaints also predicted performance on the WWW task. These findings confirm that our real-world WWW memory task is a valid measure of episodic memory, with high ecological validity, which may be useful as a predictor of everyday memory abilities. The task will require a bit more development to improve its sensitivity to cognitive declines in aging and to potentially distinguish between mentally healthy older adults and those with early signs of cognitive pathologies. PMID:26042030

Using real objects to teach about climate change: an ethnographic perspective

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Conner, L.; Perin, S.; Coats, V.; Sturm, M.

2017-12-01

Informal educators frequently use real objects to connect visitors with science content that can otherwise seem abstract. Our NSF-funded project, "Hot Times in Cold Places," leverages this premise to teach about climate change through real objects associated with the nation's only permafrost tunnel, located in Fox, Alaska. We posit that touching real ice, holding Pleistocene bones, and seeing ice wedges in context allows learners to understand climate change in a direct and visceral manner. We are conducting ethnographic research to understand visitor experience at both the tunnel itself and at a permafrost museum exhibit that we are creating as part of the project. Research questions include: 1) What is the nature of visitor talk with respect to explanations about permafrost, tipping points, climate change, and geological time? 2) How do attributes of "realness" (scale, resolution, uniqueness, history and adherence to an original) affect visitor's experience of objects, as perceived through the senses and emotions? We use naturalistic observation, interviews, and videotaping to answer these questions. Analysis focuses on child-to-child talk, reciprocal talk between educator and child, and reciprocal talk between parent and child. Our results elucidate the value of real, vs. replicated and virtual objects, in informal learning, especially in the context of climate change education. An understanding of these factors can help informal learning educators make informed choices about program and exhibit design.

A Familiar-Size Stroop Effect: Real-World Size Is an Automatic Property of Object Representation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Konkle, Talia; Oliva, Aude

2012-01-01

When we recognize an object, do we automatically know how big it is in the world? We employed a Stroop-like paradigm, in which two familiar objects were presented at different visual sizes on the screen. Observers were faster to indicate which was bigger or smaller on the screen when the real-world size of the objects was congruent with the visual…

Global attention facilitates the planning, but not execution of goal-directed reaches.

PubMed

McCarthy, J Daniel; Song, Joo-Hyun

2016-07-01

In daily life, humans interact with multiple objects in complex environments. A large body of literature demonstrates that target selection is biased toward recently attended features, such that reaches are faster and trajectory curvature is reduced when target features (i.e., color) are repeated (priming of pop-out). In the real world, however, objects are comprised of several features-some of which may be more suitable for action than others. When fetching a mug from the cupboard, for example, attention not only has to be allocated to the object, but also the handle. To date, no study has investigated the impact of hierarchical feature organization on target selection for action. Here, we employed a color-oddity search task in which targets were Pac-men (i.e., a circle with a triangle cut out) oriented to be either consistent or inconsistent with the percept of a global Kanizsa triangle. We found that reaches were initiated faster when a task-irrelevant illusory figure was present independent of color repetition. Additionally, consistent with priming of pop-out, both reach planning and execution were facilitated when local target colors were repeated, regardless of whether a global figure was present. We also demonstrated that figures defined by illusory, but not real contours, afforded an early target selection benefit. In sum, these findings suggest that when local targets are perceptually grouped to form an illusory surface, attention quickly spreads across the global figure and facilitates the early stage of reach planning, but not execution. In contrast, local color priming is evident throughout goal-directed reaching.

Exploring Marine Ecosystems with Elementary School Portuguese Children: Inquiry-Based Project Activities Focused on "Real-Life" Contexts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Guilherme, Elsa; Faria, Cláudia; Boaventura, Diana

2016-01-01

The purpose of the study was to investigate how young students engage in an inquiry-based project driven by real-life contexts. Elementary school children were engaged in a small inquiry project centred on marine biodiversity and species adaptations. All activities included the exploration of an out-of-school setting as a learning context. A total…

Sounds of silence: How to animate virtual worlds with sound

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Astheimer, Peter

1993-01-01

Sounds are an integral and sometimes annoying part of our daily life. Virtual worlds which imitate natural environments gain a lot of authenticity from fast, high quality visualization combined with sound effects. Sounds help to increase the degree of immersion for human dwellers in imaginary worlds significantly. The virtual reality toolkit of IGD (Institute for Computer Graphics) features a broad range of standard visual and advanced real-time audio components which interpret an object-oriented definition of the scene. The virtual reality system 'Virtual Design' realized with the toolkit enables the designer of virtual worlds to create a true audiovisual environment. Several examples on video demonstrate the usage of the audio features in Virtual Design.

Behaviors associated with negative affect in the friendships of children with ADHD: An exploratory study.

PubMed

Normand, Sébastien; Ambrosoli, James; Guiet, Joanna; Soucisse, Marie Michèle; Schneider, Barry H; Maisonneuve, Marie-France; Lee, Matthew D; Tassi, Fulvio

2017-01-01

Our objective was to identify behaviors and contextual situations associated with negative affect observed in the interactions of children with and without ADHD and their real-life friends. We expected negative affect to be linked to rule violations and disagreements about the choice of games. Loss of game was associated with episodes of negative affect in a structured game. Negative appraisal of friend's ability was most frequently associated with negative affect during unstructured free play. Comparison children expressed greater frustration regarding their own abilities, whereas children with ADHD commented more frequently about the inabilities of their friends. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

41 CFR 101-26.103-2 - Restriction on personal convenience items.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... funds may be expended for pictures, objects of art, plants, or flowers (both artificial and real), or... expended for pictures, objects of art, plants, flowers (both artificial and real), or any other similar...

41 CFR 101-26.103-2 - Restriction on personal convenience items.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... funds may be expended for pictures, objects of art, plants, or flowers (both artificial and real), or... expended for pictures, objects of art, plants, flowers (both artificial and real), or any other similar...

41 CFR 101-26.103-2 - Restriction on personal convenience items.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... funds may be expended for pictures, objects of art, plants, or flowers (both artificial and real), or... expended for pictures, objects of art, plants, flowers (both artificial and real), or any other similar...

41 CFR 101-26.103-2 - Restriction on personal convenience items.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... funds may be expended for pictures, objects of art, plants, or flowers (both artificial and real), or... expended for pictures, objects of art, plants, flowers (both artificial and real), or any other similar...

41 CFR 101-26.103-2 - Restriction on personal convenience items.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... funds may be expended for pictures, objects of art, plants, or flowers (both artificial and real), or... expended for pictures, objects of art, plants, flowers (both artificial and real), or any other similar...

Ecological validity of virtual environments to assess human navigation ability

PubMed Central

van der Ham, Ineke J. M.; Faber, Annemarie M. E.; Venselaar, Matthijs; van Kreveld, Marc J.; Löffler, Maarten

2015-01-01

Route memory is frequently assessed in virtual environments. These environments can be presented in a fully controlled manner and are easy to use. Yet they lack the physical involvement that participants have when navigating real environments. For some aspects of route memory this may result in reduced performance in virtual environments. We assessed route memory performance in four different environments: real, virtual, virtual with directional information (compass), and hybrid. In the hybrid environment, participants walked the route outside on an open field, while all route information (i.e., path, landmarks) was shown simultaneously on a handheld tablet computer. Results indicate that performance in the real life environment was better than in the virtual conditions for tasks relying on survey knowledge, like pointing to start and end point, and map drawing. Performance in the hybrid condition however, hardly differed from real life performance. Performance in the virtual environment did not benefit from directional information. Given these findings, the hybrid condition may offer the best of both worlds: the performance level is comparable to that of real life for route memory, yet it offers full control of visual input during route learning. PMID:26074831

Optimizing the Anti-VEGF Treatment Strategy for Neovascular Age-Related Macular Degeneration: From Clinical Trials to Real-Life Requirements.

PubMed

Mantel, Irmela

2015-06-01

This Perspective discusses the pertinence of variable dosing regimens with anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) for neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) with regard to real-life requirements. After the initial pivotal trials of anti-VEGF therapy, the variable dosing regimens pro re nata (PRN), Treat-and-Extend, and Observe-and-Plan, a recently introduced regimen, aimed to optimize the anti-VEGF treatment strategy for nAMD. The PRN regimen showed good visual results but requires monthly monitoring visits and can therefore be difficult to implement. Moreover, application of the PRN regimen revealed inferior results in real-life circumstances due to problems with resource allocation. The Treat-and-Extend regimen uses an interval based approach and has become widely accepted for its ease of preplanning and the reduced number of office visits required. The parallel development of the Observe-and-Plan regimen demonstrated that the future need for retreatment (interval) could be reliably predicted. Studies investigating the observe-and-plan regimen also showed that this could be used in individualized fixed treatment plans, allowing for dramatically reduced clinical burden and good outcomes, thus meeting the real life requirements. This progressive development of variable dosing regimens is a response to the real-life circumstances of limited human, technical, and financial resources. This includes an individualized treatment approach, optimization of the number of retreatments, a minimal number of monitoring visits, and ease of planning ahead. The Observe-and-Plan regimen achieves this goal with good functional results. Translational Relevance: This perspective reviews the process from the pivotal clinical trials to the development of treatment regimens which are adjusted to real life requirements. The article discusses this translational process which- although not the classical interpretation of translation from fundamental to clinical research, but a subsequent process after the pivotal clinical trials - represents an important translational step from the clinical proof of efficacy to optimization in terms of patients' and clinics' needs. The related scientific procedure includes the exploration of the concept, evaluation of security, and finally proof of efficacy.

Real-time visual tracking of less textured three-dimensional objects on mobile platforms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Seo, Byung-Kuk; Park, Jungsik; Park, Hanhoon; Park, Jong-Il

2012-12-01

Natural feature-based approaches are still challenging for mobile applications (e.g., mobile augmented reality), because they are feasible only in limited environments such as highly textured and planar scenes/objects, and they need powerful mobile hardware for fast and reliable tracking. In many cases where conventional approaches are not effective, three-dimensional (3-D) knowledge of target scenes would be beneficial. We present a well-established framework for real-time visual tracking of less textured 3-D objects on mobile platforms. Our framework is based on model-based tracking that efficiently exploits partially known 3-D scene knowledge such as object models and a background's distinctive geometric or photometric knowledge. Moreover, we elaborate on implementation in order to make it suitable for real-time vision processing on mobile hardware. The performance of the framework is tested and evaluated on recent commercially available smartphones, and its feasibility is shown by real-time demonstrations.

Video enhancement workbench: an operational real-time video image processing system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yool, Stephen R.; Van Vactor, David L.; Smedley, Kirk G.

1993-01-01

Video image sequences can be exploited in real-time, giving analysts rapid access to information for military or criminal investigations. Video-rate dynamic range adjustment subdues fluctuations in image intensity, thereby assisting discrimination of small or low- contrast objects. Contrast-regulated unsharp masking enhances differentially shadowed or otherwise low-contrast image regions. Real-time removal of localized hotspots, when combined with automatic histogram equalization, may enhance resolution of objects directly adjacent. In video imagery corrupted by zero-mean noise, real-time frame averaging can assist resolution and location of small or low-contrast objects. To maximize analyst efficiency, lengthy video sequences can be screened automatically for low-frequency, high-magnitude events. Combined zoom, roam, and automatic dynamic range adjustment permit rapid analysis of facial features captured by video cameras recording crimes in progress. When trying to resolve small objects in murky seawater, stereo video places the moving imagery in an optimal setting for human interpretation.

Objective speech quality evaluation of real-time speech coders

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Viswanathan, V. R.; Russell, W. H.; Huggins, A. W. F.

1984-02-01

This report describes the work performed in two areas: subjective testing of a real-time 16 kbit/s adaptive predictive coder (APC) and objective speech quality evaluation of real-time coders. The speech intelligibility of the APC coder was tested using the Diagnostic Rhyme Test (DRT), and the speech quality was tested using the Diagnostic Acceptability Measure (DAM) test, under eight operating conditions involving channel error, acoustic background noise, and tandem link with two other coders. The test results showed that the DRT and DAM scores of the APC coder equalled or exceeded the corresponding test scores fo the 32 kbit/s CVSD coder. In the area of objective speech quality evaluation, the report describes the development, testing, and validation of a procedure for automatically computing several objective speech quality measures, given only the tape-recordings of the input speech and the corresponding output speech of a real-time speech coder.

Dependence of behavioral performance on material category in an object grasping task with monkeys.

