Context Specificity of the ANS Stress Response during Two Regrouping Experiments in Goats

PubMed Central

Patt, Antonia; Gygax, Lorenz; Wechsler, Beat; Hillmann, Edna; Langbein, Jan; Keil, Nina M.

2016-01-01

The aim of this study was to analyze whether the activity of the autonomic nervous system (ANS) differs between two regrouping procedures in goats, which would indicate stimulus specificity of these stressors. Applying two regrouping procedures, we evaluated heart rate and heart rate variability (RMSSD, SDNN, and RMSSD/SDNN). The two regrouping procedures were (1) introduction of individual goats into established groups (“introduction experiment”) and (2) temporary separation and subsequent reintegration of individuals from/into their group with two levels of contact during separation (“separation experiment”). In the “introduction experiment,” the heart rate of introduced goats while lying decreased continuously from an average 78 to 68 beats/min from before the introduction to the last day of the introduction period. Inversely, RMSSD increased continuously from 41 to 62 ms, which, on its own, would indicate an adaptation to the situation. During the “separation experiment,” heart rate while lying was higher when goats were separated in the “acoustic contact treatment” (82 beats/min on average) compared with the “restricted physical contact treatment” (75 beats/min on average). This difference reflected a higher level of arousal during the “acoustic contact treatment.” However, heart rate activity did not allow detecting effects of separation or reintegration. Even though it can be assumed that both the separation and introduction of goats are stressful for goats, the ANS reactions observed in this study differed between the two management procedures indicating that the ANS activation was specific to each situation. In addition, we discuss the ANS results in context with earlier findings of variables of the hypothalamic pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis (fecal cortisol metabolites) and behavior (lying and feeding). As correspondence between ANS, HPA, and behavioral reactions was limited both within and across experiments, the results of this study underline the concept that stress response patterns are context specific. PMID:27551679

Population-based evaluation of a suggested anatomic and clinical classification of congenital heart defects based on the International Paediatric and Congenital Cardiac Code.

PubMed

Houyel, Lucile; Khoshnood, Babak; Anderson, Robert H; Lelong, Nathalie; Thieulin, Anne-Claire; Goffinet, François; Bonnet, Damien

2011-10-03

Classification of the overall spectrum of congenital heart defects (CHD) has always been challenging, in part because of the diversity of the cardiac phenotypes, but also because of the oft-complex associations. The purpose of our study was to establish a comprehensive and easy-to-use classification of CHD for clinical and epidemiological studies based on the long list of the International Paediatric and Congenital Cardiac Code (IPCCC). We coded each individual malformation using six-digit codes from the long list of IPCCC. We then regrouped all lesions into 10 categories and 23 subcategories according to a multi-dimensional approach encompassing anatomic, diagnostic and therapeutic criteria. This anatomic and clinical classification of congenital heart disease (ACC-CHD) was then applied to data acquired from a population-based cohort of patients with CHD in France, made up of 2867 cases (82% live births, 1.8% stillbirths and 16.2% pregnancy terminations). The majority of cases (79.5%) could be identified with a single IPCCC code. The category "Heterotaxy, including isomerism and mirror-imagery" was the only one that typically required more than one code for identification of cases. The two largest categories were "ventricular septal defects" (52%) and "anomalies of the outflow tracts and arterial valves" (20% of cases). Our proposed classification is not new, but rather a regrouping of the known spectrum of CHD into a manageable number of categories based on anatomic and clinical criteria. The classification is designed to use the code numbers of the long list of IPCCC but can accommodate ICD-10 codes. Its exhaustiveness, simplicity, and anatomic basis make it useful for clinical and epidemiologic studies, including those aimed at assessment of risk factors and outcomes.

Intermittent collective dynamics emerge from conflicting imperatives in sheep herds

PubMed Central

Ginelli, Francesco; Peruani, Fernando; Pillot, Marie-Helène; Chaté, Hugues; Theraulaz, Guy; Bon, Richard

2015-01-01

Among the many fascinating examples of collective behavior exhibited by animal groups, some species are known to alternate slow group dispersion in space with rapid aggregation phenomena induced by a sudden behavioral shift at the individual level. We study this phenomenon quantitatively in large groups of grazing Merino sheep under controlled experimental conditions. Our analysis reveals strongly intermittent collective dynamics consisting of fast, avalanche-like regrouping events distributed on all experimentally accessible scales. As a proof of principle, we introduce an agent-based model with individual behavioral shifts, which we show to account faithfully for all collective properties observed. This offers, in turn, an insight on the individual stimulus/response functions that can generate such intermittent behavior. In particular, the intensity of sheep allelomimetic behavior plays a key role in the group’s ability to increase the per capita grazing surface while minimizing the time needed to regroup into a tightly packed configuration. We conclude that the emergent behavior reported probably arises from the necessity to balance two conflicting imperatives: (i) the exploration of foraging space by individuals and (ii) the protection from predators offered by being part of large, cohesive groups. We discuss our results in the context of the current debate about criticality in biology. PMID:26417082

REGROUP Act of 2018

THOMAS, 112th Congress

Rep. Rothfus, Keith J. [R-PA-12

2018-06-07

Senate - 06/14/2018 Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status Passed HouseHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

Caregiving Isn't a Solo Sport

MedlinePlus

... Sport Follow us Caregiving Isn't a Solo Sport Leeza Gibbons is a leading TV talk show ... go it alone. Caregiving is not a solo sport. Identify who’s on your team. Delegate, forgive, regroup, ...

Modeling of geogenic radon in Switzerland based on ordered logistic regression.

PubMed

Kropat, Georg; Bochud, François; Murith, Christophe; Palacios Gruson, Martha; Baechler, Sébastien

2017-01-01

The estimation of the radon hazard of a future construction site should ideally be based on the geogenic radon potential (GRP), since this estimate is free of anthropogenic influences and building characteristics. The goal of this study was to evaluate terrestrial gamma dose rate (TGD), geology, fault lines and topsoil permeability as predictors for the creation of a GRP map based on logistic regression. Soil gas radon measurements (SRC) are more suited for the estimation of GRP than indoor radon measurements (IRC) since the former do not depend on ventilation and heating habits or building characteristics. However, SRC have only been measured at a few locations in Switzerland. In former studies a good correlation between spatial aggregates of IRC and SRC has been observed. That's why we used IRC measurements aggregated on a 10 km × 10 km grid to calibrate an ordered logistic regression model for geogenic radon potential (GRP). As predictors we took into account terrestrial gamma doserate, regrouped geological units, fault line density and the permeability of the soil. The classification success rate of the model results to 56% in case of the inclusion of all 4 predictor variables. Our results suggest that terrestrial gamma doserate and regrouped geological units are more suited to model GRP than fault line density and soil permeability. Ordered logistic regression is a promising tool for the modeling of GRP maps due to its simplicity and fast computation time. Future studies should account for additional variables to improve the modeling of high radon hazard in the Jura Mountains of Switzerland. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Discrimination Power Control for Adaptive Target Tracking Applications

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-07-01

represented by the Minister of National Defence, 2008 c© Sa Majesté la Reine (en droit du Canada), telle que représentée par le ministre de la Défense...classification. Résumé Le travail présenté dans ce rapport porte sur le problème de la capacité discriminatoire dans des applications de pistage de cibles...objectifs d’une mission. La stratégie de contrôle est basée sur deux boucles imbriquées. La boucle externe utilise des techniques de regroupement de

Teaching Multiplication with Regrouping to Students with Learning Disabilities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Flores, Margaret M.; Hinton, Vanessa M.; Schweck, Kelly B.

2014-01-01

The Common Core Standards require demonstration of conceptual knowledge of numbers, operations, and relations between mathematical concepts. Supplemental instruction should explicitly guide students with specific learning disabilities (SLD) in these skills. In this article, we illustrate implementation of the concrete-representational-abstract…

Matematica 3. Manual.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

D'Alu, Maria Jose Miranda de Sousa

This teachers manual accompanies a mathematics textbook, written in Portuguese, for third graders. It closely follows the objectives and methodology of the major curricula used throughout the schools in the United States. The 11 chapters deal with: numeration (0-999,999); addition with and without regrouping; subtraction with and without…

75 FR 5851 - Proposed Collection; Comment Request for Revenue Procedure 2010-13

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-02-04

... comments concerning Revenue Procedure 2010-13, Section 469 Grouping activities. DATES: Written comments... [email protected] . SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Title: Section 469 Grouping activities. OMB Number... taxpayers to report to the Internal Revenue Service their groupings and regroupings of activities and the...

Hazy Outlook, Time to Regroup.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Florio, David H.

1980-01-01

Legislative concerns for years to come will include: (1) limitations of uncontrolled spending which could affect educational programs; (2) a possible curtailment of cost-effective research and training programs; and (3) the possibility of replacing some of the large federally supported educational programs with tax credits or vouchers. (JN)

Regrouping Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

DelViscio, James L.; Muffs, Michael L.

2007-01-01

Good teachers were shying away from accepting 4th-grade positions because of the growing accountability pressures that were being unfairly brought to bear on that grade level. Highly publicized reports of the state's new battery of standardized assessments were scaring off applicants. To address the personnel needs while more fairly sharing the…

78 FR 16914 - Proposed Collection; Comment Request for Revenue Procedure 2010-13

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-03-19

... soliciting comments concerning Revenue Procedure 2010-13, Section 469 Grouping activities. DATES: Written... . SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Title: Section 469 Grouping activities. OMB Number: 1545-2156. Notice Number: Revenue... Service their groupings and regroupings of activities and the addition of specific activities within their...

The Reagan Years: Regrouping on Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Walsh, John

1980-01-01

Discusses implications for the Department of Education with the election of Ronald Reagan to the presidency. The future of the National Education Association (NEA) is also discussed, including its hopes for general aid to education and federal collective bargaining laws. Revision of higher education programs is also discussed. (CS)

Repeated intranasal oxytocin administration in early life dysregulates the HPA axis and alters social behavior

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Aggression and social stress are major welfare concerns when regrouping captive animals, with detrimental effects on health. In contrast, positive social interactions can reduce the adverse effects of social stress in humans and other animal species. This reduction may be mediated by oxytocin (OT), ...

Budget Eliminates Emergency Grants; Districts Regroup

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shah, Nirvi

2011-01-01

Emergency training programs aimed to prepare schools for events like Columbine are losing their funding amid budget cuts. "Readiness and Emergency Management for Schools" grants from the federal office of safe and drug-free schools, has evaporated. After paying for hundreds of school districts to prepare for a Columbine-like event, the roughly…

Teaching Students with Cognitive Impairment Chained Mathematical Task of Decimal Subtraction Using Simultaneous Prompting

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rao, Shaila; Kane, Martha T.

2009-01-01

This study assessed effectiveness of simultaneous prompting procedure in teaching two middle school students with cognitive impairment decimal subtraction using regrouping. A multiple baseline, multiple probe design replicated across subjects successfully taught two students with cognitive impairment at middle school level decimal subtraction…

The PEWTER Study: Breaking Bad News Communication Skills Training for Counseling Programs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Keefe-Cooperman, Kathleen; Savitsky, Devyn; Koshel, Walter; Bhat, Varsha; Cooperman, Jessica

2018-01-01

The efficacy of teaching communication skills for breaking bad news in graduate-level counseling programs was examined. A structured model, PEWTER (Prepare, Evaluate, Warning, Telling, Emotional Response, Regrouping; Keefe-Cooperman and Nardi 2004), provides a method for this difficult task. Prior to training in using the model, students reported…

Influences of the Kentucky Cooperative Extension Home Economics Program. Part I.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mann, Opal

In planning a reorganization of the Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service by re-grouping counties, a statewide study of home economics education was made to determine the audience for the programs, methods by which audiences were reached, and differences between members of homemakers clubs and nonmembers. Interviews were held with a 5% random…

Teachers in Schools with Low Socioeconomic Composition: Are They Really That Different?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Danhier, Julien

2016-01-01

This article aims to assess whether differences in teacher characteristics vary with differences in socioeconomic compositions of schools. We conducted correlation analyses on administrative data from the French-speaking education system in Belgium. This database regroups more than 20,000 teachers in 1,630 elementary schools. We selected…

Taking Stock and Standing down

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Peeler, Tom

2009-01-01

Standing down is an action the military takes to review, regroup, and reorganize. Unfortunately, it often comes after an accident or other tragic event. To stop losses, the military will "stand down" until they are confident they can resume safe operations. Standing down is good for everyone, not just the military. In today's fast-paced world,…

School Organisational Efforts in Search for Alternatives to Ability Grouping

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alpert, Bracha; Bechar, Shlomit

2008-01-01

The paper presents a case study of a secondary school in Israel and its efforts at attending to students' needs without resorting to tracking and ability grouping. It explores an organisational process the school has established, called "Opening triads", which involves periodical regrouping of three classrooms of students of the same age…

Regrouping: Organized Activity Involvement and Social Adjustment across the Transition to High School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bohnert, Amy M.; Aikins, Julie Wargo; Arola, Nicole T.

2013-01-01

Although organized activities (OAs) have been established as important contexts of development, limited work has examined the role of OAs across the high school transition in buffering adolescents' social adjustment by providing opportunities for visibility and peer affiliation. The transition to high school is characterized by numerous changes…

Primary Numberplay: "InterActivities" for the Discovery of Mathematics Concepts. User's Guide.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sullivan, W. Edward

This document plus diskette product provides nine interactive puzzles and games that both teach and provide practice with simple addition and subtraction concepts. The activities address these skills through carrying in addition and regrouping in subtraction. The activities address cognitive skills such as problem solving, planning, visual pattern…

21 CFR 522.150 - Azaperone.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 6 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Azaperone. 522.150 Section 522.150 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) ANIMAL DRUGS, FEEDS... aggressiveness when mixing or regrouping weanling or feeder pigs weighing up to 80 pounds. (2) Dosage. 2.2 mg per...

21 CFR 522.150 - Azaperone.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 6 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Azaperone. 522.150 Section 522.150 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) ANIMAL DRUGS, FEEDS... aggressiveness when mixing or regrouping weanling or feeder pigs weighing up to 80 pounds. (2) Dosage. 2.2 mg per...

21 CFR 522.150 - Azaperone.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 6 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false Azaperone. 522.150 Section 522.150 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) ANIMAL DRUGS, FEEDS... aggressiveness when mixing or regrouping weanling or feeder pigs weighing up to 80 pounds. (2) Dosage. 2.2 mg per...

21 CFR 522.150 - Azaperone.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 6 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Azaperone. 522.150 Section 522.150 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) ANIMAL DRUGS, FEEDS... aggressiveness when mixing or regrouping weanling or feeder pigs weighing up to 80 pounds. (2) Dosage. 2.2 mg per...

21 CFR 522.150 - Azaperone.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 6 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Azaperone. 522.150 Section 522.150 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) ANIMAL DRUGS, FEEDS... aggressiveness when mixing or regrouping weanling or feeder pigs weighing up to 80 pounds. (2) Dosage. 2.2 mg per...

Patients with Schizophrenia Do Not Preserve Automatic Grouping When Mentally Re-Grouping Figures: Shedding Light on an Ignored Difficulty

PubMed Central

Giersch, Anne; van Assche, Mitsouko; Capa, Rémi L.; Marrer, Corinne; Gounot, Daniel

2012-01-01

Looking at a pair of objects is easy when automatic grouping mechanisms bind these objects together, but visual exploration can also be more flexible. It is possible to mentally “re-group” two objects that are not only separate but belong to different pairs of objects. “Re-grouping” is in conflict with automatic grouping, since it entails a separation of each item from the set it belongs to. This ability appears to be impaired in patients with schizophrenia. Here we check if this impairment is selective, which would suggest a dissociation between grouping and “re-grouping,” or if it impacts on usual, automatic grouping, which would call for a better understanding of the interactions between automatic grouping and “re-grouping.” Sixteen outpatients with schizophrenia and healthy controls had to identify two identical and contiguous target figures within a display of circles and squares alternating around a fixation point. Eye-tracking was used to check central fixation. The target pair could be located in the same or separate hemifields. Identical figures were grouped by a connector (grouped automatically) or not (to be re-grouped). Attention modulation of automatic grouping was tested by manipulating the proportion of connected and unconnected targets, thus prompting subjects to focalize on either connected or unconnected pairs. Both groups were sensitive to automatic grouping in most conditions, but patients were unusually slowed down for connected targets while focalizing on unconnected pairs. In addition, this unusual effect occurred only when targets were presented within the same hemifield. Patients and controls differed on this asymmetry between within- and across-hemifield presentation, suggesting that patients with schizophrenia do not re-group figures in the same way as controls do. We discuss possible implications on how “re-grouping” ties in with ongoing, automatic perception in healthy volunteers. PMID:22912621

Breaking Bad News in Counseling: Applying the PEWTER Model in the School Setting

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Keefe-Cooperman, Kathleen; Brady-Amoon, Peggy

2013-01-01

Breaking bad news is a stressful experience for counselors and clients. In this article, the PEWTER (Prepare, Evaluate, Warning, Telling, Emotional Response, Regrouping) model (Nardi & Keefe-Cooperman, 2006) is used as a guide to facilitate the process of a difficult conversation and promote client growth in a school setting. In this…

Negotiating Curriculum Change in the French University: The Case of "Regionalising" Social Scientific Knowledge

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stavrou, Sophia

2009-01-01

This paper focuses on the curricular change in French universities that has taken place over the last two decades and especially since the implementation of the "LMD Reform" in 2002. Curricula tend to become "regionalised-knowledge" courses, by regrouping disciplinary knowledge and looking forward to economic and social needs.…

Teaching Multiplication with Regrouping Using the Concrete-Representational-Abstract Sequence and the Strategic Instruction Model

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Flores, Margaret M.; Franklin, Toni M.

2014-01-01

The Common Core State Standards (2010) involve the demonstration of conceptual knowledge of numbers and operations. For students who struggle with mathematics and have not responded to instruction, it is important that interventions emphasize this understanding. In order to address conceptual understanding of numbers and operations in meeting the…

With Dwindling Resources, Colleges Recalibrate Fund-Raising Staffs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Masterson, Kathryn

2009-01-01

After several years of aggressive hiring, some college fund-raising operations are now cutting back as both revenue and investment income fall. The regrouping could slow growth plans on many campuses at a time when the need for private support has never been greater. Often the colleges cutting employees are laying off back-office staff members and…

Optimal Sequential Rules for Computer-Based Instruction.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vos, Hans J.

1998-01-01

Formulates sequential rules for adapting the appropriate amount of instruction to learning needs in the context of computer-based instruction. Topics include Bayesian decision theory, threshold and linear-utility structure, psychometric model, optimal sequential number of test questions, and an empirical example of sequential instructional…

The effect of a sequential structure of practice for the training of perceptual-cognitive skills in tennis

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

Objective Anticipation of opponent actions, through the use of advanced (i.e., pre-event) kinematic information, can be trained using video-based temporal occlusion. Typically, this involves isolated opponent skills/shots presented as trials in a random order. However, two different areas of research concerning representative task design and contextual (non-kinematic) information, suggest this structure of practice restricts expert performance. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of a sequential structure of practice during video-based training of anticipatory behavior in tennis, as well as the transfer of these skills to the performance environment. Methods In a pre-practice-retention-transfer design, participants viewed life-sized video of tennis rallies across practice in either a sequential order (sequential group), in which participants were exposed to opponent skills/shots in the order they occur in the sport, or a non-sequential (non-sequential group) random order. Results In the video-based retention test, the sequential group was significantly more accurate in their anticipatory judgments when the retention condition replicated the sequential structure compared to the non-sequential group. In the non-sequential retention condition, the non-sequential group was more accurate than the sequential group. In the field-based transfer test, overall decision time was significantly faster in the sequential group compared to the non-sequential group. Conclusion Findings highlight the benefits of a sequential structure of practice for the transfer of anticipatory behavior in tennis. We discuss the role of contextual information, and the importance of representative task design, for the testing and training of perceptual-cognitive skills in sport. PMID:28355263

Multistage stereotactic radiosurgery for large cerebral arteriovenous malformations using the Gamma Knife platform.

PubMed

Ding, Chuxiong; Hrycushko, Brian; Whitworth, Louis; Li, Xiang; Nedzi, Lucien; Weprin, Bradley; Abdulrahman, Ramzi; Welch, Babu; Jiang, Steve B; Wardak, Zabi; Timmerman, Robert D

2017-10-01

Radiosurgery is an established technique to treat cerebral arteriovenous malformations (AVMs). Obliteration of larger AVMs (> 10-15 cm 3 or diameter > 3 cm) in a single session is challenging with current radiosurgery platforms due to toxicity. We present a novel technique of multistage stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) for large intracranial arteriovenous malformations (AVM) using the Gamma Knife system. Eighteen patients with large (> 10-15 cm 3 or diameter > 3 cm) AVMs, which were previously treated using a staged SRS technique on the Cyberknife platform, were retrospectively selected for this study. The AVMs were contoured and divided into 3-8 subtargets to be treated sequentially in a staged approach at half to 4 week intervals. The prescription dose ranged from 15 Gy to 20 Gy, depending on the subtarget number, volume, and location. Gamma Knife plans using multiple collimator settings were generated and optimized. The coordinates of each shot from the initial plan covering the total AVM target were extracted based on their relative positions within the frame system. The shots were regrouped based on their location with respect to the subtarget contours to generate subplans for each stage. The delivery time of each shot for a subtarget was decay corrected with 60 Co for staging the treatment course to generate the same dose distribution as that planned for the total AVM target. Conformality indices and dose-volume analysis were performed to evaluate treatment plans. With the shot redistribution technique, the composite dose for the multistaged treatment of multiple subtargets is equivalent to the initial plan for total AVM target. Gamma Knife plans resulted in an average PTV coverage of 96.3 ± 0.9% and a PITV of 1.23 ± 0.1. The resulting Conformality indices, V 12Gy and R 50 dose spillage values were 0.76 ± 0.05, 3.4 ± 1.8, and 3.1 ± 0.5 respectively. The Gamma Knife system can deliver a multistaged conformal dose to treat large AVMs when correcting for translational setup errors of each shot at each staged treatment. © 2017 American Association of Physicists in Medicine.

Teaching Money Computation Skills to High School Students with Mild Intellectual Disabilities via the TouchMath[C] Program: A Multi-Sensory Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Waters, Hugh E.; Boon, Richard T.

2011-01-01

This study investigated the effects of the TouchMath[C] program (Bullock, Pierce,&McClellan, 1989) to teach students with mild intellectual disabilities to subtract 3-digit money computational problems with regrouping. Three students with mild intellectual disabilities in high school received instruction in a special education mathematics…

The Hidden Gifts of Quiet Kids

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Trierweiler, Hannah

2006-01-01

The author relates that she was an introvert child. It has always taken her time and energy to find her place in a group. As a grown-up, she still needed quiet time to regroup during a busy day. In this article, the author presents an interview with Marti Olsen Laney, author of "The Hidden Gifts of the Introverted Child." During the interview,…

The administrator's quest for quality.

PubMed

Ross, A

1988-01-01

Times are tough and will become even tougher. Retrenchment issues will be foremost in many operational settings. Failure to understand baseline quality standards will make it extremely difficult to know where to cut and how to regroup without adversely affecting patient attitudes and service. Practice patterns are changing rapidly and the astute administrator needs to be prepared to participate freely in decisions affecting quality, service and costs.

Developing a Self-Report-Based Sequential Analysis Method for Educational Technology Systems: A Process-Based Usability Evaluation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lin, Yi-Chun; Hsieh, Ya-Hui; Hou, Huei-Tse

2015-01-01

The development of a usability evaluation method for educational systems or applications, called the self-report-based sequential analysis, is described herein. The method aims to extend the current practice by proposing self-report-based sequential analysis as a new usability method, which integrates the advantages of self-report in survey…

Exploring the sequential lineup advantage using WITNESS.

PubMed

Goodsell, Charles A; Gronlund, Scott D; Carlson, Curt A

2010-12-01

Advocates claim that the sequential lineup is an improvement over simultaneous lineup procedures, but no formal (quantitatively specified) explanation exists for why it is better. The computational model WITNESS (Clark, Appl Cogn Psychol 17:629-654, 2003) was used to develop theoretical explanations for the sequential lineup advantage. In its current form, WITNESS produced a sequential advantage only by pairing conservative sequential choosing with liberal simultaneous choosing. However, this combination failed to approximate four extant experiments that exhibited large sequential advantages. Two of these experiments became the focus of our efforts because the data were uncontaminated by likely suspect position effects. Decision-based and memory-based modifications to WITNESS approximated the data and produced a sequential advantage. The next step is to evaluate the proposed explanations and modify public policy recommendations accordingly.

Reading Remediation Based on Sequential and Simultaneous Processing.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gunnison, Judy; And Others

1982-01-01

The theory postulating a dichotomy between sequential and simultaneous processing is reviewed and its implications for remediating reading problems are reviewed. Research is cited on sequential-simultaneous processing for early and advanced reading. A list of remedial strategies based on the processing dichotomy addresses decoding and lexical…

Quantification of Uncertainty in the Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Studies Process

DTIC Science & Technology

1993-09-01

Environmental Restoration Division, HQ Air Combat Command at Langley AFB . Without his support this thesis would not have been possible. Through his...Lester, Restoration Program Manager, Wright-Patterson AFB , stated that the Operable Units (OUs) at Wright- Patterson AFB were regrouped (sites moved...provided detailed information on each installation’s sites and OUs and how they were related. For example, the MAP for Hamilton AFB might describe how

A Task Group Practitioner's Response to Waldo and Bauman's Article on Regrouping the Categorization of Group Work.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Keel, Linda P.

1998-01-01

Argues that Waldo and Bauman's Goals and Process (GAP) matrix does not include task/work groups. Claims that it is not in the best interest of group work to undo or rework the Association for Specialists in Group Work's four core groups as a model. States that the field of group work needs a commonly shared framework/categorization from which to…

From Insurgency to Stability. Volume 2: Insights from Selected Case Studies

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-01-01

Venezuela; and, to a lesser extent Ecuador , Panama, and Brazil. Cuba has facilitated discussions between the Colombian government and the ELN, and some...regroup and rebuild inside Venezuela and possibly Ecuador . Despite occasional pronouncements from President Chavez that his government is not...interest to the U.S. Department of Defense, other agencies of the U.S. government , as well as government and nongovernmental orga- nizations in other

The Effects of Using Direct Instruction and the Equal Additions Algorithm to Promote Subtraction with Regrouping Skills of Students with Emotional and Behavioral Disorders with Mathematics Difficulties

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fain, Angela Christine

2013-01-01

Students with emotional and behavioral disorders (E/BD) display severe social and academic deficits that can adversely affect their academic performance in mathematics and result in higher rates of failure throughout their schooling compared to other students with disabilities (U.S. Department of Education, 2005; Webber & Plotts, 2008).…

[Professor GAO Yuchun's experience on "sequential acupuncture leads to smooth movement of qi"].

PubMed

Wang, Yanjun; Xing, Xiao; Cui, Linhua

2016-01-01

Professor GAO Yuchun is considered as the key successor of GAO's academic school of acupuncture and moxibustion in Yanzhao region. Professor GAO's clinical experience of, "sequential acupuncture" is introduced in details in this article. In Professor GAO's opinions, appropriate acupuncture sequence is the key to satisfactory clinical effects during treatment. Based on different acupoints, sequential acupuncture can achieve the aim of qi following needles and needles leading qi; based on different symptoms, sequential acupuncture can regulate qi movement; based on different body positions, sequential acupuncture can harmonize qi-blood and reinforcing deficiency and reducing excess. In all, according to the differences of disease condition and constitution, based on the accurate acupoint selection and appropriate manipulation, it is essential to capture the nature of diseases and make the order of acupuncture, which can achieve the aim of regulating qi movement and reinforcing deficiency and reducing excess.

Multi-Level Sequential Pattern Mining Based on Prime Encoding

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lianglei, Sun; Yun, Li; Jiang, Yin

Encoding is not only to express the hierarchical relationship, but also to facilitate the identification of the relationship between different levels, which will directly affect the efficiency of the algorithm in the area of mining the multi-level sequential pattern. In this paper, we prove that one step of division operation can decide the parent-child relationship between different levels by using prime encoding and present PMSM algorithm and CROSS-PMSM algorithm which are based on prime encoding for mining multi-level sequential pattern and cross-level sequential pattern respectively. Experimental results show that the algorithm can effectively extract multi-level and cross-level sequential pattern from the sequence database.

SPMBR: a scalable algorithm for mining sequential patterns based on bitmaps

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Xiwei; Zhang, Changhai

2013-12-01

Now some sequential patterns mining algorithms generate too many candidate sequences, and increase the processing cost of support counting. Therefore, we present an effective and scalable algorithm called SPMBR (Sequential Patterns Mining based on Bitmap Representation) to solve the problem of mining the sequential patterns for large databases. Our method differs from previous related works of mining sequential patterns. The main difference is that the database of sequential patterns is represented by bitmaps, and a simplified bitmap structure is presented firstly. In this paper, First the algorithm generate candidate sequences by SE(Sequence Extension) and IE(Item Extension), and then obtain all frequent sequences by comparing the original bitmap and the extended item bitmap .This method could simplify the problem of mining the sequential patterns and avoid the high processing cost of support counting. Both theories and experiments indicate that the performance of SPMBR is predominant for large transaction databases, the required memory size for storing temporal data is much less during mining process, and all sequential patterns can be mined with feasibility.

ORA User’s Guide 2009

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-05-01

the tunnels collapse many Tok’ra are killed along with Major Mansfield. Ren’al encrypts the symbiote poison formula onto a data crystal but is...the tunnels . SG-1 regroups but more tunnel collapses prevent their escape to the ring room. Their path to the surface is blocked. Back at the...of Tok’ra tunneling crystals which they use to grow new tunnels . Major Carter tries to help Lt. Elliot stay alive. Oiris tells the System Lords she

The New Arab Regional Order: Opportunities and Challenges for U.S. Policy

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-11-01

which grew out of the Palestinian Muslim Brotherhood. Outside of the Arab countries, Turkey, under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Is- lamist...AKP party, is also an opponent of this alliance. Erdogan sharply denounced the removal of Morsi from power in 2013 and has given refuge to Egyptian...Broth- erhood has been able to regroup to some extent and to establish a media center that has broadcast anti-Sisi programs.29 Erdogan has also

Physics-based, Bayesian sequential detection method and system for radioactive contraband

DOEpatents

Candy, James V; Axelrod, Michael C; Breitfeller, Eric F; Chambers, David H; Guidry, Brian L; Manatt, Douglas R; Meyer, Alan W; Sale, Kenneth E

2014-03-18

A distributed sequential method and system for detecting and identifying radioactive contraband from highly uncertain (noisy) low-count, radionuclide measurements, i.e. an event mode sequence (EMS), using a statistical approach based on Bayesian inference and physics-model-based signal processing based on the representation of a radionuclide as a monoenergetic decomposition of monoenergetic sources. For a given photon event of the EMS, the appropriate monoenergy processing channel is determined using a confidence interval condition-based discriminator for the energy amplitude and interarrival time and parameter estimates are used to update a measured probability density function estimate for a target radionuclide. A sequential likelihood ratio test is then used to determine one of two threshold conditions signifying that the EMS is either identified as the target radionuclide or not, and if not, then repeating the process for the next sequential photon event of the EMS until one of the two threshold conditions is satisfied.

Eyewitness identification in simultaneous and sequential lineups: an investigation of position effects using receiver operating characteristics.

PubMed

Meisters, Julia; Diedenhofen, Birk; Musch, Jochen

2018-04-20

For decades, sequential lineups have been considered superior to simultaneous lineups in the context of eyewitness identification. However, most of the research leading to this conclusion was based on the analysis of diagnosticity ratios that do not control for the respondent's response criterion. Recent research based on the analysis of ROC curves has found either equal discriminability for sequential and simultaneous lineups, or higher discriminability for simultaneous lineups. Some evidence for potential position effects and for criterion shifts in sequential lineups has also been reported. Using ROC curve analysis, we investigated the effects of the suspect's position on discriminability and response criteria in both simultaneous and sequential lineups. We found that sequential lineups suffered from an unwanted position effect. Respondents employed a strict criterion for the earliest lineup positions, and shifted to a more liberal criterion for later positions. No position effects and no criterion shifts were observed in simultaneous lineups. This result suggests that sequential lineups are not superior to simultaneous lineups, and may give rise to unwanted position effects that have to be considered when conducting police lineups.

ORA User’s Guide 2011

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-06-13

flush out the resistance. As the tunnels collapse many Tok’ra are killed along with Major Mansfield. Ren’al encrypts the symbiote poison formula onto a...killed on their way back to the tunnels . SG-1 regroups but more tunnel collapses prevent their escape to the ring room. Their path to the surface is...Col. O’Neill and Teal’c find a set of Tok’ra tunneling crystals which they use to grow new tunnels . Major Carter tries to help Lt. Elliot stay alive

The fast azimuthal integration Python library: pyFAI.

PubMed

Ashiotis, Giannis; Deschildre, Aurore; Nawaz, Zubair; Wright, Jonathan P; Karkoulis, Dimitrios; Picca, Frédéric Emmanuel; Kieffer, Jérôme

2015-04-01

pyFAI is an open-source software package designed to perform azimuthal integration and, correspondingly, two-dimensional regrouping on area-detector frames for small- and wide-angle X-ray scattering experiments. It is written in Python (with binary submodules for improved performance), a language widely accepted and used by the scientific community today, which enables users to easily incorporate the pyFAI library into their processing pipeline. This article focuses on recent work, especially the ease of calibration, its accuracy and the execution speed for integration.

The Antiaircraft Journal. Volume 94, Number 3, May-June 1951

DTIC Science & Technology

1951-06-01

of the thundering hordes" has not yet de \\’(.’loped. The enemy has with- drawn further north. where the hostile forces are being regrouped. reinforced...units and special task forces to locate the enemy and de - velop his defensive installation’s. One or two antiaircraft artillery sections accom- pany... de - I".,. Only one veMcie ,,.,, lo~ d",;O~ the trip. i\\ lowr mechanics are unsu~i 1 heroes in war, and yet this story indi~ cates the true importance

Models of Information Aggregation Pertaining to Combat Identification: A Review of the Literature (Modele du Regroupement de L’information Concernant L’identification au Combat: Une Analyse Documentaire)

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-04-01

communication from the gunner who is able to offer enhanced visual information about the entity (e.g., insignia, type of weaponry) or radio contact may...1999 (Fuzzy Logic); Clemen & Winkler, in press (Bayes Theorem); Sentz & Ferson, 2002 (Dempster-Shafer)). Humansystems® Combat Identification...incidents when other units get lost and appear in unexpected locations. The formation radios for additional information from the operations officer

A weight modification sequential method for VSC-MTDC power system state estimation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Xiaonan; Zhang, Hao; Li, Qiang; Guo, Ziming; Zhao, Kun; Li, Xinpeng; Han, Feng

2017-06-01

This paper presents an effective sequential approach based on weight modification for VSC-MTDC power system state estimation, called weight modification sequential method. The proposed approach simplifies the AC/DC system state estimation algorithm through modifying the weight of state quantity to keep the matrix dimension constant. The weight modification sequential method can also make the VSC-MTDC system state estimation calculation results more ccurate and increase the speed of calculation. The effectiveness of the proposed weight modification sequential method is demonstrated and validated in modified IEEE 14 bus system.

[Estimating emergency hospital admissions to gauge short-term effects of air pollution: evaluation of health data quality].

PubMed

Bois de Fer, Béatrice; Host, Sabine; Chardon, Benoît; Chatignoux, Edouard; Beaujouan, Laure; Brun-Ney, Dominique; Grémy, Isabelle

2009-01-01

The study of the short-term effects and health impact of air pollution is carrier out by the ERPURS regional surveillance program which utilizes hospitalization data obtained from the French hospital information system (PMSI) to determine these links. This system does not permit the distinction between emergency hospital admissions from scheduled ones, which cannot be related to short term changes in air pollution levels. This study examines how scheduled admissions affect the quality of the health indicators used to estimate air pollution effects. This indicator is compared to three new emergency hospitalisation indicators reconstructed based on data from the public hospitals in Paris, partly from the PMSI data and partly with data from an on-line emergency network that regroups all of the computerized emergency services. According to the pathology, scheduled admissions present a difficulty which affects the capacity to highlight the weakest risks with any precision.

A hybrid dynamic harmony search algorithm for identical parallel machines scheduling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Jing; Pan, Quan-Ke; Wang, Ling; Li, Jun-Qing

2012-02-01

In this article, a dynamic harmony search (DHS) algorithm is proposed for the identical parallel machines scheduling problem with the objective to minimize makespan. First, an encoding scheme based on a list scheduling rule is developed to convert the continuous harmony vectors to discrete job assignments. Second, the whole harmony memory (HM) is divided into multiple small-sized sub-HMs, and each sub-HM performs evolution independently and exchanges information with others periodically by using a regrouping schedule. Third, a novel improvisation process is applied to generate a new harmony by making use of the information of harmony vectors in each sub-HM. Moreover, a local search strategy is presented and incorporated into the DHS algorithm to find promising solutions. Simulation results show that the hybrid DHS (DHS_LS) is very competitive in comparison to its competitors in terms of mean performance and average computational time.

Acousto-Optical Evaluation Of Fiber Size In Wood Pulp

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dion, J. L.; Garceau, J. J.; Morissette, J. C.

1986-10-01

In the pulp and paper industry, the problem of regular and fast evaluation of wood fiber characteristics such as length and specific area is an important one. With this in view, we have been studying an acousto-optical technique based on the acoustic agglomeration of fibers in a water suspension, where a stationary ultrasonic field is created at about 150 kHz. Under the influence of radiation forces, fibers re-orient themselves parallel to the nodal planes of acoustic pressure, and regroup or agglomerate in these planes in different characteristic times. These are mesured by means of the light scattered at small angles. We have found that these times depend on the size distribution of fibers, particularly length. We present results obtained with an assortment of fiber types, under various experimental conditions which indicate eventual applications in the automatic control of pulp production.

Sequential biases in accumulating evidence

PubMed Central

Huggins, Richard; Dogo, Samson Henry

2015-01-01

Whilst it is common in clinical trials to use the results of tests at one phase to decide whether to continue to the next phase and to subsequently design the next phase, we show that this can lead to biased results in evidence synthesis. Two new kinds of bias associated with accumulating evidence, termed ‘sequential decision bias’ and ‘sequential design bias’, are identified. Both kinds of bias are the result of making decisions on the usefulness of a new study, or its design, based on the previous studies. Sequential decision bias is determined by the correlation between the value of the current estimated effect and the probability of conducting an additional study. Sequential design bias arises from using the estimated value instead of the clinically relevant value of an effect in sample size calculations. We considered both the fixed‐effect and the random‐effects models of meta‐analysis and demonstrated analytically and by simulations that in both settings the problems due to sequential biases are apparent. According to our simulations, the sequential biases increase with increased heterogeneity. Minimisation of sequential biases arises as a new and important research area necessary for successful evidence‐based approaches to the development of science. © 2015 The Authors. Research Synthesis Methods Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd. PMID:26626562

CFD simulation of hemodynamics in sequential and individual coronary bypass grafts based on multislice CT scan datasets.

PubMed

Hajati, Omid; Zarrabi, Khalil; Karimi, Reza; Hajati, Azadeh

2012-01-01

There is still controversy over the differences in the patency rates of the sequential and individual coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) techniques. The purpose of this paper was to non-invasively evaluate hemodynamic parameters using complete 3D computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations of the sequential and the individual methods based on the patient-specific data extracted from computed tomography (CT) angiography. For CFD analysis, the geometric model of coronary arteries was reconstructed using an ECG-gated 64-detector row CT. Modeling the sequential and individual bypass grafting, this study simulates the flow from the aorta to the occluded posterior descending artery (PDA) and the posterior left ventricle (PLV) vessel with six coronary branches based on the physiologically measured inlet flow as the boundary condition. The maximum calculated wall shear stress (WSS) in the sequential and the individual models were estimated to be 35.1 N/m(2) and 36.5 N/m(2), respectively. Compared to the individual bypass method, the sequential graft has shown a higher velocity at the proximal segment and lower spatial wall shear stress gradient (SWSSG) due to the flow splitting caused by the side-to-side anastomosis. Simulated results combined with its surgical benefits including the requirement of shorter vein length and fewer anastomoses advocate the sequential method as a more favorable CABG method.

Multi-atlas segmentation of the cartilage in knee MR images with sequential volume- and bone-mask-based registrations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Han Sang; Kim, Hyeun A.; Kim, Hyeonjin; Hong, Helen; Yoon, Young Cheol; Kim, Junmo

2016-03-01

In spite of its clinical importance in diagnosis of osteoarthritis, segmentation of cartilage in knee MRI remains a challenging task due to its shape variability and low contrast with surrounding soft tissues and synovial fluid. In this paper, we propose a multi-atlas segmentation of cartilage in knee MRI with sequential atlas registrations and locallyweighted voting (LWV). First, bone is segmented by sequential volume- and object-based registrations and LWV. Second, to overcome the shape variability of cartilage, cartilage is segmented by bone-mask-based registration and LWV. In experiments, the proposed method improved the bone segmentation by reducing misclassified bone region, and enhanced the cartilage segmentation by preventing cartilage leakage into surrounding similar intensity region, with the help of sequential registrations and LWV.

A stacked sequential learning method for investigator name recognition from web-based medical articles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Xiaoli; Zou, Jie; Le, Daniel X.; Thoma, George

2010-01-01

"Investigator Names" is a newly required field in MEDLINE citations. It consists of personal names listed as members of corporate organizations in an article. Extracting investigator names automatically is necessary because of the increasing volume of articles reporting collaborative biomedical research in which a large number of investigators participate. In this paper, we present an SVM-based stacked sequential learning method in a novel application - recognizing named entities such as the first and last names of investigators from online medical journal articles. Stacked sequential learning is a meta-learning algorithm which can boost any base learner. It exploits contextual information by adding the predicted labels of the surrounding tokens as features. We apply this method to tag words in text paragraphs containing investigator names, and demonstrate that stacked sequential learning improves the performance of a nonsequential base learner such as an SVM classifier.

Trial Sequential Methods for Meta-Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kulinskaya, Elena; Wood, John

2014-01-01

Statistical methods for sequential meta-analysis have applications also for the design of new trials. Existing methods are based on group sequential methods developed for single trials and start with the calculation of a required information size. This works satisfactorily within the framework of fixed effects meta-analysis, but conceptual…

Treatment of mites folliculitis with an ornidazole-based sequential therapy: A randomized trial.

PubMed

Luo, Yang; Sun, Yu-Jiao; Zhang, Li; Luan, Xiu-Li

2016-07-01

Treatment of Demodex infestations is often inadequate and associated with low effective rate. We sought to evaluate the efficacy of an ornidazole-based sequential therapy for mites folliculitis treatment. Two-hundred patients with mites folliculitis were sequentially treated with either an ornidazole- or metronidazole-based regimen. Sebum cutaneum was extruded from the sebaceous glands of each patient's nose and the presence of Demodex mites were examined by light microscopy. The clinical manifestations of relapse of mites folliculitis were recorded and the subjects were followed up at 2, 4, 8, and 12 weeks post-treatment. Patients treated with the ornidazole-based regimen showed an overall effective rate of 94.0%. Additionally, at the 2, 4, 8, and 12-week follow-up, these patients had significantly lower rates of Demodex mite relapse and new lesion occurrence compared with patients treated with the metronidazole-based regimen (P < 0.05). Sequential therapy using ornidazole, betamethasone, and recombinant bovine basic fibroblast growth factor (rbFGF) gel is highly effective for treating mites folliculitis.

A sampling and classification item selection approach with content balancing.

PubMed

Chen, Pei-Hua

2015-03-01

Existing automated test assembly methods typically employ constrained combinatorial optimization. Constructing forms sequentially based on an optimization approach usually results in unparallel forms and requires heuristic modifications. Methods based on a random search approach have the major advantage of producing parallel forms sequentially without further adjustment. This study incorporated a flexible content-balancing element into the statistical perspective item selection method of the cell-only method (Chen et al. in Educational and Psychological Measurement, 72(6), 933-953, 2012). The new method was compared with a sequential interitem distance weighted deviation model (IID WDM) (Swanson & Stocking in Applied Psychological Measurement, 17(2), 151-166, 1993), a simultaneous IID WDM, and a big-shadow-test mixed integer programming (BST MIP) method to construct multiple parallel forms based on matching a reference form item-by-item. The results showed that the cell-only method with content balancing and the sequential and simultaneous versions of IID WDM yielded results comparable to those obtained using the BST MIP method. The cell-only method with content balancing is computationally less intensive than the sequential and simultaneous versions of IID WDM.

Eyewitness decisions in simultaneous and sequential lineups: a dual-process signal detection theory analysis.

PubMed

Meissner, Christian A; Tredoux, Colin G; Parker, Janat F; MacLin, Otto H

2005-07-01

Many eyewitness researchers have argued for the application of a sequential alternative to the traditional simultaneous lineup, given its role in decreasing false identifications of innocent suspects (sequential superiority effect). However, Ebbesen and Flowe (2002) have recently noted that sequential lineups may merely bring about a shift in response criterion, having no effect on discrimination accuracy. We explored this claim, using a method that allows signal detection theory measures to be collected from eyewitnesses. In three experiments, lineup type was factorially combined with conditions expected to influence response criterion and/or discrimination accuracy. Results were consistent with signal detection theory predictions, including that of a conservative criterion shift with the sequential presentation of lineups. In a fourth experiment, we explored the phenomenological basis for the criterion shift, using the remember-know-guess procedure. In accord with previous research, the criterion shift in sequential lineups was associated with a reduction in familiarity-based responding. It is proposed that the relative similarity between lineup members may create a context in which fluency-based processing is facilitated to a greater extent when lineup members are presented simultaneously.

Sequential accelerated tests: Improving the correlation of accelerated tests to module performance in the field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Felder, Thomas; Gambogi, William; Stika, Katherine; Yu, Bao-Ling; Bradley, Alex; Hu, Hongjie; Garreau-Iles, Lucie; Trout, T. John

2016-09-01

DuPont has been working steadily to develop accelerated backsheet tests that correlate with solar panels observations in the field. This report updates efforts in sequential testing. Single exposure tests are more commonly used and can be completed more quickly, and certain tests provide helpful predictions of certain backsheet failure modes. DuPont recommendations for single exposure tests are based on 25-year exposure levels for UV and humidity/temperature, and form a good basis for sequential test development. We recommend a sequential exposure of damp heat followed by UV then repetitions of thermal cycling and UVA. This sequence preserves 25-year exposure levels for humidity/temperature and UV, and correlates well with a large body of field observations. Measurements can be taken at intervals in the test, although the full test runs 10 months. A second, shorter sequential test based on damp heat and thermal cycling tests mechanical durability and correlates with loss of mechanical properties seen in the field. Ongoing work is directed toward shorter sequential tests that preserve good correlation to field data.

Sequential and simultaneous SLAR block adjustment. [spline function analysis for mapping

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Leberl, F.

1975-01-01

Two sequential methods of planimetric SLAR (Side Looking Airborne Radar) block adjustment, with and without splines, and three simultaneous methods based on the principles of least squares are evaluated. A limited experiment with simulated SLAR images indicates that sequential block formation with splines followed by external interpolative adjustment is superior to the simultaneous methods such as planimetric block adjustment with similarity transformations. The use of the sequential block formation is recommended, since it represents an inexpensive tool for satisfactory point determination from SLAR images.

The Civil-Military Gap and Women in Combat: The Elite’s Attitude Transformation, 1991-2013

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-02-12

women in combat, a social issue at the heart of the civil-military gap, as the US regrouped after the Gulf War then fought in Afghanistan and Iraq. The...the issue of women in combat (WIC), the first of three social issues cited by RAND.6 This study examines WIC from the end of the Gulf War through...US laws prevented women from serving in combat.41 It is apparent the two groups worked together to find common ground that addressed the tension

Resettlement, Regroupment, Reconcentration: Deliberate Government- Directed Population Relocation in Support of Counter-Insurgency Operations

DTIC Science & Technology

1992-06-01

raaged the inte..e.es. , culintin g cholera ,.,u, 1n" 1,,.. A,,.t "lea3L 11,000 Filipino non-combatants died in Bell’s "reconcentration camps, ൱ and...34reconcentration camp" failed in the face of media reports and persistent rumors to the contrary.86 EDCOR was so strongly touted as a success throughout...and confiscation to false reporting, to achieve the quantitative goals set.193 Many analysts submit that a well-planned and resourced Strategic Hamlet

The German Invasion of Yugoslavia: Insights for Crisis Action Planning and Operational Art in a Combined Environment

DTIC Science & Technology

1993-04-21

Genral Rirt’ardtIs XLI Panzer Corps would head smthwest, frm the Rumnian city of Tweevar and join the attack on Belgrade. 77 Gwnral Alea r Larw took mmnd...XLVI Panzer Corps alog with the LI Infantry and X= Mountain Corps empted from their bridgeheads. The Fourth Army disnt -rate and the 14th Panzer took...Vrtovsk to make cotact with the Italians uhile he regrouped the XLIX mountain and LI Corps on the Saw river for an advarme an Sarajevo. The mays on

Application of the medical data warehousing architecture EPIDWARE to epidemiological follow-up: data extraction and transformation.

PubMed

Kerkri, E; Quantin, C; Yetongnon, K; Allaert, F A; Dusserre, L

1999-01-01

In this paper, we present an application of EPIDWARE, medical data warehousing architecture, to our epidemiological follow-up project. The aim of this project is to extract and regroup information from various information systems for epidemiological studies. We give a description of the requirements of the epidemiological follow-up project such as anonymity of medical data information and data file linkage procedure. We introduce the concept of Data Warehousing Architecture. The particularities of data extraction and transformation are presented and discussed.

Hybrid Computerized Adaptive Testing: From Group Sequential Design to Fully Sequential Design

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wang, Shiyu; Lin, Haiyan; Chang, Hua-Hua; Douglas, Jeff

2016-01-01

Computerized adaptive testing (CAT) and multistage testing (MST) have become two of the most popular modes in large-scale computer-based sequential testing. Though most designs of CAT and MST exhibit strength and weakness in recent large-scale implementations, there is no simple answer to the question of which design is better because different…

Confirmatory Analysis of Simultaneous, Sequential, and Achievement Factors on the K-ABC at 11 Age Levels Ranging from 2 1/2 to 12 1/2 years.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Willson, Victor L.; And Others

1985-01-01

Presents results of confirmatory factor analysis of the Kaufman Assessment Battery for children which is based on the underlying theoretical model of sequential, simultaneous, and achievement factors. Found support for the two-factor, simultaneous and sequential processing model. (MCF)

Treatment of mites folliculitis with an ornidazole-based sequential therapy

PubMed Central

Luo, Yang; Sun, Yu-Jiao; Zhang, Li; Luan, Xiu-Li

2016-01-01

Abstract Objective: Treatment of Demodex infestations is often inadequate and associated with low effective rate. We sought to evaluate the efficacy of an ornidazole-based sequential therapy for mites folliculitis treatment. Methods: Two-hundred patients with mites folliculitis were sequentially treated with either an ornidazole- or metronidazole-based regimen. Sebum cutaneum was extruded from the sebaceous glands of each patient's nose and the presence of Demodex mites were examined by light microscopy. The clinical manifestations of relapse of mites folliculitis were recorded and the subjects were followed up at 2, 4, 8, and 12 weeks post-treatment. Results: Patients treated with the ornidazole-based regimen showed an overall effective rate of 94.0%. Additionally, at the 2, 4, 8, and 12-week follow-up, these patients had significantly lower rates of Demodex mite relapse and new lesion occurrence compared with patients treated with the metronidazole-based regimen (P < 0.05). Conclusion: Sequential therapy using ornidazole, betamethasone, and recombinant bovine basic fibroblast growth factor (rbFGF) gel is highly effective for treating mites folliculitis. PMID:27399141

Computerized Classification Testing with the Rasch Model

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Eggen, Theo J. H. M.

2011-01-01

If classification in a limited number of categories is the purpose of testing, computerized adaptive tests (CATs) with algorithms based on sequential statistical testing perform better than estimation-based CATs (e.g., Eggen & Straetmans, 2000). In these computerized classification tests (CCTs), the Sequential Probability Ratio Test (SPRT) (Wald,…

Accounting for Test Variability through Sizing Local Domains in Sequential Design Optimization with Concurrent Calibration-Based Model Validation

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-08-01

in Sequential Design Optimization with Concurrent Calibration-Based Model Validation Dorin Drignei 1 Mathematics and Statistics Department...Validation 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER 5b. GRANT NUMBER 5c. PROGRAM ELEMENT NUMBER 6. AUTHOR(S) Dorin Drignei; Zissimos Mourelatos; Vijitashwa Pandey

Introducing a Model for Optimal Design of Sequential Objective Structured Clinical Examinations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mortaz Hejri, Sara; Yazdani, Kamran; Labaf, Ali; Norcini, John J.; Jalili, Mohammad

2016-01-01

In a sequential OSCE which has been suggested to reduce testing costs, candidates take a short screening test and who fail the test, are asked to take the full OSCE. In order to introduce an effective and accurate sequential design, we developed a model for designing and evaluating screening OSCEs. Based on two datasets from a 10-station…

Background concentrations of metals in soils from selected regions in the State of Washington

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ames, K.C.; Prych, E.A.

1995-01-01

Soil samples from 60 sites in the State of Washington were collected and analyzed to determine the magnitude and variability of background concen- trations of metals in soils of the State. Samples were collected in areas that were relatively undisturbed by human activity from the most pre- dominant soils in 12 different regions that are representative of large areas of Washington State. Concentrations of metals were determined by five different laboratory methods. Concentrations of mercury and nickel determined by both the total and total-recoverable methods displayed the greatest variability, followed by chromium and copper determined by the total-recoverable method. Concentrations of other metals, such as aluminum and barium determined by the total method, varied less. Most metals concentrations were found to be more nearly log-normally than normally distributed. Total metals concentrations were not significantly different among the different regions. However, total-recoverable metals concentrations were not as similar among different regions. Cluster analysis revealed that sampling sites in three regions encompassing the Puget Sound could be regrouped to form two new regions and sites in three regions in south-central and southeastern Washington State could also be regrouped into two new regions. Concentrations for 7 of 11 total-recoverable metals correlated with total metals concentrations. Concen- trations of six total metals also correlated positively with organic carbon. Total-recoverable metals concentrations did not correlate with either organic carbon or particle size. Concentrations of metals determined by the leaching methods did not correlate with total or total-recoverable metals concentrations, nor did they correlate with organic carbon or particle size.

The Sequential Probability Ratio Test and Binary Item Response Models

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nydick, Steven W.

2014-01-01

The sequential probability ratio test (SPRT) is a common method for terminating item response theory (IRT)-based adaptive classification tests. To decide whether a classification test should stop, the SPRT compares a simple log-likelihood ratio, based on the classification bound separating two categories, to prespecified critical values. As has…

Distributed Immune Systems for Wireless Network Information Assurance

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-04-26

ratio test (SPRT), where the goal is to optimize a hypothesis testing problem given a trade-off between the probability of errors and the...using cumulative sum (CUSUM) and Girshik-Rubin-Shiryaev (GRSh) statistics. In sequential versions of the problem the sequential probability ratio ...the more complicated problems, in particular those where no clear mean can be established. We developed algorithms based on the sequential probability

Modeling eye gaze patterns in clinician-patient interaction with lag sequential analysis.

PubMed

Montague, Enid; Xu, Jie; Chen, Ping-Yu; Asan, Onur; Barrett, Bruce P; Chewning, Betty

2011-10-01

The aim of this study was to examine whether lag sequential analysis could be used to describe eye gaze orientation between clinicians and patients in the medical encounter. This topic is particularly important as new technologies are implemented into multiuser health care settings in which trust is critical and nonverbal cues are integral to achieving trust. This analysis method could lead to design guidelines for technologies and more effective assessments of interventions. Nonverbal communication patterns are important aspects of clinician-patient interactions and may affect patient outcomes. The eye gaze behaviors of clinicians and patients in 110 videotaped medical encounters were analyzed using the lag sequential method to identify significant behavior sequences. Lag sequential analysis included both event-based lag and time-based lag. Results from event-based lag analysis showed that the patient's gaze followed that of the clinician, whereas the clinician's gaze did not follow the patient's. Time-based sequential analysis showed that responses from the patient usually occurred within 2 s after the initial behavior of the clinician. Our data suggest that the clinician's gaze significantly affects the medical encounter but that the converse is not true. Findings from this research have implications for the design of clinical work systems and modeling interactions. Similar research methods could be used to identify different behavior patterns in clinical settings (physical layout, technology, etc.) to facilitate and evaluate clinical work system designs.

Modeling Eye Gaze Patterns in Clinician-Patient Interaction with Lag Sequential Analysis

PubMed Central

Montague, E; Xu, J; Asan, O; Chen, P; Chewning, B; Barrett, B

2011-01-01

Objective The aim of this study was to examine whether lag-sequential analysis could be used to describe eye gaze orientation between clinicians and patients in the medical encounter. This topic is particularly important as new technologies are implemented into multi-user health care settings where trust is critical and nonverbal cues are integral to achieving trust. This analysis method could lead to design guidelines for technologies and more effective assessments of interventions. Background Nonverbal communication patterns are important aspects of clinician-patient interactions and may impact patient outcomes. Method Eye gaze behaviors of clinicians and patients in 110-videotaped medical encounters were analyzed using the lag-sequential method to identify significant behavior sequences. Lag-sequential analysis included both event-based lag and time-based lag. Results Results from event-based lag analysis showed that the patients’ gaze followed that of clinicians, while clinicians did not follow patients. Time-based sequential analysis showed that responses from the patient usually occurred within two seconds after the initial behavior of the clinician. Conclusion Our data suggest that the clinician’s gaze significantly affects the medical encounter but not the converse. Application Findings from this research have implications for the design of clinical work systems and modeling interactions. Similar research methods could be used to identify different behavior patterns in clinical settings (physical layout, technology, etc.) to facilitate and evaluate clinical work system designs. PMID:22046723

Relative resilience to noise of standard and sequential approaches to measurement-based quantum computation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gallagher, C. B.; Ferraro, A.

2018-05-01

A possible alternative to the standard model of measurement-based quantum computation (MBQC) is offered by the sequential model of MBQC—a particular class of quantum computation via ancillae. Although these two models are equivalent under ideal conditions, their relative resilience to noise in practical conditions is not yet known. We analyze this relationship for various noise models in the ancilla preparation and in the entangling-gate implementation. The comparison of the two models is performed utilizing both the gate infidelity and the diamond distance as figures of merit. Our results show that in the majority of instances the sequential model outperforms the standard one in regard to a universal set of operations for quantum computation. Further investigation is made into the performance of sequential MBQC in experimental scenarios, thus setting benchmarks for possible cavity-QED implementations.

Synthesizing genetic sequential logic circuit with clock pulse generator.

PubMed

Chuang, Chia-Hua; Lin, Chun-Liang

2014-05-28

Rhythmic clock widely occurs in biological systems which controls several aspects of cell physiology. For the different cell types, it is supplied with various rhythmic frequencies. How to synthesize a specific clock signal is a preliminary but a necessary step to further development of a biological computer in the future. This paper presents a genetic sequential logic circuit with a clock pulse generator based on a synthesized genetic oscillator, which generates a consecutive clock signal whose frequency is an inverse integer multiple to that of the genetic oscillator. An analogous electronic waveform-shaping circuit is constructed by a series of genetic buffers to shape logic high/low levels of an oscillation input in a basic sinusoidal cycle and generate a pulse-width-modulated (PWM) output with various duty cycles. By controlling the threshold level of the genetic buffer, a genetic clock pulse signal with its frequency consistent to the genetic oscillator is synthesized. A synchronous genetic counter circuit based on the topology of the digital sequential logic circuit is triggered by the clock pulse to synthesize the clock signal with an inverse multiple frequency to the genetic oscillator. The function acts like a frequency divider in electronic circuits which plays a key role in the sequential logic circuit with specific operational frequency. A cascaded genetic logic circuit generating clock pulse signals is proposed. Based on analogous implement of digital sequential logic circuits, genetic sequential logic circuits can be constructed by the proposed approach to generate various clock signals from an oscillation signal.

