Sample records for selective recording technique

  1. A comparison of mandibular denture base deformation with different impression techniques for implant overdentures.

    PubMed

    Elsyad, Moustafa Abdou; El-Waseef, Fatma Ahmad; Al-Mahdy, Yasmeen Fathy; Fouad, Mohammed Mohammed

    2013-08-01

    This study aimed to evaluate mandibular denture base deformation along with three impression techniques used for implant-retained overdenture. Ten edentulous patients (five men and five women) received two implants in the canine region of the mandible and three duplicate mandibular overdentures which were constructed with mucostatic, selective pressure, and definitive pressure impression techniques. Ball abutments and respective gold matrices were used to connect the overdentures to the implants. Six linear strain gauges were bonded to the lingual polished surface of each duplicate overdenture at midline and implant areas to measure strain during maximal clenching and gum chewing. The strains recorded at midline were compressive while strains at implant areas were tensile. Clenching recorded significant higher strain when compared with gum chewing for all techniques. The mucostatic technique recorded the highest strain and the definite pressure technique recorded the lowest. There was no significant difference between the strain recorded with mucostatic technique and that registered with selective pressure technique. The highest strain was recorded at the level of ball abutment's top with the mucostatic technique during clenching. Definite pressure impression technique for implant-retained mandibular overdenture is associated with minimal denture deformation during function when compared with mucostatic and selective pressure techniques. Reinforcement of the denture base over the implants may be recommended to increase resistance of fracture when mucostatic or selective pressure impression technique is used. © 2012 John Wiley & Sons A/S.

  2. Accuracy of selected techniques for estimating ice-affected streamflow

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Walker, John F.

    1991-01-01

    This paper compares the accuracy of selected techniques for estimating streamflow during ice-affected periods. The techniques are classified into two categories - subjective and analytical - depending on the degree of judgment required. Discharge measurements have been made at three streamflow-gauging sites in Iowa during the 1987-88 winter and used to established a baseline streamflow record for each site. Using data based on a simulated six-week field-tip schedule, selected techniques are used to estimate discharge during the ice-affected periods. For the subjective techniques, three hydrographers have independently compiled each record. Three measures of performance are used to compare the estimated streamflow records with the baseline streamflow records: the average discharge for the ice-affected period, and the mean and standard deviation of the daily errors. Based on average ranks for three performance measures and the three sites, the analytical and subjective techniques are essentially comparable. For two of the three sites, Kruskal-Wallis one-way analysis of variance detects significant differences among the three hydrographers for the subjective methods, indicating that the subjective techniques are less consistent than the analytical techniques. The results suggest analytical techniques may be viable tools for estimating discharge during periods of ice effect, and should be developed further and evaluated for sites across the United States.

  3. Electronic heterodyne recording of interference patterns

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Merat, F. L.; Claspy, P. C.

    1979-01-01

    An electronic heterodyne technique is being investigated for video (i.e., television rate and format) recording of interference patterns. In the heterodyne technique electro-optic modulation is used to introduce a sinusoidal phase shift between the beams of an interferometer. For phase modulation frequencies between 0.1 and 15 MHz an image dissector camera may be used to scan the resulting temporally modulated interference pattern. Heterodyne detection of the camera output is used to selectively record the interference pattern. An advantage of such synchronous recording is that it permits recording of low-contrast fringes in high ambient light conditions. The application of this technique to the recording of holograms is discussed.

  4. MASS MEASUREMENTS BY AN ACCURATE AND SENSITIVE SELECTED ION RECORDING TECHNIQUE

    EPA Science Inventory

    Trace-level components of mixtures were successfully identified or confirmed by mass spectrometric accurate mass measurements, made at high resolution with selected ion recording, using GC and LC sample introduction. Measurements were made at 20 000 or 10 000 resolution, respecti...

  5. An experimental model for the study of cognitive disorders: the hippocampus and associative learning in mice.

    PubMed

    Delgado-García, José M; Gruart, Agnès

    2008-12-01

    The availability of transgenic mice mimicking selective human neurodegenerative and psychiatric disorders calls for new electrophysiological and microstimulation techniques capable of being applied in vivo in this species. In this article, we will concentrate on experiments and techniques developed in our laboratory during the past few years. Thus we have developed different techniques for the study of learning and memory capabilities of wild-type and transgenic mice with deficits in cognitive functions, using classical conditioning procedures. These techniques include different trace (tone/SHOCK and shock/SHOCK) conditioning procedures ? that is, a classical conditioning task involving the cerebral cortex, including the hippocampus. We have also developed implantation and recording techniques for evoking long-term potentiation (LTP) in behaving mice and for recording the evolution of field excitatory postsynaptic potentials (fEPSP) evoked in the hippocampal CA1 area by the electrical stimulation of the commissural/Schaffer collateral pathway across conditioning sessions. Computer programs have also been developed to quantify the appearance and evolution of eyelid conditioned responses and the slope of evoked fEPSPs. According to the present results, the in vivo recording of the electrical activity of selected hippocampal sites during classical conditioning of eyelid responses appears to be a suitable experimental procedure for studying learning capabilities in genetically modified mice, and an excellent model for the study of selected neuropsychiatric disorders compromising cerebral cortex functioning.

  6. Reducing Wrong Patient Selection Errors: Exploring the Design Space of User Interface Techniques

    PubMed Central

    Sopan, Awalin; Plaisant, Catherine; Powsner, Seth; Shneiderman, Ben

    2014-01-01

    Wrong patient selection errors are a major issue for patient safety; from ordering medication to performing surgery, the stakes are high. Widespread adoption of Electronic Health Record (EHR) and Computerized Provider Order Entry (CPOE) systems makes patient selection using a computer screen a frequent task for clinicians. Careful design of the user interface can help mitigate the problem by helping providers recall their patients’ identities, accurately select their names, and spot errors before orders are submitted. We propose a catalog of twenty seven distinct user interface techniques, organized according to a task analysis. An associated video demonstrates eighteen of those techniques. EHR designers who consider a wider range of human-computer interaction techniques could reduce selection errors, but verification of efficacy is still needed. PMID:25954415

  7. Reducing wrong patient selection errors: exploring the design space of user interface techniques.

    PubMed

    Sopan, Awalin; Plaisant, Catherine; Powsner, Seth; Shneiderman, Ben

    2014-01-01

    Wrong patient selection errors are a major issue for patient safety; from ordering medication to performing surgery, the stakes are high. Widespread adoption of Electronic Health Record (EHR) and Computerized Provider Order Entry (CPOE) systems makes patient selection using a computer screen a frequent task for clinicians. Careful design of the user interface can help mitigate the problem by helping providers recall their patients' identities, accurately select their names, and spot errors before orders are submitted. We propose a catalog of twenty seven distinct user interface techniques, organized according to a task analysis. An associated video demonstrates eighteen of those techniques. EHR designers who consider a wider range of human-computer interaction techniques could reduce selection errors, but verification of efficacy is still needed.

  8. Performance evaluation of medical records departments by analytical hierarchy process (AHP) approach in the selected hospitals in Isfahan : medical records dep. & AHP.

    PubMed

    Ajami, Sima; Ketabi, Saeedeh

    2012-06-01

    Medical Records Department (MRD) is an important unit for evaluating and planning of care services. The goal of this study is evaluating the performance of the Medical Records Departments (MRDs) of the selected hospitals in Isfahan, Iran by using Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP). This was an analytic of cross-sectional study that was done in spring 2008 in Isfahan, Iran. The statistical population consisted of MRDs of Alzahra, Kashani and Khorshid Hospitals in Isfahan. Data were collected by forms and through brainstorm technique. To analyze and perform AHP, Expert Choice software was used by researchers. Results were showed archiving unit has received the largest importance weight with respect to information management. However, on customer aspect admission unit has received the largest weight. Ordering weights of Medical Records Departments' Alzahra, Kashani and Khorshid Hospitals in Isfahan were with 0.394, 0.342 and 0.264 respectively. It is useful for managers to allocate and prioritize resources according to AHP technique for ranking at the Medical Records Departments.

  9. Estimation of Flood Discharges at Selected Recurrence Intervals for Streams in New Hampshire

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Olson, Scott A.

    2009-01-01

    This report provides estimates of flood discharges at selected recurrence intervals for streamgages in and adjacent to New Hampshire and equations for estimating flood discharges at recurrence intervals of 2-, 5-, 10-, 25-, 50-, 100-, and 500-years for ungaged, unregulated, rural streams in New Hampshire. The equations were developed using generalized least-squares regression. Flood-frequency and drainage-basin characteristics from 117 streamgages were used in developing the equations. The drainage-basin characteristics used as explanatory variables in the regression equations include drainage area, mean April precipitation, percentage of wetland area, and main channel slope. The average standard error of prediction for estimating the 2-, 5-, 10-, 25-, 50-, 100-, and 500-year recurrence interval flood discharges with these equations are 30.0, 30.8, 32.0, 34.2, 36.0, 38.1, and 43.4 percent, respectively. Flood discharges at selected recurrence intervals for selected streamgages were computed following the guidelines in Bulletin 17B of the U.S. Interagency Advisory Committee on Water Data. To determine the flood-discharge exceedence probabilities at streamgages in New Hampshire, a new generalized skew coefficient map covering the State was developed. The standard error of the data on new map is 0.298. To improve estimates of flood discharges at selected recurrence intervals for 20 streamgages with short-term records (10 to 15 years), record extension using the two-station comparison technique was applied. The two-station comparison method uses data from a streamgage with long-term record to adjust the frequency characteristics at a streamgage with a short-term record. A technique for adjusting a flood-discharge frequency curve computed from a streamgage record with results from the regression equations is described in this report. Also, a technique is described for estimating flood discharge at a selected recurrence interval for an ungaged site upstream or downstream from a streamgage using a drainage-area adjustment. The final regression equations and the flood-discharge frequency data used in this study will be available in StreamStats. StreamStats is a World Wide Web application providing automated regression-equation solutions for user-selected sites on streams.

  10. Detection of Erroneous Payments Utilizing Supervised And Unsupervised Data Mining Techniques

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2004-09-01

    will look at which statistical analysis technique will work best in developing and enhancing existing erroneous payment models . Chapter I and II... payment models that are used for selection of records to be audited. The models are set up such that if two or more records have the same payment...Identification Number, Invoice Number and Delivery Order Number are not compared. The DM0102 Duplicate Payment Model will be analyzed in this thesis

  11. New coding technique for computer generated holograms.

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Haskell, R. E.; Culver, B. C.

    1972-01-01

    A coding technique is developed for recording computer generated holograms on a computer controlled CRT in which each resolution cell contains two beam spots of equal size and equal intensity. This provides a binary hologram in which only the position of the two dots is varied from cell to cell. The amplitude associated with each resolution cell is controlled by selectively diffracting unwanted light into a higher diffraction order. The recording of the holograms is fast and simple.

  12. A Rock Retrospective.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    O'Grady, Terence J.

    1979-01-01

    The author offers an analysis of musical techniques found in the major rock trends of the 1960s. An annotated list of selected readings and a subject-indexed list of selected recordings are appended. This article is part of a theme issue on popular music. (Editor/SJL)

  13. Formation of random and regular relief-phase structures on silver halide photographic emulsions by holographic methods

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ganzherli, N. M.; Gulyaev, S. N.; Gurin, A. S.; Kramushchenko, D. D.; Maurer, I. A.; Chernykh, D. F.

    2009-07-01

    The formation of diffusers and microlens rasters on silver halide emulsions by holographic methods is considered. Two techniques for converting amplitude holographic recording to relief-phase recording, selective curing and irradiation of the emulsion gelatin by short-wavelength UV radiation, are compared.

  14. Updated techniques for estimating monthly streamflow-duration characteristics at ungaged and partial-record sites in central Nevada

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Hess, Glen W.

    2002-01-01

    Techniques for estimating monthly streamflow-duration characteristics at ungaged and partial-record sites in central Nevada have been updated. These techniques were developed using streamflow records at six continuous-record sites, basin physical and climatic characteristics, and concurrent streamflow measurements at four partial-record sites. Two methods, the basin-characteristic method and the concurrent-measurement method, were developed to provide estimating techniques for selected streamflow characteristics at ungaged and partial-record sites in central Nevada. In the first method, logarithmic-regression analyses were used to relate monthly mean streamflows (from all months and by month) from continuous-record gaging sites of various percent exceedence levels or monthly mean streamflows (by month) to selected basin physical and climatic variables at ungaged sites. Analyses indicate that the total drainage area and percent of drainage area at altitudes greater than 10,000 feet are the most significant variables. For the equations developed from all months of monthly mean streamflow, the coefficient of determination averaged 0.84 and the standard error of estimate of the relations for the ungaged sites averaged 72 percent. For the equations derived from monthly means by month, the coefficient of determination averaged 0.72 and the standard error of estimate of the relations averaged 78 percent. If standard errors are compared, the relations developed in this study appear generally to be less accurate than those developed in a previous study. However, the new relations are based on additional data and the slight increase in error may be due to the wider range of streamflow for a longer period of record, 1995-2000. In the second method, streamflow measurements at partial-record sites were correlated with concurrent streamflows at nearby gaged sites by the use of linear-regression techniques. Statistical measures of results using the second method typically indicated greater accuracy than for the first method. However, to make estimates for individual months, the concurrent-measurement method requires several years additional streamflow data at more partial-record sites. Thus, exceedence values for individual months are not yet available due to the low number of concurrent-streamflow-measurement data available. Reliability, limitations, and applications of both estimating methods are described herein.

  15. [The study and manufacture of spinning counter for experimental animals].

    PubMed

    Qi, X P; Zhou, C; Liu, F J; Chen, Z; Jiang, L; Yan, Z

    1997-09-01

    The single-chip microcomputer technique is used in the present study of spinning counter, which has 4 observation tunnels, the spinning behave of four experiment animals can be recorded at same time. The function of this instrument has four selections according to different experiment, and the recording data can be compute processed.

  16. Kernel analysis in TeV gamma-ray selection

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Moriarty, P.; Samuelson, F. W.

    2000-06-01

    We discuss the use of kernel analysis as a technique for selecting gamma-ray candidates in Atmospheric Cherenkov astronomy. The method is applied to observations of the Crab Nebula and Markarian 501 recorded with the Whipple 10 m Atmospheric Cherenkov imaging system, and the results are compared with the standard Supercuts analysis. Since kernel analysis is computationally intensive, we examine approaches to reducing the computational load. Extension of the technique to estimate the energy of the gamma-ray primary is considered. .

  17. Selected Guidelines for the Management of Records and Archives: A RAMP Reader.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Walne, Peter, Comp.

    The guidelines contained in this book are taken from studies published by UNESCO's Records and Archives Management Program (RAMP) between 1981 and 1987. Each set of guidelines is accompanied by an introduction to provide chronological or methodological context. The guidelines are titled as follows: (1) "The Use of Sampling Techniques in the…

  18. Comparing Videotapes and Written Narrative Records of Second Grade Reading Classes: Selecting Methods for Particular Observational Goals.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gardner, C. H.; And Others

    The classroom behaviors recorded during three second grade reading lessons provide suitable evidence for comparing the relative merits of using narrative observations versus videotapes as data collection techniques. The comparative analysis illustrates the detail and precision of videotape. Primarily, videotape gives a true picture of linear time,…

  19. Remote sensing techniques aid in preattack planning for fire management

    Treesearch

    Lucy Anne Salazar

    1982-01-01

    Remote sensing techniques were investigated as an alternative for documenting selected prettack fire planning information. Locations of fuel models, road systems, and water sources were recorded by Landsat satellite imagery and aerial photography for a portion of the Six Rivers National Forest in northwestern California. The two fuel model groups used were from the...

  20. Dynamic Photorefractive Memory and its Application for Opto-Electronic Neural Networks.

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sasaki, Hironori

    This dissertation describes the analysis of the photorefractive crystal dynamics and its application for opto-electronic neural network systems. The realization of the dynamic photorefractive memory is investigated in terms of the following aspects: fast memory update, uniform grating multiplexing schedules and the prevention of the partial erasure of existing gratings. The fast memory update is realized by the selective erasure process that superimposes a new grating on the original one with an appropriate phase shift. The dynamics of the selective erasure process is analyzed using the first-order photorefractive material equations and experimentally confirmed. The effects of beam coupling and fringe bending on the selective erasure dynamics are also analyzed by numerically solving a combination of coupled wave equations and the photorefractive material equation. Incremental recording technique is proposed as a uniform grating multiplexing schedule and compared with the conventional scheduled recording technique in terms of phase distribution in the presence of an external dc electric field, as well as the image gray scale dependence. The theoretical analysis and experimental results proved the superiority of the incremental recording technique over the scheduled recording. Novel recirculating information memory architecture is proposed and experimentally demonstrated to prevent partial degradation of the existing gratings by accessing the memory. Gratings are circulated through a memory feed back loop based on the incremental recording dynamics and demonstrate robust read/write/erase capabilities. The dynamic photorefractive memory is applied to opto-electronic neural network systems. Module architecture based on the page-oriented dynamic photorefractive memory is proposed. This module architecture can implement two complementary interconnection organizations, fan-in and fan-out. The module system scalability and the learning capabilities are theoretically investigated using the photorefractive dynamics described in previous chapters of the dissertation. The implementation of the feed-forward image compression network with 900 input and 9 output neurons with 6-bit interconnection accuracy is experimentally demonstrated. Learning of the Perceptron network that determines sex based on input face images of 900 pixels is also successfully demonstrated.

  1. Techniques for estimating flood-peak discharges from urban basins in Missouri

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Becker, L.D.

    1986-01-01

    Techniques are defined for estimating the magnitude and frequency of future flood peak discharges of rainfall-induced runoff from small urban basins in Missouri. These techniques were developed from an initial analysis of flood records of 96 gaged sites in Missouri and adjacent states. Final regression equations are based on a balanced, representative sampling of 37 gaged sites in Missouri. This sample included 9 statewide urban study sites, 18 urban sites in St. Louis County, and 10 predominantly rural sites statewide. Short-term records were extended on the basis of long-term climatic records and use of a rainfall-runoff model. Linear least-squares regression analyses were used with log-transformed variables to relate flood magnitudes of selected recurrence intervals (dependent variables) to selected drainage basin indexes (independent variables). For gaged urban study sites within the State, the flood peak estimates are from the frequency curves defined from the synthesized long-term discharge records. Flood frequency estimates are made for ungaged sites by using regression equations that require determination of the drainage basin size and either the percentage of impervious area or a basin development factor. Alternative sets of equations are given for the 2-, 5-, 10-, 25-, 50-, and 100-yr recurrence interval floods. The average standard errors of estimate range from about 33% for the 2-yr flood to 26% for the 100-yr flood. The techniques for estimation are applicable to flood flows that are not significantly affected by storage caused by manmade activities. Flood peak discharge estimating equations are considered applicable for sites on basins draining approximately 0.25 to 40 sq mi. (Author 's abstract)

  2. An automatic optimum kernel-size selection technique for edge enhancement

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Chavez, Pat S.; Bauer, Brian P.

    1982-01-01

    Edge enhancement is a technique that can be considered, to a first order, a correction for the modulation transfer function of an imaging system. Digital imaging systems sample a continuous function at discrete intervals so that high-frequency information cannot be recorded at the same precision as lower frequency data. Because of this, fine detail or edge information in digital images is lost. Spatial filtering techniques can be used to enhance the fine detail information that does exist in the digital image, but the filter size is dependent on the type of area being processed. A technique has been developed by the authors that uses the horizontal first difference to automatically select the optimum kernel-size that should be used to enhance the edges that are contained in the image. 

  3. Evaluation of focused multipolar stimulation for cochlear implants in acutely deafened cats

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    George, Shefin S.; Wise, Andrew K.; Shivdasani, Mohit N.; Shepherd, Robert K.; Fallon, James B.

    2014-12-01

    Objective. The conductive nature of the fluids and tissues of the cochlea can lead to broad activation of spiral ganglion neurons using contemporary cochlear implant stimulation configurations such as monopolar (MP) stimulation. The relatively poor spatial selectivity is thought to limit implant performance, particularly in noisy environments. Several current focusing techniques have been proposed to reduce the spread of activation with the aim towards achieving improved clinical performance. Approach. The present research evaluated the efficacy of focused multipolar (FMP) stimulation, a relatively new focusing technique in the cochlea, and compared its efficacy to both MP stimulation and tripolar (TP) stimulation. The spread of neural activity across the inferior colliculus (IC), measured by recording the spatial tuning curve, was used as a measure of spatial selectivity. Adult cats (n = 6) were acutely deafened and implanted with an intracochlear electrode array before multi-unit responses were recorded across the cochleotopic gradient of the contralateral IC. Recordings were made in response to acoustic and electrical stimulation using the MP, TP and FMP configurations. Main results. FMP and TP stimulation resulted in greater spatial selectivity than MP stimulation. However, thresholds were significantly higher (p < 0.001) for FMP and TP stimulation compared to MP stimulation. There were no differences found in spatial selectivity and threshold between FMP and TP stimulation. Significance. The greater spatial selectivity of FMP and TP stimulation would be expected to result in improved clinical performance. However, further research will be required to demonstrate the efficacy of these modes of stimulation after longer durations of deafness.

  4. Automated recognition of bird song elements from continuous recordings using dynamic time warping and hidden Markov models: a comparative study.

    PubMed

    Kogan, J A; Margoliash, D

    1998-04-01

    The performance of two techniques is compared for automated recognition of bird song units from continuous recordings. The advantages and limitations of dynamic time warping (DTW) and hidden Markov models (HMMs) are evaluated on a large database of male songs of zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata) and indigo buntings (Passerina cyanea), which have different types of vocalizations and have been recorded under different laboratory conditions. Depending on the quality of recordings and complexity of song, the DTW-based technique gives excellent to satisfactory performance. Under challenging conditions such as noisy recordings or presence of confusing short-duration calls, good performance of the DTW-based technique requires careful selection of templates that may demand expert knowledge. Because HMMs are trained, equivalent or even better performance of HMMs can be achieved based only on segmentation and labeling of constituent vocalizations, albeit with many more training examples than DTW templates. One weakness in HMM performance is the misclassification of short-duration vocalizations or song units with more variable structure (e.g., some calls, and syllables of plastic songs). To address these and other limitations, new approaches for analyzing bird vocalizations are discussed.

  5. Subspace techniques to remove artifacts from EEG: a quantitative analysis.

    PubMed

    Teixeira, A R; Tome, A M; Lang, E W; Martins da Silva, A

    2008-01-01

    In this work we discuss and apply projective subspace techniques to both multichannel as well as single channel recordings. The single-channel approach is based on singular spectrum analysis(SSA) and the multichannel approach uses the extended infomax algorithm which is implemented in the opensource toolbox EEGLAB. Both approaches will be evaluated using artificial mixtures of a set of selected EEG signals. The latter were selected visually to contain as the dominant activity one of the characteristic bands of an electroencephalogram (EEG). The evaluation is performed both in the time and frequency domain by using correlation coefficients and coherence function, respectively.

  6. Holographic Optical Elements Recorded in Silver Halide Sensitized Gelatin Emulsions. Part I. Transmission Holographic Optical Elements

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kim, Jong Man; Choi, Byung So; Kim, Sun Il; Kim, Jong Min; Bjelkhagen, Hans I.; Phillips, Nicholas J.

    2001-02-01

    Silver halide sensitized gelatin (SHSG) holograms are similar to holograms recorded in dichromated gelatin (DCG), the main recording material for holographic optical elements (HOE s). The drawback of DCG is its low sensitivity and limited spectral response. Silver halide materials can be processed in such a way that the final hologram will have properties like a DCG hologram. Recently this technique has become more interesting since the introduction of new ultra-high-resolution silver halide emulsions. An optimized processing technique for transmission HOE s recorded in these materials is introduced. Diffraction efficiencies over 90% can be obtained for transmissive diffraction gratings. Understanding the importance of the selective hardening process has made it possible to obtain results similar to conventional DCG processing. The main advantage of the SHSG process is that high-sensitivity recording can be performed with laser wavelengths anywhere within the visible spectrum. This simplifies the manufacturing of high-quality, large-format HOE s.

  7. PKCɛ mediates substance P inhibition of GABAA receptors-mediated current in rat dorsal root ganglion.

    PubMed

    Li, Li; Zhao, Lei; Wang, Yang; Ma, Ke-tao; Shi, Wen-yan; Wang, Ying-zi; Si, Jun-qiang

    2015-02-01

    The mechanism underlying the modulatory effect of substance P (SP) on GABA-activated response in rat dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons was investigated. In freshly dissociated rat DRG neurons, whole-cell patch-clamp technique was used to record GABA-activated current and sharp electrode intracellular recording technique was used to record GABA-induced membrane depolarization. Application of GABA (1-1000 μmol/L) induced an inward current in a concentration-dependent manner in 114 out of 127 DRG neurons (89.8 %) examined with whole-cell patch-clamp recordings. Bath application of GABA (1-1000 μmol/L) evoked a depolarizing response in 236 out of 257 (91.8%) DRG neurons examined with intracellular recordings. Application of SP (0.001-1 μmol/L) suppressed the GABA-activated inward current and membrane depolarization. The inhibitory effects were concentration-dependent and could be blocked by the selective neurokinin 1 (NK1) receptors antagonist spantide but not by L659187 and SR142801 (1 μmol/L, n=7), selective antagonists of NK2 and NK3. The inhibitory effect of SP was significantly reduced by the calcium chelator BAPTA-AM, phospholipase C (PLC) inhibitor U73122, and PKC inhibitor chelerythrine, respectively. The PKA inhibitor H-89 did not affect the SP effect. Remarkably, the inhibitory effect of SP on GABA-activated current was nearly completely removed by a selective PKCε inhibitor epilon-V1-2 but not by safingol and LY333531, selective inhibitors of PKCα and PKCβ. Our results suggest that NK1 receptor mediates SP-induced inhibition of GABA-activated current and membrane depolarization by activating intracellular PLC-Ca²⁺-PKCε cascade. SP might regulate the excitability of peripheral nociceptors through inhibition of the "pre-synaptic inhibition" evoked by GABA, which may explain its role in pain and neurogenic inflammation.

  8. Statistical optimisation techniques in fatigue signal editing problem

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nopiah, Z. M.; Osman, M. H.; Baharin, N.; Abdullah, S.

    2015-02-01

    Success in fatigue signal editing is determined by the level of length reduction without compromising statistical constraints. A great reduction rate can be achieved by removing small amplitude cycles from the recorded signal. The long recorded signal sometimes renders the cycle-to-cycle editing process daunting. This has encouraged researchers to focus on the segment-based approach. This paper discusses joint application of the Running Damage Extraction (RDE) technique and single constrained Genetic Algorithm (GA) in fatigue signal editing optimisation.. In the first section, the RDE technique is used to restructure and summarise the fatigue strain. This technique combines the overlapping window and fatigue strain-life models. It is designed to identify and isolate the fatigue events that exist in the variable amplitude strain data into different segments whereby the retention of statistical parameters and the vibration energy are considered. In the second section, the fatigue data editing problem is formulated as a constrained single optimisation problem that can be solved using GA method. The GA produces the shortest edited fatigue signal by selecting appropriate segments from a pool of labelling segments. Challenges arise due to constraints on the segment selection by deviation level over three signal properties, namely cumulative fatigue damage, root mean square and kurtosis values. Experimental results over several case studies show that the idea of solving fatigue signal editing within a framework of optimisation is effective and automatic, and that the GA is robust for constrained segment selection.

  9. Statistical optimisation techniques in fatigue signal editing problem

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

    Nopiah, Z. M.; Osman, M. H.; Baharin, N.

    Success in fatigue signal editing is determined by the level of length reduction without compromising statistical constraints. A great reduction rate can be achieved by removing small amplitude cycles from the recorded signal. The long recorded signal sometimes renders the cycle-to-cycle editing process daunting. This has encouraged researchers to focus on the segment-based approach. This paper discusses joint application of the Running Damage Extraction (RDE) technique and single constrained Genetic Algorithm (GA) in fatigue signal editing optimisation.. In the first section, the RDE technique is used to restructure and summarise the fatigue strain. This technique combines the overlapping window andmore » fatigue strain-life models. It is designed to identify and isolate the fatigue events that exist in the variable amplitude strain data into different segments whereby the retention of statistical parameters and the vibration energy are considered. In the second section, the fatigue data editing problem is formulated as a constrained single optimisation problem that can be solved using GA method. The GA produces the shortest edited fatigue signal by selecting appropriate segments from a pool of labelling segments. Challenges arise due to constraints on the segment selection by deviation level over three signal properties, namely cumulative fatigue damage, root mean square and kurtosis values. Experimental results over several case studies show that the idea of solving fatigue signal editing within a framework of optimisation is effective and automatic, and that the GA is robust for constrained segment selection.« less

  10. Decision Support for Personalized Cloud Service Selection through Multi-Attribute Trustworthiness Evaluation

    PubMed Central

    Ding, Shuai; Xia, Chen-Yi; Zhou, Kai-Le; Yang, Shan-Lin; Shang, Jennifer S.

    2014-01-01

    Facing a customer market with rising demands for cloud service dependability and security, trustworthiness evaluation techniques are becoming essential to cloud service selection. But these methods are out of the reach to most customers as they require considerable expertise. Additionally, since the cloud service evaluation is often a costly and time-consuming process, it is not practical to measure trustworthy attributes of all candidates for each customer. Many existing models cannot easily deal with cloud services which have very few historical records. In this paper, we propose a novel service selection approach in which the missing value prediction and the multi-attribute trustworthiness evaluation are commonly taken into account. By simply collecting limited historical records, the current approach is able to support the personalized trustworthy service selection. The experimental results also show that our approach performs much better than other competing ones with respect to the customer preference and expectation in trustworthiness assessment. PMID:24972237

  11. Decision support for personalized cloud service selection through multi-attribute trustworthiness evaluation.

    PubMed

    Ding, Shuai; Xia, Cheng-Yi; Xia, Chen-Yi; Zhou, Kai-Le; Yang, Shan-Lin; Shang, Jennifer S

    2014-01-01

    Facing a customer market with rising demands for cloud service dependability and security, trustworthiness evaluation techniques are becoming essential to cloud service selection. But these methods are out of the reach to most customers as they require considerable expertise. Additionally, since the cloud service evaluation is often a costly and time-consuming process, it is not practical to measure trustworthy attributes of all candidates for each customer. Many existing models cannot easily deal with cloud services which have very few historical records. In this paper, we propose a novel service selection approach in which the missing value prediction and the multi-attribute trustworthiness evaluation are commonly taken into account. By simply collecting limited historical records, the current approach is able to support the personalized trustworthy service selection. The experimental results also show that our approach performs much better than other competing ones with respect to the customer preference and expectation in trustworthiness assessment.

  12. Adaptive selection of diurnal minimum variation: a statistical strategy to obtain representative atmospheric CO2 data and its application to European elevated mountain stations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yuan, Ye; Ries, Ludwig; Petermeier, Hannes; Steinbacher, Martin; Gómez-Peláez, Angel J.; Leuenberger, Markus C.; Schumacher, Marcus; Trickl, Thomas; Couret, Cedric; Meinhardt, Frank; Menzel, Annette

    2018-03-01

    Critical data selection is essential for determining representative baseline levels of atmospheric trace gases even at remote measurement sites. Different data selection techniques have been used around the world, which could potentially lead to reduced compatibility when comparing data from different stations. This paper presents a novel statistical data selection method named adaptive diurnal minimum variation selection (ADVS) based on CO2 diurnal patterns typically occurring at elevated mountain stations. Its capability and applicability were studied on records of atmospheric CO2 observations at six Global Atmosphere Watch stations in Europe, namely, Zugspitze-Schneefernerhaus (Germany), Sonnblick (Austria), Jungfraujoch (Switzerland), Izaña (Spain), Schauinsland (Germany), and Hohenpeissenberg (Germany). Three other frequently applied statistical data selection methods were included for comparison. Among the studied methods, our ADVS method resulted in a lower fraction of data selected as a baseline with lower maxima during winter and higher minima during summer in the selected data. The measured time series were analyzed for long-term trends and seasonality by a seasonal-trend decomposition technique. In contrast to unselected data, mean annual growth rates of all selected datasets were not significantly different among the sites, except for the data recorded at Schauinsland. However, clear differences were found in the annual amplitudes as well as the seasonal time structure. Based on a pairwise analysis of correlations between stations on the seasonal-trend decomposed components by statistical data selection, we conclude that the baseline identified by the ADVS method is a better representation of lower free tropospheric (LFT) conditions than baselines identified by the other methods.

  13. Use of Gene Expression Programming in regionalization of flow duration curve

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hashmi, Muhammad Z.; Shamseldin, Asaad Y.

    2014-06-01

    In this paper, a recently introduced artificial intelligence technique known as Gene Expression Programming (GEP) has been employed to perform symbolic regression for developing a parametric scheme of flow duration curve (FDC) regionalization, to relate selected FDC characteristics to catchment characteristics. Stream flow records of selected catchments located in the Auckland Region of New Zealand were used. FDCs of the selected catchments were normalised by dividing the ordinates by their median value. Input for the symbolic regression analysis using GEP was (a) selected characteristics of normalised FDCs; and (b) 26 catchment characteristics related to climate, morphology, soil properties and land cover properties obtained using the observed data and GIS analysis. Our study showed that application of this artificial intelligence technique expedites the selection of a set of the most relevant independent variables out of a large set, because these are automatically selected through the GEP process. Values of the FDC characteristics obtained from the developed relationships have high correlations with the observed values.

  14. Validation of a biotelemetric technique, using ambulatory miniature black globe thermometers, to quantify thermoregulatory behaviour in ungulates.

    PubMed

    Hetem, Robyn S; Maloney, Shane K; Fuller, Andrea; Meyer, Leith C R; Mitchell, Duncan

    2007-06-01

    Behavioural thermoregulation is an animal's primary defence against changes in the thermal environment. We aimed to validate a remote technique to quantify the thermal environment behaviourally selected by free-ranging ungulates. First, we demonstrated that the temperature of miniature, 30 mm diameter, black globes (miniglobes) could be converted to standard, 150 mm diameter, black globe temperatures. Miniglobe temperature sensors subsequently were fitted to collars on three free-ranging ungulates, namely blue wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus), impala (Aepyceros melampus) and horse (Equus caballus). Behavioural observations were reflected in animal miniglobe temperatures which differed from those recorded by an identical miniglobe on a nearby exposed weather station. The wildebeest often selected sites protected from the wind, whereas the impala and the horse sheltered from the sun. Nested analysis of variances revealed that the impala and horse selected significantly less variable environments than those recorded at the weather station (P<0.001) over a 20-min time interval, whereas, the microclimates selected by wildebeest tended to be more variable (P=0.08). Correlation of animal miniglobe against weather station miniglobe temperature resulted in regression slopes significantly less than one (P<0.001) for all species studied, implying that, overall, the animals selected cooler microclimates at high environmental heat loads and/or warmer microclimates at low environmental heat loads. We, therefore, have developed an ambulatory device, which can be attached to free-ranging animals, to remotely quantify thermoregulatory behaviour and selected microclimates. (c) 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

  15. Application of conventional and advanced techniques for the interpretation of LANDSAT 2 images for the study of linears in the Friuli earthquake area

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Cardamone, P.; Lechi, G. M.; Cavallin, A.; Marino, C. M.; Zanferrari, A.