PubMed

Yokoi, Isao; Tachibana, Atsumichi; Minamimoto, Takafumi; Goda, Naokazu; Komatsu, Hidehiko

2018-05-02

Material perception is an essential part of our cognitive function that enables us to properly interact with our complex daily environment. One important aspect of material perception is its multimodal nature. When we see an object, we generally recognize its haptic properties as well as its visual properties. Consequently, one must examine behavior using real objects that are perceived both visually and haptically to fully understand the characteristics of material perception. As a first step, we examined whether there is any difference in the behavioral responses to different materials in monkeys trained to perform an object grasping task in which they saw and grasped rod-shaped real objects made of various materials. We found that the monkeys' behavior in the grasping task, measured based on the success rate and the pulling force, differed depending on the material category. Monkeys easily and correctly grasped objects of some materials, such as metal and glass, but failed to grasp objects of other materials. In particular, monkeys avoided grasping fur-covered objects. The differences in the behavioral responses to the material categories cannot be explained solely based on the degree of familiarity with the different materials. These results shed light on the organization of multimodal representation of materials, where their biological significance is an important factor. In addition, a monkey that avoided touching real fur-covered objects readily touched images of the same objects presented on a CRT display. This suggests employing real objects is important when studying behaviors related to material perception.

Gender Differences in Object Location Memory in a Real Three-Dimensional Environment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Iachini, Tina; Sergi, Ida; Ruggiero, Gennaro; Gnisci, Augusto

2005-01-01

In this preliminary study we investigate gender differences in object location memory. Our purpose is to extend the results about object location memory obtained in laboratory settings to a real 3-D environment and to further distinguish the specific components involved in this kind of memory by considering the strategies adopted to perform the…

Robust real-time horizon detection in full-motion video

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Young, Grace B.; Bagnall, Bryan; Lane, Corey; Parameswaran, Shibin

2014-06-01

The ability to detect the horizon on a real-time basis in full-motion video is an important capability to aid and facilitate real-time processing of full-motion videos for the purposes such as object detection, recognition and other video/image segmentation applications. In this paper, we propose a method for real-time horizon detection that is designed to be used as a front-end processing unit for a real-time marine object detection system that carries out object detection and tracking on full-motion videos captured by ship/harbor-mounted cameras, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) or any other method of surveillance for Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA). Unlike existing horizon detection work, we cannot assume a priori the angle or nature (for e.g. straight line) of the horizon, due to the nature of the application domain and the data. Therefore, the proposed real-time algorithm is designed to identify the horizon at any angle and irrespective of objects appearing close to and/or occluding the horizon line (for e.g. trees, vehicles at a distance) by accounting for its non-linear nature. We use a simple two-stage hierarchical methodology, leveraging color-based features, to quickly isolate the region of the image containing the horizon and then perform a more ne-grained horizon detection operation. In this paper, we present our real-time horizon detection results using our algorithm on real-world full-motion video data from a variety of surveillance sensors like UAVs and ship mounted cameras con rming the real-time applicability of this method and its ability to detect horizon with no a priori assumptions.

Qualitative research building real-life interventions: user-involving development of a mindfulness-based lifestyle change support program for overweight citizens.

PubMed

Hansen, N V; Brændgaard, P; Hjørnholm, C; la Cour, S

2014-10-01

This study is an experiment of putting social sciences to work in developing a support intervention for healthy lifestyle changes that would be attractive and manageable in real-life settings. Starting with a hypothesis that a class of intervention methods based on an unconventional 'low-tension' strategy may offer an effective support of stable, long-term changes well integrated in everyday life, difficult to maintain with conventional dieting and self-control approaches, this study focuses on designing and optimizing an intervention model combining several low-tension methods: mindfulness, small steps and group support. In three consecutive 'action research' cycles, the intervention was run in practice with groups of 20 overweight or obese citizens. Qualitative data, mainly in the form of recorded group sessions and individual interviews with group participants and group leaders, were systematically collected and analyzed, using a framework of social psychological theory to focus on difficulties, resources and meanings connected with habits and everyday life. This information was recycled into the design process for the next version of the intervention. We describe the user-involving development processes toward a more attractive and manageable intervention model. The model now exists as a well-articulated package whose effectiveness is being tested in a randomized controlled trial study. Social science can be put to work in systematically integrating real-life experience in a development process. It answers a very different kind of question than clinical trials-filling another place in an overall research program to create useful knowledge of what helps-in complex, everyday, real life.

Top-down modulation of visual processing and knowledge after 250 ms supports object constancy of category decisions

PubMed Central

Schendan, Haline E.; Ganis, Giorgio

2015-01-01

People categorize objects more slowly when visual input is highly impoverished instead of optimal. While bottom-up models may explain a decision with optimal input, perceptual hypothesis testing (PHT) theories implicate top-down processes with impoverished input. Brain mechanisms and the time course of PHT are largely unknown. This event-related potential study used a neuroimaging paradigm that implicated prefrontal cortex in top-down modulation of occipitotemporal cortex. Subjects categorized more impoverished and less impoverished real and pseudo objects. PHT theories predict larger impoverishment effects for real than pseudo objects because top-down processes modulate knowledge only for real objects, but different PHT variants predict different timing. Consistent with parietal-prefrontal PHT variants, around 250 ms, the earliest impoverished real object interaction started on an N3 complex, which reflects interactive cortical activity for object cognition. N3 impoverishment effects localized to both prefrontal and occipitotemporal cortex for real objects only. The N3 also showed knowledge effects by 230 ms that localized to occipitotemporal cortex. Later effects reflected (a) word meaning in temporal cortex during the N400, (b) internal evaluation of prior decision and memory processes and secondary higher-order memory involving anterotemporal parts of a default mode network during posterior positivity (P600), and (c) response related activity in posterior cingulate during an anterior slow wave (SW) after 700 ms. Finally, response activity in supplementary motor area during a posterior SW after 900 ms showed impoverishment effects that correlated with RTs. Convergent evidence from studies of vision, memory, and mental imagery which reflects purely top-down inputs, indicates that the N3 reflects the critical top-down processes of PHT. A hybrid multiple-state interactive, PHT and decision theory best explains the visual constancy of object cognition. PMID:26441701

Real estate investments demand strategic planning, objectives.

PubMed

Bermas, N F

1991-10-01

Real estate may present a great opportunity for institutions to positively affect their bottom lines. But it takes planning and foresight to achieve a solid real estate plan. In the following article, the author describes the process necessary to develop a program that goes beyond converting empty buildings into nursing homes. The process goes from identifying strategic objectives to examining financial alternatives and preparing an implementation plan.

Capturing real-life forgetting in transient epileptic amnesia via an incidental memory test.

PubMed

Hoefeijzers, Serge; Zeman, Adam; Della Sala, Sergio; Dewar, Michaela

2017-12-13

Transient epileptic amnesia (TEA) is an epileptic syndrome characterized by recurrent, brief episodes of amnesia. Patients with TEA often complain of interictal (between attacks) retention deficits, characterised by an 'evaporation' of memories for recent events over days to weeks. Clinical tests of anterograde memory often fail to corroborate these complaints as TEA patients commonly perform within the normal range after the standard 10-30-min delay period. Modified laboratory tests that include a 1-3 week delay period frequently reveal clear evidence of 'accelerated long-term forgetting' (ALF). However, they are not used routinely and lack ecological validity. In the present study we examined whether 'real-life' ALF can be captured via a controlled incidental memory test in TEA patients. To this end, the experimenter told 27 TEA patients and 32 controls a well-rehearsed amusing story, apparently as a way of making light conversation before starting a set of research experiments. Without prior warning, the experimenter subsequently probed the participants' memory of this story via tests of free recall and forced choice recognition after 30 min or 1 week. After 30 min retention was comparable in TEA patients and controls. After 1 week TEA patients retained significantly less story material than controls, and significant ALF was revealed in the TEA patients in the recognition test. Our data show that ALF in a 'real-life' situation can occur even when standard memory tests indicate normal memory function. Moreover, our data suggest that incidental memory tests can capture real-life ALF, and that forced-choice recognition tests might be more sensitive than free recall tests for the detection of real-life ALF. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Cost-Effectiveness of Apixaban versus Warfarin in Chinese Patients with Non-Valvular Atrial Fibrillation: A Real-Life and Modelling Analyses

PubMed Central

Li, Xue; Tse, Vicki C.; Lau, Wallis C. Y.; Cheung, Bernard M. Y.; Lip, Gregory Y. H.; Wong, Ian C. K.; Chan, Esther W.

2016-01-01

Objectives Many of the cost-effectiveness analyses of apixaban against warfarin focused on Western populations but Asian evidence remains less clear. The present study aims to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of apixaban against warfarin in Chinese patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF) from a public institutional perspective in Hong Kong. Methods We used a Markov model incorporating 12 health state transitions, and simulated the disease progression of NVAF in 1,000 hypothetical patients treated with apixaban/warfarin. Risks of clinical events were based on the ARISTOTLE trial and were adjusted with local International Normalized Ratio control, defined as the time in therapeutic range. Real-life input for the model, including patients’ demographics and clinical profiles, post-event treatment patterns, and healthcare costs, were determined by a retrospective cohort of 40,569 incident patients retrieved from a Hong Kong-wide electronic medical database. Main outcome measurements included numbers of thromboembolic and bleeding events, life years, quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) and direct healthcare cost. When comparing apixaban and warfarin, treatment with incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) less than one local GDP per capita (USD 33,534 in 2014) was defined to be cost-effective. Results In the lifetime simulation, fewer numbers of events were estimated for the apixaban group, resulting in reduced event-related direct medical costs. The estimated ICER of apixaban was USD 7,057 per QALY at base-case analysis and ranged from USD 1,061 to 14,867 per QALY under the 116 tested scenarios in deterministic sensitivity analysis. While in probabilistic sensitivity analysis, the probability of apixaban being the cost-effective alternative to warfarin was 96% and 98% at a willingness to pay threshold of USD 33,534 and 100,602 per QALY, respectively. Conclusions Apixaban is likely to be a cost-effective alternative to warfarin for stroke prophylaxis in Chinese patients with NVAF in Hong Kong. PMID:27362421

Understanding phenomena in the real world: the case for real time data collection in health services research.

PubMed

Jones, Martyn; Johnston, Derek

2011-07-01

Understanding the environmental and behavioural predictors of wellbeing is a key driver of health and social care research. Research set in the social world examines the relationships between behavioural, cognitive, emotional and environmental factors, linking these to disease or social ills with the aim of providing better preventive or treatment services. Much of this research is based on retrospective measurement tools, such as questionnaires or interviews. However, retrospective accounts are prone to bias arising from the influence of the participant's current affective state on autobiographical memory and error-inducing heuristic strategies related to memory. Participant introspection also biases self-reports of behaviour and symptoms. This essay offers a critical examination of the advantages of ecological momentary assessment (EMA) methods over retrospective accounts in understanding social phenomena. Advantages of EMA include collection of longitudinal data from a representative part of the participant's daily experience, in real time and in the participant's natural environment. EMA accounts are gathered more closely in time to the event and are less biased by heuristic, autobiographical memory strategies. Real-time longitudinal data may be combined from a range of devices or forms of data collection; for example, self-report can be linked with objective physiological data. EMA allows testing of within-person variation in variables of interest in a way that is difficult to achieve using retrospective measures and between-person (group level) designs. EMA approaches provide not just more data, but better data than previously, allowing the application of more powerful analytic techniques to critical, real life questions than ever before.

Virtual Reality Cerebral Aneurysm Clipping Simulation With Real-time Haptic Feedback

PubMed Central

Alaraj, Ali; Luciano, Cristian J.; Bailey, Daniel P.; Elsenousi, Abdussalam; Roitberg, Ben Z.; Bernardo, Antonio; Banerjee, P. Pat; Charbel, Fady T.