Sequential search leads to faster, more efficient fragment-based de novo protein structure prediction.

PubMed

de Oliveira, Saulo H P; Law, Eleanor C; Shi, Jiye; Deane, Charlotte M

2018-04-01

Most current de novo structure prediction methods randomly sample protein conformations and thus require large amounts of computational resource. Here, we consider a sequential sampling strategy, building on ideas from recent experimental work which shows that many proteins fold cotranslationally. We have investigated whether a pseudo-greedy search approach, which begins sequentially from one of the termini, can improve the performance and accuracy of de novo protein structure prediction. We observed that our sequential approach converges when fewer than 20 000 decoys have been produced, fewer than commonly expected. Using our software, SAINT2, we also compared the run time and quality of models produced in a sequential fashion against a standard, non-sequential approach. Sequential prediction produces an individual decoy 1.5-2.5 times faster than non-sequential prediction. When considering the quality of the best model, sequential prediction led to a better model being produced for 31 out of 41 soluble protein validation cases and for 18 out of 24 transmembrane protein cases. Correct models (TM-Score > 0.5) were produced for 29 of these cases by the sequential mode and for only 22 by the non-sequential mode. Our comparison reveals that a sequential search strategy can be used to drastically reduce computational time of de novo protein structure prediction and improve accuracy. Data are available for download from: http://opig.stats.ox.ac.uk/resources. SAINT2 is available for download from: https://github.com/sauloho/SAINT2. saulo.deoliveira@dtc.ox.ac.uk. Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.

Sequential Aldol Condensation – Transition Metal-Catalyzed Addition Reactions of Aldehydes, Methyl Ketones and Arylboronic Acids

PubMed Central

Liao, Yuan-Xi; Xing, Chun-Hui; Israel, Matthew; Hu, Qiao-Sheng

2011-01-01

Sequential aldol condensation of aldehydes with methyl ketones followed by transition metal-catalyzed addition reactions of arylboronic acids to form β-substituted ketones is described. By using the 1,1′-spirobiindane-7,7′-diol (SPINOL)-based phosphite, an asymmetric version of this type of sequential reaction, with up to 92% ee, was also realized. Our study provided an efficient method to access β-substituted ketones and might lead to the development of other sequential/tandem reactions with transition metal-catalyzed addition reactions as the key step. PMID:21417359

Sequential aldol condensation-transition metal-catalyzed addition reactions of aldehydes, methyl ketones, and arylboronic acids.

PubMed

Liao, Yuan-Xi; Xing, Chun-Hui; Israel, Matthew; Hu, Qiao-Sheng

2011-04-15

Sequential aldol condensation of aldehydes with methyl ketones followed by transition metal-catalyzed addition reactions of arylboronic acids to form β-substituted ketones is described. By using the 1,1'-spirobiindane-7,7'-diol (SPINOL)-based phosphite, an asymmetric version of this type of sequential reaction, with up to 92% ee, was also realized. Our study provided an efficient method to access β-substituted ketones and might lead to the development of other sequential/tandem reactions with transition metal-catalyzed addition reactions as the key step. © 2011 American Chemical Society

Sequential sampling of ribes populations in the control of white pine blister rust (Cronartium ribicola Fischer) in California

Treesearch

Harold R. Offord

1966-01-01

Sequential sampling based on a negative binomial distribution of ribes populations required less than half the time taken by regular systematic line transect sampling in a comparison test. It gave the same control decision as the regular method in 9 of 13 field trials. A computer program that permits sequential plans to be built readily for other white pine regions is...

Computer-Based Instruction for TRIDENT FBM Training

DTIC Science & Technology

1976-06-01

remote voice feedback to an operator. In this case it is possible to display text which represents the voice messages required during sequential ...provides two main services: (a) the preparation of missiles for sequential launching with self-guidance after launch, and (b) the coordination of...monitor- ing the status of the guidance system in each missile. FCS SWS coordina- tion consists of monitoring systems involved in sequential functions at

[Co-composting high moisture vegetable waste and flower waste in a sequential fed operation].

PubMed

Zhang, Xiangfeng; Wang, Hongtao; Nie, Yongfeng

2003-11-01

Co-composting of high moisture vegetable wastes (celery and cabbage) and flower wastes (carnation) were studied in a sequential fed bed. The preliminary materials of composting were celery and carnation wastes. The sequential fed materials of composting were cabbage wastes and were fed every 4 days. Moisture content of mixture materials was between 60% and 70%. Composting was done in an aerobic static bed of composting based temperature feedback and control via aeration rate regulation. Aeration was ended when temperature of the pile was about 40 degrees C. Changes of composting of temperature, aeration rate, water content, organic matter, ash, pH, volume, NH4(+)-N, and NO3(-)-N were studied. Results show that co-composting of high moisture vegetable wastes and flower wastes, in a sequential fed aerobic static bed based temperature feedback and control via aeration rate regulation, can stabilize organic matter and removal water rapidly. The sequential fed operation are effective to overcome the difficult which traditional composting cannot applied successfully where high moisture vegetable wastes in more excess of flower wastes, such as Dianchi coastal.

Numerical study on the sequential Bayesian approach for radioactive materials detection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qingpei, Xiang; Dongfeng, Tian; Jianyu, Zhu; Fanhua, Hao; Ge, Ding; Jun, Zeng

2013-01-01

A new detection method, based on the sequential Bayesian approach proposed by Candy et al., offers new horizons for the research of radioactive detection. Compared with the commonly adopted detection methods incorporated with statistical theory, the sequential Bayesian approach offers the advantages of shorter verification time during the analysis of spectra that contain low total counts, especially in complex radionuclide components. In this paper, a simulation experiment platform implanted with the methodology of sequential Bayesian approach was developed. Events sequences of γ-rays associating with the true parameters of a LaBr3(Ce) detector were obtained based on an events sequence generator using Monte Carlo sampling theory to study the performance of the sequential Bayesian approach. The numerical experimental results are in accordance with those of Candy. Moreover, the relationship between the detection model and the event generator, respectively represented by the expected detection rate (Am) and the tested detection rate (Gm) parameters, is investigated. To achieve an optimal performance for this processor, the interval of the tested detection rate as a function of the expected detection rate is also presented.

CLAss-Specific Subspace Kernel Representations and Adaptive Margin Slack Minimization for Large Scale Classification.

PubMed

Yu, Yinan; Diamantaras, Konstantinos I; McKelvey, Tomas; Kung, Sun-Yuan

2018-02-01

In kernel-based classification models, given limited computational power and storage capacity, operations over the full kernel matrix becomes prohibitive. In this paper, we propose a new supervised learning framework using kernel models for sequential data processing. The framework is based on two components that both aim at enhancing the classification capability with a subset selection scheme. The first part is a subspace projection technique in the reproducing kernel Hilbert space using a CLAss-specific Subspace Kernel representation for kernel approximation. In the second part, we propose a novel structural risk minimization algorithm called the adaptive margin slack minimization to iteratively improve the classification accuracy by an adaptive data selection. We motivate each part separately, and then integrate them into learning frameworks for large scale data. We propose two such frameworks: the memory efficient sequential processing for sequential data processing and the parallelized sequential processing for distributed computing with sequential data acquisition. We test our methods on several benchmark data sets and compared with the state-of-the-art techniques to verify the validity of the proposed techniques.

How Cognitive Styles Affect the Learning Behaviors of Online Problem-Solving Based Discussion Activity: A Lag Sequential Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wu, Sheng-Yi; Hou, Huei-Tse

2015-01-01

Cognitive styles play an important role in influencing the learning process, but to date no relevant study has been conducted using lag sequential analysis to assess knowledge construction learning patterns based on different cognitive styles in computer-supported collaborative learning activities in online collaborative discussions. This study…

The reliability of axis V of the multiaxial classification scheme.

PubMed

van Goor-Lambo, G

1987-07-01

In a reliability study concerning axis V (abnormal psychosocial situations) of the Multiaxial classification scheme for psychiatric disorders in childhood and adolescence, it was found that the level of agreement in scoring was adequate for only 2 out of 12 categories. A proposal for a modification of axis V was made, including a differentiation and regrouping of the categories and an adjustment of the descriptions in the glossary. With this modification of axis V another reliability study was carried out, in which the level of agreement in scoring was adequate for 12 out of 16 categories.

L' upwelling de la côte atlantique du Maroc entre 1994 et 1998

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Makaoui, Ahmed; Orbi, Abdelattif; Hilmi, Karim; Zizah, Soukaina; Larissi, Jamila; Talbi, Mohammed

2005-12-01

The pelagic ecosystem of the Moroccan Atlantic coast is influenced by the spatiotemporal variability of upwelling. The changes in the physicochemical and biological parameters as well as their interrelationship and regrouping by the principal components analysis allowed us to subdivide the Atlantic coast in four active areas: two areas located at the north of Cape Juby (28°N), characterised by a summery activity and two areas located at the south, active permanently, with a variable intensity. To cite this article: A. Makaoui et al., C. R. Geoscience 337 (2005).

Hospital's activity-based financing system and manager-physician [corrected] interaction.

PubMed

Crainich, David; Leleu, Hervé; Mauleon, Ana

2011-10-01

This paper examines the consequences of the introduction of an activity-based reimbursement system on the behavior of physicians and hospital's managers. We consider a private for-profit sector where both hospitals and physicians are initially paid on a fee-for-service basis. We show that the benefit of the introduction of an activity-based system depends on the type of interaction between managers and physicians (simultaneous or sequential decision-making games). It is shown that, under the activity-based system, a sequential interaction with physician leader could be beneficial for both agents in the private sector. We further model an endogenous timing game à la Hamilton and Slutsky (Games Econ Behav 2: 29-46, 1990) in which the type of interaction is determined endogenously. We show that, under the activity-based system, the sequential interaction with physician leader is the unique subgame perfect equilibrium.

A Bayesian sequential processor approach to spectroscopic portal system decisions

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

Sale, K; Candy, J; Breitfeller, E

The development of faster more reliable techniques to detect radioactive contraband in a portal type scenario is an extremely important problem especially in this era of constant terrorist threats. Towards this goal the development of a model-based, Bayesian sequential data processor for the detection problem is discussed. In the sequential processor each datum (detector energy deposit and pulse arrival time) is used to update the posterior probability distribution over the space of model parameters. The nature of the sequential processor approach is that a detection is produced as soon as it is statistically justified by the data rather than waitingmore » for a fixed counting interval before any analysis is performed. In this paper the Bayesian model-based approach, physics and signal processing models and decision functions are discussed along with the first results of our research.« less

Optimization of the gypsum-based materials by the sequential simplex method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Doleželová, Magdalena; Vimmrová, Alena

2017-11-01

The application of the sequential simplex optimization method for the design of gypsum based materials is described. The principles of simplex method are explained and several examples of the method usage for the optimization of lightweight gypsum and ternary gypsum based materials are given. By this method lightweight gypsum based materials with desired properties and ternary gypsum based material with higher strength (16 MPa) were successfully developed. Simplex method is a useful tool for optimizing of gypsum based materials, but the objective of the optimization has to be formulated appropriately.

Vapor Grown Perovskite Solar Cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abdussamad Abbas, Hisham

Perovskite solar cells has been the fastest growing solar cell material till date with verified efficiencies of over 22%. Most groups in the world focuses their research on solution based devices that has residual solvent in the material bulk. This work focuses extensively on the fabrication and properties of vapor based perovskite devices that is devoid of solvents. The initial part of my work focuses on the detailed fabrication of high efficiency consistent sequential vapor NIP devices made using P3HT as P-type Type II heterojunction. The sequential vapor devices experiences device anomalies like voltage evolution and IV hysteresis owing to charge trapping in TiO2. Hence, sequential PIN devices were fabricated using doped Type-II heterojunctions that had no device anomalies. The sequential PIN devices has processing restriction, as organic Type-II heterojunction materials cannot withstand high processing temperature, hence limiting device efficiency. Thereby bringing the need of co-evaporation for fabricating high efficiency consistent PIN devices, the approach has no-restriction on substrates and offers stoichiometric control. A comprehensive description of the fabrication, Co-evaporator setup and how to build it is described. The results of Co-evaporated devices clearly show that grain size, stoichiometry and doped transport layers are all critical for eliminating device anomalies and in fabricating high efficiency devices. Finally, Formamidinium based perovskite were fabricated using sequential approach. A thermal degradation study was conducted on Methyl Ammonium Vs. Formamidinium based perovskite films, Formamidinium based perovskites were found to be more stable. Lastly, inorganic films such as CdS and Nickel oxide were developed in this work.

Synthesizing genetic sequential logic circuit with clock pulse generator

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Rhythmic clock widely occurs in biological systems which controls several aspects of cell physiology. For the different cell types, it is supplied with various rhythmic frequencies. How to synthesize a specific clock signal is a preliminary but a necessary step to further development of a biological computer in the future. Results This paper presents a genetic sequential logic circuit with a clock pulse generator based on a synthesized genetic oscillator, which generates a consecutive clock signal whose frequency is an inverse integer multiple to that of the genetic oscillator. An analogous electronic waveform-shaping circuit is constructed by a series of genetic buffers to shape logic high/low levels of an oscillation input in a basic sinusoidal cycle and generate a pulse-width-modulated (PWM) output with various duty cycles. By controlling the threshold level of the genetic buffer, a genetic clock pulse signal with its frequency consistent to the genetic oscillator is synthesized. A synchronous genetic counter circuit based on the topology of the digital sequential logic circuit is triggered by the clock pulse to synthesize the clock signal with an inverse multiple frequency to the genetic oscillator. The function acts like a frequency divider in electronic circuits which plays a key role in the sequential logic circuit with specific operational frequency. Conclusions A cascaded genetic logic circuit generating clock pulse signals is proposed. Based on analogous implement of digital sequential logic circuits, genetic sequential logic circuits can be constructed by the proposed approach to generate various clock signals from an oscillation signal. PMID:24884665

Networked Workstations and Parallel Processing Utilizing Functional Languages

DTIC Science & Technology

1993-03-01

program . This frees the programmer to concentrate on what the program is to do, not how the program is...traditional ’von Neumann’ architecture uses a timer based (e.g., the program counter), sequentially pro- grammed, single processor approach to problem...traditional ’von Neumann’ architecture uses a timer based (e.g., the program counter), sequentially programmed , single processor approach to

Computer-Based Radiographic Quantification of Joint Space Narrowing Progression Using Sequential Hand Radiographs: Validation Study in Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients from Multiple Institutions.

PubMed

Ichikawa, Shota; Kamishima, Tamotsu; Sutherland, Kenneth; Fukae, Jun; Katayama, Kou; Aoki, Yuko; Okubo, Takanobu; Okino, Taichi; Kaneda, Takahiko; Takagi, Satoshi; Tanimura, Kazuhide

2017-10-01

We have developed a refined computer-based method to detect joint space narrowing (JSN) progression with the joint space narrowing progression index (JSNPI) by superimposing sequential hand radiographs. The purpose of this study is to assess the validity of a computer-based method using images obtained from multiple institutions in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients. Sequential hand radiographs of 42 patients (37 females and 5 males) with RA from two institutions were analyzed by a computer-based method and visual scoring systems as a standard of reference. The JSNPI above the smallest detectable difference (SDD) defined JSN progression on the joint level. The sensitivity and specificity of the computer-based method for JSN progression was calculated using the SDD and a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. Out of 314 metacarpophalangeal joints, 34 joints progressed based on the SDD, while 11 joints widened. Twenty-one joints progressed in the computer-based method, 11 joints in the scoring systems, and 13 joints in both methods. Based on the SDD, we found lower sensitivity and higher specificity with 54.2 and 92.8%, respectively. At the most discriminant cutoff point according to the ROC curve, the sensitivity and specificity was 70.8 and 81.7%, respectively. The proposed computer-based method provides quantitative measurement of JSN progression using sequential hand radiographs and may be a useful tool in follow-up assessment of joint damage in RA patients.

Considering User's Access Pattern in Multimedia File Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cho, KyoungWoon; Ryu, YeonSeung; Won, Youjip; Koh, Kern

2002-12-01

Legacy buffer cache management schemes for multimedia server are grounded at the assumption that the application sequentially accesses the multimedia file. However, user access pattern may not be sequential in some circumstances, for example, in distance learning application, where the user may exploit the VCR-like function(rewind and play) of the system and accesses the particular segments of video repeatedly in the middle of sequential playback. Such a looping reference can cause a significant performance degradation of interval-based caching algorithms. And thus an appropriate buffer cache management scheme is required in order to deliver desirable performance even under the workload that exhibits looping reference behavior. We propose Adaptive Buffer cache Management(ABM) scheme which intelligently adapts to the file access characteristics. For each opened file, ABM applies either the LRU replacement or the interval-based caching depending on the Looping Reference Indicator, which indicates that how strong temporally localized access pattern is. According to our experiment, ABM exhibits better buffer cache miss ratio than interval-based caching or LRU, especially when the workload exhibits not only sequential but also looping reference property.

Devaluation and sequential decisions: linking goal-directed and model-based behavior

PubMed Central

Friedel, Eva; Koch, Stefan P.; Wendt, Jean; Heinz, Andreas; Deserno, Lorenz; Schlagenhauf, Florian

2014-01-01

In experimental psychology different experiments have been developed to assess goal–directed as compared to habitual control over instrumental decisions. Similar to animal studies selective devaluation procedures have been used. More recently sequential decision-making tasks have been designed to assess the degree of goal-directed vs. habitual choice behavior in terms of an influential computational theory of model-based compared to model-free behavioral control. As recently suggested, different measurements are thought to reflect the same construct. Yet, there has been no attempt to directly assess the construct validity of these different measurements. In the present study, we used a devaluation paradigm and a sequential decision-making task to address this question of construct validity in a sample of 18 healthy male human participants. Correlational analysis revealed a positive association between model-based choices during sequential decisions and goal-directed behavior after devaluation suggesting a single framework underlying both operationalizations and speaking in favor of construct validity of both measurement approaches. Up to now, this has been merely assumed but never been directly tested in humans. PMID:25136310

Financial impact of introducing the Swiss-DRG reimbursement system on potentially avoidable readmissions at a university hospital.

PubMed

Wasserfallen, Jean-Blaise; Zufferey, Jade

2015-01-01

Thirty-day readmissions can be classified as potentially avoidable (PARs) or not avoidable (NARs) by following a specific algorithm (SQLape®). We wanted to assess the financial impact of the Swiss-DRG system, which regroups some readmissions occurring within 18 days after discharge within the initial hospital stay, on PARs at our hospital. First, PARs were identified from all hospitalisations recorded in 2011 at our university hospital. Second, 2012 Swiss-DRG readmission rules were applied, regrouped readmissions (RR) were identified, and their financial impact computed. Third, RRs were classified as potentially avoidable (PARRs), not avoidable (NARRs), and others causes (OCRRs). Characteristics of PARR patients and stays were retrieved, and the financial impact of PARRS was computed. A total of 36,777 hospitalisations were recorded in 2011, of which 3,140 were considered as readmissions (8.5%): 1,470 PARs (46.8%) and 1,733 NARs (53.2%). The 2012 Swiss-DRG rules would have resulted in 910 RRs (2.5% of hospitalisations, 29% of readmissions): 395 PARRs (43% of RR), 181 NARRs (20%), and 334 OCRRs (37%). Loss in reimbursement would have amounted to CHF 3.157 million (0.6% of total reimbursement). As many as 95% of the 395 PARR patients lived at home. In total, 28% of PARRs occurred within 3 days after discharge, and 58% lasted less than 5 days; 79% of the patients were discharged home again. Loss in reimbursement would amount to CHF 1.771 million. PARs represent a sizeable number of 30-day readmissions, as do PARRs of 18-day RRs in the 2012 Swiss DRG system. They should be the focus of attention, as the PARRs represent an avoidable loss in reimbursement.

Conference lecture: influence of stress on estrus, gametes and early embryo development in the sow.

PubMed

Einarsson, S; Brandt, Y; Rodriguez-Martinez, H; Madej, A

2008-11-01

Systems with loose-housed sows have become common. Regrouping, which is commonly done after weaning and may coincide with many important reproductive events, causes stressful situations with elevated blood cortisol concentrations. Depending on group size, approximately 2-7 d are required for a new group of sows to become relatively stable. In a series of studies, the social stress after regrouping was simulated with repeated adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH) treatments for approximately 48h. Sows were allocated into control and experimental groups, fitted with jugular catheters, and blood samples were collected every 2 or 4h. Follicular development and ovulation were monitored by transrectal ultrasonography every 4h. Simulated stress during pro-estrus prolonged estrus and disturbed the follicular growth and ovulation. Giving ACTH during estrus elevated concentrations of cortisol and progesterone, and changed the intraluminal environment, including exaggerated amounts of mucus in the UTJ and isthmus. Although ACTH had no effect on the time of ovulation (relative to onset of standing estrus), or on embryo development, fewer oocytes/embryos were retrieved from the ACTH group than from the control group (51% vs. 81%, P<0.05), and there was a tendency towards faster embryo transportation to the uterus. Short-term fasting after ovulation had an unfavourable effect on sperm numbers in UTJ/isthmus, cleavage rate of fertilized ova, as well as ova transport through the isthmic part of the oviduct. Treatment with ACTH after ovulation reduced numbers of spermatozoa at the zona pellucida and retarded cleavage rate of fertilized ova. Therefore, the timing of stress seemed to be an important factor regarding effects on reproductive events.

Direct Associations or Internal Transformations? Exploring the Mechanisms Underlying Sequential Learning Behavior

PubMed Central

Gureckis, Todd M.; Love, Bradley C.

2009-01-01

We evaluate two broad classes of cognitive mechanisms that might support the learning of sequential patterns. According to the first, learning is based on the gradual accumulation of direct associations between events based on simple conditioning principles. The other view describes learning as the process of inducing the transformational structure that defines the material. Each of these learning mechanisms predict differences in the rate of acquisition for differently organized sequences. Across a set of empirical studies, we compare the predictions of each class of model with the behavior of human subjects. We find that learning mechanisms based on transformations of an internal state, such as recurrent network architectures (e.g., Elman, 1990), have difficulty accounting for the pattern of human results relative to a simpler (but more limited) learning mechanism based on learning direct associations. Our results suggest new constraints on the cognitive mechanisms supporting sequential learning behavior. PMID:20396653

A cost and policy analysis comparing immediate sequential cataract surgery and delayed sequential cataract surgery from the physician perspective in the United States.

PubMed

Neel, Sean T

2014-11-01

A cost analysis was performed to evaluate the effect on physicians in the United States of a transition from delayed sequential cataract surgery to immediate sequential cataract surgery. Financial and efficiency impacts of this change were evaluated to determine whether efficiency gains could offset potential reduced revenue. A cost analysis using Medicare cataract surgery volume estimates, Medicare 2012 physician cataract surgery reimbursement schedules, and estimates of potential additional office visit revenue comparing immediate sequential cataract surgery with delayed sequential cataract surgery for a single specialty ophthalmology practice in West Tennessee. This model should give an indication of the effect on physicians on a national basis. A single specialty ophthalmology practice in West Tennessee was found to have a cataract surgery revenue loss of $126,000, increased revenue from office visits of $34,449 to $106,271 (minimum and maximum offset methods), and a net loss of $19,900 to $91,700 (base case) with the conversion to immediate sequential cataract surgery. Physicians likely stand to lose financially, and this loss cannot be offset by increased patient visits under the current reimbursement system. This may result in physician resistance to converting to immediate sequential cataract surgery, gaming, and supplier-induced demand.

Space-Time Fluid-Structure Interaction Computation of Flapping-Wing Aerodynamics

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-12-01

SST-VMST." The structural mechanics computations are based on the Kirchhoff -Love shell model. We use a sequential coupling technique, which is...mechanics computations are based on the Kirchhoff -Love shell model. We use a sequential coupling technique, which is ap- plicable to some classes of FSI...we use the ST-VMS method in combination with the ST-SUPS method. The structural mechanics computations are mostly based on the Kirchhoff –Love shell

Collaborative Filtering Based on Sequential Extraction of User-Item Clusters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Honda, Katsuhiro; Notsu, Akira; Ichihashi, Hidetomo

Collaborative filtering is a computational realization of “word-of-mouth” in network community, in which the items prefered by “neighbors” are recommended. This paper proposes a new item-selection model for extracting user-item clusters from rectangular relation matrices, in which mutual relations between users and items are denoted in an alternative process of “liking or not”. A technique for sequential co-cluster extraction from rectangular relational data is given by combining the structural balancing-based user-item clustering method with sequential fuzzy cluster extraction appraoch. Then, the tecunique is applied to the collaborative filtering problem, in which some items may be shared by several user clusters.

On the Use of Adaptive Instructional Images Based on the Sequential-Global Dimension of the Felder-Silverman Learning Style Theory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Filippidis, Stavros K.; Tsoukalas, Ioannis A.

2009-01-01

An adaptive educational system that uses adaptive presentation is presented. In this system fragments of different images present the same content and the system can choose the one most relevant to the user based on the sequential-global dimension of Felder-Silverman's learning style theory. In order to retrieve the learning style of each student…

Mechanical characteristics of mesenchymal stem cells under impact of silica-based nanoparticles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ogneva, Irina V.; Buravkov, Sergey V.; Shubenkov, Alexander N.; Buravkova, Ludmila B.

2014-06-01

Silica-based nanoparticles (NPs) pose great potential for medical and biological applications; however, their interactions with living cells have not been investigated in full. The objective of this study was to analyze the mechanical characteristics of mesenchymal stem cells when cultured in the presence of silica (Si) and silica-boron (SiB) nanoparticles. Cell stiffness was measured using atomic force microscopy; F-actin structure was evaluated using TRITC-phalloidin by confocal microscopy. The obtained data suggested that the cell stiffness increased within the following line: `Control' - `Si' - `SiB' (either after 1-h cultivation or 24-h incubation). Moreover, the cell stiffness was found to be higher after 1-h cultivation as compared to 24-h cultivation. This result shows that there is a two-phase process of particle diffusion into cells and that the particles interact directly with the membrane and, further, with the submembranous cytoskeleton. Conversely, the intensity of phalloidin fluorescence dropped within the same line: Control - Si - SiB. It could be suggested that the effects of silica-based particles may result in structural reorganization of cortical cytoskeleton with subsequent stiffness increase and concomitant F-actin content decrease (for example, in recruitment of additional actin-binding proteins within membrane and regrouping of actin filaments).

When do letter features migrate? A boundary condition for feature-integration theory.

PubMed

Butler, B E; Mewhort, D J; Browse, R A

1991-01-01

Feature-integration theory postulates that a lapse of attention will allow letter features to change position and to recombine as illusory conjunctions (Treisman & Paterson, 1984). To study such errors, we used a set of uppercase letters known to yield illusory conjunctions in each of three tasks. The first, a bar-probe task, showed whole-character mislocations but not errors based on feature migration and recombination. The second, a two-alternative forced-choice detection task, allowed subjects to focus on the presence or absence of subletter features and showed illusory conjunctions based on feature migration and recombination. The third was also a two-alternative forced-choice detection task, but we manipulated the subjects' knowledge of the shape of the stimuli: In the case-certain condition, the stimuli were always in uppercase, but in the case-uncertain condition, the stimuli could appear in either upper- or lowercase. Subjects in the case-certain condition produced illusory conjunctions based on feature recombination, whereas subjects in the case-uncertain condition did not. The results suggest that when subjects can view the stimuli as feature groups, letter features regroup as illusory conjunctions; when subjects encode the stimuli as letters, whole items may be mislocated, but subletter features are not. Thus, illusory conjunctions reflect the subject's processing strategy, rather than the architecture of the visual system.

Mechanical characteristics of mesenchymal stem cells under impact of silica-based nanoparticles.

PubMed

Ogneva, Irina V; Buravkov, Sergey V; Shubenkov, Alexander N; Buravkova, Ludmila B

2014-01-01

Silica-based nanoparticles (NPs) pose great potential for medical and biological applications; however, their interactions with living cells have not been investigated in full. The objective of this study was to analyze the mechanical characteristics of mesenchymal stem cells when cultured in the presence of silica (Si) and silica-boron (SiB) nanoparticles. Cell stiffness was measured using atomic force microscopy; F-actin structure was evaluated using TRITC-phalloidin by confocal microscopy. The obtained data suggested that the cell stiffness increased within the following line: 'Control' - 'Si' - 'SiB' (either after 1-h cultivation or 24-h incubation). Moreover, the cell stiffness was found to be higher after 1-h cultivation as compared to 24-h cultivation. This result shows that there is a two-phase process of particle diffusion into cells and that the particles interact directly with the membrane and, further, with the submembranous cytoskeleton. Conversely, the intensity of phalloidin fluorescence dropped within the same line: Control - Si - SiB. It could be suggested that the effects of silica-based particles may result in structural reorganization of cortical cytoskeleton with subsequent stiffness increase and concomitant F-actin content decrease (for example, in recruitment of additional actin-binding proteins within membrane and regrouping of actin filaments).

Sequential double second-order nonlinear optical switch by an acido-triggered photochromic cyclometallated platinum(II) complex.

PubMed

Boixel, Julien; Guerchais, Véronique; Le Bozec, Hubert; Chantzis, Agisilaos; Jacquemin, Denis; Colombo, Alessia; Dragonetti, Claudia; Marinotto, Daniele; Roberto, Dominique

2015-05-07

An unprecedented DTE-based Pt(II) complex, 2(o), which stands as the first example of a sequential double nonlinear optical switch, induced first by protonation and next upon irradiation with UV light is presented.

Simple and flexible SAS and SPSS programs for analyzing lag-sequential categorical data.

PubMed

O'Connor, B P

1999-11-01

This paper describes simple and flexible programs for analyzing lag-sequential categorical data, using SAS and SPSS. The programs read a stream of codes and produce a variety of lag-sequential statistics, including transitional frequencies, expected transitional frequencies, transitional probabilities, adjusted residuals, z values, Yule's Q values, likelihood ratio tests of stationarity across time and homogeneity across groups or segments, transformed kappas for unidirectional dependence, bidirectional dependence, parallel and nonparallel dominance, and significance levels based on both parametric and randomization tests.

Making Career Decisions--A Sequential Elimination Approach.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gati, Itamar

1986-01-01

Presents a model for career decision making based on the sequential elimination of occupational alternatives, an adaptation for career decisions of Tversky's (1972) elimination-by-aspects theory of choice. The expected utility approach is reviewed as a representative compensatory model for career decisions. Advantages, disadvantages, and…

Sequential analysis applied to clinical trials in dentistry: a systematic review.

PubMed

Bogowicz, P; Flores-Mir, C; Major, P W; Heo, G

2008-01-01

Clinical trials employ sequential analysis for the ethical and economic benefits it brings. In dentistry, as in other fields, resources are scarce and efforts are made to ensure that patients are treated ethically. The objective of this systematic review was to characterise the use of sequential analysis for clinical trials in dentistry. We searched various databases from 1900 through to January 2008. Articles were selected for review if they were clinical trials in the field of dentistry that had applied some form of sequential analysis. Selection was carried out independently by two of the authors. We included 18 trials from various specialties, which involved many different interventions. We conclude that sequential analysis seems to be underused in this field but that there are sufficient methodological resources in place for future applications.Evidence-Based Dentistry (2008) 9, 55-62. doi:10.1038/sj.ebd.6400587.

Hierarchical Chunking of Sequential Memory on Neuromorphic Architecture with Reduced Synaptic Plasticity

PubMed Central

Li, Guoqi; Deng, Lei; Wang, Dong; Wang, Wei; Zeng, Fei; Zhang, Ziyang; Li, Huanglong; Song, Sen; Pei, Jing; Shi, Luping

2016-01-01

Chunking refers to a phenomenon whereby individuals group items together when performing a memory task to improve the performance of sequential memory. In this work, we build a bio-plausible hierarchical chunking of sequential memory (HCSM) model to explain why such improvement happens. We address this issue by linking hierarchical chunking with synaptic plasticity and neuromorphic engineering. We uncover that a chunking mechanism reduces the requirements of synaptic plasticity since it allows applying synapses with narrow dynamic range and low precision to perform a memory task. We validate a hardware version of the model through simulation, based on measured memristor behavior with narrow dynamic range in neuromorphic circuits, which reveals how chunking works and what role it plays in encoding sequential memory. Our work deepens the understanding of sequential memory and enables incorporating it for the investigation of the brain-inspired computing on neuromorphic architecture. PMID:28066223

Sequential ensemble-based optimal design for parameter estimation: SEQUENTIAL ENSEMBLE-BASED OPTIMAL DESIGN

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

Man, Jun; Zhang, Jiangjiang; Li, Weixuan

2016-10-01

The ensemble Kalman filter (EnKF) has been widely used in parameter estimation for hydrological models. The focus of most previous studies was to develop more efficient analysis (estimation) algorithms. On the other hand, it is intuitively understandable that a well-designed sampling (data-collection) strategy should provide more informative measurements and subsequently improve the parameter estimation. In this work, a Sequential Ensemble-based Optimal Design (SEOD) method, coupled with EnKF, information theory and sequential optimal design, is proposed to improve the performance of parameter estimation. Based on the first-order and second-order statistics, different information metrics including the Shannon entropy difference (SD), degrees ofmore » freedom for signal (DFS) and relative entropy (RE) are used to design the optimal sampling strategy, respectively. The effectiveness of the proposed method is illustrated by synthetic one-dimensional and two-dimensional unsaturated flow case studies. It is shown that the designed sampling strategies can provide more accurate parameter estimation and state prediction compared with conventional sampling strategies. Optimal sampling designs based on various information metrics perform similarly in our cases. The effect of ensemble size on the optimal design is also investigated. Overall, larger ensemble size improves the parameter estimation and convergence of optimal sampling strategy. Although the proposed method is applied to unsaturated flow problems in this study, it can be equally applied in any other hydrological problems.« less

Effects of scalding method and sequential tanks on broiler processing wastewater loadings

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The effects of scalding time and temperature, and sequential scalding tanks was evaluated based on impact to poultry processing wastewater (PPW) stream loading rates following the slaughter of commercially raised broilers. On 3 separate weeks (trials), broilers were obtained following feed withdrawa...

A Systematic Approach to Subgroup Classification in Intellectual Disability

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schalock, Robert L.; Luckasson, Ruth

2015-01-01

This article describes a systematic approach to subgroup classification based on a classification framework and sequential steps involved in the subgrouping process. The sequential steps are stating the purpose of the classification, identifying the classification elements, using relevant information, and using clearly stated and purposeful…

C-learning: A new classification framework to estimate optimal dynamic treatment regimes.

PubMed

Zhang, Baqun; Zhang, Min

2017-12-11

A dynamic treatment regime is a sequence of decision rules, each corresponding to a decision point, that determine that next treatment based on each individual's own available characteristics and treatment history up to that point. We show that identifying the optimal dynamic treatment regime can be recast as a sequential optimization problem and propose a direct sequential optimization method to estimate the optimal treatment regimes. In particular, at each decision point, the optimization is equivalent to sequentially minimizing a weighted expected misclassification error. Based on this classification perspective, we propose a powerful and flexible C-learning algorithm to learn the optimal dynamic treatment regimes backward sequentially from the last stage until the first stage. C-learning is a direct optimization method that directly targets optimizing decision rules by exploiting powerful optimization/classification techniques and it allows incorporation of patient's characteristics and treatment history to improve performance, hence enjoying advantages of both the traditional outcome regression-based methods (Q- and A-learning) and the more recent direct optimization methods. The superior performance and flexibility of the proposed methods are illustrated through extensive simulation studies. © 2017, The International Biometric Society.

Program Completion of a Web-Based Tailored Lifestyle Intervention for Adults: Differences between a Sequential and a Simultaneous Approach

PubMed Central

Schneider, Francine; de Vries, Hein; van Osch, Liesbeth ADM; van Nierop, Peter WM; Kremers, Stef PJ

2012-01-01

Background Unhealthy lifestyle behaviors often co-occur and are related to chronic diseases. One effective method to change multiple lifestyle behaviors is web-based computer tailoring. Dropout from Internet interventions, however, is rather high, and it is challenging to retain participants in web-based tailored programs, especially programs targeting multiple behaviors. To date, it is unknown how much information people can handle in one session while taking part in a multiple behavior change intervention, which could be presented either sequentially (one behavior at a time) or simultaneously (all behaviors at once). Objectives The first objective was to compare dropout rates of 2 computer-tailored interventions: a sequential and a simultaneous strategy. The second objective was to assess which personal characteristics are associated with completion rates of the 2 interventions. Methods Using an RCT design, demographics, health status, physical activity, vegetable consumption, fruit consumption, alcohol intake, and smoking were self-assessed through web-based questionnaires among 3473 adults, recruited through Regional Health Authorities in the Netherlands in the autumn of 2009. First, a health risk appraisal was offered, indicating whether respondents were meeting the 5 national health guidelines. Second, psychosocial determinants of the lifestyle behaviors were assessed and personal advice was provided, about one or more lifestyle behaviors. Results Our findings indicate a high non-completion rate for both types of intervention (71.0%; n = 2167), with more incompletes in the simultaneous intervention (77.1%; n = 1169) than in the sequential intervention (65.0%; n = 998). In both conditions, discontinuation was predicted by a lower age (sequential condition: OR = 1.04; P < .001; CI = 1.02-1.05; simultaneous condition: OR = 1.04; P < .001; CI = 1.02-1.05) and an unhealthy lifestyle (sequential condition: OR = 0.86; P = .01; CI = 0.76-0.97; simultaneous condition: OR = 0.49; P < .001; CI = 0.42-0.58). In the sequential intervention, being male (OR = 1.27; P = .04; CI = 1.01-1.59) also predicted dropout. When respondents failed to adhere to at least 2 of the guidelines, those receiving the simultaneous intervention were more inclined to drop out than were those receiving the sequential intervention. Conclusion Possible reasons for the higher dropout rate in our simultaneous intervention may be the amount of time required and information overload. Strategies to optimize program completion as well as continued use of computer-tailored interventions should be studied. Trial Registration Dutch Trial Register NTR2168 PMID:22403770

Program completion of a web-based tailored lifestyle intervention for adults: differences between a sequential and a simultaneous approach.

PubMed

Schulz, Daniela N; Schneider, Francine; de Vries, Hein; van Osch, Liesbeth A D M; van Nierop, Peter W M; Kremers, Stef P J

2012-03-08

Unhealthy lifestyle behaviors often co-occur and are related to chronic diseases. One effective method to change multiple lifestyle behaviors is web-based computer tailoring. Dropout from Internet interventions, however, is rather high, and it is challenging to retain participants in web-based tailored programs, especially programs targeting multiple behaviors. To date, it is unknown how much information people can handle in one session while taking part in a multiple behavior change intervention, which could be presented either sequentially (one behavior at a time) or simultaneously (all behaviors at once). The first objective was to compare dropout rates of 2 computer-tailored interventions: a sequential and a simultaneous strategy. The second objective was to assess which personal characteristics are associated with completion rates of the 2 interventions. Using an RCT design, demographics, health status, physical activity, vegetable consumption, fruit consumption, alcohol intake, and smoking were self-assessed through web-based questionnaires among 3473 adults, recruited through Regional Health Authorities in the Netherlands in the autumn of 2009. First, a health risk appraisal was offered, indicating whether respondents were meeting the 5 national health guidelines. Second, psychosocial determinants of the lifestyle behaviors were assessed and personal advice was provided, about one or more lifestyle behaviors. Our findings indicate a high non-completion rate for both types of intervention (71.0%; n = 2167), with more incompletes in the simultaneous intervention (77.1%; n = 1169) than in the sequential intervention (65.0%; n = 998). In both conditions, discontinuation was predicted by a lower age (sequential condition: OR = 1.04; P < .001; CI = 1.02-1.05; simultaneous condition: OR = 1.04; P < .001; CI = 1.02-1.05) and an unhealthy lifestyle (sequential condition: OR = 0.86; P = .01; CI = 0.76-0.97; simultaneous condition: OR = 0.49; P < .001; CI = 0.42-0.58). In the sequential intervention, being male (OR = 1.27; P = .04; CI = 1.01-1.59) also predicted dropout. When respondents failed to adhere to at least 2 of the guidelines, those receiving the simultaneous intervention were more inclined to drop out than were those receiving the sequential intervention. Possible reasons for the higher dropout rate in our simultaneous intervention may be the amount of time required and information overload. Strategies to optimize program completion as well as continued use of computer-tailored interventions should be studied. Dutch Trial Register NTR2168.

Location Prediction Based on Transition Probability Matrices Constructing from Sequential Rules for Spatial-Temporal K-Anonymity Dataset

PubMed Central

Liu, Zhao; Zhu, Yunhong; Wu, Chenxue

2016-01-01

Spatial-temporal k-anonymity has become a mainstream approach among techniques for protection of users’ privacy in location-based services (LBS) applications, and has been applied to several variants such as LBS snapshot queries and continuous queries. Analyzing large-scale spatial-temporal anonymity sets may benefit several LBS applications. In this paper, we propose two location prediction methods based on transition probability matrices constructing from sequential rules for spatial-temporal k-anonymity dataset. First, we define single-step sequential rules mined from sequential spatial-temporal k-anonymity datasets generated from continuous LBS queries for multiple users. We then construct transition probability matrices from mined single-step sequential rules, and normalize the transition probabilities in the transition matrices. Next, we regard a mobility model for an LBS requester as a stationary stochastic process and compute the n-step transition probability matrices by raising the normalized transition probability matrices to the power n. Furthermore, we propose two location prediction methods: rough prediction and accurate prediction. The former achieves the probabilities of arriving at target locations along simple paths those include only current locations, target locations and transition steps. By iteratively combining the probabilities for simple paths with n steps and the probabilities for detailed paths with n-1 steps, the latter method calculates transition probabilities for detailed paths with n steps from current locations to target locations. Finally, we conduct extensive experiments, and correctness and flexibility of our proposed algorithm have been verified. PMID:27508502

Description and effects of sequential behavior practice in teacher education.

PubMed

Sharpe, T; Lounsbery, M; Bahls, V

1997-09-01

This study examined the effects of a sequential behavior feedback protocol on the practice-teaching experiences of undergraduate teacher trainees. The performance competencies of teacher trainees were analyzed using an alternative opportunities for appropriate action measure. Data support the added utility of sequential (Sharpe, 1997a, 1997b) behavior analysis information in systematic observation approaches to teacher education. One field-based undergraduate practicum using sequential behavior (i.e., field systems analysis) principles was monitored. Summarized are the key elements of the (a) classroom instruction provided as a precursor to the practice teaching experience, (b) practice teaching experience, and (c) field systems observation tool used for evaluation and feedback, including multiple-baseline data (N = 4) to support this approach to teacher education. Results point to (a) the strong relationship between sequential behavior feedback and the positive change in four preservice teachers' day-to-day teaching practices in challenging situational contexts, and (b) the relationship between changes in teacher practices and positive changes in the behavioral practices of gymnasium pupils. Sequential behavior feedback was also socially validated by the undergraduate participants and Professional Development School teacher supervisors in the study.

Unsteady, one-dimensional gas dynamics computations using a TVD type sequential solver

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Thakur, Siddharth; Shyy, Wei

1992-01-01

The efficacy of high resolution convection schemes to resolve sharp gradient in unsteady, 1D flows is examined using the TVD concept based on a sequential solution algorithm. Two unsteady flow problems are considered which include the problem involving the interaction of the various waves in a shock tube with closed reflecting ends and the problem involving the unsteady gas dynamics in a tube with closed ends subject to an initial pressure perturbation. It is concluded that high accuracy convection schemes in a sequential solution framework are capable of resolving discontinuities in unsteady flows involving complex gas dynamics. However, a sufficient amount of dissipation is required to suppress oscillations near discontinuities in the sequential approach, which leads to smearing of the solution profiles.

Silhouette-based approach of 3D image reconstruction for automated image acquisition using robotic arm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Azhar, N.; Saad, W. H. M.; Manap, N. A.; Saad, N. M.; Syafeeza, A. R.

2017-06-01

This study presents the approach of 3D image reconstruction using an autonomous robotic arm for the image acquisition process. A low cost of the automated imaging platform is created using a pair of G15 servo motor connected in series to an Arduino UNO as a main microcontroller. Two sets of sequential images were obtained using different projection angle of the camera. The silhouette-based approach is used in this study for 3D reconstruction from the sequential images captured from several different angles of the object. Other than that, an analysis based on the effect of different number of sequential images on the accuracy of 3D model reconstruction was also carried out with a fixed projection angle of the camera. The effecting elements in the 3D reconstruction are discussed and the overall result of the analysis is concluded according to the prototype of imaging platform.

A non-symmetric pillar[5]arene based on triazole-linked 8-oxyquinolines as a sequential sensor for thorium(IV) followed by fluoride ions.

PubMed

Fang, Yuyu; Li, Caixia; Wu, Lei; Bai, Bing; Li, Xing; Jia, Yiming; Feng, Wen; Yuan, Lihua

2015-09-07

A novel non-symmetric pillar[5]arene bearing triazole-linked 8-oxyquinolines at one rim was synthesized and demonstrated as a sequential fluorescence sensor for thorium(iv) followed by fluoride ions with high sensitivity and selectivity.

Bedroom Rape: Sequences of Sexual Behavior in Stranger Assaults

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fossi, Julia J.; Clarke, David D.; Lawrence, Claire

2005-01-01

This article examines the sequential, temporal, and interactional aspects of sexual assaults using sequential analysis. Fourteen statements taken from victims of bedroom-based assaults were analyzed to provide a comprehensive account of the behavioral patterns of individuals in sexually charged conflict situations. The cases were found to vary in…

Randomised clinical trial: the efficacy of a 10-day sequential therapy vs. a 14-day standard proton pump inhibitor-based triple therapy for Helicobacter pylori in Korea.

PubMed

Kim, Y S; Kim, S J; Yoon, J H; Suk, K T; Kim, J B; Kim, D J; Kim, D Y; Min, H J; Park, S H; Shin, W G; Kim, K H; Kim, H Y; Baik, G H

2011-11-01

The eradication rates of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) using a proton pump inhibitor (PPI)-based triple therapy have declined due to antibiotic resistance worldwide. To compare the eradication rate of the 10-day sequential therapy for H. pylori infection with that of the 14-day standard PPI-based triple therapy. This was a prospective, randomised, controlled study. A total of 409 patients with H. pylori infection were randomly assigned to receive either the 10-day sequential therapy regimen, which consisted of pantoprazole (40 mg) plus amoxicillin (1000 mg) twice a day for 5 days, then pantoprazole (40 mg) with clarithromycin (500 mg) and metronidazole (500 mg) twice a day for another five consecutive days or the 14-day PPI-based triple therapy regimen, which consisted of pantoprazole (40 mg) with amoxicillin (1000 mg) and clarithromycin (500 mg) twice a day for 14 days. The pre- and post-treatment H. pylori status were assessed by rapid urease test, urea breath test, or histology. Successful eradication was confirmed at least 4 weeks after finishing the treatment. In the intention-to-treat analysis, the eradication rates of the 10-day sequential therapy and of the 14-day PPI-based triple therapy were 85.9% (176/205) and 75.0% (153/205), respectively (P = 0.006). In the per-protocol analysis, the eradication rates were 92.6% (175/205) and 85% (153/204), respectively (P = 0.019). There was no statistically significant difference between the two investigated groups regarding the occurrence of adverse event rates (18.9% vs. 13.3%, P = 0.143). The 10-day sequential therapy achieved significantly higher eradication rates than the 14-day standard PPI-based triple therapy in Korea. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Finding False Paths in Sequential Circuits

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Matrosova, A. Yu.; Andreeva, V. V.; Chernyshov, S. V.; Rozhkova, S. V.; Kudin, D. V.

2018-02-01

Method of finding false paths in sequential circuits is developed. In contrast with heuristic approaches currently used abroad, the precise method based on applying operations on Reduced Ordered Binary Decision Diagrams (ROBDDs) extracted from the combinational part of a sequential controlling logic circuit is suggested. The method allows finding false paths when transfer sequence length is not more than the given value and obviates the necessity of investigation of combinational circuit equivalents of the given lengths. The possibilities of using of the developed method for more complicated circuits are discussed.

Test pattern generation for ILA sequential circuits

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Feng, YU; Frenzel, James F.; Maki, Gary K.

1993-01-01

An efficient method of generating test patterns for sequential machines implemented using one-dimensional, unilateral, iterative logic arrays (ILA's) of BTS pass transistor networks is presented. Based on a transistor level fault model, the method affords a unique opportunity for real-time fault detection with improved fault coverage. The resulting test sets are shown to be equivalent to those obtained using conventional gate level models, thus eliminating the need for additional test patterns. The proposed method advances the simplicity and ease of the test pattern generation for a special class of sequential circuitry.

Comparing cluster-level dynamic treatment regimens using sequential, multiple assignment, randomized trials: Regression estimation and sample size considerations.

PubMed

NeCamp, Timothy; Kilbourne, Amy; Almirall, Daniel

2017-08-01

Cluster-level dynamic treatment regimens can be used to guide sequential treatment decision-making at the cluster level in order to improve outcomes at the individual or patient-level. In a cluster-level dynamic treatment regimen, the treatment is potentially adapted and re-adapted over time based on changes in the cluster that could be impacted by prior intervention, including aggregate measures of the individuals or patients that compose it. Cluster-randomized sequential multiple assignment randomized trials can be used to answer multiple open questions preventing scientists from developing high-quality cluster-level dynamic treatment regimens. In a cluster-randomized sequential multiple assignment randomized trial, sequential randomizations occur at the cluster level and outcomes are observed at the individual level. This manuscript makes two contributions to the design and analysis of cluster-randomized sequential multiple assignment randomized trials. First, a weighted least squares regression approach is proposed for comparing the mean of a patient-level outcome between the cluster-level dynamic treatment regimens embedded in a sequential multiple assignment randomized trial. The regression approach facilitates the use of baseline covariates which is often critical in the analysis of cluster-level trials. Second, sample size calculators are derived for two common cluster-randomized sequential multiple assignment randomized trial designs for use when the primary aim is a between-dynamic treatment regimen comparison of the mean of a continuous patient-level outcome. The methods are motivated by the Adaptive Implementation of Effective Programs Trial which is, to our knowledge, the first-ever cluster-randomized sequential multiple assignment randomized trial in psychiatry.

Robust sequential working memory recall in heterogeneous cognitive networks

PubMed Central

Rabinovich, Mikhail I.; Sokolov, Yury; Kozma, Robert

2014-01-01

Psychiatric disorders are often caused by partial heterogeneous disinhibition in cognitive networks, controlling sequential and spatial working memory (SWM). Such dynamic connectivity changes suggest that the normal relationship between the neuronal components within the network deteriorates. As a result, competitive network dynamics is qualitatively altered. This dynamics defines the robust recall of the sequential information from memory and, thus, the SWM capacity. To understand pathological and non-pathological bifurcations of the sequential memory dynamics, here we investigate the model of recurrent inhibitory-excitatory networks with heterogeneous inhibition. We consider the ensemble of units with all-to-all inhibitory connections, in which the connection strengths are monotonically distributed at some interval. Based on computer experiments and studying the Lyapunov exponents, we observed and analyzed the new phenomenon—clustered sequential dynamics. The results are interpreted in the context of the winnerless competition principle. Accordingly, clustered sequential dynamics is represented in the phase space of the model by two weakly interacting quasi-attractors. One of them is similar to the sequential heteroclinic chain—the regular image of SWM, while the other is a quasi-chaotic attractor. Coexistence of these quasi-attractors means that the recall of the normal information sequence is intermittently interrupted by episodes with chaotic dynamics. We indicate potential dynamic ways for augmenting damaged working memory and other cognitive functions. PMID:25452717

Fast computation of hologram patterns of a 3D object using run-length encoding and novel look-up table methods.

PubMed

Kim, Seung-Cheol; Kim, Eun-Soo

2009-02-20

In this paper we propose a new approach for fast generation of computer-generated holograms (CGHs) of a 3D object by using the run-length encoding (RLE) and the novel look-up table (N-LUT) methods. With the RLE method, spatially redundant data of a 3D object are extracted and regrouped into the N-point redundancy map according to the number of the adjacent object points having the same 3D value. Based on this redundancy map, N-point principle fringe patterns (PFPs) are newly calculated by using the 1-point PFP of the N-LUT, and the CGH pattern for the 3D object is generated with these N-point PFPs. In this approach, object points to be involved in calculation of the CGH pattern can be dramatically reduced and, as a result, an increase of computational speed can be obtained. Some experiments with a test 3D object are carried out and the results are compared to those of the conventional methods.

Amelogenesis imperfecta: therapeutic strategy from primary to permanent dentition across case reports.

PubMed

Toupenay, Steve; Fournier, Benjamin Philippe; Manière, Marie-Cécile; Ifi-Naulin, Chantal; Berdal, Ariane; de La Dure-Molla, Muriel

2018-06-15

Hereditary enamel defect diseases are regrouped under the name "Amelogenesis Imperfecta" (AIH). Both dentitions are affected. Clinical expression is heterogeneous and varies between patients. Mutations responsible for this multigene disease may alter various genes and the inheritance can be either autosomal dominant or recessive, or X-linked. Until now, no therapeutic consensus has emerged for this rare disease. The purpose of this article was to report treatments of AIH patients from childhood to early adulthood. Treatment of three patients of 3, 8 16 years old are described. Each therapeutic option was discussed according to patients' age and type of enamel alteration. Paediatric crowns and resin based bonding must be preferred in primary teeth. In permanent teeth, non-invasive or minimally invasive dentistry should be the first choice in order to follow a therapeutic gradient from the less invasive options to prosthodontic treatments. Functional and aesthetic issues require patients to be treated; this clinical care should be provided as early as possible to enable a harmonious growth of the maxillofacial complex and to prevent pain.

Toward a use case based classification of mobile health applications.

PubMed

Yasini, Mobin; Marchand, Guillaume

2015-01-01

Smartphones are growing in number and mobile health applications (apps) are becoming a commonly used way for improving the quality of health and healthcare delivery. Health related apps are mainly centralized in Medical and health&fitness categories in Google and Apple app stores. However, these apps are not easily accessible by the users. We decided to develop a system facilitating the access to these apps, to increase their visibility and usability. Various use cases for 567 health related apps in French were identified and listed incrementally. UML modeling was then used to represent these use cases and their relationships with each other and with the potential users of these apps. Thirty one different use cases were found that were then regrouped into six major categories: consulting medical information references, communicating and/or sharing the information, fulfilling a contextual need, educational tools, managing professional activities, health related management. A classification of this type would highlight the real purpose and functionalities of these apps and offers the user to search for the right app rapidly and to find it in a non-ambiguous context.

Sequential Multiplex Analyte Capturing for Phosphoprotein Profiling*

PubMed Central

Poetz, Oliver; Henzler, Tanja; Hartmann, Michael; Kazmaier, Cornelia; Templin, Markus F.; Herget, Thomas; Joos, Thomas O.

2010-01-01

Microarray-based sandwich immunoassays can simultaneously detect dozens of proteins. However, their use in quantifying large numbers of proteins is hampered by cross-reactivity and incompatibilities caused by the immunoassays themselves. Sequential multiplex analyte capturing addresses these problems by repeatedly probing the same sample with different sets of antibody-coated, magnetic suspension bead arrays. As a miniaturized immunoassay format, suspension bead array-based assays fulfill the criteria of the ambient analyte theory, and our experiments reveal that the analyte concentrations are not significantly changed. The value of sequential multiplex analyte capturing was demonstrated by probing tumor cell line lysates for the abundance of seven different receptor tyrosine kinases and their degree of phosphorylation and by measuring the complex phosphorylation pattern of the epidermal growth factor receptor in the same sample from the same cavity. PMID:20682761

Teaching Improvisation through Melody and Blues-Based Harmony: A Comprehensive and Sequential Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Heil, Leila

2017-01-01

This article describes a sequential approach to improvisation teaching that can be used with students at various age and ability levels by any educator, regardless of improvisation experience. The 2014 National Core Music Standards include improvisation as a central component in musical learning and promote instructional approaches that are…

Sequential Online Wellness Programming Is an Effective Strategy to Promote Behavior Change

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

MacNab, Lindsay R.; Francis, Sarah L.

2015-01-01

The growing number of United States youth and adults categorized as overweight or obese illustrates a need for research-based family wellness interventions. Sequential, online, Extension-delivered family wellness interventions offer a time- and cost-effective approach for both participants and Extension educators. The 6-week, online Healthy…

Terminating Sequential Delphi Survey Data Collection

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kalaian, Sema A.; Kasim, Rafa M.

2012-01-01

The Delphi survey technique is an iterative mail or electronic (e-mail or web-based) survey method used to obtain agreement or consensus among a group of experts in a specific field on a particular issue through a well-designed and systematic multiple sequential rounds of survey administrations. Each of the multiple rounds of the Delphi survey…

Adaptive x-ray threat detection using sequential hypotheses testing with fan-beam experimental data (Conference Presentation)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thamvichai, Ratchaneekorn; Huang, Liang-Chih; Ashok, Amit; Gong, Qian; Coccarelli, David; Greenberg, Joel A.; Gehm, Michael E.; Neifeld, Mark A.

2017-05-01

We employ an adaptive measurement system, based on sequential hypotheses testing (SHT) framework, for detecting material-based threats using experimental data acquired on an X-ray experimental testbed system. This testbed employs 45-degree fan-beam geometry and 15 views over a 180-degree span to generate energy sensitive X-ray projection data. Using this testbed system, we acquire multiple view projection data for 200 bags. We consider an adaptive measurement design where the X-ray projection measurements are acquired in a sequential manner and the adaptation occurs through the choice of the optimal "next" source/view system parameter. Our analysis of such an adaptive measurement design using the experimental data demonstrates a 3x-7x reduction in the probability of error relative to a static measurement design. Here the static measurement design refers to the operational system baseline that corresponds to a sequential measurement using all the available sources/views. We also show that by using adaptive measurements it is possible to reduce the number of sources/views by nearly 50% compared a system that relies on static measurements.

On mining complex sequential data by means of FCA and pattern structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Buzmakov, Aleksey; Egho, Elias; Jay, Nicolas; Kuznetsov, Sergei O.; Napoli, Amedeo; Raïssi, Chedy

2016-02-01

Nowadays data-sets are available in very complex and heterogeneous ways. Mining of such data collections is essential to support many real-world applications ranging from healthcare to marketing. In this work, we focus on the analysis of "complex" sequential data by means of interesting sequential patterns. We approach the problem using the elegant mathematical framework of formal concept analysis and its extension based on "pattern structures". Pattern structures are used for mining complex data (such as sequences or graphs) and are based on a subsumption operation, which in our case is defined with respect to the partial order on sequences. We show how pattern structures along with projections (i.e. a data reduction of sequential structures) are able to enumerate more meaningful patterns and increase the computing efficiency of the approach. Finally, we show the applicability of the presented method for discovering and analysing interesting patient patterns from a French healthcare data-set on cancer. The quantitative and qualitative results (with annotations and analysis from a physician) are reported in this use-case which is the main motivation for this work.

The effects of the sequential addition of synthesis parameters on the performance of alkali activated fly ash mortar

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dassekpo, Jean-Baptiste Mawulé; Zha, Xiaoxiong; Zhan, Jiapeng; Ning, Jiaqian

Geopolymer is an energy efficient and sustainable material that is currently used in construction industry as an alternative for Portland cement. As a new material, specific mix design method is essential and efforts have been made to develop a mix design procedure with the main focus on achieving better compressive strength and economy. In this paper, a sequential addition of synthesis parameters such as fly ash-sand, alkaline liquids, plasticizer and additional water at well-defined time intervals was investigated. A total of 4 mix procedures were used to study the compressive performance on fly ash-based geopolymer mortar and the results of each method were analyzed and discussed. Experimental results show that the sequential addition of sodium hydroxide (NaOH), sodium silicate (Na2SiO3), plasticizer (PL), followed by adding water (WA) increases considerably the compressive strengths of the geopolymer-based mortar. These results clearly demonstrate the high significant influence of sequential addition of synthesis parameters on geopolymer materials compressive properties, and also provide a new mixing method for the preparation of geopolymer paste, mortar and concrete.

Digital coding of Shuttle TV

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Habibi, A.; Batson, B.