    1977-01-01

    The results obtained in the study of linears derived from the analysis of LANDSAT 2 images recorded over Friuli during 1975 are described. Particular attention is devoted to the comparison of several passes in different bands, scales and photographic supports. Moreover reference is made to aerial photographic interpretation in selected sites and to the information obtained by laser techniques.

  16. Calcium Channels: Structure and Function (Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences. Volume 560)

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1989-06-26

    many protease inhibitors were used , we believe that proteolysis was a problem. We therefore modified our purification protocol and have obtained a...recover activity by selective combination of fractions were unsuccessful. Chemical Cross-Linking of [ 25 Jo-CgTX Cross-linking of w-CgTX derivatives using ... using the planar bilayer recording technique and by comparing ligand-dependent gating, ionic selectivity , and pharmacology of purified ryanodine

  17. Selective detection of hyperpolarized NMR signals derived from para-hydrogen using the Only Para-hydrogen SpectroscopY (OPSY) approach.

    PubMed

    Aguilar, Juan A; Adams, Ralph W; Duckett, Simon B; Green, Gary G R; Kandiah, Rathika

    2011-01-01

    A new family of NMR pulse sequences is reported for the recording of para-hydrogen enhanced NMR spectra. This Only Para-hydrogen SpectroscopY (OPSY) approach uses coherence selection to separate hyperpolarized signals from those of fully relaxed and thermally equilibrated protons. Sequence design, performance, practical aspects and applicability to other hyperpolarization techniques are discussed. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  18. Combining active learning and semi-supervised learning techniques to extract protein interaction sentences.

    PubMed

    Song, Min; Yu, Hwanjo; Han, Wook-Shin

    2011-11-24

    Protein-protein interaction (PPI) extraction has been a focal point of many biomedical research and database curation tools. Both Active Learning and Semi-supervised SVMs have recently been applied to extract PPI automatically. In this paper, we explore combining the AL with the SSL to improve the performance of the PPI task. We propose a novel PPI extraction technique called PPISpotter by combining Deterministic Annealing-based SSL and an AL technique to extract protein-protein interaction. In addition, we extract a comprehensive set of features from MEDLINE records by Natural Language Processing (NLP) techniques, which further improve the SVM classifiers. In our feature selection technique, syntactic, semantic, and lexical properties of text are incorporated into feature selection that boosts the system performance significantly. By conducting experiments with three different PPI corpuses, we show that PPISpotter is superior to the other techniques incorporated into semi-supervised SVMs such as Random Sampling, Clustering, and Transductive SVMs by precision, recall, and F-measure. Our system is a novel, state-of-the-art technique for efficiently extracting protein-protein interaction pairs.

  19. A NEW MASS SPECTROMETRIC TECHNIQUE FOR IDENTIFYING TRACE-LEVEL ORGANIC COMPOUNDS IN COMPLEX MIXTURES

    EPA Science Inventory



    Most organic compounds are not found in mass spectral libraries and cannot be easily identified from low resolution mass spectra. Ion Composition Elucidation (ICE) utilizes selected ion recording with a double focusing mass spectrometer in a new way to determine exact mas...

  20. Creative reflections-the strategic use of reflections in multitrack music production

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Case, Alexander

    2005-09-01

    There is a long tradition of deliberately capturing and even synthesizing early reflections to enhance the music intended for loudspeaker playback. The desire to improve or at least alter the quality, audibility, intelligibility, stereo width, and/or uniqueness of the audio signal guides the recording engineer's use of the recording space, influences their microphone selection and placement, and inspires countless signal-processing approaches. This paper reviews contemporary multitrack production techniques that specifically take advantage of reflected sound energy for musical benefit.

  1. An integrated approach to improving noisy speech perception

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Koval, Serguei; Stolbov, Mikhail; Smirnova, Natalia; Khitrov, Mikhail

    2002-05-01

    For a number of practical purposes and tasks, experts have to decode speech recordings of very poor quality. A combination of techniques is proposed to improve intelligibility and quality of distorted speech messages and thus facilitate their comprehension. Along with the application of noise cancellation and speech signal enhancement techniques removing and/or reducing various kinds of distortions and interference (primarily unmasking and normalization in time and frequency fields), the approach incorporates optimal listener expert tactics based on selective listening, nonstandard binaural listening, accounting for short-term and long-term human ear adaptation to noisy speech, as well as some methods of speech signal enhancement to support speech decoding during listening. The approach integrating the suggested techniques ensures high-quality ultimate results and has successfully been applied by Speech Technology Center experts and by numerous other users, mainly forensic institutions, to perform noisy speech records decoding for courts, law enforcement and emergency services, accident investigation bodies, etc.

  2. The effect of aberrated recording beams on reflecting Bragg gratings

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    SeGall, Marc; Ott, Daniel; Divliansky, Ivan; Glebov, Leonid B.

    2013-03-01

    The effect of aberrations present in the recording beams of a holographic setup is discussed regarding the period and spectral response of a reflecting volume Bragg grating. Imperfect recording beams result in spatially varying resonant wavelengths and the side lobes of the spectrum are washed out. Asymmetrical spectra, spectral broadening, and a reduction in peak diffraction efficiency may also be present, though these effects are less significant for gratings with wider spectral widths. Reflecting Bragg gratings (RBGs) are used as elements in a variety of applications including spectral beam combining1,2, mode locking3,4, longitudinal and transverse mode selection in lasers5,6, and sensing7,8. For applications requiring narrow spectral selectivity9, or large apertures10, these gratings must have a uniform period throughout the length of the recording medium, which may be on the order of millimeters. However, when using typical recording techniques such as two-beam interference for large aperture gratings and phase-mask recording of fiber gratings, aberrations from the optical elements in the system result in an imperfect grating structure11-13. In this paper we consider the effects of aberrations on large aperture gratings recorded in thick media using the two-beam interference technique. Previous works in analyzing the effects of aberrations have considered the effects of aberrations in a single recording plane where the beams perfectly overlap. Such an approach is valid for thin media (on the order of tens of microns), but for thick recording media (on the order of several millimeters) there will be a significant shift in the positions of the beams relative to each other as they traverse the recording medium. Therefore, the fringe pattern produced will not be constant throughout the grating if one or both beams have a non-uniform wavefront. Such non-uniform gratings may have a wider spectral width, a shifted resonant wavelength, or other problems. It is imperative therefore to know what the effects of aberrations will have on the properties of the RBGs. Thus, in this paper we consider the imperfect fringe pattern caused by the recording beams and its effect on the diffraction efficiency and spectral profile of the recorded reflecting volume Bragg gratings.

  3. Selective activation of vascular Kv7.4/Kv7.5 K+ channels by fasudil contributes to its vasorelaxant effect

    PubMed Central

    Zhang, Xuan; An, Hailong; Li, Junwei; Zhang, Yuanyuan; Liu, Yang; Jia, Zhanfeng; Zhang, Wei

    2016-01-01

    Background and Purpose Kv7 (Kv7.1–7.5) channels play an important role in the regulation of neuronal excitability and the cardiac action potential. Growing evidence suggests Kv7.4/Kv7.5 channels play a crucial role in regulating vascular smooth muscle contractility. Most of the reported Kv7 openers have shown poor selectivity across these five subtypes. In this study, fasudil – a drug used for cerebral vasospasm – has been found to be a selective opener of Kv7.4/Kv7.5 channels. Experimental Approach A perforated whole‐cell patch technique was used to record the currents and membrane potential. Homology modelling and a docking technique were used to investigate the interaction between fasudil and the Kv7.4 channel. An isometric tension recording technique was used to assess the vascular tension. Key Results Fasudil selectively and potently enhanced Kv7.4 and Kv7.4/Kv7.5 currents expressed in HEK293 cells, and shifted the voltage‐dependent activation curve in a more negative direction. Fasudil did not affect either Kv7.2 and Kv7.2/Kv7.3 currents expressed in HEK293 cells, the native neuronal M‐type K+ currents, or the resting membrane potential in small rat dorsal root ganglia neurons. The Val248 in S5 and Ile308 in S6 segment of Kv7.4 were critical for this activating effect of fasudil. Fasudil relaxed precontracted rat small arteries in a concentration‐dependent fashion; this effect was antagonized by the Kv7 channel blocker XE991. Conclusions and Implications These results suggest that fasudil is a selective Kv7.4/Kv7.5 channel opener and provide a new dimension for developing selective Kv7 modulators and a new prospective for the use, action and mechanism of fasudil. PMID:27677924

  4. Automated selection of the most epithelium-rich areas in gynecologic tumor sections.

    PubMed

    Schipper, N W; Baak, J P; Smeulders, A W

    1991-12-01

    The paper describes an image analysis technique for automated selection of the epithelium-rich areas in standard paraffin tissue sections of ovarian and endometrial premalignancies and malignancies. Two staining procedures were evaluated, Feulgen (pararosanilin) and CAM 5.2, demonstrating the presence of cytokeratin 8 and 18; both were counterstained with naphthol yellow. The technique is based on the corresponding image processing method of automated estimation of the percentage of epithelium in interactively selected microscope fields. With the technique, one image is recorded with a filter to demonstrate where epithelium and stroma lie. This filter is chosen according to the type of staining: it is yellow (lambda = 552 nm) for Feulgen and blue (lambda = 470 nm) for anticytokeratin CAM 5.2. When stroma cannot be distinguished from lumina with the green filter or from epithelium with the blue filter, a second image is recorded from the same microscope field, with a blue filter (lambda = 420 nm) for Feulgen and a yellow filter (lambda = 576 nm) for anticytokeratin CAM 5.2. Discrimination between epithelium and stroma is based on the image contrast range and the packing of nuclei in the yellow image and on the automated classification of the gray value histogram peaks in the blue image. For Feulgen stain the method was evaluated on 30 ovarian tumors of the common epithelial types (8 borderline tumors and 22 carcinomas with various degrees of differentiation) and 30 endometrial carcinomas of different grades.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

  5. Use of genetic algorithm for the selection of EEG features

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Asvestas, P.; Korda, A.; Kostopoulos, S.; Karanasiou, I.; Ouzounoglou, A.; Sidiropoulos, K.; Ventouras, E.; Matsopoulos, G.

    2015-09-01

    Genetic Algorithm (GA) is a popular optimization technique that can detect the global optimum of a multivariable function containing several local optima. GA has been widely used in the field of biomedical informatics, especially in the context of designing decision support systems that classify biomedical signals or images into classes of interest. The aim of this paper is to present a methodology, based on GA, for the selection of the optimal subset of features that can be used for the efficient classification of Event Related Potentials (ERPs), which are recorded during the observation of correct or incorrect actions. In our experiment, ERP recordings were acquired from sixteen (16) healthy volunteers who observed correct or incorrect actions of other subjects. The brain electrical activity was recorded at 47 locations on the scalp. The GA was formulated as a combinatorial optimizer for the selection of the combination of electrodes that maximizes the performance of the Fuzzy C Means (FCM) classification algorithm. In particular, during the evolution of the GA, for each candidate combination of electrodes, the well-known (Σ, Φ, Ω) features were calculated and were evaluated by means of the FCM method. The proposed methodology provided a combination of 8 electrodes, with classification accuracy 93.8%. Thus, GA can be the basis for the selection of features that discriminate ERP recordings of observations of correct or incorrect actions.

  6. A linear model fails to predict orientation selectivity of cells in the cat visual cortex.

    PubMed Central

    Volgushev, M; Vidyasagar, T R; Pei, X

    1996-01-01

    1. Postsynaptic potentials (PSPs) evoked by visual stimulation in simple cells in the cat visual cortex were recorded using in vivo whole-cell technique. Responses to small spots of light presented at different positions over the receptive field and responses to elongated bars of different orientations centred on the receptive field were recorded. 2. To test whether a linear model can account for orientation selectivity of cortical neurones, responses to elongated bars were compared with responses predicted by a linear model from the receptive field map obtained from flashing spots. 3. The linear model faithfully predicted the preferred orientation, but not the degree of orientation selectivity or the sharpness of orientation tuning. The ratio of optimal to non-optimal responses was always underestimated by the model. 4. Thus non-linear mechanisms, which can include suppression of non-optimal responses and/or amplification of optimal responses, are involved in the generation of orientation selectivity in the primary visual cortex. PMID:8930828

  7. Pulsed magnetization transfer contrast MRI by a sequence with water selective excitation

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

    Schick, F.

    1996-01-01

    A water selective SE imaging sequence was developed providing suitable properties for the assessment of magnetization transfer (MT) effects in tissues with considerable amounts of fat. The sequence with water selective excitation and slice selective refocusing combines the following features: The RIF exposure on the macromolecular protons is relatively low for single slice imaging without MT prepulses, since no additional pulses for fat saturation are necessary. Water selection by frequency selective excitation diminishes faults in the subtraction of images recorded with and without MT prepulses (which might arise from movements). High differences in the signal amplitudes from hyaline cartilage andmore » muscle tissue were obtained comparing images recorded with irradiation of the series of prepulses for MT and those lacking MT prepulses. Utilizations of the described water selective approach for the assessment of MT effects in lesions of cartilage and bone are demonstrated. MT saturation was also examined in muscles with fatty degeneration of patients suffering from progressive muscular dystrophy. The described technique allows determination of MT effects with good precision in a single slice, especially in regions with dominating fat signals. 22 refs., 5 figs.« less

  8. Image processing methods used to simulate flight over remotely sensed data

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Mortensen, H. B.; Hussey, K. J.; Mortensen, R. A.

    1988-01-01

    It has been demonstrated that image processing techniques can provide an effective means of simulating flight over remotely sensed data (Hussey et al. 1986). This paper explains the methods used to simulate and animate three-dimensional surfaces from two-dimensional imagery. The preprocessing techniques used on the input data, the selection of the animation sequence, the generation of the animation frames, and the recording of the animation is covered. The software used for all steps is discussed.

  9. Nutrition and Dentistry: A Joint Educational Approach to Snacks and Lunch Time Treats

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chute, Debbie

    1976-01-01

    The approach described teaches food/snack choices as recommended by a Dental and Nutrition Education Position Paper developed by Public Health Dentists and Community Nutritionists in Ontario. A teaching technique (adaptable to other grades) for helping third grade students select and record balanced lunch menus is included. (MS)

  10. POWERFUL NEW TOOLS FOR ANALYZING ENVIRONMENTAL CONTAMINATION: MASS PEAK PROFILING FROM SELECTED-ION RECORDING DATA AND A PROFILE GENERATION MODEL

    EPA Science Inventory

    Capillary gas chromatography with mass spectrometric detection is the most commonly used technique for analyzing samples from Superfund sites. While the U.S. EPA has developed target lists of compounds for which library mass spectra are available on most mass spectrometer data s...

  11. EVALUATION OF THE REPRODUCIBILITY OF TWO TECHNIQUES USED TO DETERMINE AND RECORD CENTRIC RELATION IN ANGLE’S CLASS I PATIENTS

    PubMed Central

    Paixão, Fernanda; Silva, Wilkens Aurélio Buarque e; Silva, Frederico Andrade e; Ramos, Guilherme da Gama; Cruz, Mônica Vieira de Jesus

    2007-01-01

    The centric relation is a mandibular position that determines a balance relation among the temporomandibular joints, the chew muscles and the occlusion. This position makes possible to the dentist to plan and to execute oral rehabilitation respecting the physiological principles of the stomatognathic system. The aim of this study was to investigate the reproducibility of centric relation records obtained using two techniques: Dawson’s Bilateral Manipulation and Gysi’s Gothic Arch Tracing. Twenty volunteers (14 females and 6 males) with no dental loss, presenting occlusal contacts according to those described in Angle’s I classification and without signs and symptoms of temporomandibular disorders were selected. All volunteers were submitted five times with a 1-week interval, always in the same schedule, to the Dawson’s Bilateral Manipulation and to the Gysi’s Gothic Arch Tracing with aid of an intraoral apparatus. The average standard error of each technique was calculated (Bilateral Manipulation 0.94 and Gothic Arch Tracing 0.27). Shapiro-Wilk test was applied and the results allowed application of Student’s t-test (sampling error of 5%). The techniques showed different degrees of variability. The Gysi’s Gothic Arch Tracing was found to be more accurate than the Bilateral Manipulation in reproducing the centric relation records. PMID:19089144

  12. Holographic Optical Elements Recorded in Silver Halide Sensitized Gelatin Emulsions. Part 2. Reflection Holographic Optical Elements

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kim, Jong Man; Choi, Byung So; Choi, Yoon Sun; Kim, Jong Min; Bjelkhagen, Hans I.; Phillips, Nicholas J.

    2002-03-01

    Silver halide sensitized gelatin (SHSG) holograms are similar to holograms recorded in dichromated gelatin (DCG), the main recording material for holographic optical elements (HOEs). The drawback of DCG is its low energetic sensitivity and limited spectral response. Silver halide materials can be processed in such a way that the final hologram will have properties like a DCG hologram. Recently this technique has become more interesting since the introduction of new ultra-fine-grain silver halide (AgHal) emulsions. In particular, high spatial-frequency fringes associated with HOEs of the reflection type are difficult to construct when SHSG processing methods are employed. Therefore an optimized processing technique for reflection HOEs recorded in the new AgHal materials is introduced. Diffraction efficiencies over 90% can be obtained repeatably for reflection diffraction gratings. Understanding the importance of a selective hardening process has made it possible to obtain results similar to conventional DCG processing. The main advantage of the SHSG process is that high-sensitivity recording can be performed with laser wavelengths anywhere within the visible spectrum. This simplifies the manufacturing of high-quality, large-format HOEs, also including high-quality display holograms of the reflection type in both monochrome and full color.

  13. Four-dimensional modeling of recent vertical movements in the area of the southern California uplift

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Vanicek, Petr; Elliot, Michael R.; Castle, Robert O.

    1979-01-01

    This paper describes an analytical technique that utilizes scattered geodetic relevelings and tide-gauge records to portray Recent vertical crustal movements that may have been characterized by spasmodic changes in velocity. The technique is based on the fitting of a time-varying algebraic surface of prescribed degree to the geodetic data treated as tilt elements and to tide-gauge readings treated as point movements. Desired variations in time can be selected as any combination of powers of vertical movement velocity and episodic events. The state of the modeled vertical displacement can be shown for any number of dates for visual display. Statistical confidence limits of the modeled displacements, derived from the density of measurements in both space and time, line length, and accuracy of input data, are also provided. The capabilities of the technique are demonstrated on selected data from the region of the southern California uplift. 

  14. Justification of parameters and selection of equipment for laboratory researches of a rammer's operating element dynamics in a soil foundation of a tank for oil and oil products storage

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gruzin, A. V.; Gruzin, V. V.; Shalay, V. V.

    2017-08-01

    The development of technology for a directional soil compaction of tank foundations for oil and oil products storage is a relevant problem which solution will enable simultaneously provide required operational characteristics of a soil foundation and reduce time and material costs to prepare the foundation. The impact dynamics of rammers' operating elements on the soil foundation is planned to specify in the course of laboratory studies. A specialized technique is developed to justify the parameters and select the equipment for laboratory researches. The usage of this technique enabled us to calculate dimensions of the models, of a test bench and specifications of the recording equipment, and a lighting system. The necessary equipment for laboratory studies was selected. Preliminary laboratory tests were carried out. The estimate of accuracy for planned laboratory studies was given.

  15. Linear genetic programming application for successive-station monthly streamflow prediction

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Danandeh Mehr, Ali; Kahya, Ercan; Yerdelen, Cahit

    2014-09-01

    In recent decades, artificial intelligence (AI) techniques have been pronounced as a branch of computer science to model wide range of hydrological phenomena. A number of researches have been still comparing these techniques in order to find more effective approaches in terms of accuracy and applicability. In this study, we examined the ability of linear genetic programming (LGP) technique to model successive-station monthly streamflow process, as an applied alternative for streamflow prediction. A comparative efficiency study between LGP and three different artificial neural network algorithms, namely feed forward back propagation (FFBP), generalized regression neural networks (GRNN), and radial basis function (RBF), has also been presented in this study. For this aim, firstly, we put forward six different successive-station monthly streamflow prediction scenarios subjected to training by LGP and FFBP using the field data recorded at two gauging stations on Çoruh River, Turkey. Based on Nash-Sutcliffe and root mean squared error measures, we then compared the efficiency of these techniques and selected the best prediction scenario. Eventually, GRNN and RBF algorithms were utilized to restructure the selected scenario and to compare with corresponding FFBP and LGP. Our results indicated the promising role of LGP for successive-station monthly streamflow prediction providing more accurate results than those of all the ANN algorithms. We found an explicit LGP-based expression evolved by only the basic arithmetic functions as the best prediction model for the river, which uses the records of the both target and upstream stations.

  16. Retention of denture bases fabricated by three different processing techniques – An in vivo study

    PubMed Central

    Chalapathi Kumar, V. H.; Surapaneni, Hemchand; Ravikiran, V.; Chandra, B. Sarat; Balusu, Srilatha; Reddy, V. Naveen

    2016-01-01

    Aim: Distortion due to Polymerization shrinkage compromises the retention. To evaluate the amount of retention of denture bases fabricated by conventional, anchorized, and injection molding polymerization techniques. Materials and Methods: Ten completely edentulous patients were selected, impressions were made, and master cast obtained was duplicated to fabricate denture bases by three polymerization techniques. Loop was attached to the finished denture bases to estimate the force required to dislodge them by retention apparatus. Readings were subjected to nonparametric Friedman two-way analysis of variance followed by Bonferroni correction methods and Wilcoxon matched-pairs signed-ranks test. Results: Denture bases fabricated by injection molding (3740 g), anchorized techniques (2913 g) recorded greater retention values than conventional technique (2468 g). Significant difference was seen between these techniques. Conclusions: Denture bases obtained by injection molding polymerization technique exhibited maximum retention, followed by anchorized technique, and least retention was seen in conventional molding technique. PMID:27382542

  17. Discriminating Induced-Microearthquakes Using New Seismic Features

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mousavi, S. M.; Horton, S.

    2016-12-01

    We studied characteristics of induced-microearthquakes on the basis of the waveforms recorded on a limited number of surface receivers using machine-learning techniques. Forty features in the time, frequency, and time-frequency domains were measured on each waveform, and several techniques such as correlation-based feature selection, Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs), Logistic Regression (LR) and X-mean were used as research tools to explore the relationship between these seismic features and source parameters. The results show that spectral features have the highest correlation to source depth. Two new measurements developed as seismic features for this study, spectral centroids and 2D cross-correlations in the time-frequency domain, performed better than the common seismic measurements. These features can be used by machine learning techniques for efficient automatic classification of low energy signals recorded at one or more seismic stations. We applied the technique to 440 microearthquakes-1.7Reference: Mousavi, S.M., S.P. Horton, C. A. Langston, B. Samei, (2016) Seismic features and automatic discrimination of deep and shallow induced-microearthquakes using neural network and logistic regression, Geophys. J. Int. doi: 10.1093/gji/ggw258.

  18. Description, characteristics and testing of the NASA airborne radar

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Jones, W. R.; Altiz, O.; Schaffner, P.; Schrader, J. H.; Blume, H. J. C.

    1991-01-01

    Presented here is a description of a coherent radar scattermeter and its associated signal processing hardware, which have been specifically designed to detect microbursts and record their radar characteristics. Radar parameters, signal processing techniques and detection algorithms, all under computer control, combine to sense and process reflectivity, clutter, and microburst data. Also presented is the system's high density, high data rate recording system. This digital system is capable of recording many minutes of the in-phase and quadrature components and corresponding receiver gains of the scattered returns for selected spatial regions, as well as other aircraft and hardware related parameters of interest for post-flight analysis. Information is given in viewgraph form.

  19. Dense mesh sampling for video-based facial animation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Peszor, Damian; Wojciechowska, Marzena

    2016-06-01

    The paper describes an approach for selection of feature points on three-dimensional, triangle mesh obtained using various techniques from several video footages. This approach has a dual purpose. First, it allows to minimize the data stored for the purpose of facial animation, so that instead of storing position of each vertex in each frame, one could store only a small subset of vertices for each frame and calculate positions of others based on the subset. Second purpose is to select feature points that could be used for anthropometry-based retargeting of recorded mimicry to another model, with sampling density beyond that which can be achieved using marker-based performance capture techniques. Developed approach was successfully tested on artificial models, models constructed using structured light scanner, and models constructed from video footages using stereophotogrammetry.

  20. Statistical technique for analysing functional connectivity of multiple spike trains.

    PubMed

    Masud, Mohammad Shahed; Borisyuk, Roman

    2011-03-15

    A new statistical technique, the Cox method, used for analysing functional connectivity of simultaneously recorded multiple spike trains is presented. This method is based on the theory of modulated renewal processes and it estimates a vector of influence strengths from multiple spike trains (called reference trains) to the selected (target) spike train. Selecting another target spike train and repeating the calculation of the influence strengths from the reference spike trains enables researchers to find all functional connections among multiple spike trains. In order to study functional connectivity an "influence function" is identified. This function recognises the specificity of neuronal interactions and reflects the dynamics of postsynaptic potential. In comparison to existing techniques, the Cox method has the following advantages: it does not use bins (binless method); it is applicable to cases where the sample size is small; it is sufficiently sensitive such that it estimates weak influences; it supports the simultaneous analysis of multiple influences; it is able to identify a correct connectivity scheme in difficult cases of "common source" or "indirect" connectivity. The Cox method has been thoroughly tested using multiple sets of data generated by the neural network model of the leaky integrate and fire neurons with a prescribed architecture of connections. The results suggest that this method is highly successful for analysing functional connectivity of simultaneously recorded multiple spike trains. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  1. AgRISTARS: Agriculture and Resources Inventory Surveys Through Aerospace Remote Sensing. Enumerator's manual, 1981 ground data survey

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1981-01-01

    General information and administrative instructions are provided for individuals gathering ground truth data to support research and development techniques for estimating crop acreage and production by remote sensing by satellite. Procedures are given for personal safety with regards to organophosphorus insecticides, for conducting interviews for periodic observations, for coding the crops identified and their growth stages, and for selecting sites for placing rain gages. Forms are included for those citizens agreeing to monitor the gages and record the rainfall. Segment selection is also considered.

  2. Estimated monthly percentile discharges at ungaged sites in the Upper Yellowstone River Basin in Montana

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Parrett, Charles; Hull, J.A.

    1986-01-01

    Once-monthly streamflow measurements were used to estimate selected percentile discharges on flow-duration curves of monthly mean discharge for 40 ungaged stream sites in the upper Yellowstone River basin in Montana. The estimation technique was a modification of the concurrent-discharge method previously described and used by H.C. Riggs to estimate annual mean discharge. The modified technique is based on the relationship of various mean seasonal discharges to the required discharges on the flow-duration curves. The mean seasonal discharges are estimated from the monthly streamflow measurements, and the percentile discharges are calculated from regression equations. The regression equations, developed from streamflow record at nine gaging stations, indicated a significant log-linear relationship between mean seasonal discharge and various percentile discharges. The technique was tested at two discontinued streamflow-gaging stations; the differences between estimated monthly discharges and those determined from the discharge record ranged from -31 to +27 percent at one site and from -14 to +85 percent at the other. The estimates at one site were unbiased, and the estimates at the other site were consistently larger than the recorded values. Based on the test results, the probable average error of the technique was + or - 30 percent for the 21 sites measured during the first year of the program and + or - 50 percent for the 19 sites measured during the second year. (USGS)

  3. Aniracetam reduces glutamate receptor desensitization and slows the decay of fast excitatory synaptic currents in the hippocampus.

    PubMed Central

    Isaacson, J S; Nicoll, R A

    1991-01-01

    Aniracetam is a nootropic drug that has been shown to selectively enhance quisqualate receptor-mediated responses in Xenopus oocytes injected with brain mRNA and in hippocampal pyramidal cells [Ito, I., Tanabe, S., Kohda, A. & Sugiyama, H. (1990) J. Physiol. (London) 424, 533-544]. We have used patch clamp recording techniques in hippocampal slices to elucidate the mechanism for this selective action. We find that aniracetam enhances glutamate-evoked currents in whole-cell recordings and, in outside-out patches, strongly reduces glutamate receptor desensitization. In addition, aniracetam selectively prolongs the time course and increases the peak amplitude of fast synaptic currents. These findings indicate that aniracetam slows the kinetics of fast synaptic transmission and are consistent with the proposal [Trussell, L. O. & Fischbach, G. D. (1989) Neuron 3, 209-218; Tang, C.-M., Dichter, M. & Morad, M. (1989) Science 243, 1474-1477] that receptor desensitization governs the strength of fast excitatory synaptic transmission in the brain. PMID:1660156

  4. Aniracetam reduces glutamate receptor desensitization and slows the decay of fast excitatory synaptic currents in the hippocampus.

    PubMed

    Isaacson, J S; Nicoll, R A

    1991-12-01

    Aniracetam is a nootropic drug that has been shown to selectively enhance quisqualate receptor-mediated responses in Xenopus oocytes injected with brain mRNA and in hippocampal pyramidal cells [Ito, I., Tanabe, S., Kohda, A. & Sugiyama, H. (1990) J. Physiol. (London) 424, 533-544]. We have used patch clamp recording techniques in hippocampal slices to elucidate the mechanism for this selective action. We find that aniracetam enhances glutamate-evoked currents in whole-cell recordings and, in outside-out patches, strongly reduces glutamate receptor desensitization. In addition, aniracetam selectively prolongs the time course and increases the peak amplitude of fast synaptic currents. These findings indicate that aniracetam slows the kinetics of fast synaptic transmission and are consistent with the proposal [Trussell, L. O. & Fischbach, G. D. (1989) Neuron 3, 209-218; Tang, C.-M., Dichter, M. & Morad, M. (1989) Science 243, 1474-1477] that receptor desensitization governs the strength of fast excitatory synaptic transmission in the brain.

  5. Unified selective sorting approach to analyse multi-electrode extracellular data

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Veerabhadrappa, R.; Lim, C. P.; Nguyen, T. T.; Berk, M.; Tye, S. J.; Monaghan, P.; Nahavandi, S.; Bhatti, A.

    2016-06-01

    Extracellular data analysis has become a quintessential method for understanding the neurophysiological responses to stimuli. This demands stringent techniques owing to the complicated nature of the recording environment. In this paper, we highlight the challenges in extracellular multi-electrode recording and data analysis as well as the limitations pertaining to some of the currently employed methodologies. To address some of the challenges, we present a unified algorithm in the form of selective sorting. Selective sorting is modelled around hypothesized generative model, which addresses the natural phenomena of spikes triggered by an intricate neuronal population. The algorithm incorporates Cepstrum of Bispectrum, ad hoc clustering algorithms, wavelet transforms, least square and correlation concepts which strategically tailors a sequence to characterize and form distinctive clusters. Additionally, we demonstrate the influence of noise modelled wavelets to sort overlapping spikes. The algorithm is evaluated using both raw and synthesized data sets with different levels of complexity and the performances are tabulated for comparison using widely accepted qualitative and quantitative indicators.

  6. Unified selective sorting approach to analyse multi-electrode extracellular data

    PubMed Central

    Veerabhadrappa, R.; Lim, C. P.; Nguyen, T. T.; Berk, M.; Tye, S. J.; Monaghan, P.; Nahavandi, S.; Bhatti, A.

    2016-01-01

    Extracellular data analysis has become a quintessential method for understanding the neurophysiological responses to stimuli. This demands stringent techniques owing to the complicated nature of the recording environment. In this paper, we highlight the challenges in extracellular multi-electrode recording and data analysis as well as the limitations pertaining to some of the currently employed methodologies. To address some of the challenges, we present a unified algorithm in the form of selective sorting. Selective sorting is modelled around hypothesized generative model, which addresses the natural phenomena of spikes triggered by an intricate neuronal population. The algorithm incorporates Cepstrum of Bispectrum, ad hoc clustering algorithms, wavelet transforms, least square and correlation concepts which strategically tailors a sequence to characterize and form distinctive clusters. Additionally, we demonstrate the influence of noise modelled wavelets to sort overlapping spikes. The algorithm is evaluated using both raw and synthesized data sets with different levels of complexity and the performances are tabulated for comparison using widely accepted qualitative and quantitative indicators. PMID:27339770

  7. Regionalization of harmonic-mean streamflows in Kentucky

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Martin, Gary R.; Ruhl, Kevin J.

    1993-01-01

    Harmonic-mean streamflow (Qh), defined as the reciprocal of the arithmetic mean of the reciprocal daily streamflow values, was determined for selected stream sites in Kentucky. Daily mean discharges for the available period of record through the 1989 water year at 230 continuous record streamflow-gaging stations located in and adjacent to Kentucky were used in the analysis. Periods of record affected by regulation were identified and analyzed separately from periods of record unaffected by regulation. Record-extension procedures were applied to short-term stations to reducetime-sampling error and, thus, improve estimates of the long-term Qh. Techniques to estimate the Qh at ungaged stream sites in Kentucky were developed. A regression model relating Qh to total drainage area and streamflow-variability index was presented with example applications. The regression model has a standard error of estimate of 76 percent and a standard error of prediction of 78 percent.

  8. Digital photography

    PubMed Central

    Windsor, J S; Rodway, G W; Middleton, P M; McCarthy, S

    2006-01-01

    Objective The emergence of a new generation of “point‐and‐shoot” digital cameras offers doctors a compact, portable and user‐friendly solution to the recording of highly detailed digital photographs and video images. This work highlights the use of such technology, and provides information for those who wish to record, store and display their own medical images. Methods Over a 3‐month period, a digital camera was carried by a doctor in a busy, adult emergency department and used to record a range of clinical images that were subsequently transferred to a computer database. Results In total, 493 digital images were recorded, of which 428 were photographs and 65 were video clips. These were successfully used for teaching purposes, publications and patient records. Conclusions This study highlights the importance of informed consent, the selection of a suitable package of digital technology and the role of basic photographic technique in developing a successful digital database in a busy clinical environment. PMID:17068281

  9. Paths of Movement for Selected Body Segments During Typical Pilot Tasks

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1976-03-01

    11 Scope ........... ...................... 12 Past Human Motion Investigations ........... ... 13 Experimental Techniques in Human...of.literature has been generated during the past few decades in the field of human-motion recording and analysis. However, in most of these studies body...to meet the COMBIMAN model requirements. Past Human Motion Investigations The 15th century artist-scientist, Leonardo da Vinci, is generally credited

  10. Automatic detection of obstructive sleep apnea using speech signals.

    PubMed

    Goldshtein, Evgenia; Tarasiuk, Ariel; Zigel, Yaniv

    2011-05-01

    Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a common disorder associated with anatomical abnormalities of the upper airways that affects 5% of the population. Acoustic parameters may be influenced by the vocal tract structure and soft tissue properties. We hypothesize that speech signal properties of OSA patients will be different than those of control subjects not having OSA. Using speech signal processing techniques, we explored acoustic speech features of 93 subjects who were recorded using a text-dependent speech protocol and a digital audio recorder immediately prior to polysomnography study. Following analysis of the study, subjects were divided into OSA (n=67) and non-OSA (n=26) groups. A Gaussian mixture model-based system was developed to model and classify between the groups; discriminative features such as vocal tract length and linear prediction coefficients were selected using feature selection technique. Specificity and sensitivity of 83% and 79% were achieved for the male OSA and 86% and 84% for the female OSA patients, respectively. We conclude that acoustic features from speech signals during wakefulness can detect OSA patients with good specificity and sensitivity. Such a system can be used as a basis for future development of a tool for OSA screening. © 2011 IEEE

  11. Transmission and reflection SHSG holograms

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kim, Jong Man; Choi, Byung S.; Choi, Yoon S.; Kim, Sun I.; Kim, Jong-Min; Bjelkhagen, Hans I.; Phillips, Nicholas J.