2014-01-01

Background With the decrease in the number of cerebral aneurysms treated surgically and the increase of complexity of those treated surgically, there is a need for simulation-based tools to teach future neurosurgeons the operative techniques of aneurysm clipping. Objective To develop and evaluate the usefulness of a new haptic-based virtual reality (VR) simulator in the training of neurosurgical residents. Methods A real-time sensory haptic feedback virtual reality aneurysm clipping simulator was developed using the Immersive Touch platform. A prototype middle cerebral artery aneurysm simulation was created from a computed tomography angiogram. Aneurysm and vessel volume deformation and haptic feedback are provided in a 3-D immersive VR environment. Intraoperative aneurysm rupture was also simulated. Seventeen neurosurgery residents from three residency programs tested the simulator and provided feedback on its usefulness and resemblance to real aneurysm clipping surgery. Results Residents felt that the simulation would be useful in preparing for real-life surgery. About two thirds of the residents felt that the 3-D immersive anatomical details provided a very close resemblance to real operative anatomy and accurate guidance for deciding surgical approaches. They believed the simulation is useful for preoperative surgical rehearsal and neurosurgical training. One third of the residents felt that the technology in its current form provided very realistic haptic feedback for aneurysm surgery. Conclusion Neurosurgical residents felt that the novel immersive VR simulator is helpful in their training especially since they do not get a chance to perform aneurysm clippings until very late in their residency programs. PMID:25599200

HDOMO: Smart Sensor Integration for an Active and Independent Longevity of the Elderly.

PubMed

Frontoni, Emanuele; Pollini, Rama; Russo, Paola; Zingaretti, Primo; Cerri, Graziano

2017-11-13

The aim of this paper is to present the main results of HDOMO, an Ambient Assisted Living (AAL) project that involved 16 Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and 2 research institutes. The objective of the project was to create an autonomous and automated domestic environment, primarily for elderly people and people with physical and motor disabilities. A known and familiar environment should help users in their daily activities and it should act as a virtual caregiver by calling, if necessary, relief efforts. Substantially, the aim of the project is to simplify the life of people in need of support, while keeping them autonomous in their private environment. From a technical point of view, the project provides the use of different Smart Objects (SOs), able to communicate among each other, in a cloud base infrastructure, and with the assisted users and their caregivers, in a perspective of interoperability and standardization of devices, usability and effectiveness of alarm systems. In the state of the art there are projects that achieve only a few of the elements listed. The HDOMO project aims to achieve all of them in one single project effectively. The experimental trials performed in a real scenario demonstrated the accuracy and efficiency of the system in extracting and processing data in real time to promptly acting, and in providing timely response to the needs of the user by integrating and confirming main alarms with different interoperable smart sensors. The article proposes a new technique to improve the accuracy of the system in detecting alarms using a multi-SO approach with information fusion between different devices, proving that this architecture can provide robust and reliable results on real environments.

HDOMO: Smart Sensor Integration for an Active and Independent Longevity of the Elderly

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

The aim of this paper is to present the main results of HDOMO, an Ambient Assisted Living (AAL) project that involved 16 Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and 2 research institutes. The objective of the project was to create an autonomous and automated domestic environment, primarily for elderly people and people with physical and motor disabilities. A known and familiar environment should help users in their daily activities and it should act as a virtual caregiver by calling, if necessary, relief efforts. Substantially, the aim of the project is to simplify the life of people in need of support, while keeping them autonomous in their private environment. From a technical point of view, the project provides the use of different Smart Objects (SOs), able to communicate among each other, in a cloud base infrastructure, and with the assisted users and their caregivers, in a perspective of interoperability and standardization of devices, usability and effectiveness of alarm systems. In the state of the art there are projects that achieve only a few of the elements listed. The HDOMO project aims to achieve all of them in one single project effectively. The experimental trials performed in a real scenario demonstrated the accuracy and efficiency of the system in extracting and processing data in real time to promptly acting, and in providing timely response to the needs of the user by integrating and confirming main alarms with different interoperable smart sensors. The article proposes a new technique to improve the accuracy of the system in detecting alarms using a multi-SO approach with information fusion between different devices, proving that this architecture can provide robust and reliable results on real environments. PMID:29137174

A method for optimizing multi-objective reservoir operation upon human and riverine ecosystem demands

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ai, Xueshan; Dong, Zuo; Mo, Mingzhu

2017-04-01

The optimal reservoir operation is in generally a multi-objective problem. In real life, most of the reservoir operation optimization problems involve conflicting objectives, for which there is no single optimal solution which can simultaneously gain an optimal result of all the purposes, but rather a set of well distributed non-inferior solutions or Pareto frontier exists. On the other hand, most of the reservoirs operation rules is to gain greater social and economic benefits at the expense of ecological environment, resulting to the destruction of riverine ecology and reduction of aquatic biodiversity. To overcome these drawbacks, this study developed a multi-objective model for the reservoir operating with the conflicting functions of hydroelectric energy generation, irrigation and ecological protection. To solve the model with the objectives of maximize energy production, maximize the water demand satisfaction rate of irrigation and ecology, we proposed a multi-objective optimization method of variable penalty coefficient (VPC), which was based on integrate dynamic programming (DP) with discrete differential dynamic programming (DDDP), to generate a well distributed non-inferior along the Pareto front by changing the penalties coefficient of different objectives. This method was applied to an existing China reservoir named Donggu, through a course of a year, which is a multi-annual storage reservoir with multiple purposes. The case study results showed a good relationship between any two of the objectives and a good Pareto optimal solutions, which provide a reference for the reservoir decision makers.

Optimal Golomb Ruler Sequences Generation for Optical WDM Systems: A Novel Parallel Hybrid Multi-objective Bat Algorithm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bansal, Shonak; Singh, Arun Kumar; Gupta, Neena

2017-02-01

In real-life, multi-objective engineering design problems are very tough and time consuming optimization problems due to their high degree of nonlinearities, complexities and inhomogeneity. Nature-inspired based multi-objective optimization algorithms are now becoming popular for solving multi-objective engineering design problems. This paper proposes original multi-objective Bat algorithm (MOBA) and its extended form, namely, novel parallel hybrid multi-objective Bat algorithm (PHMOBA) to generate shortest length Golomb ruler called optimal Golomb ruler (OGR) sequences at a reasonable computation time. The OGRs found their application in optical wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) systems as channel-allocation algorithm to reduce the four-wave mixing (FWM) crosstalk. The performances of both the proposed algorithms to generate OGRs as optical WDM channel-allocation is compared with other existing classical computing and nature-inspired algorithms, including extended quadratic congruence (EQC), search algorithm (SA), genetic algorithms (GAs), biogeography based optimization (BBO) and big bang-big crunch (BB-BC) optimization algorithms. Simulations conclude that the proposed parallel hybrid multi-objective Bat algorithm works efficiently as compared to original multi-objective Bat algorithm and other existing algorithms to generate OGRs for optical WDM systems. The algorithm PHMOBA to generate OGRs, has higher convergence and success rate than original MOBA. The efficiency improvement of proposed PHMOBA to generate OGRs up to 20-marks, in terms of ruler length and total optical channel bandwidth (TBW) is 100 %, whereas for original MOBA is 85 %. Finally the implications for further research are also discussed.

Using instant messaging to enhance the interpersonal relationships of Taiwanese adolescents: evidence from quantile regression analysis.

PubMed

Lee, Yueh-Chiang; Sun, Ya Chung

2009-01-01

Even though use of the internet by adolescents has grown exponentially, little is known about the correlation between their interaction via Instant Messaging (IM) and the evolution of their interpersonal relationships in real life. In the present study, 369 junior high school students in Taiwan responded to questions regarding their IM usage and their dispositional measures of real-life interpersonal relationships. Descriptive statistics, factor analysis, and quantile regression methods were used to analyze the data. Results indicate that (1) IM helps define adolescents' self-identity (forming and maintaining individual friendships) and social-identity (belonging to a peer group), and (2) how development of an interpersonal relationship is impacted by the use of IM since it appears that adolescents use IM to improve their interpersonal relationships in real life.

Real-Time Prognostics of a Rotary Valve Actuator

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Daigle, Matthew

2015-01-01

Valves are used in many domains and often have system-critical functions. As such, it is important to monitor the health of valves and their actuators and predict remaining useful life. In this work, we develop a model-based prognostics approach for a rotary valve actuator. Due to limited observability of the component with multiple failure modes, a lumped damage approach is proposed for estimation and prediction of damage progression. In order to support the goal of real-time prognostics, an approach to prediction is developed that does not require online simulation to compute remaining life, rather, a function mapping the damage state to remaining useful life is found offline so that predictions can be made quickly online with a single function evaluation. Simulation results demonstrate the overall methodology, validating the lumped damage approach and demonstrating real-time prognostics.

Residence as a Diagnostic and Therapeutic Area - A Smart Home Approach.

PubMed

Mielke, Corinna; Voss, Thorsten; Haux, Reinhold

2017-01-01

The "research apartment Halberstadtstraße" (HSS) in Braunschweig, Germany, is the attempt to realize a personal living environment as a room for diagnostics and therapy with the support of health-enabling and ambient assistive technologies (HEAAT). As a research tool, the HSS will enable the efficient implementation of new HEAAT and help in evaluating these under controlled real-life conditions. This new research tool will therefore be the missing link between artificial laboratory and complete real-life conditions. For a defined period, selected subjects can live in the HSS and experience the benefit of such a "Smart Home". The academic support in a real-life controlled living-environment enables continuous monitoring of behavior patterns and habits of healthy and ill persons, evaluation of new HEAAT, and conduction of requirements analysis and acceptance studies.

[Decisions on limiting treatment in critically-ill neonates: a multicenter study].

PubMed

2002-12-01

Backgrounds Some patients with a poor prognosis cause serious doubts about the real benefit of life-sustaining treatment. In some cases the possibility of limiting those treatments is raised. Such end-of-life decisions provoke ethical dilemmas and questions about procedure.ObjectivesTwo determine the frequency of end-of-life decisions in neonates, patient characteristics, and the criteria used by those taking decisions.Patients and methodsWe performed a multicenter, descriptive, prospective study. Neonates from 15 neonatal intensive care units who died during their stay in the hospital between 1999 and 2000, as well as those in whom end-of-life decisions were taken, were included. End-of-life decisions were defined as clinical decisions to withhold or withdraw life-sustaining treatment.ResultsA total of 330 patients were included. End-of-life decisions were taken in 171 (52 %); of these, 169 (98.8 %) died. The remaining 159 patients (48.2 %) died without treatment limitation. The main disorders involving end-of-life decisions were congenital malformation (47 %), neurologic disorders secondary to perinatal asphyxia and intracranial hemorrhage-periventricular leukomalacia (37 %). Of the 171 neonates, treatment was withheld in 80 and vital support was withdrawn in 91. The most frequently withdrawn life-sustaining treatment was mechanical ventilation (68 %). The criteria most commonly used in end-of-life decisions were poor vital prognosis (79.5 %), and current and future quality of life (37 % and 48 % respectively). The patient's external factors such as unfavorable family environment or possible negative consequences for familial equilibrium were a factor in 5 % of decisions.ConclusionsThe present study, the first of this type performed in Spain, reveals little-known aspects about the clinical practice of withholding and/or withdrawing life-sustaining treatment in critically ill neonates. End-of-life decisions were frequent (52 %) and were followed by death in most of the patients (98,8 %). The main criteria in decision-making were poor vital prognosis and the patient's current and future quality of life.

Experience with case tools in the design of process-oriented software

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Novakov, Ognian; Sicard, Claude-Henri

1994-12-01

In Accelerator systems such as the CERN PS complex, process equipment has a life time which may exceed the typical life cycle of its related software. Taking into account the variety of such equipment, it is important to keep the analysis and design of the software in a system-independent form. This paper discusses the experience gathered in using commercial CASE tools for analysis, design and reverse engineering of different process-oriented software modules, with a principal emphasis on maintaining the initial analysis in a standardized form. Such tools have been in existence for several years, but this paper shows that they are not fully adapted to our needs. In particular, the paper stresses the problems of integrating such a tool into an existing data-base-dependent development chain, the lack of real-time simulation tools and of Object-Oriented concepts in existing commercial packages. Finally, the paper gives a broader view of software engineering needs in our particular context.