1976-01-01

Space Shuttle will be using a field-sequential color television system for the first few missions, but the present plans are to switch to a NTSC color TV system for future missions. The field-sequential color TV system uses a modified black and white camera, producing a TV signal with a digital bandwidth of about 60 Mbps. This article discusses the characteristics of the Shuttle TV systems and proposes a bandwidth-compression technique for the field-sequential color TV system that could operate at 13 Mbps to produce a high-fidelity signal. The proposed bandwidth-compression technique is based on a two-dimensional DPCM system that utilizes temporal, spectral, and spatial correlation inherent in the field-sequential color TV imagery. The proposed system requires about 60 watts and less than 200 integrated circuits.

The sequential structure of brain activation predicts skill.

PubMed

Anderson, John R; Bothell, Daniel; Fincham, Jon M; Moon, Jungaa

2016-01-29

In an fMRI study, participants were trained to play a complex video game. They were scanned early and then again after substantial practice. While better players showed greater activation in one region (right dorsal striatum) their relative skill was better diagnosed by considering the sequential structure of whole brain activation. Using a cognitive model that played this game, we extracted a characterization of the mental states that are involved in playing a game and the statistical structure of the transitions among these states. There was a strong correspondence between this measure of sequential structure and the skill of different players. Using multi-voxel pattern analysis, it was possible to recognize, with relatively high accuracy, the cognitive states participants were in during particular scans. We used the sequential structure of these activation-recognized states to predict the skill of individual players. These findings indicate that important features about information-processing strategies can be identified from a model-based analysis of the sequential structure of brain activation. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Computer-Aided Design and Fabrication of Wire-Wrap (Trademark) Type Circuit Boards: A New Symbolism and Its Implementation (Conception et Fabrication Automatisees de Circuits par Cablage Enroule: un Nouveau Symbolisme et son Application),

DTIC Science & Technology

1982-02-01

facilitant la transition entre les plans d’ing~nierie 6lectronique et la matrice pertinente d’interconnexions requise pour le montage par c~blage enroul6 Wire...Wrap. Le d~veloppement de prototypes 6lectroniques s’est vu consid6rablement acc6l6r6 par la preparation plus rapide des donn~es d’interconnexions...directory, all located in *APL files (Sect. 7.0). A matrix called BANQUE is also formed by the program L to regroup those chip descriptions of the main

Diagnostic value of tendon thickness and structure in the sonographic diagnosis of supraspinatus tendinopathy: room for a two-step approach.

PubMed

Arend, Carlos Frederico; Arend, Ana Amalia; da Silva, Tiago Rodrigues

2014-06-01

The aim of our study was to systematically compare different methodologies to establish an evidence-based approach based on tendon thickness and structure for sonographic diagnosis of supraspinatus tendinopathy when compared to MRI. US was obtained from 164 symptomatic patients with supraspinatus tendinopathy detected at MRI and 42 asymptomatic controls with normal MRI. Diagnostic yield was calculated for either maximal supraspinatus tendon thickness (MSTT) and tendon structure as isolated criteria and using different combinations of parallel and sequential testing at US. Chi-squared tests were performed to assess sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of different diagnostic approaches. Mean MSTT was 6.68 mm in symptomatic patients and 5.61 mm in asymptomatic controls (P<.05). When used as an isolated criterion, MSTT>6.0mm provided best results for accuracy (93.7%) when compared to other measurements of tendon thickness. Also as an isolated criterion, abnormal tendon structure (ATS) yielded 93.2% accuracy for diagnosis. The best overall yield was obtained by both parallel and sequential testing using either MSTT>6.0mm or ATS as diagnostic criteria at no particular order, which provided 99.0% accuracy, 100% sensitivity, and 95.2% specificity. Among these parallel and sequential tests that provided best overall yield, additional analysis revealed that sequential testing first evaluating tendon structure required assessment of 258 criteria (vs. 261 for sequential testing first evaluating tendon thickness and 412 for parallel testing) and demanded a mean of 16.1s to assess diagnostic criteria and reach the diagnosis (vs. 43.3s for sequential testing first evaluating tendon thickness and 47.4s for parallel testing). We found that using either MSTT>6.0mm or ATS as diagnostic criteria for both parallel and sequential testing provides the best overall yield for sonographic diagnosis of supraspinatus tendinopathy when compared to MRI. Among these strategies, a two-step sequential approach first assessing tendon structure was advantageous because it required a lower number of criteria to be assessed and demanded less time to assess diagnostic criteria and reach the diagnosis. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Bursts and heavy tails in temporal and sequential dynamics of foraging decisions.

PubMed

Jung, Kanghoon; Jang, Hyeran; Kralik, Jerald D; Jeong, Jaeseung

2014-08-01

A fundamental understanding of behavior requires predicting when and what an individual will choose. However, the actual temporal and sequential dynamics of successive choices made among multiple alternatives remain unclear. In the current study, we tested the hypothesis that there is a general bursting property in both the timing and sequential patterns of foraging decisions. We conducted a foraging experiment in which rats chose among four different foods over a continuous two-week time period. Regarding when choices were made, we found bursts of rapidly occurring actions, separated by time-varying inactive periods, partially based on a circadian rhythm. Regarding what was chosen, we found sequential dynamics in affective choices characterized by two key features: (a) a highly biased choice distribution; and (b) preferential attachment, in which the animals were more likely to choose what they had previously chosen. To capture the temporal dynamics, we propose a dual-state model consisting of active and inactive states. We also introduce a satiation-attainment process for bursty activity, and a non-homogeneous Poisson process for longer inactivity between bursts. For the sequential dynamics, we propose a dual-control model consisting of goal-directed and habit systems, based on outcome valuation and choice history, respectively. This study provides insights into how the bursty nature of behavior emerges from the interaction of different underlying systems, leading to heavy tails in the distribution of behavior over time and choices.

Protein classification using sequential pattern mining.

PubMed

Exarchos, Themis P; Papaloukas, Costas; Lampros, Christos; Fotiadis, Dimitrios I

2006-01-01

Protein classification in terms of fold recognition can be employed to determine the structural and functional properties of a newly discovered protein. In this work sequential pattern mining (SPM) is utilized for sequence-based fold recognition. One of the most efficient SPM algorithms, cSPADE, is employed for protein primary structure analysis. Then a classifier uses the extracted sequential patterns for classifying proteins of unknown structure in the appropriate fold category. The proposed methodology exhibited an overall accuracy of 36% in a multi-class problem of 17 candidate categories. The classification performance reaches up to 65% when the three most probable protein folds are considered.

Development of high-accuracy convection schemes for sequential solvers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Thakur, Siddharth; Shyy, Wei

1993-01-01

An exploration is conducted of the applicability of such high resolution schemes as TVD to the resolving of sharp flow gradients using a sequential solution approach borrowed from pressure-based algorithms. It is shown that by extending these high-resolution shock-capturing schemes to a sequential solver that treats the equations as a collection of scalar conservation equations, the speed of signal propagation in the solution has to be coordinated by assigning the local convection speed as the characteristic speed for the entire system. A higher amount of dissipation is therefore needed to eliminate oscillations near discontinuities.

Propagating probability distributions of stand variables using sequential Monte Carlo methods

Treesearch

Jeffrey H. Gove

2009-01-01

A general probabilistic approach to stand yield estimation is developed based on sequential Monte Carlo filters, also known as particle filters. The essential steps in the development of the sampling importance resampling (SIR) particle filter are presented. The SIR filter is then applied to simulated and observed data showing how the 'predictor - corrector'...

An Overview of Markov Chain Methods for the Study of Stage-Sequential Developmental Processes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kapland, David

2008-01-01

This article presents an overview of quantitative methodologies for the study of stage-sequential development based on extensions of Markov chain modeling. Four methods are presented that exemplify the flexibility of this approach: the manifest Markov model, the latent Markov model, latent transition analysis, and the mixture latent Markov model.…

ROC and Loss Function Analysis in Sequential Testing

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Muijtjens, Arno M. M.; Van Luijk, Scheltus J.; Van Der Vleuten, Cees P. M.

2006-01-01

Sequential testing is applied to reduce costs in SP-based tests (OSCEs). Initially, all candidates take a screening test consisting of a part of the OSCE. Candidates who fail the screen sit the complete test, whereas those who pass the screen are qualified as a pass of the complete test. The procedure may result in a reduction of testing…

Mixing modes in a population-based interview survey: comparison of a sequential and a concurrent mixed-mode design for public health research.

PubMed

Mauz, Elvira; von der Lippe, Elena; Allen, Jennifer; Schilling, Ralph; Müters, Stephan; Hoebel, Jens; Schmich, Patrick; Wetzstein, Matthias; Kamtsiuris, Panagiotis; Lange, Cornelia

2018-01-01

Population-based surveys currently face the problem of decreasing response rates. Mixed-mode designs are now being implemented more often to account for this, to improve sample composition and to reduce overall costs. This study examines whether a concurrent or sequential mixed-mode design achieves better results on a number of indicators of survey quality. Data were obtained from a population-based health interview survey of adults in Germany that was conducted as a methodological pilot study as part of the German Health Update (GEDA). Participants were randomly allocated to one of two surveys; each of the surveys had a different design. In the concurrent mixed-mode design ( n  = 617) two types of self-administered questionnaires (SAQ-Web and SAQ-Paper) and computer-assisted telephone interviewing were offered simultaneously to the respondents along with the invitation to participate. In the sequential mixed-mode design ( n  = 561), SAQ-Web was initially provided, followed by SAQ-Paper, with an option for a telephone interview being sent out together with the reminders at a later date. Finally, this study compared the response rates, sample composition, health indicators, item non-response, the scope of fieldwork and the costs of both designs. No systematic differences were identified between the two mixed-mode designs in terms of response rates, the socio-demographic characteristics of the achieved samples, or the prevalence rates of the health indicators under study. The sequential design gained a higher rate of online respondents. Very few telephone interviews were conducted for either design. With regard to data quality, the sequential design (which had more online respondents) showed less item non-response. There were minor differences between the designs in terms of their costs. Postage and printing costs were lower in the concurrent design, but labour costs were lower in the sequential design. No differences in health indicators were found between the two designs. Modelling these results for higher response rates and larger net sample sizes indicated that the sequential design was more cost and time-effective. This study contributes to the research available on implementing mixed-mode designs as part of public health surveys. Our findings show that SAQ-Paper and SAQ-Web questionnaires can be combined effectively. Sequential mixed-mode designs with higher rates of online respondents may be of greater benefit to studies with larger net sample sizes than concurrent mixed-mode designs.

Sequential time interleaved random equivalent sampling for repetitive signal.

PubMed

Zhao, Yijiu; Liu, Jingjing

2016-12-01

Compressed sensing (CS) based sampling techniques exhibit many advantages over other existing approaches for sparse signal spectrum sensing; they are also incorporated into non-uniform sampling signal reconstruction to improve the efficiency, such as random equivalent sampling (RES). However, in CS based RES, only one sample of each acquisition is considered in the signal reconstruction stage, and it will result in more acquisition runs and longer sampling time. In this paper, a sampling sequence is taken in each RES acquisition run, and the corresponding block measurement matrix is constructed using a Whittaker-Shannon interpolation formula. All the block matrices are combined into an equivalent measurement matrix with respect to all sampling sequences. We implemented the proposed approach with a multi-cores analog-to-digital converter (ADC), whose ADC cores are time interleaved. A prototype realization of this proposed CS based sequential random equivalent sampling method has been developed. It is able to capture an analog waveform at an equivalent sampling rate of 40 GHz while sampled at 1 GHz physically. Experiments indicate that, for a sparse signal, the proposed CS based sequential random equivalent sampling exhibits high efficiency.

Long-Term Efficacy and Safety of Cyclosporine in a Cohort of Steroid-Refractory Acute Severe Ulcerative Colitis Patients from the ENEIDA Registry (1989-2013): A Nationwide Multicenter Study.

PubMed

Ordás, I; Domènech, E; Mañosa, M; García-Sánchez, V; Iglesias-Flores, E; Peñalva, M; Cañas-Ventura, A; Merino, O; Fernández-Bañares, F; Gomollón, F; Vera, M; Gutiérrez, A; Garcia-Planella, E; Chaparro, M; Aguas, M; Gento, E; Muñoz, F; Aguirresarobe, M; Muñoz, C; Fernández, L; Calvet, X; Jiménez, C E; Montoro, M A; Mir, A; De Castro, M L; García-Sepulcre, M F; Bermejo, F; Panés, J; Esteve, M

2017-11-01

To determine the efficacy and safety of cyclosporine (CyA) in a large national registry-based population of patients with steroid-refractory (SR) acute severe ulcerative colitis (ASUC) and to establish predictors of efficacy and adverse events. Multicenter study of SR-ASUC treated with CyA, based on data from the ENEIDA registry. SR-ASUC patients treated with infliximab (IFX) or sequential rescue therapy (CyA-IFX or IFX-CyA) were used as comparators. Of 740 SR-ASUC patients, 377 received CyA, 131 IFX and 63 sequential rescue therapy. The cumulative colectomy rate was higher in the CyA (24.1%) and sequential therapy (32.7%) than in the IFX group (14.5%; P=0.01) at 3 months and 5 years. There were no differences in early and late colectomy between CyA and IFX in patients treated after 2005. 62% of patients receiving CyA remained colectomy-free in the long term (median 71 months). There were no differences in mortality between CyA (2.4%), IFX (1.5%) and sequential therapy (0%; P=0.771). The proportion of patients with serious adverse events (SAEs) was lower in CyA (15.4%) than in IFX treated patients (26.5%) or sequential therapy (33.4%; P<0.001). This difference in favor of CyA was maintained when only patients treated after 2005 were analyzed. Treatment with CyA showed a lower rate of SAE and a similar efficacy to that of IFX thereby supporting the use of either CyA or IFX in SR-ASUC. In addition, the risk-benefit of sequential CyA-IFX for CyA non-responders is acceptable.

A comparison of disinfection by-products formation during sequential or simultaneous disinfection of surface waters with chlorine dioxide and chlor(am)ine.

PubMed

Shi, Yanwei; Ling, Wencui; Qiang, Zhimin

2013-01-01

The effect of chlorine dioxide (ClO2) oxidation on the formation of disinfection by-products (DBPs) during sequential (ClO2 pre-oxidation for 30 min) and simultaneous disinfection processes with free chlorine (FC) or monochloramine (MCA) was investigated. The formation of DBPs from synthetic humic acid (HA) water and three natural surface waters containing low bromide levels (11-27 microg/L) was comparatively examined in the FC-based (single FC, sequential ClO2-FC, and simultaneous ClO2/FC) and MCA-based (single MCA, ClO2-MCA, and ClO2/MCA) disinfection processes. The results showed that much more DBPs were formed from the synthetic HA water than from the three natural surface waters with comparative levels of dissolved organic carbon. In the FC-based processes, ClO2 oxidation could reduce trihalomethanes (THMs) by 27-35% and haloacetic acids (HAAs) by 14-22% in the three natural surface waters, but increased THMs by 19% and HAAs by 31% in the synthetic HA water after an FC contact time of 48 h. In the MCA-based processes, similar trends were observed although DBPs were produced at a much lower level. There was an insignificant difference in DBPs formation between the sequential and simultaneous processes. The presence of a high level of bromide (320 microg/L) remarkably promoted the DBPs formation in the FC-based processes. Therefore, the simultaneous disinfection process of ClO2/MCA is recommended particularly for waters with a high bromide level.

Prognostic value of nutritional risk screening 2002 scale in nasopharyngeal carcinoma: A large-scale cohort study.

PubMed

Peng, Hao; Chen, Bin-Bin; Tang, Ling-Long; Chen, Lei; Li, Wen-Fei; Zhang, Yuan; Mao, Yan-Ping; Sun, Ying; Liu, Li-Zhi; Tian, Li; Guo, Ying; Ma, Jun

2018-06-01

Little is known about the value of the nutritional risk screening 2002 (NRS2002) scale in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). We conducted a large-scale study to address this issue. We employed a big-data intelligence database platform at our center and identified 3232 eligible patients treated between 2009 and 2013. Of the 3232 (12.9% of 24 986) eligible patients, 469 (14.5%), 13 (0.4%), 953 (29.5%), 1762 (54.5%) and 35 (1.1%) had NRS2002 scores of 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5, respectively. Survival outcomes were comparable between patients with NRS2002 <3 and ≥3 (original scale). However, patients with NRS2002 ≤3 vs >3 (regrouping scale) had significantly different 5-year disease-free survival (DFS; 82.7% vs 75.0%, P < .001), overall survival (OS; 88.8% vs 84.1%, P = .001), distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS; 90.2% vs 85.9%, P = .001) and locoregional relapse-free survival (LRRFS; 91.6% vs 87.2%, P = .001). Therefore, we proposed a revised NRS2002 scale, and found that it provides a better risk stratification than the original or regrouping scales for predicting DFS (area under the curve [AUC] = 0.530 vs 0.554 vs 0.577; P < .05), OS (AUC = 0.534 vs 0.563 vs 0.582; P < .05), DMFS (AUC = 0.531 vs 0.567 vs 0.590; P < .05) and LRRFS (AUC = 0.529 vs 0.542 vs 0.564; P < .05 except scale A vs B). Our proposed NRS2002 scale represents a simple, clinically useful tool for nutritional risk screening in NPC. © 2018 The Authors. Cancer Science published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of Japanese Cancer Association.

Animal models on HTLV-1 and related viruses: what did we learn?

PubMed Central

Hajj, Hiba El; Nasr, Rihab; Kfoury, Youmna; Dassouki, Zeina; Nasser, Roudaina; Kchour, Ghada; Hermine, Olivier; de Thé, Hugues; Bazarbachi, Ali

2012-01-01

Retroviruses are associated with a wide variety of diseases, including immunological, neurological disorders, and different forms of cancer. Among retroviruses, Oncovirinae regroup according to their genetic structure and sequence, several related viruses such as human T-cell lymphotropic viruses types 1 and 2 (HTLV-1 and HTLV-2), simian T cell lymphotropic viruses types 1 and 2 (STLV-1 and STLV-2), and bovine leukemia virus (BLV). As in many diseases, animal models provide a useful tool for the studies of pathogenesis, treatment, and prevention. In the current review, an overview on different animal models used in the study of these viruses will be provided. A specific attention will be given to the HTLV-1 virus which is the causative agent of adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATL) but also of a number of inflammatory diseases regrouping the HTLV-associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis (HAM/TSP), infective dermatitis and some lung inflammatory diseases. Among these models, rabbits, monkeys but also rats provide an excellent in vivo tool for early HTLV-1 viral infection and transmission as well as the induced host immune response against the virus. But ideally, mice remain the most efficient method of studying human afflictions. Genetically altered mice including both transgenic and knockout mice, offer important models to test the role of specific viral and host genes in the development of HTLV-1-associated leukemia. The development of different strains of immunodeficient mice strains (SCID, NOD, and NOG SCID mice) provide a useful and rapid tool of humanized and xenografted mice models, to test new drugs and targeted therapy against HTLV-1-associated leukemia, to identify leukemia stem cells candidates but also to study the innate immunity mediated by the virus. All together, these animal models have revolutionized the biology of retroviruses, their manipulation of host genes and more importantly the potential ways to either prevent their infection or to treat their associated diseases. PMID:23049525

Reliability-based trajectory optimization using nonintrusive polynomial chaos for Mars entry mission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Yuechen; Li, Haiyang

2018-06-01

This paper presents the reliability-based sequential optimization (RBSO) method to settle the trajectory optimization problem with parametric uncertainties in entry dynamics for Mars entry mission. First, the deterministic entry trajectory optimization model is reviewed, and then the reliability-based optimization model is formulated. In addition, the modified sequential optimization method, in which the nonintrusive polynomial chaos expansion (PCE) method and the most probable point (MPP) searching method are employed, is proposed to solve the reliability-based optimization problem efficiently. The nonintrusive PCE method contributes to the transformation between the stochastic optimization (SO) and the deterministic optimization (DO) and to the approximation of trajectory solution efficiently. The MPP method, which is used for assessing the reliability of constraints satisfaction only up to the necessary level, is employed to further improve the computational efficiency. The cycle including SO, reliability assessment and constraints update is repeated in the RBSO until the reliability requirements of constraints satisfaction are satisfied. Finally, the RBSO is compared with the traditional DO and the traditional sequential optimization based on Monte Carlo (MC) simulation in a specific Mars entry mission to demonstrate the effectiveness and the efficiency of the proposed method.

20 CFR 416.924b - Age as a factor of evaluation in the sequential evaluation process for children.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... infants. We generally use chronological age (that is, a child's age based on birth date) when we decide... chronological age. When we evaluate the development or linear growth of a child born prematurely, we may use a... sequential evaluation process for children. 416.924b Section 416.924b Employees' Benefits SOCIAL SECURITY...

20 CFR 416.924b - Age as a factor of evaluation in the sequential evaluation process for children.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... infants. We generally use chronological age (that is, a child's age based on birth date) when we decide... chronological age. When we evaluate the development or linear growth of a child born prematurely, we may use a... sequential evaluation process for children. 416.924b Section 416.924b Employees' Benefits SOCIAL SECURITY...

20 CFR 416.924b - Age as a factor of evaluation in the sequential evaluation process for children.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... infants. We generally use chronological age (that is, a child's age based on birth date) when we decide... chronological age. When we evaluate the development or linear growth of a child born prematurely, we may use a... sequential evaluation process for children. 416.924b Section 416.924b Employees' Benefits SOCIAL SECURITY...

20 CFR 416.924b - Age as a factor of evaluation in the sequential evaluation process for children.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... infants. We generally use chronological age (that is, a child's age based on birth date) when we decide... chronological age. When we evaluate the development or linear growth of a child born prematurely, we may use a... sequential evaluation process for children. 416.924b Section 416.924b Employees' Benefits SOCIAL SECURITY...

20 CFR 416.924b - Age as a factor of evaluation in the sequential evaluation process for children.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... infants. We generally use chronological age (that is, a child's age based on birth date) when we decide... chronological age. When we evaluate the development or linear growth of a child born prematurely, we may use a... sequential evaluation process for children. 416.924b Section 416.924b Employees' Benefits SOCIAL SECURITY...

A Prospective Sequential Analysis of the Relation between Physical Aggression and Peer Rejection Acts in a High-Risk Preschool Sample

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chen, Chin-Chih; McComas, Jennifer J.; Hartman, Ellie; Symons, Frank J.

2011-01-01

Research Findings: In early childhood education, the social ecology of the child is considered critical for healthy behavioral development. There is, however, relatively little information based on directly observing what children do that describes the moment-by-moment (i.e., sequential) relation between physical aggression and peer rejection acts…

Evidence-Based Clinical Recommendations for the Administration of the Sequential Motion Rates Task

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Icht, Michal; Ben-David, Boaz M.

2018-01-01

The sequential motion rates (SMR) task, that involves rapid and accurate repetitions of a syllable sequence, /pataka/, is a commonly used evaluation tool for oro-motor abilities. Although the SMR is a well-known tool, some aspects of its administration protocol are unspecified. We address the following factors and their role in the SMR protocol:…

Enhancing Sequential Time Perception and Storytelling Ability of Deaf and Hard of Hearing Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ingber, Sara; Eden, Sigal

2011-01-01

A 3-month intervention was conducted to enhance the sequential time perception and storytelling ability of young children with hearing loss. The children were trained to arrange pictorial episodes of temporal scripts and tell the stories they created. Participants (N = 34, aged 4-7 years) were divided into 2 groups based on whether their…

Sequential memory: Binding dynamics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Afraimovich, Valentin; Gong, Xue; Rabinovich, Mikhail

2015-10-01

Temporal order memories are critical for everyday animal and human functioning. Experiments and our own experience show that the binding or association of various features of an event together and the maintaining of multimodality events in sequential order are the key components of any sequential memories—episodic, semantic, working, etc. We study a robustness of binding sequential dynamics based on our previously introduced model in the form of generalized Lotka-Volterra equations. In the phase space of the model, there exists a multi-dimensional binding heteroclinic network consisting of saddle equilibrium points and heteroclinic trajectories joining them. We prove here the robustness of the binding sequential dynamics, i.e., the feasibility phenomenon for coupled heteroclinic networks: for each collection of successive heteroclinic trajectories inside the unified networks, there is an open set of initial points such that the trajectory going through each of them follows the prescribed collection staying in a small neighborhood of it. We show also that the symbolic complexity function of the system restricted to this neighborhood is a polynomial of degree L - 1, where L is the number of modalities.

Sequential memory: Binding dynamics.

PubMed

Afraimovich, Valentin; Gong, Xue; Rabinovich, Mikhail

2015-10-01

Temporal order memories are critical for everyday animal and human functioning. Experiments and our own experience show that the binding or association of various features of an event together and the maintaining of multimodality events in sequential order are the key components of any sequential memories-episodic, semantic, working, etc. We study a robustness of binding sequential dynamics based on our previously introduced model in the form of generalized Lotka-Volterra equations. In the phase space of the model, there exists a multi-dimensional binding heteroclinic network consisting of saddle equilibrium points and heteroclinic trajectories joining them. We prove here the robustness of the binding sequential dynamics, i.e., the feasibility phenomenon for coupled heteroclinic networks: for each collection of successive heteroclinic trajectories inside the unified networks, there is an open set of initial points such that the trajectory going through each of them follows the prescribed collection staying in a small neighborhood of it. We show also that the symbolic complexity function of the system restricted to this neighborhood is a polynomial of degree L - 1, where L is the number of modalities.

Bioerodible System for Sequential Release of Multiple Drugs

PubMed Central

Sundararaj, Sharath C.; Thomas, Mark V.; Dziubla, Thomas D.; Puleo, David A.

2013-01-01

Because many complex physiological processes are controlled by multiple biomolecules, comprehensive treatment of certain disease conditions may be more effectively achieved by administration of more than one type of drug. Thus, the objective of the present research was to develop a multilayered, polymer-based system for sequential delivery of multiple drugs. The polymers used were cellulose acetate phthalate (CAP) complexed with Pluronic F-127 (P). After evaluating morphology of the resulting CAPP system, in vitro release of small molecule drugs and a model protein was studied from both single and multilayered devices. Drug release from single-layered CAPP films followed zero-order kinetics related to surface erosion of the association polymer. Release studies from multilayered CAPP devices showed the possibility of achieving intermittent release of one type of drug as well as sequential release of more than one type of drug. Mathematical modeling accurately predicted the release profiles for both single layer and multilayered devices. The present CAPP association polymer-based multilayer devices can be used for localized, sequential delivery of multiple drugs for the possible treatment of complex disease conditions, and perhaps for tissue engineering applications, that require delivery of more than one type of biomolecule. PMID:24096151

Determination of ambroxol hydrochloride, methylparaben and benzoic acid in pharmaceutical preparations based on sequential injection technique coupled with monolithic column.

PubMed

Satínský, Dalibor; Huclová, Jitka; Ferreira, Raquel L C; Montenegro, Maria Conceição B S M; Solich, Petr

2006-02-13

The porous monolithic columns show high performance at relatively low pressure. The coupling of short monoliths with sequential injection technique (SIA) results in a new approach to implementation of separation step to non-separation low-pressure method. In this contribution, a new separation method for simultaneous determination of ambroxol, methylparaben and benzoic acid was developed based on a novel reversed-phase sequential injection chromatography (SIC) technique with UV detection. A Chromolith SpeedROD RP-18e, 50-4.6 mm column with 10 mm precolumn and a FIAlab 3000 system with a six-port selection valve and 5 ml syringe were used for sequential injection chromatographic separations in our study. The mobile phase used was acetonitrile-tetrahydrofuran-0.05M acetic acid (10:10:90, v/v/v), pH 3.75 adjusted with triethylamine, flow rate 0.48 mlmin(-1), UV-detection was at 245 nm. The analysis time was <11 min. A new SIC method was validated and compared with HPLC. The method was found to be useful for the routine analysis of the active compounds ambroxol and preservatives (methylparaben or benzoic acid) in various pharmaceutical syrups and drops.

PARTICLE FILTERING WITH SEQUENTIAL PARAMETER LEARNING FOR NONLINEAR BOLD fMRI SIGNALS.

PubMed

Xia, Jing; Wang, Michelle Yongmei

Analyzing the blood oxygenation level dependent (BOLD) effect in the functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) is typically based on recent ground-breaking time series analysis techniques. This work represents a significant improvement over existing approaches to system identification using nonlinear hemodynamic models. It is important for three reasons. First, instead of using linearized approximations of the dynamics, we present a nonlinear filtering based on the sequential Monte Carlo method to capture the inherent nonlinearities in the physiological system. Second, we simultaneously estimate the hidden physiological states and the system parameters through particle filtering with sequential parameter learning to fully take advantage of the dynamic information of the BOLD signals. Third, during the unknown static parameter learning, we employ the low-dimensional sufficient statistics for efficiency and avoiding potential degeneration of the parameters. The performance of the proposed method is validated using both the simulated data and real BOLD fMRI data.

Sequential Designs Based on Bayesian Uncertainty Quantification in Sparse Representation Surrogate Modeling

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

Chen, Ray -Bing; Wang, Weichung; Jeff Wu, C. F.

A numerical method, called OBSM, was recently proposed which employs overcomplete basis functions to achieve sparse representations. While the method can handle non-stationary response without the need of inverting large covariance matrices, it lacks the capability to quantify uncertainty in predictions. We address this issue by proposing a Bayesian approach which first imposes a normal prior on the large space of linear coefficients, then applies the MCMC algorithm to generate posterior samples for predictions. From these samples, Bayesian credible intervals can then be obtained to assess prediction uncertainty. A key application for the proposed method is the efficient construction ofmore » sequential designs. Several sequential design procedures with different infill criteria are proposed based on the generated posterior samples. As a result, numerical studies show that the proposed schemes are capable of solving problems of positive point identification, optimization, and surrogate fitting.« less

Sequential Designs Based on Bayesian Uncertainty Quantification in Sparse Representation Surrogate Modeling

DOE PAGES

Chen, Ray -Bing; Wang, Weichung; Jeff Wu, C. F.

2017-04-12

A numerical method, called OBSM, was recently proposed which employs overcomplete basis functions to achieve sparse representations. While the method can handle non-stationary response without the need of inverting large covariance matrices, it lacks the capability to quantify uncertainty in predictions. We address this issue by proposing a Bayesian approach which first imposes a normal prior on the large space of linear coefficients, then applies the MCMC algorithm to generate posterior samples for predictions. From these samples, Bayesian credible intervals can then be obtained to assess prediction uncertainty. A key application for the proposed method is the efficient construction ofmore » sequential designs. Several sequential design procedures with different infill criteria are proposed based on the generated posterior samples. As a result, numerical studies show that the proposed schemes are capable of solving problems of positive point identification, optimization, and surrogate fitting.« less

Sequential x-ray diffraction topography at 1-BM x-ray optics testing beamline at the advanced photon source

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

Stoupin, Stanislav, E-mail: sstoupin@aps.anl.gov; Shvyd’ko, Yuri; Trakhtenberg, Emil

2016-07-27

We report progress on implementation and commissioning of sequential X-ray diffraction topography at 1-BM Optics Testing Beamline of the Advanced Photon Source to accommodate growing needs of strain characterization in diffractive crystal optics and other semiconductor single crystals. The setup enables evaluation of strain in single crystals in the nearly-nondispersive double-crystal geometry. Si asymmetric collimator crystals of different crystallographic orientations were designed, fabricated and characterized using in-house capabilities. Imaging the exit beam using digital area detectors permits rapid sequential acquisition of X-ray topographs at different angular positions on the rocking curve of a crystal under investigation. Results on sensitivity andmore » spatial resolution are reported based on experiments with high-quality Si and diamond crystals. The new setup complements laboratory-based X-ray topography capabilities of the Optics group at the Advanced Photon Source.« less

Sensitivity Analysis in Sequential Decision Models.

PubMed

Chen, Qiushi; Ayer, Turgay; Chhatwal, Jagpreet

2017-02-01

Sequential decision problems are frequently encountered in medical decision making, which are commonly solved using Markov decision processes (MDPs). Modeling guidelines recommend conducting sensitivity analyses in decision-analytic models to assess the robustness of the model results against the uncertainty in model parameters. However, standard methods of conducting sensitivity analyses cannot be directly applied to sequential decision problems because this would require evaluating all possible decision sequences, typically in the order of trillions, which is not practically feasible. As a result, most MDP-based modeling studies do not examine confidence in their recommended policies. In this study, we provide an approach to estimate uncertainty and confidence in the results of sequential decision models. First, we provide a probabilistic univariate method to identify the most sensitive parameters in MDPs. Second, we present a probabilistic multivariate approach to estimate the overall confidence in the recommended optimal policy considering joint uncertainty in the model parameters. We provide a graphical representation, which we call a policy acceptability curve, to summarize the confidence in the optimal policy by incorporating stakeholders' willingness to accept the base case policy. For a cost-effectiveness analysis, we provide an approach to construct a cost-effectiveness acceptability frontier, which shows the most cost-effective policy as well as the confidence in that for a given willingness to pay threshold. We demonstrate our approach using a simple MDP case study. We developed a method to conduct sensitivity analysis in sequential decision models, which could increase the credibility of these models among stakeholders.

Bursts and Heavy Tails in Temporal and Sequential Dynamics of Foraging Decisions

PubMed Central

Jung, Kanghoon; Jang, Hyeran; Kralik, Jerald D.; Jeong, Jaeseung

2014-01-01

A fundamental understanding of behavior requires predicting when and what an individual will choose. However, the actual temporal and sequential dynamics of successive choices made among multiple alternatives remain unclear. In the current study, we tested the hypothesis that there is a general bursting property in both the timing and sequential patterns of foraging decisions. We conducted a foraging experiment in which rats chose among four different foods over a continuous two-week time period. Regarding when choices were made, we found bursts of rapidly occurring actions, separated by time-varying inactive periods, partially based on a circadian rhythm. Regarding what was chosen, we found sequential dynamics in affective choices characterized by two key features: (a) a highly biased choice distribution; and (b) preferential attachment, in which the animals were more likely to choose what they had previously chosen. To capture the temporal dynamics, we propose a dual-state model consisting of active and inactive states. We also introduce a satiation-attainment process for bursty activity, and a non-homogeneous Poisson process for longer inactivity between bursts. For the sequential dynamics, we propose a dual-control model consisting of goal-directed and habit systems, based on outcome valuation and choice history, respectively. This study provides insights into how the bursty nature of behavior emerges from the interaction of different underlying systems, leading to heavy tails in the distribution of behavior over time and choices. PMID:25122498

Influence of Sequential vs. Simultaneous Dual-Task Exercise Training on Cognitive Function in Older Adults.

PubMed

Tait, Jamie L; Duckham, Rachel L; Milte, Catherine M; Main, Luana C; Daly, Robin M

2017-01-01

Emerging research indicates that exercise combined with cognitive training may improve cognitive function in older adults. Typically these programs have incorporated sequential training, where exercise and cognitive training are undertaken separately. However, simultaneous or dual-task training, where cognitive and/or motor training are performed simultaneously with exercise, may offer greater benefits. This review summary provides an overview of the effects of combined simultaneous vs. sequential training on cognitive function in older adults. Based on the available evidence, there are inconsistent findings with regard to the cognitive benefits of sequential training in comparison to cognitive or exercise training alone. In contrast, simultaneous training interventions, particularly multimodal exercise programs in combination with secondary tasks regulated by sensory cues, have significantly improved cognition in both healthy older and clinical populations. However, further research is needed to determine the optimal characteristics of a successful simultaneous training program for optimizing cognitive function in older people.

Plane-Based Sampling for Ray Casting Algorithm in Sequential Medical Images

PubMed Central

Lin, Lili; Chen, Shengyong; Shao, Yan; Gu, Zichun

2013-01-01

This paper proposes a plane-based sampling method to improve the traditional Ray Casting Algorithm (RCA) for the fast reconstruction of a three-dimensional biomedical model from sequential images. In the novel method, the optical properties of all sampling points depend on the intersection points when a ray travels through an equidistant parallel plan cluster of the volume dataset. The results show that the method improves the rendering speed at over three times compared with the conventional algorithm and the image quality is well guaranteed. PMID:23424608

Three-dimensional Stochastic Estimation of Porosity Distribution: Benefits of Using Ground-penetrating Radar Velocity Tomograms in Simulated-annealing-based or Bayesian Sequential Simulation Approaches

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-05-30

annealing-based or Bayesian sequential simulation approaches B. Dafflon1,2 and W. Barrash1 Received 13 May 2011; revised 12 March 2012; accepted 17 April 2012...the withheld porosity log are also withheld for this estimation process. For both cases we do this for two wells having locally variable stratigraphy ...borehole location is given at the bottom of each log comparison panel. For comparison with stratigraphy at the BHRS, contacts between Units 1 to 4

A Bayesian Theory of Sequential Causal Learning and Abstract Transfer.

PubMed

Lu, Hongjing; Rojas, Randall R; Beckers, Tom; Yuille, Alan L

2016-03-01

Two key research issues in the field of causal learning are how people acquire causal knowledge when observing data that are presented sequentially, and the level of abstraction at which learning takes place. Does sequential causal learning solely involve the acquisition of specific cause-effect links, or do learners also acquire knowledge about abstract causal constraints? Recent empirical studies have revealed that experience with one set of causal cues can dramatically alter subsequent learning and performance with entirely different cues, suggesting that learning involves abstract transfer, and such transfer effects involve sequential presentation of distinct sets of causal cues. It has been demonstrated that pre-training (or even post-training) can modulate classic causal learning phenomena such as forward and backward blocking. To account for these effects, we propose a Bayesian theory of sequential causal learning. The theory assumes that humans are able to consider and use several alternative causal generative models, each instantiating a different causal integration rule. Model selection is used to decide which integration rule to use in a given learning environment in order to infer causal knowledge from sequential data. Detailed computer simulations demonstrate that humans rely on the abstract characteristics of outcome variables (e.g., binary vs. continuous) to select a causal integration rule, which in turn alters causal learning in a variety of blocking and overshadowing paradigms. When the nature of the outcome variable is ambiguous, humans select the model that yields the best fit with the recent environment, and then apply it to subsequent learning tasks. Based on sequential patterns of cue-outcome co-occurrence, the theory can account for a range of phenomena in sequential causal learning, including various blocking effects, primacy effects in some experimental conditions, and apparently abstract transfer of causal knowledge. Copyright © 2015 Cognitive Science Society, Inc.

Effects of a web-based tailored multiple-lifestyle intervention for adults: a two-year randomized controlled trial comparing sequential and simultaneous delivery modes.

PubMed

Schulz, Daniela N; Kremers, Stef P J; Vandelanotte, Corneel; van Adrichem, Mathieu J G; Schneider, Francine; Candel, Math J J M; de Vries, Hein

2014-01-27

Web-based computer-tailored interventions for multiple health behaviors can have a significant public health impact. Yet, few randomized controlled trials have tested this assumption. The objective of this paper was to test the effects of a sequential and simultaneous Web-based tailored intervention on multiple lifestyle behaviors. A randomized controlled trial was conducted with 3 tailoring conditions (ie, sequential, simultaneous, and control conditions) in the Netherlands in 2009-2012. Follow-up measurements took place after 12 and 24 months. The intervention content was based on the I-Change model. In a health risk appraisal, all respondents (N=5055) received feedback on their lifestyle behaviors that indicated whether they complied with the Dutch guidelines for physical activity, vegetable consumption, fruit consumption, alcohol intake, and smoking. Participants in the sequential (n=1736) and simultaneous (n=1638) conditions received tailored motivational feedback to change unhealthy behaviors one at a time (sequential) or all at the same time (simultaneous). Mixed model analyses were performed as primary analyses; regression analyses were done as sensitivity analyses. An overall risk score was used as outcome measure, then effects on the 5 individual lifestyle behaviors were assessed and a process evaluation was performed regarding exposure to and appreciation of the intervention. Both tailoring strategies were associated with small self-reported behavioral changes. The sequential condition had the most significant effects compared to the control condition after 12 months (T1, effect size=0.28). After 24 months (T2), the simultaneous condition was most effective (effect size=0.18). All 5 individual lifestyle behaviors changed over time, but few effects differed significantly between the conditions. At both follow-ups, the sequential condition had significant changes in smoking abstinence compared to the simultaneous condition (T1 effect size=0.31; T2 effect size=0.41). The sequential condition was more effective in decreasing alcohol consumption than the control condition at 24 months (effect size=0.27). Change was predicted by the amount of exposure to the intervention (total visiting time: beta=-.06; P=.01; total number of visits: beta=-.11; P<.001). Both interventions were appreciated well by respondents without significant differences between conditions. Although evidence was found for the effectiveness of both programs, no simple conclusive finding could be drawn about which intervention mode was more effective. The best kind of intervention may depend on the behavior that is targeted or on personal preferences and motivation. Further research is needed to identify moderators of intervention effectiveness. The results need to be interpreted in view of the high and selective dropout rates, multiple comparisons, and modest effect sizes. However, a large number of people were reached at low cost and behavioral change was achieved after 2 years. Nederlands Trial Register: NTR 2168; http://www.trialregister.nl/trialreg/admin/rctview.asp?TC=2168 (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/6MbUqttYB).

A fluidic diode, valves, and a sequential-loading circuit fabricated on layered paper.

PubMed

Chen, Hong; Cogswell, Jeremy; Anagnostopoulos, Constantine; Faghri, Mohammad

2012-08-21

Current microfluidic paper-based devices lack crucial components for fluid manipulation. We created a fluidic diode fabricated entirely on a single layer of paper to control the wicking of fluids. The fluidic diode is a two-terminal component that promotes or stops wicking along a paper channel. We further constructed a trigger and a delay valve based on the fluidic diode. Furthermore, we demonstrated a high-level functional circuit, consisting of a diode and a delay valve, to manipulate two fluids in a sequential manner. Our study provides new, transformative tools to manipulate fluid in microfluidic paper-based devices.

Managing numerical errors in random sequential adsorption

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cieśla, Michał; Nowak, Aleksandra

2016-09-01

Aim of this study is to examine the influence of a finite surface size and a finite simulation time on a packing fraction estimated using random sequential adsorption simulations. The goal of particular interest is providing hints on simulation setup to achieve desired level of accuracy. The analysis is based on properties of saturated random packing of disks on continuous and flat surfaces of different sizes.

The Constructivist Approach? I Have Heard about It but I Have Never Seen It: "An Example of Exploratory Sequential Mixed Design Study"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Polat, Ahmet; Dogan, Soner; Demir, Selçuk Besir

2016-01-01

The present study was undertaken to investigate the quality of education based on the views of the students attending social studies education departments at the Faculties of Education and to determine the existing problems and present suggestions for their solutions. The study was conducted according to exploratory sequential mixed method. In…

The Constructivist Approach? I Have Heard about It but I Have Never Seen It "An Example of Exploratory Sequential Mixed Design Study"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Polat, Ahmet; Dogan, Soner; Demir, Selçuk Besir

2016-01-01

The present study was undertaken to investigate the quality of education based on the views of the students attending social studies education departments at the Faculties of Education and to determine the existing problems and present suggestions for their solutions. The study was conducted according to exploratory sequential mixed method. In…

A Cross-Validation Study of Sequential-Simultaneous Processing at Ages 2 1/2-12 1/2 Using the Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children (K-ABC).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kamphaus, Randy W.; And Others

The development of two types of mental processing (sequential and simultaneous) in preschool and elementary children was examined in this study. Specifically, the aims of the study were to develop a revised set of tasks based upon previous findings (Naglieri, Kaufman, Kaufman, & Kamphaus, 1981; Kaufman, Kaufman, Kamphaus, & Naglieri, in…

Implicit Numerical Solution for a Normal Shock.

DTIC Science & Technology

1983-05-01

as predictor: N N SAt N. + x6xNU t+l x N ) At H .. Nl (+ A- AI )6U =AT + JAI i l N +l N!+U~U. -2 24 p corrector: N~~l F V Fii AUN I -At 1 i-I -At H. 1...DA X-) 6Ui X W V (43) Regrouping, the left hand side is now written as SAt X- 6 - V (44)+X A) X The matrix (I + 4L DA) is diagonal so that its...the terms from the Y - momentum equation. The matrices Y-1 and D are found Bq --1 the same way as X and D were. They are given as A (22 2 "":( 2 (y-l

Using CamiTK for rapid prototyping of interactive computer assisted medical intervention applications.

PubMed

Promayon, Emmanuel; Fouard, Céline; Bailet, Mathieu; Deram, Aurélien; Fiard, Gaëlle; Hungr, Nikolai; Luboz, Vincent; Payan, Yohan; Sarrazin, Johan; Saubat, Nicolas; Selmi, Sonia Yuki; Voros, Sandrine; Cinquin, Philippe; Troccaz, Jocelyne

2013-01-01

Computer Assisted Medical Intervention (CAMI hereafter) is a complex multi-disciplinary field. CAMI research requires the collaboration of experts in several fields as diverse as medicine, computer science, mathematics, instrumentation, signal processing, mechanics, modeling, automatics, optics, etc. CamiTK is a modular framework that helps researchers and clinicians to collaborate together in order to prototype CAMI applications by regrouping the knowledge and expertise from each discipline. It is an open-source, cross-platform generic and modular tool written in C++ which can handle medical images, surgical navigation, biomedicals simulations and robot control. This paper presents the Computer Assisted Medical Intervention ToolKit (CamiTK) and how it is used in various applications in our research team.

Simultaneous versus Sequential Intratympanic Steroid Treatment for Severe-to-Profound Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss.

PubMed

Yoo, Myung Hoon; Lim, Won Sub; Park, Joo Hyun; Kwon, Joong Keun; Lee, Tae-Hoon; An, Yong-Hwi; Kim, Young-Jin; Kim, Jong Yang; Lim, Hyun Woo; Park, Hong Ju

2016-01-01

Severe-to-profound sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL) has a poor prognosis. We aimed to compare the efficacy of simultaneous and sequential oral and intratympanic steroids for this condition. Fifty patients with severe-to-profound SSNHL (>70 dB HL) were included from 7 centers. The simultaneous group (27 patients) received oral and intratympanic steroid injections for 2 weeks. The sequential group (23 patients) was treated with oral steroids for 2 weeks and intratympanic steroids for the subsequent 2 weeks. Pure-tone averages (PTA) and word discrimination scores (WDS) were compared before treatment and 2 weeks and 1 and 2 months after treatment. Treatment outcomes according to the modified American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery (AAO-HNS) criteria were also analyzed. The improvement in PTA and WDS at the 2-week follow-up was 23 ± 21 dB HL and 20 ± 39% in the simultaneous group and 31 ± 29 dB HL and 37 ± 42% in the sequential group; this was not statistically significant. Complete or partial recovery at the 2-week follow-up was observed in 26% of the simultaneous group and 30% of the sequential group; this was also not significant. The improvement in PTA and WDS at the 2-month follow-up was 40 ± 20 dB HL and 37 ± 35% in the simultaneous group and 41 ± 25 dB HL and 48 ± 41% in the sequential group; this was not statistically significant. Complete or partial recovery at the 2-month follow-up was observed in 33% of the simultaneous group and 35% of the sequential group; this was also not significant. Seven patients in the sequential group did not need intratympanic steroid injections for sufficient improvement after oral steroids alone. Simultaneous oral/intratympanic steroid treatment yielded a recovery similar to that produced by sequential treatment. Because the addition of intratympanic steroids can be decided upon based on the improvement after an oral steroid, the sequential regimen can be recommended to avoid unnecessary intratympanic injections. © 2017 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Does the process map influence the outcome of quality improvement work? A comparison of a sequential flow diagram and a hierarchical task analysis diagram.

PubMed

Colligan, Lacey; Anderson, Janet E; Potts, Henry W W; Berman, Jonathan

2010-01-07

Many quality and safety improvement methods in healthcare rely on a complete and accurate map of the process. Process mapping in healthcare is often achieved using a sequential flow diagram, but there is little guidance available in the literature about the most effective type of process map to use. Moreover there is evidence that the organisation of information in an external representation affects reasoning and decision making. This exploratory study examined whether the type of process map - sequential or hierarchical - affects healthcare practitioners' judgments. A sequential and a hierarchical process map of a community-based anti coagulation clinic were produced based on data obtained from interviews, talk-throughs, attendance at a training session and examination of protocols and policies. Clinic practitioners were asked to specify the parts of the process that they judged to contain quality and safety concerns. The process maps were then shown to them in counter-balanced order and they were asked to circle on the diagrams the parts of the process where they had the greatest quality and safety concerns. A structured interview was then conducted, in which they were asked about various aspects of the diagrams. Quality and safety concerns cited by practitioners differed depending on whether they were or were not looking at a process map, and whether they were looking at a sequential diagram or a hierarchical diagram. More concerns were identified using the hierarchical diagram compared with the sequential diagram and more concerns were identified in relation to clinical work than administrative work. Participants' preference for the sequential or hierarchical diagram depended on the context in which they would be using it. The difficulties of determining the boundaries for the analysis and the granularity required were highlighted. The results indicated that the layout of a process map does influence perceptions of quality and safety problems in a process. In quality improvement work it is important to carefully consider the type of process map to be used and to consider using more than one map to ensure that different aspects of the process are captured.

Feature Selection based on Machine Learning in MRIs for Hippocampal Segmentation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tangaro, Sabina; Amoroso, Nicola; Brescia, Massimo; Cavuoti, Stefano; Chincarini, Andrea; Errico, Rosangela; Paolo, Inglese; Longo, Giuseppe; Maglietta, Rosalia; Tateo, Andrea; Riccio, Giuseppe; Bellotti, Roberto

2015-01-01

Neurodegenerative diseases are frequently associated with structural changes in the brain. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans can show these variations and therefore can be used as a supportive feature for a number of neurodegenerative diseases. The hippocampus has been known to be a biomarker for Alzheimer disease and other neurological and psychiatric diseases. However, it requires accurate, robust, and reproducible delineation of hippocampal structures. Fully automatic methods are usually the voxel based approach; for each voxel a number of local features were calculated. In this paper, we compared four different techniques for feature selection from a set of 315 features extracted for each voxel: (i) filter method based on the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test; two wrapper methods, respectively, (ii) sequential forward selection and (iii) sequential backward elimination; and (iv) embedded method based on the Random Forest Classifier on a set of 10 T1-weighted brain MRIs and tested on an independent set of 25 subjects. The resulting segmentations were compared with manual reference labelling. By using only 23 feature for each voxel (sequential backward elimination) we obtained comparable state-of-the-art performances with respect to the standard tool FreeSurfer.

Gender- and ethnicity-specific survival trends of oral cavity and oropharyngeal cancers in British Columbia.

PubMed

Auluck, Ajit; Hislop, Greg; Bajdik, Chris; Hay, John; Bottorff, Joan L; Zhang, Lewei; Rosin, Miriam P

2012-12-01

A shift in etiology of oral cancers has been associated with a rise in incidence for oropharyngeal cancers (OPC) and decrease for oral cavity cancers (OCC); however, there is limited information about population-based survival trends. We report epidemiological transitions in survival for both OPC and OCC from a population-based cancer registry, focusing upon gender and ethnic differences. All primary oral cancers diagnosed between 1980 and 2005 were identified from the British Columbia Cancer Registry and regrouped into OPC and OCC by topographical subsites, time periods (1980-1993 and 1994-2005), stage at diagnosis, and ethnicity. Cases were then followed up to December 2009. Using gender-based analysis, actuarial life tables were used to calculate survival rates, which were compared using Kaplan-Meier curves and log-rank tests. For OPC, survival improved, significant for tonsil and base of tongue in men and marginally significant at base of tongue in women. This improvement occurred in spite of an increase in late-stage diagnosis for OPC in both genders. Interestingly, there was no difference in survival for early- and late-stage disease for OPC in men. For OCC, there was a decrease in survival for floor of mouth cancers in both genders although significant in women only. South Asians had the poorest survival for OCC in both genders. Survival for OPC improved, more dramatically in men than women, in spite of late-stage diagnosis and increasing nodal involvement. Given the poor survival rates and need for early detection, targeted OCC screening programs are required for South Asians.

Flexible sequential designs for multi-arm clinical trials.

PubMed

Magirr, D; Stallard, N; Jaki, T

2014-08-30

Adaptive designs that are based on group-sequential approaches have the benefit of being efficient as stopping boundaries can be found that lead to good operating characteristics with test decisions based solely on sufficient statistics. The drawback of these so called 'pre-planned adaptive' designs is that unexpected design changes are not possible without impacting the error rates. 'Flexible adaptive designs' on the other hand can cope with a large number of contingencies at the cost of reduced efficiency. In this work, we focus on two different approaches for multi-arm multi-stage trials, which are based on group-sequential ideas, and discuss how these 'pre-planned adaptive designs' can be modified to allow for flexibility. We then show how the added flexibility can be used for treatment selection and sample size reassessment and evaluate the impact on the error rates in a simulation study. The results show that an impressive overall procedure can be found by combining a well chosen pre-planned design with an application of the conditional error principle to allow flexible treatment selection. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Dynamics of Sequential Decision Making

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rabinovich, Mikhail I.; Huerta, Ramón; Afraimovich, Valentin

2006-11-01

We suggest a new paradigm for intelligent decision-making suitable for dynamical sequential activity of animals or artificial autonomous devices that depends on the characteristics of the internal and external world. To do it we introduce a new class of dynamical models that are described by ordinary differential equations with a finite number of possibilities at the decision points, and also include rules solving this uncertainty. Our approach is based on the competition between possible cognitive states using their stable transient dynamics. The model controls the order of choosing successive steps of a sequential activity according to the environment and decision-making criteria. Two strategies (high-risk and risk-aversion conditions) that move the system out of an erratic environment are analyzed.

A fast and accurate online sequential learning algorithm for feedforward networks.

PubMed

Liang, Nan-Ying; Huang, Guang-Bin; Saratchandran, P; Sundararajan, N

2006-11-01

In this paper, we develop an online sequential learning algorithm for single hidden layer feedforward networks (SLFNs) with additive or radial basis function (RBF) hidden nodes in a unified framework. The algorithm is referred to as online sequential extreme learning machine (OS-ELM) and can learn data one-by-one or chunk-by-chunk (a block of data) with fixed or varying chunk size. The activation functions for additive nodes in OS-ELM can be any bounded nonconstant piecewise continuous functions and the activation functions for RBF nodes can be any integrable piecewise continuous functions. In OS-ELM, the parameters of hidden nodes (the input weights and biases of additive nodes or the centers and impact factors of RBF nodes) are randomly selected and the output weights are analytically determined based on the sequentially arriving data. The algorithm uses the ideas of ELM of Huang et al. developed for batch learning which has been shown to be extremely fast with generalization performance better than other batch training methods. Apart from selecting the number of hidden nodes, no other control parameters have to be manually chosen. Detailed performance comparison of OS-ELM is done with other popular sequential learning algorithms on benchmark problems drawn from the regression, classification and time series prediction areas. The results show that the OS-ELM is faster than the other sequential algorithms and produces better generalization performance.

oRis: multiagents approach for image processing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rodin, Vincent; Harrouet, Fabrice; Ballet, Pascal; Tisseau, Jacques

1998-09-01

In this article, we present a parallel image processing system based on the concept of reactive agents. This means that, in our system, each agent has a very simple behavior which allows it to take a decision (find out an edge, a region, ...) according to its position in the image and to the information enclosed in it. Our system lies in the oRis language, which allows to describe very finely and simply the agents' behaviors. In fact, oRis is an interpreted and dynamic multiagent language. First of all, oRis is an object language with the use of classes regrouping attributes and methods. The syntax is close to the C++ language and includes notions of multiple inheritance, oRis is also an agent language: every object with a method `main()' becomes an agent. This method is cyclically executed by the system scheduler and corresponds to the agent behavior. We also present an application made with oRis. This application allows to detect concentric striae located on different natural `objects' (age-rings of tree, fish otolith growth rings, striae of some minerals, ...). The stopping of the multiagent system is implemented through a technique issued from immunology: the apoptosis.

Houston biosecurity: building a national model.

PubMed Central

Casscells, Ward; Mirhaji, Parsa; Lillibridge, Scott; Madjid, Mohammad

2004-01-01

On September 11, 2001, Al Qaeda terrorists committed an atrocity when they used domestic jetliners to crash into buildings in New York City and Washington, DC, killing thousands of people. In October 2001, another act of savagery occurred, this time using anthrax, not airplanes, to take innocent lives. Each incident demonstrates the vulnerability of an open society, and Americans are left to wonder how such acts can be prevented. Two years later, Al Qaeda operatives are reportedly regrouping, recruiting, and changing their tactics to distribute money and messages to operatives around the world. Many experts believe that terrorist attacks are inevitable. Every city is vulnerable to an attack, and none are fully prepared to handle the residual impact of a biological or chemical attack. A survey conducted by the Cable News Network (CNN) in January 2002, studied 30 major US cities, ranking them based on 6 statistical indices of vulnerability. Thirteen cities were deemed better prepared than Houston, 10 were in a similar state of preparedness, and only 6 were less prepared than Houston. We will discuss the protective measures that have been put in place in Houston, and future steps to take. Other cities can model Houston's experience to develop similar plans nation-wide. PMID:17060983

Smart fabrics and interactive textile enabling wearable personal applications: R&D state of the art and future challenges.

PubMed

Lymberis, A; Paradiso, R

2008-01-01

Smart fabrics and interactive textiles (SFIT) are fibrous structures that are capable of sensing, actuating, generating/storing power and/or communicating. Research and development towards wearable textile-based personal systems allowing e.g. health monitoring, protection & safety, and healthy lifestyle gained strong interest during the last 10 years. Under the Information and Communication Programme of the European Commission, a cluster of R&D projects dealing with smart fabrics and interactive textile wearable systems regroup activities along two different and complementary approaches i.e. 'application pull' and 'technology push'. This includes projects aiming at personal health management through integration, validation, and use of smart clothing and other networked mobile devices as well as projects targeting the full integration of sensors/actuators, energy sources, processing and communication within the clothes to enable personal applications such as protection/safety, emergency and healthcare. The integration part of the technologies into a real SFIT product is at present stage on the threshold of prototyping and testing. Several issues, technical as well user-centred, societal and business, remain to be solved. The paper presents on going major R&D activities, identifies gaps and discuss key challenges for the future.

Houston biosecurity: building a national model.

PubMed

Casscells, Ward; Mirhaji, Parsa; Lillibridge, Scott; Madjid, Mohammad

2004-01-01

On September 11, 2001, Al Qaeda terrorists committed an atrocity when they used domestic jetliners to crash into buildings in New York City and Washington, DC, killing thousands of people. In October 2001, another act of savagery occurred, this time using anthrax, not airplanes, to take innocent lives. Each incident demonstrates the vulnerability of an open society, and Americans are left to wonder how such acts can be prevented. Two years later, Al Qaeda operatives are reportedly regrouping, recruiting, and changing their tactics to distribute money and messages to operatives around the world. Many experts believe that terrorist attacks are inevitable. Every city is vulnerable to an attack, and none are fully prepared to handle the residual impact of a biological or chemical attack. A survey conducted by the Cable News Network (CNN) in January 2002, studied 30 major US cities, ranking them based on 6 statistical indices of vulnerability. Thirteen cities were deemed better prepared than Houston, 10 were in a similar state of preparedness, and only 6 were less prepared than Houston. We will discuss the protective measures that have been put in place in Houston, and future steps to take. Other cities can model Houston's experience to develop similar plans nation-wide.

[Complexity level simulation in the German diagnosis-related groups system: the financial effect of coding of comorbidity diagnostics in urology].

PubMed

Wenke, A; Gaber, A; Hertle, L; Roeder, N; Pühse, G

2012-07-01

Precise and complete coding of diagnoses and procedures is of value for optimizing revenues within the German diagnosis-related groups (G-DRG) system. The implementation of effective structures for coding is cost-intensive. The aim of this study was to prove whether higher costs can be refunded by complete acquisition of comorbidities and complications. Calculations were based on DRG data of the Department of Urology, University Hospital of Münster, Germany, covering all patients treated in 2009. The data were regrouped and subjected to a process of simulation (increase and decrease of patient clinical complexity levels, PCCL) with the help of recently developed software. In urology a strong dependency of quantity and quality of coding of secondary diagnoses on PCCL and subsequent profits was found. Departmental budgetary procedures can be optimized when coding is effective. The new simulation tool can be a valuable aid to improve profits available for distribution. Nevertheless, calculation of time use and financial needs by this procedure are subject to specific departmental terms and conditions. Completeness of coding of (secondary) diagnoses must be the ultimate administrative goal of patient case documentation in urology.