    2001-06-01

    Silver halide sensitized gelatin (SHSG) holograms are similar to holograms recorded in dichromated gelatin (DCG), the main recording material for holographic optical elements (HOEs). The drawback of DCG is its low energetic sensitivity and limited spectral response. Silver halide materials can be processed in such a way that the final hologram will have properties like a DCG hologram. Recently this technique has become more interesting since the introduction of new ultra- fine grain silver halide (AgHal) emulsions. In particular, high spatial frequency fringes associated with HOEs of the reflection type are difficult to convert employing SHSG processing methods. Therefore, an optimized processing techniques for reflection HOEs recorded in the new AgHal- materials is introduced. Diffraction efficiencies over 90 percent can be obtained for both transmission and reflection diffraction gratings. Understanding the importance of the selective hardening process has made it possible to obtain results similar to conventional DCG processing. The main advantage of the SHSG process is that high-sensitivity recording can be performed with laser wavelengths anywhere within the visible spectrum. This simplifies the manufacturing of high-quality, large-format HOEs, including also high-quality display holograms of the reflection type, both monochrome and full color.

  12. Velocity interferometer signal de-noising using modified Wiener filter

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rav, Amit; Joshi, K. D.; Roy, Kallol; Kaushik, T. C.

    2017-05-01

    The accuracy and precision of the non-contact velocity interferometer system for any reflector (VISAR) depends not only on the good optical design and linear optical-to- electrical conversion system, but also on accurate and robust post-processing techniques. The performance of these techniques, such as the phase unwrapping algorithm, depends on the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the recorded signal. In the present work, a novel method of improving the SNR of the recorded VISAR signal, based on the knowledge of the noise characteristic of the signal conversion and recording system, is presented. The proposed method uses a modified Wiener filter, for which the signal power spectrum estimation is obtained using a spectral subtraction method (SSM), and the noise power spectrum estimation is obtained by taking the average of the recorded signal during the period when no target movement is expected. Since the noise power spectrum estimate is dynamic in nature, and obtained for each experimental record individually, the improved signal quality is high. The proposed method is applied to the simulated standard signals, and is not only found to be better than the SSM, but is also less sensitive to the selection of the noise floor during signal power spectrum estimation. Finally, the proposed method is applied to the recorded experimental signal and an improvement in the SNR is reported.

  13. High Speed Photomicrography

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hyzer, William G.

    1983-03-01

    One of the most challenging areas in applying high-speed photography and videography in the plant and laboratory is in the recording of rapid events at macro and microscopic scales. Depth of field, exposure efficiency, working distance, and required exposure time are all reduced as optical magnification is increased, which severely taxes the skill and ingenuity of workers interested in recording any fast moving phenomena through the microscope or with magnifying lenses. This paper defines the problems inherent in photographing within macro and microscopic ranges and offers a systematic approach to optimizing the selection of equipment and choice of applicable techniques.

  14. Low-resolution Australasian palaeoclimate records of the last 2000 years

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dixon, Bronwyn C.; Tyler, Jonathan J.; Lorrey, Andrew M.; Goodwin, Ian D.; Gergis, Joëlle; Drysdale, Russell N.

    2017-10-01

    Non-annually resolved palaeoclimate records in the Australasian region were compiled to facilitate investigations of decadal to centennial climate variability over the past 2000 years. A total of 675 lake and wetland, geomorphic, marine, and speleothem records were identified. The majority of records are located near population centres in southeast Australia, in New Zealand, and across the maritime continent, and there are few records from the arid regions of central and western Australia. Each record was assessed against a set of a priori criteria based on temporal resolution, record length, dating methods, and confidence in the proxy-climate relationship over the Common Era. A subset of 22 records met the criteria and were endorsed for subsequent analyses. Chronological uncertainty was the primary reason why records did not meet the selection criteria. New chronologies based on Bayesian techniques were constructed for the high-quality subset to ensure a consistent approach to age modelling and quantification of age uncertainties. The primary reasons for differences between published and reconstructed age-depth models were the consideration of the non-singular distribution of ages in calibrated 14C dates and the use of estimated autocorrelation between sampled depths as a constraint for changes in accumulation rate. Existing proxies and reconstruction techniques that successfully capture climate variability in the region show potential to address spatial gaps and expand the range of climate variables covering the last 2000 years in the Australasian region. Future palaeoclimate research and records in Australasia could be greatly improved through three main actions: (i) greater data availability through the public archiving of published records; (ii) thorough characterisation of proxy-climate relationships through site monitoring and climate sensitivity tests; and (iii) improvement of chronologies through core-top dating, inclusion of tephra layers where possible, and increased date density during the Common Era.

  15. Simultaneous recording of EEG and electromyographic polygraphy increases the diagnostic yield of video-EEG monitoring.

    PubMed

    Hill, Aron T; Briggs, Belinda A; Seneviratne, Udaya

    2014-06-01

    To investigate the usefulness of adjunctive electromyographic (EMG) polygraphy in the diagnosis of clinical events captured during long-term video-EEG monitoring. A total of 40 patients (21 women, 19 men) aged between 19 and 72 years (mean 43) investigated using video-EEG monitoring were studied. Electromyographic activity was simultaneously recorded with EEG in four patients selected on clinical grounds. In these patients, surface EMG electrodes were placed over muscles suspected to be activated during a typical clinical event. Of the 40 patients investigated, 24 (60%) were given a diagnosis, whereas 16 (40%) remained undiagnosed. All four patients receiving adjunctive EMG polygraphy obtained a diagnosis, with three of these diagnoses being exclusively reliant on the EMG recordings. Specifically, one patient was diagnosed with propriospinal myoclonus, another patient was diagnosed with facio-mandibular myoclonus, and a third patient was found to have bruxism and periodic leg movements of sleep. The information obtained from surface EMG recordings aided the diagnosis of clinical events captured during video-EEG monitoring in 7.5% of the total cohort. This study suggests that EEG-EMG polygraphy may be used as a technique of improving the diagnostic yield of video-EEG monitoring in selected cases.

  16. Multiplexed Holographic Data Storage in Bacteriorhodopsin

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Mehrl, David J.; Krile, Thomas F.

    1997-01-01

    High density optical data storage, driven by the information revolution, remains at the forefront of current research areas. Much of the current research has focused on photorefractive materials (SBN and LiNbO3) and polymers, despite various problems with expense, durability, response time and retention periods. Photon echo techniques, though promising, are questionable due to the need for cryogenic conditions. Bacteriorhodopsin (BR) films are an attractive alternative recording medium. Great strides have been made in refining BR, and materials with storage lifetimes as long as 100 days have recently become available. The ability to deposit this robust polycrystalline material as high quality optical films suggests the use of BR as a recording medium for commercial optical disks. Our own recent research has demonstrated the suitability of BR films for real time spatial filtering and holography. We propose to fully investigate the feasibility of performing holographic mass data storage in BR. Important aspects of the problem to be investigated include various data multiplexing techniques (e.g. angle- amplitude- and phase-encoded multiplexing, and in particular shift-multiplexing), multilayer recording techniques, SLM selection and data readout using crossed polarizers for noise rejection. Systems evaluations of storage parameters, including access times, memory refresh constraints, erasure, signal-to-noise ratios and bit error rates, will be included in our investigations.

  17. Catch and Patch: A Pipette-Based Approach for Automating Patch Clamp That Enables Cell Selection and Fast Compound Application.

    PubMed

    Danker, Timm; Braun, Franziska; Silbernagl, Nikole; Guenther, Elke

    2016-03-01

    Manual patch clamp, the gold standard of electrophysiology, represents a powerful and versatile toolbox to stimulate, modulate, and record ion channel activity from membrane fragments and whole cells. The electrophysiological readout can be combined with fluorescent or optogenetic methods and allows for ultrafast solution exchanges using specialized microfluidic tools. A hallmark of manual patch clamp is the intentional selection of individual cells for recording, often an essential prerequisite to generate meaningful data. So far, available automation solutions rely on random cell usage in the closed environment of a chip and thus sacrifice much of this versatility by design. To parallelize and automate the traditional patch clamp technique while perpetuating the full versatility of the method, we developed an approach to automation, which is based on active cell handling and targeted electrode placement rather than on random processes. This is achieved through an automated pipette positioning system, which guides the tips of recording pipettes with micrometer precision to a microfluidic cell handling device. Using a patch pipette array mounted on a conventional micromanipulator, our automated patch clamp process mimics the original manual patch clamp as closely as possible, yet achieving a configuration where recordings are obtained from many patch electrodes in parallel. In addition, our implementation is extensible by design to allow the easy integration of specialized equipment such as ultrafast compound application tools. The resulting system offers fully automated patch clamp on purposely selected cells and combines high-quality gigaseal recordings with solution switching in the millisecond timescale.

  18. Advancement of thyroid surgery video recording: A comparison between two full HD head mounted video cameras.

    PubMed

    Ortensi, Andrea; Panunzi, Andrea; Trombetta, Silvia; Cattaneo, Alberto; Sorrenti, Salvatore; D'Orazi, Valerio

    2017-05-01

    The aim of this study was to test two different video cameras and recording systems used in thyroid surgery in our Department. This is meant to be an attempt to record the real point of view of the magnified vision of surgeon, so as to make the viewer aware of the difference with the naked eye vision. In this retrospective study, we recorded and compared twenty thyroidectomies performed using loupes magnification and microsurgical technique: ten were recorded with GoPro ® 4 Session action cam (commercially available) and ten with our new prototype of head mounted video camera. Settings were selected before surgery for both cameras. The recording time is about from 1 to 2 h for GoPro ® and from 3 to 5 h for our prototype. The average time of preparation to fit the camera on the surgeon's head and set the functionality is about 5 min for GoPro ® and 7-8 min for the prototype, mostly due to HDMI wiring cable. Videos recorded with the prototype require no further editing, which is mandatory for videos recorded with GoPro ® to highlight the surgical details. the present study showed that our prototype of video camera, compared with GoPro ® 4 Session, guarantees best results in terms of surgical video recording quality, provides to the viewer the exact perspective of the microsurgeon and shows accurately his magnified view through the loupes in thyroid surgery. These recordings are surgical aids for teaching and education and might be a method of self-analysis of surgical technique. Copyright © 2017 IJS Publishing Group Ltd. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. Dynamic Characteristics of Buildings from Signal Processing of Ambient Vibration

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dobre, Daniela; Sorin Dragomir, Claudiu

    2017-10-01

    The experimental technique used to determine the dynamic characteristics of buildings is based on records of low intensity oscillations of the building produced by various natural factors, such as permanent agitation type microseismic motions, city traffic, wind etc. The possibility of recording these oscillations is provided by the latest seismic stations (Geosig and Kinemetrics digital accelerographs). The permanent microseismic agitation of the soil is a complex form of stationary random oscillations. The building filters the soil excitation, selects and increases the components of disruptive vibrations corresponding to its natural vibration periods. For some selected buildings, with different instrumentation schemes for the location of sensors (in free-field, at basement, ground floor, roof level), a correlation between the dynamic characteristics resulted from signal processing of ambient vibration and from a theoretical analysis will be presented. The interpretation of recording results could highlight the behavior of the whole structure. On the other hand, these results are compared with those from strong motions, or obtained from a complex dynamic analysis, and they are quite different, but they are explicable.

  20. Occlusal contact of fixed implant prostheses using functional bite impression technique.

    PubMed

    Suzuki, Yasunori; Shimpo, Hidemasa; Ohkubo, Chikahiro

    2015-02-01

    Functional bite impression (FBI) has been described as a definitive impression made under occlusal force after functional generated path (FGP) recording. This study compared the accuracy of occlusal contact of implant-fixed prostheses using the FBI technique and the conventional impression technique. Twelve subjects, each missing a single premolar or molar, were selected for this study. The conditions of the occlusal contacts were identified by the modified transillumination method. The occlusal contact condition was determined by comparing the rate of change in the occlusal contact area of the implant-fixed prostheses and both adjacent teeth before and after occlusal adjustment. The rate of change in the occlusal contact area using the FBI technique was 96%, and the rate using the conventional technique was 54%. The occlusal contact of implant prostheses using the FBI technique revealed better accuracy than that of the conventional technique. Regarding the FBI technique, a precise and functional prosthesis could be produced by completing the maxillomandibular registration, impression, and FGP at the same time.

  1. Dual-modality wide-field photothermal quantitative phase microscopy and depletion of cell populations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Turko, Nir A.; Barnea, Itay; Blum, Omry; Korenstein, Rafi; Shaked, Natan T.

    2015-03-01

    We review our dual-modality technique for quantitative imaging and selective depletion of populations of cells based on wide-field photothermal (PT) quantitative phase imaging and simultaneous PT cell extermination. The cells are first labeled by plasmonic gold nanoparticles, which evoke local plasmonic resonance when illuminated by light in a wavelength corresponding to their specific plasmonic resonance peak. This reaction creates changes of temperature, resulting in changes of phase. This phase changes are recorded by a quantitative phase microscope (QPM), producing specific imaging contrast, and enabling bio-labeling in phase microscopy. Using this technique, we have shown discrimination of EGFR over-expressing (EGFR+) cancer cells from EGFR under-expressing (EGFR-) cancer cells. Then, we have increased the excitation power in order to evoke greater temperatures, which caused specific cell death, all under real-time phase acquisition using QPM. Close to 100% of all EGFR+ cells were immediately exterminated when illuminated with the strong excitation beam, while all EGFR- cells survived. For the second experiment, in order to simulate a condition where circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are present in blood, we have mixed the EGFR+ cancer cells with white blood cells (WBCs) from a healthy donor. Here too, we have used QPM to observe and record the phase of the cells as they were excited for selective visualization and then exterminated. The WBCs survival rate was over 95%, while the EGFR+ survival rate was under 5%. The technique may be the basis for real-time detection and controlled treatment of CTCs.

  2. Sperm Patch-Clamp

    PubMed Central

    Lishko, Polina; Clapham, David E.; Navarro, Betsy; Kirichok, Yuriy

    2014-01-01

    Sperm intracellular pH and calcium concentration ([Ca2+]i) are two central factors that control sperm activity within the female reproductive tract. As such, the ion channels of the sperm plasma membrane that alter intracellular sperm [Ca2+] and pH play important roles in sperm physiology and the process of fertilization. Indeed, sperm ion channels regulate sperm motility, control sperm chemotaxis toward the egg in some species, and may trigger the acrosome reaction. Until recently, our understanding of these important molecules was rudimentary due to the inability to patch-clamp spermatozoa and directly record the activity of these ion channels under voltage clamp. Recently, we overcame this technical barrier and developed a method for reproducible application of the patch-clamp technique to mouse and human spermatozoa. This chapter covers important aspects of application of the patch-clamp technique to spermatozoa, such as selection of the electrophysiological equipment, isolation of spermatozoa for patch-clamp experiments, formation of the gigaohm seal with spermatozoa, and transition into the whole-cell mode of recording. We also discuss potential pitfalls in application of the patch-clamp technique to flagellar ion channels. PMID:23522465

  3. Selectivity in the Reinnervation of the Lateral Gastrocnemius Muscle after Nerve Repair with Ethyl Cyanoacrylate in the Rat

    PubMed Central

    Landegren, Thomas; Risling, Mårten; Hammarberg, Henrik; Persson, Jonas K. E.

    2011-01-01

    There is a need for complementary surgical techniques that enable rapid and reliable primary repair of transected nerves. Previous studies after peripheral nerve transection and repair with synthetic adhesives have demonstrated regeneration to an extent comparable to that of conventional techniques. The aim of this study was to compare two different repair techniques on the selectivity of muscle reinnervation after repair and completed regeneration. We used the cholera toxin B technique of retrograde axonal tracing to evaluate the morphology, the number, and the three-dimensional location of α-motoneurons innervating the lateral gastrocnemius muscle and compared the results after repair with either ethyl cyanoacrylate (ECA) or epineural sutures of the transected parent sciatic nerve. In addition, we recorded the wet weight of the muscle. Six months after transection and repair of the sciatic nerve, the redistribution of the motoneuron pool was markedly disorganized, the motoneurons had apparently increased in number, and they were scattered throughout a larger volume of the spinal cord gray matter with a decrease in the synaptic coverage compared to controls. A reduction in muscle weight was observed as well. No difference in morphometric variables or muscle weight between the two repair methods could be detected. We conclude that the selectivity of motor reinnervation following sciatic nerve transection and subsequent repair with ECA is comparable to that following conventional micro suturing. PMID:21577248

  4. Experimental feasibility study of estimation of the normalized central blood pressure waveform from radial photoplethysmogram.

    PubMed

    Zahedi, Edmond; Sohani, Vahid; Ali, M A Mohd; Chellappan, Kalaivani; Beng, Gan Kok

    2015-01-01

    The feasibility of a novel system to reliably estimate the normalized central blood pressure (CBPN) from the radial photoplethysmogram (PPG) is investigated. Right-wrist radial blood pressure and left-wrist PPG were simultaneously recorded in five different days. An industry-standard applanation tonometer was employed for recording radial blood pressure. The CBP waveform was amplitude-normalized to determine CBPN. A total of fifteen second-order autoregressive models with exogenous input were investigated using system identification techniques. Among these 15 models, the model producing the lowest coefficient of variation (CV) of the fitness during the five days was selected as the reference model. Results show that the proposed model is able to faithfully reproduce CBPN (mean fitness = 85.2% ± 2.5%) from the radial PPG for all 15 segments during the five recording days. The low CV value of 3.35% suggests a stable model valid for different recording days.

  5. Parallel-quadrature phase-shifting digital holographic microscopy using polarization beam splitter

    PubMed Central

    Das, Bhargab; Yelleswarapu, Chandra S; Rao, DVGLN

    2012-01-01

    We present a digital holography microscopy technique based on parallel-quadrature phase-shifting method. Two π/2 phase-shifted holograms are recorded simultaneously using polarization phase-shifting principle, slightly off-axis recording geometry, and two identical CCD sensors. The parallel phase-shifting is realized by combining circularly polarized object beam with a 45° degree polarized reference beam through a polarizing beam splitter. DC term is eliminated by subtracting the two holograms from each other and the object information is reconstructed after selecting the frequency spectrum of the real image. Both amplitude and phase object reconstruction results are presented. Simultaneous recording eliminates phase errors caused by mechanical vibrations and air turbulences. The slightly off-axis recording geometry with phase-shifting allows a much larger dimension of the spatial filter for reconstruction of the object information. This leads to better reconstruction capability than traditional off-axis holography. PMID:23109732

  6. Residual anastomoses in twin-twin transfusion syndrome after laser: the Solomon randomized trial.

    PubMed

    Slaghekke, Femke; Lewi, Liesbeth; Middeldorp, Johanna M; Weingertner, Anne Sophie; Klumper, Frans J; Dekoninck, Philip; Devlieger, Roland; Lanna, Mariano M; Deprest, Jan; Favre, Romain; Oepkes, Dick; Lopriore, Enrico

    2014-09-01

    Residual anastomoses after fetoscopic laser surgery for twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS) may lead to severe postoperative complications, including recurrent TTTS and twin anemia-polycythemia sequence (TAPS). A novel technique (Solomon technique) using laser coagulation of the entire vascular equator was recently investigated in a randomized controlled trial (Solomon trial) and compared with the Standard selective laser technique. The aim of this secondary analysis was to evaluate the occurrence and characteristics of residual anastomoses in placentas included in the Solomon trial. International multicenter randomized controlled trial in TTTS, randomized 1:1 ratio to either the Solomon laser technique or Standard laser technique. At time of laser, surgeons recorded whether they considered the procedure to be complete. Placental dye injection was performed after birth in the participating centers to evaluate the presence of residual anastomoses. A total of 151 placentas were included in the study. The percentage of placentas with residual anastomoses in the Solomon group and Standard group was 19% (14/74) and 34% (26/77), respectively (P = .04). The percentage of placentas with residual anastomoses in the subgroup of cases where the procedure was recorded as complete was 8/65 (12%) and 22/69 (32%) in the Solomon group and Standard group, respectively (P < .01). The Solomon laser technique reduces the risk of residual anastomoses. However, careful follow-up remains essential also after the Solomon technique, as complete dichorionization is not always achieved. Copyright © 2014 Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

  7. Holographic memories with encryption-selectable function

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Su, Wei-Chia; Lee, Xuan-Hao

    2006-03-01

    Volume holographic storage has received increasing attention owing to its potential high storage capacity and access rate. In the meanwhile, encrypted holographic memory using random phase encoding technique is attractive for an optical community due to growing demand for protection of information. In this paper, encryption-selectable holographic storage algorithms in LiNbO 3 using angular multiplexing are proposed and demonstrated. Encryption-selectable holographic memory is an advance concept of security storage for content protection. It offers more flexibility to encrypt the data or not optionally during the recording processes. In our system design, the function of encryption and non-encryption storage is switched by a random phase pattern and a uniform phase pattern. Based on a 90-degree geometry, the input patterns including the encryption and non-encryption storage are stored via angular multiplexing with reference plane waves at different incident angles. Image is encrypted optionally by sliding the ground glass into one of the recording waves or removing it away in each exposure. The ground glass is a key for encryption. Besides, it is also an important key available for authorized user to decrypt the encrypted information.

  8. Compensating for the effects of site and equipment variation on delphinid species identification from their echolocation clicks.

    PubMed

    Roch, Marie A; Stinner-Sloan, Johanna; Baumann-Pickering, Simone; Wiggins, Sean M

    2015-01-01

    A concern for applications of machine learning techniques to bioacoustics is whether or not classifiers learn the categories for which they were trained. Unfortunately, information such as characteristics of specific recording equipment or noise environments can also be learned. This question is examined in the context of identifying delphinid species by their echolocation clicks. To reduce the ambiguity between species classification performance and other confounding factors, species whose clicks can be readily distinguished were used in this study: Pacific white-sided and Risso's dolphins. A subset of data from autonomous acoustic recorders located at seven sites in the Southern California Bight collected between 2006 and 2012 was selected. Cepstral-based features were extracted for each echolocation click and Gaussian mixture models were used to classify groups of 100 clicks. One hundred Monte-Carlo three-fold experiments were conducted to examine classification performance where fold composition was determined by acoustic encounter, recorder characteristics, or recording site. The error rate increased from 6.1% when grouped by acoustic encounter to 18.1%, 46.2%, and 33.2% for grouping by equipment, equipment category, and site, respectively. A noise compensation technique reduced error for these grouping schemes to 2.7%, 4.4%, 6.7%, and 11.4%, respectively, a reduction in error rate of 56%-86%.

  9. Directional frequency and recording (DIFAR) sensors in seafloor recorders to locate calling bowhead whales during their fall migration.

    PubMed

    Greene, Charles R; McLennan, Miles Wm; Norman, Robert G; McDonald, Trent L; Jakubczak, Ray S; Richardson, W John

    2004-08-01

    Bowhead whales, Balaena mysticetus, migrate west during fall approximately 10-75 km off the north coast of Alaska, passing the petroleum developments around Prudhoe Bay. Oil production operations on an artificial island 5 km offshore create sounds heard by some whales. As part of an effort to assess whether migrating whales deflect farther offshore at times with high industrial noise, an acoustical approach was selected for localizing calling whales. The technique incorporated DIFAR (directional frequency and recording) sonobuoy techniques. An array of 11 DASARs (directional autonomous seafloor acoustic recorders) was built and installed with unit-to-unit separation of 5 km. When two or more DASARs detected the same call, the whale location was determined from the bearing intersections. This article describes the acoustic methods used to determine the locations of the calling bowhead whales and shows the types and precision of the data acquired. Calibration transmissions at GPS-measured times and locations provided measures of the individual DASAR clock drift and directional orientation. The standard error of the bearing measurements at distances of 3-4 km was approximately 1.35 degrees after corrections for gain imbalance in the two directional sensors. During 23 days in 2002, 10,587 bowhead calls were detected and 8383 were localized.

  10. Child voice and noise: a pilot study of noise in day cares and the effects on 10 children's voice quality according to perceptual evaluation.

    PubMed

    McAllister, Anita M; Granqvist, Svante; Sjölander, Peta; Sundberg, Johan

    2009-09-01

    The purpose of this investigation was to study children's exposure to background noise at the ears during a normal day at the day care center and also to relate this to a perceptual evaluation of voice quality. Ten children, from three day care centers, with no history of hearing and speech problems or frequent infections were selected as subjects. A binaural recording technique was used with two microphones placed on both sides of the subject's head, at equal distance from the mouth. A portable digital audio tape (DAT) recorder (Sony TCD-D 100, Stockholm, Sweden) was attached to the subject's waist. Three recordings were made for each child during the day. Each recording was calibrated and started with three repetitions of three sentences containing only sonorants. The recording technique allowed separate analyses of the background noise level and of the sound pressure level (SPL) of each subjects' own voice. Results showed a mean background noise level for the three day care centers at 82.6dBA Leq, ranging from 81.5 to 83.6dBA Leq. Day care center no. 2 had the highest mean value and also the highest value at any separate recording session with a mean background noise level of 85.4dBA Leq during the noontime recordings. Perceptual evaluation showed that the children attending this day care center also received higher values on the following voice characteristics: hoarseness, breathiness, and hyperfunction. Girls increased their loudness level during the day, whereas for boys no such change could be observed.

  11. Joint Biological Standoff Detection System increment II: Field Demonstration - SINBAHD Performances

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2007-12-01

    of a dispersive element and a range-gated ICCD that limits the spectral information within the selected volume. This technique has showed an...bioaerosols. This LIF signal is spectrally collected by the combination of a dispersive element and a range-gated ICCD that records spectral...2001 in order to underline the robustness of the spectral signature of a particular biomaterial but of different origin, preparation and dispersion

  12. Selective processing of auditory evoked responses with iterative-randomized stimulation and averaging: A strategy for evaluating the time-invariant assumption.

    PubMed

    Valderrama, Joaquin T; de la Torre, Angel; Medina, Carlos; Segura, Jose C; Thornton, A Roger D

    2016-03-01

    The recording of auditory evoked potentials (AEPs) at fast rates allows the study of neural adaptation, improves accuracy in estimating hearing threshold and may help diagnosing certain pathologies. Stimulation sequences used to record AEPs at fast rates require to be designed with a certain jitter, i.e., not periodical. Some authors believe that stimuli from wide-jittered sequences may evoke auditory responses of different morphology, and therefore, the time-invariant assumption would not be accomplished. This paper describes a methodology that can be used to analyze the time-invariant assumption in jittered stimulation sequences. The proposed method [Split-IRSA] is based on an extended version of the iterative randomized stimulation and averaging (IRSA) technique, including selective processing of sweeps according to a predefined criterion. The fundamentals, the mathematical basis and relevant implementation guidelines of this technique are presented in this paper. The results of this study show that Split-IRSA presents an adequate performance and that both fast and slow mechanisms of adaptation influence the evoked-response morphology, thus both mechanisms should be considered when time-invariance is assumed. The significance of these findings is discussed. Crown Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  13. Expected damages of retrofitted bridges with RC jacketing

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Montes, O.; Jara, J. M.; Jara, M.; Olmos, B. A.

    2015-07-01

    The bridge infrastructure in many countries of the world consists of medium span length structures built several decades ago and designed for very low seismic forces. Many of them are reinforced concrete structures that according to the current code regulations have to be rehabilitated to increase their seismic capacity. One way to reduce the vulnerability of the bridges is by using retrofitting techniques that increase the strength of the structure or by incorporating devices to reduce the seismic demand. One of the most common retrofit techniques of the bridges substructures is the use of RC jacketing; this research assesses the expected damages of seismically deficient medium length highway bridges retrofitted with reinforced concrete jacketing, by conducting a parametric study. We select a suite of twenty accelerograms of subduction earthquakes recorded close to the Pacific Coast in Mexico. The original structures consist of five 30 m span simple supported bridges with five pier heights of 5 m, 10 m, 15 m 20 and 25 m and the analyses include three different jacket thickness and three steel ratios. The bridges were subjected to the seismic records and non-linear time history analyses were carried out by using the OpenSEEs Plataform. Results allow selecting the reinforced concrete jacketing that better improves the expected seismic behavior of the bridge models.

  14. Video electroencephalogram telemetry in temporal lobe epilepsy

    PubMed Central

    Mani, Jayanti

    2014-01-01

    Temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) is the most commonly encountered medically refractory epilepsy. It is also the substrate of refractory epilepsy that gives the most gratifying results in any epilepsy surgery program, with a minimum use of resources. Correlation of clinical behavior and the ictal patterns during ictal behavior is mandatory for success at epilepsy surgery. Video electroencephalogram (EEG) telemetry achieves this goal and hence plays a pivotal role in pre-surgical assessment. The role of telemetry is continuously evolving with the advent of digital EEG technology, of high-resolution volumetric magnetic resonance imaging and other functional imaging techniques. Most of surgical selection in patients with TLE can be done with a scalp video EEG monitoring. However, the limitations of the scalp EEG technique demand invasive recordings in a selected group of TLE patients. This subset of the patients can be a challenge to the epileptologist. PMID:24791089

  15. Overview of selected surrogate technologies for continuous suspended-sediment monitoring

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Gray, J.R.; Gartner, J.W.

    2006-01-01

    Surrogate technologies for inferring selected characteristics of suspended sediments in surface waters are being tested by the U.S. Geological Survey and several partners with the ultimate goal of augmenting or replacing traditional monitoring methods. Optical properties of water such as turbidity and optical backscatter are the most commonly used surrogates for suspended-sediment concentration, but use of other techniques such as those based on acoustic backscatter, laser diffraction, digital photo-optic, and pressure-difference principles is increasing for concentration and, in some cases, particle-size distribution and flux determinations. The potential benefits of these technologies include acquisition of automated, continuous, quantifiably accurate data obtained with increased safety and at less expense. When suspended-sediment surrogate data meet consensus accuracy criteria and appropriate sediment-record computation techniques are applied, these technologies have the potential to revolutionize the way fluvial-sediment data are collected, analyzed, and disseminated.

  16. Determining Data Quality for the NOvA Experiment

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Murphy, Ryan; NOvA Collaboration Collaboration

    2016-03-01

    NOvA is a long-baseline neutrino oscillation experiment with two liquid scintillator filled tracking calorimeter detectors separated by 809 km. The detectors are located 14.6 milliradians off-axis of Fermilab's NuMI beam. The NOvA experiment is designed to measure the rate of electron-neutrino appearance out of the almost-pure muon-neutrino NuMI beam, with the data measured at the Near Detector being used to accurately determine the expected rate of the Far Detector. It is therefore very important to have automated and accurate monitoring of the data recorded by the detectors so any hardware, DAQ or beam issues arising in the 0.3 million (20k) channels of the far (near) detector which could effect this extrapolation technique are identified and the affected data removed from the physics analysis data set. This poster will cover the techniques and efficiency of selecting good data, describing the selections placed on different data and hardware levels.

  17. Synchrotron radiation x-ray topography and defect selective etching analysis of threading dislocations in GaN

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

    Sintonen, Sakari, E-mail: sakari.sintonen@aalto.fi; Suihkonen, Sami; Jussila, Henri

    2014-08-28

    The crystal quality of bulk GaN crystals is continuously improving due to advances in GaN growth techniques. Defect characterization of the GaN substrates by conventional methods is impeded by the very low dislocation density and a large scale defect analysis method is needed. White beam synchrotron radiation x-ray topography (SR-XRT) is a rapid and non-destructive technique for dislocation analysis on a large scale. In this study, the defect structure of an ammonothermal c-plane GaN substrate was recorded using SR-XRT and the image contrast caused by the dislocation induced microstrain was simulated. The simulations and experimental observations agree excellently and themore » SR-XRT image contrasts of mixed and screw dislocations were determined. Apart from a few exceptions, defect selective etching measurements were shown to correspond one to one with the SR-XRT results.« less

  18. Silicon oxide nanoparticles doped PQ-PMMA for volume holographic imaging filters.

    PubMed

    Luo, Yuan; Russo, Juan M; Kostuk, Raymond K; Barbastathis, George

    2010-04-15

    Holographic imaging filters are required to have high Bragg selectivity, namely, narrow angular and spectral bandwidth, to obtain spatial-spectral information within a three-dimensional object. In this Letter, we present the design of holographic imaging filters formed using silicon oxide nanoparticles (nano-SiO(2)) in phenanthrenquinone-poly(methyl methacrylate) (PQ-PMMA) polymer recording material. This combination offers greater Bragg selectivity and increases the diffraction efficiency of holographic filters. The holographic filters with optimized ratio of nano-SiO(2) in PQ-PMMA can significantly improve the performance of Bragg selectivity and diffraction efficiency by 53% and 16%, respectively. We present experimental results and data analysis demonstrating this technique in use for holographic spatial-spectral imaging filters.

  19. Pre-Processing and Cross-Correlation Techniques for Time-Distance Helioseismology

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, N.; de Ridder, S.; Zhao, J.

    2014-12-01

    In chaotic wave fields excited by a random distribution of noise sources a cross-correlation of the recordings made at two stations yield the interstation wave-field response. After early successes in helioseismology, laboratory studies and earth-seismology, this technique found broad application in global and regional seismology. This development came with an increasing understanding of pre-processing and cross-correlation workflows to yield an optimal signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). Helioseismologist rely heavily on stacking to increase the SNR. Until now, they have not studied different spectral-whitening and cross-correlation workflows and relies heavily on stacking to increase the SNR. The recordings vary considerably between sunspots and regular portions of the sun. Within the sunspot the periodic effects of the observation satellite orbit are difficult to remove. We remove a running alpha-mean from the data and apply a soft clip to deal with data glitches. The recordings contain energy of both flow and waves. A frequency domain filter selects the wave energy. Then the data is input to several pre-processing and cross-correlation techniques, common to earth seismology. We anticipate that spectral whitening will flatten the energy spectrum of the cross-correlations. We also expect that the cross-correlations converge faster to their expected value when the data is processed over overlapping windows. The result of this study are expected to aid in decreasing the stacking while maintaining good SNR.

  20. Characterization and evaluation of an aeolian-photovoltaic system in operation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bonfatti, F.; Calzolari, P. U.; Cardinali, G. C.; Vivanti, G.; Zani, A.