The Lcn2-engineered HEK-293 cells show senescence under stressful condition

PubMed Central

Bahmani, Bahareh; Amiri, Fatemeh; Mohammadi Roushandeh, Amaneh; Bahadori, Marzie; Harati, Mozhgan Dehghan; Habibi Roudkenar, Mehryar

2015-01-01

Objective(s): Lipocalin2 (Lcn2) gene is highly expressed in response to various types of cellular stresses. The precise role of Lcn2 has not been fully understood yet. However, it plays a key role in controlling vital cellular processes such as proliferation, apoptosis and metabolism. Recently it was shown that Lcn2 decreases senescence and increases proliferation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) with finite life span under either normal or oxidative stress conditions. However, Lcn2 effects on immortal cell line with infinite proliferation are not defined completely. Materials and Materials and Methods: HEK-293 cells were transfected with recombinant pcDNA3.1 containing Lcn2 fragment (pcDNA3.1-Lcn2). Expression of lipocalin2 in transfected cells was evaluated by RT-PCR, real time RT-PCR, and ELISA. Different cell groups were treated with H2O2 and WST-1 assay was performed to determine their proliferation rate. Senescence was studied by β-galactosidase and gimsa staining methods as well as evaluation of the expression of senescence-related genes by real time RT-PCR. Results: Lcn2 increased cell proliferation under normal culture condition, while the proliferation slightly decreased under oxidative stress. This decrease was further found to be attributed to senescence. Conclusion: Our findings indicated that under harmful conditions, Lcn2 gene is responsible for the regulation of cell survival through senescence. PMID:26124931

Life: Here? There? Elsewhere? The Search for Life on Venus and Mars. Life in the Universe Series.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

1996

This classroom kit, designed by curriculum developers working with teachers and scientists from the SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) Institute, helps teachers guide students in the exploration of life through the multidisciplinary sciences of paleontology and exobiology. It reflects the real-life methods of science: making…

Comparison of Battery Life Across Real-World Automotive Drive-Cycles (Presentation)

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

Smith, K.; Earleywine, M.; Wood, E.

2011-11-01

Laboratories run around-the-clock aging tests to try to understand as quickly as possible how long new Li-ion battery designs will last under certain duty cycles. These tests may include factors such as duty cycles, climate, battery power profiles, and battery stress statistics. Such tests are generally accelerated and do not consider possible dwell time at high temperatures and states-of-charge. Battery life-predictive models provide guidance as to how long Li-ion batteries may last under real-world electric-drive vehicle applications. Worst-case aging scenarios are extracted from hundreds of real-world duty cycles developed from vehicle travel surveys. Vehicles examined included PHEV10 and PHEV40 EDVsmore » under fixed (28 degrees C), limited cooling (forced ambient temperature), and aggressive cooling (20 degrees C chilled liquid) scenarios using either nightly charging or opportunity charging. The results show that battery life expectancy is 7.8 - 13.2 years for the PHEV10 using a nightly charge in Phoenix, AZ (hot climate), and that the 'aggressive' cooling scenario can extend battery life by 1-3 years, while the 'limited' cooling scenario shortens battery life by 1-2 years. Frequent (opportunity) charging can reduce battery life by 1 year for the PHEV10, while frequent charging can extend battery life by one-half year.« less

A real time neural net estimator of fatigue life

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Troudet, T.; Merrill, W.

1990-01-01

A neural net architecture is proposed to estimate, in real-time, the fatigue life of mechanical components, as part of the Intelligent Control System for Reusable Rocket Engines. Arbitrary component loading values were used as input to train a two hidden-layer feedforward neural net to estimate component fatigue damage. The ability of the net to learn, based on a local strain approach, the mapping between load sequence and fatigue damage has been demonstrated for a uniaxial specimen. Because of its demonstrated performance, the neural computation may be extended to complex cases where the loads are biaxial or triaxial, and the geometry of the component is complex (e.g., turbopump blades). The generality of the approach is such that load/damage mappings can be directly extracted from experimental data without requiring any knowledge of the stress/strain profile of the component. In addition, the parallel network architecture allows real-time life calculations even for high frequency vibrations. Owing to its distributed nature, the neural implementation will be robust and reliable, enabling its use in hostile environments such as rocket engines. This neural net estimator of fatigue life is seen as the enabling technology to achieve component life prognosis, and therefore would be an important part of life extending control for reusable rocket engines.

A Real-Time Method to Estimate Speed of Object Based on Object Detection and Optical Flow Calculation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Kaizhan; Ye, Yunming; Li, Xutao; Li, Yan

2018-04-01

In recent years Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) has been widely used in computer vision field and makes great progress in lots of contents like object detection and classification. Even so, combining Convolutional Neural Network, which means making multiple CNN frameworks working synchronously and sharing their output information, could figure out useful message that each of them cannot provide singly. Here we introduce a method to real-time estimate speed of object by combining two CNN: YOLOv2 and FlowNet. In every frame, YOLOv2 provides object size; object location and object type while FlowNet providing the optical flow of whole image. On one hand, object size and object location help to select out the object part of optical flow image thus calculating out the average optical flow of every object. On the other hand, object type and object size help to figure out the relationship between optical flow and true speed by means of optics theory and priori knowledge. Therefore, with these two key information, speed of object can be estimated. This method manages to estimate multiple objects at real-time speed by only using a normal camera even in moving status, whose error is acceptable in most application fields like manless driving or robot vision.

The Spelling Bee and Me: A Real-Life Adventure in Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Small, Gail; Yoshinaga, Kendra

2006-01-01

This book documents the real-life story of Kendra Yoshinaga, a young speller who won her first qualifying bee at the young age of nine. Now eleven years old, she is preparing for future events after tying for 27th in the 2004 National Spelling Bee. Gail Small, author of Joyful Learning: No One Ever Wants To Go To Recess!, taught Kendra for first,…

A Journey through Time: From the Present Value to the Future Value and Back Or: Retirement Planning: A Comprehensible Application of the Time Value of Money Concept

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schmidt, Carolin E.

2016-01-01

Real-life applications of financial concepts are a valuable method to get students engaged in financial topics. While especially non-finance majors often struggle to understand the importance of financial topics for their personal lives, applying these theories to real-life examples can significantly improve their learning experience and increase…

Management of bipolar disorder in the intercontinental region: an international, multicenter, non-interventional, cross-sectional study in real-life conditions.

PubMed

Samalin, Ludovic; Vieta, Eduard; Okasha, Tarek Ahmed; Uddin, Mm Jalal; Ahmadi Abhari, Seyed Ali; Nacef, Fethi; Mishyiev, Vyacheslav; Aizenberg, Dovi; Ratner, Yaël; Melas-Melt, Lydie; Sedeki, Idir; Llorca, Pierre Michel

2016-05-16

Most of the existing data on real-life management of bipolar disorder are from studies conducted in western countries (mostly United States and Europe). This multinational, observational cohort study aimed to describe the management and clinical outcomes of bipolar patients in real-life conditions across various intercontinental countries (Bangladesh, Egypt, Iran, Israel, Tunisia, and Ukraine). Data on socio-demographic and disease characteristics, current symptomatology, and pharmacological treatment were collected. Comparisons between groups were performed using standard statistical tests. Overall, 1180 patients were included. The median time from initial diagnosis was 80 months. Major depressive disorder was the most common initial diagnosis. Mood stabilizers and antipsychotics were the most common drugs being prescribed at the time of the study. Antidepressants (mainly selective serotonin uptake inhibitors [SSRIs]) were administered to 36.1% of patients. Patients with bipolar I disorder received higher number of antipsychotics and anxiolytics than those with bipolar II disorder (p < 0.001). Presence of depressive symptoms was associated with an increase in antidepressant use (p < 0.001). Bipolar disorder real-life management practice, irrespective of region, shows a delay in diagnosis and an overuse of antidepressants. Clinical decision-making appears to be based on a multidimensional approach related to current symptomatology and type of bipolar disorder.

Management of bipolar disorder in the intercontinental region: an international, multicenter, non-interventional, cross-sectional study in real-life conditions

PubMed Central

Samalin, Ludovic; Vieta, Eduard; Okasha, Tarek Ahmed; Uddin, MM. Jalal; Ahmadi Abhari, Seyed Ali; Nacef, Fethi; Mishyiev, Vyacheslav; Aizenberg, Dovi; Ratner, Yaël; Melas-Melt, Lydie; Sedeki, Idir; Llorca, Pierre Michel

2016-01-01

Most of the existing data on real-life management of bipolar disorder are from studies conducted in western countries (mostly United States and Europe). This multinational, observational cohort study aimed to describe the management and clinical outcomes of bipolar patients in real-life conditions across various intercontinental countries (Bangladesh, Egypt, Iran, Israel, Tunisia, and Ukraine). Data on socio-demographic and disease characteristics, current symptomatology, and pharmacological treatment were collected. Comparisons between groups were performed using standard statistical tests. Overall, 1180 patients were included. The median time from initial diagnosis was 80 months. Major depressive disorder was the most common initial diagnosis. Mood stabilizers and antipsychotics were the most common drugs being prescribed at the time of the study. Antidepressants (mainly selective serotonin uptake inhibitors [SSRIs]) were administered to 36.1% of patients. Patients with bipolar I disorder received higher number of antipsychotics and anxiolytics than those with bipolar II disorder (p < 0.001). Presence of depressive symptoms was associated with an increase in antidepressant use (p < 0.001). Bipolar disorder real-life management practice, irrespective of region, shows a delay in diagnosis and an overuse of antidepressants. Clinical decision-making appears to be based on a multidimensional approach related to current symptomatology and type of bipolar disorder. PMID:27181262

Multitasking capacities in persons diagnosed with schizophrenia: a preliminary examination of their neurocognitive underpinnings and ability to predict real world functioning.

PubMed

Laloyaux, Julien; Van der Linden, Martial; Levaux, Marie-Noëlle; Mourad, Haitham; Pirri, Anthony; Bertrand, Hervé; Domken, Marc-André; Adam, Stéphane; Larøi, Frank

2014-07-30

Difficulties in everyday life activities are core features of persons diagnosed with schizophrenia and in particular during multitasking activities. However, at present, patients׳ multitasking capacities have not been adequately examined in the literature due to the absence of suitable assessment strategies. We thus recently developed a computerized real-life activity task designed to take into account the complex and multitasking nature of certain everyday life activities where participants are required to prepare a room for a meeting. Twenty-one individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia and 20 matched healthy controls completed the computerized task. Patients were also evaluated with a cognitive battery, measures of symptomatology and real world functioning. To examine the ecological validity, 14 other patients were recruited and were given the computerized version and a real version of the meeting preparation task. Results showed that performance on the computerized task was significantly correlated with executive functioning, pointing to the major implication of these cognitive processes in multitasking situations. Performance on the computerized task also significantly predicted up to 50% of real world functioning. Moreover, the computerized task demonstrated good ecological validity. These findings suggest the importance of evaluating multitasking capacities in patients diagnosed with schizophrenia in order to predict real world functioning. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Enhancements to the EPANET-RTX (Real-Time Analytics) ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Technical brief and software The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) developed EPANET-RTX as a collection of object-oriented software libraries comprising the core data access, data transformation, and data synthesis (real-time analytics) components of a real-time hydraulic and water quality modeling system. While EPANET-RTX uses the hydraulic and water quality solvers of EPANET, the object libraries are a self-contained set of building blocks for software developers. “Real-time EPANET” promises to change the way water utilities, commercial vendors, engineers, and the water community think about modeling.

3-D Mind Maps: Placing Young Children in the Centre of Their Own Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Howitt, Christine

2009-01-01

Three-dimensional mind maps are a highly effective tool for providing engaging, kinaesthetic and sensory experiences for young children, with real objects used to promote the sharing of knowledge and the creation of connections. The use of real objects allows children the opportunity to connect with those objects at a personal level, thus placing…

Visuo-Haptic Mixed Reality with Unobstructed Tool-Hand Integration.

PubMed

Cosco, Francesco; Garre, Carlos; Bruno, Fabio; Muzzupappa, Maurizio; Otaduy, Miguel A

2013-01-01

Visuo-haptic mixed reality consists of adding to a real scene the ability to see and touch virtual objects. It requires the use of see-through display technology for visually mixing real and virtual objects, and haptic devices for adding haptic interaction with the virtual objects. Unfortunately, the use of commodity haptic devices poses obstruction and misalignment issues that complicate the correct integration of a virtual tool and the user's real hand in the mixed reality scene. In this work, we propose a novel mixed reality paradigm where it is possible to touch and see virtual objects in combination with a real scene, using commodity haptic devices, and with a visually consistent integration of the user's hand and the virtual tool. We discuss the visual obstruction and misalignment issues introduced by commodity haptic devices, and then propose a solution that relies on four simple technical steps: color-based segmentation of the hand, tracking-based segmentation of the haptic device, background repainting using image-based models, and misalignment-free compositing of the user's hand. We have developed a successful proof-of-concept implementation, where a user can touch virtual objects and interact with them in the context of a real scene, and we have evaluated the impact on user performance of obstruction and misalignment correction.

Real-time monitoring of acoustic linear and nonlinear behavior of titanium alloys during low-cycle fatigue and high-cycle fatigue

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Frouin, Jerome; Sathish, Shamachary; Na, Jeong K.