Spatial scan statistics for detection of multiple clusters with arbitrary shapes.

PubMed

Lin, Pei-Sheng; Kung, Yi-Hung; Clayton, Murray

2016-12-01

In applying scan statistics for public health research, it would be valuable to develop a detection method for multiple clusters that accommodates spatial correlation and covariate effects in an integrated model. In this article, we connect the concepts of the likelihood ratio (LR) scan statistic and the quasi-likelihood (QL) scan statistic to provide a series of detection procedures sufficiently flexible to apply to clusters of arbitrary shape. First, we use an independent scan model for detection of clusters and then a variogram tool to examine the existence of spatial correlation and regional variation based on residuals of the independent scan model. When the estimate of regional variation is significantly different from zero, a mixed QL estimating equation is developed to estimate coefficients of geographic clusters and covariates. We use the Benjamini-Hochberg procedure (1995) to find a threshold for p-values to address the multiple testing problem. A quasi-deviance criterion is used to regroup the estimated clusters to find geographic clusters with arbitrary shapes. We conduct simulations to compare the performance of the proposed method with other scan statistics. For illustration, the method is applied to enterovirus data from Taiwan. © 2016, The International Biometric Society.

A versatile semi-permanent sequential bilayer/diblock polymer coating for capillary isoelectric focusing.

PubMed

Bahnasy, Mahmoud F; Lucy, Charles A

2012-12-07

A sequential surfactant bilayer/diblock copolymer coating was previously developed for the separation of proteins. The coating is formed by flushing the capillary with the cationic surfactant dioctadecyldimethylammonium bromide (DODAB) followed by the neutral polymer poly-oxyethylene (POE) stearate. Herein we show the method development and optimization for capillary isoelectric focusing (cIEF) separations based on the developed sequential coating. Electroosmotic flow can be tuned by varying the POE chain length which allows optimization of resolution and analysis time. DODAB/POE 40 stearate can be used to perform single-step cIEF, while both DODAB/POE 40 and DODAB/POE 100 stearate allow performing two-step cIEF methodologies. A set of peptide markers is used to assess the coating performance. The sequential coating has been applied successfully to cIEF separations using different capillary lengths and inner diameters. A linear pH gradient is established only in two-step CIEF methodology using 3-10 pH 2.5% (v/v) carrier ampholyte. Hemoglobin A(0) and S variants are successfully resolved on DODAB/POE 40 stearate sequentially coated capillaries. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A Novel Ship-Tracking Method for GF-4 Satellite Sequential Images.

PubMed

Yao, Libo; Liu, Yong; He, You

2018-06-22

The geostationary remote sensing satellite has the capability of wide scanning, persistent observation and operational response, and has tremendous potential for maritime target surveillance. The GF-4 satellite is the first geostationary orbit (GEO) optical remote sensing satellite with medium resolution in China. In this paper, a novel ship-tracking method in GF-4 satellite sequential imagery is proposed. The algorithm has three stages. First, a local visual saliency map based on local peak signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR) is used to detect ships in a single frame of GF-4 satellite sequential images. Second, the accuracy positioning of each potential target is realized by a dynamic correction using the rational polynomial coefficients (RPCs) and automatic identification system (AIS) data of ships. Finally, an improved multiple hypotheses tracking (MHT) algorithm with amplitude information is used to track ships by further removing the false targets, and to estimate ships’ motion parameters. The algorithm has been tested using GF-4 sequential images and AIS data. The results of the experiment demonstrate that the algorithm achieves good tracking performance in GF-4 satellite sequential images and estimates the motion information of ships accurately.

Classification and Sequential Pattern Analysis for Improving Managerial Efficiency and Providing Better Medical Service in Public Healthcare Centers

PubMed Central

Chung, Sukhoon; Rhee, Hyunsill; Suh, Yongmoo

2010-01-01

Objectives This study sought to find answers to the following questions: 1) Can we predict whether a patient will revisit a healthcare center? 2) Can we anticipate diseases of patients who revisit the center? Methods For the first question, we applied 5 classification algorithms (decision tree, artificial neural network, logistic regression, Bayesian networks, and Naïve Bayes) and the stacking-bagging method for building classification models. To solve the second question, we performed sequential pattern analysis. Results We determined: 1) In general, the most influential variables which impact whether a patient of a public healthcare center will revisit it or not are personal burden, insurance bill, period of prescription, age, systolic pressure, name of disease, and postal code. 2) The best plain classification model is dependent on the dataset. 3) Based on average of classification accuracy, the proposed stacking-bagging method outperformed all traditional classification models and our sequential pattern analysis revealed 16 sequential patterns. Conclusions Classification models and sequential patterns can help public healthcare centers plan and implement healthcare service programs and businesses that are more appropriate to local residents, encouraging them to revisit public health centers. PMID:21818426

Development of New Lipid-Based Paclitaxel Nanoparticles Using Sequential Simplex Optimization

PubMed Central

Dong, Xiaowei; Mattingly, Cynthia A.; Tseng, Michael; Cho, Moo; Adams, Val R.; Mumper, Russell J.

2008-01-01

The objective of these studies was to develop Cremophor-free lipid-based paclitaxel (PX) nanoparticle formulations prepared from warm microemulsion precursors. To identify and optimize new nanoparticles, experimental design was performed combining Taguchi array and sequential simplex optimization. The combination of Taguchi array and sequential simplex optimization efficiently directed the design of paclitaxel nanoparticles. Two optimized paclitaxel nanoparticles (NPs) were obtained: G78 NPs composed of glyceryl tridodecanoate (GT) and polyoxyethylene 20-stearyl ether (Brij 78), and BTM NPs composed of Miglyol 812, Brij 78 and D-alpha-tocopheryl polyethylene glycol 1000 succinate (TPGS). Both nanoparticles successfully entrapped paclitaxel at a final concentration of 150 μg/ml (over 6% drug loading) with particle sizes less than 200 nm and over 85% of entrapment efficiency. These novel paclitaxel nanoparticles were stable at 4°C over three months and in PBS at 37°C over 102 hours as measured by physical stability. Release of paclitaxel was slow and sustained without initial burst release. Cytotoxicity studies in MDA-MB-231 cancer cells showed that both nanoparticles have similar anticancer activities compared to Taxol®. Interestingly, PX BTM nanocapsules could be lyophilized without cryoprotectants. The lyophilized powder comprised only of PX BTM NPs in water could be rapidly rehydrated with complete retention of original physicochemical properties, in-vitro release properties, and cytotoxicity profile. Sequential Simplex Optimization has been utilized to identify promising new lipid-based paclitaxel nanoparticles having useful attributes. PMID:19111929

Sequential programmable self-assembly: Role of cooperative interactions

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

Jonathan D. Halverson; Tkachenko, Alexei V.

Here, we propose a general strategy of “sequential programmable self-assembly” that enables a bottom-up design of arbitrary multi-particle architectures on nano- and microscales. We show that a naive realization of this scheme, based on the pairwise additive interactions between particles, has fundamental limitations that lead to a relatively high error rate. This can be overcome by using cooperative interparticle binding. The cooperativity is a well known feature of many biochemical processes, responsible, e.g., for signaling and regulations in living systems. Here we propose to utilize a similar strategy for high precision self-assembly, and show that DNA-mediated interactions provide a convenientmore » platform for its implementation. In particular, we outline a specific design of a DNA-based complex which we call “DNA spider,” that acts as a smart interparticle linker and provides a built-in cooperativity of binding. We demonstrate versatility of the sequential self-assembly based on spider-functionalized particles by designing several mesostructures of increasing complexity and simulating their assembly process. This includes a number of finite and repeating structures, in particular, the so-called tetrahelix and its several derivatives. Due to its generality, this approach allows one to design and successfully self-assemble virtually any structure made of a “GEOMAG” magnetic construction toy, out of nanoparticles. According to our results, once the binding cooperativity is strong enough, the sequential self-assembly becomes essentially error-free.« less

Sequential programmable self-assembly: Role of cooperative interactions

DOE PAGES

Jonathan D. Halverson; Tkachenko, Alexei V.

2016-03-04

Here, we propose a general strategy of “sequential programmable self-assembly” that enables a bottom-up design of arbitrary multi-particle architectures on nano- and microscales. We show that a naive realization of this scheme, based on the pairwise additive interactions between particles, has fundamental limitations that lead to a relatively high error rate. This can be overcome by using cooperative interparticle binding. The cooperativity is a well known feature of many biochemical processes, responsible, e.g., for signaling and regulations in living systems. Here we propose to utilize a similar strategy for high precision self-assembly, and show that DNA-mediated interactions provide a convenientmore » platform for its implementation. In particular, we outline a specific design of a DNA-based complex which we call “DNA spider,” that acts as a smart interparticle linker and provides a built-in cooperativity of binding. We demonstrate versatility of the sequential self-assembly based on spider-functionalized particles by designing several mesostructures of increasing complexity and simulating their assembly process. This includes a number of finite and repeating structures, in particular, the so-called tetrahelix and its several derivatives. Due to its generality, this approach allows one to design and successfully self-assemble virtually any structure made of a “GEOMAG” magnetic construction toy, out of nanoparticles. According to our results, once the binding cooperativity is strong enough, the sequential self-assembly becomes essentially error-free.« less

Algorithms for the Construction of Parallel Tests by Zero-One Programming. Project Psychometric Aspects of Item Banking No. 7. Research Report 86-7.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Boekkooi-Timminga, Ellen

Nine methods for automated test construction are described. All are based on the concepts of information from item response theory. Two general kinds of methods for the construction of parallel tests are presented: (1) sequential test design; and (2) simultaneous test design. Sequential design implies that the tests are constructed one after the…

Brief Lags in Interrupted Sequential Performance: Evaluating a Model and Model Evaluation Method

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-01-05

rehearsal mechanism in the model. To evaluate the model we developed a simple new goodness-of-fit test based on analysis of variance that offers an...repeated step). Sequen- tial constraints are common in medicine, equipment maintenance, computer programming and technical support, data analysis ...legal analysis , accounting, and many other home and workplace environ- ments. Sequential constraints also play a role in such basic cognitive processes

EEG Classification with a Sequential Decision-Making Method in Motor Imagery BCI.

PubMed

Liu, Rong; Wang, Yongxuan; Newman, Geoffrey I; Thakor, Nitish V; Ying, Sarah

2017-12-01

To develop subject-specific classifier to recognize mental states fast and reliably is an important issue in brain-computer interfaces (BCI), particularly in practical real-time applications such as wheelchair or neuroprosthetic control. In this paper, a sequential decision-making strategy is explored in conjunction with an optimal wavelet analysis for EEG classification. The subject-specific wavelet parameters based on a grid-search method were first developed to determine evidence accumulative curve for the sequential classifier. Then we proposed a new method to set the two constrained thresholds in the sequential probability ratio test (SPRT) based on the cumulative curve and a desired expected stopping time. As a result, it balanced the decision time of each class, and we term it balanced threshold SPRT (BTSPRT). The properties of the method were illustrated on 14 subjects' recordings from offline and online tests. Results showed the average maximum accuracy of the proposed method to be 83.4% and the average decision time of 2.77[Formula: see text]s, when compared with 79.2% accuracy and a decision time of 3.01[Formula: see text]s for the sequential Bayesian (SB) method. The BTSPRT method not only improves the classification accuracy and decision speed comparing with the other nonsequential or SB methods, but also provides an explicit relationship between stopping time, thresholds and error, which is important for balancing the speed-accuracy tradeoff. These results suggest that BTSPRT would be useful in explicitly adjusting the tradeoff between rapid decision-making and error-free device control.

Timed sequential chemotherapy of cytoxan-refractory multiple myeloma with cytoxan and adriamycin based on induced tumor proliferation.

PubMed

Karp, J E; Humphrey, R L; Burke, P J

1981-03-01

Malignant plasma cell proliferation and induced humoral stimulatory activity (HSA) occur in vivo at a predictable time following drug administration. Sequential sera from 11 patients with poor-risk multiple myeloma (MM) undergoing treatment with Cytoxan (CY) 2400 mq/sq m were assayed for their in vitro effects on malignant bone marrow plasma cell tritiated thymidine (3HTdR) incorporation. Peak HSA was detected day 9 following CY. Sequential changes in marrow malignant plasma cell 3HTdR-labeling indices (LI) paralleled changes in serum activity, with peak LI occurring at the time of peak HS. An in vitro model of chemotherapy demonstrated that malignant plasma cell proliferation was enhanced by HSA, as determined by 3HTdR incorporation assay, 3HTdR LI, and tumor cells counts, and that stimulated plasma cells were more sensitive to cytotoxic effects of adriamycin (ADR) than were cells cultured in autologous pretreatment serum. Based on these studies, we designed a clinical trial to treat 12 CY-refractory poor-risk patients with MM in which ADR (60 mg/sq m) was administered at the time of peak HSA and residual tumor cell LI (day 9) following initial CY, 2400 mg/m (CY1ADR9). Eight of 12 (67%) responded to timed sequential chemotherapy with a greater than 50% decrement in monoclonal protein marker and a median survival projected to be greater than 8 mo duration (range 4-21+ mo). These clinical results using timed sequential CY1ADR9 compare favorably with results obtained using ADR in nonsequential chemotherapeutic regimens.

Sequential Probability Ratio Testing with Power Projective Base Method Improves Decision-Making for BCI

PubMed Central

Liu, Rong

2017-01-01

Obtaining a fast and reliable decision is an important issue in brain-computer interfaces (BCI), particularly in practical real-time applications such as wheelchair or neuroprosthetic control. In this study, the EEG signals were firstly analyzed with a power projective base method. Then we were applied a decision-making model, the sequential probability ratio testing (SPRT), for single-trial classification of motor imagery movement events. The unique strength of this proposed classification method lies in its accumulative process, which increases the discriminative power as more and more evidence is observed over time. The properties of the method were illustrated on thirteen subjects' recordings from three datasets. Results showed that our proposed power projective method outperformed two benchmark methods for every subject. Moreover, with sequential classifier, the accuracies across subjects were significantly higher than that with nonsequential ones. The average maximum accuracy of the SPRT method was 84.1%, as compared with 82.3% accuracy for the sequential Bayesian (SB) method. The proposed SPRT method provides an explicit relationship between stopping time, thresholds, and error, which is important for balancing the time-accuracy trade-off. These results suggest SPRT would be useful in speeding up decision-making while trading off errors in BCI. PMID:29348781

Revisiting Pneumatic Nail Gun Trigger Recommendations.

PubMed

Albers, James; Lowe, Brian; Lipscomb, Hester; Hudock, Stephen; Dement, John; Evanoff, Bradley; Fullen, Mark; Gillen, Matt; Kaskutas, Vicki; Nolan, James; Patterson, Dennis; Platner, James; Pompeii, Lisa; Schoenfisch, Ashley

2015-03-01

Use of a pneumatic nail gun with a sequential actuation trigger (SAT) significantly diminishes the risk for acute traumatic injury compared to use of a contact actuation trigger (CAT) nail gun. A theoretically-based increased risk of work-related musculoskeletal disorders from use of a SAT nail gun, relative to CAT, appears unlikely and remains unproven. Based on current knowledge, the use of CAT nail guns cannot be justified as a safe alternative to SAT nail guns. This letter provides a perspective of ergonomists and occupational safety researchers recommending the use of the sequential actuation trigger for all nail gun tasks in the construction industry.

Application of the sequential quadratic programming algorithm for reconstructing the distribution of optical parameters based on the time-domain radiative transfer equation.

PubMed

Qi, Hong; Qiao, Yao-Bin; Ren, Ya-Tao; Shi, Jing-Wen; Zhang, Ze-Yu; Ruan, Li-Ming

2016-10-17

Sequential quadratic programming (SQP) is used as an optimization algorithm to reconstruct the optical parameters based on the time-domain radiative transfer equation (TD-RTE). Numerous time-resolved measurement signals are obtained using the TD-RTE as forward model. For a high computational efficiency, the gradient of objective function is calculated using an adjoint equation technique. SQP algorithm is employed to solve the inverse problem and the regularization term based on the generalized Gaussian Markov random field (GGMRF) model is used to overcome the ill-posed problem. Simulated results show that the proposed reconstruction scheme performs efficiently and accurately.

Paper-based microfluidics with an erodible polymeric bridge giving controlled release and timed flow shutoff.

PubMed

Jahanshahi-Anbuhi, Sana; Henry, Aleah; Leung, Vincent; Sicard, Clémence; Pennings, Kevin; Pelton, Robert; Brennan, John D; Filipe, Carlos D M

2014-01-07

Water soluble pullulan films were formatted into paper-based microfluidic devices, serving as a controlled time shutoff valve. The utility of the valve was demonstrated by a one-step, fully automatic implementation of a complex pesticide assay requiring timed, sequential exposure of an immobilized enzyme layer to separate liquid streams. Pullulan film dissolution and the capillary wicking of aqueous solutions through the device were measured and modeled providing valve design criteria. The films dissolve mainly by surface erosion, meaning the film thickness mainly controls the shutoff time. This method can also provide time-dependent sequential release of reagents without compromising the simplicity and low cost of paper-based devices.

Sequential dengue virus infections detected in active and passive surveillance programs in Thailand, 1994-2010.

PubMed

Bhoomiboonchoo, Piraya; Nisalak, Ananda; Chansatiporn, Natkamol; Yoon, In-Kyu; Kalayanarooj, Siripen; Thipayamongkolgul, Mathuros; Endy, Timothy; Rothman, Alan L; Green, Sharone; Srikiatkhachorn, Anon; Buddhari, Darunee; Mammen, Mammen P; Gibbons, Robert V

2015-03-14

The effect of prior dengue virus (DENV) exposure on subsequent heterologous infection can be beneficial or detrimental depending on many factors including timing of infection. We sought to evaluate this effect by examining a large database of DENV infections captured by both active and passive surveillance encompassing a wide clinical spectrum of disease. We evaluated datasets from 17 years of hospital-based passive surveillance and nine years of cohort studies, including clinical and subclinical DENV infections, to assess the outcomes of sequential heterologous infections. Chi square or Fisher's exact test was used to compare proportions of infection outcomes such as disease severity; ANOVA was used for continuous variables. Multivariate logistic regression was used to assess risk factors for infection outcomes. Of 38,740 DENV infections, two or more infections were detected in 502 individuals; 14 had three infections. The mean ages at the time of the first and second detected infections were 7.6 ± 3.0 and 11.2 ± 3.0 years. The shortest time between sequential infections was 66 days. A longer time interval between sequential infections was associated with dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF) in the second detected infection (OR 1.3, 95% CI 1.2-1.4). All possible sequential serotype pairs were observed among 201 subjects with DHF at the second detected infection, except DENV-4 followed by DENV-3. Among DENV infections detected in cohort subjects by active study surveillance and subsequent non-study hospital-based passive surveillance, hospitalization at the first detected infection increased the likelihood of hospitalization at the second detected infection. Increasing time between sequential DENV infections was associated with greater severity of the second detected infection, supporting the role of heterotypic immunity in both protection and enhancement. Hospitalization was positively associated between the first and second detected infections, suggesting a possible predisposition in some individuals to more severe dengue disease.

Moving Synergistically Acting Drug Combinations to the Clinic by Comparing Sequential versus Simultaneous Drug Administrations.

PubMed

Dinavahi, Saketh S; Noory, Mohammad A; Gowda, Raghavendra; Drabick, Joseph J; Berg, Arthur; Neves, Rogerio I; Robertson, Gavin P

2018-03-01

Drug combinations acting synergistically to kill cancer cells have become increasingly important in melanoma as an approach to manage the recurrent resistant disease. Protein kinase B (AKT) is a major target in this disease but its inhibitors are not effective clinically, which is a major concern. Targeting AKT in combination with WEE1 (mitotic inhibitor kinase) seems to have potential to make AKT-based therapeutics effective clinically. Since agents targeting AKT and WEE1 have been tested individually in the clinic, the quickest way to move the drug combination to patients would be to combine these agents sequentially, enabling the use of existing phase I clinical trial toxicity data. Therefore, a rapid preclinical approach is needed to evaluate whether simultaneous or sequential drug treatment has maximal therapeutic efficacy, which is based on a mechanistic rationale. To develop this approach, melanoma cell lines were treated with AKT inhibitor AZD5363 [4-amino- N -[(1 S )-1-(4-chlorophenyl)-3-hydroxypropyl]-1-(7 H -pyrrolo[2,3- d ]pyrimidin-4-yl)piperidine-4-carboxamide] and WEE1 inhibitor AZD1775 [2-allyl-1-(6-(2-hydroxypropan-2-yl)pyridin-2-yl)-6-((4-(4-methylpiperazin-1-yl)phenyl)amino)-1 H -pyrazolo[3,4- d ]pyrimidin-3(2 H )-one] using simultaneous and sequential dosing schedules. Simultaneous treatment synergistically reduced melanoma cell survival and tumor growth. In contrast, sequential treatment was antagonistic and had a minimal tumor inhibitory effect compared with individual agents. Mechanistically, simultaneous targeting of AKT and WEE1 enhanced deregulation of the cell cycle and DNA damage repair pathways by modulating transcription factors p53 and forkhead box M1, which was not observed with sequential treatment. Thus, this study identifies a rapid approach to assess the drug combinations with a mechanistic basis for selection, which suggests that combining AKT and WEE1 inhibitors is needed for maximal efficacy. Copyright © 2018 by The American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics.

Chaos-based wireless communication resisting multipath effects.

PubMed

Yao, Jun-Liang; Li, Chen; Ren, Hai-Peng; Grebogi, Celso

2017-09-01

In additive white Gaussian noise channel, chaos has been shown to be the optimal coherent communication waveform in the sense of using a very simple matched filter to maximize the signal-to-noise ratio. Recently, Lyapunov exponent spectrum of the chaotic signals after being transmitted through a wireless channel has been shown to be unaltered, paving the way for wireless communication using chaos. In wireless communication systems, inter-symbol interference caused by multipath propagation is one of the main obstacles to achieve high bit transmission rate and low bit-error rate (BER). How to resist the multipath effect is a fundamental problem in a chaos-based wireless communication system (CWCS). In this paper, a CWCS is built to transmit chaotic signals generated by a hybrid dynamical system and then to filter the received signals by using the corresponding matched filter to decrease the noise effect and to detect the binary information. We find that the multipath effect can be effectively resisted by regrouping the return map of the received signal and by setting the corresponding threshold based on the available information. We show that the optimal threshold is a function of the channel parameters and of the information symbols. Practically, the channel parameters are time-variant, and the future information symbols are unavailable. In this case, a suboptimal threshold is proposed, and the BER using the suboptimal threshold is derived analytically. Simulation results show that the CWCS achieves a remarkable competitive performance even under inaccurate channel parameters.

Chaos-based wireless communication resisting multipath effects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yao, Jun-Liang; Li, Chen; Ren, Hai-Peng; Grebogi, Celso

2017-09-01

In additive white Gaussian noise channel, chaos has been shown to be the optimal coherent communication waveform in the sense of using a very simple matched filter to maximize the signal-to-noise ratio. Recently, Lyapunov exponent spectrum of the chaotic signals after being transmitted through a wireless channel has been shown to be unaltered, paving the way for wireless communication using chaos. In wireless communication systems, inter-symbol interference caused by multipath propagation is one of the main obstacles to achieve high bit transmission rate and low bit-error rate (BER). How to resist the multipath effect is a fundamental problem in a chaos-based wireless communication system (CWCS). In this paper, a CWCS is built to transmit chaotic signals generated by a hybrid dynamical system and then to filter the received signals by using the corresponding matched filter to decrease the noise effect and to detect the binary information. We find that the multipath effect can be effectively resisted by regrouping the return map of the received signal and by setting the corresponding threshold based on the available information. We show that the optimal threshold is a function of the channel parameters and of the information symbols. Practically, the channel parameters are time-variant, and the future information symbols are unavailable. In this case, a suboptimal threshold is proposed, and the BER using the suboptimal threshold is derived analytically. Simulation results show that the CWCS achieves a remarkable competitive performance even under inaccurate channel parameters.

Effects of a Web-Based Tailored Multiple-Lifestyle Intervention for Adults: A Two-Year Randomized Controlled Trial Comparing Sequential and Simultaneous Delivery Modes

PubMed Central

Kremers, Stef PJ; Vandelanotte, Corneel; van Adrichem, Mathieu JG; Schneider, Francine; Candel, Math JJM; de Vries, Hein

2014-01-01

Background Web-based computer-tailored interventions for multiple health behaviors can have a significant public health impact. Yet, few randomized controlled trials have tested this assumption. Objective The objective of this paper was to test the effects of a sequential and simultaneous Web-based tailored intervention on multiple lifestyle behaviors. Methods A randomized controlled trial was conducted with 3 tailoring conditions (ie, sequential, simultaneous, and control conditions) in the Netherlands in 2009-2012. Follow-up measurements took place after 12 and 24 months. The intervention content was based on the I-Change model. In a health risk appraisal, all respondents (N=5055) received feedback on their lifestyle behaviors that indicated whether they complied with the Dutch guidelines for physical activity, vegetable consumption, fruit consumption, alcohol intake, and smoking. Participants in the sequential (n=1736) and simultaneous (n=1638) conditions received tailored motivational feedback to change unhealthy behaviors one at a time (sequential) or all at the same time (simultaneous). Mixed model analyses were performed as primary analyses; regression analyses were done as sensitivity analyses. An overall risk score was used as outcome measure, then effects on the 5 individual lifestyle behaviors were assessed and a process evaluation was performed regarding exposure to and appreciation of the intervention. Results Both tailoring strategies were associated with small self-reported behavioral changes. The sequential condition had the most significant effects compared to the control condition after 12 months (T1, effect size=0.28). After 24 months (T2), the simultaneous condition was most effective (effect size=0.18). All 5 individual lifestyle behaviors changed over time, but few effects differed significantly between the conditions. At both follow-ups, the sequential condition had significant changes in smoking abstinence compared to the simultaneous condition (T1 effect size=0.31; T2 effect size=0.41). The sequential condition was more effective in decreasing alcohol consumption than the control condition at 24 months (effect size=0.27). Change was predicted by the amount of exposure to the intervention (total visiting time: beta=–.06; P=.01; total number of visits: beta=–.11; P<.001). Both interventions were appreciated well by respondents without significant differences between conditions. Conclusions Although evidence was found for the effectiveness of both programs, no simple conclusive finding could be drawn about which intervention mode was more effective. The best kind of intervention may depend on the behavior that is targeted or on personal preferences and motivation. Further research is needed to identify moderators of intervention effectiveness. The results need to be interpreted in view of the high and selective dropout rates, multiple comparisons, and modest effect sizes. However, a large number of people were reached at low cost and behavioral change was achieved after 2 years. Trial Registration Nederlands Trial Register: NTR 2168; http://www.trialregister.nl/trialreg/admin/rctview.asp?TC=2168 (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/6MbUqttYB). PMID:24472854

Sequential Anaerobic/Aerobic Digestion for Enhanced Carbon/Nitrogen Removal and Cake Odor Reduction.

PubMed

Ahmad, Muneer; Denee, Marco Abel; Jiang, Hao; Eskicioglu, Cigdem; Kadota, Paul; Gregonia, Theresa

2016-12-01

  Anaerobic digestion (AD) has been proven to be an effective process for the treatment of wastewater sludge. However, it produces high levels of ammonia in the digester effluent, which may jeopardize meeting stringent nutrient discharge limits. In this study, the effect of a sequential anaerobic/aerobic (AN/AERO) digestion and a single-stage conventional AN digestion (as control) was investigated on mixed (primary + secondary) sludge generated by the Annacis Island wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) (BC, Canada). An overall sludge retention time (SRT) of 22.5 days under three different scenarios was chosen based on the current operational SRT of the digesters at the Annacis Island WWTP. The steady state results have shown that sequential AN/AERO digestion configurations achieved up to 11% higher volatile solids (VS) removal and 72% lower ammonia generation over single-stage conventional AN digestion. Furthermore, sequential AN/AERO system also showed enhanced dewaterability, improved fecal coliform destruction and reduced digested cake odors over control digesters.

Enzymatic saccharification of pretreated wheat straw: comparison of solids-recycling, sequential hydrolysis and batch hydrolysis.

PubMed

Pihlajaniemi, Ville; Sipponen, Satu; Sipponen, Mika H; Pastinen, Ossi; Laakso, Simo

2014-02-01

In the enzymatic hydrolysis of lignocellulose materials, the recycling of the solid residue has previously been considered within the context of enzyme recycling. In this study, a steady state investigation of a solids-recycling process was made with pretreated wheat straw and compared to sequential and batch hydrolysis at constant reaction times, substrate feed and liquid and enzyme consumption. Compared to batch hydrolysis, the recycling and sequential processes showed roughly equal hydrolysis yields, while the volumetric productivity was significantly increased. In the 72h process the improvement was 90% due to an increased reaction consistency, while the solids feed was 16% of the total process constituents. The improvement resulted primarily from product removal, which was equally efficient in solids-recycling and sequential hydrolysis processes. No evidence of accumulation of enzymes beyond the accumulation of the substrate was found in recycling. A mathematical model of solids-recycling was constructed, based on a geometrical series. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Self-regulated learning of important information under sequential and simultaneous encoding conditions.

PubMed

Middlebrooks, Catherine D; Castel, Alan D

2018-05-01

Learners make a number of decisions when attempting to study efficiently: they must choose which information to study, for how long to study it, and whether to restudy it later. The current experiments examine whether documented impairments to self-regulated learning when studying information sequentially, as opposed to simultaneously, extend to the learning of and memory for valuable information. In Experiment 1, participants studied lists of words ranging in value from 1-10 points sequentially or simultaneously at a preset presentation rate; in Experiment 2, study was self-paced and participants could choose to restudy. Although participants prioritized high-value over low-value information, irrespective of presentation, those who studied the items simultaneously demonstrated superior value-based prioritization with respect to recall, study selections, and self-pacing. The results of the present experiments support the theory that devising, maintaining, and executing efficient study agendas is inherently different under sequential formatting than simultaneous. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

Influence of Sequential vs. Simultaneous Dual-Task Exercise Training on Cognitive Function in Older Adults

PubMed Central

Tait, Jamie L.; Duckham, Rachel L.; Milte, Catherine M.; Main, Luana C.; Daly, Robin M.

2017-01-01

Emerging research indicates that exercise combined with cognitive training may improve cognitive function in older adults. Typically these programs have incorporated sequential training, where exercise and cognitive training are undertaken separately. However, simultaneous or dual-task training, where cognitive and/or motor training are performed simultaneously with exercise, may offer greater benefits. This review summary provides an overview of the effects of combined simultaneous vs. sequential training on cognitive function in older adults. Based on the available evidence, there are inconsistent findings with regard to the cognitive benefits of sequential training in comparison to cognitive or exercise training alone. In contrast, simultaneous training interventions, particularly multimodal exercise programs in combination with secondary tasks regulated by sensory cues, have significantly improved cognition in both healthy older and clinical populations. However, further research is needed to determine the optimal characteristics of a successful simultaneous training program for optimizing cognitive function in older people. PMID:29163146

Sequential inference as a mode of cognition and its correlates in fronto-parietal and hippocampal brain regions

PubMed Central

Friston, Karl J.; Dolan, Raymond J.

2017-01-01

Normative models of human cognition often appeal to Bayesian filtering, which provides optimal online estimates of unknown or hidden states of the world, based on previous observations. However, in many cases it is necessary to optimise beliefs about sequences of states rather than just the current state. Importantly, Bayesian filtering and sequential inference strategies make different predictions about beliefs and subsequent choices, rendering them behaviourally dissociable. Taking data from a probabilistic reversal task we show that subjects’ choices provide strong evidence that they are representing short sequences of states. Between-subject measures of this implicit sequential inference strategy had a neurobiological underpinning and correlated with grey matter density in prefrontal and parietal cortex, as well as the hippocampus. Our findings provide, to our knowledge, the first evidence for sequential inference in human cognition, and by exploiting between-subject variation in this measure we provide pointers to its neuronal substrates. PMID:28486504

Hybrid Model Predictive Control for Sequential Decision Policies in Adaptive Behavioral Interventions.

PubMed

Dong, Yuwen; Deshpande, Sunil; Rivera, Daniel E; Downs, Danielle S; Savage, Jennifer S

2014-06-01

Control engineering offers a systematic and efficient method to optimize the effectiveness of individually tailored treatment and prevention policies known as adaptive or "just-in-time" behavioral interventions. The nature of these interventions requires assigning dosages at categorical levels, which has been addressed in prior work using Mixed Logical Dynamical (MLD)-based hybrid model predictive control (HMPC) schemes. However, certain requirements of adaptive behavioral interventions that involve sequential decision making have not been comprehensively explored in the literature. This paper presents an extension of the traditional MLD framework for HMPC by representing the requirements of sequential decision policies as mixed-integer linear constraints. This is accomplished with user-specified dosage sequence tables, manipulation of one input at a time, and a switching time strategy for assigning dosages at time intervals less frequent than the measurement sampling interval. A model developed for a gestational weight gain (GWG) intervention is used to illustrate the generation of these sequential decision policies and their effectiveness for implementing adaptive behavioral interventions involving multiple components.

Principal component analysis acceleration of rovibrational coarse-grain models for internal energy excitation and dissociation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bellemans, Aurélie; Parente, Alessandro; Magin, Thierry

2018-04-01

The present work introduces a novel approach for obtaining reduced chemistry representations of large kinetic mechanisms in strong non-equilibrium conditions. The need for accurate reduced-order models arises from compression of large ab initio quantum chemistry databases for their use in fluid codes. The method presented in this paper builds on existing physics-based strategies and proposes a new approach based on the combination of a simple coarse grain model with Principal Component Analysis (PCA). The internal energy levels of the chemical species are regrouped in distinct energy groups with a uniform lumping technique. Following the philosophy of machine learning, PCA is applied on the training data provided by the coarse grain model to find an optimally reduced representation of the full kinetic mechanism. Compared to recently published complex lumping strategies, no expert judgment is required before the application of PCA. In this work, we will demonstrate the benefits of the combined approach, stressing its simplicity, reliability, and accuracy. The technique is demonstrated by reducing the complex quantum N2(g+1Σ) -N(S4u ) database for studying molecular dissociation and excitation in strong non-equilibrium. Starting from detailed kinetics, an accurate reduced model is developed and used to study non-equilibrium properties of the N2(g+1Σ) -N(S4u ) system in shock relaxation simulations.

Sequential single shot X-ray photon correlation spectroscopy at the SACLA free electron laser

DOE PAGES

Lehmkühler, Felix; Kwaśniewski, Paweł; Roseker, Wojciech; ...

2015-11-27

In this study, hard X-ray free electron lasers allow for the first time to access dynamics of condensed matter samples ranging from femtoseconds to several hundred seconds. In particular, the exceptional large transverse coherence of the X-ray pulses and the high time-averaged flux promises to reach time and length scales that have not been accessible up to now with storage ring based sources. However, due to the fluctuations originating from the stochastic nature of the self-amplified spontaneous emission (SASE) process the application of well established techniques such as X-ray photon correlation spectroscopy (XPCS) is challenging. Here we demonstrate a single-shotmore » based sequential XPCS study on a colloidal suspension with a relaxation time comparable to the SACLA free-electron laser pulse repetition rate. High quality correlation functions could be extracted without any indications for sample damage. This opens the way for systematic sequential XPCS experiments at FEL sources.« less

Prediction of rat protein subcellular localization with pseudo amino acid composition based on multiple sequential features.

PubMed

Shi, Ruijia; Xu, Cunshuan

2011-06-01

The study of rat proteins is an indispensable task in experimental medicine and drug development. The function of a rat protein is closely related to its subcellular location. Based on the above concept, we construct the benchmark rat proteins dataset and develop a combined approach for predicting the subcellular localization of rat proteins. From protein primary sequence, the multiple sequential features are obtained by using of discrete Fourier analysis, position conservation scoring function and increment of diversity, and these sequential features are selected as input parameters of the support vector machine. By the jackknife test, the overall success rate of prediction is 95.6% on the rat proteins dataset. Our method are performed on the apoptosis proteins dataset and the Gram-negative bacterial proteins dataset with the jackknife test, the overall success rates are 89.9% and 96.4%, respectively. The above results indicate that our proposed method is quite promising and may play a complementary role to the existing predictors in this area.

Sequential single shot X-ray photon correlation spectroscopy at the SACLA free electron laser

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

Lehmkühler, Felix; Kwaśniewski, Paweł; Roseker, Wojciech

In this study, hard X-ray free electron lasers allow for the first time to access dynamics of condensed matter samples ranging from femtoseconds to several hundred seconds. In particular, the exceptional large transverse coherence of the X-ray pulses and the high time-averaged flux promises to reach time and length scales that have not been accessible up to now with storage ring based sources. However, due to the fluctuations originating from the stochastic nature of the self-amplified spontaneous emission (SASE) process the application of well established techniques such as X-ray photon correlation spectroscopy (XPCS) is challenging. Here we demonstrate a single-shotmore » based sequential XPCS study on a colloidal suspension with a relaxation time comparable to the SACLA free-electron laser pulse repetition rate. High quality correlation functions could be extracted without any indications for sample damage. This opens the way for systematic sequential XPCS experiments at FEL sources.« less

Use of personalized Dynamic Treatment Regimes (DTRs) and Sequential Multiple Assignment Randomized Trials (SMARTs) in mental health studies

PubMed Central

Liu, Ying; ZENG, Donglin; WANG, Yuanjia

2014-01-01

Summary Dynamic treatment regimens (DTRs) are sequential decision rules tailored at each point where a clinical decision is made based on each patient’s time-varying characteristics and intermediate outcomes observed at earlier points in time. The complexity, patient heterogeneity, and chronicity of mental disorders call for learning optimal DTRs to dynamically adapt treatment to an individual’s response over time. The Sequential Multiple Assignment Randomized Trial (SMARTs) design allows for estimating causal effects of DTRs. Modern statistical tools have been developed to optimize DTRs based on personalized variables and intermediate outcomes using rich data collected from SMARTs; these statistical methods can also be used to recommend tailoring variables for designing future SMART studies. This paper introduces DTRs and SMARTs using two examples in mental health studies, discusses two machine learning methods for estimating optimal DTR from SMARTs data, and demonstrates the performance of the statistical methods using simulated data. PMID:25642116

[Pay attention to the application of the international intraocular retinoblastoma classification and sequential multiple modality treatment].

PubMed

Fan, X Q

2017-08-11

Retinoblastoma (RB) is the most common intraocular malignancy in childhood. It may seriously affect vision, and even threaten the life. The early diagnosis rate of RB in China remains low, and the majority of patients are at late phase with high rates of enucleation and mortality. The International Intraocular Retinoblastoma Classification and TNM staging system are guidances for therapeutic choices and bases for prognosis evaluation. Based on the sequential multi-method treatment modality, chemotherapy combined with local therapy is the mainstream in dealing with RB, which may maximize the results of eye saving and even vision retaining. New therapeutic techniques including supra-selective ophthalmic artery interventional chemotherapy and intravitreal chemotherapy can further improve the efficacy of treatment, especially the eye salvage rate. The overall level of RB treatment should be improved by promoting the international staging, new therapeutic techniques, and the sequential multiple modality treatment. (Chin J Ophthalmol, 2017, 53: 561 - 565) .

ATO/ATRA/anthracycline-chemotherapy sequential consolidation achieves long-term efficacy in primary acute promyelocytic leukemia.

PubMed

Long, Zi-Jie; Hu, Yuan; Li, Xu-Dong; He, Yi; Xiao, Ruo-Zhi; Fang, Zhi-Gang; Wang, Dong-Ning; Liu, Jia-Jun; Yan, Jin-Song; Huang, Ren-Wei; Lin, Dong-Jun; Liu, Quentin

2014-01-01

The combination of all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) and arsenic trioxide (As2O3, ATO) has been effective in obtaining high clinical complete remission (CR) rates in acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL), but the long-term efficacy and safety among newly diagnosed APL patients are unclear. In this retrospective study, total 45 newly diagnosed APL patients received ATRA/chemotherapy combination regimen to induce remission. Among them, 43 patients (95.6%) achieved complete remission (CR) after induction therapy, followed by ATO/ATRA/anthracycline-based chemotherapy sequential consolidation treatment with a median follow-up of 55 months. In these patients, the estimated overall survival (OS) and the relapse-free survival (RFS) were 94.4% ± 3.9% and 94.6 ± 3.7%, respectively. The toxicity profile was mild and reversible. No secondary carcinoma was observed. These results demonstrated the high efficacy and minimal toxicity of ATO/ATRA/anthracycline-based chemotherapy sequential consolidation treatment for newly diagnosed APL in long-term follow-up, suggesting a potential frontline therapy for APL.

Improved solution accuracy for TDRSS-based TOPEX/Poseidon orbit determination

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Doll, C. E.; Mistretta, G. D.; Hart, R. C.; Oza, D. H.; Bolvin, D. T.; Cox, C. M.; Nemesure, M.; Niklewski, D. J.; Samii, M. V.

1994-01-01

Orbit determination results are obtained by the Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) Flight Dynamics Division (FDD) using a batch-least-squares estimator available in the Goddard Trajectory Determination System (GTDS) and an extended Kalman filter estimation system to process Tracking and Data Relay Satellite (TDRS) System (TDRSS) measurements. GTDS is the operational orbit determination system used by the FDD in support of the Ocean Topography Experiment (TOPEX)/Poseidon spacecraft navigation and health and safety operations. The extended Kalman filter was implemented in an orbit determination analysis prototype system, closely related to the Real-Time Orbit Determination System/Enhanced (RTOD/E) system. In addition, the Precision Orbit Determination (POD) team within the GSFC Space Geodesy Branch generated an independent set of high-accuracy trajectories to support the TOPEX/Poseidon scientific data. These latter solutions use the geodynamics (GEODYN) orbit determination system with laser ranging and Doppler Orbitography and Radiopositioning integrated by satellite (DORIS) tracking measurements. The TOPEX/Poseidon trajectories were estimated for November 7 through November 11, 1992, the timeframe under study. Independent assessments were made of the consistencies of solutions produced by the batch and sequential methods. The batch-least-squares solutions were assessed based on the solution residuals, while the sequential solutions were assessed based on primarily the estimated covariances. The batch-least-squares and sequential orbit solutions were compared with the definitive POD orbit solutions. The solution differences were generally less than 2 meters for the batch-least-squares and less than 13 meters for the sequential estimation solutions. After the sequential estimation solutions were processed with a smoother algorithm, position differences with POD orbit solutions of less than 7 meters were obtained. The differences among the POD, GTDS, and filter/smoother solutions can be traced to differences in modeling and tracking data types, which are being analyzed in detail.

Sequential Objective Structured Clinical Examination based on item response theory in Iran.

PubMed

Hejri, Sara Mortaz; Jalili, Mohammad

2017-01-01

In a sequential objective structured clinical examination (OSCE), all students initially take a short screening OSCE. Examinees who pass are excused from further testing, but an additional OSCE is administered to the remaining examinees. Previous investigations of sequential OSCE were based on classical test theory. We aimed to design and evaluate screening OSCEs based on item response theory (IRT). We carried out a retrospective observational study. At each station of a 10-station OSCE, the students' performance was graded on a Likert-type scale. Since the data were polytomous, the difficulty parameters, discrimination parameters, and students' ability were calculated using a graded response model. To design several screening OSCEs, we identified the 5 most difficult stations and the 5 most discriminative ones. For each test, 5, 4, or 3 stations were selected. Normal and stringent cut-scores were defined for each test. We compared the results of each of the 12 screening OSCEs to the main OSCE and calculated the positive and negative predictive values (PPV and NPV), as well as the exam cost. A total of 253 students (95.1%) passed the main OSCE, while 72.6% to 94.4% of examinees passed the screening tests. The PPV values ranged from 0.98 to 1.00, and the NPV values ranged from 0.18 to 0.59. Two tests effectively predicted the results of the main exam, resulting in financial savings of 34% to 40%. If stations with the highest IRT-based discrimination values and stringent cut-scores are utilized in the screening test, sequential OSCE can be an efficient and convenient way to conduct an OSCE.

iHADAMAC: A complementary tool for sequential resonance assignment of globular and highly disordered proteins

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Feuerstein, Sophie; Plevin, Michael J.; Willbold, Dieter; Brutscher, Bernhard

2012-01-01

An experiment, iHADAMAC, is presented that yields information on the amino-acid type of individual residues in a protein by editing the 1H- 15N correlations into seven different 2D spectra, each corresponding to a different class of amino-acid types. Amino-acid type discrimination is realized via a Hadamard encoding scheme based on four different spin manipulations as recently introduced in the context of the sequential HADAMAC experiment. Both sequential and intra-residue HADAMAC experiments yield highly complementary information that greatly facilitate resonance assignment of proteins with high frequency degeneracy, as demonstrated here for a 188-residue intrinsically disordered protein fragment of the hepatitis C virus protein NS5A.

Benefit and predictive factors for speech perception outcomes in pediatric bilateral cochlear implant recipients.

PubMed

Chang, Young-Soo; Hong, Sung Hwa; Kim, Eun Yeon; Choi, Ji Eun; Chung, Won-Ho; Cho, Yang-Sun; Moon, Il Joon

2018-05-18

Despite recent advancement in the prediction of cochlear implant outcome, the benefit of bilateral procedures compared to bimodal stimulation and how we predict speech perception outcomes of sequential bilateral cochlear implant based on bimodal auditory performance in children remain unclear. This investigation was performed: (1) to determine the benefit of sequential bilateral cochlear implant and (2) to identify the associated factors for the outcome of sequential bilateral cochlear implant. Observational and retrospective study. We retrospectively analyzed 29 patients with sequential cochlear implant following bimodal-fitting condition. Audiological evaluations were performed; the categories of auditory performance scores, speech perception with monosyllable and disyllables words, and the Korean version of Ling. Audiological evaluations were performed before sequential cochlear implant with the bimodal fitting condition (CI1+HA) and one year after the sequential cochlear implant with bilateral cochlear implant condition (CI1+CI2). The good Performance Group (GP) was defined as follows; 90% or higher in monosyllable and bisyllable tests with auditory-only condition or 20% or higher improvement of the scores with CI1+CI2. Age at first implantation, inter-implant interval, categories of auditory performance score, and various comorbidities were analyzed by logistic regression analysis. Compared to the CI1+HA, CI1+CI2 provided significant benefit in categories of auditory performance, speech perception, and Korean version of Ling results. Preoperative categories of auditory performance scores were the only associated factor for being GP (odds ratio=4.38, 95% confidence interval - 95%=1.07-17.93, p=0.04). The children with limited language development in bimodal condition should be considered as the sequential bilateral cochlear implant and preoperative categories of auditory performance score could be used as the predictor in speech perception after sequential cochlear implant. Copyright © 2018 Associação Brasileira de Otorrinolaringologia e Cirurgia Cérvico-Facial. Published by Elsevier Editora Ltda. All rights reserved.

Hemodynamic analysis of sequential graft from right coronary system to left coronary system.

PubMed

Wang, Wenxin; Mao, Boyan; Wang, Haoran; Geng, Xueying; Zhao, Xi; Zhang, Huixia; Xie, Jinsheng; Zhao, Zhou; Lian, Bo; Liu, Youjun

2016-12-28

Sequential and single grafting are two surgical procedures of coronary artery bypass grafting. However, it remains unclear if the sequential graft can be used between the right and left coronary artery system. The purpose of this paper is to clarify the possibility of right coronary artery system anastomosis to left coronary system. A patient-specific 3D model was first reconstructed based on coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) images. Two different grafts, the normal multi-graft (Model 1) and the novel multi-graft (Model 2), were then implemented on this patient-specific model using virtual surgery techniques. In Model 1, the single graft was anastomosed to right coronary artery (RCA) and the sequential graft was adopted to anastomose left anterior descending (LAD) and left circumflex artery (LCX). While in Model 2, the single graft was anastomosed to LAD and the sequential graft was adopted to anastomose RCA and LCX. A zero-dimensional/three-dimensional (0D/3D) coupling method was used to realize the multi-scale simulation of both the pre-operative and two post-operative models. Flow rates in the coronary artery and grafts were obtained. The hemodynamic parameters were also showed, including wall shear stress (WSS) and oscillatory shear index (OSI). The area of low WSS and OSI in Model 1 was much less than that in Model 2. Model 1 shows optimistic hemodynamic modifications which may enhance the long-term patency of grafts. The anterior segments of sequential graft have better long-term patency than the posterior segments. With rational spatial position of the heart vessels, the last anastomosis of sequential graft should be connected to the main branch.

Ostéogenèse imparfaite: à propos de quatre cas à Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso)

PubMed Central

Kaboré, Aïssata; Cissé, Aissata; Yonaba, Caroline; Savadogo, Hamidou; Ouédraogo, Sylvie Armelle; Dao, Lassina; Kaboret, Sonia; Nagalo, Kisito; Koueta, Fla; Bandré, Emile; Yé, Diarra; Kam, Ludovic

2015-01-01

L'ostéogenèse imparfaite (OI) regroupe un ensemble d'affections constitutionnelles de gravité variable dû à une anomalie de la production du collagène et de la matrice de l'os entraînant une fragilité osseuse. La présente étude rapporte quatre cas d'ostéogenèse imparfaite suivis aux Centres Hospitaliers Universitaires Charles de Gaulle et Yalgado Ouédraogo. Le but de ce travail était d'analyser les aspects cliniques, thérapeutiques et évolutifs de la maladie. Cette étude souligne la nécessité d'améliorer la prise en charge de cette maladie rare mais non exceptionnelle et handicapante. PMID:26834922

Crypto-periodicity in Mansonella ozzardi.

PubMed

Pichon, G

1983-01-01

Studying nycthemeral microfilarial density in eight carriers of Mansonella ozzardi, Nathan et al. concluded that there is an absence of periodicity in M. ozzardi in Trinidad. Re-examination of the results obtained shows evidence of crypto-periodicity. Two of the eight patients showed highly significant periodicity but the biorhythms appear to be almost out of phase, the respective peaks being at 18.00 hours and 02.00 hours. The six other patients showed no obvious periodicity; the calculated acrophases (peak hours), instead of being randomly spaced, regrouped with the preceding ones: late afternoon in two subjects and in the second half of the night for the other four. It is concluded that the apparent non-periodicity is due to the co-existence of two periodic forms, but these are markedly out of phase.

Identifying and correcting non-Markov states in peptide conformational dynamics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nerukh, Dmitry; Jensen, Christian H.; Glen, Robert C.

2010-02-01

Conformational transitions in proteins define their biological activity and can be investigated in detail using the Markov state model. The fundamental assumption on the transitions between the states, their Markov property, is critical in this framework. We test this assumption by analyzing the transitions obtained directly from the dynamics of a molecular dynamics simulated peptide valine-proline-alanine-leucine and states defined phenomenologically using clustering in dihedral space. We find that the transitions are Markovian at the time scale of ≈50 ps and longer. However, at the time scale of 30-40 ps the dynamics loses its Markov property. Our methodology reveals the mechanism that leads to non-Markov behavior. It also provides a way of regrouping the conformations into new states that now possess the required Markov property of their dynamics.

Problematic cybersex: Conceptualization, assessment, and treatment.

PubMed

Wéry, A; Billieux, J

2017-01-01

Problematic involvement in cybersex is generally considered to be an excessive and uncontrolled use of online sexual activities associated with tangible negative outcomes and functional impairment. To date, there is no consensus in the literature regarding the conceptualization and labeling of this disorder, or of its diagnosis and assessment (e.g., screening questionnaires and diagnostic criteria). Through a systematic examination of the literature, we emphasize that problematic cybersex is an umbrella construct that regroups various types of distinct dysfunctional online behaviors. Despite a considerable increase in studies on problematic cybersex, no clear diagnostic guidelines exist for clinicians and researchers. Moreover, the factors involved in the development and maintenance of the disorder remain poorly examined, and the evidence regarding valid assessment and treatment are lacking. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Reinvention/reengineering of business and technical processes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Olsen, Eugene A.

1996-01-01

The changing marketplace as evidenced by global competition is requiring American organizations to rethink, regroup, and redesign their processes. The umbrella of total quality management (TQM) includes many quality methods, techniques, tools, and approaches. There is no right way for every situation or circumstance. Adaptability and experimentation of several tools is necessary. Process management when properly applied can lead to continuous quality improvements. But some processes simply need to be discarded and new ones developed. This reengineering often results in vertical compression and job redesign and restructuring. Work activities must be designed around processes, not processes around work activities. Reengineering and process management do not stand alone--they support each other. Senior executive leadership and empowerment of workers at all organizational levels is vital for both short-term and long-term success.

Le syndrome des enfants battus: aspects cliniques et radiologiques

PubMed Central

Jlalia, Zied; Znaigui, Talel; Smida, Mahmoud

2016-01-01

La maltraitance physique des enfants ou le syndrome des enfants battus est responsable de plus de 75.000 décès par an en France. Ce problème de santé publique reste sous diagnostiqué en Tunisie et dans le monde. Le chemin a été laborieux pour la reconnaissance du syndrome des enfants battus dans certaines sociétés même occidentales. Nous avons voulus exposer ce problème aux praticiens afin qu'il soit mieux diagnostiqué et pris en charge. La maltraitance physique des enfants est appelée à tort syndrome de Silverman qui ne regroupe en fait que les lésions squelettiques chez ces enfants tels que les fractures. Mots clés: Fracture, maltraitance, enfant, neuro-radiologie PMID:27642408

Yet Another Stream Search Among 2401 Photographic Meteors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cook, A. F., II; Lindblad, B.; Marsden, B. G.; Mccrosky, R. E.; Posen, A.

1973-01-01

Two streams previously listed (one of them with a classification on Ceplecha's system in terms of beginning height) by Cook are shown probably not to exist, a possibility already pointed out by Cook. One stream that he questioned was revised as to membership and then classified. Four streams are added to the list and one of these is classified. Previous reports exist for three of these streams, while one is new. The two Piscid streams of Lindblad and his alpha Triangulid stream are regrouped into two streams, one already called the Andromedids by Cook and the other still called the Piscids; the alpha Triangulids are absorbed into the Andromedids. The Piscids are classified along with the iota Aquarids. The classifications of the Taurids and the Andromedids remain unchanged.

A fast and precise indoor localization algorithm based on an online sequential extreme learning machine.

PubMed

Zou, Han; Lu, Xiaoxuan; Jiang, Hao; Xie, Lihua

2015-01-15

Nowadays, developing indoor positioning systems (IPSs) has become an attractive research topic due to the increasing demands on location-based service (LBS) in indoor environments. WiFi technology has been studied and explored to provide indoor positioning service for years in view of the wide deployment and availability of existing WiFi infrastructures in indoor environments. A large body of WiFi-based IPSs adopt fingerprinting approaches for localization. However, these IPSs suffer from two major problems: the intensive costs of manpower and time for offline site survey and the inflexibility to environmental dynamics. In this paper, we propose an indoor localization algorithm based on an online sequential extreme learning machine (OS-ELM) to address the above problems accordingly. The fast learning speed of OS-ELM can reduce the time and manpower costs for the offline site survey. Meanwhile, its online sequential learning ability enables the proposed localization algorithm to adapt in a timely manner to environmental dynamics. Experiments under specific environmental changes, such as variations of occupancy distribution and events of opening or closing of doors, are conducted to evaluate the performance of OS-ELM. The simulation and experimental results show that the proposed localization algorithm can provide higher localization accuracy than traditional approaches, due to its fast adaptation to various environmental dynamics.

Segmentation of remotely sensed data using parallel region growing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tilton, J. C.; Cox, S. C.

1983-01-01

The improved spatial resolution of the new earth resources satellites will increase the need for effective utilization of spatial information in machine processing of remotely sensed data. One promising technique is scene segmentation by region growing. Region growing can use spatial information in two ways: only spatially adjacent regions merge together, and merging criteria can be based on region-wide spatial features. A simple region growing approach is described in which the similarity criterion is based on region mean and variance (a simple spatial feature). An effective way to implement region growing for remote sensing is as an iterative parallel process on a large parallel processor. A straightforward parallel pixel-based implementation of the algorithm is explored and its efficiency is compared with sequential pixel-based, sequential region-based, and parallel region-based implementations. Experimental results from on aircraft scanner data set are presented, as is a discussioon of proposed improvements to the segmentation algorithm.

A strategy for comprehensive identification of sequential constituents using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with linear ion trap-Orbitrap mass spectrometer, application study on chlorogenic acids in Flos Lonicerae Japonicae.

PubMed

Zhang, Jia-yu; Wang, Zi-jian; Li, Yun; Liu, Ying; Cai, Wei; Li, Chen; Lu, Jian-qiu; Qiao, Yan-jiang

2016-01-15

The analytical methodologies for evaluation of multi-component system in traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs) have been inadequate or unacceptable. As a result, the unclarity of multi-component hinders the sufficient interpretation of their bioactivities. In this paper, an ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with linear ion trap-Orbitrap (UPLC-LTQ-Orbitrap)-based strategy focused on the comprehensive identification of TCM sequential constituents was developed. The strategy was characterized by molecular design, multiple ion monitoring (MIM), targeted database hits and mass spectral trees similarity filter (MTSF), and even more isomerism discrimination. It was successfully applied in the HRMS data-acquisition and processing of chlorogenic acids (CGAs) in Flos Lonicerae Japonicae (FLJ), and a total of 115 chromatographic peaks attributed to 18 categories were characterized, allowing a comprehensive revelation of CGAs in FLJ for the first time. This demonstrated that MIM based on molecular design could improve the efficiency to trigger MS/MS fragmentation reactions. Targeted database hits and MTSF searching greatly facilitated the processing of extremely large information data. Besides, the introduction of diagnostic product ions (DPIs) discrimination, ClogP analysis, and molecular simulation, raised the efficiency and accuracy to characterize sequential constituents especially position and geometric isomers. In conclusion, the results expanded our understanding on CGAs in FLJ, and the strategy could be exemplary for future research on the comprehensive identification of sequential constituents in TCMs. Meanwhile, it may propose a novel idea for analyzing sequential constituents, and is promising for quality control and evaluation of TCMs. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Combating speckle in SAR images - Vector filtering and sequential classification based on a multiplicative noise model

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lin, Qian; Allebach, Jan P.

1990-01-01

An adaptive vector linear minimum mean-squared error (LMMSE) filter for multichannel images with multiplicative noise is presented. It is shown theoretically that the mean-squared error in the filter output is reduced by making use of the correlation between image bands. The vector and conventional scalar LMMSE filters are applied to a three-band SIR-B SAR, and their performance is compared. Based on a mutliplicative noise model, the per-pel maximum likelihood classifier was derived. The authors extend this to the design of sequential and robust classifiers. These classifiers are also applied to the three-band SIR-B SAR image.

Revisiting Pneumatic Nail Gun Trigger Recommendations

PubMed Central

Albers, James; Lipscomb, Hester; Hudock, Stephen; Dement, John; Evanoff, Bradley; Fullen, Mark; Gillen, Matt; Kaskutas, Vicki; Nolan, James; Patterson, Dennis; Platner, James; Pompeii, Lisa; Schoenfisch, Ashley

2015-01-01

Summary Use of a pneumatic nail gun with a sequential actuation trigger (SAT) significantly diminishes the risk for acute traumatic injury compared to use of a contact actuation trigger (CAT) nail gun. A theoretically-based increased risk of work-related musculoskeletal disorders from use of a SAT nail gun, relative to CAT, appears unlikely and remains unproven. Based on current knowledge, the use of CAT nail guns cannot be justified as a safe alternative to SAT nail guns. This letter provides a perspective of ergonomists and occupational safety researchers recommending the use of the sequential actuation trigger for all nail gun tasks in the construction industry. PMID:26366020

Sequential capture of CO2 and SO2 in a pressurized TGA simulating FBC conditions.