    Data management, analysis techniques and results of performance monitoring of a prototype combined photovoltaic (PV)-wind turbine farm power plant in northern Italy are reported. Emphasis is placed on the PV I-V characteristics and irradiance and cell temperatures. Automated instrumentation monitors and records meteorological data and generator variables such as voltages, currents, output, battery electrolyte temperature, etc. Analysis proceeds by automated selection of I-V data for specific intervals of the year when other variables can be treated as constants. The technique permits characterization of generator performance, adjusting the power plant set points for optimal output, and tracking performance degradation over time.

  1. Complications after carotid endarterectomy are related to surgical errors in less than one-fifth of cases. Swedvasc--The Swedish Vascular Registry and The Quality Committee for Carotid Artery Surgery.

    PubMed

    Troëng, T; Bergqvist, D; Norrving, B; Ahari, A

    1999-07-01

    to study possible relations between indications, contraindications and surgical technique and stroke and/or death within 30 days of carotid endarterectomy (CEA). analysis of hospital records for patients identified in a national vascular registry. during 1995-1996, 1518 patients were reported to the Swedish Vascular Registry - Swedvasc. Among these the sixty-five with a stroke and/or death within 30 days were selected for study. Complete surgical records were reviewed by three approved reviewers using predetermined criteria for indications and possible errors. an error of surgical technique or postoperative management was found in eleven patients (17%). In six cases (9%) the indication was inappropriate or there was an obvious contraindication. The indication was questionable in fourteen (21.5%). Half of the patients (52.5%) had surgery for an appropriate indication, and no contraindication or error in surgical technique or management was identified. more than half the complications of CEA represent the "method cost", i.e. the indication, risk and surgical technique were correct. However, the stroke and/or death rate might be reduced if all operations conformed to agreed criteria. Copyright 1999 W.B. Saunders Company Ltd.

  2. Fabrication and testing of polyimide-based microelectrode arrays for cortical mapping of evoked potentials.

    PubMed

    Myllymaa, Sami; Myllymaa, Katja; Korhonen, Hannu; Töyräs, Juha; Jääskeläinen, Juha E; Djupsund, Kaj; Tanila, Heikki; Lappalainen, Reijo

    2009-06-15

    Modern microfabrication techniques make it possible to develop microelectrode arrays that may be utilized not only in neurophysiological research but also in the clinic, e.g. in neurosurgery and as elements of neural prostheses. The aim of this study was to test whether a flexible microelectrode array is suitable for recording cortical surface field potentials in rats. Polyimide-based microelectrode arrays were fabricated by utilizing microfabrication techniques e.g. photolithography and magnetron sputter deposition. The present microelectrode array consists of eight platinum microelectrodes (round-shaped, Ø: 200 microm), transmission lines and connector pads sandwiched between two thin layers of biocompatible polyimide. The microelectrode arrays were electrochemically characterized by impedance spectroscopy in physiological saline solution and successfully tested in vivo by conducting acute and chronic measurements of evoked potentials on the surface of rat cortex. The arrays proved excellent flexibility and mechanical strength during handling and implantation onto the surface of cortex. The excellent electrochemical characteristics and stable in vivo recordings with high spatiotemporal resolution highlight the potential of these arrays. The fabrication protocol described here allows implementation of several other neural interfaces with different layouts, material selections or target areas either for recording or stimulation purposes.

  3. Estimation of vibration frequency of loudspeaker diaphragm by parallel phase-shifting digital holography

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kakue, T.; Endo, Y.; Shimobaba, T.; Ito, T.

    2014-11-01

    We report frequency estimation of loudspeaker diaphragm vibrating at high speed by parallel phase-shifting digital holography which is a technique of single-shot phase-shifting interferometry. This technique records multiple phaseshifted holograms required for phase-shifting interferometry by using space-division multiplexing. We constructed a parallel phase-shifting digital holography system consisting of a high-speed polarization-imaging camera. This camera has a micro-polarizer array which selects four linear polarization axes for 2 × 2 pixels. We set a loudspeaker as an object, and recorded vibration of diaphragm of the loudspeaker by the constructed system. By the constructed system, we demonstrated observation of vibration displacement of loudspeaker diaphragm. In this paper, we aim to estimate vibration frequency of the loudspeaker diaphragm by applying the experimental results to frequency analysis. Holograms consisting of 128 × 128 pixels were recorded at a frame rate of 262,500 frames per second by the camera. A sinusoidal wave was input to the loudspeaker via a phone connector. We observed displacement of the loudspeaker diaphragm vibrating by the system. We also succeeded in estimating vibration frequency of the loudspeaker diaphragm by applying frequency analysis to the experimental results.

  4. Support Vector Feature Selection for Early Detection of Anastomosis Leakage From Bag-of-Words in Electronic Health Records.

    PubMed

    Soguero-Ruiz, Cristina; Hindberg, Kristian; Rojo-Alvarez, Jose Luis; Skrovseth, Stein Olav; Godtliebsen, Fred; Mortensen, Kim; Revhaug, Arthur; Lindsetmo, Rolv-Ole; Augestad, Knut Magne; Jenssen, Robert

    2016-09-01

    The free text in electronic health records (EHRs) conveys a huge amount of clinical information about health state and patient history. Despite a rapidly growing literature on the use of machine learning techniques for extracting this information, little effort has been invested toward feature selection and the features' corresponding medical interpretation. In this study, we focus on the task of early detection of anastomosis leakage (AL), a severe complication after elective surgery for colorectal cancer (CRC) surgery, using free text extracted from EHRs. We use a bag-of-words model to investigate the potential for feature selection strategies. The purpose is earlier detection of AL and prediction of AL with data generated in the EHR before the actual complication occur. Due to the high dimensionality of the data, we derive feature selection strategies using the robust support vector machine linear maximum margin classifier, by investigating: 1) a simple statistical criterion (leave-one-out-based test); 2) an intensive-computation statistical criterion (Bootstrap resampling); and 3) an advanced statistical criterion (kernel entropy). Results reveal a discriminatory power for early detection of complications after CRC (sensitivity 100%; specificity 72%). These results can be used to develop prediction models, based on EHR data, that can support surgeons and patients in the preoperative decision making phase.

  5. Synchronisation Technique of Data Recorded on a Multichannel Tape Recorder,

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1984-01-01

    retrieval Synchronizers I 16. Abstract A portable, self-contained, electronic digital unit, termed Data Synchroniser was designed and developed by EDE...AD A139 570 SYNCHRONISATION TECHNIQUE OF DATA RECORDED ON A / OULl ICHANNEL TAPE RECORDER (U) ENGINEERING DEVELOPMENT ESTA B LISHMENT MARIBYRNONO...BGINEERING DEVELOPMEWIT ESTABUSHIMENT S[ SYNCHRONISATION TECHNIQUE OF DATA - i RECORDED ON A MULTICHANNEL TAPE RECORDER BY J.D. DICKENS .t T)TCi j.D. ~c .s

  6. Sampling in rugged terrain

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Dawson, D.K.; Ralph, C. John; Scott, J. Michael

    1981-01-01

    Work in rugged terrain poses some unique problems that should be considered before research is initiated. Besides the obvious physical difficulties of crossing uneven terrain, topography can influence the bird species? composition of a forest and the observer's ability to detect birds and estimate distances. Census results can also be affected by the slower rate of travel on rugged terrain. Density figures may be higher than results obtained from censuses in similar habitat on level terrain because of the greater likelihood of double-recording of individuals and of recording species that sing infrequently. In selecting a census technique, the researcher should weigh the efficiency and applicability of a technique for the objectives of his study in light of the added difficulties posed by rugged terrain. The variable circular-plot method is probably the most effective technique for estimating bird numbers. Bird counts and distance estimates are facilitated because the observer is stationary, and calculations of species? densities take into account differences in effective area covered amongst stations due to variability in terrain or vegetation structure. Institution of precautions that minimize the risk of injury to field personnel can often enhance the observer?s ability to detect birds.

  7. 36 CFR 1236.28 - What additional requirements apply to the selection and maintenance of electronic records storage...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... apply to the selection and maintenance of electronic records storage media for permanent records? 1236... What additional requirements apply to the selection and maintenance of electronic records storage media for permanent records? (a) Agencies must maintain the storage and test areas for electronic records...

  8. 36 CFR 1236.28 - What additional requirements apply to the selection and maintenance of electronic records storage...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... apply to the selection and maintenance of electronic records storage media for permanent records? 1236... What additional requirements apply to the selection and maintenance of electronic records storage media for permanent records? (a) Agencies must maintain the storage and test areas for electronic records...

  9. Documentation for emergency condition mapping of Decorated historic surfaces at the Caid Residence, the Kasbah of Taourirt (Ouarzazate, Morocco)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Percy, K.; Ouimet, C.; Ward, S.; Santana Quintero, M.; Cancino, C.; Wong, L.; Marcus, B.; Whittaker, S.; Boussalh, M.

    2015-08-01

    As it is broadly understood, recording serves as a basis for the diagnosis, treatment and preservation of historic places and contributes to record our built cultural heritage for posterity. This work is not a stand-alone practice but a part of the overall conservation process of cultural heritage at imminent risk of irreversible damage. Recording of heritage places should be directly related to the needs, skills and the technology that are available to the end users that are responsible for the management and care of these sites. They should be selected in a way that the future managers of these sites can also access and use the data collected. This paper explains an innovative heritage recording approach applied by the Getty Conservation Institute (GCI) and Carleton Immersive Media Studio (CIMS) in the documentation of historic decorated surfaces at the Caïd Residence, located at Tighermt (Kasbah) Taourirt in Ouarzazate, Morocco; as part of a collaborative project between the GCI and the Centre de Conservation et Réhabilitation du Patrimoine Architectural des Zones Atlasiques et Sub-Atlasiques (CERKAS) to rehabilitate the entire architectural ensemble. The selected recording techniques were used for the rapid mapping of conditions of the decorated surfaces at the Caïd Residence using international standards. The resulting work is being used by GCI staff, consultants and CERKAS team to conduct emergency stabilization and protection measures for these important decorated surfaces.

  10. A dynamic replication management strategy in distributed GIS

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pan, Shaoming; Xiong, Lian; Xu, Zhengquan; Chong, Yanwen; Meng, Qingxiang

    2018-03-01

    Replication strategy is one of effective solutions to meet the requirement of service response time by preparing data in advance to avoid the delay of reading data from disks. This paper presents a brand-new method to create copies considering the selection of replicas set, the number of copies for each replica and the placement strategy of all copies. First, the popularities of all data are computed considering both the historical access records and the timeliness of the records. Then, replica set can be selected based on their recent popularities. Also, an enhanced Q-value scheme is proposed to assign the number of copies for each replica. Finally, a reasonable copies placement strategy is designed to meet the requirement of load balance. In addition, we present several experiments that compare the proposed method with techniques that use other replication management strategies. The results show that the proposed model has better performance than other algorithms in all respects. Moreover, the experiments based on different parameters also demonstrated the effectiveness and adaptability of the proposed algorithm.

  11. Cost-benefit of a clinical services integrated with a decentralized unit dose system.

    PubMed

    Warrian, K; Irvine-Meek, J

    1988-06-01

    Clinical pharmacy services are believed to be beneficial to patient care and to have the potential to reduce drug costs. This study was designed to apply cost-benefit analysis techniques to selected clinical pharmacy services provided by staff pharmacists assigned to a mobile decentralized unit-dose drug distribution system. Pharmacists' interventions were identified and recorded by the pharmacists and the investigator over an eight-week period. Interventions, to which a monetary value could be assigned, included non-formulary drug use, drug regimen adjustments, and the duration of drug therapy. A total of 543 interventions were recorded or observed. Of these, 174 (32 percent) fit the criteria for inclusion in the study. Those interventions accepted by physicians (87 percent) were assigned a dollar value and tabulated. Costs to provide the service were the pharmacists' salaries. Benefit to cost ratios of 1.08 and 1.59 demonstrated that the benefits accrued from selected clinical pharmacy services exceeded the costs to the hospital.

  12. Recording of electrohysterogram laplacian potential.

    PubMed

    Alberola-Rubio, J; Garcia-Casado, J; Ye-Lin, Y; Prats-Boluda, G; Perales, A

    2011-01-01

    Preterm birth is the main cause of the neonatal morbidity. Noninvasive recording of uterine myoelectrical activity (electrohysterogram, EHG) could be an alternative to the monitoring of uterine dynamics which are currently based on tocodynamometers (TOCO). The analysis of uterine electromyogram characteristics could help the early diagnosis of preterm birth. Laplacian recordings of other bioelectrical signals have proved to enhance spatial selectivity and to reduce interferences in comparison to monopolar and bipolar surface recordings. The main objective of this paper is to check the feasibility of the noninvasive recording of uterine myoelectrical activity by means of laplacian techniques. Four bipolar EHG signals, discrete laplacian obtained from five monopolar electrodes and the signals picked up by two active concentric-ringed-electrodes were recorded on 5 women with spontaneous or induced labor. Intrauterine pressure (IUP) and TOCO were also simultaneously recorded. To evaluate the uterine contraction detectability of the different noninvasive methods in comparison to IUP the contractions consistency index (CCI) was calculated. Results show that TOCO is less consistent (83%) than most EHG bipolar recording channels (91%, 83%, 87%, and 76%) to detect the uterine contractions identified in IUP. Moreover laplacian EHG signals picked up by ringed-electrodes proved to be as consistent (91%) as the best bipolar recordings in addition to significantly reduce ECG interference.

  13. Cognitive chrono-ethnography lite.

    PubMed

    Nakajima, Masato; Yamada, Kosuke C; Kitajima, Muneo

    2012-01-01

    Conducting field research facilitates understanding human daily activities. Cognitive Chrono-Ethnography (CCE) is a study methodology used to understand how people select actions in daily life by conducting ethnographical field research. CCE consists of measuring monitors' daily activities in a specified field and in-depth interviews using the recorded videos afterward. However, privacy issues may arise when conducting standard CCE with video recordings in a daily field. To resolve these issues, we developed a new study methodology, CCE Lite. To replace video recordings, we created pseudo-first-personview (PFPV) movies using a computer-graphic technique. The PFPV movies were used to remind the monitors of their activities. These movies replicated monitors' activities (e.g., locomotion and change in physical direction), with no human images and voices. We applied CCE Lite in a case study that involved female employees of hotels at a spa resort. In-depth interviews while showing the PFPV movies determined service schema of the employees (i.e., hospitality). Results indicated that using PFPV movies helped the employees to remember and reconstruct the situation of recorded activities.

  14. Informal Trade of Psychoactive Herbal Products in the City of Diadema, SP, Brazil: Quality and Potential Risks

    PubMed Central

    Soares Neto, Julino Assunção Rodrigues; Kato, Edna Myiake; Galduróz, José Carlos F.; Marques, Luis Carlos; Macrini, Thiago; Rodrigues, Eliana

    2013-01-01

    The present study aimed to assess the quality and risks involved in the consumption of psychoactive herbal products (PHs) that are available through informal commerce in the city of Diadema, SP, Brazil. Methods of ethnography were used to conduct the fieldwork during which four dealers were selected to record the collection, handling, packaging, types of PHs marketed, and their therapeutic purposes. In addition, lots of the PHs selected were purchased from the dealers and analyzed using microbiology and pharmacognosy techniques. 217 PHs were recorded and categorized into two main groups: stimulants (67%) and depressants (27%) of the central nervous system; sixteen of them were selected, and their 52 lots were acquired. The deficiencies observed in handling and packaging these lots by dealers were confirmed by microbiological analysis; 80.8% of them presented risk according to the indicators defined by the Brazilian Pharmacopoeia. The pharmacognostic analysis confirmed the authenticity of only 9 to 16 PHs analyzed. In addition, descriptions of contraindications, adverse reactions, and drug interactions were found in the literature for the PHs. The results of this study allow the observation of the priorities for the sanitary adequacy of the popular trade of herbs. PMID:23818934

  15. 1999 Survey of Active Duty Personnel: Administration, Datasets, and Codebook

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2000-12-01

    but left key items blank. These surveys were treated as nonrespondents when at least one item in each of the Questions 39, 50, and 52 were not...be useable, a questionnaire had to have at least one item in each of the questions 39, 50 and 52 answered. 27 These two subgroups of records are...1988). Mail survey response rate: A meta-analysis of selected techniques for inducing response. Public Opinion Quarterly, 52 , 467-491. Francisco, C

  16. Initial proposition of kinematics model for selected karate actions analysis

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hachaj, Tomasz; Koptyra, Katarzyna; Ogiela, Marek R.

    2017-03-01

    The motivation for this paper is to initially propose and evaluate two new kinematics models that were developed to describe motion capture (MoCap) data of karate techniques. We decided to develop this novel proposition to create the model that is capable to handle actions description both from multimedia and professional MoCap hardware. For the evaluation purpose we have used 25-joints data with karate techniques recordings acquired with Kinect version 2. It is consisted of MoCap recordings of two professional sport (black belt) instructors and masters of Oyama Karate. We have selected following actions for initial analysis: left-handed furi-uchi punch, right leg hiza-geri kick, right leg yoko-geri kick and left-handed jodan-uke block. Basing on evaluation we made we can conclude that both proposed kinematics models seems to be convenient method for karate actions description. From two proposed variables models it seems that global might be more useful for further usage. We think that because in case of considered punches variables seems to be less correlated and they might also be easier to interpret because of single reference coordinate system. Also principal components analysis proved to be reliable way to examine the quality of kinematics models and with the plot of the variable in principal components space we can nicely present the dependences between variables.

  17. Automatic home medical product recommendation.

    PubMed

    Luo, Gang; Thomas, Selena B; Tang, Chunqiang

    2012-04-01

    Web-based personal health records (PHRs) are being widely deployed. To improve PHR's capability and usability, we proposed the concept of intelligent PHR (iPHR). In this paper, we use automatic home medical product recommendation as a concrete application to demonstrate the benefits of introducing intelligence into PHRs. In this new application domain, we develop several techniques to address the emerging challenges. Our approach uses treatment knowledge and nursing knowledge, and extends the language modeling method to (1) construct a topic-selection input interface for recommending home medical products, (2) produce a global ranking of Web pages retrieved by multiple queries, and (3) provide diverse search results. We demonstrate the effectiveness of our techniques using USMLE medical exam cases.

  18. A 100-Year Review: Identification and genetic selection of economically important traits in dairy cattle.

    PubMed

    Miglior, Filippo; Fleming, Allison; Malchiodi, Francesca; Brito, Luiz F; Martin, Pauline; Baes, Christine F

    2017-12-01

    Over the past 100 yr, the range of traits considered for genetic selection in dairy cattle populations has progressed to meet the demands of both industry and society. At the turn of the 20th century, dairy farmers were interested in increasing milk production; however, a systematic strategy for selection was not available. Organized milk performance recording took shape, followed quickly by conformation scoring. Methodological advances in both genetic theory and statistics around the middle of the century, together with technological innovations in computing, paved the way for powerful multitrait analyses. As more sophisticated analytical techniques for traits were developed and incorporated into selection programs, production began to increase rapidly, and the wheels of genetic progress began to turn. By the end of the century, the focus of selection had moved away from being purely production oriented toward a more balanced breeding goal. This shift occurred partly due to increasing health and fertility issues and partly due to societal pressure and welfare concerns. Traits encompassing longevity, fertility, calving, health, and workability have now been integrated into selection indices. Current research focuses on fitness, health, welfare, milk quality, and environmental sustainability, underlying the concentrated emphasis on a more comprehensive breeding goal. In the future, on-farm sensors, data loggers, precision measurement techniques, and other technological aids will provide even more data for use in selection, and the difficulty will lie not in measuring phenotypes but rather in choosing which traits to select for. Copyright © 2017 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  19. Methods for characterizing magnetic footprints of perpendicular magnetic recording writer heads

    PubMed Central

    Li, Shaoping; Lin, Ed; George, Zach; Terrill, Dave; Mendez, H.; Santucci, J.; Yie, Derek

    2014-01-01

    In this work, the magnetic footprints, along with some of its dynamic features in recording process, of perpendicular magnetic recording writer heads have been characterized by using three different techniques. Those techniques are the spin-stand stationary footprint technique, the spin-stand dynamic footprint technique, and the coherent writing technique combined with magnetic force microscope imaging method. The characteristics of those techniques have been compared to one another. It was found experimentally that the spin-stand stationary method could not precisely catch some peculiar recording dynamics of the write heads in certain conditions. The advantages and disadvantages among all those techniques are also examined and discussed in detail. PMID:24753633

  20. Theoretical analysis of intracortical microelectrode recordings

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lempka, Scott F.; Johnson, Matthew D.; Moffitt, Michael A.; Otto, Kevin J.; Kipke, Daryl R.; McIntyre, Cameron C.

    2011-08-01

    Advanced fabrication techniques have now made it possible to produce microelectrode arrays for recording the electrical activity of a large number of neurons in the intact brain for both clinical and basic science applications. However, the long-term recording performance desired for these applications is hindered by a number of factors that lead to device failure or a poor signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). The goal of this study was to identify factors that can affect recording quality using theoretical analysis of intracortical microelectrode recordings of single-unit activity. Extracellular microelectrode recordings were simulated with a detailed multi-compartment cable model of a pyramidal neuron coupled to a finite-element volume conductor head model containing an implanted recording microelectrode. Recording noise sources were also incorporated into the overall modeling infrastructure. The analyses of this study would be very difficult to perform experimentally; however, our model-based approach enabled a systematic investigation of the effects of a large number of variables on recording quality. Our results demonstrate that recording amplitude and noise are relatively independent of microelectrode size, but instead are primarily affected by the selected recording bandwidth, impedance of the electrode-tissue interface and the density and firing rates of neurons surrounding the recording electrode. This study provides the theoretical groundwork that allows for the design of the microelectrode and recording electronics such that the SNR is maximized. Such advances could help enable the long-term functionality required for chronic neural recording applications.

  1. Theoretical analysis of intracortical microelectrode recordings

    PubMed Central

    Lempka, Scott F; Johnson, Matthew D; Moffitt, Michael A; Otto, Kevin J; Kipke, Daryl R; McIntyre, Cameron C

    2011-01-01

    Advanced fabrication techniques have now made it possible to produce microelectrode arrays for recording the electrical activity of a large number of neurons in the intact brain for both clinical and basic science applications. However, the long-term recording performance desired for these applications is hindered by a number of factors that lead to device failure or a poor signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). The goal of this study was to identify factors that can affect recording quality using theoretical analysis of intracortical microelectrode recordings of single-unit activity. Extracellular microelectrode recordings were simulated with a detailed multi-compartment cable model of a pyramidal neuron coupled to a finite element volume conductor head model containing an implanted recording microelectrode. Recording noise sources were also incorporated into the overall modeling infrastructure. The analyses of this study would be very difficult to perform experimentally; however, our model-based approach enabled a systematic investigation of the effects of a large number of variables on recording quality. Our results demonstrate that recording amplitude and noise are relatively independent of microelectrode size, but instead are primarily affected by the selected recording bandwidth, impedance of the electrode-tissue interface, and the density and firing rates of neurons surrounding the recording electrode. This study provides the theoretical groundwork that allows for the design of the microelectrode and recording electronics such that the SNR is maximized. Such advances could help enable the long-term functionality required for chronic neural recording applications. PMID:21775783

  2. Evaluation of selected recurrence measures in discriminating pre-ictal and inter-ictal periods from epileptic EEG data

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ngamga, Eulalie Joelle; Bialonski, Stephan; Marwan, Norbert; Kurths, Jürgen; Geier, Christian; Lehnertz, Klaus

    2016-04-01

    We investigate the suitability of selected measures of complexity based on recurrence quantification analysis and recurrence networks for an identification of pre-seizure states in multi-day, multi-channel, invasive electroencephalographic recordings from five epilepsy patients. We employ several statistical techniques to avoid spurious findings due to various influencing factors and due to multiple comparisons and observe precursory structures in three patients. Our findings indicate a high congruence among measures in identifying seizure precursors and emphasize the current notion of seizure generation in large-scale epileptic networks. A final judgment of the suitability for field studies, however, requires evaluation on a larger database.

  3. Minimally invasive surgical technique: Percutaneous external fixation combined with titanium elastic nails for selective treatment of tibial fractures.

    PubMed

    Tu, Kai-Kai; Zhou, Xian-Ting; Tao, Zhou-Shan; Chen, Wei-Kai; Huang, Zheng-Liang; Sun, Tao; Zhou, Qiang; Yang, Lei

    2015-12-01

    Several techniques have been described to treat tibial fractures, which respectively remains defects. This article presents a novel intra- and extramedullary fixation technique: percutaneous external fixator combined with titanium elastic nails (EF-TENs system). The purpose of this study is to introduce this new minimally invasive surgical technique and selective treatment of tibial fractures, particularly in segmental fractures, diaphysis fractures accompanied with distal or proximal bone subfissure, or fractures with poor soft-tissue problems. Following ethical approval, thirty-two patients with tibial fractures were treated by the EF-TENs system between January 2010 and December 2012. The follow-up studies included clinical and radiographic examinations. All relevant outcomes were recorded during follow-up. All thirty-two patients were achieved follow-ups. According to the AO classification, 3 Type A, 9 Type B and 20 Type C fractures were included respectively. According to the Anderson-Gustilo classification, there were 5 Type Grade II, 3 Type Grade IIIA and 2 Type Grade IIIB. Among 32 patients, 8 of them were segmental fractures. 12 fractures accompanied with bone subfissure. Results showed no nonunion case, with an average time of 23.7 weeks (range, 14-32 weeks). Among them, there were 3/32 delayed union patients and 0/32 malunion case. 4/32 patients developed a pin track infection and no patient suffered deep infection. The external fixator was removed with a mean time of 16.7 weeks (range, 10-26 weeks). Moreover, only 1/32 patient suffered with the restricted ROM of ankle, none with the restricted ROM of knee. This preliminary study indicated that the EF-TENs system, as a novel intra- and extramedullary fixation technique, had substantial effects on selective treatment of tibial fractures. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. Techniques for estimating magnitude and frequency of floods in Minnesota

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Guetzkow, Lowell C.

    1977-01-01

     Estimating relations have been developed to provide engineers and designers with improved techniques for defining flow-frequency characteristics to satisfy hydraulic planning and design requirements. The magnitude and frequency of floods up to the 100-year recurrence interval can be determined for most streams in Minnesota by methods presented. By multiple regression analysis, equations have been developed for estimating flood-frequency relations at ungaged sites on natural flow streams. Eight distinct hydrologic regions are delineated within the State with boundaries defined generally by river basin divides. Regression equations are provided for each region which relate selected frequency floods to significant basin parameters. For main-stem streams, graphs are presented showing floods for selected recurrence intervals plotted against contributing drainage area. Flow-frequency estimates for intervening sites along the Minnesota River, Mississippi River, and the Red River of the North can be derived from these graphs. Flood-frequency characteristics are tabulated for 201 paging stations having 10 or more years of record.

  5. Dynamics of Stability of Orientation Maps Recorded with Optical Imaging.

    PubMed

    Shumikhina, S I; Bondar, I V; Svinov, M M

    2018-03-15

    Orientation selectivity is an important feature of visual cortical neurons. Optical imaging of the visual cortex allows for the generation of maps of orientation selectivity that reflect the activity of large populations of neurons. To estimate the statistical significance of effects of experimental manipulations, evaluation of the stability of cortical maps over time is required. Here, we performed optical imaging recordings of the visual cortex of anesthetized adult cats. Monocular stimulation with moving clockwise square-wave gratings that continuously changed orientation and direction was used as the mapping stimulus. Recordings were repeated at various time intervals, from 15 min to 16 h. Quantification of map stability was performed on a pixel-by-pixel basis using several techniques. Map reproducibility showed clear dynamics over time. The highest degree of stability was seen in maps recorded 15-45 min apart. Averaging across all time intervals and all stimulus orientations revealed a mean shift of 2.2 ± 0.1°. There was a significant tendency for larger shifts to occur at longer time intervals. Shifts between 2.8° (mean ± 2SD) and 5° were observed more frequently at oblique orientations, while shifts greater than 5° appeared more frequently at cardinal orientations. Shifts greater than 5° occurred rarely overall (5.4% of cases) and never exceeded 11°. Shifts of 10-10.6° (0.7%) were seen occasionally at time intervals of more than 4 h. Our findings should be considered when evaluating the potential effect of experimental manipulations on orientation selectivity mapping studies. Copyright © 2018 IBRO. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  6. Lazufre volcanic complex, Chile: attempts to image a large scale magmatic inflation body using regional and teleseismic broadband recordings

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Heimann, Sebastian; Trabs, Stefan; Dahm, Torsten

    2013-04-01

    The Lazufre volcanic area around Lastarria and Cordon del Azufre in the central Andes is the second largest area of presently active volcano related uplift woldwide. A magma reservoir or sill layer, filling in about 10 km depth, is thought to be causative for inflation of an area of more than 1800 km2 (more than four times larger than the total area of the city of Vienna). Uplift rates of up to 3.2 cm/yr were found from InSAR measurements during the past two decades. In 2008, we deployed a network of 17 broadband seismometers in and around the area of active uplift for a period of 2 months. Hundreds of regional and several teleseismic earthquakes were recorded during the experiment. Recorded seismograms show strong anomalies in the region of maximum uplift. We tried to apply (1) tomography with regional events and (2) the receiver function technique with teleseismic events in order to interprete the recorded anomalies. Due to the relatively short dataset and the very heterogeneous structure beneath Lazufre, both techniques could only be applied with limited success. (1) To gain a full tomographic image of the deep underground, ray coverage was not dense enough. However, recorded delay times and amplitude decreases for rays passing through the inflation center carry valuable information. (2) Receiver functions were strongly influenced by 3D structure and could not be intepreted using standard techniques. Nevertheless, careful data selection and comparison with modelling results led to conclusions. In combination, our results allow for some insights into the volcanic complex. We can confirm the presence of molten or partially molten material at a depth of 8 km in the center and 12 km in the outer parts and can derive constraints on the lateral extent of the intrusion. We also find evidence for a huge low velocity zone at greater depth.

  7. Respiratory rate estimation during triage of children in hospitals.

    PubMed

    Shah, Syed Ahmar; Fleming, Susannah; Thompson, Matthew; Tarassenko, Lionel

    2015-01-01

    Accurate assessment of a child's health is critical for appropriate allocation of medical resources and timely delivery of healthcare in Emergency Departments. The accurate measurement of vital signs is a key step in the determination of the severity of illness and respiratory rate is currently the most difficult vital sign to measure accurately. Several previous studies have attempted to extract respiratory rate from photoplethysmogram (PPG) recordings. However, the majority have been conducted in controlled settings using PPG recordings from healthy subjects. In many studies, manual selection of clean sections of PPG recordings was undertaken before assessing the accuracy of the signal processing algorithms developed. Such selection procedures are not appropriate in clinical settings. A major limitation of AR modelling, previously applied to respiratory rate estimation, is an appropriate selection of model order. This study developed a novel algorithm that automatically estimates respiratory rate from a median spectrum constructed applying multiple AR models to processed PPG segments acquired with pulse oximetry using a finger probe. Good-quality sections were identified using a dynamic template-matching technique to assess PPG signal quality. The algorithm was validated on 205 children presenting to the Emergency Department at the John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, UK, with reference respiratory rates up to 50 breaths per minute estimated by paediatric nurses. At the time of writing, the authors are not aware of any other study that has validated respiratory rate estimation using data collected from over 200 children in hospitals during routine triage.

  8. Effect of inaction on function of fast and slow muscle spindles

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Arutyunyan, R. S.

    1980-01-01

    There is no data on the comparative effect of tenotomy on the function of the muscle spindles of fast and slow muscles. This study covers this question. The experiments were conducted on cats. The musuculus extensor digitorum longus (m. EDL) was selected as the fast muscle, and the musculus soleus (m. Sol.) as the slow. In a comparison of the spontaneous activity of primary and secondary endings of the fast and slow muscle spindles (i.e., the activity with complete relaxation of the muscles) normally no difference between them was successfully found. The authors recorded the integrative, and not the individual activity, and secondly, under conditions of such recording technique, those slight changes that are observed in the fast muscle receptors could remain unnoticed.

  9. Clinical evaluation of new automatic coronary-specific best cardiac phase selection algorithm for single-beat coronary CT angiography.

    PubMed

    Wang, Hui; Xu, Lei; Fan, Zhanming; Liang, Junfu; Yan, Zixu; Sun, Zhonghua

    2017-01-01

    The aim of this study was to evaluate the workflow efficiency of a new automatic coronary-specific reconstruction technique (Smart Phase, GE Healthcare-SP) for selection of the best cardiac phase with least coronary motion when compared with expert manual selection (MS) of best phase in patients with high heart rate. A total of 46 patients with heart rates above 75 bpm who underwent single beat coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) were enrolled in this study. CCTA of all subjects were performed on a 256-detector row CT scanner (Revolution CT, GE Healthcare, Waukesha, Wisconsin, US). With the SP technique, the acquired phase range was automatically searched in 2% phase intervals during the reconstruction process to determine the optimal phase for coronary assessment, while for routine expert MS, reconstructions were performed at 5% intervals and a best phase was manually determined. The reconstruction and review times were recorded to measure the workflow efficiency for each method. Two reviewers subjectively assessed image quality for each coronary artery in the MS and SP reconstruction volumes using a 4-point grading scale. The average HR of the enrolled patients was 91.1±19.0bpm. A total of 204 vessels were assessed. The subjective image quality using SP was comparable to that of the MS, 1.45±0.85 vs 1.43±0.81 respectively (p = 0.88). The average time was 246 seconds for the manual best phase selection, and 98 seconds for the SP selection, resulting in average time saving of 148 seconds (60%) with use of the SP algorithm. The coronary specific automatic cardiac best phase selection technique (Smart Phase) improves clinical workflow in high heart rate patients and provides image quality comparable with manual cardiac best phase selection. Reconstruction of single-beat CCTA exams with SP can benefit the users with less experienced in CCTA image interpretation.

  10. Estimating sediment discharge: Appendix D

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Gray, John R.; Simões, Francisco J. M.