2000-05-01

An in-situ technique to measure sound velocity, ultrasonic attenuation and acoustic nonlinear property has been developed for characterization and early detection of fatigue damage in aerospace materials. For this purpose we have developed a computer software and measurement technique including hardware for the automation of the measurement. New transducer holder and special grips are designed. The automation has allowed us to test the long-term stability of the electronics over a period of time and so proof of the linearity of the system. Real-time monitoring of the material nonlinearity has been performed on dog-bone specimens from zero fatigue all the way to the final fracture under low-cycle fatigue test condition (LCF) and high-cycle test condition (HCF). Real-time health monitoring of the material can greatly contribute to the understanding of material behavior under cyclic loading. Interpretation of the results show that correlation exist between the slope of the curve described by the material nonlinearity and the life of the component. This new methodology was developed with an objective to predict the initiation of fatigue microcracks, and to detect, in-situ fatigue crack initiation as well as to quantify early stages of fatigue damage.

Improving multiple sclerosis management and collecting safety information in the real world: the MSDS3D software approach.

PubMed

Haase, Rocco; Wunderlich, Maria; Dillenseger, Anja; Kern, Raimar; Akgün, Katja; Ziemssen, Tjalf

2018-04-01

For safety evaluation, randomized controlled trials (RCTs) are not fully able to identify rare adverse events. The richest source of safety data lies in the post-marketing phase. Real-world evidence (RWE) and observational studies are becoming increasingly popular because they reflect usefulness of drugs in real life and have the ability to discover uncommon or rare adverse drug reactions. Areas covered: Adding the documentation of psychological symptoms and other medical disciplines, the necessity for a complex documentation becomes apparent. The collection of high-quality data sets in clinical practice requires the use of special documentation software as the quality of data in RWE studies can be an issue in contrast to the data obtained from RCTs. The MSDS3D software combines documentation of patient data with patient management of patients with multiple sclerosis. Following a continuous development over several treatment-specific modules, we improved and expanded the realization of safety management in MSDS3D with regard to the characteristics of different treatments and populations. Expert opinion: eHealth-enhanced post-authorisation safety study may complete the fundamental quest of RWE for individually improved treatment decisions and balanced therapeutic risk assessment. MSDS3D is carefully designed to contribute to every single objective in this process.

Real-life experience of using conventional disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) in psoriatic arthritis (PsA). Retrospective analysis of the efficacy of methotrexate, sulfasalazine, and leflunomide in PsA in comparison to spondyloarthritides other than PsA and literature review of the use of conventional DMARDs in PsA

PubMed Central

Roussou, Euthalia; Bouraoui, Aicha

2017-01-01

Objective With the aim of assessing the response to treatment with conventional disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) used in patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA), data on methotrexate, sulfasalazine (SSZ), and leflunomide were analyzed from baseline and subsequent follow-up (FU) questionnaires completed by patients with either PsA or other spondyloarthritides (SpAs). Material and Methods A single-center real-life retrospective analysis was performed by obtaining clinical data via questionnaires administered before and after treatment. The indices used were erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C-reactive protein (CRP) level, Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index (BASDAI), Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Function Index (BASFI), wellbeing (WB), and treatment effect (TxE). The indices measured at baseline were compared with those measured on one occasion in a FU visit at least 1 year later. Results A total of 73 patients, 51 with PsA (mean age 49.8±12.8 years; male-to-female ratio [M:F]=18:33) and 22 with other SpAs (mean age 50.6±16 years; M:F=2:20), were studied. BASDAI, BASFI, and WB displayed consistent improvements during FU assessments in both PsA patients and controls in comparison to baseline values. SSZ exhibited better efficacy as confirmed by TxE in both PsA patients and controls. ESR and CRP displayed no differences in either the PsA or the SpA group between the cases before and after treatment. Conclusion Real-life retrospective analysis of three DMARDs used in PsA (and SpAs other than PsA) demonstrated that all three DMARDs that were used brought about improvements in BASDAI, BASFI, TxE, and WB. However, the greatest improvements at FU were seen with SSZ use in both PsA and control cohorts. PMID:28293446

Real-life effectiveness of spa therapy in rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases: a retrospective study of 819 patients

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Karagülle, Mine; Kardeş, Sinan; Karagülle, Müfit Zeki

2017-11-01

The objective of this study is to determine the use and efficacy of spa therapy in patients with a wide spectrum of rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases under real-life clinical practice circumstances. In this retrospective observational study at the Medical Ecology and Hydroclimatology Department of Istanbul Faculty of Medicine, the records of all adult patients with rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases who were prescribed a spa therapy in various health resorts in Turkey between 2002 and 2012 were analyzed. Patients sojourned to and stayed at a health resort and followed a usual 2-week course of spa therapy. The patients were examined within a week before and after the spa therapy at the department by the physicians and outcome measures were pain intensity (visual analog scale, VAS), patient's general evaluation (VAS), physician's general evaluation (VAS), Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ), Lequesne's Functional Index (LFI), Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Index (WOMAC), Waddell Index (WI), Neck Pain and Disability Scale (NPDS), Shoulder Disability Questionnaire (SDQ), Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ), and Beck's Depression Inventory (BDI). In total, 819 patients were included in the analysis. The diagnoses were 536 osteoarthritis; 115 fibromyalgia; 50 lumbar disc herniation; 34 cervical disc herniation; 23 nonspecific low back pain; 22 ankylosing spondylitis; 16 rheumatoid arthritis; 9 rotator cuff tendinitis; and 14 other conditions/diseases including scoliosis, stenosing flexor tenosynovitis, congenital hip dislocation in adult, Behçet's disease, de Quervain tendinopathy, psoriatic arthritis, osteoporosis, fracture rehabilitation, and diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis. Statistically significant decrease in pain scores was found in all patients except hip osteoarthritis ( p = 0.063) and rheumatoid arthritis ( p = 0.134) subgroups; and statistically significant improvement in function in all patients except hip osteoarthritis ( p = 0.068), rheumatoid arthritis ( p = 0.111), and rotator cuff tendinitis ( p = 0.078) subgroups. In daily clinical practice, spa therapy is prescribed and practiced mainly for osteoarthritis, then fibromyalgia, lumbar/cervical disc herniation, and nonspecific low back pain; and less for ankylosing spondylitis, rheumatoid arthritis, and rotator cuff tendinitis. The study results suggest that real-life spa therapy may be effective in a variety of rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases by improving pain and function.

Sex-related preferences for real and doll’s faces versus real and toy objects in young infants and adults

PubMed Central

Escudero, Paola; Robbins, Rachel A.; Johnson, Scott P.

2013-01-01

Findings of previous studies demonstrate sex-related preferences for toys in 6-month-old infants: Boys prefer non-social or mechanical toys such as cars, while girls prefer social toys such as dolls. Here, we explored the innate versus learned nature of this sex-related preferences using multiple pictures of doll and real faces (of men and women) as well as pictures of toy and real objects (cars and stoves). Forty-eight 4- and 5-month-old infants (24 girls) and 48 young adults (24 women) saw six trials of all relevant pairs of faces and objects, with each trial containing a different exemplar of a stimulus type. The infant results showed no sex-related preferences; infants preferred faces of men and women, regardless of whether they were real or doll’s faces. Similarly, adults did not show sex-related preferences for social versus non-social stimuli, but, unlike infants, they preferred faces of the opposite sex over objects. These results challenge claims of an innate basis for sex-related preferences for toy and real stimuli preferences (Connellan et al., 2000) and suggest that sex-related preferences result from maturational and social development, which continues into adulthood. PMID:23933180

Sex-related preferences for real and doll faces versus real and toy objects in young infants and adults.

PubMed

Escudero, Paola; Robbins, Rachel A; Johnson, Scott P

2013-10-01

Findings of previous studies demonstrate sex-related preferences for toys in 6-month-old infants; boys prefer nonsocial or mechanical toys such as cars, whereas girls prefer social toys such as dolls. Here, we explored the innate versus learned nature of this sex-related preferences using multiple pictures of doll and real faces (of men and women) as well as pictures of toy and real objects (cars and stoves). In total, 48 4- and 5-month-old infants (24 girls and 24 boys) and 48 young adults (24 women and 24 men) saw six trials of all relevant pairs of faces and objects, with each trial containing a different exemplar of a stimulus type. The infant results showed no sex-related preferences; infants preferred faces of men and women regardless of whether they were real or doll faces. Similarly, adults did not show sex-related preferences for social versus nonsocial stimuli, but unlike infants they preferred faces of the opposite sex over objects. These results challenge claims of an innate basis for sex-related preferences for toy real stimuli and suggest that sex-related preferences result from maturational and social development that continues into adulthood. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Haptic identification of objects and their depictions.

PubMed

Klatzky, R L; Loomis, J M; Lederman, S J; Wake, H; Fujita, N

1993-08-01

Haptic identification of real objects is superior to that of raised two-dimensional (2-D) depictions. Three explanations of real-object superiority were investigated: contribution of material information, contribution of 3-D shape and size, and greater potential for integration across the fingers. In Experiment 1, subjects, while wearing gloves that gently attenuated material information, haptically identified real objects that provided reduced cues to compliance, mass, and part motion. The gloves permitted exploration with free hand movement, a single outstretched finger, or five outstretched fingers. Performance decreased over these three conditions but was superior to identification of pictures of the same objects in all cases, indicating the contribution of 3-D structure and integration across the fingers. Picture performance was also better with five fingers than with one. In Experiment 2, the subjects wore open-fingered gloves, which provided them with material information. Consequently, the effect of type of exploration was substantially reduced but not eliminated. Material compensates somewhat for limited access to object structure but is not the primary basis for haptic object identification.

Influence of menu labeling on food choices in real-life settings: a systematic review.

PubMed

Fernandes, Ana C; Oliveira, Renata C; Proença, Rossana P C; Curioni, Cintia C; Rodrigues, Vanessa M; Fiates, Giovanna M R

2016-08-01

Evidence that menu labeling influences food choices in real-life settings is lacking. Reviews usually focus on calorie counts without addressing broader issues related to healthy eating. This systematic review assessed the influence of diverse menu-labeling formats on food choices in real-life settings. Several databases were searched: Cochrane Library, Scopus, MEDLINE, Web of Science, Food Science and Technology Abstracts, Biological Abstracts, CAB Abstracts, EconLit, SciELO, and LILACS. Articles reporting experiments, quasi-experiments, and observational studies using control or preintervention groups were selected blindly by two reviewers. Data was extracted using a standard form. Analyses differentiated between foodservice types. The quality of the 38 included studies was assessed blindly by two reviewers. The results were mixed, but a partial influence of menu labeling on food choices was more frequent than an overall influence or no influence. Menu labeling was more effective in cafeterias than in restaurants. Qualitative information, such as healthy-food symbols and traffic-light labeling, was most effective in promoting healthy eating. In general, the studies were of moderate quality and did not use control groups. Calorie labeling in menus is not effective to promote healthier food choices. Further research in real-life settings with control groups should test diverse qualitative information in menu labeling. © The Author(s) 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the International Life Sciences Institute. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

A Mythical History of the Scanning Probe Microscope - How it Could Have Been

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Elings, Virgil

2007-03-01

The path from the ground breaking Topografiner by Young et. al. in 1972 to the current Atomic Force Microscopes was tortuous, to say the least. Now as an entrepreneur, they say that you should study the problem, work out a plan, and then execute the plan. Since this rarely works for me in real life, let's follow the mythical history of Phil the physics student whose simple approach to scanning probe microscopes during his summer job may explain life better than real life did. Comparisons between Phil's experience and real life will be made along the way to show how random real life was compared to Phil's straightforward approach. We will follow Phil as he goes from the Scanning Touching Microscope (STM) to the All Fancy Microscope (AFM) and ends up with a current scanning probe microscope. The ``lesson'' in this story is that when you are doing something new, you learn so much while you are doing it that what you thought at the beginning (the plan) is rarely the best way to go. It is more important, I believe, for entrepreneurs to explore possibilities and keep their eyes open along the way rather than pretend the path they are on is the right one. Phil is mythical because he always knew where he was headed and it was always the right direction. So how does Phil's story end? I'm working on it and will tell you at the March Meeting.