PubMed

Sun, Ping; Grace, John R; Lim, C Jim; Anthony, Edward J

2007-04-15

Four FBC-based processes were investigated as possible means of sequentially capturing SO2 and CO2. Sorbent performance is the key to their technical feasibility. Two sorbents (a limestone and a dolomite) were tested in a pressurized thermogravimetric analyzer (PTGA). The sorbent behaviors were explained based on complex interaction between carbonation, sulfation, and direct sulfation. The best option involved using limestone or dolomite as a SO2-sorbent in a FBC combustor following cyclic CO2 capture. Highly sintered limestone is a good sorbent for SO2 because of the generation of macropores during calcination/carbonation cycling.

Coordination of two sequential ester-transfer reactions: exogenous guanosine binding promotes the subsequent ωG binding to a group I intron

PubMed Central

Bao, Penghui; Wu, Qi-Jia; Yin, Ping; Jiang, Yanfei; Wang, Xu; Xie, Mao-Hua; Sun, Tao; Huang, Lin; Mo, Ding-Ding; Zhang, Yi

2008-01-01

Self-splicing of group I introns is accomplished by two sequential ester-transfer reactions mediated by sequential binding of two different guanosine ligands, but it is yet unclear how the binding is coordinated at a single G-binding site. Using a three-piece trans-splicing system derived from the Candida intron, we studied the effect of the prior GTP binding on the later ωG binding by assaying the ribozyme activity in the second reaction. We showed that adding GTP simultaneously with and prior to the esterified ωG in a substrate strongly accelerated the second reaction, suggesting that the early binding of GTP facilitates the subsequent binding of ωG. GTP-mediated facilitation requires C2 amino and C6 carbonyl groups on the Watson–Crick edge of the base but not the phosphate or sugar groups, suggesting that the base triple interactions between GTP and the binding site are important for the subsequent ωG binding. Strikingly, GTP binding loosens a few local structures of the ribozyme including that adjacent to the base triple, providing structural basis for a rapid exchange of ωG for bound GTP. PMID:18978026

An exact computational method for performance analysis of sequential test algorithms for detecting network intrusions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Xinjia; Lacy, Fred; Carriere, Patrick

2015-05-01

Sequential test algorithms are playing increasingly important roles for quick detecting network intrusions such as portscanners. In view of the fact that such algorithms are usually analyzed based on intuitive approximation or asymptotic analysis, we develop an exact computational method for the performance analysis of such algorithms. Our method can be used to calculate the probability of false alarm and average detection time up to arbitrarily pre-specified accuracy.

Towards simultaneous Talbot bands based optical coherence tomography and scanning laser ophthalmoscopy imaging.

PubMed

Marques, Manuel J; Bradu, Adrian; Podoleanu, Adrian Gh

2014-05-01

We report a Talbot bands-based optical coherence tomography (OCT) system capable of producing longitudinal B-scan OCT images and en-face scanning laser ophthalmoscopy (SLO) images of the human retina in-vivo. The OCT channel employs a broadband optical source and a spectrometer. A gap is created between the sample and reference beams while on their way towards the spectrometer's dispersive element to create Talbot bands. The spatial separation of the two beams facilitates collection by an SLO channel of optical power originating exclusively from the retina, deprived from any contribution from the reference beam. Three different modes of operation are presented, constrained by the minimum integration time of the camera used in the spectrometer and by the galvo-scanners' scanning rate: (i) a simultaneous acquisition mode over the two channels, useful for small size imaging, that conserves the pixel-to-pixel correspondence between them; (ii) a hybrid sequential mode, where the system switches itself between the two regimes and (iii) a sequential "on-demand" mode, where the system can be used in either OCT or SLO regimes for as long as required. The two sequential modes present varying degrees of trade-off between pixel-to-pixel correspondence and independent full control of parameters within each channel. Images of the optic nerve and fovea regions obtained in the simultaneous (i) and in the hybrid sequential mode (ii) are presented.

Towards simultaneous Talbot bands based optical coherence tomography and scanning laser ophthalmoscopy imaging

PubMed Central

Marques, Manuel J.; Bradu, Adrian; Podoleanu, Adrian Gh.

2014-01-01

We report a Talbot bands-based optical coherence tomography (OCT) system capable of producing longitudinal B-scan OCT images and en-face scanning laser ophthalmoscopy (SLO) images of the human retina in-vivo. The OCT channel employs a broadband optical source and a spectrometer. A gap is created between the sample and reference beams while on their way towards the spectrometer’s dispersive element to create Talbot bands. The spatial separation of the two beams facilitates collection by an SLO channel of optical power originating exclusively from the retina, deprived from any contribution from the reference beam. Three different modes of operation are presented, constrained by the minimum integration time of the camera used in the spectrometer and by the galvo-scanners’ scanning rate: (i) a simultaneous acquisition mode over the two channels, useful for small size imaging, that conserves the pixel-to-pixel correspondence between them; (ii) a hybrid sequential mode, where the system switches itself between the two regimes and (iii) a sequential “on-demand” mode, where the system can be used in either OCT or SLO regimes for as long as required. The two sequential modes present varying degrees of trade-off between pixel-to-pixel correspondence and independent full control of parameters within each channel. Images of the optic nerve and fovea regions obtained in the simultaneous (i) and in the hybrid sequential mode (ii) are presented. PMID:24877006

Precise algorithm to generate random sequential adsorption of hard polygons at saturation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, G.

2018-04-01

Random sequential adsorption (RSA) is a time-dependent packing process, in which particles of certain shapes are randomly and sequentially placed into an empty space without overlap. In the infinite-time limit, the density approaches a "saturation" limit. Although this limit has attracted particular research interest, the majority of past studies could only probe this limit by extrapolation. We have previously found an algorithm to reach this limit using finite computational time for spherical particles and could thus determine the saturation density of spheres with high accuracy. In this paper, we generalize this algorithm to generate saturated RSA packings of two-dimensional polygons. We also calculate the saturation density for regular polygons of three to ten sides and obtain results that are consistent with previous, extrapolation-based studies.

Precise algorithm to generate random sequential adsorption of hard polygons at saturation.

PubMed

Zhang, G

2018-04-01

Random sequential adsorption (RSA) is a time-dependent packing process, in which particles of certain shapes are randomly and sequentially placed into an empty space without overlap. In the infinite-time limit, the density approaches a "saturation" limit. Although this limit has attracted particular research interest, the majority of past studies could only probe this limit by extrapolation. We have previously found an algorithm to reach this limit using finite computational time for spherical particles and could thus determine the saturation density of spheres with high accuracy. In this paper, we generalize this algorithm to generate saturated RSA packings of two-dimensional polygons. We also calculate the saturation density for regular polygons of three to ten sides and obtain results that are consistent with previous, extrapolation-based studies.

Sequentially-crosslinked biomimetic bioactive glass/gelatin methacryloyl composites hydrogels for bone regeneration.

PubMed

Zheng, Jiafu; Zhao, Fujian; Zhang, Wen; Mo, Yunfei; Zeng, Lei; Li, Xian; Chen, Xiaofeng

2018-08-01

In recent years, gelatin-based composites hydrogels have been intensively investigated because of their inherent bioactivity, biocompatibility and biodegradability. Herein, we fabricated photocrosslinkable biomimetic composites hydrogels from bioactive glass (BG) and gelatin methacryloyl (GelMA) by a sequential physical and chemical crosslinking (gelation + UV) approach. The results showed that the compressive modulus of composites hydrogels increased significantly through the sequential crosslinking approach. The addition of BG resulted in a significant increase in physiological stability and apatite-forming ability. In vitro data indicated that BG/GelMA composites hydrogels promoted cell attachment, proliferation and differentiation. Overall, the BG/GelMA composites hydrogels combined the advantages of good biocompatibility and bioactivity, and had potential applications in bone regeneration. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Repeated significance tests of linear combinations of sensitivity and specificity of a diagnostic biomarker

PubMed Central

Wu, Mixia; Shu, Yu; Li, Zhaohai; Liu, Aiyi

2016-01-01

A sequential design is proposed to test whether the accuracy of a binary diagnostic biomarker meets the minimal level of acceptance. The accuracy of a binary diagnostic biomarker is a linear combination of the marker’s sensitivity and specificity. The objective of the sequential method is to minimize the maximum expected sample size under the null hypothesis that the marker’s accuracy is below the minimal level of acceptance. The exact results of two-stage designs based on Youden’s index and efficiency indicate that the maximum expected sample sizes are smaller than the sample sizes of the fixed designs. Exact methods are also developed for estimation, confidence interval and p-value concerning the proposed accuracy index upon termination of the sequential testing. PMID:26947768

Pre-configured polyhedron based protection against multi-link failures in optical mesh networks.

PubMed

Huang, Shanguo; Guo, Bingli; Li, Xin; Zhang, Jie; Zhao, Yongli; Gu, Wanyi

2014-02-10

This paper focuses on random multi-link failures protection in optical mesh networks, instead of single, the dual or sequential failures of previous studies. Spare resource efficiency and failure robustness are major concerns in link protection strategy designing and a k-regular and k-edge connected structure is proved to be one of the optimal solutions for link protection network. Based on this, a novel pre-configured polyhedron based protection structure is proposed, and it could provide protection for both simultaneous and sequential random link failures with improved spare resource efficiency. Its performance is evaluated in terms of spare resource consumption, recovery rate and average recovery path length, as well as compared with ring based and subgraph protection under probabilistic link failure scenarios. Results show the proposed novel link protection approach has better performance than previous works.

Influence of social mixing and group size on skin lesions and mounting in organic entire male pigs.

PubMed

Thomsen, R; Edwards, S A; Rousing, T; Labouriau, R; Sørensen, J T

2016-07-01

Alternatives to surgical castration are needed, due to stress and pain caused by castration of male pigs. One alternative is production of entire male pigs. However, changed behaviour of entire males compared with castrated males might adversely affect the welfare of entire males and changes in management procedures and production system might be needed. Elements from the organic pig production system might be beneficial in this aspect. The aim of this article is to investigate the effect of grouping strategy including social mixing and group size on levels of mounting behaviour and skin lesions, hypothesising that procedures that disrupt the social stability (e.g. regrouping) will have a larger negative effect in small groups compared with large groups. Approximately 1600 organic entire male pigs of the breed (Landrace×Yorkshire)×Duroc were reared in parallel in five organic herds, distributed across four batches in a 2×2 factorial design in order to test the influence of social mixing (presence or absence of social mixing at relocation) and group size (15 and 30 animals). Animals were able to socialise with piglets from other litters during the lactation period, and were all mixed across litters at weaning. A second mixing occurred at insertion to fattening pens for pigs being regrouped. Counting of skin lesions (1348 or 1124 pigs) and registration of mounting behaviour (1434 or 1258 pigs) were done on two occasions during the experimental period. No interactive effects were found between social mixing and group size on either skin lesions or mounting frequency. Herd differences were found for both mounting frequency and number of skin lesions. No association between skin lesions and mounting were revealed. Social mixing and group size were shown as interacting effects with herds on mounting frequency (P<0.0001), but with no consistent pattern across all herds. In addition, no effect of social mixing was found on mean number of skin lesions, but more lesions were observed in large groups (P<0.036). This could indicate that keeping entire male pigs in groups of 30 animals as compared with smaller groups of 15 may marginally decrease the welfare of these animals.

Research on parallel algorithm for sequential pattern mining

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, Lijuan; Qin, Bai; Wang, Yu; Hao, Zhongxiao

2008-03-01

Sequential pattern mining is the mining of frequent sequences related to time or other orders from the sequence database. Its initial motivation is to discover the laws of customer purchasing in a time section by finding the frequent sequences. In recent years, sequential pattern mining has become an important direction of data mining, and its application field has not been confined to the business database and has extended to new data sources such as Web and advanced science fields such as DNA analysis. The data of sequential pattern mining has characteristics as follows: mass data amount and distributed storage. Most existing sequential pattern mining algorithms haven't considered the above-mentioned characteristics synthetically. According to the traits mentioned above and combining the parallel theory, this paper puts forward a new distributed parallel algorithm SPP(Sequential Pattern Parallel). The algorithm abides by the principal of pattern reduction and utilizes the divide-and-conquer strategy for parallelization. The first parallel task is to construct frequent item sets applying frequent concept and search space partition theory and the second task is to structure frequent sequences using the depth-first search method at each processor. The algorithm only needs to access the database twice and doesn't generate the candidated sequences, which abates the access time and improves the mining efficiency. Based on the random data generation procedure and different information structure designed, this paper simulated the SPP algorithm in a concrete parallel environment and implemented the AprioriAll algorithm. The experiments demonstrate that compared with AprioriAll, the SPP algorithm had excellent speedup factor and efficiency.

PC_Eyewitness and the sequential superiority effect: computer-based lineup administration.

PubMed

MacLin, Otto H; Zimmerman, Laura A; Malpass, Roy S

2005-06-01

Computer technology has become an increasingly important tool for conducting eyewitness identifications. In the area of lineup identifications, computerized administration offers several advantages for researchers and law enforcement. PC_Eyewitness is designed specifically to administer lineups. To assess this new lineup technology, two studies were conducted in order to replicate the results of previous studies comparing simultaneous and sequential lineups. One hundred twenty university students participated in each experiment. Experiment 1 used traditional paper-and-pencil lineup administration methods to compare simultaneous to sequential lineups. Experiment 2 used PC_Eyewitness to administer simultaneous and sequential lineups. The results of these studies were compared to the meta-analytic results reported by N. Steblay, J. Dysart, S. Fulero, and R. C. L. Lindsay (2001). No differences were found between paper-and-pencil and PC_Eyewitness lineup administration methods. The core findings of the N. Steblay et al. (2001) meta-analysis were replicated by both administration procedures. These results show that computerized lineup administration using PC_Eyewitness is an effective means for gathering eyewitness identification data.

Random Boolean networks for autoassociative memory: Optimization and sequential learning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sherrington, D.; Wong, K. Y. M.

Conventional neural networks are based on synaptic storage of information, even when the neural states are discrete and bounded. In general, the set of potential local operations is much greater. Here we discuss some aspects of the properties of networks of binary neurons with more general Boolean functions controlling the local dynamics. Two specific aspects are emphasised; (i) optimization in the presence of noise and (ii) a simple model for short-term memory exhibiting primacy and recency in the recall of sequentially taught patterns.

A high level language for a high performance computer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Perrott, R. H.

1978-01-01

The proposed computational aerodynamic facility will join the ranks of the supercomputers due to its architecture and increased execution speed. At present, the languages used to program these supercomputers have been modifications of programming languages which were designed many years ago for sequential machines. A new programming language should be developed based on the techniques which have proved valuable for sequential programming languages and incorporating the algorithmic techniques required for these supercomputers. The design objectives for such a language are outlined.

Using a Mixed Methods Sequential Design to Identify Factors Associated with African American Mothers' Intention to Vaccinate Their Daughters Aged 9 to 12 for HPV with a Purpose of Informing a Culturally-Relevant, Theory-Based Intervention

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cunningham, Jennifer L.

2013-01-01

The purpose of this sequential, explanatory mixed methods research study was to understand what factors influenced African American maternal intentions to get their daughters aged 9 years to 12 years vaccinated in Alabama. In the first, quantitative phase of the study, the research questions focused on identifying the predictive power of eleven…

Novel fluorescent probe for highly sensitive bioassay using sequential enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay-capillary isoelectric focusing (ELISA-cIEF).

PubMed

Henares, Terence G; Uenoyama, Yuta; Nogawa, Yuto; Ikegami, Ken; Citterio, Daniel; Suzuki, Koji; Funano, Shun-ichi; Sueyoshi, Kenji; Endo, Tatsuro; Hisamoto, Hideaki

2013-06-07

This paper presents a novel rhodamine diphosphate molecule that allows highly sensitive detection of proteins by employing sequential enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and capillary isoelectric focusing (ELISA-cIEF). Seven-fold improvement in the immunoassay sensitivity and a 1-2 order of magnitude lower detection limit has been demonstrated by taking advantage of the combination of the enzyme-based signal amplification of ELISA and the concentration of enzyme reaction products by cIEF.

Sequential fuzzy diagnosis method for motor roller bearing in variable operating conditions based on vibration analysis.

PubMed

Li, Ke; Ping, Xueliang; Wang, Huaqing; Chen, Peng; Cao, Yi

2013-06-21

A novel intelligent fault diagnosis method for motor roller bearings which operate under unsteady rotating speed and load is proposed in this paper. The pseudo Wigner-Ville distribution (PWVD) and the relative crossing information (RCI) methods are used for extracting the feature spectra from the non-stationary vibration signal measured for condition diagnosis. The RCI is used to automatically extract the feature spectrum from the time-frequency distribution of the vibration signal. The extracted feature spectrum is instantaneous, and not correlated with the rotation speed and load. By using the ant colony optimization (ACO) clustering algorithm, the synthesizing symptom parameters (SSP) for condition diagnosis are obtained. The experimental results shows that the diagnostic sensitivity of the SSP is higher than original symptom parameter (SP), and the SSP can sensitively reflect the characteristics of the feature spectrum for precise condition diagnosis. Finally, a fuzzy diagnosis method based on sequential inference and possibility theory is also proposed, by which the conditions of the machine can be identified sequentially as well.

A Complementary Note to 'A Lag-1 Smoother Approach to System-Error Estimation': The Intrinsic Limitations of Residual Diagnostics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Todling, Ricardo

2015-01-01

Recently, this author studied an approach to the estimation of system error based on combining observation residuals derived from a sequential filter and fixed lag-1 smoother. While extending the methodology to a variational formulation, experimenting with simple models and making sure consistency was found between the sequential and variational formulations, the limitations of the residual-based approach came clearly to the surface. This note uses the sequential assimilation application to simple nonlinear dynamics to highlight the issue. Only when some of the underlying error statistics are assumed known is it possible to estimate the unknown component. In general, when considerable uncertainties exist in the underlying statistics as a whole, attempts to obtain separate estimates of the various error covariances are bound to lead to misrepresentation of errors. The conclusions are particularly relevant to present-day attempts to estimate observation-error correlations from observation residual statistics. A brief illustration of the issue is also provided by comparing estimates of error correlations derived from a quasi-operational assimilation system and a corresponding Observing System Simulation Experiments framework.

Uncertainty assessment of PM2.5 contamination mapping using spatiotemporal sequential indicator simulations and multi-temporal monitoring data.

PubMed

Yang, Yong; Christakos, George; Huang, Wei; Lin, Chengda; Fu, Peihong; Mei, Yang

2016-04-12

Because of the rapid economic growth in China, many regions are subjected to severe particulate matter pollution. Thus, improving the methods of determining the spatiotemporal distribution and uncertainty of air pollution can provide considerable benefits when developing risk assessments and environmental policies. The uncertainty assessment methods currently in use include the sequential indicator simulation (SIS) and indicator kriging techniques. However, these methods cannot be employed to assess multi-temporal data. In this work, a spatiotemporal sequential indicator simulation (STSIS) based on a non-separable spatiotemporal semivariogram model was used to assimilate multi-temporal data in the mapping and uncertainty assessment of PM2.5 distributions in a contaminated atmosphere. PM2.5 concentrations recorded throughout 2014 in Shandong Province, China were used as the experimental dataset. Based on the number of STSIS procedures, we assessed various types of mapping uncertainties, including single-location uncertainties over one day and multiple days and multi-location uncertainties over one day and multiple days. A comparison of the STSIS technique with the SIS technique indicate that a better performance was obtained with the STSIS method.

Sequential Fuzzy Diagnosis Method for Motor Roller Bearing in Variable Operating Conditions Based on Vibration Analysis

PubMed Central

Li, Ke; Ping, Xueliang; Wang, Huaqing; Chen, Peng; Cao, Yi

2013-01-01

A novel intelligent fault diagnosis method for motor roller bearings which operate under unsteady rotating speed and load is proposed in this paper. The pseudo Wigner-Ville distribution (PWVD) and the relative crossing information (RCI) methods are used for extracting the feature spectra from the non-stationary vibration signal measured for condition diagnosis. The RCI is used to automatically extract the feature spectrum from the time-frequency distribution of the vibration signal. The extracted feature spectrum is instantaneous, and not correlated with the rotation speed and load. By using the ant colony optimization (ACO) clustering algorithm, the synthesizing symptom parameters (SSP) for condition diagnosis are obtained. The experimental results shows that the diagnostic sensitivity of the SSP is higher than original symptom parameter (SP), and the SSP can sensitively reflect the characteristics of the feature spectrum for precise condition diagnosis. Finally, a fuzzy diagnosis method based on sequential inference and possibility theory is also proposed, by which the conditions of the machine can be identified sequentially as well. PMID:23793021

Efficient Mining and Detection of Sequential Intrusion Patterns for Network Intrusion Detection Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shyu, Mei-Ling; Huang, Zifang; Luo, Hongli

In recent years, pervasive computing infrastructures have greatly improved the interaction between human and system. As we put more reliance on these computing infrastructures, we also face threats of network intrusion and/or any new forms of undesirable IT-based activities. Hence, network security has become an extremely important issue, which is closely connected with homeland security, business transactions, and people's daily life. Accurate and efficient intrusion detection technologies are required to safeguard the network systems and the critical information transmitted in the network systems. In this chapter, a novel network intrusion detection framework for mining and detecting sequential intrusion patterns is proposed. The proposed framework consists of a Collateral Representative Subspace Projection Modeling (C-RSPM) component for supervised classification, and an inter-transactional association rule mining method based on Layer Divided Modeling (LDM) for temporal pattern analysis. Experiments on the KDD99 data set and the traffic data set generated by a private LAN testbed show promising results with high detection rates, low processing time, and low false alarm rates in mining and detecting sequential intrusion detections.

Uncertainty assessment of PM2.5 contamination mapping using spatiotemporal sequential indicator simulations and multi-temporal monitoring data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Yong; Christakos, George; Huang, Wei; Lin, Chengda; Fu, Peihong; Mei, Yang

2016-04-01

Because of the rapid economic growth in China, many regions are subjected to severe particulate matter pollution. Thus, improving the methods of determining the spatiotemporal distribution and uncertainty of air pollution can provide considerable benefits when developing risk assessments and environmental policies. The uncertainty assessment methods currently in use include the sequential indicator simulation (SIS) and indicator kriging techniques. However, these methods cannot be employed to assess multi-temporal data. In this work, a spatiotemporal sequential indicator simulation (STSIS) based on a non-separable spatiotemporal semivariogram model was used to assimilate multi-temporal data in the mapping and uncertainty assessment of PM2.5 distributions in a contaminated atmosphere. PM2.5 concentrations recorded throughout 2014 in Shandong Province, China were used as the experimental dataset. Based on the number of STSIS procedures, we assessed various types of mapping uncertainties, including single-location uncertainties over one day and multiple days and multi-location uncertainties over one day and multiple days. A comparison of the STSIS technique with the SIS technique indicate that a better performance was obtained with the STSIS method.

Performance Modeling and Measurement of Parallelized Code for Distributed Shared Memory Multiprocessors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Waheed, Abdul; Yan, Jerry

1998-01-01

This paper presents a model to evaluate the performance and overhead of parallelizing sequential code using compiler directives for multiprocessing on distributed shared memory (DSM) systems. With increasing popularity of shared address space architectures, it is essential to understand their performance impact on programs that benefit from shared memory multiprocessing. We present a simple model to characterize the performance of programs that are parallelized using compiler directives for shared memory multiprocessing. We parallelized the sequential implementation of NAS benchmarks using native Fortran77 compiler directives for an Origin2000, which is a DSM system based on a cache-coherent Non Uniform Memory Access (ccNUMA) architecture. We report measurement based performance of these parallelized benchmarks from four perspectives: efficacy of parallelization process; scalability; parallelization overhead; and comparison with hand-parallelized and -optimized version of the same benchmarks. Our results indicate that sequential programs can conveniently be parallelized for DSM systems using compiler directives but realizing performance gains as predicted by the performance model depends primarily on minimizing architecture-specific data locality overhead.

NASA DOE POD NDE Capabilities Data Book

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Generazio, Edward R.

2015-01-01

This data book contains the Directed Design of Experiments for Validating Probability of Detection (POD) Capability of NDE Systems (DOEPOD) analyses of the nondestructive inspection data presented in the NTIAC, Nondestructive Evaluation (NDE) Capabilities Data Book, 3rd ed., NTIAC DB-97-02. DOEPOD is designed as a decision support system to validate inspection system, personnel, and protocol demonstrating 0.90 POD with 95% confidence at critical flaw sizes, a90/95. The test methodology used in DOEPOD is based on the field of statistical sequential analysis founded by Abraham Wald. Sequential analysis is a method of statistical inference whose characteristic feature is that the number of observations required by the procedure is not determined in advance of the experiment. The decision to terminate the experiment depends, at each stage, on the results of the observations previously made. A merit of the sequential method, as applied to testing statistical hypotheses, is that test procedures can be constructed which require, on average, a substantially smaller number of observations than equally reliable test procedures based on a predetermined number of observations.

Navigation interface for recommending home medical products.

PubMed

Luo, Gang

2012-04-01

Based on users' health issues, an intelligent personal health record (iPHR) system can automatically recommend home medical products (HMPs) and display them in a sequential order. However, the sequential output interface does not categorize search results and is not easy for users to quickly navigate to their desired HMPs. To address this problem, we developed a navigation interface for retrieved HMPs. Our idea is to use medical knowledge and nursing knowledge to construct a navigation hierarchy based on product categories. This hierarchy is added to the left side of each search result Web page to help users move through retrieved HMPs. We demonstrate the effectiveness of our techniques using USMLE medical exam cases.

Method of Real-Time Principal-Component Analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Duong, Tuan; Duong, Vu

2005-01-01

Dominant-element-based gradient descent and dynamic initial learning rate (DOGEDYN) is a method of sequential principal-component analysis (PCA) that is well suited for such applications as data compression and extraction of features from sets of data. In comparison with a prior method of gradient-descent-based sequential PCA, this method offers a greater rate of learning convergence. Like the prior method, DOGEDYN can be implemented in software. However, the main advantage of DOGEDYN over the prior method lies in the facts that it requires less computation and can be implemented in simpler hardware. It should be possible to implement DOGEDYN in compact, low-power, very-large-scale integrated (VLSI) circuitry that could process data in real time.

Discrete filtering techniques applied to sequential GPS range measurements

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vangraas, Frank

1987-01-01

The basic navigation solution is described for position and velocity based on range and delta range (Doppler) measurements from NAVSTAR Global Positioning System satellites. The application of discrete filtering techniques is examined to reduce the white noise distortions on the sequential range measurements. A second order (position and velocity states) Kalman filter is implemented to obtain smoothed estimates of range by filtering the dynamics of the signal from each satellite separately. Test results using a simulated GPS receiver show a steady-state noise reduction, the input noise variance divided by the output noise variance, of a factor of four. Recommendations for further noise reduction based on higher order Kalman filters or additional delta range measurements are included.

Infiltration Processes and Flow Velocities Across the Landscape: When and Where is Macropore Flow Relevant?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Demand, D.; Blume, T.; Weiler, M.

2017-12-01

Preferential flow in macropores significantly affects the distributions of water and solutes in soil and many studies showed its relevance worldwide. Although some models include this process as a second pore domain, little is known about the spatial patterns and temporal dynamics. For example, while flow in the matrix is usually modeled and parameterized based on soil texture, an influence of texture on non-capillary flow for a given land-use class is poorly understood. To investigate the temporal and spatial dynamics on preferential flow we used a four-year soil moisture dataset from the mesoscale Attert catchment (288 km²) in Luxembourg. This dataset contains time series from 126 soil profiles in different textures and two land-use classes (forest, grassland). The soil moisture probes were installed in 10, 30 and 50 cm depth and measured in a 5-minute temporal resolution. Events were defined by a soil moisture increase higher than the instrument noise after a precipitation sum of more than 1 mm. Precipitation was measured next to the profiles so that each location could be associated to its unique precipitation characteristics. For every event and profile the soil moisture reaction was classified in sequential (ordered by depth) and non-sequential response. A non-sequential soil moisture reaction was used as an indicator of preferential flow. For sequential flow, the velocity was determined by the first reaction between two vertically adjacent sensors. The sensor reaction and wetting front velocity was analyzed in the context of precipitation characteristics and initial soil water content. Grassland sites showed a lower proportion of non-sequential flow than forest sites. For forest, non-sequential response is dependent on texture, rainfall intensity and initial water content. This is less distinct for the grassland sites. Furthermore, sequential reactions show higher flow velocities at sites, which also have high percentage of non-sequential response. In contrast, grassland sites show a more homogenous wetting front independent of soil texture. Compared against common modelling approaches of soil water flow, measured velocities show clear evidence of preferential flow, especially for forest soils. The analysis also shows that vegetation can alter the soil properties above the textural properties alone.

Performance of the architect EBV antibody panel for determination of Epstein-Barr virus infection stage in immunocompetent adolescents and young adults with clinical suspicion of infectious mononucleosis.

PubMed

Guerrero-Ramos, Alvaro; Patel, Mauli; Kadakia, Kinjal; Haque, Tanzina

2014-06-01

The Architect EBV antibody panel is a new chemiluminescence immunoassay system used to determine the stage of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection based on the detection of IgM and IgG antibodies to viral capsid antigen (VCA) and IgG antibodies against Epstein-Barr nuclear antigen 1 (EBNA-1). We evaluated its diagnostic accuracy in immunocompetent adolescents and young adults with clinical suspicion of infectious mononucleosis (IM) using the RecomLine EBV IgM and IgG immunoblots as the reference standard. In addition, the use of the antibody panel in a sequential testing algorithm based on initial EBNA-1 IgG analysis was assessed for cost-effectiveness. Finally, we investigated the degree of cross-reactivity of the VCA IgM marker during other primary viral infections that may present with an EBV IM-like picture. High sensitivity (98.3% [95% confidence interval {CI}, 90.7 to 99.7%]) and specificity (94.2% [95% CI, 87.9 to 97.8%]) were found after testing 162 precharacterized archived serum samples. There was perfect agreement between the use of the antibody panel in sequential and parallel testing algorithms, but substantial cost savings (23%) were obtained with the sequential strategy. A high rate of reactive VCA IgM results was found in primary cytomegalovirus (CMV) infections (60.7%). In summary, the Architect EBV antibody panel performs satisfactorily in the investigation of EBV IM in immunocompetent adolescents and young adults, and the application of an EBNA-1 IgG-based sequential testing algorithm is cost-effective in this diagnostic setting. Concomitant testing for CMV is strongly recommended to aid in the interpretation of EBV serological patterns. Copyright © 2014, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Unipedal Diagnostic Lymphangiography Followed by Sequential CT Examinations in Patients With Idiopathic Chyluria: A Retrospective Study.

PubMed

Dong, Jian; Xin, Jianfeng; Shen, Wenbin; Chen, Xiaobai; Wen, Tingguo; Zhang, Chunyan; Wang, Rengui

2018-04-01

The objective of our study was to investigate the clinical value of diagnostic lymphangiography followed by sequential CT examinations in patients with idiopathic chyluria. Thirty-six patients with idiopathic chyluria underwent unipedal diagnostic lymphangiography and then underwent sequential CT examinations. The examinations were reviewed separately by two radiologists. Abnormal distribution of contrast medium, lymphourinary leakages, and retrograde flow were noted, and the range and distribution of lymphatic vessel lesions were recorded. The stage of idiopathic chyluria based on CT findings and the stage based on clinical findings were compared. Therapeutic management and follow-up were recorded. Statistical analyses were performed. Compared with CT studies performed after lymphangiography, diagnostic lymphangiography showed a unique capability to depict lymphourinary leakages in three patients. Lymphourinary fistulas and abnormal dilated lymphatic vessels were found in and around kidney in all patients. CT depicted retrograde flow of lymph fluid in 47.2% of patients. The consistency in staging chyluria based on CT findings and clinical findings was fair (κ = 0.455). Twenty-nine patients underwent conservative therapy, and seven underwent surgery. Surgical therapy was superior to conservative management (no recurrence, 85.7% of patients who underwent surgery vs 62.1% of patients who underwent conservative therapy; p = 0.025). From assessing the drainage of contrast medium on unipedal diagnostic lymphangiography and the redistribution of contrast medium on sequential CT examinations, it is possible to detect the existence of lymphourinary fistulas, the precise location of lymphatic anomalies, the distribution of collateral lymphatic vessels, and hydrodynamic pressure abnormality in the lymph circulation in patients with idiopathic chyluria. CT staging of chyluria provides additional information that can be used to guide therapeutic management.

Performance of the Architect EBV Antibody Panel for Determination of Epstein-Barr Virus Infection Stage in Immunocompetent Adolescents and Young Adults with Clinical Suspicion of Infectious Mononucleosis

PubMed Central

Patel, Mauli; Kadakia, Kinjal; Haque, Tanzina

2014-01-01

The Architect EBV antibody panel is a new chemiluminescence immunoassay system used to determine the stage of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection based on the detection of IgM and IgG antibodies to viral capsid antigen (VCA) and IgG antibodies against Epstein-Barr nuclear antigen 1 (EBNA-1). We evaluated its diagnostic accuracy in immunocompetent adolescents and young adults with clinical suspicion of infectious mononucleosis (IM) using the RecomLine EBV IgM and IgG immunoblots as the reference standard. In addition, the use of the antibody panel in a sequential testing algorithm based on initial EBNA-1 IgG analysis was assessed for cost-effectiveness. Finally, we investigated the degree of cross-reactivity of the VCA IgM marker during other primary viral infections that may present with an EBV IM-like picture. High sensitivity (98.3% [95% confidence interval {CI}, 90.7 to 99.7%]) and specificity (94.2% [95% CI, 87.9 to 97.8%]) were found after testing 162 precharacterized archived serum samples. There was perfect agreement between the use of the antibody panel in sequential and parallel testing algorithms, but substantial cost savings (23%) were obtained with the sequential strategy. A high rate of reactive VCA IgM results was found in primary cytomegalovirus (CMV) infections (60.7%). In summary, the Architect EBV antibody panel performs satisfactorily in the investigation of EBV IM in immunocompetent adolescents and young adults, and the application of an EBNA-1 IgG-based sequential testing algorithm is cost-effective in this diagnostic setting. Concomitant testing for CMV is strongly recommended to aid in the interpretation of EBV serological patterns. PMID:24695777

The Impact of Adjuvant Postoperative Radiation Therapy and Chemotherapy on Survival After Esophagectomy for Esophageal Carcinoma.

PubMed

Wong, Andrew T; Shao, Meng; Rineer, Justin; Lee, Anna; Schwartz, David; Schreiber, David

2017-06-01

The objective of this study was to analyze the impact on overall survival (OS) from the addition of postoperative radiation with or without chemotherapy after esophagectomy, using a large, hospital-based dataset. Previous retrospective studies have suggested an OS advantage for postoperative chemoradiation over surgery alone, although prospective data are lacking. The National Cancer Data Base was queried to select patients diagnosed with stage pT3-4Nx-0M0 or pT1-4N1-3M0 esophageal carcinoma (squamous cell or adenocarcinoma) from 1998 to 2011 treated with definitive esophagectomy ± postoperative radiation and/or chemotherapy. OS was analyzed using the Kaplan-Meier method and compared using the log-rank test. Multivariate Cox regression analysis was used to identify covariates associated with OS. There were 4893 patients selected, of whom 1153 (23.6%) received postoperative radiation. Most patients receiving radiation also received sequential/concomitant chemotherapy (89.9%). For the entire cohort, postoperative radiation was associated with a statistically significant but modest absolute improvement in survival (hazard ratio 0.77; 95% CI, 0.71-0.83; P < 0.001). On subgroup analysis, postoperative radiation was associated with improved OS for patients with node-positive disease (3-yr OS 34.3 % vs 27.8%, P < 0.001) or positive margins (3-yr OS 36.4% vs 18.0%, P < 0.001). When chemotherapy usage was incorporated, sequential chemotherapy was associated with the best survival (P < 0.001). Multivariate analysis revealed that the addition of chemotherapy to radiation therapy, whether sequentially or concurrently, was a strong prognostic factor for OS. In this hospital-based study, the addition of postoperative chemoradiation (either sequentially or concomitantly) after esophagectomy was associated with improved OS for patients with node-positive disease or positive margins.

A Fast and Precise Indoor Localization Algorithm Based on an Online Sequential Extreme Learning Machine †

PubMed Central

Zou, Han; Lu, Xiaoxuan; Jiang, Hao; Xie, Lihua

2015-01-01

Nowadays, developing indoor positioning systems (IPSs) has become an attractive research topic due to the increasing demands on location-based service (LBS) in indoor environments. WiFi technology has been studied and explored to provide indoor positioning service for years in view of the wide deployment and availability of existing WiFi infrastructures in indoor environments. A large body of WiFi-based IPSs adopt fingerprinting approaches for localization. However, these IPSs suffer from two major problems: the intensive costs of manpower and time for offline site survey and the inflexibility to environmental dynamics. In this paper, we propose an indoor localization algorithm based on an online sequential extreme learning machine (OS-ELM) to address the above problems accordingly. The fast learning speed of OS-ELM can reduce the time and manpower costs for the offline site survey. Meanwhile, its online sequential learning ability enables the proposed localization algorithm to adapt in a timely manner to environmental dynamics. Experiments under specific environmental changes, such as variations of occupancy distribution and events of opening or closing of doors, are conducted to evaluate the performance of OS-ELM. The simulation and experimental results show that the proposed localization algorithm can provide higher localization accuracy than traditional approaches, due to its fast adaptation to various environmental dynamics. PMID:25599427

Efficient sequential and parallel algorithms for finding edit distance based motifs.

PubMed

Pal, Soumitra; Xiao, Peng; Rajasekaran, Sanguthevar

2016-08-18

Motif search is an important step in extracting meaningful patterns from biological data. The general problem of motif search is intractable and there is a pressing need to develop efficient, exact and approximation algorithms to solve this problem. In this paper, we present several novel, exact, sequential and parallel algorithms for solving the (l,d) Edit-distance-based Motif Search (EMS) problem: given two integers l,d and n biological strings, find all strings of length l that appear in each input string with atmost d errors of types substitution, insertion and deletion. One popular technique to solve the problem is to explore for each input string the set of all possible l-mers that belong to the d-neighborhood of any substring of the input string and output those which are common for all input strings. We introduce a novel and provably efficient neighborhood exploration technique. We show that it is enough to consider the candidates in neighborhood which are at a distance exactly d. We compactly represent these candidate motifs using wildcard characters and efficiently explore them with very few repetitions. Our sequential algorithm uses a trie based data structure to efficiently store and sort the candidate motifs. Our parallel algorithm in a multi-core shared memory setting uses arrays for storing and a novel modification of radix-sort for sorting the candidate motifs. The algorithms for EMS are customarily evaluated on several challenging instances such as (8,1), (12,2), (16,3), (20,4), and so on. The best previously known algorithm, EMS1, is sequential and in estimated 3 days solves up to instance (16,3). Our sequential algorithms are more than 20 times faster on (16,3). On other hard instances such as (9,2), (11,3), (13,4), our algorithms are much faster. Our parallel algorithm has more than 600 % scaling performance while using 16 threads. Our algorithms have pushed up the state-of-the-art of EMS solvers and we believe that the techniques introduced in this paper are also applicable to other motif search problems such as Planted Motif Search (PMS) and Simple Motif Search (SMS).

Precise algorithm to generate random sequential adsorption of hard polygons at saturation

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

Zhang, G.

Random sequential adsorption (RSA) is a time-dependent packing process, in which particles of certain shapes are randomly and sequentially placed into an empty space without overlap. In the infinite-time limit, the density approaches a "saturation'' limit. Although this limit has attracted particular research interest, the majority of past studies could only probe this limit by extrapolation. We have previously found an algorithm to reach this limit using finite computational time for spherical particles, and could thus determine the saturation density of spheres with high accuracy. Here in this paper, we generalize this algorithm to generate saturated RSA packings of two-dimensionalmore » polygons. We also calculate the saturation density for regular polygons of three to ten sides, and obtain results that are consistent with previous, extrapolation-based studies.« less

Versatile telluracycle synthesis via the sequential electrophilic telluration of C(sp2)–Zn and C(sp2)–H bonds† †Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available. CCDC 1523262–1523264. For ESI and crystallographic data in CIF or other electronic format see DOI: 10.1039/c7sc01162h Click here for additional data file. Click here for additional data file.

PubMed Central

Wu, Bin; Melvina; Wu, Xiangyang; Lee Yeow, Edwin Kok

2017-01-01

We report herein a new approach for the synthesis of tellurium-bridged aromatic compounds based on the sequential electrophilic telluration of C(sp2)–Zn and C(sp2)–H bonds with tellurium(iv) chlorides. A combination of transition metal-catalyzed (migratory) arylmetalation of alkynes and sequential telluration allows for the expedient construction of a library of functionalized benzo[b]tellurophenes. Furthermore, a variety of heteroarene-fused benzotellurophenes and other novel tellurium-embedded polycyclic aromatics can be readily synthesized from the corresponding 2-iodoheterobiaryls. PMID:28970880

Sequential microfluidic droplet processing for rapid DNA extraction.

PubMed

Pan, Xiaoyan; Zeng, Shaojiang; Zhang, Qingquan; Lin, Bingcheng; Qin, Jianhua

2011-11-01

This work describes a novel droplet-based microfluidic device, which enables sequential droplet processing for rapid DNA extraction. The microdevice consists of a droplet generation unit, two reagent addition units and three droplet splitting units. The loading/washing/elution steps required for DNA extraction were carried out by sequential microfluidic droplet processing. The movement of superparamagnetic beads, which were used as extraction supports, was controlled with magnetic field. The microdevice could generate about 100 droplets per min, and it took about 1 min for each droplet to perform the whole extraction process. The extraction efficiency was measured to be 46% for λ-DNA, and the extracted DNA could be used in subsequent genetic analysis such as PCR, demonstrating the potential of the device for fast DNA extraction. Copyright © 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Precise algorithm to generate random sequential adsorption of hard polygons at saturation

DOE PAGES

Zhang, G.

2018-04-30

Random sequential adsorption (RSA) is a time-dependent packing process, in which particles of certain shapes are randomly and sequentially placed into an empty space without overlap. In the infinite-time limit, the density approaches a "saturation'' limit. Although this limit has attracted particular research interest, the majority of past studies could only probe this limit by extrapolation. We have previously found an algorithm to reach this limit using finite computational time for spherical particles, and could thus determine the saturation density of spheres with high accuracy. Here in this paper, we generalize this algorithm to generate saturated RSA packings of two-dimensionalmore » polygons. We also calculate the saturation density for regular polygons of three to ten sides, and obtain results that are consistent with previous, extrapolation-based studies.« less

Evaluation of TDRSS-user orbit determination accuracy using batch least-squares and sequential methods

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Oza, D. H.; Jones, T. L.; Hodjatzadeh, M.; Samii, M. V.; Doll, C. E.; Hart, R. C.; Mistretta, G. D.

1991-01-01

The development of the Real-Time Orbit Determination/Enhanced (RTOD/E) system as a prototype system for sequential orbit determination on a Disk Operating System (DOS) based Personal Computer (PC) is addressed. The results of a study to compare the orbit determination accuracy of a Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System (TDRSS) user spacecraft obtained using RTOD/E with the accuracy of an established batch least squares system, the Goddard Trajectory Determination System (GTDS), is addressed. Independent assessments were made to examine the consistencies of results obtained by the batch and sequential methods. Comparisons were made between the forward filtered RTOD/E orbit solutions and definitive GTDS orbit solutions for the Earth Radiation Budget Satellite (ERBS); the maximum solution differences were less than 25 m after the filter had reached steady state.

Hyperspectral image compressing using wavelet-based method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yu, Hui; Zhang, Zhi-jie; Lei, Bo; Wang, Chen-sheng

2017-10-01

Hyperspectral imaging sensors can acquire images in hundreds of continuous narrow spectral bands. Therefore each object presented in the image can be identified from their spectral response. However, such kind of imaging brings a huge amount of data, which requires transmission, processing, and storage resources for both airborne and space borne imaging. Due to the high volume of hyperspectral image data, the exploration of compression strategies has received a lot of attention in recent years. Compression of hyperspectral data cubes is an effective solution for these problems. Lossless compression of the hyperspectral data usually results in low compression ratio, which may not meet the available resources; on the other hand, lossy compression may give the desired ratio, but with a significant degradation effect on object identification performance of the hyperspectral data. Moreover, most hyperspectral data compression techniques exploits the similarities in spectral dimensions; which requires bands reordering or regrouping, to make use of the spectral redundancy. In this paper, we explored the spectral cross correlation between different bands, and proposed an adaptive band selection method to obtain the spectral bands which contain most of the information of the acquired hyperspectral data cube. The proposed method mainly consist three steps: First, the algorithm decomposes the original hyperspectral imagery into a series of subspaces based on the hyper correlation matrix of the hyperspectral images between different bands. And then the Wavelet-based algorithm is applied to the each subspaces. At last the PCA method is applied to the wavelet coefficients to produce the chosen number of components. The performance of the proposed method was tested by using ISODATA classification method.

A Technique of Treating Negative Weights in WENO Schemes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shi, Jing; Hu, Changqing; Shu, Chi-Wang

2000-01-01

High order accurate weighted essentially non-oscillatory (WENO) schemes have recently been developed for finite difference and finite volume methods both in structural and in unstructured meshes. A key idea in WENO scheme is a linear combination of lower order fluxes or reconstructions to obtain a high order approximation. The combination coefficients, also called linear weights, are determined by local geometry of the mesh and order of accuracy and may become negative. WENO procedures cannot be applied directly to obtain a stable scheme if negative linear weights are present. Previous strategy for handling this difficulty is by either regrouping of stencils or reducing the order of accuracy to get rid of the negative linear weights. In this paper we present a simple and effective technique for handling negative linear weights without a need to get rid of them.

[Practice in private professional corporations].

PubMed

Leguillon-Geffard, G; Mignard, J P

2005-11-01

Since 1992, doctors may exert through a private professional corporation. The Decree no 94-680 of 3rd of August 1994 details the new regulation. For physicians used to the liberal scene, one of the greatest innovation is the payment mode. It is basically divided in two parts: the work remuneration as wages or management allowance, and capital remuneration as dividends. This last possibility offering important savings on social contribution, social contribution being calculated only on the work remuneration part. Taxation being in this case a taxation of the company and of the physician on his incomes and dividends. It is a precious instrument to take part in a regrouping and to integrate new associates. Nevertheless it still is an individual's choice and before getting engaged, consequences of the choices selected have to be appreciated with a qualified professional.

[Comparative review of the Senegalese and French deontology codes].

PubMed

Soumah, M; Mbaye, I; Bah, H; Gaye Fall, M C; Sow, M L

2005-01-01

The medical deontology regroups duties of the physicians and regulate the exercise of medicine. The code of medical deontology of Senegal inspired of the French medical deontology code, has not been revised since its institution whereas the French deontology code knew three revisions. Comparing the two codes of deontology titles by title and article by article, this work beyond a parallel between the two codes puts in inscription the progress in bioethics that are to the basis of the revisions of the French medical deontology code. This article will permit an advocacy of the health professionals, in favor of a setting to level of the of Senegalese medical deontology code. Because legal litigation, that is important in the developed countries, intensify in our developing countries. It is inherent to the technological progress and to the awareness of the patients of their rights.

Integrated Tourism E-Commerce Platform for Scenery Administration Bureau, Travel Agency and Tourist

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liang, Zhixue; Wang, Shui

Collaboration among multiple travel agencies and with scenery administration bureaus is vital for small or medium sized travel companies to succeed in the fierce competition of the tourism industry; business processes such as regrouping individual travelers between different agencies prove to be difficult and unpleasant user experience; tourists want to be more informed and have more initiative. To address these issues, proposes an integrated tourism e-commerce platform for travel agencies and scenery administration bureaus as well as tourists to interact in a more smooth way; this platform is constructed upon J2EE framework, provides online collaboration & coordination for companies and information services (such as self-navigation using Google Map etc) for tourists. A running implementation of this platform has been put into real business for a small travel company.

A method to perform a fast fourier transform with primitive image transformations.

PubMed

Sheridan, Phil

2007-05-01

The Fourier transform is one of the most important transformations in image processing. A major component of this influence comes from the ability to implement it efficiently on a digital computer. This paper describes a new methodology to perform a fast Fourier transform (FFT). This methodology emerges from considerations of the natural physical constraints imposed by image capture devices (camera/eye). The novel aspects of the specific FFT method described include: 1) a bit-wise reversal re-grouping operation of the conventional FFT is replaced by the use of lossless image rotation and scaling and 2) the usual arithmetic operations of complex multiplication are replaced with integer addition. The significance of the FFT presented in this paper is introduced by extending a discrete and finite image algebra, named Spiral Honeycomb Image Algebra (SHIA), to a continuous version, named SHIAC.

Memristors with diffusive dynamics as synaptic emulators for neuromorphic computing

DOE PAGES

Wang, Zhongrui; Joshi, Saumil; Savel’ev, Sergey E.; ...

2016-09-26

The accumulation and extrusion of Ca 2+ in the pre- and postsynaptic compartments play a critical role in initiating plastic changes in biological synapses. In order to emulate this fundamental process in electronic devices, we developed diffusive Ag-in-oxide memristors with a temporal response during and after stimulation similar to that of the synaptic Ca 2+ dynamics. In situ high-resolution transmission electron microscopy and nanoparticle dynamics simulations both demonstrate that Ag atoms disperse under electrical bias and regroup spontaneously under zero bias because of interfacial energy minimization, closely resembling synaptic influx and extrusion of Ca 2+, respectively. Furthermore, the diffusive memristormore » and its dynamics enable a direct emulation of both short- and long-term plasticity of biological synapses, representing an advance in hardware implementation of neuromorphic functionalities.« less

Exposure assessment of mobile phone base station radiation in an outdoor environment using sequential surrogate modeling.

PubMed

Aerts, Sam; Deschrijver, Dirk; Joseph, Wout; Verloock, Leen; Goeminne, Francis; Martens, Luc; Dhaene, Tom

2013-05-01

Human exposure to background radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (RF-EMF) has been increasing with the introduction of new technologies. There is a definite need for the quantification of RF-EMF exposure but a robust exposure assessment is not yet possible, mainly due to the lack of a fast and efficient measurement procedure. In this article, a new procedure is proposed for accurately mapping the exposure to base station radiation in an outdoor environment based on surrogate modeling and sequential design, an entirely new approach in the domain of dosimetry for human RF exposure. We tested our procedure in an urban area of about 0.04 km(2) for Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) technology at 900 MHz (GSM900) using a personal exposimeter. Fifty measurement locations were sufficient to obtain a coarse street exposure map, locating regions of high and low exposure; 70 measurement locations were sufficient to characterize the electric field distribution in the area and build an accurate predictive interpolation model. Hence, accurate GSM900 downlink outdoor exposure maps (for use in, e.g., governmental risk communication and epidemiological studies) are developed by combining the proven efficiency of sequential design with the speed of exposimeter measurements and their ease of handling. Copyright © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Preparing Houston: lessons learned, future directions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Madjid, Mohammad; Mirhaji, Parsa; Lillibridge, Scott R.; Casscells, S. W.

2003-09-01

On September 11, 2001, Al Qaeda terrorists committed a savage act against humanity when they used domestic jetliners to crash into buildings in New York City and Washington, DC, killing thousands of people. In October 2001, coming on the heels of this savagery was another act of barbarity, this time using anthrax, not jetliners, to take innocent lives. Each incident demonstrates the vulnerability of an open society, and Americans are left to wonder how such acts can be prevented. Now, Al Qaeda operatives are reportedly regrouping, recruiting, and changing their tactics to distribute money and messages to operatives around the world. Many experts believe that terrorist attacks are inevitable. No city is immune from attack, and no city is fully prepared to handle the residual impact of a potentially ravaging biological or chemical attack. A survey conducted by the Cable News Network (CNN) in January 2002, studied 30 major US cities, ranking them based on 6 statistical indices of vulnerability. Thirteen cities were deemed better prepared than Houston, 10 were in a similar state of preparedness, and only 6 were less prepared than Houston. Here, we discuss the measures which have taken place in Houston to make it a safer place and which plans are needed for future. Houston experience can be used as a model to develop similar plans for other cities nation-wide.

Aging gracefully in Greater Beirut: are there any gender-based differences?

PubMed

Mitri, Rosy N; Boulos, Christa M; Adib, Salim M

2017-06-01

The implications of rapid aging of the Lebanese population are under-researched. No national studies have so far investigated the living conditions and the health status of urban Lebanese elderly across gender. This was a cross-sectional study involving 905 randomly selected community dwelling elderly aged ≥65 years living in Greater Beirut. Gender differences were assessed among participants who completed a standardized questionnaire on socio-demographic factors, nutritional, health, and functional characteristics. The sample included 533 men (59%) and 372 women (41%). Elderly were regrouped into 'younger elderly' (≤70 years), and 'older elderly' (>70 years) which represented respectively 44.3% and 55.7% of the total population. Women, regardless of their age, were less educated and more likely to live alone. Moreover, poor nutritional status, self-perceived health, absence of physical activity, comorbidity, polymedication and depression were significantly higher among women. 'Older elderly' women became significantly more functionally disabled compared with men of their age. This study evidenced that Lebanese elderly women were disadvantaged regarding their socio-economic, health and functional status. It is requested a nationwide effort to improve the socio-economic status and the health of Lebanese elderly, especially women. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Public Health Association. All rights reserved.

Sequentially Simulated Outcomes: Kind Experience versus Nontransparent Description

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hogarth, Robin M.; Soyer, Emre

2011-01-01

Recently, researchers have investigated differences in decision making based on description and experience. We address the issue of when experience-based judgments of probability are more accurate than are those based on description. If description is well understood ("transparent") and experience is misleading ("wicked"), it…

Occupational risk and chronic kidney disease: a population-based study in the United States adult population.

PubMed

Rubinstein, Sofia; Wang, Chengwei; Qu, Wenchun

2013-01-01

Previous studies on occupational risk for chronic kidney disease (CKD) have analyzed a limited range of occupations and focused on nephrotoxins. The primary purpose of this study was to examine the relative risk for the occurrence of CKD between different occupations in the US adult population. This was a population-based survey study of 91,340 participants in the US, who completed the National Health Interview Survey, 2004 through 2008. The outcome variable, CKD, was defined as having weakening/failing kidneys in the past 12 months, as diagnosed by a physician. The predictor variable, occupation, was obtained using the census occupational codes, regrouped according to North American Industrial Classification System. After controlling for age, gender, hypertension, and education, and with the category Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations as a reference group, the likelihood of developing CKD was 4.3 times higher in respondents working in Building, Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance Occupations, 4.4 times higher in Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations, 4.7 times higher in Transportation and Material Moving Occupations and in Computer and Mathematical Occupations, 4.8 times higher in Production Occupations, 5.3 times higher in Food Preparation and Serving Related Occupations, and 6.1 times higher in Healthcare Support Occupations and in Legal Occupations. This study identified occupation groups in US adult population with increased risk for CKD. Alleviation of workplace stress is suggested as a goal for behavioral intervention in high-risk occupations.

A clinical study of 407 cases of nasopharyngeal carcinoma in Hong Kong

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

Teo, P.; Tsao, S.Y.; Shiu, W.

Four hundred and seven cases of nasopharyngeal carcinoma were analyzed retrospectively; 403/407 were evaluable for recurrence and survival. Parapharyngeal boost significantly decreased local recurrences in parapharyngeal diseases without base of skull involvement (T2p), but not with base of skull involvement (T3p). Enhanced local control of T2p with boost was significant without neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Tumors localized within the nasopharynx (T1) and tumors with nasal involvement (T2n) suffering from local persistences after external radiation therapy were treated with an intracavitary afterloading method. They had survival and recurrence rates comparable to complete responders to external radiation therapy. Patients with bulky cervical nodes (maximalmore » diameter greater than or equal to 4 cm, N1-N3), treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy with cis-diamminedichloroplatinum II and 5-fluorouracil, had a regional failure rate, distant metastasis rate, actuarial survival rate, and disease-free survival rate comparable to those with smaller nodes treated with external radiation therapy alone. A simple modification of the Ho's classification by regrouping the T-stages into 'early T-stages' and 'advanced T-stages' and by combining the N1 and the N2 has greatly increased the power of the system in predicting local recurrence and distant metastasis, respectively. There was an overall improvement of the actuarial survival rate and disease-free survival rate over the historical control, and its significance is discussed.« less

Intra-individual diagnostic image quality and organ-specific-radiation dose comparison between spiral cCT with iterative image reconstruction and z-axis automated tube current modulation and sequential cCT.

PubMed

Wenz, Holger; Maros, Máté E; Meyer, Mathias; Gawlitza, Joshua; Förster, Alex; Haubenreisser, Holger; Kurth, Stefan; Schoenberg, Stefan O; Groden, Christoph; Henzler, Thomas

2016-01-01

To prospectively evaluate image quality and organ-specific-radiation dose of spiral cranial CT (cCT) combined with automated tube current modulation (ATCM) and iterative image reconstruction (IR) in comparison to sequential tilted cCT reconstructed with filtered back projection (FBP) without ATCM. 31 patients with a previous performed tilted non-contrast enhanced sequential cCT aquisition on a 4-slice CT system with only FBP reconstruction and no ATCM were prospectively enrolled in this study for a clinical indicated cCT scan. All spiral cCT examinations were performed on a 3rd generation dual-source CT system using ATCM in z-axis direction. Images were reconstructed using both, FBP and IR (level 1-5). A Monte-Carlo-simulation-based analysis was used to compare organ-specific-radiation dose. Subjective image quality for various anatomic structures was evaluated using a 4-point Likert-scale and objective image quality was evaluated by comparing signal-to-noise ratios (SNR). Spiral cCT led to a significantly lower (p < 0.05) organ-specific-radiation dose in all targets including eye lense. Subjective image quality of spiral cCT datasets with an IR reconstruction level 5 was rated significantly higher compared to the sequential cCT acquisitions (p < 0.0001). Consecutive mean SNR was significantly higher in all spiral datasets (FBP, IR 1-5) when compared to sequential cCT with a mean SNR improvement of 44.77% (p < 0.0001). Spiral cCT combined with ATCM and IR allows for significant-radiation dose reduction including a reduce eye lens organ-dose when compared to a tilted sequential cCT while improving subjective and objective image quality.

Simultaneous, But Not Consecutive, Combination With Folinate Salts Potentiates 5-Fluorouracil Antitumor Activity In Vitro and In Vivo.

PubMed

Di Paolo, Antonello; Orlandi, Paola; Di Desidero, Teresa; Danesi, Romano; Bocci, Guido

2017-08-07

The combination of folinate salts to 5-fluoruracil (5-FU)-based schedules is an established clinical routine in the landscape of colorectal cancer treatment. The aim of this study was to investigate the pharmacological differences between the sequential administration of folinate salts (1 h before, as in clinical routine) followed by 5-FU and the simultaneous administration of both drugs. Proliferation and apoptotic assays were performed on human colon cancer cells exposed to 5-FU, calcium (CaLV), or disodium (NaLV) levofolinate or their simultaneous and sequential combination for 24 and 72 h. TYMS and SLC19A1 gene expression was performed with real-time PCR. In vivo experiments were performed in xenografted nude mice, which were treated with 5-FU escalating doses and CaLV or NaLV alone or in simultaneous and sequential combination. The simultaneous combination of folinate salts and 5-FU was synergistic (NaLV) or additive (CaLV) in a 24-h treatment in both cell lines. In contrast, the sequential combination of both folinate salts and 5-FU was antagonistic at 24 and 72 h. The simultaneous combination of 5-FU and NaLV or CaLV inhibited TYMS gene expression at 24 h, whereas the sequential combination reduced SLC19A1 gene expression. In vivo experiments confirmed the enhanced antitumor activity of the 5-FU + NaLV simultaneous combination with a good toxicity profile, whereas the sequential combination with CaLV failed to potentiate 5-FU activity. In conclusion, only the simultaneous, but not the consecutive, in vitro and in vivo combination of 5-FU and both folinate salt formulations potentiated the antiproliferative effects of the drugs.

Design of LabVIEW®-based software for the control of sequential injection analysis instrumentation for the determination of morphine

PubMed Central

Lenehan, Claire E.; Lewis, Simon W.