    2008-01-01

    Sediment-discharge measurements usually are available on a discrete or periodic basis. However, estimates of sediment transport often are needed for unmeasured periods, such as when daily or annual sediment-discharge values are sought, or when estimates of transport rates for unmeasured or hypothetical flows are required. Selected methods for estimating suspended-sediment, bed-load, bed- material-load, and total-load discharges have been presented in some detail elsewhere in this volume. The purposes of this contribution are to present some limitations and potential pitfalls associated with obtaining and using the requisite data and equations to estimate sediment discharges and to provide guidance for selecting appropriate estimating equations. Records of sediment discharge are derived from data collected with sufficient frequency to obtain reliable estimates for the computational interval and period. Most sediment- discharge records are computed at daily or annual intervals based on periodically collected data, although some partial records represent discrete or seasonal intervals such as those for flood periods. The method used to calculate sediment- discharge records is dependent on the types and frequency of available data. Records for suspended-sediment discharge computed by methods described by Porterfield (1972) are most prevalent, in part because measurement protocols and computational techniques are well established and because suspended sediment composes the bulk of sediment dis- charges for many rivers. Discharge records for bed load, total load, or in some cases bed-material load plus wash load are less common. Reliable estimation of sediment discharges presupposes that the data on which the estimates are based are comparable and reliable. Unfortunately, data describing a selected characteristic of sediment were not necessarily derived—collected, processed, analyzed, or interpreted—in a consistent manner. For example, bed-load data collected with different types of bed-load samplers may not be comparable (Gray et al. 1991; Childers 1999; Edwards and Glysson 1999). The total suspended solids (TSS) analytical method tends to produce concentration data from open-channel flows that are biased low with respect to their paired suspended-sediment concentration values, particularly when sand-size material composes more than about a quarter of the material in suspension. Instantaneous sediment-discharge values based on TSS data may differ from the more reliable product of suspended- sediment concentration values and the same water-discharge data by an order of magnitude (Gray et al. 2000; Bent et al. 2001; Glysson et al. 2000; 2001). An assessment of data comparability and reliability is an important first step in the estimation of sediment discharges. There are two approaches to obtaining values describing sediment loads in streams. One is based on direct measurement of the quantities of interest, and the other on relations developed between hydraulic parameters and sediment- transport potential. In the next sections, the most common techniques for both approaches are briefly addressed.

  11. Reliability of horizontal and vertical tube shift techniques in the localisation of supernumerary teeth.

    PubMed

    Mallineni, S K; Anthonappa, R P; King, N M

    2016-12-01

    To assess the reliability of the vertical tube shift technique (VTST) and horizontal tube shift technique (HTST) for the localisation of unerupted supernumerary teeth (ST) in the anterior region of the maxilla. A convenience sample of 83 patients who attended a major teaching hospital because of unerupted ST was selected. Only non-syndromic patients with ST and who had complete clinical and radiographic and surgical records were included in the study. Ten examiners independently rated the paired set of radiographs for each technique. Chi-square test, paired t test and kappa statistics were employed to assess the intra- and inter-examiner reliability. Paired sets of 1660 radiographs (830 pairs for each technique) were available for the analysis. The overall sensitivity for VTST and HTST was 80.6 and 72.1% respectively, with slight inter-examiner and good intra-examiner reliability. Statistically significant differences were evident between the two localisation techniques (p < 0.05). Localisation of unerupted ST using VTST was more successful than HTST in the anterior region of the maxilla.

  12. Inferring nutrient loading of estuarine systems by remote sensing of aquatic vegetation

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Anderson, R. R.

    1978-01-01

    THe use of remote sensing to record algal and vascular aquatic plant growths in estuarine waters is discussed. A technique is proposed that uses a combination of data to hierarchically classify watersheds with regard to severity of potential pollution. Specific nonpoint sources of nutrients in tributaries of the watershed are identified with lower altitude photography of vegetation and selected ground sampling. It is concluded that excessive growths of some aquatic plants may be related to nutrient pollution.

  13. Tomographic diffractive microscopy with agile illuminations for imaging targets in a noisy background.

    PubMed

    Zhang, T; Godavarthi, C; Chaumet, P C; Maire, G; Giovannini, H; Talneau, A; Prada, C; Sentenac, A; Belkebir, K

    2015-02-15

    Tomographic diffractive microscopy is a marker-free optical digital imaging technique in which three-dimensional samples are reconstructed from a set of holograms recorded under different angles of incidence. We show experimentally that, by processing the holograms with singular value decomposition, it is possible to image objects in a noisy background that are invisible with classical wide-field microscopy and conventional tomographic reconstruction procedure. The targets can be further characterized with a selective quantitative inversion.

  14. Evaluation of normal findings using a detailed and focused technique for transcutaneous abdominal ultrasonography in the horse

    PubMed Central

    2014-01-01

    Background Ultrasonography is an important diagnostic tool in the investigation of abdominal disease in the horse. Several factors may affect the ability to image different structures within the abdomen. The aim of the study was to describe the repeatability of identification of abdominal structures in normal horses using a detailed ultrasonographic examination technique and using a focused, limited preparation technique. Methods A detailed abdominal ultrasound examination was performed in five normal horses, repeated on five occasions (total of 25 examinations). The abdomen was divided into ten different imaging sites, and structures identified in each site were recorded. Five imaging sites were then selected for a single focused ultrasound examination in 20 normal horses. Limited patient preparation was performed. Structures were recorded as ‘identified’ if ultrasonographic features could be distinguished. The location of organs and their frequency of identification were recorded. Data from both phases were analysed to determine repeatability of identification of structures in each examination (irrespective of imaging site), and for each imaging site. Results Caecum, colon, spleen, liver and right kidney were repeatably identified using the detailed technique, and had defined locations. Large colon and right kidney were identified in 100% of examinations with both techniques. Liver, spleen, caecum, duodenum and other small intestine were identified more frequently with the detailed examination. Small intestine was most frequently identified in the ventral abdomen, its identification varied markedly within and between horses, and required repeated examinations in some horses. Left kidney could not be identified in every horse using either technique. Sacculated colon was identified in all ventral sites, and was infrequently identified in dorsal sites. Conclusions Caecum, sacculated large intestine, spleen, liver and right kidney were consistently identified with both techniques. There were some normal variations which should be considered when interpreting ultrasonographic findings in clinical cases: left kidney was not always identified, sacculated colon was occasionally identified in dorsal flank sites. Multiple imaging sites and repeated examinations may be required to identify small intestine. A focused examination identified most key structures, but has some limitations compared to a detailed examination. PMID:25238559

  15. Development of a Theory-Based Intervention to Increase Clinical Measurement of Reactive Balance in Adults at Risk of Falls.

    PubMed

    Sibley, Kathryn M; Brooks, Dina; Gardner, Paula; Janaudis-Ferreira, Tania; McGlynn, Mandy; OʼHoski, Sachi; McEwen, Sara; Salbach, Nancy M; Shaffer, Jennifer; Shing, Paula; Straus, Sharon E; Jaglal, Susan B

    2016-04-01

    Effective balance reactions are essential for avoiding falls, but are not regularly measured by physical therapists. Physical therapists report wanting to improve reactive balance assessment, and theory-based approaches are recommended as the foundation for the development of interventions. This article describes how a behavior change theory for health care providers, the theoretical domains framework (TDF), was used to develop an intervention to increase reactive balance measurement among physical therapists who work in rehabilitation settings and treat adults who are at risk of falls. We employed published recommendations for using the TDF-guided intervention development. We identified what health care provider behavior is in need of change, relevant barriers and facilitators, strategies to address them, and how we would measure behavior change. In this case, identifying strategies required selecting both a reactive balance measure and behavior change techniques. Previous research had determined that physical therapists need to increase reactive balance measurement, and identified barriers and facilitators that corresponded to 8 TDF domains. A published review informed the selection of the Balance Evaluation Systems Test (Reactive Postural Responses Section) as addressing the barriers and facilitators, and existing research informed the selection of 9 established behavior change techniques corresponding to each identified TDF domain. The TDF framework were incorporated into a 12-month intervention with interactive group sessions, local champions, and health record modifications. Intervention effect can be evaluated using health record abstraction, questionnaires, and qualitative semistructured interviews. Although future research will evaluate the intervention in a controlled study, the process of theory-based intervention development can be applied to other rehabilitation research contexts, maximizing the impact of this work.Video Abstract is available for more insights from the authors (see Supplemental Digital Content 1, http://links.lww.com/JNPT/A123).

  16. Imaging trace gases in volcanic plumes with Fabry Perot Interferometers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kuhn, Jonas; Platt, Ulrich; Bobrowski, Nicole; Lübcke, Peter; Wagner, Thomas

    2017-04-01

    Within the last decades, progress in remote sensing of atmospheric trace gases revealed many important insights into physical and chemical processes in volcanic plumes. In particular, their evolution could be studied in more detail than by traditional in-situ techniques. A major limitation of standard techniques for volcanic trace gas remote sensing (e.g. Differential Optical Absorption Spectroscopy, DOAS) is the constraint of the measurement to a single viewing direction since they use dispersive spectroscopy with a high spectral resolution. Imaging DOAS-type approaches can overcome this limitation, but become very time consuming (of the order of minutes to record a single image) and often cannot match the timescales of the processes of interest for volcanic gas measurements (occurring at the order of seconds). Spatially resolved imaging observations with high time resolution for volcanic sulfur dioxide (SO2) emissions became possible with the introduction of the SO2-Camera. Reducing the spectral resolution to two spectral channels (using interference filters) that are matched to the SO2 absorption spectrum, the SO2-Camera is able to record full frame SO2 slant column density distributions at a temporal resolution on the order of < 1s. This for instance allows for studying variations in SO2 fluxes on very short time scales and applying them in magma dynamics models. However, the currently employed SO2-Camera technique is limited to SO2 detection and, due to its coarse spectral resolution, has a limited spectral selectivity. This limits its application to very specific, infrequently found measurement conditions. Here we present a new approach, based on matching the transmission profile of Fabry Perot Interferometers (FPIs) to periodic spectral absorption features of trace gases. The FPI's transmission spectrum is chosen to achieve a high correlation with the spectral absorption of the trace gas, allowing a high selectivity and sensitivity with still using only a few spectral channels. This would not only improve SO2 imaging, but also allow for the application of the technique to further gases of interest in volcanology (and other areas of atmospheric research). Imaging halogen species would be particularly interesting for volcanic trace gas studies. Bromine monoxide (BrO) and chlorine dioxide (OClO) both yield absorption features that allow their detection with the FPI correlation technique. From BrO and OClO data, ClO levels in the plume could be calculated. We present an outline of applications of the FPI technique to imaging a series of trace gases in volcanic plumes. Sample calculations on the sensitivity and selectivity of the technique, first proof of concept studies and proposals for technical implementations are presented.

  17. The Relationships between Morphological Characteristics and Foraging Behavior in Four Selected Species of Shorebirds and Water Birds Utilizing Tropical Mudflats

    PubMed Central

    Norazlimi, Nor Atiqah; Ramli, Rosli

    2015-01-01

    A study was conducted to investigate the relationship between the physical morphology of shorebirds and water birds (i.e., Lesser adjutant (Leptoptilos javanicus), Common redshank (Tringa totanus), Whimbrel (Numenius phaeopus), and Little heron (Butorides striata)) and their foraging behavior in the mudflats area of Selangor, Peninsular Malaysia, from August 2013 to July 2014 by using direct observation techniques (using binoculars and a video recorder). The actively foraging bird species were watched, and their foraging activities were recorded for at least 30 seconds for up to a maximum of five minutes. A Spearman Rank Correlation highlighted a significant relationship between bill size and foraging time (R = 0.443, p < 0.05), bill size and prey size (R = −0.052, p < 0.05), bill size and probing depth (R = 0.42, p = 0.003), and leg length and water/mud depth (R = 0.706, p < 0.005). A Kruskal-Wallis Analysis showed a significant difference between average estimates of real probing depth of the birds (mm) and species (H = 15.96, p = 0.0012). Three foraging techniques were recorded: pause-travel, visual-feeding, and tactile-hunting. Thus, morphological characteristics of bird do influence their foraging behavior and strategies used when foraging. PMID:26345324

  18. Motion analysis for duplicate frame removal in wireless capsule endoscope

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lee, Hyun-Gyu; Choi, Min-Kook; Lee, Sang-Chul

    2011-03-01

    Wireless capsule endoscopy (WCE) has been intensively researched recently due to its convenience for diagnosis and extended detection coverage of some diseases. Typically, a full recording covering entire human digestive system requires about 8 to 12 hours for a patient carrying a capsule endoscope and a portable image receiver/recorder unit, which produces 120,000 image frames on average. In spite of the benefits of close examination, WCE based test has a barrier for quick diagnosis such that a trained diagnostician must examine a huge amount of images for close investigation, normally over 2 hours. The main purpose of our work is to present a novel machine vision approach to reduce diagnosis time by automatically detecting duplicated recordings caused by backward camera movement, typically containing redundant information, in small intestine. The developed technique could be integrated with a visualization tool which supports intelligent inspection method, such as automatic play speed control. Our experimental result shows high accuracy of the technique by detecting 989 duplicate image frames out of 10,000, equivalently to 9.9% data reduction, in a WCE video from a real human subject. With some selected parameters, we achieved the correct detection ratio of 92.85% and the false detection ratio of 13.57%.

  19. Short time Fourier analysis of the electromyogram - Fast movements and constant contraction

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Hannaford, Blake; Lehman, Steven

    1986-01-01

    Short-time Fourier analysis was applied to surface electromyograms (EMG) recorded during rapid movements, and during isometric contractions at constant forces. A portion of the data to be transformed by multiplying the signal by a Hamming window was selected, and then the discrete Fourier transform was computed. Shifting the window along the data record, a new spectrum was computed each 10 ms. The transformed data were displayed in spectograms or 'voiceprints'. This short-time technique made it possible to see time-dependencies in the EMG that are normally averaged in the Fourier analysis of these signals. Spectra of EMGs during isometric contractions at constant force vary in the short (10-20 ms) term. Short-time spectra from EMGs recorded during rapid movements were much less variable. The windowing technique picked out the typical 'three-burst pattern' in EMG's from both wrist and head movements. Spectra during the bursts were more consistent than those during isometric contractions. Furthermore, there was a consistent shift in spectral statistics in the course of the three bursts. Both the center frequency and the variance of the spectral energy distribution grew from the first burst to the second burst in the same muscle. The analogy between EMGs and speech signals is extended to argue for future applicability of short-time spectral analysis of EMG.

  20. Video coding for next-generation surveillance systems

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Klasen, Lena M.; Fahlander, Olov

    1997-02-01

    Video is used as recording media in surveillance system and also more frequently by the Swedish Police Force. Methods for analyzing video using an image processing system have recently been introduced at the Swedish National Laboratory of Forensic Science, and new methods are in focus in a research project at Linkoping University, Image Coding Group. The accuracy of the result of those forensic investigations often depends on the quality of the video recordings, and one of the major problems when analyzing videos from crime scenes is the poor quality of the recordings. Enhancing poor image quality might add manipulative or subjective effects and does not seem to be the right way of getting reliable analysis results. The surveillance system in use today is mainly based on video techniques, VHS or S-VHS, and the weakest link is the video cassette recorder, (VCR). Multiplexers for selecting one of many camera outputs for recording is another problem as it often filters the video signal, and recording is limited to only one of the available cameras connected to the VCR. A way to get around the problem of poor recording is to simultaneously record all camera outputs digitally. It is also very important to build such a system bearing in mind that image processing analysis methods becomes more important as a complement to the human eye. Using one or more cameras gives a large amount of data, and the need for data compression is more than obvious. Crime scenes often involve persons or moving objects, and the available coding techniques are more or less useful. Our goal is to propose a possible system, being the best compromise with respect to what needs to be recorded, movements in the recorded scene, loss of information and resolution etc., to secure the efficient recording of the crime and enable forensic analysis. The preventative effective of having a well functioning surveillance system and well established image analysis methods is not to be neglected. Aspects of this next generation of digital surveillance systems are discussed in this paper.

  1. Techniques for Estimating the Magnitude and Frequency of Peak Flows on Small Streams in Minnesota Based on Data through Water Year 2005

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Lorenz, David L.; Sanocki, Chris A.; Kocian, Matthew J.

    2010-01-01

    Knowledge of the peak flow of floods of a given recurrence interval is essential for regulation and planning of water resources and for design of bridges, culverts, and dams along Minnesota's rivers and streams. Statistical techniques are needed to estimate peak flow at ungaged sites because long-term streamflow records are available at relatively few places. Because of the need to have up-to-date peak-flow frequency information in order to estimate peak flows at ungaged sites, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) conducted a peak-flow frequency study in cooperation with the Minnesota Department of Transportation and the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. Estimates of peak-flow magnitudes for 1.5-, 2-, 5-, 10-, 25-, 50-, 100-, and 500-year recurrence intervals are presented for 330 streamflow-gaging stations in Minnesota and adjacent areas in Iowa and South Dakota based on data through water year 2005. The peak-flow frequency information was subsequently used in regression analyses to develop equations relating peak flows for selected recurrence intervals to various basin and climatic characteristics. Two statistically derived techniques-regional regression equation and region of influence regression-can be used to estimate peak flow on ungaged streams smaller than 3,000 square miles in Minnesota. Regional regression equations were developed for selected recurrence intervals in each of six regions in Minnesota: A (northwestern), B (north central and east central), C (northeastern), D (west central and south central), E (southwestern), and F (southeastern). The regression equations can be used to estimate peak flows at ungaged sites. The region of influence regression technique dynamically selects streamflow-gaging stations with characteristics similar to a site of interest. Thus, the region of influence regression technique allows use of a potentially unique set of gaging stations for estimating peak flow at each site of interest. Two methods of selecting streamflow-gaging stations, similarity and proximity, can be used for the region of influence regression technique. The regional regression equation technique is the preferred technique as an estimate of peak flow in all six regions for ungaged sites. The region of influence regression technique is not appropriate for regions C, E, and F because the interrelations of some characteristics of those regions do not agree with the interrelations throughout the rest of the State. Both the similarity and proximity methods for the region of influence technique can be used in the other regions (A, B, and D) to provide additional estimates of peak flow. The peak-flow-frequency estimates and basin characteristics for selected streamflow-gaging stations and regional peak-flow regression equations are included in this report.

  2. Combined Synchrotron X-ray Diffraction and Digital Image Correlation Technique for Measurement of Austenite Transformation with Strain in TRIP-assisted Steels

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

    Poling, Whitney A.; Savic, Vesna; Hector, Louis G.

    2016-04-05

    The strain-induced, diffusionless shear transformation of retained austenite to martensite during straining of transformation induced plasticity (TRIP) assisted steels increases strain hardening and delays necking and fracture leading to exceptional ductility and strength, which are attractive for automotive applications. A novel technique that provides the retained austenite volume fraction variation with strain in TRIP-assisted steels with improved precision is presented. Digital images of the gauge section of tensile specimens were first recorded up to selected plastic strains with a stereo digital image correlation (DIC) system. The austenite volume fraction was measured by synchrotron X-ray diffraction from small squares cut frommore » the gage section. Strain fields in the squares were then computed by localizing the strain measurement to the corresponding region of a given square during DIC post-processing of the images recorded during tensile testing. Results obtained for a QP980 steel are used to study the influence of initial volume fraction of austenite and the austenite transformation with strain on tensile mechanical behavior.« less

  3. Characterization and fabrication of target materials for RIB generation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Welton, R. F.; Janney, M. A.; Mueller, P. E.; Ortman, W. K.; Rauniyar, R.; Stracener, D. W.; Williams, C. L.

    2001-07-01

    This report discusses two techniques developed at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) that are employed for the fabrication and characterization of targets used in the production of Radioactive Ion Beams (RIBs). First, our method of in-house fabrication of uranium carbide targets is discussed. We have found that remarkably uniform coatings of UC2 can be formed on the microstructure of porous C matrices. The technique has been used to form UC2 layers on highly thermally conductive graphitic foams. Targets fabricated in this fashion have been tested under low-intensity proton bombardment and yields of selected radioactive species are reported. This report also describes an off-line test stand for the investigation of effusive and diffusive transport in RIB target/ion sources. Permeation rates of gases and vapors passing through a high temperature membrane or through an effusive channel constructed from the material under investigation are recorded. Diffusion coefficients and adsorption enthalpies, which characterize the interaction of RIB species with materials of the target/ion source, are extracted from the time profile of the recorded data. Examples of diffusion, effusion, and conductance measurements are provided.

  4. IEEE 1988 International Symposium on Electromagnetic Compatibility, Seattle, WA, Aug. 2-4, 1988, Record

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Various papers on electromagnetic compatibility are presented. Some of the optics considered include: field-to-wire coupling 1 to 18 GHz, SHF/EHF field-to-wire coupling model, numerical method for the analysis of coupling to thin wire structures, spread-spectrum system with an adaptive array for combating interference, technique to select the optimum modulation indices for suppression of undesired signals for simultaneous range and data operations, development of a MHz RF leak detector technique for aircraft harness surveillance, and performance of standard aperture shielding techniques at microwave frequncies. Also discussed are: spectrum efficiency of spread-spectrum systems, control of power supply ripple produced sidebands in microwave transistor amplifiers, an intership SATCOM versus radar electromagnetic interference prediction model, considerations in the design of a broadband E-field sensing system, unique bonding methods for spacecraft, and review of EMC practice for launch vehicle systems.

  5. Design of a high definition imaging (HDI) analysis technique adapted to challenging environments

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Laurent, Sophie Nathalie

    2005-11-01

    This dissertation describes a new comprehensive, flexible, highly-automated and computationally-robust approach for high definition imaging (HDI), a data acquisition technique for video-rate imaging through a turbulent atmosphere with telescopes not equipped with adaptive optics (AO). The HDI process, when applied to astronomical objects, involves the recording of a large number of images (10 3 -10 5 ) from the Earth and, in post-processing mode, selection of the very best ones to create a "perfect-seeing" diffraction-limited image via a three-step process. First, image registration is performed to find the exact position of the object in each field, using a template similar in size and shape to the target. The next task is to select only higher-quality fields using a criterion based on a measure of the blur in a region of interest around that object. The images are then shifted and added together to create an effective time exposure under ideal observing conditions. The last step's objective is to remove residual distortions in the image caused by the atmosphere and the optical equipment, using a point spread function (PSF), and a technique called "l 1 regularization" that has been adapted to this type of environment. In order to study the tenuous sodium atmospheres around solar system bodies, the three-step HDI procedure is done first in the white light domain (695-950 nm), where the Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR) of the images is high, resulting in an image with a sharp limb. Then the known selection and registration results are mapped to the simultaneously recorded spectral data (sodium lines: 589 and 589.6 nm), where the lower-SNR images cannot support independent registration and selection. Science results can then be derived from this spectral study to understand the structure of the atmospheres of moons and planets. This dissertation's contribution to space physics deals with locating the source of escaping sodium from Jupiter's moon lo. The results show, for the first time, that the source region is not homogeneously distributed around the small moon, but concentrated on its side of orbital motion. This identifies for modelers the physical mechanisms taking place around the most volcanic moon in the solar system.

  6. Design and fabrication of prototype system for early warning of impending bearing failure

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Broderick, J. J.; Burchill, R. F.; Clark, H. L.

    1972-01-01

    Ball bearing performance tests run on several identical ball bearings under a variety of load, speed, temperature, and lubrication conditions are reported. Bearing temperature, torque, vibration, noise, strain, cage speed, etc., were monitored to establish those measurements most suitable as indicators of ball bearing health. Tape records were made under steady-state conditions of a variety of speeds and loads. Sample sections were selected for narrowband spectral analysis with a real time analyzer. An artificial flow was created across the inner race surface of one bearing using an acid etch technique to produce the scratch. Tape records obtained before and after established a characteristic frequency response that identifies the presence of the flow. The signals found most useful as indicators of performance degradation were ultrasonic outputs.

  7. Measurements of air-broadened and nitrogen-broadened half-widths and shifts of ozone lines near 9 microns

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Smith, M. A. H.; Rinsland, C. P.; Devi, Malathy V.; Benner, D. Chris; Thakur, K. B.

    1988-01-01

    Air- and nitrogen-broadened half-widths and line shifts at room temperature for more than 60 individual vibration-rotation transitions in the nu1 fundamental band of (O-16)3 and several transitions in the nu3 band were determined from infrared absorption spectra. These spectra were recorded at 0.005/cm resolution with a Fourier-transform spectrometer. A tunable-diode-laser spectrometer operating in the 1090-1150/cm region was also used to record data on oxygen-, nitrogen-, and air-broadened half-widths for selected individual transitions. The nitrogen- and air-broadened half-widths determined by these two different measurement techniques are consistent to within 4 percent. The results are in good agreement with other published measurements and calculations.

  8. Computerized technique for recording board defect data

    Treesearch

    R. Bruce Anderson; R. Edward Thomas; Charles J. Gatchell; Neal D. Bennett; Neal D. Bennett

    1993-01-01

    A computerized technique for recording board defect data has been developed that is faster and more accurate than manual techniques. The lumber database generated by this technique is a necessary input to computer simulation models that estimate potential cutting yields from various lumber breakdown sequences. The technique allows collection of detailed information...

  9. Method of detecting system function by measuring frequency response

    DOEpatents

    Morrison, John L.; Morrison, William H.; Christophersen, Jon P.; Motloch, Chester G.

    2013-01-08

    Methods of rapidly measuring an impedance spectrum of an energy storage device in-situ over a limited number of logarithmically distributed frequencies are described. An energy storage device is excited with a known input signal, and a response is measured to ascertain the impedance spectrum. An excitation signal is a limited time duration sum-of-sines consisting of a select number of frequencies. In one embodiment, magnitude and phase of each frequency of interest within the sum-of-sines is identified when the selected frequencies and sample rate are logarithmic integer steps greater than two. This technique requires a measurement with a duration of one period of the lowest frequency. In another embodiment, where selected frequencies are distributed in octave steps, the impedance spectrum can be determined using a captured time record that is reduced to a half-period of the lowest frequency.

  10. SLAMMER: Seismic LAndslide Movement Modeled using Earthquake Records

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Jibson, Randall W.; Rathje, Ellen M.; Jibson, Matthew W.; Lee, Yong W.

    2013-01-01

    This program is designed to facilitate conducting sliding-block analysis (also called permanent-deformation analysis) of slopes in order to estimate slope behavior during earthquakes. The program allows selection from among more than 2,100 strong-motion records from 28 earthquakes and allows users to add their own records to the collection. Any number of earthquake records can be selected using a search interface that selects records based on desired properties. Sliding-block analyses, using any combination of rigid-block (Newmark), decoupled, and fully coupled methods, are then conducted on the selected group of records, and results are compiled in both graphical and tabular form. Simplified methods for conducting each type of analysis are also included.

  11. Post-processing of adaptive optics images based on frame selection and multi-frame blind deconvolution

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tian, Yu; Rao, Changhui; Wei, Kai

    2008-07-01

    The adaptive optics can only partially compensate the image blurred by atmospheric turbulence due to the observing condition and hardware restriction. A post-processing method based on frame selection and multi-frames blind deconvolution to improve images partially corrected by adaptive optics is proposed. The appropriate frames which are suitable for blind deconvolution from the recorded AO close-loop frames series are selected by the frame selection technique and then do the multi-frame blind deconvolution. There is no priori knowledge except for the positive constraint in blind deconvolution. It is benefit for the use of multi-frame images to improve the stability and convergence of the blind deconvolution algorithm. The method had been applied in the image restoration of celestial bodies which were observed by 1.2m telescope equipped with 61-element adaptive optical system at Yunnan Observatory. The results show that the method can effectively improve the images partially corrected by adaptive optics.

  12. Phosphodiesterase Inhibition Increases CREB Phosphorylation and Restores Orientation Selectivity in a Model of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders

    PubMed Central

    Krahe, Thomas E.; Wang, Weili; Medina, Alexandre E.

    2009-01-01

    Background Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) are the leading cause of mental retardation in the western world and children with FASD present altered somatosensory, auditory and visual processing. There is growing evidence that some of these sensory processing problems may be related to altered cortical maps caused by impaired developmental neuronal plasticity. Methodology/Principal Findings Here we show that the primary visual cortex of ferrets exposed to alcohol during the third trimester equivalent of human gestation have decreased CREB phosphorylation and poor orientation selectivity revealed by western blotting, optical imaging of intrinsic signals and single-unit extracellular recording techniques. Treating animals several days after the period of alcohol exposure with a phosphodiesterase type 1 inhibitor (Vinpocetine) increased CREB phosphorylation and restored orientation selectivity columns and neuronal orientation tuning. Conclusions/Significance These findings suggest that CREB function is important for the maturation of orientation selectivity and that plasticity enhancement by vinpocetine may play a role in the treatment of sensory problems in FASD. PMID:19680548

  13. Contextual modulation and stimulus selectivity in extrastriate cortex.

    PubMed

    Krause, Matthew R; Pack, Christopher C

    2014-11-01

    Contextual modulation is observed throughout the visual system, using techniques ranging from single-neuron recordings to behavioral experiments. Its role in generating feature selectivity within the retina and primary visual cortex has been extensively described in the literature. Here, we describe how similar computations can also elaborate feature selectivity in the extrastriate areas of both the dorsal and ventral streams of the primate visual system. We discuss recent work that makes use of normalization models to test specific roles for contextual modulation in visual cortex function. We suggest that contextual modulation renders neuronal populations more selective for naturalistic stimuli. Specifically, we discuss contextual modulation's role in processing optic flow in areas MT and MST and for representing naturally occurring curvature and contours in areas V4 and IT. We also describe how the circuitry that supports contextual modulation is robust to variations in overall input levels. Finally, we describe how this theory relates to other hypothesized roles for contextual modulation. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. A Statistical Description of Neural Ensemble Dynamics

    PubMed Central

    Long, John D.; Carmena, Jose M.

    2011-01-01

    The growing use of multi-channel neural recording techniques in behaving animals has produced rich datasets that hold immense potential for advancing our understanding of how the brain mediates behavior. One limitation of these techniques is they do not provide important information about the underlying anatomical connections among the recorded neurons within an ensemble. Inferring these connections is often intractable because the set of possible interactions grows exponentially with ensemble size. This is a fundamental challenge one confronts when interpreting these data. Unfortunately, the combination of expert knowledge and ensemble data is often insufficient for selecting a unique model of these interactions. Our approach shifts away from modeling the network diagram of the ensemble toward analyzing changes in the dynamics of the ensemble as they relate to behavior. Our contribution consists of adapting techniques from signal processing and Bayesian statistics to track the dynamics of ensemble data on time-scales comparable with behavior. We employ a Bayesian estimator to weigh prior information against the available ensemble data, and use an adaptive quantization technique to aggregate poorly estimated regions of the ensemble data space. Importantly, our method is capable of detecting changes in both the magnitude and structure of correlations among neurons missed by firing rate metrics. We show that this method is scalable across a wide range of time-scales and ensemble sizes. Lastly, the performance of this method on both simulated and real ensemble data is used to demonstrate its utility. PMID:22319486

  15. A technique for improved maxillary record base adaptation through controlled polymerization of light-activated dental resins.

    PubMed

    Hopkins, D S; Phoenix, R D; Abrahamsen, T C

    1997-09-01

    A technique for the fabrication of light-activated maxillary record bases is described. The use of a segmental polymerization process provides improved palatal adaptation by minimizing the effects of polymerization shrinkage. Utilization of this technique results in record bases that are well adapted to the corresponding master casts.

  16. The index gage method to develop a flow duration curve from short-term streamflow records

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhang, Zhenxing

    2017-10-01

    The flow duration curve (FDC) is one of the most commonly used graphical tools in hydrology and provides a comprehensive graphical view of streamflow variability at a particular site. For a gaged site, an FDC can be easily estimated with frequency analysis. When no streamflow records are available, regional FDCs are used to synthesize FDCs. However, studies on how to develop FDCs for sites with short-term records have been very limited. Deriving representative FDC when there are short-term hydrologic records is important. For instance, 43% of the 394 streamflow gages in Illinois have records of 20 years or fewer, and these short-term gages are often distributed in headwaters and contain valuable hydrologic information. In this study, the index gage method is proposed to develop FDCs using short-term hydrologic records via an information transfer technique from a nearby hydrologically similar index gage. There are three steps: (1) select an index gage; (2) determine changes of FDC; and (3) develop representative FDCs. The approach is tested using records from 92 U.S. Geological Survey streamflow gages in Illinois. A jackknife experiment is conducted to assess the performance. Bootstrap resampling is used to simulate various periods of records, i.e., 1, 2, 5, 10, 15, and 20 years of records. The results demonstrated that the index gage method is capable of developing a representative FDC using short-term records. Generally, the approach performance is improved when more hydrologic records are available, but the improvement appears to level off when the short-term gage has 10 years or more records.

  17. Dynamic measurements of thermophysical properties of metals and alloys at high temperatures by subsecond pulse heating techniques

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Cezairliyan, Ared

    1993-01-01

    Rapid (subsecond) heating techniques developed at the National Institute of Standards and Technology for the measurements of selected thermophysical and related properties of metals and alloys at high temperatures (above 1000 C) are described. The techniques are based on rapid resistive self-heating of the specimen from room temperature to the desired high temperature in short times and measuring the relevant experimental quantities, such as electrical current through the specimen, voltage across the specimen, specimen temperature, length, etc., with appropriate time resolution. The first technique, referred to as the millisecond-resolution technique, is for measurements on solid metals and alloys in the temperature range 1000 C to the melting temperature of the specimen. It utilizes a heavy battery bank for the energy source, and the total heating time of the specimen is typically in the range of 100-1000 ms. Data are recorded digitally every 0.5 ms with a full-scale resolution of about one part in 8000. The properties that can be measured with this system are as follows: specific heat, enthalpy, thermal expansion, electrical resistivity, normal spectral emissivity, hemispherical total emissivity, temperature and energy of solid-solid phase transformations, and melting temperature (solidus). The second technique, referred to as the microsecond-resolution technique, is for measurements on liquid metals and alloys in the temperature range 1200 to 6000 C. It utilizes a capacitor bank for the energy source, and the total heating time of the specimen is typically in the range 50-500 micro-s. Data are recorded digitally every 0.5 micro-s with a full-scale resolution of about one part in 4000. The properties that can be measured with this system are: melting temperature (solidus and liquidus), heat of fusion, specific heat, enthalpy, and electrical resistivity. The third technique is for measurements of the surface tension of liquid metals and alloys at their melting temperature. It utilizes a modified millisecond-resolution heating system designed for use in a microgravity environment.

  18. Automated selection of relevant information for notification of incident cancer cases within a multisource cancer registry.

    PubMed

    Jouhet, V; Defossez, G; Ingrand, P

    2013-01-01

    The aim of this study was to develop and evaluate a selection algorithm of relevant records for the notification of incident cases of cancer on the basis of the individual data available in a multi-source information system. This work was conducted on data for the year 2008 in the general cancer registry of Poitou-Charentes region (France). The selection algorithm hierarchizes information according to its level of relevance for tumoral topography and tumoral morphology independently. The selected data are combined to form composite records. These records are then grouped in respect with the notification rules of the International Agency for Research on Cancer for multiple primary cancers. The evaluation, based on recall, precision and F-measure confronted cases validated manually by the registry's physicians with tumours notified with and without records selection. The analysis involved 12,346 tumours validated among 11,971 individuals. The data used were hospital discharge data (104,474 records), pathology data (21,851 records), healthcare insurance data (7508 records) and cancer care centre's data (686 records). The selection algorithm permitted performances improvement for notification of tumour topography (F-measure 0.926 with vs. 0.857 without selection) and tumour morphology (F-measure 0.805 with vs. 0.750 without selection). These results show that selection of information according to its origin is efficient in reducing noise generated by imprecise coding. Further research is needed for solving the semantic problems relating to the integration of heterogeneous data and the use of non-structured information.

  19. Survey of patient and public perceptions of electronic health records for healthcare, policy and research: study protocol.