Using LabView for real-time monitoring and tracking of multiple biological objects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nikolskyy, Aleksandr I.; Krasilenko, Vladimir G.; Bilynsky, Yosyp Y.; Starovier, Anzhelika

2017-04-01

Today real-time studying and tracking of movement dynamics of various biological objects is important and widely researched. Features of objects, conditions of their visualization and model parameters strongly influence the choice of optimal methods and algorithms for a specific task. Therefore, to automate the processes of adaptation of recognition tracking algorithms, several Labview project trackers are considered in the article. Projects allow changing templates for training and retraining the system quickly. They adapt to the speed of objects and statistical characteristics of noise in images. New functions of comparison of images or their features, descriptors and pre-processing methods will be discussed. The experiments carried out to test the trackers on real video files will be presented and analyzed.

Object-oriented integrated approach for the design of scalable ECG systems.

PubMed

Boskovic, Dusanka; Besic, Ingmar; Avdagic, Zikrija

2009-01-01

The paper presents the implementation of Object-Oriented (OO) integrated approaches to the design of scalable Electro-Cardio-Graph (ECG) Systems. The purpose of this methodology is to preserve real-world structure and relations with the aim to minimize the information loss during the process of modeling, especially for Real-Time (RT) systems. We report on a case study of the design that uses the integration of OO and RT methods and the Unified Modeling Language (UML) standard notation. OO methods identify objects in the real-world domain and use them as fundamental building blocks for the software system. The gained experience based on the strongly defined semantics of the object model is discussed and related problems are analyzed.

Attention in the real world: toward understanding its neural basis

PubMed Central

Peelen, Marius V.; Kastner, Sabine

2016-01-01

The efficient selection of behaviorally relevant objects from cluttered environments supports our everyday goals. Attentional selection has typically been studied in search tasks involving artificial and simplified displays. Although these studies have revealed important basic principles of attention, they do not explain how the brain efficiently selects familiar objects in complex and meaningful real-world scenes. Findings from recent neuroimaging studies indicate that real-world search is mediated by ‘what’ and ‘where’ attentional templates that are implemented in high-level visual cortex. These templates represent target-diagnostic properties and likely target locations, respectively, and are shaped by object familiarity, scene context, and memory. We propose a framework for real-world search that incorporates these recent findings and specifies directions for future study. PMID:24630872

Educators Get a "Second Life"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Trotter, Andrew

2008-01-01

For educators who think real life does not offer enough opportunities to practice their profession, there is Second Life, an Internet-based virtual environment that counts thousands of educators among its enthusiasts. Second Life bears a passing resemblance to an online game, with users represented by digitally drawn characters, called avatars,…

Perceived Leadership Life Skills Developed through Participation at the Arkansas FFA Leadership Conference: A Program Evaluation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ahrens, Chelsey Ann; Cox, Casandra Kay; Burris, Scott; Dykes, Mollie

2015-01-01

Youth leadership life skills are the "development of life skills necessary to perform leadership functions in real life" (Miller, 1976, p.2). A model developed by Kapostasy indicates life skills should be taught through FFA [formerly Future Farmers of America] (Staller, 2001). Thus, it is important to evaluate youth leadership life…

7 CFR 766.108 - Reamortization.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... at the time of reamortization. (2) The Agency adds protective advances for the payment of real estate... eligible for reamortization. The Agency may reamortize loans made for real estate purposes, including FO... life of the security, whichever is less. (i) FO, SW, RL, EE real estate-type, and EM loans made for...

7 CFR 766.108 - Reamortization.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... at the time of reamortization. (2) The Agency adds protective advances for the payment of real estate... eligible for reamortization. The Agency may reamortize loans made for real estate purposes, including FO... (iv), or the useful life of the security, whichever is less. (i) FO, SW, RL, EE real estate-type, and...

Fixing Ganache: Another Real-Life Use for Algebra

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kalman, Adam M.

2011-01-01

This article presents a real-world application of proportional reasoning and equation solving. The author describes how students adjust ingredient amounts in a recipe for chocolate ganache. Using this real-world scenario provided students an opportunity to solve a difficult and nonstandard algebra problem, a lot of practice with fractions, a…

Slow Crack Growth and Fatigue Life Prediction of Ceramic Components Subjected to Variable Load History

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jadaan, Osama

2001-01-01

Present capabilities of the NASA CARES/Life (Ceramic Analysis and Reliability Evaluation of Structures/Life) code include probabilistic life prediction of ceramic components subjected to fast fracture, slow crack growth (stress corrosion), and cyclic fatigue failure modes. Currently, this code has the capability to compute the time-dependent reliability of ceramic structures subjected to simple time-dependent loading. For example, in slow crack growth (SCG) type failure conditions CARES/Life can handle the cases of sustained and linearly increasing time-dependent loads, while for cyclic fatigue applications various types of repetitive constant amplitude loads can be accounted for. In real applications applied loads are rarely that simple, but rather vary with time in more complex ways such as, for example, engine start up, shut down, and dynamic and vibrational loads. In addition, when a given component is subjected to transient environmental and or thermal conditions, the material properties also vary with time. The objective of this paper is to demonstrate a methodology capable of predicting the time-dependent reliability of components subjected to transient thermomechanical loads that takes into account the change in material response with time. In this paper, the dominant delayed failure mechanism is assumed to be SCG. This capability has been added to the NASA CARES/Life (Ceramic Analysis and Reliability Evaluation of Structures/Life) code, which has also been modified to have the ability of interfacing with commercially available FEA codes executed for transient load histories. An example involving a ceramic exhaust valve subjected to combustion cycle loads is presented to demonstrate the viability of this methodology and the CARES/Life program.

Social Anxiety in Online and Real-Life Interaction and Their Associated Factors

PubMed Central

Yen, Ju-Yu; Yen, Cheng-Fang; Chen, Cheng-Sheng; Wang, Peng-Wei; Chang, Yi-Hsin

2012-01-01

Abstract Social anxiety was compared between online and real-life interaction in a sample of 2,348 college students. Severity of social anxiety in both real-life and online interaction was tested for associations with depression, Internet addiction, Internet activity type (gaming versus chatting), and scores on Behavioral Inhibition System (BIS)/Behavioral Activation System (BAS) scales. The results showed that social anxiety was lower when interacting online than when interacting offline. Depression, Internet addiction, and high BIS and BAS scores were associated with high social anxiety. The social anxiety decreased more in online interaction among subjects with high social anxiety, depression, BIS, and BAS. This result suggests that the Internet has good potential as an alternative medium for delivering interventions for social anxiety. Further, the effect of BIS on social anxiety is decreased in online interaction. More attention should be paid for BIS when the treatment for social anxiety is delivered online. PMID:22175853

Social anxiety in online and real-life interaction and their associated factors.

PubMed

Yen, Ju-Yu; Yen, Cheng-Fang; Chen, Cheng-Sheng; Wang, Peng-Wei; Chang, Yi-Hsin; Ko, Chih-Hung

2012-01-01

Social anxiety was compared between online and real-life interaction in a sample of 2,348 college students. Severity of social anxiety in both real-life and online interaction was tested for associations with depression, Internet addiction, Internet activity type (gaming versus chatting), and scores on Behavioral Inhibition System (BIS)/Behavioral Activation System (BAS) scales. The results showed that social anxiety was lower when interacting online than when interacting offline. Depression, Internet addiction, and high BIS and BAS scores were associated with high social anxiety. The social anxiety decreased more in online interaction among subjects with high social anxiety, depression, BIS, and BAS. This result suggests that the Internet has good potential as an alternative medium for delivering interventions for social anxiety. Further, the effect of BIS on social anxiety is decreased in online interaction. More attention should be paid for BIS when the treatment for social anxiety is delivered online.

LivePhantom: Retrieving Virtual World Light Data to Real Environments.

PubMed

Kolivand, Hoshang; Billinghurst, Mark; Sunar, Mohd Shahrizal

2016-01-01

To achieve realistic Augmented Reality (AR), shadows play an important role in creating a 3D impression of a scene. Casting virtual shadows on real and virtual objects is one of the topics of research being conducted in this area. In this paper, we propose a new method for creating complex AR indoor scenes using real time depth detection to exert virtual shadows on virtual and real environments. A Kinect camera was used to produce a depth map for the physical scene mixing into a single real-time transparent tacit surface. Once this is created, the camera's position can be tracked from the reconstructed 3D scene. Real objects are represented by virtual object phantoms in the AR scene enabling users holding a webcam and a standard Kinect camera to capture and reconstruct environments simultaneously. The tracking capability of the algorithm is shown and the findings are assessed drawing upon qualitative and quantitative methods making comparisons with previous AR phantom generation applications. The results demonstrate the robustness of the technique for realistic indoor rendering in AR systems.

LivePhantom: Retrieving Virtual World Light Data to Real Environments

PubMed Central

2016-01-01

To achieve realistic Augmented Reality (AR), shadows play an important role in creating a 3D impression of a scene. Casting virtual shadows on real and virtual objects is one of the topics of research being conducted in this area. In this paper, we propose a new method for creating complex AR indoor scenes using real time depth detection to exert virtual shadows on virtual and real environments. A Kinect camera was used to produce a depth map for the physical scene mixing into a single real-time transparent tacit surface. Once this is created, the camera’s position can be tracked from the reconstructed 3D scene. Real objects are represented by virtual object phantoms in the AR scene enabling users holding a webcam and a standard Kinect camera to capture and reconstruct environments simultaneously. The tracking capability of the algorithm is shown and the findings are assessed drawing upon qualitative and quantitative methods making comparisons with previous AR phantom generation applications. The results demonstrate the robustness of the technique for realistic indoor rendering in AR systems. PMID:27930663

Stress levels during emergency care: A comparison between reality and simulated scenarios.

PubMed

Daglius Dias, Roger; Scalabrini Neto, Augusto

2016-06-01

Medical simulation is fast becoming a standard of health care training throughout undergraduate, postgraduate and continuing medical education. Our aim was to evaluate if simulated scenarios have a high psychological fidelity and induce stress levels similarly to real emergency medical situations. Medical residents had their stress levels measured during emergency care (real-life and simulation) in baseline (T1) and immediately post-emergencies (T2). Parameters measuring acute stress were: heart rate, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, salivary α-amylase, salivary interleukin-1β, and State-Trait Anxiety Inventory score. Twenty-eight internal medicine residents participated in 32 emergency situations (16 real-life and 16 simulated emergencies). In the real-life group, all parameters increased significantly (P < .05) between T1 and T2. In the simulation group, only heart rate and interleukin-1β increased significantly after emergencies. The comparison between groups demonstrates that acute stress response (T2 - T1) and State-Trait Anxiety Inventory score (in T2) did not differ between groups. Acute stress response did not differ between both groups. Our results indicate that emergency medicine simulation may create a high psychological fidelity environment similarly to what is observed in a real emergency room. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

On the performance of metrics to predict quality in point cloud representations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alexiou, Evangelos; Ebrahimi, Touradj

2017-09-01

Point clouds are a promising alternative for immersive representation of visual contents. Recently, an increased interest has been observed in the acquisition, processing and rendering of this modality. Although subjective and objective evaluations are critical in order to assess the visual quality of media content, they still remain open problems for point cloud representation. In this paper we focus our efforts on subjective quality assessment of point cloud geometry, subject to typical types of impairments such as noise corruption and compression-like distortions. In particular, we propose a subjective methodology that is closer to real-life scenarios of point cloud visualization. The performance of the state-of-the-art objective metrics is assessed by considering the subjective scores as the ground truth. Moreover, we investigate the impact of adopting different test methodologies by comparing them. Advantages and drawbacks of every approach are reported, based on statistical analysis. The results and conclusions of this work provide useful insights that could be considered in future experimentation.

An ecological alternative to Snodgrass & Vanderwart: 360 high quality colour images with norms for seven psycholinguistic variables.

PubMed

Moreno-Martínez, Francisco Javier; Montoro, Pedro R

2012-01-01

This work presents a new set of 360 high quality colour images belonging to 23 semantic subcategories. Two hundred and thirty-six Spanish speakers named the items and also provided data from seven relevant psycholinguistic variables: age of acquisition, familiarity, manipulability, name agreement, typicality and visual complexity. Furthermore, we also present lexical frequency data derived from Internet search hits. Apart from the high number of variables evaluated, knowing that it affects the processing of stimuli, this new set presents important advantages over other similar image corpi: (a) this corpus presents a broad number of subcategories and images; for example, this will permit researchers to select stimuli of appropriate difficulty as required, (e.g., to deal with problems derived from ceiling effects); (b) the fact of using coloured stimuli provides a more realistic, ecologically-valid, representation of real life objects. In sum, this set of stimuli provides a useful tool for research on visual object- and word-processing, both in neurological patients and in healthy controls.

The genesis of errors in drawing.