2002-01-01

LabVIEW®-based software for the automation of a sequential injection analysis instrument for the determination of morphine is presented. Detection was based on its chemiluminescence reaction with acidic potassium permanganate in the presence of sodium polyphosphate. The calibration function approximated linearity (range 5 × 10-10 to 5 × 10-6 M) with a line of best fit of y=1.05x+8.9164 (R2 =0.9959), where y is the log10 signal (mV) and x is the log10 morphine concentration (M). Precision, as measured by relative standard deviation, was 0.7% for five replicate analyses of morphine standard (5 × 10-8 M). The limit of detection (3σ) was determined as 5 × 10-11 M morphine. PMID:18924729

Design of LabVIEW-based software for the control of sequential injection analysis instrumentation for the determination of morphine.

PubMed

Lenehan, Claire E; Barnett, Neil W; Lewis, Simon W

2002-01-01

LabVIEW-based software for the automation of a sequential injection analysis instrument for the determination of morphine is presented. Detection was based on its chemiluminescence reaction with acidic potassium permanganate in the presence of sodium polyphosphate. The calibration function approximated linearity (range 5 x 10(-10) to 5 x 10(-6) M) with a line of best fit of y=1.05(x)+8.9164 (R(2) =0.9959), where y is the log10 signal (mV) and x is the log10 morphine concentration (M). Precision, as measured by relative standard deviation, was 0.7% for five replicate analyses of morphine standard (5 x 10(-8) M). The limit of detection (3sigma) was determined as 5 x 10(-11) M morphine.

Image segmentation for biomedical applications based on alternating sequential filtering and watershed transformation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gorpas, D.; Yova, D.

2009-07-01

One of the major challenges in biomedical imaging is the extraction of quantified information from the acquired images. Light and tissue interaction leads to the acquisition of images that present inconsistent intensity profiles and thus the accurate identification of the regions of interest is a rather complicated process. On the other hand, the complex geometries and the tangent objects that very often are present in the acquired images, lead to either false detections or to the merging, shrinkage or expansion of the regions of interest. In this paper an algorithm, which is based on alternating sequential filtering and watershed transformation, is proposed for the segmentation of biomedical images. This algorithm has been tested over two applications, each one based on different acquisition system, and the results illustrate its accuracy in segmenting the regions of interest.

Movement of particles using sequentially activated dielectrophoretic particle trapping

DOEpatents

Miles, Robin R.

2004-02-03

Manipulation of DNA and cells/spores using dielectrophoretic (DEP) forces to perform sample preparation protocols for polymerized chain reaction (PCR) based assays for various applications. This is accomplished by movement of particles using sequentially activated dielectrophoretic particle trapping. DEP forces induce a dipole in particles, and these particles can be trapped in non-uniform fields. The particles can be trapped in the high field strength region of one set of electrodes. By switching off this field and switching on an adjacent electrodes, particles can be moved down a channel with little or no flow.

Localisation in a Growth Model with Interaction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Costa, M.; Menshikov, M.; Shcherbakov, V.; Vachkovskaia, M.

2018-05-01

This paper concerns the long term behaviour of a growth model describing a random sequential allocation of particles on a finite cycle graph. The model can be regarded as a reinforced urn model with graph-based interaction. It is motivated by cooperative sequential adsorption, where adsorption rates at a site depend on the configuration of existing particles in the neighbourhood of that site. Our main result is that, with probability one, the growth process will eventually localise either at a single site, or at a pair of neighbouring sites.

Wald Sequential Probability Ratio Test for Analysis of Orbital Conjunction Data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Carpenter, J. Russell; Markley, F. Landis; Gold, Dara

2013-01-01

We propose a Wald Sequential Probability Ratio Test for analysis of commonly available predictions associated with spacecraft conjunctions. Such predictions generally consist of a relative state and relative state error covariance at the time of closest approach, under the assumption that prediction errors are Gaussian. We show that under these circumstances, the likelihood ratio of the Wald test reduces to an especially simple form, involving the current best estimate of collision probability, and a similar estimate of collision probability that is based on prior assumptions about the likelihood of collision.

Proline catalyzed sequential α-aminooxylation or -amination/reductive cyclization of o-nitrohydrocinnamaldehydes: a high yield synthesis of chiral 3-substituted tetrahydroquinolines.

PubMed

Rawat, Varun; Kumar, B Senthil; Sudalai, Arumugam

2013-06-14

A new sequential organocatalytic method for the synthesis of chiral 3-substituted (X = OH, NH2) tetrahydroquinoline derivatives (THQs) [ee up to 99%, yield up to 87%] based on α-aminooxylation or -amination followed by reductive cyclization of o-nitrohydrocinnamaldehydes has been described. This methodology has been efficiently demonstrated in the synthesis of two important bioactive molecules namely (-)-sumanirole (96% ee) and 1-[(S)-3-(dimethylamino)-3,4-dihydro-6,7-dimethoxy-quinolin-1(2H)-yl]propanone (92% ee).

Localisation in a Growth Model with Interaction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Costa, M.; Menshikov, M.; Shcherbakov, V.; Vachkovskaia, M.

2018-06-01

This paper concerns the long term behaviour of a growth model describing a random sequential allocation of particles on a finite cycle graph. The model can be regarded as a reinforced urn model with graph-based interaction. It is motivated by cooperative sequential adsorption, where adsorption rates at a site depend on the configuration of existing particles in the neighbourhood of that site. Our main result is that, with probability one, the growth process will eventually localise either at a single site, or at a pair of neighbouring sites.

Treating convection in sequential solvers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shyy, Wei; Thakur, Siddharth

1992-01-01

The treatment of the convection terms in the sequential solver, a standard procedure found in virtually all pressure based algorithms, to compute the flow problems with sharp gradients and source terms is investigated. Both scalar model problems and one-dimensional gas dynamics equations have been used to study the various issues involved. Different approaches including the use of nonlinear filtering techniques and adoption of TVD type schemes have been investigated. Special treatments of the source terms such as pressure gradients and heat release have also been devised, yielding insight and improved accuracy of the numerical procedure adopted.

Deformation behavior and mechanical analysis of vertically aligned carbon nanotube (VACNT) bundles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hutchens, Shelby B.

Vertically aligned carbon nanotubes (VACNTs) serve as integral components in a variety of applications including MEMS devices, energy absorbing materials, dry adhesives, light absorbing coatings, and electron emitters, all of which require structural robustness. It is only through an understanding of VACNT's structural mechanical response and local constitutive stress-strain relationship that future advancements through rational design may take place. Even for applications in which the structural response is not central to device performance, VACNTs must be sufficiently robust and therefore knowledge of their microstructure-property relationship is essential. This thesis first describes the results of in situ uniaxial compression experiments of 50 micron diameter cylindrical bundles of these complex, hierarchical materials as they undergo unusual deformation behavior. Most notably they deform via a series of localized folding events, originating near the bundle base, which propagate laterally and collapse sequentially from bottom to top. This deformation mechanism accompanies an overall foam-like stress-strain response having elastic, plateau, and densification regimes with the addition of undulations in the stress throughout the plateau regime that correspond to the sequential folding events. Microstructural observations indicate the presence of a strength gradient, due to a gradient in both tube density and alignment along the bundle height, which is found to play a key role in both the sequential deformation process and the overall stress-strain response. Using the complicated structural response as both motivation and confirmation, a finite element model based on a viscoplastic solid is proposed. This model is characterized by a flow stress relation that contains an initial peak followed by strong softening and successive hardening. Analysis of this constitutive relation results in capture of the sequential buckling phenomenon and a strength gradient effect. This combination of experimental and modeling approaches motivates discussion of the particular microstructural mechanisms and local material behavior that govern the non-trivial energy absorption via sequential, localized buckle formation in the VACNT bundles.

Randomized open-label non-comparative multicenter phase II trial of sequential erlotinib and docetaxel versus docetaxel alone in patients with non-small-cell lung cancer after failure of first-line chemotherapy: GFPC 10.02 study.

PubMed

Auliac, J B; Chouaid, C; Greillier, L; Greiller, L; Monnet, I; Le Caer, H; Falchero, L; Corre, R; Descourt, R; Bota, S; Berard, H; Schott, R; Bizieux, A; Fournel, P; Labrunie, A; Marin, B; Vergnenegre, A

2014-09-01

Concomitant administration of erlotinib with standard chemotherapy does not appear to improve survival among patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), but preliminary studies suggest that sequential administration might be effective. To assess the efficacy and tolerability of second-line sequential administration of erlotinib and docetaxel in advanced NSCLC. In an open-label phase II trial, patients with advanced NSCLC, EGFR wild-type or unknown, PS 0-2, in whom initial cisplatin-based chemotherapy had failed were randomized to sequential erlotinib 150 mg/d (day 2-16)+docetaxel (75 mg/m(2) d1) (arm ED) or docetaxel (75 mg/m(2) d1) alone (arm D) (21-day cycle). The primary endpoint was the progression-free survival rate at 15 weeks (PFS 15). Secondary endpoints included PFS, overall survival (OS), the overall response rate (ORR) and tolerability. Based on a Simon optimal two-stage design, the ED strategy was rejected if the primary endpoint was below 33/66 patients at the end of the two Simon stages. 147 patients were randomized (median age: 60±8 years, PS 0/1/2: 44/83/20 patients; males: 78%). The ED strategy was rejected, with only 18 of 73 patients achieving PFS15 in arm ED at the end of stage 2 and 17 of 74 patients in arm D. In arms ED and D, respectively, median PFS was 2.2 and 2.5 months and median OS was 6.5 and 8.3 months. Sequential erlotinib and docetaxel was not more effective than docetaxel alone as second-line treatment for advanced NSCLC with wild-type or unknown EGFR status. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Programming Cell Adhesion for On-Chip Sequential Boolean Logic Functions.

PubMed

Qu, Xiangmeng; Wang, Shaopeng; Ge, Zhilei; Wang, Jianbang; Yao, Guangbao; Li, Jiang; Zuo, Xiaolei; Shi, Jiye; Song, Shiping; Wang, Lihua; Li, Li; Pei, Hao; Fan, Chunhai

2017-08-02

Programmable remodelling of cell surfaces enables high-precision regulation of cell behavior. In this work, we developed in vitro constructed DNA-based chemical reaction networks (CRNs) to program on-chip cell adhesion. We found that the RGD-functionalized DNA CRNs are entirely noninvasive when interfaced with the fluidic mosaic membrane of living cells. DNA toehold with different lengths could tunably alter the release kinetics of cells, which shows rapid release in minutes with the use of a 6-base toehold. We further demonstrated the realization of Boolean logic functions by using DNA strand displacement reactions, which include multi-input and sequential cell logic gates (AND, OR, XOR, and AND-OR). This study provides a highly generic tool for self-organization of biological systems.

Sequential deconvolution from wave-front sensing using bivariate simplex splines

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guo, Shiping; Zhang, Rongzhi; Li, Jisheng; Zou, Jianhua; Xu, Rong; Liu, Changhai

2015-05-01

Deconvolution from wave-front sensing (DWFS) is an imaging compensation technique for turbulence degraded images based on simultaneous recording of short exposure images and wave-front sensor data. This paper employs the multivariate splines method for the sequential DWFS: a bivariate simplex splines based average slopes measurement model is built firstly for Shack-Hartmann wave-front sensor; next, a well-conditioned least squares estimator for the spline coefficients is constructed using multiple Shack-Hartmann measurements; then, the distorted wave-front is uniquely determined by the estimated spline coefficients; the object image is finally obtained by non-blind deconvolution processing. Simulated experiments in different turbulence strength show that our method performs superior image restoration results and noise rejection capability especially when extracting the multidirectional phase derivatives.

Multiple ionization of neon by soft x-rays at ultrahigh intensity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guichard, R.; Richter, M.; Rost, J.-M.; Saalmann, U.; Sorokin, A. A.; Tiedtke, K.

2013-08-01

At the free-electron laser FLASH, multiple ionization of neon atoms was quantitatively investigated at photon energies of 93.0 and 90.5 eV. For ion charge states up to 6+, we compare the respective absolute photoionization yields with results from a minimal model and an elaborate description including standard sequential and direct photoionization channels. Both approaches are based on rate equations and take into account a Gaussian spatial intensity distribution of the laser beam. From the comparison we conclude that photoionization up to a charge of 5+ can be described by the minimal model which we interpret as sequential photoionization assisted by electron shake-up processes. For higher charges, the experimental ionization yields systematically exceed the elaborate rate-based prediction.

Sequential defense against random and intentional attacks in complex networks.

PubMed

Chen, Pin-Yu; Cheng, Shin-Ming

2015-02-01

Network robustness against attacks is one of the most fundamental researches in network science as it is closely associated with the reliability and functionality of various networking paradigms. However, despite the study on intrinsic topological vulnerabilities to node removals, little is known on the network robustness when network defense mechanisms are implemented, especially for networked engineering systems equipped with detection capabilities. In this paper, a sequential defense mechanism is first proposed in complex networks for attack inference and vulnerability assessment, where the data fusion center sequentially infers the presence of an attack based on the binary attack status reported from the nodes in the network. The network robustness is evaluated in terms of the ability to identify the attack prior to network disruption under two major attack schemes, i.e., random and intentional attacks. We provide a parametric plug-in model for performance evaluation on the proposed mechanism and validate its effectiveness and reliability via canonical complex network models and real-world large-scale network topology. The results show that the sequential defense mechanism greatly improves the network robustness and mitigates the possibility of network disruption by acquiring limited attack status information from a small subset of nodes in the network.

Comparing multiple imputation methods for systematically missing subject-level data.

PubMed

Kline, David; Andridge, Rebecca; Kaizar, Eloise

2017-06-01

When conducting research synthesis, the collection of studies that will be combined often do not measure the same set of variables, which creates missing data. When the studies to combine are longitudinal, missing data can occur on the observation-level (time-varying) or the subject-level (non-time-varying). Traditionally, the focus of missing data methods for longitudinal data has been on missing observation-level variables. In this paper, we focus on missing subject-level variables and compare two multiple imputation approaches: a joint modeling approach and a sequential conditional modeling approach. We find the joint modeling approach to be preferable to the sequential conditional approach, except when the covariance structure of the repeated outcome for each individual has homogenous variance and exchangeable correlation. Specifically, the regression coefficient estimates from an analysis incorporating imputed values based on the sequential conditional method are attenuated and less efficient than those from the joint method. Remarkably, the estimates from the sequential conditional method are often less efficient than a complete case analysis, which, in the context of research synthesis, implies that we lose efficiency by combining studies. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Evaluation of an antibiotic intravenous to oral sequential therapy program.

PubMed

Pablos, Ana I; Escobar, Ismael; Albiñana, Sandra; Serrano, Olga; Ferrari, José M; Herreros de Tejada, Alberto

2005-01-01

This study was designed to analyse the drug consumption difference and economic impact of an antibiotic sequential therapy focused on quinolones. We studied the consumption of quinolones (ofloxacin/levofloxacin and ciprofloxacin) 6 months before and after the implementation of a sequential therapy program in hospitalised patients. It was calculated for each antibiotic, in its oral and intravenous forms, in defined daily dose (DDD/100 stays per day) and economical terms (drug acquisition cost). At the beginning of the program ofloxacin was replaced by levofloxacin and, since their clinical uses are similar, the consumption of both drugs was compared during the period. In economic terms, the consumption of intravenous quinolones decreased 60% whereas the consumption of oral quinolones increased 66%. In DDD/100 stays per day, intravenous forms consumption decreased 53% and oral forms consumption increased 36%. Focusing on quinolones, the implementation of a sequential therapy program based on promoting an early switch from intravenous to oral regimen has proved its capacity to alter the utilisation profile of these antibiotics. The program has permitted the hospital a global saving of 41420 dollars for these drugs during the period of time considered. Copyright (c) 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

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

PubMed

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

2015-01-01

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

Analyzing multicomponent receptive fields from neural responses to natural stimuli

PubMed Central

Rowekamp, Ryan; Sharpee, Tatyana O

2011-01-01

The challenge of building increasingly better models of neural responses to natural stimuli is to accurately estimate the multiple stimulus features that may jointly affect the neural spike probability. The selectivity for combinations of features is thought to be crucial for achieving classical properties of neural responses such as contrast invariance. The joint search for these multiple stimulus features is difficult because estimating spike probability as a multidimensional function of stimulus projections onto candidate relevant dimensions is subject to the curse of dimensionality. An attractive alternative is to search for relevant dimensions sequentially, as in projection pursuit regression. Here we demonstrate using analytic arguments and simulations of model cells that different types of sequential search strategies exhibit systematic biases when used with natural stimuli. Simulations show that joint optimization is feasible for up to three dimensions with current algorithms. When applied to the responses of V1 neurons to natural scenes, models based on three jointly optimized dimensions had better predictive power in a majority of cases compared to dimensions optimized sequentially, with different sequential methods yielding comparable results. Thus, although the curse of dimensionality remains, at least several relevant dimensions can be estimated by joint information maximization. PMID:21780916

An on-line potentiometric sequential injection titration process analyser for the determination of acetic acid.

PubMed

van Staden, J F; Mashamba, Mulalo G; Stefan, Raluca I

2002-09-01

An on-line potentiometric sequential injection titration process analyser for the determination of acetic acid is proposed. A solution of 0.1 mol L(-1) sodium chloride is used as carrier. Titration is achieved by aspirating acetic acid samples between two strong base-zone volumes into a holding coil and by channelling the stack of well-defined zones with flow reversal through a reaction coil to a potentiometric sensor where the peak widths were measured. A linear relationship between peak width and logarithm of the acid concentration was obtained in the range 1-9 g/100 mL. Vinegar samples were analysed without any sample pre-treatment. The method has a relative standard deviation of 0.4% with a sample frequency of 28 samples per hour. The results revealed good agreement between the proposed sequential injection and an automated batch titration method.

A Robust Real Time Direction-of-Arrival Estimation Method for Sequential Movement Events of Vehicles.

PubMed

Liu, Huawei; Li, Baoqing; Yuan, Xiaobing; Zhou, Qianwei; Huang, Jingchang

2018-03-27

Parameters estimation of sequential movement events of vehicles is facing the challenges of noise interferences and the demands of portable implementation. In this paper, we propose a robust direction-of-arrival (DOA) estimation method for the sequential movement events of vehicles based on a small Micro-Electro-Mechanical System (MEMS) microphone array system. Inspired by the incoherent signal-subspace method (ISM), the method that is proposed in this work employs multiple sub-bands, which are selected from the wideband signals with high magnitude-squared coherence to track moving vehicles in the presence of wind noise. The field test results demonstrate that the proposed method has a better performance in emulating the DOA of a moving vehicle even in the case of severe wind interference than the narrowband multiple signal classification (MUSIC) method, the sub-band DOA estimation method, and the classical two-sided correlation transformation (TCT) method.

Multi-Phenotypic subtyping of circulating tumor cells using sequential fluorescent quenching and restaining

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Adams, Daniel L.; Alpaugh, R. Katherine; Tsai, Susan; Tang, Cha-Mei; Stefansson, Steingrimur

2016-09-01

In tissue biopsies formalin fixed paraffin embedded cancer blocks are micro-sectioned producing multiple semi-identical specimens which are analyzed and subtyped proteomically, and genomically, with numerous biomarkers. In blood based biopsies (BBBs), blood is purified for circulating tumor cells (CTCs) and clinical utility is typically limited to cell enumeration, as only 2-3 positive fluorescent markers and 1 negative marker can be used. As such, increasing the number of subtyping biomarkers on each individual CTC could dramatically enhance the clinical utility of BBBs, allowing in depth interrogation of clinically relevant CTCs. We describe a simple and inexpensive method for quenching the specific fluors of fluorescently stained CTCs followed by sequential restaining with additional biomarkers. As proof of principle a CTC panel, immunosuppression panel and stem cell panel were used to sequentially subtype individual fluorescently stained patient CTCs, suggesting a simple and universal technique to analyze multiple clinically applicable immunomarkers from BBBs.

Effective Identification of Similar Patients Through Sequential Matching over ICD Code Embedding.

PubMed

Nguyen, Dang; Luo, Wei; Venkatesh, Svetha; Phung, Dinh

2018-04-11

Evidence-based medicine often involves the identification of patients with similar conditions, which are often captured in ICD (International Classification of Diseases (World Health Organization 2013)) code sequences. With no satisfying prior solutions for matching ICD-10 code sequences, this paper presents a method which effectively captures the clinical similarity among routine patients who have multiple comorbidities and complex care needs. Our method leverages the recent progress in representation learning of individual ICD-10 codes, and it explicitly uses the sequential order of codes for matching. Empirical evaluation on a state-wide cancer data collection shows that our proposed method achieves significantly higher matching performance compared with state-of-the-art methods ignoring the sequential order. Our method better identifies similar patients in a number of clinical outcomes including readmission and mortality outlook. Although this paper focuses on ICD-10 diagnosis code sequences, our method can be adapted to work with other codified sequence data.

Mining sequential patterns for protein fold recognition.

PubMed

Exarchos, Themis P; Papaloukas, Costas; Lampros, Christos; Fotiadis, Dimitrios I

2008-02-01

Protein data contain discriminative patterns that can be used in many beneficial applications if they are defined correctly. In this work sequential pattern mining (SPM) is utilized for sequence-based fold recognition. Protein classification in terms of fold recognition plays an important role in computational protein analysis, since it can contribute to the determination of the function of a protein whose structure is unknown. Specifically, one of the most efficient SPM algorithms, cSPADE, is employed for the analysis of protein sequence. A classifier uses the extracted sequential patterns to classify proteins in the appropriate fold category. For training and evaluating the proposed method we used the protein sequences from the Protein Data Bank and the annotation of the SCOP database. The method exhibited an overall accuracy of 25% in a classification problem with 36 candidate categories. The classification performance reaches up to 56% when the five most probable protein folds are considered.

Enhancing sequential time perception and storytelling ability of deaf and hard of hearing children.

PubMed

Ingber, Sara; Eden, Sigal

2011-01-01

A 3-month intervention was conducted to enhance the sequential time perception and storytelling ability of young children with hearing loss. The children were trained to arrange pictorial episodes of temporal scripts and tell the stories they created. Participants (N = 34, aged 4-7 years) were divided into 2 groups based on whether their spoken-language gap was more or less than 1 year compared to age norms. They completed A. Kaufman and N. Kaufman's (1983) picture series subtest and Guralnik's (1982) storytelling test at pretest and posttest. Measures demonstrated significant improvement in sequential time and storytelling achievement postintervention. Three of the examined demographic variables revealed correlations: Participants with genetic etiology showed greater improvement in time sequencing and storytelling than participants with unknown etiology; early onset of treatment correlated with better achievement in time sequencing; cochlear implant users showed greater storytelling improvement than hearing aid users.

Sequential and parallel image restoration: neural network implementations.

PubMed

Figueiredo, M T; Leitao, J N

1994-01-01

Sequential and parallel image restoration algorithms and their implementations on neural networks are proposed. For images degraded by linear blur and contaminated by additive white Gaussian noise, maximum a posteriori (MAP) estimation and regularization theory lead to the same high dimension convex optimization problem. The commonly adopted strategy (in using neural networks for image restoration) is to map the objective function of the optimization problem into the energy of a predefined network, taking advantage of its energy minimization properties. Departing from this approach, we propose neural implementations of iterative minimization algorithms which are first proved to converge. The developed schemes are based on modified Hopfield (1985) networks of graded elements, with both sequential and parallel updating schedules. An algorithm supported on a fully standard Hopfield network (binary elements and zero autoconnections) is also considered. Robustness with respect to finite numerical precision is studied, and examples with real images are presented.

Inquiry-Based Instruction: Does School Environmental Context Matter?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pea, Celestine H.

2012-01-01

In a larger study on teachers' beliefs about science teaching, one component looks at how school environmental context factors influence inquiry-based science instruction. Research shows that three broad categories of school environmental factors (human, sociocultural, design) impact inquiry-based teaching in some way. A mixed-method, sequential,…

128-slice Dual-source Computed Tomography Coronary Angiography in Patients with Atrial Fibrillation: Image Quality and Radiation Dose of Prospectively Electrocardiogram-triggered Sequential Scan Compared with Retrospectively Electrocardiogram-gated Spiral Scan.

PubMed

Lin, Lu; Wang, Yi-Ning; Kong, Ling-Yan; Jin, Zheng-Yu; Lu, Guang-Ming; Zhang, Zhao-Qi; Cao, Jian; Li, Shuo; Song, Lan; Wang, Zhi-Wei; Zhou, Kang; Wang, Ming

2013-01-01

Objective To evaluate the image quality (IQ) and radiation dose of 128-slice dual-source computed tomography (DSCT) coronary angiography using prospectively electrocardiogram (ECG)-triggered sequential scan mode compared with ECG-gated spiral scan mode in a population with atrial fibrillation. Methods Thirty-two patients with suspected coronary artery disease and permanent atrial fibrillation referred for a second-generation 128-slice DSCT coronary angiography were included in the prospective study. Of them, 17 patients (sequential group) were randomly selected to use a prospectively ECG-triggered sequential scan, while the other 15 patients (spiral group) used a retrospectively ECG-gated spiral scan. The IQ was assessed by two readers independently, using a four-point grading scale from excel-lent (grade 1) to non-assessable (grade 4), based on the American Heart Association 15-segment model. IQ of each segment and effective dose of each patient were compared between the two groups. Results The mean heart rate (HR) of the sequential group was 96±27 beats per minute (bpm) with a variation range of 73±25 bpm, while the mean HR of the spiral group was 86±22 bpm with a variationrange of 65±24 bpm. Both of the mean HR (t=1.91, P=0.243) and HR variation range (t=0.950, P=0.350) had no significant difference between the two groups. In per-segment analysis, IQ of the sequential group vs. spiral group was rated as excellent (grade 1) in 190/244 (78%) vs. 177/217 (82%) by reader1 and 197/245 (80%) vs. 174/214 (81%) by reader2, as non-assessable (grade 4) in 4/244 (2%) vs. 2/217 (1%) by reader1 and 6/245 (2%) vs. 4/214 (2%) by reader2. Overall averaged IQ per-patient in the sequential and spiral group showed equally good (1.27±0.19 vs. 1.25±0.22, Z=-0.834, P=0.404). The effective radiation dose of the sequential group reduced significantly compared with the spiral group (4.88±1.77 mSv vs. 10.20±3.64 mSv; t=-5.372, P=0.000). Conclusion Compared with retrospectively ECG-gated spiral scan, prospectively ECG-triggered sequential DSCT coronary angiography provides similarly diagnostically valuable images in patients with atrial fibrillation and significantly reduces radiation dose.

Diagnostic test accuracy and prevalence inferences based on joint and sequential testing with finite population sampling.

PubMed

Su, Chun-Lung; Gardner, Ian A; Johnson, Wesley O

2004-07-30

The two-test two-population model, originally formulated by Hui and Walter, for estimation of test accuracy and prevalence estimation assumes conditionally independent tests, constant accuracy across populations and binomial sampling. The binomial assumption is incorrect if all individuals in a population e.g. child-care centre, village in Africa, or a cattle herd are sampled or if the sample size is large relative to population size. In this paper, we develop statistical methods for evaluating diagnostic test accuracy and prevalence estimation based on finite sample data in the absence of a gold standard. Moreover, two tests are often applied simultaneously for the purpose of obtaining a 'joint' testing strategy that has either higher overall sensitivity or specificity than either of the two tests considered singly. Sequential versions of such strategies are often applied in order to reduce the cost of testing. We thus discuss joint (simultaneous and sequential) testing strategies and inference for them. Using the developed methods, we analyse two real and one simulated data sets, and we compare 'hypergeometric' and 'binomial-based' inferences. Our findings indicate that the posterior standard deviations for prevalence (but not sensitivity and specificity) based on finite population sampling tend to be smaller than their counterparts for infinite population sampling. Finally, we make recommendations about how small the sample size should be relative to the population size to warrant use of the binomial model for prevalence estimation. Copyright 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Sequential Syndrome Decoding of Convolutional Codes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Reed, I. S.; Truong, T. K.

1984-01-01

The algebraic structure of convolutional codes are reviewed and sequential syndrome decoding is applied to those codes. These concepts are then used to realize by example actual sequential decoding, using the stack algorithm. The Fano metric for use in sequential decoding is modified so that it can be utilized to sequentially find the minimum weight error sequence.

Robustness of the sequential lineup advantage.

PubMed

Gronlund, Scott D; Carlson, Curt A; Dailey, Sarah B; Goodsell, Charles A

2009-06-01

A growing movement in the United States and around the world involves promoting the advantages of conducting an eyewitness lineup in a sequential manner. We conducted a large study (N = 2,529) that included 24 comparisons of sequential versus simultaneous lineups. A liberal statistical criterion revealed only 2 significant sequential lineup advantages and 3 significant simultaneous advantages. Both sequential advantages occurred when the good photograph of the guilty suspect or either innocent suspect was in the fifth position in the sequential lineup; all 3 simultaneous advantages occurred when the poorer quality photograph of the guilty suspect or either innocent suspect was in the second position. Adjusting the statistical criterion to control for the multiple tests (.05/24) revealed no significant sequential advantages. Moreover, despite finding more conservative overall choosing for the sequential lineup, no support was found for the proposal that a sequential advantage was due to that conservative criterion shift. Unless lineups with particular characteristics predominate in the real world, there appears to be no strong preference for conducting lineups in either a sequential or a simultaneous manner. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2009 APA, all rights reserved).

Adapted cuing technique: facilitating sequential phoneme production.

PubMed

Klick, S L

1994-09-01

ACT is a visual cuing technique designed to facilitate dyspraxic speech by highlighting the sequential production of phonemes. In using ACT, cues are presented in such a way as to suggest sequential, coarticulatory movement in an overall pattern of motion. While using ACT, the facilitator's hand moves forward and back along the side of her (or his) own face. Finger movements signal specific speech sounds in formations loosely based on the manual alphabet for the hearing impaired. The best movements suggest the flowing, interactive nature of coarticulated phonemes. The synergistic nature of speech is suggested by coordinated hand motions which tighten and relax, move quickly or slowly, reflecting the motions of the vocal tract at various points during production of phonemic sequences. General principles involved in using ACT include a primary focus on speech-in-motion, the monitoring and fading of cues, and the presentation of stimuli based on motor-task analysis of phonemic sequences. Phonemic sequences are cued along three dimensions: place, manner, and vowel-related mandibular motion. Cuing vowels is a central feature of ACT. Two parameters of vowel production, focal point of resonance and mandibular closure, are cued. The facilitator's hand motions reflect the changing shape of the vocal tract and the trajectory of the tongue that result from the coarticulation of vowels and consonants. Rigid presentation of the phonemes is secondary to the facilitator's primary focus on presenting the overall sequential movement. The facilitator's goal is to self-tailor ACT in response to the changing needs and abilities of the client.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Delay test generation for synchronous sequential circuits

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Devadas, Srinivas

1989-05-01

We address the problem of generating tests for delay faults in non-scan synchronous sequential circuits. Delay test generation for sequential circuits is a considerably more difficult problem than delay testing of combinational circuits and has received much less attention. In this paper, we present a method for generating test sequences to detect delay faults in sequential circuits using the stuck-at fault sequential test generator STALLION. The method is complete in that it will generate a delay test sequence for a targeted fault given sufficient CPU time, if such a sequence exists. We term faults for which no delay test sequence exists, under out test methodology, sequentially delay redundant. We describe means of eliminating sequential delay redundancies in logic circuits. We present a partial-scan methodology for enhancing the testability of difficult-to-test of untestable sequential circuits, wherein a small number of flip-flops are selected and made controllable/observable. The selection process guarantees the elimination of all sequential delay redundancies. We show that an intimate relationship exists between state assignment and delay testability of a sequential machine. We describe a state assignment algorithm for the synthesis of sequential machines with maximal delay fault testability. Preliminary experimental results using the test generation, partial-scan and synthesis algorithm are presented.

Computer-Based Career Interventions.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mau, Wei-Cheng

The possible utilities and limitations of computer-assisted career guidance systems (CACG) have been widely discussed although the effectiveness of CACG has not been systematically considered. This paper investigates the effectiveness of a theory-based CACG program, integrating Sequential Elimination and Expected Utility strategies. Three types of…

Evaluation of Pollutant Leaching Potential of Coal Ashes for Recycling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Park, D.; Woo, N. C.; Kim, H.; Yoon, H.; Chung, D.

2011-12-01

By 2009, coal ashes produced from coal-based power plants in Korea have been reused as cement supplement materials; however, the rest is mostly disposed in landfills inside the plant properties. Continuous production of coal ashes and limited landfill sites require more recycles of coal ashes as base materials, specifically in constructions of roads and of huge industrial complex. Previous researches showed that coal ashes could contain various metals such as arsenic(As), chromium(Cr), lead(Pb), nickel(Ni), selenium(Se), etc. In this study, we collected four types of bottom ashes and two of fly ashes from four coal-based power plants. These ash samples were tested with distilled water through the column leaching process in oxidized conditions. The column test results were compared with those of total digestion, sequential extraction processes and TCLP. Concentrations of metals in outflows from columns are generally greater in fly ashes than in bottom ashes, specifically for As, Se, B, Sr and SO4. Only one fly ash (J2-F) shows high concentrations of arsenic and selenium in leachate. Sequential extraction results indicate that these metals are in readily soluble forms, such as adsorbed, carbonated, and reducible forms. Results of TCLP analysis indicate no potential contaminants leached from the ashes. In conclusion, recycling of coal combustion ashes could be encouraged with proper tests such as sequential and leaching experiments.

Sequential data access with Oracle and Hadoop: a performance comparison

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baranowski, Zbigniew; Canali, Luca; Grancher, Eric

2014-06-01

The Hadoop framework has proven to be an effective and popular approach for dealing with "Big Data" and, thanks to its scaling ability and optimised storage access, Hadoop Distributed File System-based projects such as MapReduce or HBase are seen as candidates to replace traditional relational database management systems whenever scalable speed of data processing is a priority. But do these projects deliver in practice? Does migrating to Hadoop's "shared nothing" architecture really improve data access throughput? And, if so, at what cost? Authors answer these questions-addressing cost/performance as well as raw performance- based on a performance comparison between an Oracle-based relational database and Hadoop's distributed solutions like MapReduce or HBase for sequential data access. A key feature of our approach is the use of an unbiased data model as certain data models can significantly favour one of the technologies tested.

Instructing cells with programmable peptide DNA hybrids

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

Freeman, Ronit; Stephanopoulos, Nicholas; Alvarez, Zaida

The native extracellular matrix is a space in which signals can be displayed dynamically and reversibly, positioned with nanoscale precision, and combined synergistically to control cell function. Here we describe a molecular system that can be programmed to control these three characteristics. In this approach we immobilize peptide-DNA (P-DNA) molecules on a surface through complementary DNA tethers directing cells to adhere and spread reversibly over multiple cycles. The DNA can also serve as a molecular ruler to control the distance-dependent synergy between two peptides. Finally, we use two orthogonal DNA handles to regulate two different bioactive signals, with the abilitymore » to independently up- or downregulate each over time. This enabled us to discover that neural stem cells, derived from the murine spinal cord and organized as neurospheres, can be triggered to migrate out in response to an exogenous signal but then regroup into a neurosphere as the signal is removed.« less

The pressure distribution for biharmonic transmitting array: theoretical study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baranowska, A.

2005-03-01

The aim of the paper is theoretical analysis of the finite amplitude waves interaction problem for the biharmonic transmitting array. We assume that the array consists of 16 circular pistons of the same dimensions that regrouped in two sections. Two different arrangements of radiating elements were considered. In this situation the radiating surface is non-continuous without axial symmetry. The mathematical model was built on the basis of the Khokhlov - Zabolotskaya - Kuznetsov (KZK) equation. To solve the problem the finite-difference method was applied. On-axis pressure amplitude for different frequency waves as a function of distance from the source, transverse pressure distribution of these waves at fixed distances from the source and pressure amplitude distribution for them at fixed planes were examined. Especially changes of normalized pressure amplitude for difference frequency were studied. The paper presents mathematical model and some results of theoretical investigations obtained for different values of source parameters.

The stresses in stiffener openings

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Marguerre, K

1942-01-01

The present study treats as a typical example a ring the center line of which is produced by the intersection of two circular cylinders of different diameter. Three load cases are analyzed: (1) Axial and circumferential stresses in both cylinders, the cylinder stresses themselves to be in the ratio conformal to the cylinders loaded under internal pressure. (2) Pure longitudinal tension in the large cylinder. (3) Pure shear (torsion) in the large cylinder. To simplify the calculation, it is assumed that the ring, compared to the shell, is very strong, so that its deformations have no perceptible effect on the stress condition in the shell. This provides an upper limit for the ring stresses actually produced in a shell design, for, according to the theory of stressed skin statics the shells, by elastic flexibility of the ring, regroup the forces deposited on it in such a manner that the ring is relieved.

Language structure in the n -object naming game.

PubMed

Lipowski, Adam; Lipowska, Dorota

2009-11-01

We examine a naming game with two agents trying to establish a common vocabulary for n objects. Such efforts lead to the emergence of language that allows for an efficient communication and exhibits some degree of homonymy and synonymy. Although homonymy reduces the communication efficiency, it seems to be a dynamical trap that persists for a long, and perhaps indefinite, time. On the other hand, synonymy does not reduce the efficiency of communication but appears to be only a transient feature of the language. Thus, in our model the role of synonymy decreases and in the long-time limit it becomes negligible. A similar rareness of synonymy is observed in present natural languages. The role of noise, that distorts the communicated words, is also examined. Although, in general, the noise reduces the communication efficiency, it also regroups the words so that they are more evenly distributed within the available "verbal" space.

[Plague outbreaks in the Mediterranean area during the 2nd World War, epidemiology and treatments].

PubMed

Mafart, B; Brisou, P; Bertherat, E

2004-11-01

Before the Second World War, the plague was still rife in North Africa but occurred only as sporadic cases or small outbreaks as in Egypt or Morocco. The permanent foci of infected wild rodent were the cause of these rural outbreaks. In 1943 and 1944, plague came back in several Mediterranean towns and ports and was considered as a serious danger for the Allied Forces. These resurgences were related to the World War as well as the overpopulation of the cities, regroupings and population movements, relaxation of prophylactic measures of the plague in sea transport. The Allied Forces medical officers then showed the resistance of Yersinia pestis to penicillin which they had been supplied with recently, the effectiveness of sulphamides but mortality remained high (27%). In parallel, the drastic fight against rodents and fleas (DDT) gave excellent results.

Average value of the shape and direction factor in the equation of refractive index

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Tao

2017-10-01

The theoretical calculation of the refractive indices is of great significance for the developments of new optical materials. The calculation method of refractive index, which was deduced from the electron-cloud-conductor model, contains the shape and direction factor 〈g〉. 〈g〉 affects the electromagnetic-induction energy absorbed by the electron clouds, thereby influencing the refractive indices. It is not yet known how to calculate 〈g〉 value of non-spherical electron clouds. In this paper, 〈g〉 value is derived by imaginatively dividing the electron cloud into numerous little volume elements and then regrouping them. This paper proves that 〈g〉 = 2/3 when molecules’ spatial orientations distribute randomly. The calculations of the refractive indices of several substances validate this equation. This result will help to promote the application of the calculation method of refractive index.

Instructing cells with programmable peptide DNA hybrids

DOE PAGES

Freeman, Ronit; Stephanopoulos, Nicholas; Alvarez, Zaida; ...

2017-07-10

The native extracellular matrix is a space in which signals can be displayed dynamically and reversibly, positioned with nanoscale precision, and combined synergistically to control cell function. Here we describe a molecular system that can be programmed to control these three characteristics. In this approach we immobilize peptide-DNA (P-DNA) molecules on a surface through complementary DNA tethers directing cells to adhere and spread reversibly over multiple cycles. The DNA can also serve as a molecular ruler to control the distance-dependent synergy between two peptides. Finally, we use two orthogonal DNA handles to regulate two different bioactive signals, with the abilitymore » to independently up- or downregulate each over time. This enabled us to discover that neural stem cells, derived from the murine spinal cord and organized as neurospheres, can be triggered to migrate out in response to an exogenous signal but then regroup into a neurosphere as the signal is removed.« less

Carboxyhaemoglobin and plasma thiocyanate: complementary indicators of smoking behaviour?

PubMed Central

Saloojee, Y; Vesey, C J; Cole, P V; Russell, M A

1982-01-01

Carboxyhaemoglobin and plasma thiocyanate concentrations were measured in 79 non-smokers and 360 cigarette smokers. The mean levels were 0.73% and 7.09% carboxyhaemoglobin and 40 . 2 and 133 . 8 mumol thiocyanate/1 plasma respectively. With 1 . 6% carboxyhaemoglobin and 73 . 0 mumol thiocyanate/1 plasma as critical values the concentrations of carboxyhaemoglobin in 96.6% of subjects and of thiocyanate in 93.4% were compatible with reported smoking status. This difference between the two tests is significant (p less than 0 . 005). Statistical combination of the carboxyhaemoglobin and thiocyanate results, with the use of linear discrimination analysis, only marginally improved their diagnostic efficiency (96.8% of subjects were grouped correctly). This analysis did, however, successfully regroup 21 of 26 individuals with contradictory carboxyhaemoglobin and thiocyanate classifications. It is concluded that in this study determination of thiocyanate added little to the information obtained from carboxyhaemoglobin measurements alone. PMID:7135293

Instructing cells with programmable peptide DNA hybrids

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Freeman, Ronit; Stephanopoulos, Nicholas; Álvarez, Zaida; Lewis, Jacob A.; Sur, Shantanu; Serrano, Chris M.; Boekhoven, Job; Lee, Sungsoo S.; Stupp, Samuel I.

2017-07-01

The native extracellular matrix is a space in which signals can be displayed dynamically and reversibly, positioned with nanoscale precision, and combined synergistically to control cell function. Here we describe a molecular system that can be programmed to control these three characteristics. In this approach we immobilize peptide-DNA (P-DNA) molecules on a surface through complementary DNA tethers directing cells to adhere and spread reversibly over multiple cycles. The DNA can also serve as a molecular ruler to control the distance-dependent synergy between two peptides. Finally, we use two orthogonal DNA handles to regulate two different bioactive signals, with the ability to independently up- or downregulate each over time. This enabled us to discover that neural stem cells, derived from the murine spinal cord and organized as neurospheres, can be triggered to migrate out in response to an exogenous signal but then regroup into a neurosphere as the signal is removed.

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

Shusharina, N; Khan, F; Sharp, G

Purpose: To determine the dose level and timing of the boost in locally advanced lung cancer patients with confirmed tumor recurrence by comparing different boosting strategies by an impact of dose escalation in improvement of the therapeutic ratio. Methods: We selected eighteen patients with advanced NSCLC and confirmed recurrence. For each patient, a base IMRT plan to 60 Gy prescribed to PTV was created. Then we compared three dose escalation strategies: a uniform escalation to the original PTV, an escalation to a PET-defined target planned sequentially and concurrently. The PET-defined targets were delineated by biologically-weighed regions on a pre-treatment 18F-FDGmore » PET. The maximal achievable dose, without violating the OAR constraints, was identified for each boosting method. The EUD for the target, spinal cord, combined lung, and esophagus was compared for each plan. Results: The average prescribed dose was 70.4±13.9 Gy for the uniform boost, 88.5±15.9 Gy for the sequential boost and 89.1±16.5 Gy for concurrent boost. The size of the boost planning volume was 12.8% (range: 1.4 – 27.9%) of the PTV. The most prescription-limiting dose constraints was the V70 of the esophagus. The EUD within the target increased by 10.6 Gy for the uniform boost, by 31.4 Gy for the sequential boost and by 38.2 for the concurrent boost. The EUD for OARs increased by the following amounts: spinal cord, 3.1 Gy for uniform boost, 2.8 Gy for sequential boost, 5.8 Gy for concurrent boost; combined lung, 1.6 Gy for uniform, 1.1 Gy for sequential, 2.8 Gy for concurrent; esophagus, 4.2 Gy for uniform, 1.3 Gy for sequential, 5.6 Gy for concurrent. Conclusion: Dose escalation to a biologically-weighed gross tumor volume defined on a pre-treatment 18F-FDG PET may provide improved therapeutic ratio without breaching predefined OAR constraints. Sequential boost provides better sparing of OARs as compared with concurrent boost.« less

Lineup composition, suspect position, and the sequential lineup advantage.

PubMed

Carlson, Curt A; Gronlund, Scott D; Clark, Steven E

2008-06-01

N. M. Steblay, J. Dysart, S. Fulero, and R. C. L. Lindsay (2001) argued that sequential lineups reduce the likelihood of mistaken eyewitness identification. Experiment 1 replicated the design of R. C. L. Lindsay and G. L. Wells (1985), the first study to show the sequential lineup advantage. However, the innocent suspect was chosen at a lower rate in the simultaneous lineup, and no sequential lineup advantage was found. This led the authors to hypothesize that protection from a sequential lineup might emerge only when an innocent suspect stands out from the other lineup members. In Experiment 2, participants viewed a simultaneous or sequential lineup with either the guilty suspect or 1 of 3 innocent suspects. Lineup fairness was varied to influence the degree to which a suspect stood out. A sequential lineup advantage was found only for the unfair lineups. Additional analyses of suspect position in the sequential lineups showed an increase in the diagnosticity of suspect identifications as the suspect was placed later in the sequential lineup. These results suggest that the sequential lineup advantage is dependent on lineup composition and suspect position. (c) 2008 APA, all rights reserved

A service-based BLAST command tool supported by cloud infrastructures.

PubMed

Carrión, Abel; Blanquer, Ignacio; Hernández, Vicente

2012-01-01

Notwithstanding the benefits of distributed-computing infrastructures for empowering bioinformatics analysis tools with the needed computing and storage capability, the actual use of these infrastructures is still low. Learning curves and deployment difficulties have reduced the impact on the wide research community. This article presents a porting strategy of BLAST based on a multiplatform client and a service that provides the same interface as sequential BLAST, thus reducing learning curve and with minimal impact on their integration on existing workflows. The porting has been done using the execution and data access components from the EC project Venus-C and the Windows Azure infrastructure provided in this project. The results obtained demonstrate a low overhead on the global execution framework and reasonable speed-up and cost-efficiency with respect to a sequential version.

Efficient computation of hashes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lopes, Raul H. C.; Franqueira, Virginia N. L.; Hobson, Peter R.

2014-06-01

The sequential computation of hashes at the core of many distributed storage systems and found, for example, in grid services can hinder efficiency in service quality and even pose security challenges that can only be addressed by the use of parallel hash tree modes. The main contributions of this paper are, first, the identification of several efficiency and security challenges posed by the use of sequential hash computation based on the Merkle-Damgard engine. In addition, alternatives for the parallel computation of hash trees are discussed, and a prototype for a new parallel implementation of the Keccak function, the SHA-3 winner, is introduced.

Sequential Probability Ratio Test for Collision Avoidance Maneuver Decisions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Carpenter, J. Russell; Markley, F. Landis

2010-01-01

When facing a conjunction between space objects, decision makers must chose whether to maneuver for collision avoidance or not. We apply a well-known decision procedure, the sequential probability ratio test, to this problem. We propose two approaches to the problem solution, one based on a frequentist method, and the other on a Bayesian method. The frequentist method does not require any prior knowledge concerning the conjunction, while the Bayesian method assumes knowledge of prior probability densities. Our results show that both methods achieve desired missed detection rates, but the frequentist method's false alarm performance is inferior to the Bayesian method's

Facile Determination of Sodium Ion and Osmolarity in Artificial Tears by Sequential DNAzymes.

PubMed

Kim, Eun Hye; Lee, Eun-Song; Lee, Dong Yun; Kim, Young-Pil

2017-12-07

Despite high relevance of tear osmolarity and eye abnormality, numerous methods for detecting tear osmolarity rely upon expensive osmometers. We report a reliable method for simply determining sodium ion-based osmolarity in artificial tears using sequential DNAzymes. When sodium ion-specific DNAzyme and peroxidase-like DNAzyme were used as a sensing and detecting probe, respectively, the concentration of Na⁺ in artificial tears could be measured by absorbance or fluorescence intensity, which was highly correlated with osmolarity over the diagnostic range ( R ² > 0.98). Our approach is useful for studying eye diseases in relation to osmolarity.

Inverse problems in 1D hemodynamics on systemic networks: a sequential approach.

PubMed

Lombardi, D

2014-02-01

In this work, a sequential approach based on the unscented Kalman filter is applied to solve inverse problems in 1D hemodynamics, on a systemic network. For instance, the arterial stiffness is estimated by exploiting cross-sectional area and mean speed observations in several locations of the arteries. The results are compared with those ones obtained by estimating the pulse wave velocity and the Moens-Korteweg formula. In the last section, a perspective concerning the identification of the terminal models parameters and peripheral circulation (modeled by a Windkessel circuit) is presented. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Particle filters, a quasi-Monte-Carlo-solution for segmentation of coronaries.

PubMed

Florin, Charles; Paragios, Nikos; Williams, Jim

2005-01-01

In this paper we propose a Particle Filter-based approach for the segmentation of coronary arteries. To this end, successive planes of the vessel are modeled as unknown states of a sequential process. Such states consist of the orientation, position, shape model and appearance (in statistical terms) of the vessel that are recovered in an incremental fashion, using a sequential Bayesian filter (Particle Filter). In order to account for bifurcations and branchings, we consider a Monte Carlo sampling rule that propagates in parallel multiple hypotheses. Promising results on the segmentation of coronary arteries demonstrate the potential of the proposed approach.

Predicting the relatiave vulnerability of near-coastal species to climate change using a rule-based ecoinformatics approach

EPA Science Inventory

Background/Questions/Methods Near-coastal species are threatened by multiple climate change drivers, including temperature increases, ocean acidification, and sea level rise. To identify vulnerable habitats, geographic regions, and species, we developed a sequential, rule-based...

Comparison of efficacy and safety of levofloxacin-containing versus standard sequential therapy in eradication of Helicobacter pylori infection in Korea.

PubMed

Lee, Hyuk; Hong, Sung Noh; Min, Byung-Hoon; Lee, Jun Haeng; Rhee, Poong-Lyul; Lee, Yong Chan; Kim, Jae J

2015-02-01

Declining of eradication rates for Helicobacter pylori in Korea may be partly from the increasing prevalence of antibiotic resistance, especially clarithromycin resistance. To compare the efficacy and the safety of using 10-day standard sequential therapy and levofloxacin-containing sequential therapy as a first-line treatment for Helicobacter pylori eradication in Korea. A total of 200 patients with proven Helicobacter pylori infection randomly received 10-day standard sequential therapy (n = 100) or levofloxacin-containing sequential therapy (n = 100). The standard sequential therapy group received rabeprazole and amoxicillin for 5 days, followed by rabeprazole, clarithromycin, and metronidazole for 5 more days. The levofloxacin-containing sequential therapy group was treated with rabeprazole and amoxicillin for 5 days, followed by rabeprazole, levofloxacin, and metronidazole for 5 more days. Intention-to-treat eradication rates were 79.0% and 78.0% for groups of standard sequential and levofloxacin-containing sequential therapy, respectively (P = 0.863). Per-protocol eradication rates were 84.9% and 81.3%, respectively, for these two therapies (P = 0.498). There were no significant differences between the groups in regard to the eradication rates and adverse events. The 10-day levofloxacin-containing sequential regimen and the standard sequential regimen showed the similar eradication rates of Helicobacter pylori in Korea. Copyright © 2014 Editrice Gastroenterologica Italiana S.r.l. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Double-blind photo lineups using actual eyewitnesses: an experimental test of a sequential versus simultaneous lineup procedure.

PubMed

Wells, Gary L; Steblay, Nancy K; Dysart, Jennifer E

2015-02-01

Eyewitnesses (494) to actual crimes in 4 police jurisdictions were randomly assigned to view simultaneous or sequential photo lineups using laptop computers and double-blind administration. The sequential procedure used in the field experiment mimicked how it is conducted in actual practice (e.g., using a continuation rule, witness does not know how many photos are to be viewed, witnesses resolve any multiple identifications), which is not how most lab experiments have tested the sequential lineup. No significant differences emerged in rates of identifying lineup suspects (25% overall) but the sequential procedure produced a significantly lower rate (11%) of identifying known-innocent lineup fillers than did the simultaneous procedure (18%). The simultaneous/sequential pattern did not significantly interact with estimator variables and no lineup-position effects were observed for either the simultaneous or sequential procedures. Rates of nonidentification were not significantly different for simultaneous and sequential but nonidentifiers from the sequential procedure were more likely to use the "not sure" response option than were nonidentifiers from the simultaneous procedure. Among witnesses who made an identification, 36% (41% of simultaneous and 32% of sequential) identified a known-innocent filler rather than a suspect, indicating that eyewitness performance overall was very poor. The results suggest that the sequential procedure that is used in the field reduces the identification of known-innocent fillers, but the differences are relatively small.

Economic evaluation of a web-based tailored lifestyle intervention for adults: findings regarding cost-effectiveness and cost-utility from a randomized controlled trial.

PubMed

Schulz, Daniela N; Smit, Eline S; Stanczyk, Nicola E; Kremers, Stef P J; de Vries, Hein; Evers, Silvia M A A

2014-03-20

Different studies have reported the effectiveness of Web-based computer-tailored lifestyle interventions, but economic evaluations of these interventions are scarce. The objective was to assess the cost-effectiveness and cost-utility of a sequential and a simultaneous Web-based computer-tailored lifestyle intervention for adults compared to a control group. The economic evaluation, conducted from a societal perspective, was part of a 2-year randomized controlled trial including 3 study groups. All groups received personalized health risk appraisals based on the guidelines for physical activity, fruit intake, vegetable intake, alcohol consumption, and smoking. Additionally, respondents in the sequential condition received personal advice about one lifestyle behavior in the first year and a second behavior in the second year; respondents in the simultaneous condition received personal advice about all unhealthy behaviors in both years. During a period of 24 months, health care use, medication use, absenteeism from work, and quality of life (EQ-5D-3L) were assessed every 3 months using Web-based questionnaires. Demographics were assessed at baseline, and lifestyle behaviors were assessed at both baseline and after 24 months. Cost-effectiveness and cost-utility analyses were performed based on the outcome measures lifestyle factor (the number of guidelines respondents adhered to) and quality of life, respectively. We accounted for uncertainty by using bootstrapping techniques and sensitivity analyses. A total of 1733 respondents were included in the analyses. From a willingness to pay of €4594 per additional guideline met, the sequential intervention (n=552) was likely to be the most cost-effective, whereas from a willingness to pay of €10,850, the simultaneous intervention (n=517) was likely to be most cost-effective. The control condition (n=664) appeared to be preferred with regard to quality of life. Both the sequential and the simultaneous lifestyle interventions were likely to be cost-effective when it concerned the lifestyle factor, whereas the control condition was when it concerned quality of life. However, there is no accepted cutoff point for the willingness to pay per gain in lifestyle behaviors, making it impossible to draw firm conclusions. Further economic evaluations of lifestyle interventions are needed. Dutch Trial Register NTR2168; http://www.trialregister.nl/trialreg/admin/rctview.asp?TC=2168 (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/6MbUqttYB).

Sequential Testing: Basics and Benefits

DTIC Science & Technology

1978-03-01

Eii~TARADC6M and x _..TECHNICAL REPORT NO. 12325 SEQUENTIAL TESTING: BASICS AND BENEFITS / i * p iREFERENCE CP...Sequential Testing: Basics and Benefits Contents Page I. Introduction and Summary II. Sequential Analysis 2 III. Mathematics of Sequential Testing 4 IV...testing. The added benefit of reduced energy needs are inherent in this testing method. The text was originally released by the authors in 1972. The text

Restoring paleomagnetic data in complex superposed folding settings: The Boltaña anticline (Southern Pyrenees)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mochales, T.; Pueyo, E. L.; Casas, A. M.; Barnolas, A.

2016-03-01

Complex kinematic scenarios in fold-and-thrust belts often produce superposed and non-coaxial folding. Interpretation of primary linear indicators must be based on a careful restoration to the undeformed stage following the reverse order of the deformation events. Therefore, sequential restoration to the ancient coordinate system is of key importance to obtain reliable kinematic interpretations using paleomagnetic data. In this paper, a new paleomagnetic study in the western flank of the Boltaña anticline (Southern Pyrenees) illustrates a case study of a complex tectonic setting having superposed, non-coaxial folds. The first stage of NW-SE folding linked to the oblique Boltaña anticline took place during Lutetian times. The second stage was linked to the vertical axis rotation and placed the Boltaña anticline in its present-day N-S configuration. Our data support a long-lasting Lutetian to Priabonian period with main rotational activity during the Bartonian-Priabonian; other authors support a VAR coeval with anticlinal growth. The third stage resulted in southwards tilting related to the emplacement of the N120E striking Guarga basement thrust (Oligocene-Early Miocene). Based on this deformational history, a sequential restoration was applied and compared with the classic bedding correction. At the site scale, single bedding correction gives errors ranging between 31° and - 31° in the estimation of vertical axis rotations. At the locality scale, in sites grouped in three folds (from W to E Arbella, Planillo and San Felizes), the bedding corrected data display rotation values in accordance with those found in the Ainsa Basin by other authors. Sequential restoration (based on the afore-mentioned evolution in three-steps) improves both some locality-means and the internal consistency of the data. Therefore, reasonably-constrained sequential restoration becomes essential to reconstruct the actual history of superposed folding areas.

Effects on performance of ground wheat with or without insoluble fiber or whole wheat in sequential feeding for laying hens.

PubMed

Traineau, M; Bouvarel, I; Mulsant, C; Roffidal, L; Launay, C; Lescoat, P

2013-09-01

Sequential feeding (SF) is an innovative system for laying hens consisting of nutrients separating energy, protein, and calcium supplies to fulfill nutrient requirements at the relevant time of day. In previous studies, hens received whole wheat in the morning and a balancer diet (rich in protein and calcium) in the afternoon. To improve SF utilization, the aim was to substitute whole wheat in the morning by an alternative energy supply: ground wheat and ground corn, with or without a proportion of whole wheat and insoluble fiber. The goal was to obtain the advantages observed in previous experiments with whole wheat [bigger gizzard, thinner hens, reduced feed conversion ratio (FCR)]. Four hundred thirty-two ISA Brown hens were housed in collective cages from 20 to 35 wk of age divided into 8 different treatments: a continuous control diet, a sequential diet with whole wheat in the morning, 3 wheat-based diets (ground wheat, ground wheat and 20% whole wheat, and ground wheat with 5% insoluble fiber) and 3 ground corn-based (ground corn, ground corn and 20% whole wheat, and ground corn with 5% insoluble fiber) provided in the morning. All sequential regimens received the same balancer diet rich in protein and calcium in the afternoon. Whole wheat SF gave the best results with an improved FCR compared with continuous control and all other SF diets. Wheat- and corn-based diets showed intermediate results between whole wheat SF and continuous feeding. Gizzard weight was higher and hens were lighter than with conventional continuous feeding, leading to an average FCR improvement of 3.2% compared with a continuous control. Thus, it is possible in SF diets to substitute, at least partially, whole wheat by ground wheat or ground corn with added insoluble fiber or some whole wheat, allowing more flexibility and economic optimization.

Simultaneous versus sequential optimal experiment design for the identification of multi-parameter microbial growth kinetics as a function of temperature.