    PubMed

    Luchenski, Serena; Balasanthiran, Anjali; Marston, Cicely; Sasaki, Kaori; Majeed, Azeem; Bell, Derek; Reed, Julie E

    2012-05-23

    Immediate access to patients' complete health records via electronic databases could improve healthcare and facilitate health research. However, the possible benefits of a national electronic health records (EHR) system must be balanced against public concerns about data security and personal privacy. Successful development of EHR requires better understanding of the views of the public and those most affected by EHR: users of the National Health Service. This study aims to explore the correlation between personal healthcare experience (including number of healthcare contacts and number and type of longer term conditions) and views relating to development of EHR for healthcare, health services planning and policy and health research. A multi-site cross-sectional self-complete questionnaire designed and piloted for use in waiting rooms was administered to patients from randomly selected outpatients' clinics at a university teaching hospital (431 beds) and general practice surgeries from the four primary care trusts within the catchment area of the hospital. All patients entering the selected outpatients clinics and general practice surgeries were invited to take part in the survey during August-September 2011. Statistical analyses will be conducted using descriptive techniques to present respondents' overall views about electronic health records and logistic regression to explore associations between these views and participants' personal circumstances, experiences, sociodemographics and more specific views about electronic health records. The study design and implementation were successful, resulting in unusually high response rates and overall recruitment (85.5%, 5336 responses). Rates for face-to-face recruitment in previous work are variable, but typically lower (mean 76.7%, SD 20). We discuss details of how we collected the data to provide insight into how we obtained this unusually high response rate.

  20. Synthesis of natural flows at selected sites in and near the Milk River basin, Montana, 1928-89

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Cary, L.E.; Parrett, Charles

    1995-01-01

    Natural monthly streamflows were synthesized for the years 1928-89 at 2 sites in the St. Mary River Basin and 11 sites in the Milk River Basin in north- central Montana. The sites are represented as nodes in a streamflow accounting model being developed by the Bureau of Reclamation for the Milk River Basin. Recorded flows at most sites have been affected by human activities, including reservoir storage and irrigation diversions. The flows at the model nodes were corrected for the effects of these activities to obtain synthesized flows. The synthesized flows at nodes with seasonal and short-term records were extended using a statistical technique. The methods of synthesis varied, depending on upstream activities and information available. Flows at sites in the St. Mary River Basin and at the Milk River at Eastern Crossing of International Boundary pre- viously had been synthesized. The flows at mainstem sites downstream from the Milk River at Eastern Crossing were synthesized by adding synthesized natural runoff from intervening drainage areas to natural flows for Milk River at Eastern Crossing. Natural runoff from intervening drainage areas was estimated by multiplying recorded flows at selected index gaging stations on tributary streams by the ratio of the intervening drainage area to the combined drainage area of the index stations. The recorded flows for Milk River at Western Crossing of International Boundary and for Peoples Creek near Dodson, Montana, were assumed to be natural flows. The synthesized annual flows at the mouth of the Milk River compared favorably with the recorded flows near the mouth when the effects of upstream irrigation were considered.

  1. Intraoperative cranial nerve monitoring.

    PubMed

    Harper, C Michel

    2004-03-01

    The purpose of intraoperative monitoring is to preserve function and prevent injury to the nervous system at a time when clinical examination is not possible. Cranial nerves are delicate structures and are susceptible to damage by mechanical trauma or ischemia during intracranial and extracranial surgery. A number of reliable electrodiagnostic techniques, including nerve conduction studies, electromyography, and the recording of evoked potentials have been adapted to the study of cranial nerve function during surgery. A growing body of evidence supports the utility of intraoperative monitoring of cranial nerve nerves during selected surgical procedures.

  2. Laser speckle technique for burner liner strain measurements

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Stetson, K. A.

    1982-01-01

    Thermal and mechanical strains were measured on samples of a common material used in jet engine burner liners, which were heated from room temperature to 870 C and cooled back to 220 C, in a laboratory furnance. The physical geometry of the sample surface was recorded at selected temperatures by a set of 12 single exposure speckle-grams. Sequential pairs of specklegrams were compared in a heterodyne interferometer which give high precision measurement of differential displacements. Good speckle correlation between the first and last specklegrams is noted which allows a check on accumulate errors.

  3. Psychological stress measurement through voice output analysis

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Older, H. J.; Jenney, L. L.

    1975-01-01

    Audio tape recordings of selected Skylab communications were processed by a psychological stress evaluator. Strip chart tracings were read blind and scores were assigned based on characteristics reported by the manufacturer to indicate psychological stress. These scores were analyzed for their empirical relationships with operational variables in Skylab judged to represent varying degrees of situational stress. Although some statistically significant relationships were found, the technique was not judged to be sufficiently predictive to warrant its use in assessing the degree of psychological stress of crew members in future space missions.

  4. 32 CFR 1665.1 - Rules for determining if an individual is the subject of a record.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... Selective Service System (SSS) contains a record pertaining to them should address their inquiries to the... Selective Service listed in the SSS Notices of Systems of Records or it should describe the type of record in sufficient detail to reasonably identify the system of records. Notice of SSS Systems of Records...

  5. Comparison of digital and conventional impression techniques: evaluation of patients' perception, treatment comfort, effectiveness and clinical outcomes.

    PubMed

    Yuzbasioglu, Emir; Kurt, Hanefi; Turunc, Rana; Bilir, Halenur

    2014-01-30

    The purpose of this study was to compare two impression techniques from the perspective of patient preferences and treatment comfort. Twenty-four (12 male, 12 female) subjects who had no previous experience with either conventional or digital impression participated in this study. Conventional impressions of maxillary and mandibular dental arches were taken with a polyether impression material (Impregum, 3 M ESPE), and bite registrations were made with polysiloxane bite registration material (Futar D, Kettenbach). Two weeks later, digital impressions and bite scans were performed using an intra-oral scanner (CEREC Omnicam, Sirona). Immediately after the impressions were made, the subjects' attitudes, preferences and perceptions towards impression techniques were evaluated using a standardized questionnaire. The perceived source of stress was evaluated using the State-Trait Anxiety Scale. Processing steps of the impression techniques (tray selection, working time etc.) were recorded in seconds. Statistical analyses were performed with the Wilcoxon Rank test, and p < 0.05 was considered significant. There were significant differences among the groups (p < 0.05) in terms of total working time and processing steps. Patients stated that digital impressions were more comfortable than conventional techniques. Digital impressions resulted in a more time-efficient technique than conventional impressions. Patients preferred the digital impression technique rather than conventional techniques.

  6. Quantitative Discomanometry: Correlation of Intradiscal Pressure Values to Pain Reduction in Patients With Intervertebral Disc Herniation Treated With Percutaneous, Minimally Invasive, Image-Guided Techniques

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

    Filippiadis, Dimitrios K., E-mail: dfilippiadis@yahoo.gr; Mazioti, A., E-mail: argyromazioti@yahoo.gr; Papakonstantinou, O., E-mail: sogofianol@gmail.com

    Purpose: To illustrate quantitative discomanometry's (QD) diagnostic efficacy and predictive value in discogenic-pain evaluation in a prospective study correlating intradiscal pressure values with pain reduction after percutaneous image-guided technique (i.e., percutaneous decompression, PD). Materials and Methods: During the last 3 years, 36 patients [21 male and 15 female (mean age 36 {+-} 5.8 years)] with intervertebral disc hernia underwent QD before PD. Under absolute sterilization and fluoroscopy, a mixture of contrast medium and normal saline (3:1 ratio) was injected. A discmonitor performed a constant rate injection and recorded pressure and volume values, thus producing the relative pressure-volume curve. PD wasmore » then performed. Pain reduction and improved mobility were recorded at 3, 12, and 24 months after PD using clinical evaluation and a numeric visual scale (NVS; 0 to 10 units). Results: Mean pain values of 7.5 {+-} 1.9 (range 4 to 8) NVS units were recorded before PD; these decreased to 2.9 {+-} 2.44 at 3 months, 1.0 {+-} 1.9 at 12 months, and 1.0 {+-} 1.9 NVS units at 24 months after PD. Recorded correlations (pressure, volume, significant pain-reduction values) with bilateral statistical significance included a maximum injected volume of 2.4 ml (p = 0.045), P{sub o} < 14 psi [initial pressure required to inject 0.1 ml of the mixture inside the disc (p = 0.05)], P{sub max} {<=} 65 psi [greatest pressure value on the curve (p = 0.018)], and P{sub max} - P{sub o} {<=} 47 psi (p = 0.038). Patients meeting these pressure or volume cut-off points, either independently or as a total, had significant pain reduction (>4 NVS units) after PD. No complications were noted. Conclusions: QD is an efficient technique that may have predictive value for discogenic pain evaluation. It might serve as a useful tool for patient selection for intervertebral disc therapies.« less

  7. Techniques for inventorying manmade impacts in roadway environments.

    Treesearch

    Dale R. Potter; J. Alan. Wagar

    1971-01-01

    Four techniques for inventorying manmade impacts along roadway corridors were devised and compared. Ground surveillance and ground photography techniques recorded impacts within the corridor visible from the road. Techniques on large- and small-scale aerial photography recorded impacts within a more complete corridor that included areas screened from the road by...

  8. Time variations in geomagnetic intensity

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Valet, Jean-Pierre

    2003-03-01

    After many years spent by paleomagnetists studying the directional behavior of the Earth's magnetic field at all possible timescales, detailed measurements of field intensity are now needed to document the variations of the entire vector and to analyze the time evolution of the field components. A significant step has been achieved by combining intensity records derived from archeological materials and from lava flows in order to extract the global field changes over the past 12 kyr. A second significant step was due to the emergence of coherent records of relative paleointensity using the remanent magnetization of sediments to retrace the evolution of the dipole field. A third step was the juxtaposition of these signals with those derived from cosmogenic isotopes. Contemporaneous with the acquisition of records, new techniques have been developed to constrain the geomagnetic origin of the signals. Much activity has also been devoted to improving the quality of determinations of absolute paleointensity from volcanic rocks with new materials, proper selection of samples, and investigations of complex changes in magnetization during laboratory experiments. Altogether these developments brought us from a situation where the field changes were restricted to the past 40 kyr to the emergence of a coherent picture of the changes in the geomagnetic dipole moment for at least the past 1 Myr. On longer timescales the field variability and its average behavior is relatively well documented for the past 400 Myr. Section 3 gives a summary of most methods and techniques that are presently used to track the field intensity changes in the past. In each case, current limits and potential promises are discussed. The section 4 describes the field variations measured so far over various timescales covered by the archeomagnetic and the paleomagnetic records. Preference has always been given to composite records and databases in order to extract and discuss major and global geomagnetic features. Special attention has been devoted to discussing the degree of confidence to be put in the data by considering the integration of multiple data sets involving different techniques and/or materials.

  9. 36 CFR § 1236.28 - What additional requirements apply to the selection and maintenance of electronic records storage...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... unscheduled data on magnetic records storage media onto tested and verified new electronic media. ... apply to the selection and maintenance of electronic records storage media for permanent records? Â... storage media for permanent records? (a) Agencies must maintain the storage and test areas for electronic...

  10. Fast functional imaging of multiple brain regions in intact zebrafish larvae using selective plane illumination microscopy.

    PubMed

    Panier, Thomas; Romano, Sebastián A; Olive, Raphaël; Pietri, Thomas; Sumbre, Germán; Candelier, Raphaël; Debrégeas, Georges

    2013-01-01

    The optical transparency and the small dimensions of zebrafish at the larval stage make it a vertebrate model of choice for brain-wide in-vivo functional imaging. However, current point-scanning imaging techniques, such as two-photon or confocal microscopy, impose a strong limit on acquisition speed which in turn sets the number of neurons that can be simultaneously recorded. At 5 Hz, this number is of the order of one thousand, i.e., approximately 1-2% of the brain. Here we demonstrate that this limitation can be greatly overcome by using Selective-plane Illumination Microscopy (SPIM). Zebrafish larvae expressing the genetically encoded calcium indicator GCaMP3 were illuminated with a scanned laser sheet and imaged with a camera whose optical axis was oriented orthogonally to the illumination plane. This optical sectioning approach was shown to permit functional imaging of a very large fraction of the brain volume of 5-9-day-old larvae with single- or near single-cell resolution. The spontaneous activity of up to 5,000 neurons was recorded at 20 Hz for 20-60 min. By rapidly scanning the specimen in the axial direction, the activity of 25,000 individual neurons from 5 different z-planes (approximately 30% of the entire brain) could be simultaneously monitored at 4 Hz. Compared to point-scanning techniques, this imaging strategy thus yields a ≃20-fold increase in data throughput (number of recorded neurons times acquisition rate) without compromising the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). The extended field of view offered by the SPIM method allowed us to directly identify large scale ensembles of neurons, spanning several brain regions, that displayed correlated activity and were thus likely to participate in common neural processes. The benefits and limitations of SPIM for functional imaging in zebrafish as well as future developments are briefly discussed.

  11. Techniques for estimating monthly mean streamflow at gaged sites and monthly streamflow duration characteristics at ungaged sites in central Nevada

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Hess, G.W.; Bohman, L.R.

    1996-01-01

    Techniques for estimating monthly mean streamflow at gaged sites and monthly streamflow duration characteristics at ungaged sites in central Nevada were developed using streamflow records at six gaged sites and basin physical and climatic characteristics. Streamflow data at gaged sites were related by regression techniques to concurrent flows at nearby gaging stations so that monthly mean streamflows for periods of missing or no record can be estimated for gaged sites in central Nevada. The standard error of estimate for relations at these sites ranged from 12 to 196 percent. Also, monthly streamflow data for selected percent exceedence levels were used in regression analyses with basin and climatic variables to determine relations for ungaged basins for annual and monthly percent exceedence levels. Analyses indicate that the drainage area and percent of drainage area at altitudes greater than 10,000 feet are the most significant variables. For the annual percent exceedence, the standard error of estimate of the relations for ungaged sites ranged from 51 to 96 percent and standard error of prediction for ungaged sites ranged from 96 to 249 percent. For the monthly percent exceedence values, the standard error of estimate of the relations ranged from 31 to 168 percent, and the standard error of prediction ranged from 115 to 3,124 percent. Reliability and limitations of the estimating methods are described.

  12. Load research manual. Volume 1. Load research procedures

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

    Brandenburg, L.; Clarkson, G.; Grund, Jr., C.

    1980-11-01

    This three-volume manual presents technical guidelines for electric utility load research. Special attention is given to issues raised by the load data reporting requirements of the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 and to problems faced by smaller utilities that are initiating load research programs. In Volumes 1 and 2, procedures are suggested for determining data requirements for load research, establishing the size and customer composition of a load survey sample, selecting and using equipment to record customer electricity usage, processing data tapes from the recording equipment, and analyzing the data. Statistical techniques used in customer sampling are discussedmore » in detail. The costs of load research also are estimated, and ongoing load research programs at three utilities are described. The manual includes guides to load research literature and glossaries of load research and statistical terms.« less

  13. Rapid earthquake detection through GPU-Based template matching

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mu, Dawei; Lee, En-Jui; Chen, Po

    2017-12-01

    The template-matching algorithm (TMA) has been widely adopted for improving the reliability of earthquake detection. The TMA is based on calculating the normalized cross-correlation coefficient (NCC) between a collection of selected template waveforms and the continuous waveform recordings of seismic instruments. In realistic applications, the computational cost of the TMA is much higher than that of traditional techniques. In this study, we provide an analysis of the TMA and show how the GPU architecture provides an almost ideal environment for accelerating the TMA and NCC-based pattern recognition algorithms in general. So far, our best-performing GPU code has achieved a speedup factor of more than 800 with respect to a common sequential CPU code. We demonstrate the performance of our GPU code using seismic waveform recordings from the ML 6.6 Meinong earthquake sequence in Taiwan.

  14. 40 CFR 300.800 - Establishment of an administrative record.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... POLLUTION CONTINGENCY PLAN Administrative Record for Selection of Response Action § 300.800 Establishment of... agency for a federal facility. (3) If EPA is involved in the selection of the response action at a... record that contains the documents that form the basis for the selection of a response action. The lead...

  15. 40 CFR 300.800 - Establishment of an administrative record.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... POLLUTION CONTINGENCY PLAN Administrative Record for Selection of Response Action § 300.800 Establishment of... agency for a federal facility. (3) If EPA is involved in the selection of the response action at a... record that contains the documents that form the basis for the selection of a response action. The lead...

  16. 40 CFR 300.800 - Establishment of an administrative record.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... POLLUTION CONTINGENCY PLAN Administrative Record for Selection of Response Action § 300.800 Establishment of... agency for a federal facility. (3) If EPA is involved in the selection of the response action at a... record that contains the documents that form the basis for the selection of a response action. The lead...

  17. 40 CFR 300.800 - Establishment of an administrative record.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... POLLUTION CONTINGENCY PLAN Administrative Record for Selection of Response Action § 300.800 Establishment of... agency for a federal facility. (3) If EPA is involved in the selection of the response action at a... record that contains the documents that form the basis for the selection of a response action. The lead...

  18. 40 CFR 300.800 - Establishment of an administrative record.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... POLLUTION CONTINGENCY PLAN Administrative Record for Selection of Response Action § 300.800 Establishment of... agency for a federal facility. (3) If EPA is involved in the selection of the response action at a... record that contains the documents that form the basis for the selection of a response action. The lead...

  19. Three-Dimensional Ballistocardiography and Seismocardiography in Parabolic Flight: Preliminary Results from the ESA B3D Project

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Migeotte, P.-F.; De Ridder, S.; Neyt, X.; Pattyn, N.; Di Rienzo, M.; Beck, L.; Gauger, P.; Limper, U.; Prisk, G. K.; Rusanov, V.; Funtova, I.; Baevsky, R. M.; Tank, J.

    2013-02-01

    Ballistocardiography (BCG) is a technique that had a large interest in cardiology between the fifties and eighties. Typically BCG consisted in the recording of mechanical acceleration (Acc), caused by cardiac activity, on a subject lying on a table. As Acc was recorded only in the 2-dimensions (2D) of the horizontal plane, the antero-posterior (Z-axis) component was often neglected. From past experiments conducted in space [1,2] it was suggested that this component was comparable in magnitude to the other two and that Ballistocardiography should be recorded in three dimensions (3D). These observations and the recent modest regain of interest in the BCG technique were the starting point of the B3D project selected by ESA for the definition phase after the AO-2009. We recorded 3D Acc at various positions on the surface of the body (close to the centre of mass (CM), at the apex of the heart and on the sternum) of 8 healthy volunteers during free floating periods of parabolic flight (PF) manoeuvre (ESA 55th and DLR 19th PF campaigns conducted on-board the A300-zéroG airplane of NOVESPACE). Out of the many recordings collected, only a very limited number provided body Acc free from artefacts. Nevertheless, our results show that Seismocardiograms (SCG) and Ballistocardiograms (BCG) waves were qualitatively and quantitatively comparable in the frontal plane while larger differences were present along the antero-posterior component. Our limited number of artefact free episodes demonstrates the intrinsic difficulties of 3D recordings of SCG and BCG in PF and thus the need for a study in sustained microgravity. Moreover, our results confirm that the ventro-dorsal component of BCG is of similar amplitude as the other two which further demonstrates that the three components are essential to provide a physiological interpretation of BCG and SCG signals.

  20. Break-technique handheld dynamometry: relation between angular velocity and strength measurements.

    PubMed

    Burns, Stephen P; Spanier, David E

    2005-07-01

    To determine whether the muscle strength, as measured with break-technique handheld dynamometry (HHD), is dependent on the angular velocity achieved during testing and to compare reliability at different angular velocities. Repeated-measures study. Participants underwent HHD by using make-technique (isometric) and break-technique (eccentric) dynamometry at 3 prespecified angular velocities. Elbow movement was recorded with an electrogoniometer. Inpatient spinal cord injury unit. Convenience sample of 20 persons with tetraplegia with weakness of elbow flexors or extensors. Not applicable. Elbow angular velocity and muscle strength recorded during HHD. With the break technique, angular velocities averaging 15 degrees , 33 degrees , and 55 degrees /s produced 16%, 30%, and 51% greater strength measurements, respectively, than velocities recorded by using the make technique (all P < .006 for comparisons between successive techniques). The intraclass correlation coefficient for intrarater reliability was .89 or greater for all testing techniques. Greater strength is recorded with faster angular velocities during HHD. Differences in angular velocity may explain the wide range previously reported for break- versus make-technique strength measurements. Variation in angular velocity is a potential source of variability in serial HHD strength measurements, and for this reason the make technique may be preferable.

  1. Unbiased analysis of geomagnetic data sets and comparison of historical data with paleomagnetic and archeomagnetic records

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Arneitz, Patrick; Egli, Ramon; Leonhardt, Roman

    2017-03-01

    Reconstructions of the past geomagnetic field provide fundamental constraints for understanding the dynamics of the Earth's interior, as well as serving as basis for magnetostratigraphic and archeomagnetic dating tools. Such reconstructions, when extending over epochs that precede the advent of instrumental measurements, rely exclusively on magnetic records from archeological artifacts, and, further in the past, from rocks and sediments. The most critical component of such indirect records is field intensity because of possible biases introduced by material properties and by laboratory protocols, which do not reproduce exactly the original field recording conditions. Large biases are usually avoided by the use of appropriate checking procedures; however, smaller ones can remain undetected in individual studies and might significantly affect field reconstructions. We introduce a new general approach for analyzing geomagnetic databases in order to investigate the reliability of indirect records. This approach is based on the comparison of historical records with archeomagnetic and volcanic data, considering temporal and spatial mismatches with adequate weighting functions and error estimation. A good overall agreement is found between indirect records and historical measurements, while for several subsets systematic bias is detected (e.g., inclination shallowing of lava records). We also demonstrate that simple approaches to analyzing highly inhomogeneous and internally correlated paleomagnetic data sets can lead to incorrect conclusions about the efficiency of quality checks and corrections. Consistent criteria for selecting and weighting data are presented in this review and can be used to improve current geomagnetic field modeling techniques.

  2. Genetic and economic benefits of selection based on performance recording and genotyping in lower tiers of multi-tiered sheep breeding schemes.

    PubMed

    Santos, Bruno F S; van der Werf, Julius H J; Gibson, John P; Byrne, Timothy J; Amer, Peter R

    2017-01-17

    Performance recording and genotyping in the multiplier tier of multi-tiered sheep breeding schemes could potentially reduce the difference in the average genetic merit between nucleus and commercial flocks, and create additional economic benefits for the breeding structure. The genetic change in a multiple-trait breeding objective was predicted for various selection strategies that included performance recording, parentage testing and genomic selection. A deterministic simulation model was used to predict selection differentials and the flow of genetic superiority through the different tiers. Cumulative discounted economic benefits were calculated based on trait gains achieved in each of the tiers and considering the extra revenue and associated costs of applying recording, genotyping and selection practices in the multiplier tier of the breeding scheme. Performance recording combined with genomic or parentage information in the multiplier tier reduced the genetic lag between the nucleus and commercial flock by 2 to 3 years. The overall economic benefits of improved performance in the commercial tier offset the costs of recording the multiplier. However, it took more than 18 years before the cumulative net present value of benefits offset the costs at current test prices. Strategies in which recorded multiplier ewes were selected as replacements for the nucleus flock did modestly increase profitability when compared to a closed nucleus structure. Applying genomic selection is the most beneficial strategy if testing costs can be reduced or by genotyping only a proportion of the selection candidates. When the cost of genotyping was reduced, scenarios that combine performance recording with genomic selection were more profitable and reached breakeven point about 10 years earlier. Economic benefits can be generated in multiplier flocks by implementing performance recording in conjunction with either DNA pedigree recording or genomic technology. These recording practices reduce the long genetic lag between the nucleus and commercial flocks in multi-tiered breeding programs. Under current genotyping costs, the time to breakeven was found to be generally very long, although this varied between strategies. Strategies using either genomic selection or DNA pedigree verification were found to be economically viable provided the price paid for the tests is lower than current prices, in the long-term.

  3. Effect of Fiberoptic Collimation Technique on 808 nm Wavelength Laser Stimulation of Cochlear Neurons.

    PubMed

    Wang, Jingxuan; Lu, Jianren; Tian, Lan

    2016-06-01

    The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of fiberoptic collimation technique on auditory neural stimulation in the cochlea with 808 nm wavelength lasers. Recently, the pulsed near-infrared lasers in the 800-1000 nm wavelength range have been investigated as an emerging technique to trigger auditory neural response in the cochlea. A laser beam divergence in the optical stimulation pathway exists, which may affect stimulation efficiency and spatial selectivity. The fiberoptic collimation technique was proposed for cochlear neuron stimulation, and the C-lens element was designed as the collimation structure. The spiral ganglion cells in deafened guinea pigs' cochlea were irradiated with collimated and uncollimated near-infrared lasers. Optically evoked auditory brainstem response (OABR) under the two laser output modes were recorded. Laser with the collimation technique evoked an average 58% higher OABR amplitude than the uncollimated laser output. In addition, the collimated laser setup consumed on average 35.2% of laser energy compared with the uncollimated laser when evoking the same OABR amplitude. The fiberoptic collimation technique improved stimulation efficiency and reduced stimulating energy consumption in near-infrared neural stimulation in cochlea. The positive effects of laser collimation technique could benefit further research in optically based cochlear implants.

  4. Advanced Electrocardiography Can Identify Occult Cardiomyopathy in Doberman Pinschers

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Spiljak, M.; Petric, A. Domanjko; Wilberg, M.; Olsen, L. H.; Stepancic, A.; Schlegel, T. T.; Starc, V.

    2011-01-01

    Recently, multiple advanced resting electrocardiographic (A-ECG) techniques have improved the diagnostic value of short-duration ECG in detection of dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) in humans. This study investigated whether 12-lead A-ECG recordings could accurately identify the occult phase of DCM in dogs. Short-duration (3-5 min) high-fidelity 12-lead ECG recordings were obtained from 31 privately-owned, clinically healthy Doberman Pinschers (5.4 +/- 1.7 years, 11/20 males/females). Dogs were divided into 2 groups: 1) 19 healthy dogs with normal echocardiographic M-mode measurements: left ventricular internal diameter in diastole (LVIDd . 47mm) and in systole (LVIDs . 38mm) and normal 24-hour ECG recordings (<50 ventricular premature complexes, VPCs); and 2) 12 dogs with occult DCM: 11/12 dogs had increased M-mode measurements (LVIDd . 49mm and/or LVIDs . 40mm) and 5/11 dogs had also >100 VPCs/24h; 1/12 dogs had only abnormal 24-hour ECG recordings (>100 VPCs/24h). ECG recordings were evaluated via custom software programs to calculate multiple parameters of high-frequency (HF) QRS ECG, heart rate variability, QT variability, waveform complexity and 3-D ECG. Student's t-tests determined 19 ECG parameters that were significantly different (P < 0.05) between groups. Principal component factor analysis identified a 5-factor model with 81.4% explained variance. QRS dipolar and non-dipolar voltages, Cornell voltage criteria and QRS waveform residuum were increased significantly (P < 0.05), whereas mean HF QRS amplitude was decreased significantly (P < 0.05) in dogs with occult DCM. For the 5 selected parameters the prediction of occult DCM was performed using a binary logistic regression model with Chi-square tested significance (P < 0.01). ROC analyses showed that the five selected ECG parameters could identify occult ECG with sensitivity 89% and specificity 83%. Results suggest that 12-lead A-ECG might improve diagnostic value of short-duration ECG in earlier detection of canine DCM as five selected ECG parameters can with reasonable accuracy identify occult DCM in Doberman Pinschers. Future extensive clinical studies need to clarify if 12-lead A-ECG could be useful as an additional screening test for canine DCM.

  5. Security Techniques for the Electronic Health Records.

    PubMed

    Kruse, Clemens Scott; Smith, Brenna; Vanderlinden, Hannah; Nealand, Alexandra

    2017-08-01

    The privacy of patients and the security of their information is the most imperative barrier to entry when considering the adoption of electronic health records in the healthcare industry. Considering current legal regulations, this review seeks to analyze and discuss prominent security techniques for healthcare organizations seeking to adopt a secure electronic health records system. Additionally, the researchers sought to establish a foundation for further research for security in the healthcare industry. The researchers utilized the Texas State University Library to gain access to three online databases: PubMed (MEDLINE), CINAHL, and ProQuest Nursing and Allied Health Source. These sources were used to conduct searches on literature concerning security of electronic health records containing several inclusion and exclusion criteria. Researchers collected and analyzed 25 journals and reviews discussing security of electronic health records, 20 of which mentioned specific security methods and techniques. The most frequently mentioned security measures and techniques are categorized into three themes: administrative, physical, and technical safeguards. The sensitive nature of the information contained within electronic health records has prompted the need for advanced security techniques that are able to put these worries at ease. It is imperative for security techniques to cover the vast threats that are present across the three pillars of healthcare.

  6. Near-continuous non-contact cardiac pulse monitoring in a neonatal intensive care unit in near darkness

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    van Gastel, Mark; Balmaekers, Benoît; Bambang Oetomo, Sidarto; Verkruysse, Wim

    2018-02-01

    Currently, the cardiac activity of infants in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) is monitored with contact sensors. These techniques can cause injuries and infections, particularly in very premature infants with fragile skin. Recently, remote photoplethysmography (rPPG) showed its potential to measure cardiac activity with a camera without skin contact. The main limitations of this technique are its lack of robustness to subject motion and visible light requirements. The aim of this study is to investigate the feasibility of robust rPPG for NICU patients in near darkness. Video recordings using dedicated infrared illumination were made of 7 infants, age 30-33 weeks, at a NICU in Eindhoven, The Netherlands. The pulse rate can be detected with an average error of 1.5 BPM and 2.1 BPM when measured at the face and upper torso region, respectively. Overall, the correct pulse rate is detected for 87% of the time. A camera-based framework for robust pulse extraction in near darkness of NICU patients was proposed and successfully validated. The pulse rate could be reliably detected from all evaluated skin regions. Recordings with vigorous body movements, involving occlusion of the selected skin region, are still a challenge.

  7. A new technique for high performance tandem time-of- flight mass spectrometry

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Katz, Daniel Louis

    2001-08-01

    The main result of this written dissertation is a mathematical solution to the problem of multiplex recording for high performance tandem time-of-flight mass spectrometry. The prescription is to use a time-lag accelerator in the second stage to match the ion optical properties of the decay fragments to the requirements of the electrostatic ion mirror. With this technique the ion mirror is able to focus the full mass range of fragment ions at a single voltage setting, permitting acquisition of the entire mass spectrum from a single ionization event. This work was performed in support of a joint project carried out by researchers at Oregon State University and The University of Uppsala, Sweden, to design, build and test a tandem instrument featuring precision selection of the precursor species in the first stage of the spectrometer, a means of fragmenting the precursor species, and multiplex recording of the resulting fragment spectrum in the second stage. A patent application has been filed on the complete instrument with the United States Patent Office, a copy of which has been included as an appendix, and a prototype of that instrument has been constructed and awaits testing at Oregon State University.

  8. A study of EMR-based medical knowledge network and its applications.

    PubMed

    Zhao, Chao; Jiang, Jingchi; Xu, Zhiming; Guan, Yi

    2017-05-01

    Electronic medical records (EMRs) contain an amount of medical knowledge which can be used for clinical decision support. We attempt to integrate this medical knowledge into a complex network, and then implement a diagnosis model based on this network. The dataset of our study contains 992 records which are uniformly sampled from different departments of the hospital. In order to integrate the knowledge of these records, an EMR-based medical knowledge network (EMKN) is constructed. This network takes medical entities as nodes, and co-occurrence relationships between the two entities as edges. Selected properties of this network are analyzed. To make use of this network, a basic diagnosis model is implemented. Seven hundred records are randomly selected to re-construct the network, and the remaining 292 records are used as test records. The vector space model is applied to illustrate the relationships between diseases and symptoms. Because there may exist more than one actual disease in a record, the recall rate of the first ten results, and the average precision are adopted as evaluation measures. Compared with a random network of the same size, this network has a similar average length but a much higher clustering coefficient. Additionally, it can be observed that there are direct correlations between the community structure and the real department classes in the hospital. For the diagnosis model, the vector space model using disease as a base obtains the best result. At least one accurate disease can be obtained in 73.27% of the records in the first ten results. We constructed an EMR-based medical knowledge network by extracting the medical entities. This network has the small-world and scale-free properties. Moreover, the community structure showed that entities in the same department have a tendency to be self-aggregated. Based on this network, a diagnosis model was proposed. This model uses only the symptoms as inputs and is not restricted to a specific disease. The experiments conducted demonstrated that EMKN is a simple and universal technique to integrate different medical knowledge from EMRs, and can be used for clinical decision support. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  9. Reliable Analysis of Single-Unit Recordings from the Human Brain under Noisy Conditions: Tracking Neurons over Hours

    PubMed Central

    Boström, Jan; Elger, Christian E.; Mormann, Florian

    2016-01-01

    Recording extracellulary from neurons in the brains of animals in vivo is among the most established experimental techniques in neuroscience, and has recently become feasible in humans. Many interesting scientific questions can be addressed only when extracellular recordings last several hours, and when individual neurons are tracked throughout the entire recording. Such questions regard, for example, neuronal mechanisms of learning and memory consolidation, and the generation of epileptic seizures. Several difficulties have so far limited the use of extracellular multi-hour recordings in neuroscience: Datasets become huge, and data are necessarily noisy in clinical recording environments. No methods for spike sorting of such recordings have been available. Spike sorting refers to the process of identifying the contributions of several neurons to the signal recorded in one electrode. To overcome these difficulties, we developed Combinato: a complete data-analysis framework for spike sorting in noisy recordings lasting twelve hours or more. Our framework includes software for artifact rejection, automatic spike sorting, manual optimization, and efficient visualization of results. Our completely automatic framework excels at two tasks: It outperforms existing methods when tested on simulated and real data, and it enables researchers to analyze multi-hour recordings. We evaluated our methods on both short and multi-hour simulated datasets. To evaluate the performance of our methods in an actual neuroscientific experiment, we used data from from neurosurgical patients, recorded in order to identify visually responsive neurons in the medial temporal lobe. These neurons responded to the semantic content, rather than to visual features, of a given stimulus. To test our methods with multi-hour recordings, we made use of neurons in the human medial temporal lobe that respond selectively to the same stimulus in the evening and next morning. PMID:27930664

  10. Structural, morphological, and optical characterizations of Mo, CrN and Mo:CrN sputtered coatings for potential solar selective applications

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ibrahim, Khalil; Mahbubur Rahman, M.; Taha, Hatem; Mohammadpour, Ehsan; Zhou, Zhifeng; Yin, Chun-Yang; Nikoloski, Aleksandar; Jiang, Zhong-Tao

    2018-05-01

    Mo, CrN, and Mo:CrN sputtered coatings synthesized onto silicon Si(100) substrates were investigated as solar selective surfaces and their potential applications in optical devices. These coatings were characterized using XRD, SEM, UV-vis, and FTIR techniques. XRD investigation, showed a change in CrN thin film crystallite characteristic due to Mo doping. Compared to the CrN coating, the Mo:CrN film has a higher lattice parameter and lower grain size of 4.19 nm and 106.18 nm, respectively. FESEM morphology confirmed the decrement in Mo:CrN crystal size due to Mo doping. Optical analysis showed that in the visible range of the solar spectrum, the CrN coatings exhibit the highest solar absorptance of 66% while the lowest thermal emittance value of 5.67 was recorded for the CrN coating doped with Mo. Consequently, the highest solar selectivity of 9.6, and the energy band-gap of 2.88 eV were achieved with the Mo-doped CrN coatings. Various optical coefficients such as optical absorption coefficient, refractive index, extinction coefficient, real and imaginary parts of dielectric constants, and energy loss functions of these coatings were also estimated from the optical reflectance data recorded in the wavelength range of 190-2300 nm.