PubMed

Chamberlain, Rebecca; Wagemans, Johan

2016-06-01

The difficulty adults find in drawing objects or scenes from real life is puzzling, assuming that there are few gross individual differences in the phenomenology of visual scenes and in fine motor control in the neurologically healthy population. A review of research concerning the perceptual, motoric and memorial correlates of drawing ability was conducted in order to understand why most adults err when trying to produce faithful representations of objects and scenes. The findings reveal that accurate perception of the subject and of the drawing is at the heart of drawing proficiency, although not to the extent that drawing skill elicits fundamental changes in visual perception. Instead, the decisive role of representational decisions reveals the importance of appropriate segmentation of the visual scene and of the influence of pictorial schemas. This leads to the conclusion that domain-specific, flexible, top-down control of visual attention plays a critical role in development of skill in visual art and may also be a window into creative thinking. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The properties of and analytical methods for detection of LiOH and Li2CO3

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Selvaduray, Guna

1991-01-01

Lithium hydroxide (LiOH) is used as a CO2 absorbent in the Shuttle Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) Portable Life Support System (PLSS). The first objective was to survey parameters that may be used to indicate conversion of LiOH to Li2CO3, and compile a list of all possible properties, including physical, chemical, structural, and electrical, that may serve to indicate the occurrence of reaction. These properties were compiled for the reactant (LiOH), the intermediate monohydrate compound (LiOH.H2O), and the final product (Li2CO3). The second objective was to survey measurement and analytical techniques which may be used in conjunction with each of the properties identified above, to determine the extent of conversion of LiOH to Li2CO3. Both real-time and post-run techniques were of interest. The techniques were also evaluated in terms of complexity, technology readiness, materials/equipment availability, and cost, where possible.

The Deep Lens Survey : Real--time Optical Transient and Moving Object Detection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Becker, Andy; Wittman, David; Stubbs, Chris; Dell'Antonio, Ian; Loomba, Dinesh; Schommer, Robert; Tyson, J. Anthony; Margoniner, Vera; DLS Collaboration

2001-12-01

We report on the real-time optical transient program of the Deep Lens Survey (DLS). Meeting the DLS core science weak-lensing objective requires repeated visits to the same part of the sky, 20 visits for 63 sub-fields in 4 filters, on a 4-m telescope. These data are reduced in real-time, and differenced against each other on all available timescales. Our observing strategy is optimized to allow sensitivity to transients on several minute, one day, one month, and one year timescales. The depth of the survey allows us to detect and classify both moving and stationary transients down to ~ 25th magnitude, a relatively unconstrained region of astronomical variability space. All transients and moving objects, including asteroids, Kuiper belt (or trans-Neptunian) objects, variable stars, supernovae, 'unknown' bursts with no apparent host, orphan gamma-ray burst afterglows, as well as airplanes, are posted on the web in real-time for use by the community. We emphasize our sensitivity to detect and respond in real-time to orphan afterglows of gamma-ray bursts, and present one candidate orphan in the field of Abell 1836. See http://dls.bell-labs.com/transients.html.

Affect and Subsequent Physical Activity: An Ambulatory Assessment Study Examining the Affect-Activity Association in a Real-Life Context.

PubMed

Niermann, Christina Y N; Herrmann, Christian; von Haaren, Birte; van Kann, Dave; Woll, Alexander

2016-01-01

Traditionally, cognitive, motivational, and volitional determinants have been used to explain and predict health behaviors such as physical activity. Recently, the role of affect in influencing and regulating health behaviors received more attention. Affects as internal cues may automatically activate unconscious processes of behavior regulation. The aim of our study was to examine the association between affect and physical activity in daily life. In addition, we studied the influence of the habit of being physically active on this relationship. An ambulatory assessment study in 89 persons (33.7% male, 25 to 65 years, M = 45.2, SD = 8.1) was conducted. Affect was assessed in the afternoon on 5 weekdays using smartphones. Physical activity was measured continuously objectively using accelerometers and subjectively using smartphones in the evening. Habit strength was assessed at the beginning of the diary period. The outcomes were objectively and subjectively measured moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) performed after work. Multilevel regression models were used to analyze the association between affect and after work MVPA. In addition, the cross-level interaction of habit strength and affect on after work MVPA was tested. Positive affect was positively related to objectively measured and self-reported after work MVPA: the greater the positive affect the more time persons subsequently spent on MVPA. An inverse relationship was found for negative affect: the greater the negative affect the less time persons spent on MVPA. The cross-level interaction effect was significant only for objectively measured MVPA. A strong habit seems to strengthen both the positive influence of positive affect and the negative influence of negative affect. The results of this study confirm previous results and indicate that affect plays an important role for the regulation of physical activity behavior in daily life. The results for positive affect were consistent. However, in contrast to previous reports of no or an inverse association, negative affect decreased subsequent MVPA. These inconsistencies may be-in part-explained by the different measurements of affect in our and other studies. Therefore, further research is warranted to gain more insight into the association between affect and physical activity.

Importance of leadership in cardiac arrest situations: from simulation to real life and back.

PubMed

Hunziker, Sabnina; Tschan, Franziska; Semmer, Norbert K; Marsch, Stephan

2013-04-18

The 2010 American Heart Association guidelines now recommend leadership training in Advanced Cardiac Life Support courses. In this review we provide a comprehensive summary of data derived from clinical studies that investigated the importance of leadership in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Only a few, mostly observational, studies have been conducted under real-life conditions because of the high heterogeneity of the situations, difficulties in capturing the initial phase of CPR, and ethical issues. Well-controlled studies in the human simulator can fill existing gaps and provide important insights. High-fidelity video-assisted simulator studies from different research groups have shown that a prolonged process of teambuilding is associated with significant shortcomings in CPR, whereas effective leadership improves team performance. In addition, randomised controlled studies have provided evidence that medical students receiving leadership training subsequently showed improved CPR performance, which was sustained after a follow up of 4 months. In addition, leadership is influenced by gender and other factors such as emotional stress. Future studies are needed to investigate cultural differences and how findings from the simulator can be transferred to real-life situations.

Converting optical scanning holograms of real objects to binary Fourier holograms using an iterative direct binary search algorithm.

PubMed

Leportier, Thibault; Park, Min Chul; Kim, You Seok; Kim, Taegeun

2015-02-09

In this paper, we present a three-dimensional holographic imaging system. The proposed approach records a complex hologram of a real object using optical scanning holography, converts the complex form to binary data, and then reconstructs the recorded hologram using a spatial light modulator (SLM). The conversion from the recorded hologram to a binary hologram is achieved using a direct binary search algorithm. We present experimental results that verify the efficacy of our approach. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time that a hologram of a real object has been reconstructed using a binary SLM.

Methodical approaches to value assessment and determination of the capitalization level of high-rise construction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smirnov, Vitaly; Dashkov, Leonid; Gorshkov, Roman; Burova, Olga; Romanova, Alina

2018-03-01

The article presents the analysis of the methodological approaches to cost estimation and determination of the capitalization level of high-rise construction objects. Factors determining the value of real estate were considered, three main approaches for estimating the value of real estate objects are given. The main methods of capitalization estimation were analyzed, the most reasonable method for determining the level of capitalization of high-rise buildings was proposed. In order to increase the value of real estate objects, the author proposes measures that enable to increase significantly the capitalization of the enterprise through more efficient use of intangible assets and goodwill.

Mobile EEG on the bike: disentangling attentional and physical contributions to auditory attention tasks.

PubMed

Zink, Rob; Hunyadi, Borbála; Huffel, Sabine Van; Vos, Maarten De

2016-08-01

In the past few years there has been a growing interest in studying brain functioning in natural, real-life situations. Mobile EEG allows to study the brain in real unconstrained environments but it faces the intrinsic challenge that it is impossible to disentangle observed changes in brain activity due to increase in cognitive demands by the complex natural environment or due to the physical involvement. In this work we aim to disentangle the influence of cognitive demands and distractions that arise from such outdoor unconstrained recordings. We evaluate the ERP and single trial characteristics of a three-class auditory oddball paradigm recorded in outdoor scenario's while peddling on a fixed bike or biking freely around. In addition we also carefully evaluate the trial specific motion artifacts through independent gyro measurements and control for muscle artifacts. A decrease in P300 amplitude was observed in the free biking condition as compared to the fixed bike conditions. Above chance P300 single-trial classification in highly dynamic real life environments while biking outdoors was achieved. Certain significant artifact patterns were identified in the free biking condition, but neither these nor the increase in movement (as derived from continuous gyrometer measurements) can explain the differences in classification accuracy and P300 waveform differences with full clarity. The increased cognitive load in real-life scenarios is shown to play a major role in the observed differences. Our findings suggest that auditory oddball results measured in natural real-life scenarios are influenced mainly by increased cognitive load due to being in an unconstrained environment.

Community detection in complex networks by using membrane algorithm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Chuang; Fan, Linan; Liu, Zhou; Dai, Xiang; Xu, Jiamei; Chang, Baoren

Community detection in complex networks is a key problem of network analysis. In this paper, a new membrane algorithm is proposed to solve the community detection in complex networks. The proposed algorithm is based on membrane systems, which consists of objects, reaction rules, and a membrane structure. Each object represents a candidate partition of a complex network, and the quality of objects is evaluated according to network modularity. The reaction rules include evolutionary rules and communication rules. Evolutionary rules are responsible for improving the quality of objects, which employ the differential evolutionary algorithm to evolve objects. Communication rules implement the information exchanged among membranes. Finally, the proposed algorithm is evaluated on synthetic, real-world networks with real partitions known and the large-scaled networks with real partitions unknown. The experimental results indicate the superior performance of the proposed algorithm in comparison with other experimental algorithms.

Validation of mobile eye-tracking as novel and efficient means for differentiating progressive supranuclear palsy from Parkinson's disease

PubMed Central

Marx, Svenja; Respondek, Gesine; Stamelou, Maria; Dowiasch, Stefan; Stoll, Josef; Bremmer, Frank; Oertel, Wolfgang H.; Höglinger, Günter U.; Einhäuser, Wolfgang

2012-01-01

Background: The decreased ability to carry out vertical saccades is a key symptom of Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP). Objective measurement devices can help to reliably detect subtle eye movement disturbances to improve sensitivity and specificity of the clinical diagnosis. The present study aims at transferring findings from restricted stationary video-oculography (VOG) to a wearable head-mounted device, which can be readily applied in clinical practice. Methods: We investigated the eye movements in 10 possible or probable PSP patients, 11 Parkinson's disease (PD) patients, and 10 age-matched healthy controls (HCs) using a mobile, gaze-driven video camera setup (EyeSeeCam). Ocular movements were analyzed during a standardized fixation protocol and in an unrestricted real-life scenario while walking along a corridor. Results: The EyeSeeCam detected prominent impairment of both saccade velocity and amplitude in PSP patients, differentiating them from PD and HCs. Differences were particularly evident for saccades in the vertical plane, and stronger for saccades than for other eye movements. Differences were more pronounced during the standardized protocol than in the real-life scenario. Conclusions: Combined analysis of saccade velocity and saccade amplitude during the fixation protocol with the EyeSeeCam provides a simple, rapid (<20 s), and reliable tool to differentiate clinically established PSP patients from PD and HCs. As such, our findings prepare the ground for using wearable eye-tracking in patients with uncertain diagnoses. PMID:23248593

Subcutaneous Interferon β-1a Administration by Electronic Auto-injector is Associated with High Adherence in Patients with Relapsing Remitting Multiple Sclerosis in a Real-life Study.

PubMed

Järvinen, Elina; Multanen, Juha; Atula, Sari

2017-02-20

The objective was to investigate adherence measured by an electronic auto-injector device, and self-reported adherence and treatment convenience in subjects with relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), using an electronic auto-injector Rebismart ® to self-inject interferon β-1a. Thirty one patients with RRMS using the electronic auto-injector Rebismart ® for self-injecting interferon β-1a subcutaneously three times weekly were included in a real-life clinical multicenter study for 24 weeks in Finland. Mean adherence reported by the device and mean self-assessment of adherence were studied. Reasons for missing injections and treatment convenience were assessed. Association between adherence and gender and age were studied. The mean adherence calculated from the device data was 93.5%. The mean self-assessment of adherence was 96.6%. The most common reason for missing an injection was forget-fulness. Adherence (measured by the device) was not changed over time. In the high adherence group there were more females and young patients (<30 years of age). The auto-injector was found to substantially ease the treatment by 90% of the patients. The electronic auto-injector was associated with high adherence to treatment. The device was found to ease the patient's treatment and it was perceived as easy to use. It is a convenient tool to assess patient's adherence to treatment.