PubMed

Van Derlinden, E; Bernaerts, K; Van Impe, J F

2010-05-21

Optimal experiment design for parameter estimation (OED/PE) has become a popular tool for efficient and accurate estimation of kinetic model parameters. When the kinetic model under study encloses multiple parameters, different optimization strategies can be constructed. The most straightforward approach is to estimate all parameters simultaneously from one optimal experiment (single OED/PE strategy). However, due to the complexity of the optimization problem or the stringent limitations on the system's dynamics, the experimental information can be limited and parameter estimation convergence problems can arise. As an alternative, we propose to reduce the optimization problem to a series of two-parameter estimation problems, i.e., an optimal experiment is designed for a combination of two parameters while presuming the other parameters known. Two different approaches can be followed: (i) all two-parameter optimal experiments are designed based on identical initial parameter estimates and parameters are estimated simultaneously from all resulting experimental data (global OED/PE strategy), and (ii) optimal experiments are calculated and implemented sequentially whereby the parameter values are updated intermediately (sequential OED/PE strategy). This work exploits OED/PE for the identification of the Cardinal Temperature Model with Inflection (CTMI) (Rosso et al., 1993). This kinetic model describes the effect of temperature on the microbial growth rate and encloses four parameters. The three OED/PE strategies are considered and the impact of the OED/PE design strategy on the accuracy of the CTMI parameter estimation is evaluated. Based on a simulation study, it is observed that the parameter values derived from the sequential approach deviate more from the true parameters than the single and global strategy estimates. The single and global OED/PE strategies are further compared based on experimental data obtained from design implementation in a bioreactor. Comparable estimates are obtained, but global OED/PE estimates are, in general, more accurate and reliable. Copyright (c) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Dry minor mergers and size evolution of high-z compact massive early-type galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oogi, Taira; Habe, Asao

2013-01-01

Recent observations show evidence that high-z (z ˜ 2-3) early-type galaxies (ETGs) are more compact than those with comparable mass at z ˜ 0. Such size evolution is most likely explained by the `dry merger sceanario'. However, previous studies based on this scenario cannot consistently explain the properties of both high-z compact massive ETGs and local ETGs. We investigate the effect of multiple sequential dry minor mergers on the size evolution of compact massive ETGs. From an analysis of the Millennium Simulation Data Base, we show that such minor (stellar mass ratio M2/M1 < 1/4) mergers are extremely common during hierarchical structure formation. We perform N-body simulations of sequential minor mergers with parabolic and head-on orbits, including a dark matter component and a stellar component. Typical mass ratios of these minor mergers are 1/20 < M2/M1 ≤q 1/10. We show that sequential minor mergers of compact satellite galaxies are the most efficient at promoting size growth and decreasing the velocity dispersion of compact massive ETGs in our simulations. The change of stellar size and density of the merger remnants is consistent with recent observations. Furthermore, we construct the merger histories of candidates for high-z compact massive ETGs using the Millennium Simulation Data Base and estimate the size growth of the galaxies through the dry minor merger scenario. We can reproduce the mean size growth factor between z = 2 and z = 0, assuming the most efficient size growth obtained during sequential minor mergers in our simulations. However, we note that our numerical result is only valid for merger histories with typical mass ratios between 1/20 and 1/10 with parabolic and head-on orbits and that our most efficient size-growth efficiency is likely an upper limit.

Immunoreceptor Tyrosine-based Inhibitory Motif (ITIM)-mediated Inhibitory Signaling is Regulated by Sequential Phosphorylation Mediated by Distinct Nonreceptor Tyrosine Kinases: A Case Study Involving PECAM-1

PubMed Central

Tourdot, Benjamin E.; Brenner, Michelle K.; Keough, Kathleen C.; Holyst, Trudy; Newman, Peter J.; Newman, Debra K.

2013-01-01

The activation state of many blood and vascular cells is tightly controlled by a delicate balance between receptors that contain immunoreceptor tyrosine-based activation motifs (ITAMs) and those that contain immunoreceptor tyrosine-based inhibitory motifs (ITIMs). Precisely how the timing of cellular activation by ITAM-coupled receptors is regulated by ITIM-containing receptors is, however, poorly understood. Using platelet endothelial cell adhesion molecule 1 (PECAM-1) as a prototypical ITIM-bearing receptor, we demonstrate that initiation of inhibitory signaling occurs via a novel, sequential process in which Src family kinases phosphorylate the C-terminal ITIM, thereby enabling phosphorylation of the N-terminal ITIM of PECAM-1 by other Src homology 2 domain-containing non-receptor tyrosine kinases (NRTKs). NRTKs capable of mediating the second phosphorylation event include C-terminal Src kinase (Csk) and Bruton’s tyrosine kinase (Btk). Btk and Csk function downstream of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) activation during ITAM-dependent platelet activation. In ITAM-activated platelets that were treated with a PI3K inhibitor, PECAM-1 was phosphorylated but did not bind the tandem SH2 domain-containing tyrosine phosphatase SHP-2, indicating that it was not phosphorylated on its N-terminal ITIM. Csk bound to and phosphorylated PECAM-1 more efficiently than did Btk, and required its SH2 domain to perform these functions. Additionally, the phosphorylation of the N-terminal ITIM of Siglec-9 by Csk is enhanced by the prior phosphorylation of its C-terminal ITIM, providing evidence that the ITIMs of other dual ITIM-containing receptors are also sequentially phosphorylated. On the basis of these findings, we propose that sequential ITIM phosphorylation provides a general mechanism for precise temporal control over the recruitment and activation of tandem SH2 domain-containing tyrosine phosphatases that dampen ITAM-dependent signals. PMID:23418871

Spring green-up date derived from GIMMS3g and SPOT-VGT NDVI of winter wheat cropland in the North China Plain

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Zhengjia; Wu, Chaoyang; Liu, Yansui; Wang, Xiaoyue; Fang, Bin; Yuan, Wenping; Ge, Quansheng

2017-08-01

Satellite temporal resolution affects the fitting accuracy of vegetation growth curves. However, there are few studies that evaluate the impact of different satellite data (including temporal resolution and time series change) on spring green-up date (GUD) extraction. In this study, four GUD algorithms and two different temporal resolution satellite data (GIMMS3g during 1982-2013 and SPOT-VGT during 1999-2013) were used to investigate winter wheat GUD in the North China Plain. Four GUD algorithms included logistic-NDVI (normalized difference vegetation index), logistic-cumNDVI (cumulative NDVI), polynomial-NDVI and polynomial-cumNDVI algorithms. All algorithms and data were first regrouped into eight controlled cases. At site scale, we evaluated the performance of each case using correlation coefficient (r), bias and root mean square error (RMSE). We further compared spatial patterns and inter-annual trends of GUD inferred from different algorithms, and then analyzed the difference between GIMMS3g-based GUD and SPOT-VGT-based GUD. Our results showed that all satellite-based GUD were correlated with observations with r ranging from 0.32 to 0.57 (p < 0.01). SPOT-VGT-based GUD generally had better correlations with observed GUD than those of GIMMS3g. Spatially, SPOT-VGT-based GUD performed more reasonable spatial distributions. Inter-annual regional averaged satellite-based GUD presented overall advanced trends during 1982-2013 (0.3-2.0 days/decade) while delayed trends were observed during 1999-2013 (1.7-7.4 days/decade for GIMMS3g and 3.8-7.4 days/decade for SPOT-VGT). However, their significance levels were highly dependent on the data and algorithms used. Our findings suggest cautions on previous results of inter-annual variability of phenology from a single data/method.

Anticipating conflict facilitates controlled stimulus-response selection

PubMed Central

Correa, Ángel; Rao, Anling; Nobre, Anna C.

2014-01-01

Cognitive control can be triggered in reaction to previous conflict, as suggested by the finding of sequential effects in conflict tasks. Can control also be triggered proactively by presenting cues predicting conflict (‘proactive control’)? We exploited the high temporal resolution of event-related potentials (ERPs) and controlled for sequential effects to ask whether proactive control based on anticipating conflict modulates neural activity related to cognitive control, as may be predicted from the conflict-monitoring model. ERPs associated with conflict detection (N2) were measured during a cued flanker task. Symbolic cues were either informative or neutral with respect to whether the target involved conflicting or congruent responses. Sequential effects were controlled by analysing the congruency of the previous trial. The results showed that cuing conflict facilitated conflict resolution and reduced the N2 latency. Other potentials (frontal N1 and P3) were also modulated by cuing conflict. Cuing effects were most evident after congruent than after incongruent trials. This interaction between cuing and sequential effects suggests neural overlap between the control networks triggered by proactive and reactive signals. This finding clarifies why previous neuroimaging studies, in which reactive sequential effects were not controlled, have rarely found anticipatory effects upon conflict-related activity. Finally, the high temporal resolution of ERPs was critical to reveal a temporal modulation of conflict detection by proactive control. This novel finding suggests that anticipating conflict speeds up conflict detection and resolution. Recent research suggests that this anticipatory mechanism may be mediated by pre-activation of the ACC during the preparatory interval. PMID:18823248

The sequential pathway between trauma-related symptom severity and cognitive-based smoking processes through perceived stress and negative affect reduction expectancies among trauma exposed smokers.

PubMed

Garey, Lorra; Cheema, Mina K; Otal, Tanveer K; Schmidt, Norman B; Neighbors, Clayton; Zvolensky, Michael J

2016-10-01

Smoking rates are markedly higher among trauma-exposed individuals relative to non-trauma-exposed individuals. Extant work suggests that both perceived stress and negative affect reduction smoking expectancies are independent mechanisms that link trauma-related symptoms and smoking. Yet, no work has examined perceived stress and negative affect reduction smoking expectancies as potential explanatory variables for the relation between trauma-related symptom severity and smoking in a sequential pathway model. Methods The present study utilized a sample of treatment-seeking, trauma-exposed smokers (n = 363; 49.0% female) to examine perceived stress and negative affect reduction expectancies for smoking as potential sequential explanatory variables linking trauma-related symptom severity and nicotine dependence, perceived barriers to smoking cessation, and severity of withdrawal-related problems and symptoms during past quit attempts. As hypothesized, perceived stress and negative affect reduction expectancies had a significant sequential indirect effect on trauma-related symptom severity and criterion variables. Findings further elucidate the complex pathways through which trauma-related symptoms contribute to smoking behavior and cognitions, and highlight the importance of addressing perceived stress and negative affect reduction expectancies in smoking cessation programs among trauma-exposed individuals. (Am J Addict 2016;25:565-572). © 2016 American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry.

TDRSS-user orbit determination using batch least-squares and sequential methods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oza, D. H.; Jones, T. L.; Hakimi, M.; Samii, Mina V.; Doll, C. E.; Mistretta, G. D.; Hart, R. C.

1993-02-01

The Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) Flight Dynamics Division (FDD) commissioned Applied Technology Associates, Incorporated, to develop the Real-Time Orbit Determination/Enhanced (RTOD/E) system on a Disk Operating System (DOS)-based personal computer (PC) as a prototype system for sequential orbit determination of spacecraft. This paper presents the results of a study to compare the orbit determination accuracy for a Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System (TDRSS) user spacecraft, Landsat-4, obtained using RTOD/E, operating on a PC, with the accuracy of an established batch least-squares system, the Goddard Trajectory Determination System (GTDS), and operating on a mainframe computer. The results of Landsat-4 orbit determination will provide useful experience for the Earth Observing System (EOS) series of satellites. The Landsat-4 ephemerides were estimated for the January 17-23, 1991, timeframe, during which intensive TDRSS tracking data for Landsat-4 were available. Independent assessments were made of the consistencies (overlap comparisons for the batch case and covariances and the first measurement residuals for the sequential case) of solutions produced by the batch and sequential methods. The forward-filtered RTOD/E orbit solutions were compared with the definitive GTDS orbit solutions for Landsat-4; the solution differences were less than 40 meters after the filter had reached steady state.

Comparative study of lesions created by high-intensity focused ultrasound using sequential discrete and continuous scanning strategies.

PubMed

Fan, Tingbo; Liu, Zhenbo; Zhang, Dong; Tang, Mengxing

2013-03-01

Lesion formation and temperature distribution induced by high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) were investigated both numerically and experimentally via two energy-delivering strategies, i.e., sequential discrete and continuous scanning modes. Simulations were presented based on the combination of Khokhlov-Zabolotskaya-Kuznetsov (KZK) equation and bioheat equation. Measurements were performed on tissue-mimicking phantoms sonicated by a 1.12-MHz single-element focused transducer working at an acoustic power of 75 W. Both the simulated and experimental results show that, in the sequential discrete mode, obvious saw-tooth-like contours could be observed for the peak temperature distribution and the lesion boundaries, with the increasing interval space between two adjacent exposure points. In the continuous scanning mode, more uniform peak temperature distributions and lesion boundaries would be produced, and the peak temperature values would decrease significantly with the increasing scanning speed. In addition, compared to the sequential discrete mode, the continuous scanning mode could achieve higher treatment efficiency (lesion area generated per second) with a lower peak temperature. The present studies suggest that the peak temperature and tissue lesion resulting from the HIFU exposure could be controlled by adjusting the transducer scanning speed, which is important for improving the HIFU treatment efficiency.

Automated Discovery and Modeling of Sequential Patterns Preceding Events of Interest

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rohloff, Kurt

2010-01-01

The integration of emerging data manipulation technologies has enabled a paradigm shift in practitioners' abilities to understand and anticipate events of interest in complex systems. Example events of interest include outbreaks of socio-political violence in nation-states. Rather than relying on human-centric modeling efforts that are limited by the availability of SMEs, automated data processing technologies has enabled the development of innovative automated complex system modeling and predictive analysis technologies. We introduce one such emerging modeling technology - the sequential pattern methodology. We have applied the sequential pattern methodology to automatically identify patterns of observed behavior that precede outbreaks of socio-political violence such as riots, rebellions and coups in nation-states. The sequential pattern methodology is a groundbreaking approach to automated complex system model discovery because it generates easily interpretable patterns based on direct observations of sampled factor data for a deeper understanding of societal behaviors that is tolerant of observation noise and missing data. The discovered patterns are simple to interpret and mimic human's identifications of observed trends in temporal data. Discovered patterns also provide an automated forecasting ability: we discuss an example of using discovered patterns coupled with a rich data environment to forecast various types of socio-political violence in nation-states.

Comparison of ERBS orbit determination accuracy using batch least-squares and sequential methods

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Oza, D. H.; Jones, T. L.; Fabien, S. M.; Mistretta, G. D.; Hart, R. C.; Doll, C. E.

1991-01-01

The Flight Dynamics Div. (FDD) at NASA-Goddard commissioned a study to develop the Real Time Orbit Determination/Enhanced (RTOD/E) system as a prototype system for sequential orbit determination of spacecraft on a DOS based personal computer (PC). An overview is presented of RTOD/E capabilities and the results are presented of a study to compare the orbit determination accuracy for a Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System (TDRSS) user spacecraft obtained using RTOS/E on a PC with the accuracy of an established batch least squares system, the Goddard Trajectory Determination System (GTDS), operating on a mainframe computer. RTOD/E was used to perform sequential orbit determination for the Earth Radiation Budget Satellite (ERBS), and the Goddard Trajectory Determination System (GTDS) was used to perform the batch least squares orbit determination. The estimated ERBS ephemerides were obtained for the Aug. 16 to 22, 1989, timeframe, during which intensive TDRSS tracking data for ERBS were available. Independent assessments were made to examine the consistencies of results obtained by the batch and sequential methods. Comparisons were made between the forward filtered RTOD/E orbit solutions and definitive GTDS orbit solutions for ERBS; the solution differences were less than 40 meters after the filter had reached steady state.

TDRSS-user orbit determination using batch least-squares and sequential methods

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Oza, D. H.; Jones, T. L.; Hakimi, M.; Samii, Mina V.; Doll, C. E.; Mistretta, G. D.; Hart, R. C.

1993-01-01

The Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) Flight Dynamics Division (FDD) commissioned Applied Technology Associates, Incorporated, to develop the Real-Time Orbit Determination/Enhanced (RTOD/E) system on a Disk Operating System (DOS)-based personal computer (PC) as a prototype system for sequential orbit determination of spacecraft. This paper presents the results of a study to compare the orbit determination accuracy for a Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System (TDRSS) user spacecraft, Landsat-4, obtained using RTOD/E, operating on a PC, with the accuracy of an established batch least-squares system, the Goddard Trajectory Determination System (GTDS), and operating on a mainframe computer. The results of Landsat-4 orbit determination will provide useful experience for the Earth Observing System (EOS) series of satellites. The Landsat-4 ephemerides were estimated for the January 17-23, 1991, timeframe, during which intensive TDRSS tracking data for Landsat-4 were available. Independent assessments were made of the consistencies (overlap comparisons for the batch case and covariances and the first measurement residuals for the sequential case) of solutions produced by the batch and sequential methods. The forward-filtered RTOD/E orbit solutions were compared with the definitive GTDS orbit solutions for Landsat-4; the solution differences were less than 40 meters after the filter had reached steady state.

Comparison of ERBS orbit determination accuracy using batch least-squares and sequential methods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oza, D. H.; Jones, T. L.; Fabien, S. M.; Mistretta, G. D.; Hart, R. C.; Doll, C. E.

1991-10-01

The Flight Dynamics Div. (FDD) at NASA-Goddard commissioned a study to develop the Real Time Orbit Determination/Enhanced (RTOD/E) system as a prototype system for sequential orbit determination of spacecraft on a DOS based personal computer (PC). An overview is presented of RTOD/E capabilities and the results are presented of a study to compare the orbit determination accuracy for a Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System (TDRSS) user spacecraft obtained using RTOS/E on a PC with the accuracy of an established batch least squares system, the Goddard Trajectory Determination System (GTDS), operating on a mainframe computer. RTOD/E was used to perform sequential orbit determination for the Earth Radiation Budget Satellite (ERBS), and the Goddard Trajectory Determination System (GTDS) was used to perform the batch least squares orbit determination. The estimated ERBS ephemerides were obtained for the Aug. 16 to 22, 1989, timeframe, during which intensive TDRSS tracking data for ERBS were available. Independent assessments were made to examine the consistencies of results obtained by the batch and sequential methods. Comparisons were made between the forward filtered RTOD/E orbit solutions and definitive GTDS orbit solutions for ERBS; the solution differences were less than 40 meters after the filter had reached steady state.

Discrimination between sequential and simultaneous virtual channels with electrical hearing

PubMed Central

Landsberger, David; Galvin, John J.

2011-01-01

In cochlear implants (CIs), simultaneous or sequential stimulation of adjacent electrodes can produce intermediate pitch percepts between those of the component electrodes. However, it is unclear whether simultaneous and sequential virtual channels (VCs) can be discriminated. In this study, CI users were asked to discriminate simultaneous and sequential VCs; discrimination was measured for monopolar (MP) and bipolar + 1 stimulation (BP + 1), i.e., relatively broad and focused stimulation modes. For sequential VCs, the interpulse interval (IPI) varied between 0.0 and 1.8 ms. All stimuli were presented at comfortably loud, loudness-balanced levels at a 250 pulse per second per electrode (ppse) stimulation rate. On average, CI subjects were able to reliably discriminate between sequential and simultaneous VCs. While there was no significant effect of IPI or stimulation mode on VC discrimination, some subjects exhibited better VC discrimination with BP + 1 stimulation. Subjects’ discrimination between sequential and simultaneous VCs was correlated with electrode discrimination, suggesting that spatial selectivity may influence perception of sequential VCs. To maintain equal loudness, sequential VC amplitudes were nearly double those of simultaneous VCs, presumably resulting in a broader spread of excitation. These results suggest that perceptual differences between simultaneous and sequential VCs might be explained by differences in the spread of excitation. PMID:21895094

Discrimination between sequential and simultaneous virtual channels with electrical hearing.

PubMed

Landsberger, David; Galvin, John J

2011-09-01

In cochlear implants (CIs), simultaneous or sequential stimulation of adjacent electrodes can produce intermediate pitch percepts between those of the component electrodes. However, it is unclear whether simultaneous and sequential virtual channels (VCs) can be discriminated. In this study, CI users were asked to discriminate simultaneous and sequential VCs; discrimination was measured for monopolar (MP) and bipolar + 1 stimulation (BP + 1), i.e., relatively broad and focused stimulation modes. For sequential VCs, the interpulse interval (IPI) varied between 0.0 and 1.8 ms. All stimuli were presented at comfortably loud, loudness-balanced levels at a 250 pulse per second per electrode (ppse) stimulation rate. On average, CI subjects were able to reliably discriminate between sequential and simultaneous VCs. While there was no significant effect of IPI or stimulation mode on VC discrimination, some subjects exhibited better VC discrimination with BP + 1 stimulation. Subjects' discrimination between sequential and simultaneous VCs was correlated with electrode discrimination, suggesting that spatial selectivity may influence perception of sequential VCs. To maintain equal loudness, sequential VC amplitudes were nearly double those of simultaneous VCs, presumably resulting in a broader spread of excitation. These results suggest that perceptual differences between simultaneous and sequential VCs might be explained by differences in the spread of excitation. © 2011 Acoustical Society of America

Assessment of shock effects on amphibole water contents and hydrogen isotope compositions: 1. Amphibolite experiments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Minitti, Michelle E.; Rutherford, Malcolm J.; Taylor, Bruce E.; Dyar, M. Darby; Schultz, Peter H.

2008-02-01

Kaersutitic amphiboles found within a subset of the Martian meteorites have low water contents and variably heavy hydrogen isotope compositions. In order to assess if impact shock-induced devolatilization and hydrogen isotope fractionation were determining factors in these water and isotopic characteristics of the Martian kaersutites, we conducted impact shock experiments on samples of Gore Mountain amphibolite in the Ames Vertical Gun Range (AVGR). A parallel shock experiment conducted on an anorthosite sample indicated that contamination of shocked samples by the AVGR hydrogen propellant was unlikely. Petrographic study of the experimental amphibolite shock products indicates that only ˜ 10% of the shock products experienced levels of damage equivalent to those found in the most highly shocked kaersutite-bearing Martian meteorites (30-35 GPa). Ion microprobe studies of highly shocked hornblende from the amphibolite exhibited elevated water contents (ΔH 2O ˜ 0.1 wt.%) and enriched hydrogen isotope compositions (Δ D ˜ + 10‰) relative to unshocked hornblende. Water and hydrogen isotope analyses of tens of milligrams of unshocked, moderately shocked, and highly shocked hornblende samples by vacuum extraction/uranium reduction and isotope ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS), respectively, are largely consistent with analyses of single grains from the ion microprobe. The mechanisms thought to have produced the excess water in most of the shocked hornblendes are shock-induced reduction of hornblende Fe and/or irreversible adsorption of hydrogen. Addition of the isotopically enriched Martian atmosphere to the Martian meteorite kaersutites via these mechanisms could explain their enriched and variable isotopic compositions. Alternatively, regrouping the water extraction and IRMS analyses on the basis of isotopic composition reveals a small, but consistent, degree of impact-induced devolatilization (˜ 0.1 wt.% H 2O) and H isotope enrichment (Δ D ˜ + 10‰). Extrapolating the shock signature of the regrouped data to grains that experienced Martian meteorite-like shock pressures suggests that shock-induced water losses and hydrogen isotope enrichments could approach 1 wt.% H 2O and Δ D = + 100‰, respectively. If these values are valid, then impact shock effects could explain a substantial fraction of the low water contents and variable hydrogen isotope compositions of the Martian meteorite kaersutites.

Bismaleimide and cyanate ester based sequential interpenetrating polymer networks for high temperature application

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Geng, Xing

2005-07-01

A research area of high activity in connection with aerospace engineering has been the development of polymer thermosetting resins that can withstand temperature as high as 300°C while maintaining adequate toughness and providing ease of processing to enable low temperature and low cost composite fabrication methods. In order to meet such requirements, sequential interpenetrating polymer networks (IPNs) based on bismaleimide (BMI) and cyanate ester (CE) monomers were investigated. In these systems, a polycyanurate network is first formed in the presence of BMI and appropriate reactive diluent monomers and, in a second step, a network based on the BMI is created in the presence of a fully formed polycyanurate network. The materials developed can be processed at relatively low temperature (<150°C) and with the aid of electron beam (EB) curing. Of major importance to the success of this work was the identification of a reactive diluent that improves ease of processing and has tailored reactivity to allow for the controlled synthesis of CE-BMI sequential IPNs. Based on solubility and reactivity of a number of reactive diluents, N-acryloylmorpholine (AMP) was selected as a co-monomer for BMI copolymerization. A donor-acceptor reaction mechanism was suggested to explain the relative reactivity of a variety of reactive diluents towards maleimide functionality. The optimum processing parameters for the formation of the first network were determined through the study of metal catalyzed cure and hydrolysis of cyanate esters, whereas the reaction behavior for second network formation in terms of the influence of EB dose rate and temperature was elucidated through an in-situ kinetics study of maleimide and AMP copolymerization. Structure-property relationships were developed which allowed for the design of improved resin systems. In particular, an appropriate network coupler possessing cyanate ester and maleimide functionality was synthesized to link the polycyanurate first network to the BMI/AMP second network and thus form linked sequential IPNs (LIPNs). Consequently, Tg as high as 370°C was achieved and a fracture toughness of 120 J/m2 was obtained for resin systems that possess adequately low viscosity for processing using liquid molding techniques at low temperature.

Development of a software framework for data assimilation and its applications for streamflow forecasting in Japan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Noh, S. J.; Tachikawa, Y.; Shiiba, M.; Yorozu, K.; Kim, S.

2012-04-01

Data assimilation methods have received increased attention to accomplish uncertainty assessment and enhancement of forecasting capability in various areas. Despite of their potentials, applicable software frameworks to probabilistic approaches and data assimilation are still limited because the most of hydrologic modeling software are based on a deterministic approach. In this study, we developed a hydrological modeling framework for sequential data assimilation, so called MPI-OHyMoS. MPI-OHyMoS allows user to develop his/her own element models and to easily build a total simulation system model for hydrological simulations. Unlike process-based modeling framework, this software framework benefits from its object-oriented feature to flexibly represent hydrological processes without any change of the main library. Sequential data assimilation based on the particle filters is available for any hydrologic models based on MPI-OHyMoS considering various sources of uncertainty originated from input forcing, parameters and observations. The particle filters are a Bayesian learning process in which the propagation of all uncertainties is carried out by a suitable selection of randomly generated particles without any assumptions about the nature of the distributions. In MPI-OHyMoS, ensemble simulations are parallelized, which can take advantage of high performance computing (HPC) system. We applied this software framework for short-term streamflow forecasting of several catchments in Japan using a distributed hydrologic model. Uncertainty of model parameters and remotely-sensed rainfall data such as X-band or C-band radar is estimated and mitigated in the sequential data assimilation.

Reuse of imputed data in microarray analysis increases imputation efficiency

PubMed Central

Kim, Ki-Yeol; Kim, Byoung-Jin; Yi, Gwan-Su

2004-01-01

Background The imputation of missing values is necessary for the efficient use of DNA microarray data, because many clustering algorithms and some statistical analysis require a complete data set. A few imputation methods for DNA microarray data have been introduced, but the efficiency of the methods was low and the validity of imputed values in these methods had not been fully checked. Results We developed a new cluster-based imputation method called sequential K-nearest neighbor (SKNN) method. This imputes the missing values sequentially from the gene having least missing values, and uses the imputed values for the later imputation. Although it uses the imputed values, the efficiency of this new method is greatly improved in its accuracy and computational complexity over the conventional KNN-based method and other methods based on maximum likelihood estimation. The performance of SKNN was in particular higher than other imputation methods for the data with high missing rates and large number of experiments. Application of Expectation Maximization (EM) to the SKNN method improved the accuracy, but increased computational time proportional to the number of iterations. The Multiple Imputation (MI) method, which is well known but not applied previously to microarray data, showed a similarly high accuracy as the SKNN method, with slightly higher dependency on the types of data sets. Conclusions Sequential reuse of imputed data in KNN-based imputation greatly increases the efficiency of imputation. The SKNN method should be practically useful to save the data of some microarray experiments which have high amounts of missing entries. The SKNN method generates reliable imputed values which can be used for further cluster-based analysis of microarray data. PMID:15504240

Development of a multilayered association polymer system for sequential drug delivery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chinnakavanam Sundararaj, Sharath kumar

As all the physiological processes in our body are controlled by multiple biomolecules, comprehensive treatment of certain disease conditions may be more effectively achieved by administration of more than one type of drug. Thus, the primary objective of this research was to develop a multilayered, polymer-based system for sequential delivery of multiple drugs. This particular device was designed aimed at the treatment of periodontitis, a highly prevalent oral inflammatory disease that affects 90% of the world population. This condition is caused by bacterial biofilm on the teeth, resulting in a chronic inflammatory response that leads to loss of alveolar bone and, ultimately, the tooth. Current treatment methods for periodontitis address specific parts of the disease, with no individual treatment serving as a complete therapy. The polymers used for the fabrication of this multilayered device consists of cellulose acetate phthalate (CAP) complexed with Pluronic F-127 (P). After evaluating morphology of the resulting CAPP system, in vitro release of small molecule drugs and a model protein was studied from both single and multilayered devices. Drug release from single-layered CAPP films followed zero-order kinetics related to surface erosion property of the association polymer. Release studies from multilayered CAPP devices showed the possibility of achieving intermittent release of one type of drug as well as sequential release of more than one type of drug. Mathematical modeling accurately predicted the release profiles for both single layer and multilayered devices. After the initial characterization of the CAPP system, the device was specifically modified to achieve sequential release of drugs aimed at the treatment of periodontitis. The four types of drugs used were metronidazole, ketoprofen, doxycycline, and simvastatin to eliminate infection, inhibit inflammation, prevent tissue destruction, and aid bone regeneration, respectively. To obtain different erosion times and achieve appropriate release profiles specific to the disease condition, the device was modified by increasing the number of layers or by inclusion of a slower eroding polymer layer. In all the cases, the device was able to release the four different drugs in the designed temporal sequence. Analysis of antibiotic and antiinflammatory bioactivity showed that drugs released from the devices retained 100% bioactivity. Following extensive studies on the in vitro sequential drug release from these devices, the in vivo drug release profiles were investigated. The CAPP devices with different release rates and dosage formulations were implanted in a rat calvarial onlay model, and the in vivo drug release and erosion was compared with in vitro results. In vivo studies showed sequential release of drugs comparable to those measured in vitro, with some difference in drug release rates observed. The present CAPP association polymer-based multilayer devices can be used for localized, sequential delivery of multiple drugs for the possible treatment of complex disease conditions, and perhaps for tissue engineering applications, that require delivery of more than one type of biomolecule. KEYWORDS: Multiple drug delivery, Periodontitis, Cellulose acetate phthalate, Pluronic F-127, Sequential drug release, in vitro drug release, in vivo drug release.

Phenolic content and antioxidant activity of Hibiscus cannabinus L. seed extracts after sequential solvent extraction.

PubMed

Yusri, Noordin Mohd; Chan, Kim Wei; Iqbal, Shahid; Ismail, Maznah

2012-10-25

A sequential solvent extraction scheme was employed for the extraction of antioxidant compounds from kenaf (Hibiscus cannabinus L.) seeds. Yield of extracts varied widely among the solvents and was the highest for hexane extract (16.6% based on dry weight basis), while water extract exhibited the highest total phenolic content (18.78 mg GAE/g extract), total flavonoid content (2.49 mg RE/g extract), and antioxidant activities (p < 0.05). DPPH and hydroxyl radical scavenging, β-carotene bleaching, metal chelating activity, ferric thiocyanate and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances assays were employed to comprehensively assess the antioxidant potential of different solvent extracts prepared sequentially. Besides water, methanolic extract also exhibited high retardation towards the formation of hydroperoxides and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances in the total antioxidant activity tests (p < 0.05). As conclusion, water and methanol extracts of kenaf seed may potentially serve as new sources of antioxidants for food and nutraceutical applications.

Sequential segmental classification of feline congenital heart disease.

PubMed

Scansen, Brian A; Schneider, Matthias; Bonagura, John D

2015-12-01

Feline congenital heart disease is less commonly encountered in veterinary medicine than acquired feline heart diseases such as cardiomyopathy. Understanding the wide spectrum of congenital cardiovascular disease demands a familiarity with a variety of lesions, occurring both in isolation and in combination, along with an appreciation of complex nomenclature and variable classification schemes. This review begins with an overview of congenital heart disease in the cat, including proposed etiologies and prevalence, examination approaches, and principles of therapy. Specific congenital defects are presented and organized by a sequential segmental classification with respect to their morphologic lesions. Highlights of diagnosis, treatment options, and prognosis are offered. It is hoped that this review will provide a framework for approaching congenital heart disease in the cat, and more broadly in other animal species based on the sequential segmental approach, which represents an adaptation of the common methodology used in children and adults with congenital heart disease. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Speckle pattern sequential extraction metric for estimating the focus spot size on a remote diffuse target.

PubMed

Yu, Zhan; Li, Yuanyang; Liu, Lisheng; Guo, Jin; Wang, Tingfeng; Yang, Guoqing

2017-11-10

The speckle pattern (line by line) sequential extraction (SPSE) metric is proposed by the one-dimensional speckle intensity level crossing theory. Through the sequential extraction of received speckle information, the speckle metrics for estimating the variation of focusing spot size on a remote diffuse target are obtained. Based on the simulation, we will give some discussions about the SPSE metric range of application under the theoretical conditions, and the aperture size will affect the metric performance of the observation system. The results of the analyses are verified by the experiment. This method is applied to the detection of relative static target (speckled jitter frequency is less than the CCD sampling frequency). The SPSE metric can determine the variation of the focusing spot size over a long distance, moreover, the metric will estimate the spot size under some conditions. Therefore, the monitoring and the feedback of far-field spot will be implemented laser focusing system applications and help the system to optimize the focusing performance.

Estimating the reliability of eyewitness identifications from police lineups

PubMed Central

Wixted, John T.; Mickes, Laura; Dunn, John C.; Clark, Steven E.; Wells, William

2016-01-01

Laboratory-based mock crime studies have often been interpreted to mean that (i) eyewitness confidence in an identification made from a lineup is a weak indicator of accuracy and (ii) sequential lineups are diagnostically superior to traditional simultaneous lineups. Largely as a result, juries are increasingly encouraged to disregard eyewitness confidence, and up to 30% of law enforcement agencies in the United States have adopted the sequential procedure. We conducted a field study of actual eyewitnesses who were assigned to simultaneous or sequential photo lineups in the Houston Police Department over a 1-y period. Identifications were made using a three-point confidence scale, and a signal detection model was used to analyze and interpret the results. Our findings suggest that (i) confidence in an eyewitness identification from a fair lineup is a highly reliable indicator of accuracy and (ii) if there is any difference in diagnostic accuracy between the two lineup formats, it likely favors the simultaneous procedure. PMID:26699467

Estimating the reliability of eyewitness identifications from police lineups.

PubMed

Wixted, John T; Mickes, Laura; Dunn, John C; Clark, Steven E; Wells, William

2016-01-12

Laboratory-based mock crime studies have often been interpreted to mean that (i) eyewitness confidence in an identification made from a lineup is a weak indicator of accuracy and (ii) sequential lineups are diagnostically superior to traditional simultaneous lineups. Largely as a result, juries are increasingly encouraged to disregard eyewitness confidence, and up to 30% of law enforcement agencies in the United States have adopted the sequential procedure. We conducted a field study of actual eyewitnesses who were assigned to simultaneous or sequential photo lineups in the Houston Police Department over a 1-y period. Identifications were made using a three-point confidence scale, and a signal detection model was used to analyze and interpret the results. Our findings suggest that (i) confidence in an eyewitness identification from a fair lineup is a highly reliable indicator of accuracy and (ii) if there is any difference in diagnostic accuracy between the two lineup formats, it likely favors the simultaneous procedure.

Introduction of Sequential Inactivated Polio Vaccine–Oral Polio Vaccine Schedule for Routine Infant Immunization in Brazil’s National Immunization Program

PubMed Central

Domingues, Carla Magda Allan S.; de Fátima Pereira, Sirlene; Marreiros, Ana Carolina Cunha; Menezes, Nair; Flannery, Brendan

2015-01-01

In August 2012, the Brazilian Ministry of Health introduced inactivated polio vaccine (IPV) as part of sequential polio vaccination schedule for all infants beginning their primary vaccination series. The revised childhood immunization schedule included 2 doses of IPV at 2 and 4 months of age followed by 2 doses of oral polio vaccine (OPV) at 6 and 15 months of age. One annual national polio immunization day was maintained to provide OPV to all children aged 6 to 59 months. The decision to introduce IPV was based on preventing rare cases of vaccine-associated paralytic polio, financially sustaining IPV introduction, ensuring equitable access to IPV, and preparing for future OPV cessation following global eradication. Introducing IPV during a national multivaccination campaign led to rapid uptake, despite challenges with local vaccine supply due to high wastage rates. Continuous monitoring is required to achieve high coverage with the sequential polio vaccine schedule. PMID:25316829

Identifying protein complexes in PPI network using non-cooperative sequential game.

PubMed

Maulik, Ujjwal; Basu, Srinka; Ray, Sumanta

2017-08-21

Identifying protein complexes from protein-protein interaction (PPI) network is an important and challenging task in computational biology as it helps in better understanding of cellular mechanisms in various organisms. In this paper we propose a noncooperative sequential game based model for protein complex detection from PPI network. The key hypothesis is that protein complex formation is driven by mechanism that eventually optimizes the number of interactions within the complex leading to dense subgraph. The hypothesis is drawn from the observed network property named small world. The proposed multi-player game model translates the hypothesis into the game strategies. The Nash equilibrium of the game corresponds to a network partition where each protein either belong to a complex or form a singleton cluster. We further propose an algorithm to find the Nash equilibrium of the sequential game. The exhaustive experiment on synthetic benchmark and real life yeast networks evaluates the structural as well as biological significance of the network partitions.

Asymptotic Properties of the Sequential Empirical ROC, PPV and NPV Curves Under Case-Control Sampling.

PubMed

Koopmeiners, Joseph S; Feng, Ziding

2011-01-01

The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, the positive predictive value (PPV) curve and the negative predictive value (NPV) curve are three measures of performance for a continuous diagnostic biomarker. The ROC, PPV and NPV curves are often estimated empirically to avoid assumptions about the distributional form of the biomarkers. Recently, there has been a push to incorporate group sequential methods into the design of diagnostic biomarker studies. A thorough understanding of the asymptotic properties of the sequential empirical ROC, PPV and NPV curves will provide more flexibility when designing group sequential diagnostic biomarker studies. In this paper we derive asymptotic theory for the sequential empirical ROC, PPV and NPV curves under case-control sampling using sequential empirical process theory. We show that the sequential empirical ROC, PPV and NPV curves converge to the sum of independent Kiefer processes and show how these results can be used to derive asymptotic results for summaries of the sequential empirical ROC, PPV and NPV curves.

Asymptotic Properties of the Sequential Empirical ROC, PPV and NPV Curves Under Case-Control Sampling

PubMed Central

Koopmeiners, Joseph S.; Feng, Ziding

2013-01-01

The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, the positive predictive value (PPV) curve and the negative predictive value (NPV) curve are three measures of performance for a continuous diagnostic biomarker. The ROC, PPV and NPV curves are often estimated empirically to avoid assumptions about the distributional form of the biomarkers. Recently, there has been a push to incorporate group sequential methods into the design of diagnostic biomarker studies. A thorough understanding of the asymptotic properties of the sequential empirical ROC, PPV and NPV curves will provide more flexibility when designing group sequential diagnostic biomarker studies. In this paper we derive asymptotic theory for the sequential empirical ROC, PPV and NPV curves under case-control sampling using sequential empirical process theory. We show that the sequential empirical ROC, PPV and NPV curves converge to the sum of independent Kiefer processes and show how these results can be used to derive asymptotic results for summaries of the sequential empirical ROC, PPV and NPV curves. PMID:24039313

Probabilistic visual and electromagnetic data fusion for robust drift-free sequential mosaicking: application to fetoscopy

PubMed Central

Tella-Amo, Marcel; Peter, Loic; Shakir, Dzhoshkun I.; Deprest, Jan; Iglesias, Juan Eugenio; Ourselin, Sebastien

2018-01-01

Abstract. The most effective treatment for twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome is laser photocoagulation of the shared vascular anastomoses in the placenta. Vascular connections are extremely challenging to locate due to their caliber and the reduced field-of-view of the fetoscope. Therefore, mosaicking techniques are beneficial to expand the scene, facilitate navigation, and allow vessel photocoagulation decision-making. Local vision-based mosaicking algorithms inherently drift over time due to the use of pairwise transformations. We propose the use of an electromagnetic tracker (EMT) sensor mounted at the tip of the fetoscope to obtain camera pose measurements, which we incorporate into a probabilistic framework with frame-to-frame visual information to achieve globally consistent sequential mosaics. We parametrize the problem in terms of plane and camera poses constrained by EMT measurements to enforce global consistency while leveraging pairwise image relationships in a sequential fashion through the use of local bundle adjustment. We show that our approach is drift-free and performs similarly to state-of-the-art global alignment techniques like bundle adjustment albeit with much less computational burden. Additionally, we propose a version of bundle adjustment that uses EMT information. We demonstrate the robustness to EMT noise and loss of visual information and evaluate mosaics for synthetic, phantom-based and ex vivo datasets. PMID:29487889

Sequential assessment via daphnia and zebrafish for systematic toxicity screening of heterogeneous substances.

PubMed

Jang, Gun Hyuk; Park, Chang-Beom; Kang, Benedict J; Kim, Young Jun; Lee, Kwan Hyi

2016-09-01

Environment and organisms are persistently exposed by a mixture of various substances. However, the current evaluation method is mostly based on an individual substance's toxicity. A systematic toxicity evaluation of heterogeneous substances needs to be established. To demonstrate toxicity assessment of mixture, we chose a group of three typical ingredients in cosmetic sunscreen products that frequently enters ecosystems: benzophenone-3 (BP-3), ethylhexyl methoxycinnamate (EHMC), and titanium dioxide nanoparticle (TiO2 NP). We first determined a range of nominal toxic concentration of each ingredient or substance using Daphnia magna, and then for the subsequent organismal level phenotypic assessment, chose the wild-type zebrafish embryos. Any phenotype change, such as body deformation, led to further examinations on the specific organs of transgenic zebrafish embryos. Based on the systematic toxicity assessments of the heterogeneous substances, we offer a sequential environmental toxicity assessment protocol that starts off by utilizing Daphnia magna to determine a nominal concentration range of each substance and finishes by utilizing the zebrafish embryos to detect defects on the embryos caused by the heterogeneous substances. The protocol showed additive toxic effects of the mixtures. We propose a sequential environmental toxicity assessment protocol for the systematic toxicity screening of heterogeneous substances from Daphnia magna to zebrafish embryo in-vivo models. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Optimal flexible sample size design with robust power.

PubMed

Zhang, Lanju; Cui, Lu; Yang, Bo

2016-08-30

It is well recognized that sample size determination is challenging because of the uncertainty on the treatment effect size. Several remedies are available in the literature. Group sequential designs start with a sample size based on a conservative (smaller) effect size and allow early stop at interim looks. Sample size re-estimation designs start with a sample size based on an optimistic (larger) effect size and allow sample size increase if the observed effect size is smaller than planned. Different opinions favoring one type over the other exist. We propose an optimal approach using an appropriate optimality criterion to select the best design among all the candidate designs. Our results show that (1) for the same type of designs, for example, group sequential designs, there is room for significant improvement through our optimization approach; (2) optimal promising zone designs appear to have no advantages over optimal group sequential designs; and (3) optimal designs with sample size re-estimation deliver the best adaptive performance. We conclude that to deal with the challenge of sample size determination due to effect size uncertainty, an optimal approach can help to select the best design that provides most robust power across the effect size range of interest. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Simultaneous capture and sequential detection of two malarial biomarkers on magnetic microparticles.

PubMed

Markwalter, Christine F; Ricks, Keersten M; Bitting, Anna L; Mudenda, Lwiindi; Wright, David W

2016-12-01

We have developed a rapid magnetic microparticle-based detection strategy for malarial biomarkers Plasmodium lactate dehydrogenase (pLDH) and Plasmodium falciparum histidine-rich protein II (PfHRPII). In this assay, magnetic particles functionalized with antibodies specific for pLDH and PfHRPII as well as detection antibodies with distinct enzymes for each biomarker are added to parasitized lysed blood samples. Sandwich complexes for pLDH and PfHRPII form on the surface of the magnetic beads, which are washed and sequentially re-suspended in detection enzyme substrate for each antigen. The developed simultaneous capture and sequential detection (SCSD) assay detects both biomarkers in samples as low as 2.0parasites/µl, an order of magnitude below commercially available ELISA kits, has a total incubation time of 35min, and was found to be reproducible between users over time. This assay provides a simple and efficient alternative to traditional 96-well plate ELISAs, which take 5-8h to complete and are limited to one analyte. Further, the modularity of the magnetic bead-based SCSD ELISA format could serve as a platform for application to other diseases for which multi-biomarker detection is advantageous. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Structure of a financial cross-correlation matrix under attack

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lim, Gyuchang; Kim, SooYong; Kim, Junghwan; Kim, Pyungsoo; Kang, Yoonjong; Park, Sanghoon; Park, Inho; Park, Sang-Bum; Kim, Kyungsik

2009-09-01

We investigate the structure of a perturbed stock market in terms of correlation matrices. For the purpose of perturbing a stock market, two distinct methods are used, namely local and global perturbation. The former involves replacing a correlation coefficient of the cross-correlation matrix with one calculated from two Gaussian-distributed time series while the latter reconstructs the cross-correlation matrix just after replacing the original return series with Gaussian-distributed time series. Concerning the local case, it is a technical study only and there is no attempt to model reality. The term ‘global’ means the overall effect of the replacement on other untouched returns. Through statistical analyses such as random matrix theory (RMT), network theory, and the correlation coefficient distributions, we show that the global structure of a stock market is vulnerable to perturbation. However, apart from in the analysis of inverse participation ratios (IPRs), the vulnerability becomes dull under a small-scale perturbation. This means that these analysis tools are inappropriate for monitoring the whole stock market due to the low sensitivity of a stock market to a small-scale perturbation. In contrast, when going down to the structure of business sectors, we confirm that correlation-based business sectors are regrouped in terms of IPRs. This result gives a clue about monitoring the effect of hidden intentions, which are revealed via portfolios taken mostly by large investors.

"A battle not man's but God's": origins of the American temperance crusade in the struggle for religious authority.

PubMed

Schmidt, L A

1995-01-01

Major theories of the origins of American temperance have emphasized materialist explanations without taking seriously enough the independent role of ideas--and, in particular, religious ideas--in stimulating the reform. This article develops a new interpretation, focusing on the religious origins of temperance in a "crisis of contested authority" that befell the Protestant denominations descended from Puritanism during the early years of the 19th century. One outgrowth of the crisis over the authority of traditional religious ideas was a new theology focused on religious salvation through the suppression of vice. This new religious ideology provided a core of beliefs and powerful justification for organizing a public crusade to "exterminate" vice, and one that for ideological reasons ultimately narrowed its focus to the specific vice of intemperance. The crusade against vice in the early republic offered clergymen a "solution" to their problems of contested authority by providing new strategies and an organizational base of voluntary societies for carrying out what they perceived to be their sacred duties: winning souls to God, guarding collective salvation and leveraging government to promote obedience to religious prohibitions on vice. At least initially, temperance was part of a new kind of effort to assert the authority of religious ideas in the public sphere, and to regroup religious forces under auspices outside the church.

64 slice MDCT generally underestimates coronary calcium scores as compared to EBT: A phantom study

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

Greuter, M. J. W.; Dijkstra, H.; Groen, J. M.

The objective of our study was the determination of the influence of the sequential and spiral acquisition modes on the concordance and deviation of the calcium score on 64-slice multi-detector computed tomography (MDCT) scanners in comparison to electron beam tomography (EBT) as the gold standard. Our methods and materials were an anthropomorphic cardio CT phantom with different calcium inserts scanned in sequential and spiral acquisition modes on three identical 64-slice MDCT scanners of manufacturer A and on three identical 64-slice MDCT scanners of manufacturer B and on an EBT system. Every scan was repeated 30 times with and 15 timesmore » without a small random variation in the phantom position for both sequential and spiral modes. Significant differences were observed between EBT and 64-slice MDCT data for all inserts, both acquisition modes, and both manufacturers of MDCT systems. High regression coefficients (0.90-0.98) were found between the EBT and 64-slice MDCT data for both scoring methods and both systems with high correlation coefficients (R{sup 2}>0.94). System A showed more significant differences between spiral and sequential mode than system B. Almost no differences were observed in scanners of the same manufacturer for the Agatston score and no differences for the Volume score. The deviations of the Agatston and Volume scores showed regression dependencies approximately equal to the square root of the absolute score. The Agatston and Volume scores obtained with 64-slice MDCT imaging are highly correlated with EBT-obtained scores but are significantly underestimated (-10% to -2%) for both sequential and spiral acquisition modes. System B is more independent of acquisition mode to calcium score than system A. The Volume score shows no intramanufacturer dependency and its use is advocated versus the Agatston score. Using the same cut points for MDCT-based calcium scores as for EBT-based calcium scores can result in classifying individuals into a too low risk category. System information and scanprotocol is therefore needed for every calcium score procedure to ensure a correct clinical interpretation of the obtained calcium score results.« less

The Listening and Reading Comprehension (LARC) Program....Experiential Based Sequential Training.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blumenstyk, Holly; And Others

The LARC (Listening and Reading Comprehension) Program, an experiential based story grammar approach to listening and reading comprehension is described, and a pilot study of its effectiveness with communication handicapped children is reviewed. The LARC framework translates children's own recent experiences into sequenced story episodes which are…

The Effectiveness of Project-Based Learning on Mathematics Proficiency with African American Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jenkins, Justina

2017-01-01

This sequential exploratory mixed methods study addressed the problem of low academic achievement in mathematics, specifically for African American middle school students who historically score below proficient levels on standardized mathematics assessments. The purpose was to investigate the effectiveness of the Project-Based Learning (PBL)…

A Memory-Based Theory of Verbal Cognition

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dennis, Simon

2005-01-01

The syntagmatic paradigmatic model is a distributed, memory-based account of verbal processing. Built on a Bayesian interpretation of string edit theory, it characterizes the control of verbal cognition as the retrieval of sets of syntagmatic and paradigmatic constraints from sequential and relational long-term memory and the resolution of these…

An Evaluation of Evidence-Based Interventions to Increase Compliance among Children with Autism

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fischetti, Anthony T.; Wilder, David A.; Myers, Kristin; Leon-Enriquez, Yanerys; Sinn, Stephanie; Rodriguez, Rebecka

2012-01-01

We evaluated 4 evidence-based interventions to increase compliance. Three children with autism who exhibited noncompliance when asked to relinquish a preferred toy were exposed sequentially to interventions that included a reduction in response effort, differential reinforcement, and guided compliance. Results indicated that effort reduction alone…

A GPU-Based Implementation of the Firefly Algorithm for Variable Selection in Multivariate Calibration Problems

PubMed Central

de Paula, Lauro C. M.; Soares, Anderson S.; de Lima, Telma W.; Delbem, Alexandre C. B.; Coelho, Clarimar J.; Filho, Arlindo R. G.

2014-01-01

Several variable selection algorithms in multivariate calibration can be accelerated using Graphics Processing Units (GPU). Among these algorithms, the Firefly Algorithm (FA) is a recent proposed metaheuristic that may be used for variable selection. This paper presents a GPU-based FA (FA-MLR) with multiobjective formulation for variable selection in multivariate calibration problems and compares it with some traditional sequential algorithms in the literature. The advantage of the proposed implementation is demonstrated in an example involving a relatively large number of variables. The results showed that the FA-MLR, in comparison with the traditional algorithms is a more suitable choice and a relevant contribution for the variable selection problem. Additionally, the results also demonstrated that the FA-MLR performed in a GPU can be five times faster than its sequential implementation. PMID:25493625

A GPU-Based Implementation of the Firefly Algorithm for Variable Selection in Multivariate Calibration Problems.

PubMed

de Paula, Lauro C M; Soares, Anderson S; de Lima, Telma W; Delbem, Alexandre C B; Coelho, Clarimar J; Filho, Arlindo R G

2014-01-01

Several variable selection algorithms in multivariate calibration can be accelerated using Graphics Processing Units (GPU). Among these algorithms, the Firefly Algorithm (FA) is a recent proposed metaheuristic that may be used for variable selection. This paper presents a GPU-based FA (FA-MLR) with multiobjective formulation for variable selection in multivariate calibration problems and compares it with some traditional sequential algorithms in the literature. The advantage of the proposed implementation is demonstrated in an example involving a relatively large number of variables. The results showed that the FA-MLR, in comparison with the traditional algorithms is a more suitable choice and a relevant contribution for the variable selection problem. Additionally, the results also demonstrated that the FA-MLR performed in a GPU can be five times faster than its sequential implementation.

Efficient flow injection and sequential injection methods for spectrophotometric determination of oxybenzone in sunscreens based on reaction with Ni(II).

PubMed

Chisvert, A; Salvador, A; Pascual-Martí, M C; March, J G

2001-04-01

Spectrophotometric determination of a widely used UV-filter, such as oxybenzone, is proposed. The method is based on the complexation reaction between oxybenzone and Ni(II) in ammoniacal medium. The stoichiometry of the reaction, established by the Job method, was 1:1. Reaction conditions were studied and the experimental parameters were optimized, for both flow injection (FI) and sequential injection (SI) determinations, with comparative purposes. Sunscreen formulations containing oxybenzone were analyzed by the proposed methods and results compared with those obtained by HPLC. Data show that both FI and SI procedures provide accurate and precise results. The ruggedness, sensitivity and LOD are adequate to the analysis requirements. The sample frequency obtained by FI is three-fold higher than that of SI analysis. SI is less reagent-consuming than FI.

Patterns and Sequences: Interactive Exploration of Clickstreams to Understand Common Visitor Paths.

PubMed

Liu, Zhicheng; Wang, Yang; Dontcheva, Mira; Hoffman, Matthew; Walker, Seth; Wilson, Alan

2017-01-01

Modern web clickstream data consists of long, high-dimensional sequences of multivariate events, making it difficult to analyze. Following the overarching principle that the visual interface should provide information about the dataset at multiple levels of granularity and allow users to easily navigate across these levels, we identify four levels of granularity in clickstream analysis: patterns, segments, sequences and events. We present an analytic pipeline consisting of three stages: pattern mining, pattern pruning and coordinated exploration between patterns and sequences. Based on this approach, we discuss properties of maximal sequential patterns, propose methods to reduce the number of patterns and describe design considerations for visualizing the extracted sequential patterns and the corresponding raw sequences. We demonstrate the viability of our approach through an analysis scenario and discuss the strengths and limitations of the methods based on user feedback.

On the effect of response transformations in sequential parameter optimization.

PubMed

Wagner, Tobias; Wessing, Simon

2012-01-01

Parameter tuning of evolutionary algorithms (EAs) is attracting more and more interest. In particular, the sequential parameter optimization (SPO) framework for the model-assisted tuning of stochastic optimizers has resulted in established parameter tuning algorithms. In this paper, we enhance the SPO framework by introducing transformation steps before the response aggregation and before the actual modeling. Based on design-of-experiments techniques, we empirically analyze the effect of integrating different transformations. We show that in particular, a rank transformation of the responses provides significant improvements. A deeper analysis of the resulting models and additional experiments with adaptive procedures indicates that the rank and the Box-Cox transformation are able to improve the properties of the resultant distributions with respect to symmetry and normality of the residuals. Moreover, model-based effect plots document a higher discriminatory power obtained by the rank transformation.

Evaluation of Quantitative Performance of Sequential Immobilized Metal Affinity Chromatographic Enrichment for Phosphopeptides

PubMed Central

Sun, Zeyu; Hamilton, Karyn L.; Reardon, Kenneth F.

2014-01-01

We evaluated a sequential elution protocol from immobilized metal affinity chromatography (SIMAC) employing gallium-based immobilized metal affinity chromatography (IMAC) in conjunction with titanium-dioxide-based metal oxide affinity chromatography (MOAC). The quantitative performance of this SIMAC enrichment approach, assessed in terms of repeatability, dynamic range, and linearity, was evaluated using a mixture composed of tryptic peptides from caseins, bovine serum albumin, and phosphopeptide standards. While our data demonstrate the overall consistent performance of the SIMAC approach under various loading conditions, the results also revealed that the method had limited repeatability and linearity for most phosphopeptides tested, and different phosphopeptides were found to have different linear ranges. These data suggest that, unless additional strategies are used, SIMAC should be regarded as a semi-quantitative method when used in large-scale phosphoproteomics studies in complex backgrounds. PMID:24096195

Wald Sequential Probability Ratio Test for Space Object Conjunction Assessment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Carpenter, James R.; Markley, F Landis

2014-01-01

This paper shows how satellite owner/operators may use sequential estimates of collision probability, along with a prior assessment of the base risk of collision, in a compound hypothesis ratio test to inform decisions concerning collision risk mitigation maneuvers. The compound hypothesis test reduces to a simple probability ratio test, which appears to be a novel result. The test satisfies tolerances related to targeted false alarm and missed detection rates. This result is independent of the method one uses to compute the probability density that one integrates to compute collision probability. A well-established test case from the literature shows that this test yields acceptable results within the constraints of a typical operational conjunction assessment decision timeline. Another example illustrates the use of the test in a practical conjunction assessment scenario based on operations of the International Space Station.

Regeneration of strong-base anion-exchange resins by sequential chemical displacement

DOEpatents

Brown, Gilbert M.; Gu, Baohua; Moyer, Bruce A.; Bonnesen, Peter V.

2002-01-01

A method for regenerating strong-base anion exchange resins utilizing a sequential chemical displacement technique with new regenerant formulation. The new first regenerant solution is composed of a mixture of ferric chloride, a water-miscible organic solvent, hydrochloric acid, and water in which tetrachloroferrate anion is formed and used to displace the target anions on the resin. The second regenerant is composed of a dilute hydrochloric acid and is used to decompose tetrachloroferrate and elute ferric ions, thereby regenerating the resin. Alternative chemical displacement methods include: (1) displacement of target anions with fluoroborate followed by nitrate or salicylate and (2) displacement of target anions with salicylate followed by dilute hydrochloric acid. The methodology offers an improved regeneration efficiency, recovery, and waste minimization over the conventional displacement technique using sodium chloride (or a brine) or alkali metal hydroxide.

Preliminary report of a Web-based instrument to assess and teach knowledge and clinical thinking to medical student

PubMed Central

Tokunaga, Hironobu; Ando, Hirotaka; Obika, Mikako; Miyoshi, Tomoko; Tokuda, Yasuharu; Bautista, Miho; Kataoka, Hitomi; Terasawa, Hidekazu

2014-01-01

Objectives We report the preliminary development of a unique Web-based instrument for assessing and teaching knowledge and developing clinical thinking called the “Sequential Questions and Answers” (SQA) test. Included in this feasibility report are physicians’ answers to the Sequential Questions and Answers pre- and posttests and their brief questionnaire replies. Methods The authors refined the SQA test case scenario for content, ease of modifications of case scenarios, test uploading and answer retrieval. Eleven geographically distant physicians evaluated the SQA test, taking the pretest and posttest within two weeks. These physicians completed a brief questionnaire about the SQA test. Results Eleven physicians completed the SQA pre- and posttest; all answers were downloaded for analysis. They reported the ease of website login and navigating within the test module together with many helpful suggestions. Their average posttest score gain was 53% (p=0.012). Conclusions We report the successful launch of a unique Web-based instrument referred to as the Sequential Questions and Answers test. This distinctive test combines teaching organization of the clinical narrative into an assessment tool that promotes acquiring medical knowledge and clinical thinking. We successfully demonstrated the feasibility of geographically distant physicians to access the SQA instrument. The physicians’ helpful suggestions will be added to future SQA test versions. Medical schools might explore the integration of this multi-language-capable SQA assessment and teaching instrument into their undergraduate medical curriculum. PMID:25341203

Robust multiperson detection and tracking for mobile service and social robots.

PubMed

Li, Liyuan; Yan, Shuicheng; Yu, Xinguo; Tan, Yeow Kee; Li, Haizhou

2012-10-01

This paper proposes an efficient system which integrates multiple vision models for robust multiperson detection and tracking for mobile service and social robots in public environments. The core technique is a novel maximum likelihood (ML)-based algorithm which combines the multimodel detections in mean-shift tracking. First, a likelihood probability which integrates detections and similarity to local appearance is defined. Then, an expectation-maximization (EM)-like mean-shift algorithm is derived under the ML framework. In each iteration, the E-step estimates the associations to the detections, and the M-step locates the new position according to the ML criterion. To be robust to the complex crowded scenarios for multiperson tracking, an improved sequential strategy to perform the mean-shift tracking is proposed. Under this strategy, human objects are tracked sequentially according to their priority order. To balance the efficiency and robustness for real-time performance, at each stage, the first two objects from the list of the priority order are tested, and the one with the higher score is selected. The proposed method has been successfully implemented on real-world service and social robots. The vision system integrates stereo-based and histograms-of-oriented-gradients-based human detections, occlusion reasoning, and sequential mean-shift tracking. Various examples to show the advantages and robustness of the proposed system for multiperson tracking from mobile robots are presented. Quantitative evaluations on the performance of multiperson tracking are also performed. Experimental results indicate that significant improvements have been achieved by using the proposed method.