  11. Comparison of data mining techniques applied to fetal heart rate parameters for the early identification of IUGR fetuses.

    PubMed

    Magenes, G; Bellazzi, R; Malovini, A; Signorini, M G

    2016-08-01

    The onset of fetal pathologies can be screened during pregnancy by means of Fetal Heart Rate (FHR) monitoring and analysis. Noticeable advances in understanding FHR variations were obtained in the last twenty years, thanks to the introduction of quantitative indices extracted from the FHR signal. This study searches for discriminating Normal and Intra Uterine Growth Restricted (IUGR) fetuses by applying data mining techniques to FHR parameters, obtained from recordings in a population of 122 fetuses (61 healthy and 61 IUGRs), through standard CTG non-stress test. We computed N=12 indices (N=4 related to time domain FHR analysis, N=4 to frequency domain and N=4 to non-linear analysis) and normalized them with respect to the gestational week. We compared, through a 10-fold crossvalidation procedure, 15 data mining techniques in order to select the more reliable approach for identifying IUGR fetuses. The results of this comparison highlight that two techniques (Random Forest and Logistic Regression) show the best classification accuracy and that both outperform the best single parameter in terms of mean AUROC on the test sets.

  12. Use of geostationary meteorological satellite images in convective rain estimation for flash-flood forecasting

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wardah, T.; Abu Bakar, S. H.; Bardossy, A.; Maznorizan, M.

    2008-07-01

    SummaryFrequent flash-floods causing immense devastation in the Klang River Basin of Malaysia necessitate an improvement in the real-time forecasting systems being used. The use of meteorological satellite images in estimating rainfall has become an attractive option for improving the performance of flood forecasting-and-warning systems. In this study, a rainfall estimation algorithm using the infrared (IR) information from the Geostationary Meteorological Satellite-5 (GMS-5) is developed for potential input in a flood forecasting system. Data from the records of GMS-5 IR images have been retrieved for selected convective cells to be trained with the radar rain rate in a back-propagation neural network. The selected data as inputs to the neural network, are five parameters having a significant correlation with the radar rain rate: namely, the cloud-top brightness-temperature of the pixel of interest, the mean and the standard deviation of the temperatures of the surrounding five by five pixels, the rate of temperature change, and the sobel operator that indicates the temperature gradient. In addition, three numerical weather prediction (NWP) products, namely the precipitable water content, relative humidity, and vertical wind, are also included as inputs. The algorithm is applied for the areal rainfall estimation in the upper Klang River Basin and compared with another technique that uses power-law regression between the cloud-top brightness-temperature and radar rain rate. Results from both techniques are validated against previously recorded Thiessen areal-averaged rainfall values with coefficient correlation values of 0.77 and 0.91 for the power-law regression and the artificial neural network (ANN) technique, respectively. An extra lead time of around 2 h is gained when the satellite-based ANN rainfall estimation is coupled with a rainfall-runoff model to forecast a flash-flood event in the upper Klang River Basin.

  13. Conservative mastectomies and immediate reconstruction with the use of ADMs.

    PubMed

    Govshievich, Alexander; Somogyi, Ron B; Brown, Mitchell H

    2015-12-01

    In recent years, a novel approach to immediate breast reconstruction has been introduced with the advent of acellular dermal matrix (ADM). In the setting of conservative mastectomies where the native skin envelope is preserved, placement of ADM at the lower pole in continuity with the pectoralis major muscle (PMM) provides additional support, allowing direct-to-implant breast reconstruction. The following manuscript presents the senior author's experience with ADM-assisted reconstruction and provides a detailed description of surgical technique along with a comprehensive discussion of patient selection and potential complications. A retrospective chart review of patients undergoing direct-to-implant breast reconstruction following skin sparing or nipple sparing mastectomy with the use of ADM (AlloDerm; LifeCell Corp., Branchburg, USA) was conducted at Women's College Hospital in Toronto over a 5-year period [2008-2013]. Demographic data, previous radiation therapy and post-operative complications were recorded. A total of 72 patients representing 119 breasts were identified. Average follow-up was 16 months (range, 3-51 months). Twenty-seven complications were recorded for a complication rate of 22.7% (27/119). Complications included six cases of capsular contracture (Baker III/IV), five cases of red skin syndrome, four cases of rippling, three cases of dehiscence and two cases of seroma. Overall, direct-to-implant reconstruction was successfully completed in 97.5% of breasts (116/119). One case of infection was treated with explantation and conversion to autogenous reconstruction. Two breasts with tissue necrosis or dehiscence had the implants removed and replaced with tissue expanders. Overall reoperation rate was 9.7% (7/72 patients). ADM assisted direct-to-implant breast reconstruction has been shown to be a safe option for women who are candidates for skin sparing or nipple sparing mastectomies. Judicious patient selection, effective collaboration between the oncologic and reconstructive surgeon, careful evaluation of post-mastectomy skin flaps and precise surgical technique are paramount to the success of this technique.

  14. A demonstration of the application of the new paradigm for the evaluation of forensic evidence under conditions reflecting those of a real forensic-voice-comparison case.

    PubMed

    Enzinger, Ewald; Morrison, Geoffrey Stewart; Ochoa, Felipe

    2016-01-01

    The new paradigm for the evaluation of the strength of forensic evidence includes: The use of the likelihood-ratio framework. The use of relevant data, quantitative measurements, and statistical models. Empirical testing of validity and reliability under conditions reflecting those of the case under investigation. Transparency as to decisions made and procedures employed. The present paper illustrates the use of the new paradigm to evaluate strength of evidence under conditions reflecting those of a real forensic-voice-comparison case. The offender recording was from a landline telephone system, had background office noise, and was saved in a compressed format. The suspect recording included substantial reverberation and ventilation system noise, and was saved in a different compressed format. The present paper includes descriptions of the selection of the relevant hypotheses, sampling of data from the relevant population, simulation of suspect and offender recording conditions, and acoustic measurement and statistical modelling procedures. The present paper also explores the use of different techniques to compensate for the mismatch in recording conditions. It also examines how system performance would have differed had the suspect recording been of better quality. Copyright © 2015 The Chartered Society of Forensic Sciences. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  15. Optical Recorder of the Lunar Sounder Experiment

    NASA Image and Video Library

    1972-11-22

    S72-49482 (November 1972) --- The Optical Recorder of the Lunar Sounder Experiment (S-209) which will be mounted in the SIM bay of the Apollo 17 Service Module. The three functional parts of the Lunar Sounder are the optical recorder, the coherent synthetic aperture radar, and the antennas, a retractable dipole for HF and a yagi for VHF. The Lunar Sounder will probe three-quarters of a mile below the moon's surface from the orbiting Apollo 17 spacecraft. Electronic data recorded on film will be retrieved by the crew during trans-Earth EVA. Geologic information on the lunar interior obtained by the sounder will permit scientific investigation of underground rock layers, lava flow patterns, rille (canyon) structures, mascon properties, and any areas containing water. A prototype lunar sounder has been flight tested in aircraft over selected Earth sites to confirm the equipment design and develop scientific analysis techniques. The Lunar Sounder Experiment was developed by North American Rockwell's (NR) Space Division for NASA's Manned Spacecraft Center to provide data for a scientific investigation team with representatives from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, University of Utah, University of Michigan, U.S. Geological Survey, and NASA Ames Research Center.

  16. Estimating generalized skew of the log-Pearson Type III distribution for annual peak floods in Illinois

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Oberg, Kevin A.; Mades, Dean M.

    1987-01-01

    Four techniques for estimating generalized skew in Illinois were evaluated: (1) a generalized skew map of the US; (2) an isoline map; (3) a prediction equation; and (4) a regional-mean skew. Peak-flow records at 730 gaging stations having 10 or more annual peaks were selected for computing station skews. Station skew values ranged from -3.55 to 2.95, with a mean of -0.11. Frequency curves computed for 30 gaging stations in Illinois using the variations of the regional-mean skew technique are similar to frequency curves computed using a skew map developed by the US Water Resources Council (WRC). Estimates of the 50-, 100-, and 500-yr floods computed for 29 of these gaging stations using the regional-mean skew techniques are within the 50% confidence limits of frequency curves computed using the WRC skew map. Although the three variations of the regional-mean skew technique were slightly more accurate than the WRC map, there is no appreciable difference between flood estimates computed using the variations of the regional-mean technique and flood estimates computed using the WRC skew map. (Peters-PTT)

  17. Abutment misfit in implant-supported prostheses manufactured by casting technique: An integrative review

    PubMed Central

    Pereira, Lorena M. S.; Sordi, Mariane B.; Magini, Ricardo S.; Calazans Duarte, Antônio R.; M. Souza, Júlio C.

    2017-01-01

    The aim of this study was to perform an integrative review of the literature on the clinically usual prosthesis-abutment misfit over implant-supported structures manufactured by conventional casting technique. The present integrative review used the PRISMA methodology. A bibliographical search was conducted on the following electronic databases: MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine), Scopus (Elsevier), ScienceDirect (Elsevier), Web of Science (Thomson Reuters Scientific), Latin American and Caribbean Center on Health Sciences Information (BIREME), and Virtual Health Library (BVS). A total of 11 relevant studies were selected for qualitative analysis. The prosthetic-abutment vertical misfit considered clinically usual ranged from 50 to 160 μm. The vertical misfit depends on several steps during technical manufacturing techniques, which includes the materials and technical procedures. Lower values in misfit are recorded when precious metal or titanium alloys are utilized. Although a vertical misfit mean value of 100 μm has been considered clinically usual, most of the previous studies included in this revision showed lower mean values. PMID:29279686

  18. An experimental result of estimating an application volume by machine learning techniques.

    PubMed

    Hasegawa, Tatsuhito; Koshino, Makoto; Kimura, Haruhiko

    2015-01-01

    In this study, we improved the usability of smartphones by automating a user's operations. We developed an intelligent system using machine learning techniques that periodically detects a user's context on a smartphone. We selected the Android operating system because it has the largest market share and highest flexibility of its development environment. In this paper, we describe an application that automatically adjusts application volume. Adjusting the volume can be easily forgotten because users need to push the volume buttons to alter the volume depending on the given situation. Therefore, we developed an application that automatically adjusts the volume based on learned user settings. Application volume can be set differently from ringtone volume on Android devices, and these volume settings are associated with each specific application including games. Our application records a user's location, the volume setting, the foreground application name and other such attributes as learning data, thereby estimating whether the volume should be adjusted using machine learning techniques via Weka.

  19. Geophysical examination of coal deposits

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jackson, L. J.

    1981-04-01

    Geophysical techniques for the solution of mining problems and as an aid to mine planning are reviewed. Techniques of geophysical borehole logging are discussed. The responses of the coal seams to logging tools are easily recognized on the logging records. Cores for laboratory analysis are cut from selected sections of the borehole. In addition, information about the density and chemical composition of the coal may be obtained. Surface seismic reflection surveys using two dimensional arrays of seismic sources and detectors detect faults with throws as small as 3 m depths of 800 m. In geologically disturbed areas, good results have been obtained from three dimensional surveys. Smaller faults as far as 500 m in advance of the working face may be detected using in seam seismic surveying conducted from a roadway or working face. Small disturbances are detected by pulse radar and continuous wave electromagnetic methods either from within boreholes or from underground. Other geophysical techniques which explicit the electrical, magnetic, gravitational, and geothermal properties of rocks are described.

  20. Method and apparatus for data decoding and processing

    DOEpatents

    Hunter, Timothy M.; Levy, Arthur J.

    1992-01-01

    A system and technique is disclosed for automatically controlling the decoding and digitizaiton of an analog tape. The system includes the use of a tape data format which includes a plurality of digital codes recorded on the analog tape in a predetermined proximity to a period of recorded analog data. The codes associated with each period of analog data include digital identification codes prior to the analog data, a start of data code coincident with the analog data recording, and an end of data code subsequent to the associated period of recorded analog data. The formatted tape is decoded in a processing and digitization system which includes an analog tape player coupled to a digitizer to transmit analog information from the recorded tape over at least one channel to the digitizer. At the same time, the tape player is coupled to a decoder and interface system which detects and decodes the digital codes on the tape corresponding to each period of recorded analog data and controls tape movement and digitizer initiation in response to preprogramed modes. A host computer is also coupled to the decoder and interface system and the digitizer and programmed to initiate specific modes of data decoding through the decoder and interface system including the automatic compilation and storage of digital identification information and digitized data for the period of recorded analog data corresponding to the digital identification data, compilation and storage of selected digitized data representing periods of recorded analog data, and compilation of digital identification information related to each of the periods of recorded analog data.

  1. SHSG processing for three-wavelength HOEs recording in silver halide materials

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kim, Jong Man; Choi, Yoon S.; Bjelkhagen, Hans I.; Phillips, Nicholas J.

    2002-06-01

    The recording and processing technique for color HOEs in ultrafine-grain panchromatic silver halide emulsions is presented. It is possible to obtain high diffraction efficiency employing the silver halide sensitized gelatin (SHSG) process. SHSG holograms are similar to holograms recorded in dichromated gelatin (DCG). The drawback of DCG is its low sensitivity and limited spectral response. Panchromatic silver halide materials from Slavich can be processed in such a way that the final holograms have properties like a DCG hologram. The processing method or microvoid technique has been optimized for three laser- wavelength recordings in Slavich PFG-03C emulsion. For example, applying this new processing technique high- efficiency white holographic reflectors can be manufactured. The technique is also suitable for producing efficiency color display holograms. In particular, masters for mass production of color holograms or color HOEs can be performed by contact-copying into photopolymer materials because the reconstruction wavelengths are identical to the recording wavelengths.

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

    Rodriguez, Mario E.

    An area in earthquake risk reduction that needs an urgent examination is the selection of earthquake records for nonlinear dynamic analysis of structures. An often-mentioned shortcoming from results of nonlinear dynamic analyses of structures is that these results are limited to the type of records that these analyses use as input data. This paper proposes a procedure for selecting earthquake records for nonlinear dynamic analysis of structures. This procedure uses a seismic damage index evaluated using the hysteretic energy dissipated by a Single Degree of Freedom System (SDOF) representing a multi-degree-of freedom structure responding to an earthquake record, and themore » plastic work capacity of the system at collapse. The type of structural system is considered using simple parameters. The proposed method is based on the evaluation of the damage index for a suite of earthquake records and a selected type of structural system. A set of 10 strong ground motion records is analyzed to show an application of the proposed procedure for selecting earthquake records for structural design.« less

  3. Video markers tracking methods for bike fitting

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rajkiewicz, Piotr; Łepkowska, Katarzyna; Cygan, Szymon

    2015-09-01

    Sports cycling is becoming increasingly popular over last years. Obtaining and maintaining a proper position on the bike has been shown to be crucial for performance, comfort and injury avoidance. Various techniques of bike fitting are available - from rough settings based on body dimensions to professional services making use of sophisticated equipment and expert knowledge. Modern fitting techniques use mainly joint angles as a criterion of proper position. In this work we examine performance of two proposed methods for dynamic cyclist position assessment based on video data recorded during stationary cycling. Proposed methods are intended for home use, to help amateur cyclist improve their position on the bike, and therefore no professional equipment is used. As a result of data processing, ranges of angles in selected joints are provided. Finally strengths and weaknesses of both proposed methods are discussed.

  4. The effects of acute alcohol exposure on the response properties of neurons in visual cortex area 17 of cats

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

    Chen Bo; State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Science, Beijing 100101; Xia Jing

    Physiological and behavioral studies have demonstrated that a number of visual functions such as visual acuity, contrast sensitivity, and motion perception can be impaired by acute alcohol exposure. The orientation- and direction-selective responses of cells in primary visual cortex are thought to participate in the perception of form and motion. To investigate how orientation selectivity and direction selectivity of neurons are influenced by acute alcohol exposure in vivo, we used the extracellular single-unit recording technique to examine the response properties of neurons in primary visual cortex (A17) of adult cats. We found that alcohol reduces spontaneous activity, visual evoked unitmore » responses, the signal-to-noise ratio, and orientation selectivity of A17 cells. In addition, small but detectable changes in both the preferred orientation/direction and the bandwidth of the orientation tuning curve of strongly orientation-biased A17 cells were observed after acute alcohol administration. Our findings may provide physiological evidence for some alcohol-related deficits in visual function observed in behavioral studies.« less

  5. Recordings for Children. A Selected List of Records and Cassettes. Fourth Edition.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Thomas, Elaine E., Comp.; And Others

    This booklet, compiled by three experts in children's recordings, provides a selected list of records and cassettes which can accommodate a broad range of informational and recreational requirements of children. Some of the subjects covered are children's songs and folk music, orchestral music, popular music, holidays, natural sciences and space…

  6. Computational problems in autoregressive moving average (ARMA) models

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Agarwal, G. C.; Goodarzi, S. M.; Oneill, W. D.; Gottlieb, G. L.

    1981-01-01

    The choice of the sampling interval and the selection of the order of the model in time series analysis are considered. Band limited (up to 15 Hz) random torque perturbations are applied to the human ankle joint. The applied torque input, the angular rotation output, and the electromyographic activity using surface electrodes from the extensor and flexor muscles of the ankle joint are recorded. Autoregressive moving average models are developed. A parameter constraining technique is applied to develop more reliable models. The asymptotic behavior of the system must be taken into account during parameter optimization to develop predictive models.

  7. X-ray Fluorescence Holography: Principles, Apparatus, and Applications

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hayashi, Kouichi; Korecki, Pawel

    2018-06-01

    X-ray fluorescence holography (XFH) is an atomic structure determination technique that combines the capabilities of X-ray diffraction and X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy. It provides a unique means of gaining fully three-dimensional information about the local atomic structure and lattice site positions of selected elements inside compound samples. In this work, we discuss experimental and theoretical aspects that are essential for the efficient recording and analysis of X-ray fluorescence holograms and review the most recent advances in XFH. We describe experiments performed with brilliant synchrotron radiation as well as with tabletop setups that employ conventional X-ray tubes.

  8. Comparison of digital and conventional impression techniques: evaluation of patients’ perception, treatment comfort, effectiveness and clinical outcomes

    PubMed Central

    2014-01-01

    Background The purpose of this study was to compare two impression techniques from the perspective of patient preferences and treatment comfort. Methods Twenty-four (12 male, 12 female) subjects who had no previous experience with either conventional or digital impression participated in this study. Conventional impressions of maxillary and mandibular dental arches were taken with a polyether impression material (Impregum, 3 M ESPE), and bite registrations were made with polysiloxane bite registration material (Futar D, Kettenbach). Two weeks later, digital impressions and bite scans were performed using an intra-oral scanner (CEREC Omnicam, Sirona). Immediately after the impressions were made, the subjects’ attitudes, preferences and perceptions towards impression techniques were evaluated using a standardized questionnaire. The perceived source of stress was evaluated using the State-Trait Anxiety Scale. Processing steps of the impression techniques (tray selection, working time etc.) were recorded in seconds. Statistical analyses were performed with the Wilcoxon Rank test, and p < 0.05 was considered significant. Results There were significant differences among the groups (p < 0.05) in terms of total working time and processing steps. Patients stated that digital impressions were more comfortable than conventional techniques. Conclusions Digital impressions resulted in a more time-efficient technique than conventional impressions. Patients preferred the digital impression technique rather than conventional techniques. PMID:24479892

  9. Processing and review interface for strong motion data (PRISM) software, version 1.0.0—Methodology and automated processing

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Jones, Jeanne; Kalkan, Erol; Stephens, Christopher

    2017-02-23

    A continually increasing number of high-quality digital strong-motion records from stations of the National Strong-Motion Project (NSMP) of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), as well as data from regional seismic networks within the United States, call for automated processing of strong-motion records with human review limited to selected significant or flagged records. The NSMP has developed the Processing and Review Interface for Strong Motion data (PRISM) software to meet this need. In combination with the Advanced National Seismic System Quake Monitoring System (AQMS), PRISM automates the processing of strong-motion records. When used without AQMS, PRISM provides batch-processing capabilities. The PRISM version 1.0.0 is platform independent (coded in Java), open source, and does not depend on any closed-source or proprietary software. The software consists of two major components: a record processing engine and a review tool that has a graphical user interface (GUI) to manually review, edit, and process records. To facilitate use by non-NSMP earthquake engineers and scientists, PRISM (both its processing engine and review tool) is easy to install and run as a stand-alone system on common operating systems such as Linux, OS X, and Windows. PRISM was designed to be flexible and extensible in order to accommodate new processing techniques. This report provides a thorough description and examples of the record processing features supported by PRISM. All the computing features of PRISM have been thoroughly tested.

  10. Methods for estimating selected low-flow statistics and development of annual flow-duration statistics for Ohio

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Koltun, G.F.; Kula, Stephanie P.

    2013-01-01

    This report presents the results of a study to develop methods for estimating selected low-flow statistics and for determining annual flow-duration statistics for Ohio streams. Regression techniques were used to develop equations for estimating 10-year recurrence-interval (10-percent annual-nonexceedance probability) low-flow yields, in cubic feet per second per square mile, with averaging periods of 1, 7, 30, and 90-day(s), and for estimating the yield corresponding to the long-term 80-percent duration flow. These equations, which estimate low-flow yields as a function of a streamflow-variability index, are based on previously published low-flow statistics for 79 long-term continuous-record streamgages with at least 10 years of data collected through water year 1997. When applied to the calibration dataset, average absolute percent errors for the regression equations ranged from 15.8 to 42.0 percent. The regression results have been incorporated into the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) StreamStats application for Ohio (http://water.usgs.gov/osw/streamstats/ohio.html) in the form of a yield grid to facilitate estimation of the corresponding streamflow statistics in cubic feet per second. Logistic-regression equations also were developed and incorporated into the USGS StreamStats application for Ohio for selected low-flow statistics to help identify occurrences of zero-valued statistics. Quantiles of daily and 7-day mean streamflows were determined for annual and annual-seasonal (September–November) periods for each complete climatic year of streamflow-gaging station record for 110 selected streamflow-gaging stations with 20 or more years of record. The quantiles determined for each climatic year were the 99-, 98-, 95-, 90-, 80-, 75-, 70-, 60-, 50-, 40-, 30-, 25-, 20-, 10-, 5-, 2-, and 1-percent exceedance streamflows. Selected exceedance percentiles of the annual-exceedance percentiles were subsequently computed and tabulated to help facilitate consideration of the annual risk of exceedance or nonexceedance of annual and annual-seasonal-period flow-duration values. The quantiles are based on streamflow data collected through climatic year 2008.

  11. The study of insect blood-feeding behaviour. 2. Recording techniques and the use of flow charts.

    PubMed

    Smith, J J; Friend, W G

    1987-01-01

    This paper continues a discussion of approaches and methodologies we have used in our studies of feeding in haematophagous insects. Described are techniques for directly monitoring behaviour: electrical recording of feeding behaviour via resistance changes in the food canal, optical methods for monitoring mouthpart activity, and a computer technique for behavioural event recording. Also described is the use of "flow charts" or "decision diagrams" to model interrelated sequences of behaviours.

  12. Highly selective plasma-activated copper catalysts for carbon dioxide reduction to ethylene

    DOE PAGES

    Mistry, Hemma; Varela, Ana Sofia; Bonifacio, Cecile S.; ...

    2016-06-30

    There is an urgent need to develop technologies that use renewable energy to convert waste products such as carbon dioxide into hydrocarbon fuels. Carbon dioxide can be electrochemically reduced to hydrocarbons over copper catalysts, although higher efficiency is required. We have developed oxidized copper catalysts displaying lower overpotentials for carbon dioxide electroreduction and record selectivity towards ethylene (60%) through facile and tunable plasma treatments. Herein we provide insight into the improved performance of these catalysts by combining electrochemical measurements with microscopic and spectroscopic characterization techniques. Operando X-ray absorption spectroscopy and cross-sectional scanning transmission electron microscopy show that copper oxides aremore » surprisingly resistant to reduction and copper + species remain on the surface during the reaction. Furthermore, our results demonstrate that the roughness of oxide-derived copper catalysts plays only a partial role in determining the catalytic performance, while the presence of copper + is key for lowering the onset potential and enhancing ethylene selectivity.« less

  13. Electrical Identification and Selective Microstimulation of Neuronal Compartments Based on Features of Extracellular Action Potentials

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Radivojevic, Milos; Jäckel, David; Altermatt, Michael; Müller, Jan; Viswam, Vijay; Hierlemann, Andreas; Bakkum, Douglas J.

    2016-08-01

    A detailed, high-spatiotemporal-resolution characterization of neuronal responses to local electrical fields and the capability of precise extracellular microstimulation of selected neurons are pivotal for studying and manipulating neuronal activity and circuits in networks and for developing neural prosthetics. Here, we studied cultured neocortical neurons by using high-density microelectrode arrays and optical imaging, complemented by the patch-clamp technique, and with the aim to correlate morphological and electrical features of neuronal compartments with their responsiveness to extracellular stimulation. We developed strategies to electrically identify any neuron in the network, while subcellular spatial resolution recording of extracellular action potential (AP) traces enabled their assignment to the axon initial segment (AIS), axonal arbor and proximal somatodendritic compartments. Stimulation at the AIS required low voltages and provided immediate, selective and reliable neuronal activation, whereas stimulation at the soma required high voltages and produced delayed and unreliable responses. Subthreshold stimulation at the soma depolarized the somatic membrane potential without eliciting APs.

  14. State of the art in marketing hospital foodservice departments.

    PubMed

    Pickens, C W; Shanklin, C W

    1985-11-01

    The purposes of this study were to identify the state of the art relative to the utilization of marketing techniques within hospital foodservice departments throughout the United States and to determine whether any relationships existed between the degree of utilization of marketing techniques and selected demographic characteristics of the foodservice administrators and/or operations. A validated questionnaire was mailed to 600 randomly selected hospital foodservice administrators requesting information related to marketing in their facilities. Forty-five percent of the questionnaires were returned and analyzed for frequency of response and significant relationship between variables. Chi-square was used for nominal data and Spearman rho for ranked data. Approximately 73% of the foodservice administrators stated that marketing was extremely important in the success of a hospital foodservice department. Respondents (79%) further indicated that marketing had become more important in their departments in the past 2 years. Departmental records, professional journals, foodservice suppliers, observation, and surveys were the sources most often used to obtain marketing data, a responsibility generally assumed by the foodservice director (86.2%). Merchandising, public relations, and word-of-mouth reputation were regarded as the most important aspects of marketing. Increased sales, participation, good will, departmental recognition, and employee satisfaction were used most frequently to evaluate the success of implemented marketing techniques. Marketing audits as a means of evaluating the success of marketing were used to a limited extent by the respondents.

  15. Virtual Sonography Through the Internet: Volume Compression Issues

    PubMed Central

    Vilarchao-Cavia, Joseba; Troyano-Luque, Juan-Mario; Clavijo, Matilde

    2001-01-01

    Background Three-dimensional ultrasound images allow virtual sonography even at a distance. However, the size of final 3-D files limits their transmission through slow networks such as the Internet. Objective To analyze compression techniques that transform ultrasound images into small 3-D volumes that can be transmitted through the Internet without loss of relevant medical information. Methods Samples were selected from ultrasound examinations performed during, 1999-2000, in the Obstetrics and Gynecology Department at the University Hospital in La Laguna, Canary Islands, Spain. The conventional ultrasound video output was recorded at 25 fps (frames per second) on a PC, producing 100- to 120-MB files (for from 500 to 550 frames). Processing to obtain 3-D images progressively reduced file size. Results The original frames passed through different compression stages: selecting the region of interest, rendering techniques, and compression for storage. Final 3-D volumes reached 1:25 compression rates (1.5- to 2-MB files). Those volumes need 7 to 8 minutes to be transmitted through the Internet at a mean data throughput of 6.6 Kbytes per second. At the receiving site, virtual sonography is possible using orthogonal projections or oblique cuts. Conclusions Modern volume-rendering techniques allowed distant virtual sonography through the Internet. This is the result of their efficient data compression that maintains its attractiveness as a main criterion for distant diagnosis. PMID:11720963

  16. Comparative evaluation of diode laser ablation and surgical stripping technique for gingival depigmentation: A clinical and immunohistochemical study.

    PubMed

    Bakutra, Gaurav; Shankarapillai, Rajesh; Mathur, Lalit; Manohar, Balaji

    2017-01-01

    There are various treatment modalities to remove the black patches of melanin pigmentation. The aim of the study is to clinically compare the diode laser ablation and surgical stripping technique for gingival depigmentation and to evaluate their effect on the histological changes in melanocyte activity. A total of 40 sites of 20 patients with bilateral melanin hyperpigmentation were treated with the surgical stripping and diode laser ablation technique. Change in Hedin index score, change in area of pigmentation using image analyzing software, pain perception, patient preference of treatment were recorded. All 40 sites were selected for immunohistochemical analysis using HMB-45 immunohistochemical marker. At 12 months post-operative visit, in all sites, repigmentation was observed with different grades of Hedin index. Paired t -test, analysis of variance, and Chi-square tests were used for statistical analysis. Repigmentation in surgical stripping is significantly lesser compared to laser ablation. Lesser numbers of melanocytes were found on immunohistological examination at 12 months postoperatively. Comparison for patient preference and pain indices give statistically significant values for diode laser techniques. Gingival hyperpigmentation is effectively managed by diode laser ablation technique and surgical stripping method. In this study, surgical stripping technique found to be better compared to diode laser ablation.

  17. Comparative evaluation of diode laser ablation and surgical stripping technique for gingival depigmentation: A clinical and immunohistochemical study

    PubMed Central

    Bakutra, Gaurav; Shankarapillai, Rajesh; Mathur, Lalit; Manohar, Balaji

    2017-01-01

    Introduction: There are various treatment modalities to remove the black patches of melanin pigmentation. The aim of the study is to clinically compare the diode laser ablation and surgical stripping technique for gingival depigmentation and to evaluate their effect on the histological changes in melanocyte activity. Materials and Methods: A total of 40 sites of 20 patients with bilateral melanin hyperpigmentation were treated with the surgical stripping and diode laser ablation technique. Change in Hedin index score, change in area of pigmentation using image analyzing software, pain perception, patient preference of treatment were recorded. All 40 sites were selected for immunohistochemical analysis using HMB-45 immunohistochemical marker. Results: At 12 months post-operative visit, in all sites, repigmentation was observed with different grades of Hedin index. Paired t-test, analysis of variance, and Chi-square tests were used for statistical analysis. Repigmentation in surgical stripping is significantly lesser compared to laser ablation. Lesser numbers of melanocytes were found on immunohistological examination at 12 months postoperatively. Comparison for patient preference and pain indices give statistically significant values for diode laser techniques. Conclusion: Gingival hyperpigmentation is effectively managed by diode laser ablation technique and surgical stripping method. In this study, surgical stripping technique found to be better compared to diode laser ablation. PMID:28539864

  18. Development of custom measurement system for biomechanical evaluation of independent wheelchair transfers.

    PubMed

    Koontz, Alicia M; Lin, Yen-Sheng; Kankipati, Padmaja; Boninger, Michael L; Cooper, Rory A

    2011-01-01

    This study describes a new custom measurement system designed to investigate the biomechanics of sitting-pivot wheelchair transfers and assesses the reliability of selected biomechanical variables. Variables assessed include horizontal and vertical reaction forces underneath both hands and three-dimensional trunk, shoulder, and elbow range of motion. We examined the reliability of these measures between 5 consecutive transfer trials for 5 subjects with spinal cord injury and 12 nondisabled subjects while they performed a self-selected sitting pivot transfer from a wheelchair to a level bench. A majority of the biomechanical variables demonstrated moderate to excellent reliability (r > 0.6). The transfer measurement system recorded reliable and valid biomechanical data for future studies of sitting-pivot wheelchair transfers.We recommend a minimum of five transfer trials to obtain a reliable measure of transfer technique for future studies.

  19. Biometric templates selection and update using quality measures

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Abboud, Ali J.; Jassim, Sabah A.

    2012-06-01

    To deal with severe variation in recording conditions, most biometric systems acquire multiple biometric samples, at the enrolment stage, for the same person and then extract their individual biometric feature vectors and store them in the gallery in the form of biometric template(s), labelled with the person's identity. The number of samples/templates and the choice of the most appropriate templates influence the performance of the system. The desired biometric template(s) selection technique must aim to control the run time and storage requirements while improving the recognition accuracy of the biometric system. This paper is devoted to elaborating on and discussing a new two stages approach for biometric templates selection and update. This approach uses a quality-based clustering, followed by a special criterion for the selection of an ultimate set of biometric templates from the various clusters. This approach is developed to select adaptively a specific number of templates for each individual. The number of biometric templates depends mainly on the performance of each individual (i.e. gallery size should be optimised to meet the needs of each target individual). These experiments have been conducted on two face image databases and their results will demonstrate the effectiveness of proposed quality-guided approach.

  20. 1. On note taking.

    PubMed

    Plaut, Alfred B J

    2005-02-01

    In this paper the author explores the theoretical and technical issues relating to taking notes of analytic sessions, using an introspective approach. The paper discusses the lack of a consistent approach to note taking amongst analysts and sets out to demonstrate that systematic note taking can be helpful to the analyst. The author describes his discovery that an initial phase where as much data was recorded as possible did not prove to be reliably helpful in clinical work and initially actively interfered with recall in subsequent sessions. The impact of the nature of the analytic session itself and the focus of the analyst's interest on recall is discussed. The author then describes how he modified his note taking technique to classify information from sessions into four categories which enabled the analyst to select which information to record in notes. The characteristics of memory and its constructive nature are discussed in relation to the problems that arise in making accurate notes of analytic sessions.

  1. ESTIMATING LOW-FLOW FREQUENCIES OF UNGAGED STREAMS IN NEW ENGLAND.

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Wandle, S. William

    1987-01-01

    Equations to estimate low flows were developed using multiple-regression analysis with a sample of 48 river basins, which were selected from the U. S. Geological Survey's network of gaged river basins in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont, and southwestern Maine. Low-flow characteristics are represented by the 7Q2 and 7Q10 (the annual minimum 7-day mean low flow at the 2- and 10-year recurrence intervals). These statistics for each of the 48 basins were determined from a low-flow frequency analysis of streamflow records for 1942-71, or from a graphical or mathematical relationship if the record did not cover this 30-year period. Estimators for the mean and variance of the 7-day low flows at the index and short-term sites were used for two stations where discharge measurements of base flow were available and for two sites where the graphical technique was unsatisfactory.