Nabiximols (THC/CBD oromucosal spray, Sativex®) in clinical practice--results of a multicenter, non-interventional study (MOVE 2) in patients with multiple sclerosis spasticity.

PubMed

Flachenecker, Peter; Henze, Thomas; Zettl, Uwe K

2014-01-01

Nabiximols (Sativex®), a cannabinoid-based oromucosal spray, is an add-on therapy for patients with moderate to severe multiple sclerosis spasticity (MSS) resistant to other medications. The primary objective was to provide real-life observational data of clinical experience of nabiximols in contrast to formal clinical trials of effectiveness. This was an observational, prospective, multicenter, non-interventional study with a follow-up period of 3-4 months, conducted in routine care setting in Germany. Patients with moderate to severe MSS were included at nabiximols' initiation. Structured documentation forms, questionnaires and validated instruments were used for data collection at inclusion, 1 and 3 months after inclusion. Overall, 335 patients were assessed of whom 276 fitted the criteria and were included in the effectiveness analysis. After 1 month, nabiximols provided relief of resistant MSS in 74.6% of patients according to specialist assessment; mean spasticity 0-10 numerical rating scale (NRS) score decreased from 6.1 ± 1.8 to 5.2 ± 2.0 points; in patients with NRS improvement ≥20% mean NRS score decreased by 40%. After 3 months, 55.3% of patients had continued to use nabiximols and the mean NRS score had decreased by 25% from baseline. 17% of patients reported adverse events. Real-life data confirm nabiximols as an effective and well-tolerated treatment option for resistant MSS in clinical practice. © 2014 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Topics in Complexity: From Physical to Life Science Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Charry, Pedro David Manrique

Complexity seeks to unwrap the mechanisms responsible for collective phenomena across the physical, biological, chemical, economic and social sciences. This thesis investigates real-world complex dynamical systems ranging from the quantum/natural domain to the social domain. The following novel understandings are developed concerning these systems' out-of-equilibrium and nonlinear behavior. Standard quantum techniques show divergent outcomes when a quantum system comprising more than one subunit is far from thermodynamic equilibrium. Abnormal photon inter-arrival times help fulfill the metabolic needs of a terrestrial photosynthetic bacterium. Spatial correlations within incident light can act as a driving mechanism for an organism's adaptation toward more ordered structures. The group dynamics of non-identical objects, whose assembly rules depend on mutual heterogeneity, yield rich transition dynamics between isolation and cohesion, with the cohesion regime reproducing a particular universal pattern commonly found in many real-world systems. Analyses of covert networks reveal collective gender superiority in the connectivity that provides benefits for system robustness and survival. Nodal migration in a network generates complex contagion profiles that lie beyond traditional approaches and yet resemble many modern-day outbreaks.

Infrared small target detection technology based on OpenCV

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Lei; Huang, Zhijian

2013-05-01

Accurate and fast detection of infrared (IR) dim target has very important meaning for infrared precise guidance, early warning, video surveillance, etc. In this paper, some basic principles and the implementing flow charts of a series of algorithms for target detection are described. These algorithms are traditional two-frame difference method, improved three-frame difference method, background estimate and frame difference fusion method, and building background with neighborhood mean method. On the foundation of above works, an infrared target detection software platform which is developed by OpenCV and MFC is introduced. Three kinds of tracking algorithms are integrated in this software. In order to explain the software clearly, the framework and the function are described in this paper. At last, the experiments are performed for some real-life IR images. The whole algorithm implementing processes and results are analyzed, and those algorithms for detection targets are evaluated from the two aspects of subjective and objective. The results prove that the proposed method has satisfying detection effectiveness and robustness. Meanwhile, it has high detection efficiency and can be used for real-time detection.

Infrared small target detection technology based on OpenCV

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Lei; Huang, Zhijian

2013-09-01

Accurate and fast detection of infrared (IR) dim target has very important meaning for infrared precise guidance, early warning, video surveillance, etc. In this paper, some basic principles and the implementing flow charts of a series of algorithms for target detection are described. These algorithms are traditional two-frame difference method, improved three-frame difference method, background estimate and frame difference fusion method, and building background with neighborhood mean method. On the foundation of above works, an infrared target detection software platform which is developed by OpenCV and MFC is introduced. Three kinds of tracking algorithms are integrated in this software. In order to explain the software clearly, the framework and the function are described in this paper. At last, the experiments are performed for some real-life IR images. The whole algorithm implementing processes and results are analyzed, and those algorithms for detection targets are evaluated from the two aspects of subjective and objective. The results prove that the proposed method has satisfying detection effectiveness and robustness. Meanwhile, it has high detection efficiency and can be used for real-time detection.

WSN- and IOT-Based Smart Homes and Their Extension to Smart Buildings

PubMed Central

Ghayvat, Hemant; Mukhopadhyay, Subhas; Gui, Xiang; Suryadevara, Nagender

2015-01-01

Our research approach is to design and develop reliable, efficient, flexible, economical, real-time and realistic wellness sensor networks for smart home systems. The heterogeneous sensor and actuator nodes based on wireless networking technologies are deployed into the home environment. These nodes generate real-time data related to the object usage and movement inside the home, to forecast the wellness of an individual. Here, wellness stands for how efficiently someone stays fit in the home environment and performs his or her daily routine in order to live a long and healthy life. We initiate the research with the development of the smart home approach and implement it in different home conditions (different houses) to monitor the activity of an inhabitant for wellness detection. Additionally, our research extends the smart home system to smart buildings and models the design issues related to the smart building environment; these design issues are linked with system performance and reliability. This research paper also discusses and illustrates the possible mitigation to handle the ISM band interference and attenuation losses without compromising optimum system performance. PMID:25946630

Application of robust face recognition in video surveillance systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, De-xin; An, Peng; Zhang, Hao-xiang

2018-03-01

In this paper, we propose a video searching system that utilizes face recognition as searching indexing feature. As the applications of video cameras have great increase in recent years, face recognition makes a perfect fit for searching targeted individuals within the vast amount of video data. However, the performance of such searching depends on the quality of face images recorded in the video signals. Since the surveillance video cameras record videos without fixed postures for the object, face occlusion is very common in everyday video. The proposed system builds a model for occluded faces using fuzzy principal component analysis (FPCA), and reconstructs the human faces with the available information. Experimental results show that the system has very high efficiency in processing the real life videos, and it is very robust to various kinds of face occlusions. Hence it can relieve people reviewers from the front of the monitors and greatly enhances the efficiency as well. The proposed system has been installed and applied in various environments and has already demonstrated its power by helping solving real cases.

Assessing the performance of a motion tracking system based on optical joint transform correlation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Elbouz, M.; Alfalou, A.; Brosseau, C.; Ben Haj Yahia, N.; Alam, M. S.

2015-08-01

We present an optimized system specially designed for the tracking and recognition of moving subjects in a confined environment (such as an elderly remaining at home). In the first step of our study, we use a VanderLugt correlator (VLC) with an adapted pre-processing treatment of the input plane and a postprocessing of the correlation plane via a nonlinear function allowing us to make a robust decision. The second step is based on an optical joint transform correlation (JTC)-based system (NZ-NL-correlation JTC) for achieving improved detection and tracking of moving persons in a confined space. The proposed system has been found to have significantly superior discrimination and robustness capabilities allowing to detect an unknown target in an input scene and to determine the target's trajectory when this target is in motion. This system offers robust tracking performance of a moving target in several scenarios, such as rotational variation of input faces. Test results obtained using various real life video sequences show that the proposed system is particularly suitable for real-time detection and tracking of moving objects.

WSN- and IOT-Based Smart Homes and Their Extension to Smart Buildings.

PubMed

Ghayvat, Hemant; Mukhopadhyay, Subhas; Gui, Xiang; Suryadevara, Nagender

2015-05-04

Our research approach is to design and develop reliable, efficient, flexible, economical, real-time and realistic wellness sensor networks for smart home systems. The heterogeneous sensor and actuator nodes based on wireless networking technologies are deployed into the home environment. These nodes generate real-time data related to the object usage and movement inside the home, to forecast the wellness of an individual. Here, wellness stands for how efficiently someone stays fit in the home environment and performs his or her daily routine in order to live a long and healthy life. We initiate the research with the development of the smart home approach and implement it in different home conditions (different houses) to monitor the activity of an inhabitant for wellness detection. Additionally, our research extends the smart home system to smart buildings and models the design issues related to the smart building environment; these design issues are linked with system performance and reliability. This research paper also discusses and illustrates the possible mitigation to handle the ISM band interference and attenuation losses without compromising optimum system performance.

The impact of differences between subjective and objective social class on life satisfaction among the Korean population in early old age: Analysis of Korean longitudinal study on aging.

PubMed

Choi, Young; Kim, Jae-Hyun; Park, Eun-Cheol

2016-01-01

Several previous studies have established the relationship between the effects of socioeconomic status or subjective social strata on life satisfaction. However, no previous study has examined the relationship between social class and life satisfaction in terms of a disparity between subjective and objective social status. To investigate the relationship between differences in subjective and objective social class and life satisfaction. Data from the Korean Longitudinal Study of Aging with 8252 participants aged 45 or older was used. Life satisfaction was measured by the question, "How satisfied are you with your quality of life?" The main independent variable was differences in objective (income and education) and subjective social class, which was classified according to nine categories (ranging from high-high to low-low). This association was investigated by linear mixed model due to two waves data nested within individuals. Lower social class (income, education, subjective social class) was associated with dissatisfaction. The impact of objective and subjective social class on life satisfaction varied according to the level of differences in objective and subjective social class. Namely, an individual's life satisfaction declined as objective social classes decreased at the same level of subjective social class (i.e., HH, MH, LH). In both dimensions of objective social class (education and income), an individual's life satisfaction declined as subjective social class decreased by one level (i.e., HH, HM, HL). Our findings indicated that social supports is needed to improve the life satisfaction among the population aged 45 or more with low social class. The government should place increased focus on policies that encourage not only the life satisfaction of the Korean elderly with low objective social class, but also subjective social class. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

E-Counselling Implementation: Students' Life Stories and Counselling Technologies in Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kolog, Emmanuel Awuni; Sutinen, Erkki; Vanhalakka-Ruoho, Marjatta

2014-01-01

Given the current global trend of mimicking real life situations into digital counselling games and its related digital counselling platforms, we decided to contextually understand from the Ghanaian senior high school students, their life challenges arising from their life stories. The study also explores the extent to which ICT is currently being…

Using Plants to Explore the Nature & Structural Complexity of Life

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Howard, Ava R.

2014-01-01

Use of real specimens brings the study of biology to life. This activity brings easily acquired plant specimens into the classroom to tackle common alternative conceptions regarding life, size, complexity, the nature of science, and plants as multicellular organisms. The activity occurs after a discussion of the characteristics of life and engages…

A low-cost approach for rapidly creating demonstration models for hands-on learning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kinzli, Kristoph-Dietrich; Kunberger, Tanya; O'Neill, Robert; Badir, Ashraf

2018-01-01

Demonstration models allow students to readily grasp theory and relate difficult concepts and equations to real life. However drawbacks of using these demonstration models are that they are can be costly to purchase from vendors or take a significant amount of time to build. These two limiting factors can pose a significant obstacle for adding demonstrations to the curriculum. This article presents an assignment to overcome these obstacles, which has resulted in 36 demonstration models being added to the curriculum. The article also presents the results of student performance on course objectives as a result of the developed models being used in the classroom. Overall, significant improvement in student learning outcomes, due to the addition of demonstration models, has been observed.

The NASA-Lewis/ERDA Solar Heating and Cooling Technology Program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Couch, J. P.; Bloomfield, H. S.

1975-01-01

The NASA Lewis Research Center plans to carry out a major role in the ERDA Solar Heating and Cooling Program. This role would be to create and test the enabling technology for future solar heating, cooling, and combined heating/cooling systems. The major objectives of the project are to achieve reduction in solar energy system costs, while maintaining adequate performance, reliability, life, and maintenance characteristics. The project approach is to move progressively through component, subsystem, and then system technology advancement phases in parallel with continuing manufacturing cost assessment studies. This approach will be accomplished principally by contract with industry to develop advanced components and subsystems. This advanced hardware will be tested to establish 'technology readiness' both under controlled laboratory conditions and under real sun conditions.