G-sequentially connectedness for topological groups with operations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mucuk, Osman; Cakalli, Huseyin

2016-08-01

It is a well-known fact that for a Hausdorff topological group X, the limits of convergent sequences in X define a function denoted by lim from the set of all convergent sequences in X to X. This notion has been modified by Connor and Grosse-Erdmann for real functions by replacing lim with an arbitrary linear functional G defined on a linear subspace of the vector space of all real sequences. Recently some authors have extended the concept to the topological group setting and introduced the concepts of G-sequential continuity, G-sequential compactness and G-sequential connectedness. In this work, we present some results about G-sequentially closures, G-sequentially connectedness and fundamental system of G-sequentially open neighbourhoods for topological group with operations which include topological groups, topological rings without identity, R-modules, Lie algebras, Jordan algebras, and many others.

Eyewitness confidence in simultaneous and sequential lineups: a criterion shift account for sequential mistaken identification overconfidence.

PubMed

Dobolyi, David G; Dodson, Chad S

2013-12-01

Confidence judgments for eyewitness identifications play an integral role in determining guilt during legal proceedings. Past research has shown that confidence in positive identifications is strongly associated with accuracy. Using a standard lineup recognition paradigm, we investigated accuracy using signal detection and ROC analyses, along with the tendency to choose a face with both simultaneous and sequential lineups. We replicated past findings of reduced rates of choosing with sequential as compared to simultaneous lineups, but notably found an accuracy advantage in favor of simultaneous lineups. Moreover, our analysis of the confidence-accuracy relationship revealed two key findings. First, we observed a sequential mistaken identification overconfidence effect: despite an overall reduction in false alarms, confidence for false alarms that did occur was higher with sequential lineups than with simultaneous lineups, with no differences in confidence for correct identifications. This sequential mistaken identification overconfidence effect is an expected byproduct of the use of a more conservative identification criterion with sequential than with simultaneous lineups. Second, we found a steady drop in confidence for mistaken identifications (i.e., foil identifications and false alarms) from the first to the last face in sequential lineups, whereas confidence in and accuracy of correct identifications remained relatively stable. Overall, we observed that sequential lineups are both less accurate and produce higher confidence false identifications than do simultaneous lineups. Given the increasing prominence of sequential lineups in our legal system, our data argue for increased scrutiny and possibly a wholesale reevaluation of this lineup format. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2013 APA, all rights reserved.

Robustness of the Sequential Lineup Advantage

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gronlund, Scott D.; Carlson, Curt A.; Dailey, Sarah B.; Goodsell, Charles A.

2009-01-01

A growing movement in the United States and around the world involves promoting the advantages of conducting an eyewitness lineup in a sequential manner. We conducted a large study (N = 2,529) that included 24 comparisons of sequential versus simultaneous lineups. A liberal statistical criterion revealed only 2 significant sequential lineup…

Lung Volume Measured during Sequential Swallowing in Healthy Young Adults

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hegland, Karen Wheeler; Huber, Jessica E.; Pitts, Teresa; Davenport, Paul W.; Sapienza, Christine M.

2011-01-01

Purpose: Outcomes from studying the coordinative relationship between respiratory and swallow subsystems are inconsistent for sequential swallows, and the lung volume at the initiation of sequential swallowing remains undefined. The first goal of this study was to quantify the lung volume at initiation of sequential swallowing ingestion cycles and…

Simultaneous detection of creatine and creatinine using a sequential injection analysis/biosensor system.

PubMed

Stefan-van Staden, Raluca-Ioana; Bokretsion, Rahel Girmai; van Staden, Jacobus F; Aboul-Enein, Hassan Y

2006-01-01

Carbon paste based biosensors for the determination of creatine and creatinine have been integrated into a sequential injection system. Applying the multi-enzyme sequence of creatininase (CA), and/or creatinase (CI) and sarcosine oxidase (SO), hydrogen peroxide has been detected amperometrically. The linear concentration ranges are of pmol/L to nmol/L magnitude, with very low limits of detection. The proposed SIA system can be utilized reliably for the on-line simultaneous detection of creatine and creatinine in pharmaceutical products, as well as in serum samples, with a rate of 34 samples per hour and RSD values better than 0.16% (n=10).

Study of the field-sequential modulation of Nd:YVO4/MgO:PPLN based intra-cavity frequency doubling green laser

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Bin; Gan, Yi; Xu, Chang-Qing

2018-06-01

The field sequential modulation of a Nd:YVO4/MgO:PPLN intra-cavity, frequency doubling green laser was studied. The modulation frequency was set at 1 kHz and the duty cycle was changed from 20% to CW operation. It was shown that the quasi-phase matched (QPM) temperature decreases with an increase of the modulation duty cycle, and in turn causing the peak efficiency to rise. It was found that the temperature change in MgO:PPLN and the thermal lens effect in Nd:YVO4 crystal were the respective origins of these observed experimental phenomena.

Pathways of proton transfer in the light-driven pump bacteriorhodopsin

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lanyi, J. K.

1993-01-01

The mechanism of proton transport in the light-driven pump bacteriorhodopsin is beginning to be understood. Light causes the all-trans to 13-cis isomerization of the retinal chromophore. This sets off a sequential and directed series of transient decreases in the pKa's of a) the retinal Schiff base, b) an extracellular proton release complex which includes asp-85, and c) a cytoplasmic proton uptake complex which includes asp-96. The timing of these pKa changes during the photoreaction cycle causes sequential proton transfers which result in the net movement of a proton across the protein, from the cytoplasmic to the extracellular surface.

A Sequential Optimization Sampling Method for Metamodels with Radial Basis Functions

PubMed Central

Pan, Guang; Ye, Pengcheng; Yang, Zhidong

2014-01-01

Metamodels have been widely used in engineering design to facilitate analysis and optimization of complex systems that involve computationally expensive simulation programs. The accuracy of metamodels is strongly affected by the sampling methods. In this paper, a new sequential optimization sampling method is proposed. Based on the new sampling method, metamodels can be constructed repeatedly through the addition of sampling points, namely, extrema points of metamodels and minimum points of density function. Afterwards, the more accurate metamodels would be constructed by the procedure above. The validity and effectiveness of proposed sampling method are examined by studying typical numerical examples. PMID:25133206

Resolution of concerted versus sequential mechanisms in photo-induced double-proton transfer reaction in 7-azaindole H-bonded dimer

PubMed Central

Catalán, Javier; del Valle, Juan Carlos; Kasha, Michael

1999-01-01

The experimental and theoretical bases for a synchronous or concerted double-proton transfer in centro-symmetric H-bonded electronically excited molecular dimers are presented. The prototype model is the 7-azaindole dimer. New research offers confirmation of a concerted mechanism for excited-state biprotonic transfer. Recent femtosecond photoionization and coulombic explosion techniques have given rise to time-of-flight MS observations suggesting sequential two-step biprotonic transfer for the same dimer. We interpret the overall species observed in the time-of-flight experiments as explicable without conflict with the concerted mechanism of proton transfer. PMID:10411876

Sequential lineup laps and eyewitness accuracy.

PubMed

Steblay, Nancy K; Dietrich, Hannah L; Ryan, Shannon L; Raczynski, Jeanette L; James, Kali A

2011-08-01

Police practice of double-blind sequential lineups prompts a question about the efficacy of repeated viewings (laps) of the sequential lineup. Two laboratory experiments confirmed the presence of a sequential lap effect: an increase in witness lineup picks from first to second lap, when the culprit was a stranger. The second lap produced more errors than correct identifications. In Experiment 2, lineup diagnosticity was significantly higher for sequential lineup procedures that employed a single versus double laps. Witnesses who elected to view a second lap made significantly more errors than witnesses who chose to stop after one lap or those who were required to view two laps. Witnesses with prior exposure to the culprit did not exhibit a sequential lap effect.

Simultaneous control of microorganisms and disinfection by-products by sequential chlorination.

PubMed

Chen, Chao; Zhang, Xiao-Jian; He, Wen-Jie; Han, Hong-Da

2007-04-01

To introduce a new sequential chlorination disinfection process in which short-term free chlorine and chloramine are sequentially added. Pilot tests of this sequential chlorination were carried out in a drinking water plant. The sequential chlorination disinfection process had the same or better efficiency on microbe (including virus) inactivation compared with the free chlorine disinfection process. There seemed to be some synergetic disinfection effect between free chlorine and monochloramine because they attacked different targets. The sequential chlorination disinfection process resulted in 35.7%-77.0% TTHM formation and 36.6%-54.8% THAA5 formation less than the free chlorination process. The poorer the water quality was, the more advantage the sequential chlorination disinfection had over the free chlorination. This process takes advantages of free chlorine's quick inactivation of microorganisms and chloramine's low disinfection by-product (DBP) yield and long-term residual effect, allowing simultaneous control of microbes and DBPs in an effective and economic way.

A Novel Method for Discovering Fuzzy Sequential Patterns Using the Simple Fuzzy Partition Method.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chen, Ruey-Shun; Hu, Yi-Chung

2003-01-01

Discusses sequential patterns, data mining, knowledge acquisition, and fuzzy sequential patterns described by natural language. Proposes a fuzzy data mining technique to discover fuzzy sequential patterns by using the simple partition method which allows the linguistic interpretation of each fuzzy set to be easily obtained. (Author/LRW)

Improved coverage of cDNA-AFLP by sequential digestion of immobilized cDNA.

PubMed

Weiberg, Arne; Pöhler, Dirk; Morgenstern, Burkhard; Karlovsky, Petr

2008-10-13

cDNA-AFLP is a transcriptomics technique which does not require prior sequence information and can therefore be used as a gene discovery tool. The method is based on selective amplification of cDNA fragments generated by restriction endonucleases, electrophoretic separation of the products and comparison of the band patterns between treated samples and controls. Unequal distribution of restriction sites used to generate cDNA fragments negatively affects the performance of cDNA-AFLP. Some transcripts are represented by more than one fragment while other escape detection, causing redundancy and reducing the coverage of the analysis, respectively. With the goal of improving the coverage of cDNA-AFLP without increasing its redundancy, we designed a modified cDNA-AFLP protocol. Immobilized cDNA is sequentially digested with several restriction endonucleases and the released DNA fragments are collected in mutually exclusive pools. To investigate the performance of the protocol, software tool MECS (Multiple Enzyme cDNA-AFLP Simulation) was written in Perl. cDNA-AFLP protocols described in the literature and the new sequential digestion protocol were simulated on sets of cDNA sequences from mouse, human and Arabidopsis thaliana. The redundancy and coverage, the total number of PCR reactions, and the average fragment length were calculated for each protocol and cDNA set. Simulation revealed that sequential digestion of immobilized cDNA followed by the partitioning of released fragments into mutually exclusive pools outperformed other cDNA-AFLP protocols in terms of coverage, redundancy, fragment length, and the total number of PCRs. Primers generating 30 to 70 amplicons per PCR provided the highest fraction of electrophoretically distinguishable fragments suitable for normalization. For A. thaliana, human and mice transcriptome, the use of two marking enzymes and three sequentially applied releasing enzymes for each of the marking enzymes is recommended.

Sequential interactions-in which one player plays first and another responds-promote cooperation in evolutionary-dynamical simulations of single-shot Prisoner's Dilemma and Snowdrift games.

PubMed

Laird, Robert A

2018-09-07

Cooperation is a central topic in evolutionary biology because (a) it is difficult to reconcile why individuals would act in a way that benefits others if such action is costly to themselves, and (b) it underpins many of the 'major transitions of evolution', making it essential for explaining the origins of successively higher levels of biological organization. Within evolutionary game theory, the Prisoner's Dilemma and Snowdrift games are the main theoretical constructs used to study the evolution of cooperation in dyadic interactions. In single-shot versions of these games, wherein individuals play each other only once, players typically act simultaneously rather than sequentially. Allowing one player to respond to the actions of its co-player-in the absence of any possibility of the responder being rewarded for cooperation or punished for defection, as in simultaneous or sequential iterated games-may seem to invite more incentive for exploitation and retaliation in single-shot games, compared to when interactions occur simultaneously, thereby reducing the likelihood that cooperative strategies can thrive. To the contrary, I use lattice-based, evolutionary-dynamical simulation models of single-shot games to demonstrate that under many conditions, sequential interactions have the potential to enhance unilaterally or mutually cooperative outcomes and increase the average payoff of populations, relative to simultaneous interactions-benefits that are especially prevalent in a spatially explicit context. This surprising result is attributable to the presence of conditional strategies that emerge in sequential games that can't occur in the corresponding simultaneous versions. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Development of Potent Antiviral Drugs Inspired by Viral Hexameric DNA-Packaging Motors with Revolving Mechanism

PubMed Central

Pi, Fengmei; Zhao, Zhengyi; Chelikani, Venkata; Yoder, Kristine; Kvaratskhelia, Mamuka

2016-01-01

The intracellular parasitic nature of viruses and the emergence of antiviral drug resistance necessitate the development of new potent antiviral drugs. Recently, a method for developing potent inhibitory drugs by targeting biological machines with high stoichiometry and a sequential-action mechanism was described. Inspired by this finding, we reviewed the development of antiviral drugs targeting viral DNA-packaging motors. Inhibiting multisubunit targets with sequential actions resembles breaking one bulb in a series of Christmas lights, which turns off the entire string. Indeed, studies on viral DNA packaging might lead to the development of new antiviral drugs. Recent elucidation of the mechanism of the viral double-stranded DNA (dsDNA)-packaging motor with sequential one-way revolving motion will promote the development of potent antiviral drugs with high specificity and efficiency. Traditionally, biomotors have been classified into two categories: linear and rotation motors. Recently discovered was a third type of biomotor, including the viral DNA-packaging motor, beside the bacterial DNA translocases, that uses a revolving mechanism without rotation. By analogy, rotation resembles the Earth's rotation on its own axis, while revolving resembles the Earth's revolving around the Sun (see animations at http://rnanano.osu.edu/movie.html). Herein, we review the structures of viral dsDNA-packaging motors, the stoichiometries of motor components, and the motion mechanisms of the motors. All viral dsDNA-packaging motors, including those of dsDNA/dsRNA bacteriophages, adenoviruses, poxviruses, herpesviruses, mimiviruses, megaviruses, pandoraviruses, and pithoviruses, contain a high-stoichiometry machine composed of multiple components that work cooperatively and sequentially. Thus, it is an ideal target for potent drug development based on the power function of the stoichiometries of target complexes that work sequentially. PMID:27356896

Near real-time adverse drug reaction surveillance within population-based health networks: methodology considerations for data accrual.

PubMed

Avery, Taliser R; Kulldorff, Martin; Vilk, Yury; Li, Lingling; Cheetham, T Craig; Dublin, Sascha; Davis, Robert L; Liu, Liyan; Herrinton, Lisa; Brown, Jeffrey S

2013-05-01

This study describes practical considerations for implementation of near real-time medical product safety surveillance in a distributed health data network. We conducted pilot active safety surveillance comparing generic divalproex sodium to historical branded product at four health plans from April to October 2009. Outcomes reported are all-cause emergency room visits and fractures. One retrospective data extract was completed (January 2002-June 2008), followed by seven prospective monthly extracts (January 2008-November 2009). To evaluate delays in claims processing, we used three analytic approaches: near real-time sequential analysis, sequential analysis with 1.5 month delay, and nonsequential (using final retrospective data). Sequential analyses used the maximized sequential probability ratio test. Procedural and logistical barriers to active surveillance were documented. We identified 6586 new users of generic divalproex sodium and 43,960 new users of the branded product. Quality control methods identified 16 extract errors, which were corrected. Near real-time extracts captured 87.5% of emergency room visits and 50.0% of fractures, which improved to 98.3% and 68.7% respectively with 1.5 month delay. We did not identify signals for either outcome regardless of extract timeframe, and slight differences in the test statistic and relative risk estimates were found. Near real-time sequential safety surveillance is feasible, but several barriers warrant attention. Data quality review of each data extract was necessary. Although signal detection was not affected by delay in analysis, when using a historical control group differential accrual between exposure and outcomes may theoretically bias near real-time risk estimates towards the null, causing failure to detect a signal. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Dizocilpine (MK-801) impairs learning in the active place avoidance task but has no effect on the performance during task/context alternation.

PubMed

Vojtechova, Iveta; Petrasek, Tomas; Hatalova, Hana; Pistikova, Adela; Vales, Karel; Stuchlik, Ales

2016-05-15

The prevention of engram interference, pattern separation, flexibility, cognitive coordination and spatial navigation are usually studied separately at the behavioral level. Impairment in executive functions is often observed in patients suffering from schizophrenia. We have designed a protocol for assessing these functions all together as behavioral separation. This protocol is based on alternated or sequential training in two tasks testing different hippocampal functions (the Morris water maze and active place avoidance), and alternated or sequential training in two similar environments of the active place avoidance task. In Experiment 1, we tested, in adult rats, whether the performance in two different spatial tasks was affected by their order in sequential learning, or by their day-to-day alternation. In Experiment 2, rats learned to solve the active place avoidance task in two environments either alternately or sequentially. We found that rats are able to acquire both tasks and to discriminate both similar contexts without obvious problems regardless of the order or the alternation. We used two groups of rats, controls and a rat model of psychosis induced by a subchronic intraperitoneal application of 0.08mg/kg of dizocilpine (MK-801), a non-competitive antagonist of NMDA receptors. Dizocilpine had no selective effect on parallel/sequential learning of tasks/contexts. However, it caused hyperlocomotion and a significant deficit in learning in the active place avoidance task regardless of the task alternation. Cognitive coordination tested by this task is probably more sensitive to dizocilpine than spatial orientation because no hyperactivity or learning impairment was observed in the Morris water maze. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Sequential stages and distribution patterns of aging-related tau astrogliopathy (ARTAG) in the human brain.

PubMed

Kovacs, Gabor G; Xie, Sharon X; Robinson, John L; Lee, Edward B; Smith, Douglas H; Schuck, Theresa; Lee, Virginia M-Y; Trojanowski, John Q

2018-06-11

Aging-related tau astrogliopathy (ARTAG) describes tau pathology in astrocytes in different locations and anatomical regions. In the present study we addressed the question of whether sequential distribution patterns can be recognized for ARTAG or astroglial tau pathologies in both primary FTLD-tauopathies and non-FTLD-tauopathy cases. By evaluating 687 postmortem brains with diverse disorders we identified ARTAG in 455. We evaluated frequencies and hierarchical clustering of anatomical involvement and used conditional probability and logistic regression to model the sequential distribution of ARTAG and astroglial tau pathologies across different brain regions. For subpial and white matter ARTAG we recognize three and two patterns, respectively, each with three stages initiated or ending in the amygdala. Subependymal ARTAG does not show a clear sequential pattern. For grey matter (GM) ARTAG we recognize four stages including a striatal pathway of spreading towards the cortex and/or amygdala, and the brainstem, and an amygdala pathway, which precedes the involvement of the striatum and/or cortex and proceeds towards the brainstem. GM ARTAG and astrocytic plaque pathology in corticobasal degeneration follows a predominantly frontal-parietal cortical to temporal-occipital cortical, to subcortical, to brainstem pathway (four stages). GM ARTAG and tufted astrocyte pathology in progressive supranuclear palsy shows a striatum to frontal-parietal cortical to temporal to occipital, to amygdala, and to brainstem sequence (four stages). In Pick's disease cases with astroglial tau pathology an overlapping pattern with PSP can be appreciated. We conclude that tau-astrogliopathy type-specific sequential patterns cannot be simplified as neuron-based staging systems. The proposed cytopathological and hierarchical stages provide a conceptual approach to identify the initial steps of the pathogenesis of tau pathologies in ARTAG and primary FTLD-tauopathies.

Molecular dynamics-based refinement and validation for sub-5 Å cryo-electron microscopy maps.

PubMed

Singharoy, Abhishek; Teo, Ivan; McGreevy, Ryan; Stone, John E; Zhao, Jianhua; Schulten, Klaus

2016-07-07

Two structure determination methods, based on the molecular dynamics flexible fitting (MDFF) paradigm, are presented that resolve sub-5 Å cryo-electron microscopy (EM) maps with either single structures or ensembles of such structures. The methods, denoted cascade MDFF and resolution exchange MDFF, sequentially re-refine a search model against a series of maps of progressively higher resolutions, which ends with the original experimental resolution. Application of sequential re-refinement enables MDFF to achieve a radius of convergence of ~25 Å demonstrated with the accurate modeling of β-galactosidase and TRPV1 proteins at 3.2 Å and 3.4 Å resolution, respectively. The MDFF refinements uniquely offer map-model validation and B-factor determination criteria based on the inherent dynamics of the macromolecules studied, captured by means of local root mean square fluctuations. The MDFF tools described are available to researchers through an easy-to-use and cost-effective cloud computing resource on Amazon Web Services.

Sequential limiting in continuous and discontinuous Galerkin methods for the Euler equations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dobrev, V.; Kolev, Tz.; Kuzmin, D.; Rieben, R.; Tomov, V.

2018-03-01

We present a new predictor-corrector approach to enforcing local maximum principles in piecewise-linear finite element schemes for the compressible Euler equations. The new element-based limiting strategy is suitable for continuous and discontinuous Galerkin methods alike. In contrast to synchronized limiting techniques for systems of conservation laws, we constrain the density, momentum, and total energy in a sequential manner which guarantees positivity preservation for the pressure and internal energy. After the density limiting step, the total energy and momentum gradients are adjusted to incorporate the irreversible effect of density changes. Antidiffusive corrections to bounds-compatible low-order approximations are limited to satisfy inequality constraints for the specific total and kinetic energy. An accuracy-preserving smoothness indicator is introduced to gradually adjust lower bounds for the element-based correction factors. The employed smoothness criterion is based on a Hessian determinant test for the density. A numerical study is performed for test problems with smooth and discontinuous solutions.

Performance analysis of coherent free space optical communications with sequential pyramid wavefront sensor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Wei; Yao, Kainan; Chen, Lu; Huang, Danian; Cao, Jingtai; Gu, Haijun

2018-03-01

Based-on the previous study on the theory of the sequential pyramid wavefront sensor (SPWFS), in this paper, the SPWFS is first applied to the coherent free space optical communications (FSOC) with more flexible spatial resolution and higher sensitivity than the Shack-Hartmann wavefront sensor, and with higher uniformity of intensity distribution and much simpler than the pyramid wavefront sensor. Then, the mixing efficiency (ME) and the bit error rate (BER) of the coherent FSOC are analyzed during the aberrations correction through numerical simulation with binary phase shift keying (BPSK) modulation. Finally, an experimental AO system based-on SPWFS is setup, and the experimental data is used to analyze the ME and BER of homodyne detection with BPSK modulation. The results show that the AO system based-on SPWFS can increase ME and decrease BER effectively. The conclusions of this paper provide a new method of wavefront sensing for designing the AO system for a coherent FSOC system.

Investigating the Effect of the Activities Based on Explanation Assisted REACT Strategy on Learning Impulse, Momentum and Collisions Topics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ültay, Eser; Alev, Nedim

2017-01-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of explanation assisted REACT strategy which was based on context-based learning approach on prospective science teachers' (PSTs) learning in impulse, momentum and collisions topics. The sequential explanatory strategy within mixed methods design was employed in this study. The first phase of…

Model-Based Detection of Radioactive Contraband for Harbor Defense Incorporating Compton Scattering Physics

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

Candy, J V; Chambers, D H; Breitfeller, E F

2010-03-02

The detection of radioactive contraband is a critical problem is maintaining national security for any country. Photon emissions from threat materials challenge both detection and measurement technologies especially when concealed by various types of shielding complicating the transport physics significantly. This problem becomes especially important when ships are intercepted by U.S. Coast Guard harbor patrols searching for contraband. The development of a sequential model-based processor that captures both the underlying transport physics of gamma-ray emissions including Compton scattering and the measurement of photon energies offers a physics-based approach to attack this challenging problem. The inclusion of a basic radionuclide representationmore » of absorbed/scattered photons at a given energy along with interarrival times is used to extract the physics information available from the noisy measurements portable radiation detection systems used to interdict contraband. It is shown that this physics representation can incorporated scattering physics leading to an 'extended' model-based structure that can be used to develop an effective sequential detection technique. The resulting model-based processor is shown to perform quite well based on data obtained from a controlled experiment.« less

A behavioural and neural evaluation of prospective decision-making under risk

PubMed Central

Symmonds, Mkael; Bossaerts, Peter; Dolan, Raymond J.

2010-01-01

Making the best choice when faced with a chain of decisions requires a person to judge both anticipated outcomes and future actions. Although economic decision-making models account for both risk and reward in single choice contexts there is a dearth of similar knowledge about sequential choice. Classical utility-based models assume that decision-makers select and follow an optimal pre-determined strategy, irrespective of the particular order in which options are presented. An alternative model involves continuously re-evaluating decision utilities, without prescribing a specific future set of choices. Here, using behavioral and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data, we studied human subjects in a sequential choice task and use these data to compare alternative decision models of valuation and strategy selection. We provide evidence that subjects adopt a model of re-evaluating decision utilities, where available strategies are continuously updated and combined in assessing action values. We validate this model by using simultaneously-acquired fMRI data to show that sequential choice evokes a pattern of neural response consistent with a tracking of anticipated distribution of future reward, as expected in such a model. Thus, brain activity evoked at each decision point reflects the expected mean, variance and skewness of possible payoffs, consistent with the idea that sequential choice evokes a prospective evaluation of both available strategies and possible outcomes. PMID:20980595

Fixed-Precision Sequential Sampling Plans for Estimating Alfalfa Caterpillar, Colias lesbia, Egg Density in Alfalfa, Medicago sativa, Fields in Córdoba, Argentina

PubMed Central

Serra, Gerardo V.; Porta, Norma C. La; Avalos, Susana; Mazzuferi, Vilma

2013-01-01

The alfalfa caterpillar, Colias lesbia (Fabricius) (Lepidoptera: Pieridae), is a major pest of alfalfa, Medicago sativa L. (Fabales: Fabaceae), crops in Argentina. Its management is based mainly on chemical control of larvae whenever the larvae exceed the action threshold. To develop and validate fixed-precision sequential sampling plans, an intensive sampling programme for C. lesbia eggs was carried out in two alfalfa plots located in the Province of Córdoba, Argentina, from 1999 to 2002. Using Resampling for Validation of Sampling Plans software, 12 additional independent data sets were used to validate the sequential sampling plan with precision levels of 0.10 and 0.25 (SE/mean), respectively. For a range of mean densities of 0.10 to 8.35 eggs/sample, an average sample size of only 27 and 26 sample units was required to achieve a desired precision level of 0.25 for the sampling plans of Green and Kuno, respectively. As the precision level was increased to 0.10, average sample size increased to 161 and 157 sample units for the sampling plans of Green and Kuno, respectively. We recommend using Green's sequential sampling plan because it is less sensitive to changes in egg density. These sampling plans are a valuable tool for researchers to study population dynamics and to evaluate integrated pest management strategies. PMID:23909840

The parallel-sequential field subtraction technique for coherent nonlinear ultrasonic imaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cheng, Jingwei; Potter, Jack N.; Drinkwater, Bruce W.

2018-06-01

Nonlinear imaging techniques have recently emerged which have the potential to detect cracks at a much earlier stage than was previously possible and have sensitivity to partially closed defects. This study explores a coherent imaging technique based on the subtraction of two modes of focusing: parallel, in which the elements are fired together with a delay law and sequential, in which elements are fired independently. In the parallel focusing a high intensity ultrasonic beam is formed in the specimen at the focal point. However, in sequential focusing only low intensity signals from individual elements enter the sample and the full matrix of transmit-receive signals is recorded and post-processed to form an image. Under linear elastic assumptions, both parallel and sequential images are expected to be identical. Here we measure the difference between these images and use this to characterise the nonlinearity of small closed fatigue cracks. In particular we monitor the change in relative phase and amplitude at the fundamental frequencies for each focal point and use this nonlinear coherent imaging metric to form images of the spatial distribution of nonlinearity. The results suggest the subtracted image can suppress linear features (e.g. back wall or large scatters) effectively when instrumentation noise compensation in applied, thereby allowing damage to be detected at an early stage (c. 15% of fatigue life) and reliably quantified in later fatigue life.

Dry minor mergers and size evolution of high-z compact massive early-type galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oogi, Taira; Habe, Asao

2012-09-01

Recent observations show evidence that high-z (z ~ 2 - 3) early-type galaxies (ETGs) are quite compact than that with comparable mass at z ~ 0. Dry merger scenario is one of the most probable one that can explain such size evolution. However, previous studies based on this scenario do not succeed to explain both properties of high-z compact massive ETGs and local ETGs, consistently. We investigate effects of sequential, multiple dry minor (stellar mass ratio M2/M1<1/4) mergers on the size evolution of compact massive ETGs. We perform N-body simulations of the sequential minor mergers with parabolic and head-on orbits, including a dark matter component and a stellar component. We show that the sequential minor mergers of compact satellite galaxies are the most efficient in the size growth and in decrease of the velocity dispersion of the compact massive ETGs. The change of stellar size and density of the merger remnant is consistent with the recent observations. Furthermore, we construct the merger histories of candidates of high-z compact massive ETGs using the Millennium Simulation Database, and estimate the size growth of the galaxies by dry minor mergers. We can reproduce the mean size growth factor between z = 2 and z = 0, assuming the most efficient size growth obtained in the case of the sequential minor mergers in our simulations.

Simulation modeling analysis of sequential relations among therapeutic alliance, symptoms, and adherence to child-centered play therapy between a child with autism spectrum disorder and two therapists.

PubMed

Goodman, Geoff; Chung, Hyewon; Fischel, Leah; Athey-Lloyd, Laura

2017-07-01

This study examined the sequential relations among three pertinent variables in child psychotherapy: therapeutic alliance (TA) (including ruptures and repairs), autism symptoms, and adherence to child-centered play therapy (CCPT) process. A 2-year CCPT of a 6-year-old Caucasian boy diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder was conducted weekly with two doctoral-student therapists, working consecutively for 1 year each, in a university-based community mental-health clinic. Sessions were video-recorded and coded using the Child Psychotherapy Process Q-Set (CPQ), a measure of the TA, and an autism symptom measure. Sequential relations among these variables were examined using simulation modeling analysis (SMA). In Therapist 1's treatment, unexpectedly, autism symptoms decreased three sessions after a rupture occurred in the therapeutic dyad. In Therapist 2's treatment, adherence to CCPT process increased 2 weeks after a repair occurred in the therapeutic dyad. The TA decreased 1 week after autism symptoms increased. Finally, adherence to CCPT process decreased 1 week after autism symptoms increased. The authors concluded that (1) sequential relations differ by therapist even though the child remains constant, (2) therapeutic ruptures can have an unexpected effect on autism symptoms, and (3) changes in autism symptoms can precede as well as follow changes in process variables.

A behavioral and neural evaluation of prospective decision-making under risk.

PubMed

Symmonds, Mkael; Bossaerts, Peter; Dolan, Raymond J

2010-10-27

Making the best choice when faced with a chain of decisions requires a person to judge both anticipated outcomes and future actions. Although economic decision-making models account for both risk and reward in single-choice contexts, there is a dearth of similar knowledge about sequential choice. Classical utility-based models assume that decision-makers select and follow an optimal predetermined strategy, regardless of the particular order in which options are presented. An alternative model involves continuously reevaluating decision utilities, without prescribing a specific future set of choices. Here, using behavioral and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data, we studied human subjects in a sequential choice task and use these data to compare alternative decision models of valuation and strategy selection. We provide evidence that subjects adopt a model of reevaluating decision utilities, in which available strategies are continuously updated and combined in assessing action values. We validate this model by using simultaneously acquired fMRI data to show that sequential choice evokes a pattern of neural response consistent with a tracking of anticipated distribution of future reward, as expected in such a model. Thus, brain activity evoked at each decision point reflects the expected mean, variance, and skewness of possible payoffs, consistent with the idea that sequential choice evokes a prospective evaluation of both available strategies and possible outcomes.

Continuity of the sequential product of sequential quantum effect algebras

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

Lei, Qiang, E-mail: leiqiang@hit.edu.cn; Su, Xiaochao, E-mail: hitswh@163.com; Wu, Junde, E-mail: wjd@zju.edu.cn

In order to study quantum measurement theory, sequential product defined by A∘B = A{sup 1/2}BA{sup 1/2} for any two quantum effects A, B has been introduced. Physically motivated conditions ask the sequential product to be continuous with respect to the strong operator topology. In this paper, we study the continuity problems of the sequential product A∘B = A{sup 1/2}BA{sup 1/2} with respect to other important topologies, such as norm topology, weak operator topology, order topology, and interval topology.

The Equity Consequences of School-Based Management

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nir, Adam E.; Miran, Meir

2006-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine the extent to which the introduction of school-based management (SBM) affects schools' incomes and educational equity? Design/methodology/approach: An analysis of financial reports coming from 31 SBM schools during a period of four sequential years reveals that the overall inequity among schools has…

Effects of Estimation Bias on Multiple-Category Classification with an IRT-Based Adaptive Classification Procedure

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yang, Xiangdong; Poggio, John C.; Glasnapp, Douglas R.

2006-01-01

The effects of five ability estimators, that is, maximum likelihood estimator, weighted likelihood estimator, maximum a posteriori, expected a posteriori, and Owen's sequential estimator, on the performances of the item response theory-based adaptive classification procedure on multiple categories were studied via simulations. The following…

Neural Bases of Sequence Processing in Action and Language

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carota, Francesca; Sirigu, Angela

2008-01-01

Real-time estimation of what we will do next is a crucial prerequisite of purposive behavior. During the planning of goal-oriented actions, for instance, the temporal and causal organization of upcoming subsequent moves needs to be predicted based on our knowledge of events. A forward computation of sequential structure is also essential for…

A Rejection Principle for Sequential Tests of Multiple Hypotheses Controlling Familywise Error Rates

PubMed Central

BARTROFF, JAY; SONG, JINLIN

2015-01-01

We present a unifying approach to multiple testing procedures for sequential (or streaming) data by giving sufficient conditions for a sequential multiple testing procedure to control the familywise error rate (FWER). Together we call these conditions a “rejection principle for sequential tests,” which we then apply to some existing sequential multiple testing procedures to give simplified understanding of their FWER control. Next the principle is applied to derive two new sequential multiple testing procedures with provable FWER control, one for testing hypotheses in order and another for closed testing. Examples of these new procedures are given by applying them to a chromosome aberration data set and to finding the maximum safe dose of a treatment. PMID:26985125

Extended follow-up of the CYCLOFA-LUNE trial comparing two sequential induction and maintenance treatment regimens for proliferative lupus nephritis based either on cyclophosphamide or on cyclosporine A.

PubMed

Závada, J; Sinikka Pesicková, S; Rysavá, R; Horák, P; Hrncír, Z; Lukác, J; Rovensky, J; Vítová, J; Havrda, M; Rychlík, I; Böhmova, J; Vlasáková, V; Slatinská, J; Zadrazil, J; Olejárová, M; Tegzova, D; Tesar, V

2014-01-01

Objective To evaluate the extended follow-up of the CYCLOFA-LUNE trial, a randomized prospective trial comparing two sequential induction and maintenance treatment regimens for proliferative lupus nephritis based either on cyclophosphamide (CPH) or cyclosporine A (CyA). Patients and methods Data for kidney function and adverse events were collected by a cross-sectional survey for 38 of 40 patients initially randomized in the CYCLOFA-LUNE trial. Results The median follow-up time was 7.7 years (range 5.0-10.3). Rates of renal impairment and end-stage renal disease, adverse events (death, cardiovascular event, tumor, premature menopause) did not differ between the CPH and CyA group, nor did mean serum creatinine, 24 h proteinuria and SLICC damage score at last follow-up. Most patients in both groups were still treated with glucocorticoids, other immunosuppressant agents and blood pressure lowering drugs. Conclusion An immunosuppressive regimen based on CyA achieved similar clinical results to that based on CPH in the very long term.

Association of mammographic image feature change and an increasing risk trend of developing breast cancer: an assessment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tan, Maxine; Leader, Joseph K.; Liu, Hong; Zheng, Bin

2015-03-01

We recently investigated a new mammographic image feature based risk factor to predict near-term breast cancer risk after a woman has a negative mammographic screening. We hypothesized that unlike the conventional epidemiology-based long-term (or lifetime) risk factors, the mammographic image feature based risk factor value will increase as the time lag between the negative and positive mammography screening decreases. The purpose of this study is to test this hypothesis. From a large and diverse full-field digital mammography (FFDM) image database with 1278 cases, we collected all available sequential FFDM examinations for each case including the "current" and 1 to 3 most recently "prior" examinations. All "prior" examinations were interpreted negative, and "current" ones were either malignant or recalled negative/benign. We computed 92 global mammographic texture and density based features, and included three clinical risk factors (woman's age, family history and subjective breast density BIRADS ratings). On this initial feature set, we applied a fast and accurate Sequential Forward Floating Selection (SFFS) feature selection algorithm to reduce feature dimensionality. The features computed on both mammographic views were individually/ separately trained using two artificial neural network (ANN) classifiers. The classification scores of the two ANNs were then merged with a sequential ANN. The results show that the maximum adjusted odds ratios were 5.59, 7.98, and 15.77 for using the 3rd, 2nd, and 1st "prior" FFDM examinations, respectively, which demonstrates a higher association of mammographic image feature change and an increasing risk trend of developing breast cancer in the near-term after a negative screening.

Nonvolatile reconfigurable sequential logic in a HfO2 resistive random access memory array.

PubMed

Zhou, Ya-Xiong; Li, Yi; Su, Yu-Ting; Wang, Zhuo-Rui; Shih, Ling-Yi; Chang, Ting-Chang; Chang, Kuan-Chang; Long, Shi-Bing; Sze, Simon M; Miao, Xiang-Shui

2017-05-25

Resistive random access memory (RRAM) based reconfigurable logic provides a temporal programmable dimension to realize Boolean logic functions and is regarded as a promising route to build non-von Neumann computing architecture. In this work, a reconfigurable operation method is proposed to perform nonvolatile sequential logic in a HfO 2 -based RRAM array. Eight kinds of Boolean logic functions can be implemented within the same hardware fabrics. During the logic computing processes, the RRAM devices in an array are flexibly configured in a bipolar or complementary structure. The validity was demonstrated by experimentally implemented NAND and XOR logic functions and a theoretically designed 1-bit full adder. With the trade-off between temporal and spatial computing complexity, our method makes better use of limited computing resources, thus provides an attractive scheme for the construction of logic-in-memory systems.

Sequential Design of Experiments

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

Anderson-Cook, Christine Michaela

2017-06-30

A sequential design of experiments strategy is being developed and implemented that allows for adaptive learning based on incoming results as the experiment is being run. The plan is to incorporate these strategies for the NCCC and TCM experimental campaigns to be run in the coming months. This strategy for experimentation has the advantages of allowing new data collected during the experiment to inform future experimental runs based on their projected utility for a particular goal. For example, the current effort for the MEA capture system at NCCC plans to focus on maximally improving the quality of prediction of COmore » 2 capture efficiency as measured by the width of the confidence interval for the underlying response surface that is modeled as a function of 1) Flue Gas Flowrate [1000-3000] kg/hr; 2) CO 2 weight fraction [0.125-0.175]; 3) Lean solvent loading [0.1-0.3], and; 4) Lean solvent flowrate [3000-12000] kg/hr.« less

On-demand stereoscopic 3D displays for avionic and military applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sarma, Kalluri; Lu, Kanghua; Larson, Brent; Schmidt, John; Cupero, Frank

2010-04-01

High speed AM LCD flat panels are evaluated for use in Field Sequential Stereoscopic (FSS) 3D displays for military and avionic applications. A 120 Hz AM LCD is used in field-sequential mode for constructing eyewear-based as well as autostereoscopic 3D display demonstrators for test and evaluation. The COTS eyewear-based system uses shutter glasses to control left-eye/right-eye images. The autostereoscopic system uses a custom backlight to generate illuminating pupils for left and right eyes. It is driven in synchronization with the images on the LCD. Both displays provide 3D effect in full-color and full-resolution in the AM LCD flat panel. We have realized luminance greater than 200 fL in 3D mode with the autostereoscopic system for sunlight readability. The characterization results and performance attributes of both systems are described.

Sequential Probability Ratio Test for Collision Avoidance Maneuver Decisions Based on a Bank of Norm-Inequality-Constrained Epoch-State Filters

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Carpenter, J. R.; Markley, F. L.; Alfriend, K. T.; Wright, C.; Arcido, J.

2011-01-01

Sequential probability ratio tests explicitly allow decision makers to incorporate false alarm and missed detection risks, and are potentially less sensitive to modeling errors than a procedure that relies solely on a probability of collision threshold. Recent work on constrained Kalman filtering has suggested an approach to formulating such a test for collision avoidance maneuver decisions: a filter bank with two norm-inequality-constrained epoch-state extended Kalman filters. One filter models 1he null hypothesis 1ha1 the miss distance is inside the combined hard body radius at the predicted time of closest approach, and one filter models the alternative hypothesis. The epoch-state filter developed for this method explicitly accounts for any process noise present in the system. The method appears to work well using a realistic example based on an upcoming highly-elliptical orbit formation flying mission.

Comparison of Learning Styles of Pharmacy Students and Faculty Members

PubMed Central

Crawford, Stephanie Y.; Alhreish, Suhail K.

2012-01-01

Objectives. To compare dominant learning styles of pharmacy students and faculty members and between faculty members in different tracks. Methods. Gregorc Style Delineator (GSD) and Zubin’s Pharmacists’ Inventory of Learning Styles (PILS) were administered to students and faculty members at an urban, Midwestern college of pharmacy. Results. Based on responses from 299 students (classes of 2008, 2009, and 2010) and 59 faculty members, GSD styles were concrete sequential (48%), abstract sequential (18%), abstract random (13%), concrete random (13%), and multimodal (8%). With PILS, dominant styles were assimilator (47%) and converger (30%). There were no significant differences between faculty members and student learning styles nor across pharmacy student class years (p>0.05). Learning styles differed between men and women across both instruments (p<0.01), and between faculty members in tenure and clinical tracks for the GSD styles (p=0.01). Conclusion. Learning styles differed among respondents based on gender and faculty track. PMID:23275657

Sequential bottom-up assembly of mechanically stabilized synthetic cells by microfluidics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weiss, Marian; Frohnmayer, Johannes Patrick; Benk, Lucia Theresa; Haller, Barbara; Janiesch, Jan-Willi; Heitkamp, Thomas; Börsch, Michael; Lira, Rafael B.; Dimova, Rumiana; Lipowsky, Reinhard; Bodenschatz, Eberhard; Baret, Jean-Christophe; Vidakovic-Koch, Tanja; Sundmacher, Kai; Platzman, Ilia; Spatz, Joachim P.

2018-01-01

Compartments for the spatially and temporally controlled assembly of biological processes are essential towards cellular life. Synthetic mimics of cellular compartments based on lipid-based protocells lack the mechanical and chemical stability to allow their manipulation into a complex and fully functional synthetic cell. Here, we present a high-throughput microfluidic method to generate stable, defined sized liposomes termed `droplet-stabilized giant unilamellar vesicles (dsGUVs)’. The enhanced stability of dsGUVs enables the sequential loading of these compartments with biomolecules, namely purified transmembrane and cytoskeleton proteins by microfluidic pico-injection technology. This constitutes an experimental demonstration of a successful bottom-up assembly of a compartment with contents that would not self-assemble to full functionality when simply mixed together. Following assembly, the stabilizing oil phase and droplet shells are removed to release functional self-supporting protocells to an aqueous phase, enabling them to interact with physiologically relevant matrices.

Reliability-based design optimization using a generalized subset simulation method and posterior approximation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ma, Yuan-Zhuo; Li, Hong-Shuang; Yao, Wei-Xing

2018-05-01

The evaluation of the probabilistic constraints in reliability-based design optimization (RBDO) problems has always been significant and challenging work, which strongly affects the performance of RBDO methods. This article deals with RBDO problems using a recently developed generalized subset simulation (GSS) method and a posterior approximation approach. The posterior approximation approach is used to transform all the probabilistic constraints into ordinary constraints as in deterministic optimization. The assessment of multiple failure probabilities required by the posterior approximation approach is achieved by GSS in a single run at all supporting points, which are selected by a proper experimental design scheme combining Sobol' sequences and Bucher's design. Sequentially, the transformed deterministic design optimization problem can be solved by optimization algorithms, for example, the sequential quadratic programming method. Three optimization problems are used to demonstrate the efficiency and accuracy of the proposed method.

Comparative efficacy of simultaneous versus sequential multiple health behavior change interventions among adults: A systematic review of randomised trials.

PubMed

James, Erica; Freund, Megan; Booth, Angela; Duncan, Mitch J; Johnson, Natalie; Short, Camille E; Wolfenden, Luke; Stacey, Fiona G; Kay-Lambkin, Frances; Vandelanotte, Corneel

2016-08-01

Growing evidence points to the benefits of addressing multiple health behaviors rather than single behaviors. This review evaluates the relative effectiveness of simultaneous and sequentially delivered multiple health behavior change (MHBC) interventions. Secondary aims were to identify: a) the most effective spacing of sequentially delivered components; b) differences in efficacy of MHBC interventions for adoption/cessation behaviors and lifestyle/addictive behaviors, and; c) differences in trial retention between simultaneously and sequentially delivered interventions. MHBC intervention trials published up to October 2015 were identified through a systematic search. Eligible trials were randomised controlled trials that directly compared simultaneous and sequential delivery of a MHBC intervention. A narrative synthesis was undertaken. Six trials met the inclusion criteria and across these trials the behaviors targeted were smoking, diet, physical activity, and alcohol consumption. Three trials reported a difference in intervention effect between a sequential and simultaneous approach in at least one behavioral outcome. Of these, two trials favoured a sequential approach on smoking. One trial favoured a simultaneous approach on fat intake. There was no difference in retention between sequential and simultaneous approaches. There is limited evidence regarding the relative effectiveness of sequential and simultaneous approaches. Given only three of the six trials observed a difference in intervention effectiveness for one health behavior outcome, and the relatively consistent finding that the sequential and simultaneous approaches were more effective than a usual/minimal care control condition, it appears that both approaches should be considered equally efficacious. PROSPERO registration number: CRD42015027876. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Group Sequential Testing of the Predictive Accuracy of a Continuous Biomarker with Unknown Prevalence

PubMed Central

Koopmeiners, Joseph S.; Feng, Ziding

2015-01-01

Group sequential testing procedures have been proposed as an approach to conserving resources in biomarker validation studies. Previously, Koopmeiners and Feng (2011) derived the asymptotic properties of the sequential empirical positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value curves, which summarize the predictive accuracy of a continuous marker, under case-control sampling. A limitation of their approach is that the prevalence can not be estimated from a case-control study and must be assumed known. In this manuscript, we consider group sequential testing of the predictive accuracy of a continuous biomarker with unknown prevalence. First, we develop asymptotic theory for the sequential empirical PPV and NPV curves when the prevalence must be estimated, rather than assumed known in a case-control study. We then discuss how our results can be combined with standard group sequential methods to develop group sequential testing procedures and bias-adjusted estimators for the PPV and NPV curve. The small sample properties of the proposed group sequential testing procedures and estimators are evaluated by simulation and we illustrate our approach in the context of a study to validate a novel biomarker for prostate cancer. PMID:26537180

A Sequential Multiplicative Extended Kalman Filter for Attitude Estimation Using Vector Observations.

PubMed

Qin, Fangjun; Chang, Lubin; Jiang, Sai; Zha, Feng

2018-05-03

In this paper, a sequential multiplicative extended Kalman filter (SMEKF) is proposed for attitude estimation using vector observations. In the proposed SMEKF, each of the vector observations is processed sequentially to update the attitude, which can make the measurement model linearization more accurate for the next vector observation. This is the main difference to Murrell’s variation of the MEKF, which does not update the attitude estimate during the sequential procedure. Meanwhile, the covariance is updated after all the vector observations have been processed, which is used to account for the special characteristics of the reset operation necessary for the attitude update. This is the main difference to the traditional sequential EKF, which updates the state covariance at each step of the sequential procedure. The numerical simulation study demonstrates that the proposed SMEKF has more consistent and accurate performance in a wide range of initial estimate errors compared to the MEKF and its traditional sequential forms.

RACE/A: an architectural account of the interactions between learning, task control, and retrieval dynamics.

PubMed

van Maanen, Leendert; van Rijn, Hedderik; Taatgen, Niels

2012-01-01

This article discusses how sequential sampling models can be integrated in a cognitive architecture. The new theory Retrieval by Accumulating Evidence in an Architecture (RACE/A) combines the level of detail typically provided by sequential sampling models with the level of task complexity typically provided by cognitive architectures. We will use RACE/A to model data from two variants of a picture-word interference task in a psychological refractory period design. These models will demonstrate how RACE/A enables interactions between sequential sampling and long-term declarative learning, and between sequential sampling and task control. In a traditional sequential sampling model, the onset of the process within the task is unclear, as is the number of sampling processes. RACE/A provides a theoretical basis for estimating the onset of sequential sampling processes during task execution and allows for easy modeling of multiple sequential sampling processes within a task. Copyright © 2011 Cognitive Science Society, Inc.

A Sequential Multiplicative Extended Kalman Filter for Attitude Estimation Using Vector Observations

PubMed Central

Qin, Fangjun; Jiang, Sai; Zha, Feng

2018-01-01

In this paper, a sequential multiplicative extended Kalman filter (SMEKF) is proposed for attitude estimation using vector observations. In the proposed SMEKF, each of the vector observations is processed sequentially to update the attitude, which can make the measurement model linearization more accurate for the next vector observation. This is the main difference to Murrell’s variation of the MEKF, which does not update the attitude estimate during the sequential procedure. Meanwhile, the covariance is updated after all the vector observations have been processed, which is used to account for the special characteristics of the reset operation necessary for the attitude update. This is the main difference to the traditional sequential EKF, which updates the state covariance at each step of the sequential procedure. The numerical simulation study demonstrates that the proposed SMEKF has more consistent and accurate performance in a wide range of initial estimate errors compared to the MEKF and its traditional sequential forms. PMID:29751538

Structural Optimization for Reliability Using Nonlinear Goal Programming

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

El-Sayed, Mohamed E.

1999-01-01

This report details the development of a reliability based multi-objective design tool for solving structural optimization problems. Based on two different optimization techniques, namely sequential unconstrained minimization and nonlinear goal programming, the developed design method has the capability to take into account the effects of variability on the proposed design through a user specified reliability design criterion. In its sequential unconstrained minimization mode, the developed design tool uses a composite objective function, in conjunction with weight ordered design objectives, in order to take into account conflicting and multiple design criteria. Multiple design criteria of interest including structural weight, load induced stress and deflection, and mechanical reliability. The nonlinear goal programming mode, on the other hand, provides for a design method that eliminates the difficulty of having to define an objective function and constraints, while at the same time has the capability of handling rank ordered design objectives or goals. For simulation purposes the design of a pressure vessel cover plate was undertaken as a test bed for the newly developed design tool. The formulation of this structural optimization problem into sequential unconstrained minimization and goal programming form is presented. The resulting optimization problem was solved using: (i) the linear extended interior penalty function method algorithm; and (ii) Powell's conjugate directions method. Both single and multi-objective numerical test cases are included demonstrating the design tool's capabilities as it applies to this design problem.

Ratio of sequential chromatograms for quantitative analysis and peak deconvolution: Application to standard addition method and process monitoring

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

Synovec, R.E.; Johnson, E.L.; Bahowick, T.J.

1990-08-01

This paper describes a new technique for data analysis in chromatography, based on taking the point-by-point ratio of sequential chromatograms that have been base line corrected. This ratio chromatogram provides a robust means for the identification and the quantitation of analytes. In addition, the appearance of an interferent is made highly visible, even when it coelutes with desired analytes. For quantitative analysis, the region of the ratio chromatogram corresponding to the pure elution of an analyte is identified and is used to calculate a ratio value equal to the ratio of concentrations of the analyte in sequential injections. For themore » ratio value calculation, a variance-weighted average is used, which compensates for the varying signal-to-noise ratio. This ratio value, or equivalently the percent change in concentration, is the basis of a chromatographic standard addition method and an algorithm to monitor analyte concentration in a process stream. In the case of overlapped peaks, a spiking procedure is used to calculate both the original concentration of an analyte and its signal contribution to the original chromatogram. Thus, quantitation and curve resolution may be performed simultaneously, without peak modeling or curve fitting. These concepts are demonstrated by using data from ion chromatography, but the technique should be applicable to all chromatographic techniques.« less

Evaluation of concurrent priority queue algorithms. Technical report

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

Huang, Q.

1991-02-01

The priority queue is a fundamental data structure that is used in a large variety of parallel algorithms, such as multiprocessor scheduling and parallel best-first search of state-space graphs. This thesis addresses the design and experimental evaluation of two novel concurrent priority queues: a parallel Fibonacci heap and a concurrent priority pool, and compares them with the concurrent binary heap. The parallel Fibonacci heap is based on the sequential Fibonacci heap, which is theoretically the most efficient data structure for sequential priority queues. This scheme not only preserves the efficient operation time bounds of its sequential counterpart, but also hasmore » very low contention by distributing locks over the entire data structure. The experimental results show its linearly scalable throughput and speedup up to as many processors as tested (currently 18). A concurrent access scheme for a doubly linked list is described as part of the implementation of the parallel Fibonacci heap. The concurrent priority pool is based on the concurrent B-tree and the concurrent pool. The concurrent priority pool has the highest throughput among the priority queues studied. Like the parallel Fibonacci heap, the concurrent priority pool scales linearly up to as many processors as tested. The priority queues are evaluated in terms of throughput and speedup. Some applications of concurrent priority queues such as the vertex cover problem and the single source shortest path problem are tested.« less

Neural Signatures of Controlled and Automatic Retrieval Processes in Memory-based Decision-making.

PubMed

Khader, Patrick H; Pachur, Thorsten; Weber, Lilian A E; Jost, Kerstin

2016-01-01

Decision-making often requires retrieval from memory. Drawing on the neural ACT-R theory [Anderson, J. R., Fincham, J. M., Qin, Y., & Stocco, A. A central circuit of the mind. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 12, 136-143, 2008] and other neural models of memory, we delineated the neural signatures of two fundamental retrieval aspects during decision-making: automatic and controlled activation of memory representations. To disentangle these processes, we combined a paradigm developed to examine neural correlates of selective and sequential memory retrieval in decision-making with a manipulation of associative fan (i.e., the decision options were associated with one, two, or three attributes). The results show that both the automatic activation of all attributes associated with a decision option and the controlled sequential retrieval of specific attributes can be traced in material-specific brain areas. Moreover, the two facets of memory retrieval were associated with distinct activation patterns within the frontoparietal network: The dorsolateral prefrontal cortex was found to reflect increasing retrieval effort during both automatic and controlled activation of attributes. In contrast, the superior parietal cortex only responded to controlled retrieval, arguably reflecting the sequential updating of attribute information in working memory. This dissociation in activation pattern is consistent with ACT-R and constitutes an important step toward a neural model of the retrieval dynamics involved in memory-based decision-making.

Sequential delivery of BMP-2 and IGF-1 using a chitosan gel with gelatin microspheres enhances early osteoblastic differentiation

PubMed Central

Kim, Sungwoo; Kang, Yunqing; Krueger, Chad A.; Sen, Milan; Holcomb, John B.; Chen, Di; Wenke, Joseph C.; Yang, Yunzhi

2012-01-01

The purpose of this study was to develop and characterize a chitosan gel/gelatin microspheres (MSs) dual delivery system for sequential release of bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2) and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) to enhance osteoblast differentiation in vitro. We made and characterized the delivery system based on its degree of cross-linking, degradation, and release kinetics. We also evaluated the cytotoxicity of the delivery system and the effect of growth factors on cell response using pre-osteoblast W-20-17 mouse bone marrow stromal cells. IGF-1 was first loaded into MSs, and then the IGF-1 containing MSs were encapsulated into the chitosan gel which contained BMP-2. Cross-linking of gelatin with glyoxal via Schiff bases significantly increased thermal stability and decreased the solubility of the MSs, leading to a significant decrease in the initial release of IGF-1. Encapsulation of the MSs into the chitosan gel generated polyelectrolyte complexes by intermolecular interactions, which further affected the release kinetics of IGF-1. This combinational delivery system provided an initial release of BMP-2 followed by a slow and sustained release of IGF-1. Significantly greater alkaline phosphatase activity was found in W-20-17 cells treated with the sequential delivery system than other treatments (p<0.05) after a week of culture. PMID:22293583

Multiuser signal detection using sequential decoding

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xie, Zhenhua; Rushforth, Craig K.; Short, Robert T.

1990-05-01

The application of sequential decoding to the detection of data transmitted over the additive white Gaussian noise channel by K asynchronous transmitters using direct-sequence spread-spectrum multiple access is considered. A modification of Fano's (1963) sequential-decoding metric, allowing the messages from a given user to be safely decoded if its Eb/N0 exceeds -1.6 dB, is presented. Computer simulation is used to evaluate the performance of a sequential decoder that uses this metric in conjunction with the stack algorithm. In many circumstances, the sequential decoder achieves results comparable to those obtained using the much more complicated optimal receiver.

Flat-plate solar array project process development area, process research of non-CZ silicon material

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Campbell, R. B.

1984-01-01

The program is designed to investigate the fabrication of solar cells on N-type base material by a simultaneous diffusion of N-type and P-type dopants to form an P(+)NN(+) structure. The results of simultaneous diffusion experiments are being compared to cells fabricated using sequential diffusion of dopants into N-base material in the same resistivity range. The process used for the fabrication of the simultaneously diffused P(+)NN(+) cells follows the standard Westinghouse baseline sequence for P-base material except that the two diffusion processes (boron and phosphorus) are replaced by a single diffusion step. All experiments are carried out on N-type dendritic web grown in the Westinghouse pre-pilot facility. The resistivities vary from 0.5 (UC OMEGA)cm to 5 (UC OMEGA)cm. The dopant sources used for both the simultaneous and sequential diffusion experiments are commercial metallorganic solutions with phosphorus or boron components. After these liquids are applied to the web surface, they are baked to form a hard glass which acts as a diffusion source at elevated temperatures. In experiments performed thus far, cells produced in sequential diffusion tests have properties essentially equal to the baseline N(+)PP(+) cells. However, the simultaneous diffusions have produced cells with much lower IV characteristics mainly due to cross-doping of the sources at the diffusion temperature. This cross-doping is due to the high vapor pressure phosphorus (applied as a metallorganic to the back surface) diffusion through the SiO2 mask and then acting as a diffusant source for the front surface.

Effective Sequential Classifier Training for SVM-Based Multitemporal Remote Sensing Image Classification

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guo, Yiqing; Jia, Xiuping; Paull, David

2018-06-01

The explosive availability of remote sensing images has challenged supervised classification algorithms such as Support Vector Machines (SVM), as training samples tend to be highly limited due to the expensive and laborious task of ground truthing. The temporal correlation and spectral similarity between multitemporal images have opened up an opportunity to alleviate this problem. In this study, a SVM-based Sequential Classifier Training (SCT-SVM) approach is proposed for multitemporal remote sensing image classification. The approach leverages the classifiers of previous images to reduce the required number of training samples for the classifier training of an incoming image. For each incoming image, a rough classifier is firstly predicted based on the temporal trend of a set of previous classifiers. The predicted classifier is then fine-tuned into a more accurate position with current training samples. This approach can be applied progressively to sequential image data, with only a small number of training samples being required from each image. Experiments were conducted with Sentinel-2A multitemporal data over an agricultural area in Australia. Results showed that the proposed SCT-SVM achieved better classification accuracies compared with two state-of-the-art model transfer algorithms. When training data are insufficient, the overall classification accuracy of the incoming image was improved from 76.18% to 94.02% with the proposed SCT-SVM, compared with those obtained without the assistance from previous images. These results demonstrate that the leverage of a priori information from previous images can provide advantageous assistance for later images in multitemporal image classification.