  2. Load research manual. Volume 2. Fundamentals of implementing load research procedures

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

    Brandenburg, L.; Clarkson, G.; Grund, Jr., C.

    This three-volume manual presents technical guidelines for electric utility load research. Special attention is given to issues raised by the load data reporting requirements of the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 and to problems faced by smaller utilities that are initiating load research programs. In Volumes 1 and 2, procedures are suggested for determining data requirements for load research, establishing the size and customer composition of a load survey sample, selecting and using equipment to record customer electricity usage, processing data tapes from the recording equipment, and analyzing the data. Statistical techniques used in customer sampling are discussedmore » in detail. The costs of load research also are estimated, and ongoing load research programs at three utilities are described. The manual includes guides to load research literature and glossaries of load research and statistical terms.« less

  3. Adaptive DOF for plenoptic cameras

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Oberdörster, Alexander; Lensch, Hendrik P. A.

    2013-03-01

    Plenoptic cameras promise to provide arbitrary re-focusing through a scene after the capture. In practice, however, the refocusing range is limited by the depth of field (DOF) of the plenoptic camera. For the focused plenoptic camera, this range is given by the range of object distances for which the microimages are in focus. We propose a technique of recording light fields with an adaptive depth of focus. Between multiple exposures { or multiple recordings of the light field { the distance between the microlens array (MLA) and the image sensor is adjusted. The depth and quality of focus is chosen by changing the number of exposures and the spacing of the MLA movements. In contrast to traditional cameras, extending the DOF does not necessarily lead to an all-in-focus image. Instead, the refocus range is extended. There is full creative control about the focus depth; images with shallow or selective focus can be generated.

  4. Electroencephalography in the Diagnosis of Genetic Generalized Epilepsy Syndromes

    PubMed Central

    Seneviratne, Udaya; Cook, Mark J.; D’Souza, Wendyl Jude

    2017-01-01

    Genetic generalized epilepsy (GGE) consists of several syndromes diagnosed and classified on the basis of clinical features and electroencephalographic (EEG) abnormalities. The main EEG feature of GGE is bilateral, synchronous, symmetric, and generalized spike-wave complex. Other classic EEG abnormalities are polyspikes, epileptiform K-complexes and sleep spindles, polyspike-wave discharges, occipital intermittent rhythmic delta activity, eye-closure sensitivity, fixation-off sensitivity, and photoparoxysmal response. However, admixed with typical changes, atypical epileptiform discharges are also commonly seen in GGE. There are circadian variations of generalized epileptiform discharges. Sleep, sleep deprivation, hyperventilation, intermittent photic stimulation, eye closure, and fixation-off are often used as activation techniques to increase the diagnostic yield of EEG recordings. Reflex seizure-related EEG abnormalities can be elicited by the use of triggers such as cognitive tasks and pattern stimulation during the EEG recording in selected patients. Distinct electrographic abnormalities to help classification can be identified among different electroclinical syndromes. PMID:28993753

  5. Utilizing electronic health records to predict acute kidney injury risk and outcomes: workgroup statements from the 15(th) ADQI Consensus Conference.

    PubMed

    Sutherland, Scott M; Chawla, Lakhmir S; Kane-Gill, Sandra L; Hsu, Raymond K; Kramer, Andrew A; Goldstein, Stuart L; Kellum, John A; Ronco, Claudio; Bagshaw, Sean M

    2016-01-01

    The data contained within the electronic health record (EHR) is "big" from the standpoint of volume, velocity, and variety. These circumstances and the pervasive trend towards EHR adoption have sparked interest in applying big data predictive analytic techniques to EHR data. Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a condition well suited to prediction and risk forecasting; not only does the consensus definition for AKI allow temporal anchoring of events, but no treatments exist once AKI develops, underscoring the importance of early identification and prevention. The Acute Dialysis Quality Initiative (ADQI) convened a group of key opinion leaders and stakeholders to consider how best to approach AKI research and care in the "Big Data" era. This manuscript addresses the core elements of AKI risk prediction and outlines potential pathways and processes. We describe AKI prediction targets, feature selection, model development, and data display.

  6. Detrended fluctuation analysis for major depressive disorder.

    PubMed

    Mumtaz, Wajid; Malik, Aamir Saeed; Ali, Syed Saad Azhar; Yasin, Mohd Azhar Mohd; Amin, Hafeezullah

    2015-01-01

    Clinical utility of Electroencephalography (EEG) based diagnostic studies is less clear for major depressive disorder (MDD). In this paper, a novel machine learning (ML) scheme was presented to discriminate the MDD patients and healthy controls. The proposed method inherently involved feature extraction, selection, classification and validation. The EEG data acquisition involved eyes closed (EC) and eyes open (EO) conditions. At feature extraction stage, the de-trended fluctuation analysis (DFA) was performed, based on the EEG data, to achieve scaling exponents. The DFA was performed to analyzes the presence or absence of long-range temporal correlations (LRTC) in the recorded EEG data. The scaling exponents were used as input features to our proposed system. At feature selection stage, 3 different techniques were used for comparison purposes. Logistic regression (LR) classifier was employed. The method was validated by a 10-fold cross-validation. As results, we have observed that the effect of 3 different reference montages on the computed features. The proposed method employed 3 different types of feature selection techniques for comparison purposes as well. The results show that the DFA analysis performed better in LE data compared with the IR and AR data. In addition, during Wilcoxon ranking, the AR performed better than LE and IR. Based on the results, it was concluded that the DFA provided useful information to discriminate the MDD patients and with further validation can be employed in clinics for diagnosis of MDD.

  7. Validation and evaluation of measuring methods for the 3D documentation of external injuries in the field of forensic medicine.

    PubMed

    Buck, Ursula; Buße, Kirsten; Campana, Lorenzo; Schyma, Christian

    2018-03-01

    Three-dimensional (3D) measurement techniques are gaining importance in many areas. The latest developments brought more cost-effective, user-friendly, and faster technologies onto the market. Which 3D techniques are suitable in the field of forensic medicine and what are their advantages and disadvantages? This wide-ranging study evaluated and validated various 3D measurement techniques for the forensic requirements. High-tech methods as well as low-budget systems have been tested and compared in terms of accuracy, ease of use, expenditure of time, mobility, cost, necessary knowhow, and their limitations. Within this study, various commercial measuring systems of the different techniques were tested. Based on the first results, one measuring system was selected for each technique, which appeared to be the most suitable for the forensic application or is already established in forensic medicine. A body of a deceased, a face and an injury of a living person, and a shoe sole were recorded by 11 people with different professions and previous knowledge using the selected systems. The results were assessed and the personal experiences were evaluated using a questionnaire. In addition, precision investigations were carried out using test objects. The study shows that the hand-held scanner and photogrammetry are very suitable for the 3D documentation of forensic medical findings. Their moderate acquisition costs and easy operation could lead to more frequent application in forensic medicine in the future. For special applications, the stripe-light scanner still has its justification due to its high precision, the flexible application area, and the high reliability. The results show that, thanks to the technological advances, the 3D measurement technology will have more and more impact on the routine of the forensic medical examination.

  8. Analog ensemble and Bayesian regression techniques to improve the wind speed prediction during extreme storms in the NE U.S.

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yang, J.; Astitha, M.; Delle Monache, L.; Alessandrini, S.

    2016-12-01

    Accuracy of weather forecasts in Northeast U.S. has become very important in recent years, given the serious and devastating effects of extreme weather events. Despite the use of evolved forecasting tools and techniques strengthened by increased super-computing resources, the weather forecasting systems still have their limitations in predicting extreme events. In this study, we examine the combination of analog ensemble and Bayesian regression techniques to improve the prediction of storms that have impacted NE U.S., mostly defined by the occurrence of high wind speeds (i.e. blizzards, winter storms, hurricanes and thunderstorms). The predicted wind speed, wind direction and temperature by two state-of-the-science atmospheric models (WRF and RAMS/ICLAMS) are combined using the mentioned techniques, exploring various ways that those variables influence the minimization of the prediction error (systematic and random). This study is focused on retrospective simulations of 146 storms that affected the NE U.S. in the period 2005-2016. In order to evaluate the techniques, leave-one-out cross validation procedure was implemented regarding 145 storms as the training dataset. The analog ensemble method selects a set of past observations that corresponded to the best analogs of the numerical weather prediction and provides a set of ensemble members of the selected observation dataset. The set of ensemble members can then be used in a deterministic or probabilistic way. In the Bayesian regression framework, optimal variances are estimated for the training partition by minimizing the root mean square error and are applied to the out-of-sample storm. The preliminary results indicate a significant improvement in the statistical metrics of 10-m wind speed for 146 storms using both techniques (20-30% bias and error reduction in all observation-model pairs). In this presentation, we discuss the various combinations of atmospheric predictors and techniques and illustrate how the long record of predicted storms is valuable in the improvement of wind speed prediction.

  9. Spatial and Functional Selectivity of Peripheral Nerve Signal Recording With the Transversal Intrafascicular Multichannel Electrode (TIME).

    PubMed

    Badia, Jordi; Raspopovic, Stanisa; Carpaneto, Jacopo; Micera, Silvestro; Navarro, Xavier

    2016-01-01

    The selection of suitable peripheral nerve electrodes for biomedical applications implies a trade-off between invasiveness and selectivity. The optimal design should provide the highest selectivity for targeting a large number of nerve fascicles with the least invasiveness and potential damage to the nerve. The transverse intrafascicular multichannel electrode (TIME), transversally inserted in the peripheral nerve, has been shown to be useful for the selective activation of subsets of axons, both at inter- and intra-fascicular levels, in the small sciatic nerve of the rat. In this study we assessed the capabilities of TIME for the selective recording of neural activity, considering the topographical selectivity and the distinction of neural signals corresponding to different sensory types. Topographical recording selectivity was proved by the differential recording of CNAPs from different subsets of nerve fibers, such as those innervating toes 2 and 4 of the hindpaw of the rat. Neural signals elicited by sensory stimuli applied to the rat paw were successfully recorded. Signal processing allowed distinguishing three different types of sensory stimuli such as tactile, proprioceptive and nociceptive ones with high performance. These findings further support the suitability of TIMEs for neuroprosthetic applications, by exploiting the transversal topographical structure of the peripheral nerves.

  10. Using a cashbook as textbook.

    PubMed

    Mullinix, B B

    1985-11-01

    In the Gambia, an innovative shceme was developed by government and parastatal organizations to provide small-scale businessmen and women with the skills required for banking and record-keeping. The course they developed applied the approach of specific literacy and numeracy. Specific literacy identifies and transmits a select group of literacy skills necessary to perform a given task. The course encouraged the learner to recognize, copy, and associate words with objects or ideas and, at the same time, learn to identify sounds with written letters. Role plays, homework assignments, self-corrected quizzes, and cashbook/workbooks were some of the techniques used to ensure that learners were able to create records and keep accurate account of their daily cash flow. The purpose of this short 6-month course was not to achieve full literacy for each and every learner, but to introduce specific skills that integrated literacy and business. In this way, the course emphasized the essentials of record-keeping, and hopefully encouraged the learners to develop their own practice: to create a system of written conventions they would use reularly to monitor their business transactions.

  11. Real-time X-ray Diffraction: Applications to Materials Characterization

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Rosemeier, R. G.

    1984-01-01

    With the high speed growth of materials it becomes necessary to develop measuring systems which also have the capabilities of characterizing these materials at high speeds. One of the conventional techniques of characterizing materials was X-ray diffraction. Film, which is the oldest method of recording the X-ray diffraction phenomenon, is not quite adequate in most circumstances to record fast changing events. Even though conventional proportional counters and scintillation counters can provide the speed necessary to record these changing events, they lack the ability to provide image information which may be important in some types of experiment or production arrangements. A selected number of novel applications of using X-ray diffraction to characterize materials in real-time are discussed. Also, device characteristics of some X-ray intensifiers useful in instantaneous X-ray diffraction applications briefly presented. Real-time X-ray diffraction experiments with the incorporation of image X-ray intensification add a new dimension in the characterization of materials. The uses of real-time image intensification in laboratory and production arrangements are quite unlimited and their application depends more upon the ingenuity of the scientist or engineer.

  12. A measurement of the mass of the top quark using the ideogram technique

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

    Houben, Pieter Willem Huib

    2009-06-03

    This thesis describes a measurement of the mass of the top quark on data collected with the D0 detector at the Tevatron collider in the period from 2002 until 2006. The first chapter describes the Standard Model and the prominent role of the top quark mass. The second chapter gives a description of the D0 detector which is used for this measurement. After the pmore » $$\\bar{p}$$ collisions have been recorded, reconstruction of physics objects is required, which is described in Chapter 3. Chapter 4 describes how the interesting collisions in which top quarks are produced are separated from the `uninteresting' ones with a set of selection criteria. The method to extract the top quark mass from the sample of selected collisions (also called events), which is based on the ideogram technique, is explained in Chapter 5, followed in Chapter 6 by the description of the calibration of the method using simulation of our most precise knowledge of nature. Chapter 7 shows the result of the measurement together with some cross checks and an estimation of the uncertainty on this measurement. This thesis concludes with a constraint on the Higgs boson mass.« less

  13. Neural network based visualization of collaborations in a citizen science project

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Morais, Alessandra M. M.; Santos, Rafael D. C.; Raddick, M. Jordan

    2014-05-01

    Citizen science projects are those in which volunteers are asked to collaborate in scientific projects, usually by volunteering idle computer time for distributed data processing efforts or by actively labeling or classifying information - shapes of galaxies, whale sounds, historical records are all examples of citizen science projects in which users access a data collecting system to label or classify images and sounds. In order to be successful, a citizen science project must captivate users and keep them interested on the project and on the science behind it, increasing therefore the time the users spend collaborating with the project. Understanding behavior of citizen scientists and their interaction with the data collection systems may help increase the involvement of the users, categorize them accordingly to different parameters, facilitate their collaboration with the systems, design better user interfaces, and allow better planning and deployment of similar projects and systems. Users behavior can be actively monitored or derived from their interaction with the data collection systems. Records of the interactions can be analyzed using visualization techniques to identify patterns and outliers. In this paper we present some results on the visualization of more than 80 million interactions of almost 150 thousand users with the Galaxy Zoo I citizen science project. Visualization of the attributes extracted from their behaviors was done with a clustering neural network (the Self-Organizing Map) and a selection of icon- and pixel-based techniques. These techniques allows the visual identification of groups of similar behavior in several different ways.

  14. Dosimetry during intramedullary nailing of the tibia.

    PubMed

    Kirousis, George; Delis, Harry; Megas, Panagiotis; Lambiris, Elias; Panayiotakis, George

    2009-10-01

    Intramedullary nailing under fluoroscopic guidance is a common operation. We studied the intraoperative radiation dose received by both the patient and the personnel. 25 intramedullary nailing procedures of the tibia were studied. All patients suffered from tibial fractures and were treated using the Grosse-Kempf intramedullary nail, with free-hand technique for fixation of the distal screws, under fluoroscopic guidance. The exposure, at selected positions, was recorded using an ion chamber, while the dose area product (DAP) was measured with a DAP meter, attached to the tube head. Thermoluminescent dosimeters (TLDs) were used to derive the occupational dose to the personnel, and also to monitor the surface dose on the gonads of some of the patients. The mean operation time was 101 (48-240) min, with a mean fluoroscopic time of 72 seconds and a mean DAP value of 75 cGy x cm(2). The surface dose to the gonads of the patients was less than 8.8 mGy during any procedure, and thus cannot be considered to be a contraindication for the use of this technique. Occupational dose differed substantially between members of the operating personnel, the maximum dose recorded being to the operator of the fluoroscopic equipment (0.11 mSv). Our findings underscore the care required by the primary operator not to exceed the dose constraint of 10 mSv per year. The rest of the operating personnel, although they do not receive very high doses, should focus on the dose optimization of the technique.

  15. Use of graph theory measures to identify errors in record linkage.

    PubMed

    Randall, Sean M; Boyd, James H; Ferrante, Anna M; Bauer, Jacqueline K; Semmens, James B

    2014-07-01

    Ensuring high linkage quality is important in many record linkage applications. Current methods for ensuring quality are manual and resource intensive. This paper seeks to determine the effectiveness of graph theory techniques in identifying record linkage errors. A range of graph theory techniques was applied to two linked datasets, with known truth sets. The ability of graph theory techniques to identify groups containing errors was compared to a widely used threshold setting technique. This methodology shows promise; however, further investigations into graph theory techniques are required. The development of more efficient and effective methods of improving linkage quality will result in higher quality datasets that can be delivered to researchers in shorter timeframes. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  16. A microcomputed tomography evaluation of the marginal fit of cobalt-chromium alloy copings fabricated by new manufacturing techniques and alloy systems.

    PubMed

    Kim, Eun-Ha; Lee, Du-Hyeong; Kwon, Sung-Min; Kwon, Tae-Yub

    2017-03-01

    Although new digital manufacturing techniques are attracting interest in dentistry, few studies have comprehensively investigated the marginal fit of fixed dental prostheses fabricated with such techniques. The purpose of this in vitro microcomputed tomography (μCT) study was to evaluate the marginal fit of cobalt-chromium (Co-Cr) alloy copings fabricated by casting and 3 different computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing (CAD-CAM)-based processing techniques and alloy systems. Single Co-Cr metal crowns were fabricated using 4 different manufacturing techniques: casting (control), milling, selective laser melting, and milling/sintering. Two different commercial alloy systems were used for each fabrication technique (a total of 8 groups; n=10 for each group). The marginal discrepancy and absolute marginal discrepancy of the crowns were determined with μCT. For each specimen, the values were determined from 4 different regions (sagittal buccal, sagittal lingual, coronal mesial, and coronal distal) by using imaging software and recorded as the average of the 4 readings. For each parameter, the results were statistically compared with 2-way analysis of variance and appropriate post hoc analysis (using Tukey or Student t test) (α=.05). The milling and selective laser melting groups showed significantly larger marginal discrepancies than the control groups (70.4 ±12.0 and 65.3 ±10.1 μm, respectively; P<.001), whereas the milling/sintering groups exhibited significantly smaller values than the controls (P=.004). The milling groups showed significantly larger absolute marginal discrepancy than the control groups (137.4 ±29.0 and 139.2 ±18.9 μm, respectively; P<.05). In the selective laser melting and milling/sintering groups, the absolute marginal discrepancy values were material-specific (P<.05). Nonetheless, the milling/sintering groups yielded statistically comparable (P=.935) or smaller (P<.001) absolute marginal discrepancies to the control groups. The findings of this in vitro μCT study showed that the marginal fit values of the Co-Cr alloy greatly depended on the fabrication methods and, occasionally, the alloy systems. Fixed dental prostheses produced by using the milling/sintering technique can be considered clinically acceptable in terms of marginal fit. Copyright © 2016 Editorial Council for the Journal of Prosthetic Dentistry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  17. Techniques for Analysis of DSN 64-meter Antenna Azimuth Bearing Film Height Records

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Stevens, R.; Quach, C. T.

    1983-01-01

    The DSN 64-m antennas use oil pad azimuth thrust bearings. Instrumentation on the bearing pads measures the height of the oil film between the pad and the bearing runner. Techniques to analyze the film height record are developed and discussed. The analysis techniques present the unwieldy data in a compact form for assessment of bearing condition. The techniques are illustrated by analysis of a small sample of film height records from each of the three 64-m antennas. The results show the general condition of the bearings of DSS 43 and DSS 63 as good to excellent, and a DSS 14 as marginal.

  18. Magnetic Tape Recording for the Eighties

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kalil, Ford (Editor)

    1982-01-01

    The practical and theoretical aspects of state-of-the-art magnetic tape recording technology are reviewed. Topics covered include the following: (1) analog and digital magnetic tape recording, (2) tape and head wear, (3) wear testing, (4) magnetic tape certification, (5) care, handling, and management of magnetic tape, (6) cleaning, packing, and winding of magnetic tape, (7) tape reels, bands, and packaging, (8) coding techniques for high-density digital recording, and (9) tradeoffs of coding techniques.

  19. Teaching an engine-driven preparation technique to undergraduates: initial observations.

    PubMed

    Hänni, S; Schönenberger, K; Peters, O A; Barbakow, F

    2003-07-01

    This paper describes the initial experiences following the introduction of a rotary engine-driven preparation technique into the undergraduate endodontic programme at the Zurich University Dental Centre. Forty third-year students practised the ProFile.04 (PF.04) technique between January and July 2001 in a preclinical course. Between November 2001 and February 2002, 20 of these students (Group A) root-treated 51 teeth in their clinical course using either PF.04, the balanced force technique (BFT) or a combination of both. The second group of 20 students (Group B) similarly treated another 36 randomly selected teeth between April and July 2002. Types of teeth treated by the students and the canal preparation techniques were recorded. The students also completed a short questionnaire, evaluating their opinions of the new course. Of the 87 teeth endodontically treated during the clinical course, 34, 14 and 39 were shaped using PF.04 alone, a combination of PF.04 and BFT and BFT alone, respectively. No rotary instruments were fractured during the 1-year clinical course, although some instruments were fractured during the preclinical laboratory course. Overall, the students rated the rotary technique as positive. A rotary technique was successfully introduced into an undergraduate endodontic programme (this will be continued in the foreseeable future). However, the continuity between the preclinical and the clinical courses was poor as a result of the constraints of the general teaching programme.

  20. Reducing the period of data collection for intake and gain to improve response to selection for feed efficiency in beef cattle

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Shortening the period of recording individual feed intake may improve selection response for feed efficiency by increasing the number of cattle that can be recorded given facilities of fixed capacity. Individual DMI and ADG records of 3,462 steers and 2,869 heifers over the entire intake recording p...

  1. Monitoring In Vivo Changes in Tonic Extracellular Dopamine Level by Charge-Balancing Multiple Waveform Fast-Scan Cyclic Voltammetry.

    PubMed

    Oh, Yoonbae; Park, Cheonho; Kim, Do Hyoung; Shin, Hojin; Kang, Yu Min; DeWaele, Mark; Lee, Jeyeon; Min, Hoon-Ki; Blaha, Charles D; Bennet, Kevin E; Kim, In Young; Lee, Kendall H; Jang, Dong Pyo

    2016-11-15

    Dopamine (DA) modulates central neuronal activity through both phasic (second to second) and tonic (minutes to hours) terminal release. Conventional fast-scan cyclic voltammetry (FSCV), in combination with carbon fiber microelectrodes, has been used to measure phasic DA release in vivo by adopting a background subtraction procedure to remove background capacitive currents. However, measuring tonic changes in DA concentrations using conventional FSCV has been difficult because background capacitive currents are inherently unstable over long recording periods. To measure tonic changes in DA concentrations over several hours, we applied a novel charge-balancing multiple waveform FSCV (CBM-FSCV), combined with a dual background subtraction technique, to minimize temporal variations in background capacitive currents. Using this method, in vitro, charge variations from a reference time point were nearly zero for 48 h, whereas with conventional background subtraction, charge variations progressively increased. CBM-FSCV also demonstrated a high selectivity against 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid and ascorbic acid, two major chemical interferents in the brain, yielding a sensitivity of 85.40 ± 14.30 nA/μM and limit of detection of 5.8 ± 0.9 nM for DA while maintaining selectivity. Recorded in vivo by CBM-FSCV, pharmacological inhibition of DA reuptake (nomifensine) resulted in a 235 ± 60 nM increase in tonic extracellular DA concentrations, while inhibition of DA synthesis (α-methyl-dl-tyrosine) resulted in a 72.5 ± 4.8 nM decrease in DA concentrations over a 2 h period. This study showed that CBM-FSCV may serve as a unique voltammetric technique to monitor relatively slow changes in tonic extracellular DA concentrations in vivo over a prolonged time period.

  2. Design and Evaluation of Perceptual-based Object Group Selection Techniques

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dehmeshki, Hoda

    Selecting groups of objects is a frequent task in graphical user interfaces. It is required prior to many standard operations such as deletion, movement, or modification. Conventional selection techniques are lasso, rectangle selection, and the selection and de-selection of items through the use of modifier keys. These techniques may become time-consuming and error-prone when target objects are densely distributed or when the distances between target objects are large. Perceptual-based selection techniques can considerably improve selection tasks when targets have a perceptual structure, for example when arranged along a line. Current methods to detect such groups use ad hoc grouping algorithms that are not based on results from perception science. Moreover, these techniques do not allow selecting groups with arbitrary arrangements or permit modifying a selection. This dissertation presents two domain-independent perceptual-based systems that address these issues. Based on established group detection models from perception research, the proposed systems detect perceptual groups formed by the Gestalt principles of good continuation and proximity. The new systems provide gesture-based or click-based interaction techniques for selecting groups with curvilinear or arbitrary structures as well as clusters. Moreover, the gesture-based system is adapted for the graph domain to facilitate path selection. This dissertation includes several user studies that show the proposed systems outperform conventional selection techniques when targets form salient perceptual groups and are still competitive when targets are semi-structured.

  3. Digital processing of array seismic recordings

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Ryall, Alan; Birtill, John

    1962-01-01

    This technical letter contains a brief review of the operations which are involved in digital processing of array seismic recordings by the methods of velocity filtering, summation, cross-multiplication and integration, and by combinations of these operations (the "UK Method" and multiple correlation). Examples are presented of analyses by the several techniques on array recordings which were obtained by the U.S. Geological Survey during chemical and nuclear explosions in the western United States. Seismograms are synthesized using actual noise and Pn-signal recordings, such that the signal-to-noise ratio, onset time and velocity of the signal are predetermined for the synthetic record. These records are then analyzed by summation, cross-multiplication, multiple correlation and the UK technique, and the results are compared. For all of the examples presented, analysis by the non-linear techniques of multiple correlation and cross-multiplication of the traces on an array recording are preferred to analyses by the linear operations involved in summation and the UK Method.

  4. A Novel Stimulus Artifact Removal Technique for High-Rate Electrical Stimulation

    PubMed Central

    Heffer, Leon F; Fallon, James B

    2008-01-01

    Electrical stimulus artifact corrupting electrophysiological recordings often make the subsequent analysis of the underlying neural response difficult. This is particularly evident when investigating short-latency neural activity in response to high-rate electrical stimulation. We developed and evaluated an off-line technique for the removal of stimulus artifact from electrophysiological recordings. Pulsatile electrical stimulation was presented at rates of up to 5000 pulses/s during extracellular recordings of guinea pig auditory nerve fibers. Stimulus artifact was removed by replacing the sample points at each stimulus artifact event with values interpolated along a straight line, computed from neighbouring sample points. This technique required only that artifact events be identifiable and that the artifact duration remained less than both the inter-stimulus interval and the time course of the action potential. We have demonstrated that this computationally efficient sample-and-interpolate technique removes the stimulus artifact with minimal distortion of the action potential waveform. We suggest that this technique may have potential applications in a range of electrophysiological recording systems. PMID:18339428

  5. Improving data quality in neuronal population recordings

    PubMed Central

    Harris, Kenneth D.; Quian Quiroga, Rodrigo; Freeman, Jeremy; Smith, Spencer

    2017-01-01

    Understanding how the brain operates requires understanding how large sets of neurons function together. Modern recording technology makes it possible to simultaneously record the activity of hundreds of neurons, and technological developments will soon allow recording of thousands or tens of thousands. As with all experimental techniques, these methods are subject to confounds that complicate the interpretation of such recordings, and could lead to erroneous scientific conclusions. Here, we discuss methods for assessing and improving the quality of data from these techniques, and outline likely future directions in this field. PMID:27571195

  6. 77 FR 8901 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comment Request

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-02-15

    ... request information from or copies of Selective Service System (SSS) records. The public is invited to... Archives and Records Administration (NARA) administers the Selective Service System (SSS) records. The SSS..., 1960. When registrants or other authorized individuals request information from or copies of SSS...

  7. Constraint-Induced Therapy Combined with Conventional Neurorehabilitation Techniques in Chronic Stroke Patients with Plegic Hands: A Case Series

    PubMed Central

    Taub, Edward; Uswatte, Gitendra; Bowman, Mary H.; Mark, Victor W.; Delgado, Adriana; Bryson, Camille; Morris, David; Bishop-McKay, Staci

    2012-01-01

    Objective To determine in this pilot study whether the combination of CI therapy and conventional rehabilitation techniques can produce meaningful motor improvement in chronic stroke patients with initially fisted hands. In the past, limited success has been achieved using CI therapy alone for stroke patients with plegic hands. Design Case series Setting University hospital outpatient laboratory Participants Consecutive sample of 6 patients > 1 yr post-stroke with plegic hands Interventions Treatment consisted of an initial period of 3 weeks (Phase A) when adaptive equipment in the home, orthotics and splints were employed to improve ability to engage in activities of daily living. This was continued in Phase B, when CI therapy along with selected neurodevelopmental treatment techniques were added. Main Outcome Measures Motor Activity Log (MAL), accelerometry, Fugl-Meyer Motor Assessment (F-M) Results Patients exhibited a large improvement in spontaneous real-world use of the more-affected arm (mean lower-functioning MAL change = 1.3±0.4 points, P <0.001, d′ = 3.0), and a similar pattern of increase in an objective measure of real-world more-affected arm movement (mean change in ratio of more- to less-affected arm accelerometer recordings = 0.12±0.1 points, P = 0.016 d′ = 1.2). A large improvement in motor status was also recorded (mean F-M change = 5.3±3.3 points, P = 0.005, d′ = 1.6). Conclusions The findings of this pilot study suggest that stroke patients with plegic hands can benefit from CI therapy combined with some conventional rehabilitation techniques, even long after brain injury. More research is warranted. PMID:22922823

  8. Effective doses to patients undergoing thoracic computed tomography examinations.

    PubMed

    Huda, W; Scalzetti, E M; Roskopf, M

    2000-05-01

    The purpose of this study was to investigate how x-ray technique factors and effective doses vary with patient size in chest CT examinations. Technique factors (kVp, mAs, section thickness, and number of sections) were recorded for 44 patients who underwent a routine chest CT examination. Patient weights were recorded together with dimensions and mean Hounsfield unit values obtained from representative axial CT images. The total mass of directly irradiated patient was modeled as a cylinder of water to permit the computation of the mean patient dose and total energy imparted for each chest CT examination. Computed values of energy imparted during the chest CT examination were converted into effective doses taking into account the patient weight. Patient weights ranged from 4.5 to 127 kg, and half the patients in this study were children under 18 years of age. All scans were performed at 120 kVp with a 1 s scan time. The selected tube current showed no correlation with patient weight (r2=0.06), indicating that chest CT examination protocols do not take into account for the size of the patient. Energy imparted increased with increasing patient weight, with values of energy imparted for 10 and 70 kg patients being 85 and 310 mJ, respectively. The effective dose showed an inverse correlation with increasing patient weight, however, with values of effective dose for 10 and 70 kg patients being 9.6 and 5.4 mSv, respectively. Current CT technique factors (kVp/mAs) used to perform chest CT examinations result in relatively high patient doses, which could be reduced by adjusting technique factors based on patient size.

  9. [Aging affects early stage direction selectivity of MT cells in rhesus monkeys].

    PubMed

    Liang, Zhen; Chen, Yue-Ming; Meng, Xue; Wang, Yi; Zhou, Bao-Zhuo; Xie, Ying-Ying; He, Wen-Sheng

    2012-10-01

    The middle temporal area (MT/V5) plays an important role in motion processing. Neurons in this area have a strongly selective response to the moving direction of objects and as such, the selectivity of MT neurons was proposed to be a neural mechanism for the perception of motion. Our previous studies have found degradation in direction selectivity of MT neurons in old monkeys, but this direction selectivity was calculated during the whole response time and the results were not able to uncover the mechanism of motion perception over a time course. Furthermore, experiments have found that direction selectivity was enhanced by attention at a later stage. Therefore, the response should be excluded in experiments with anesthesia. To further characterize the neural mechanism over a time course, we investigated the age-related changes of direction selectivity in the early stage by comparing the proportions of direction selective MT cells in old and young macaque monkeys using in vivo single-cell recording techniques. Our results show that the proportion of early-stage-direction-selective cells is lower in old monkeys than in young monkeys, and that the early stage direction bias (esDB) of old MT cells decreased relative to young MT cells. Furthermore, the proportion of MT cells having strong early stage direction selectivity in old monkeys was decreased. Accordingly, the functional degradation in the early stage of MT cells may mediate perceptual declines of old primates in visual motion tasks.

  10. PRISM Software: Processing and Review Interface for Strong‐Motion Data

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Jones, Jeanne M.; Kalkan, Erol; Stephens, Christopher D.; Ng, Peter

    2017-01-01

    A continually increasing number of high‐quality digital strong‐motion records from stations of the National Strong Motion Project (NSMP) of the U.S. Geological Survey, as well as data from regional seismic networks within the United States, calls for automated processing of strong‐motion records with human review limited to selected significant or flagged records. The NSMP has developed the Processing and Review Interface for Strong Motion data (PRISM) software to meet this need. In combination with the Advanced National Seismic System Quake Monitoring System (AQMS), PRISM automates the processing of strong‐motion records. When used without AQMS, PRISM provides batch‐processing capabilities. The PRISM software is platform independent (coded in Java), open source, and does not depend on any closed‐source or proprietary software. The software consists of two major components: a record processing engine composed of modules for each processing step, and a review tool, which is a graphical user interface for manual review, edit, and processing. To facilitate use by non‐NSMP earthquake engineers and scientists, PRISM (both its processing engine and review tool) is easy to install and run as a stand‐alone system on common operating systems such as Linux, OS X, and Windows. PRISM was designed to be flexible and extensible to accommodate implementation of new processing techniques. All the computing features have been thoroughly tested.

  11. Identifying past fire regimes throughout the Holocene in Ireland using new and established methods of charcoal analysis

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hawthorne, Donna; Mitchell, Fraser J. G.

    2016-04-01

    Globally, in recent years there has been an increase in the scale, intensity and level of destruction caused by wildfires. This can be seen in Ireland where significant changes in vegetation, land use, agriculture and policy, have promoted an increase in fires in the Irish landscape. This study looks at wildfire throughout the Holocene and draws on lacustrine charcoal records from seven study sites spread across Ireland, to reconstruct the past fire regimes recorded at each site. This work utilises new and accepted methods of fire history reconstruction to provide a recommended analytical procedure for statistical charcoal analysis. Digital charcoal counting was used and fire regime reconstructions carried out via the CharAnalysis programme. To verify this record new techniques are employed; an Ensemble-Member strategy to remove the objectivity associated with parameter selection, a Signal to Noise Index to determine if the charcoal record is appropriate for peak detection, and a charcoal peak screening procedure to validate the identified fire events based on bootstrapped samples. This analysis represents the first study of its kind in Ireland, examining the past record of fire on a multi-site and paleoecological timescale, and will provide a baseline level of data which can be built on in the future when the frequency and intensity of fire is predicted to increase.

  12. Implementing a mixed-mode design for collecting administrative records: striking a balance between quality and burden

    EIA Publications

    2012-01-01

    RECS relies on actual records from energy suppliers to produce robust survey estimates of household energy consumption and expenditures. During the RECS Energy Supplier Survey (ESS), energy billing records are collected from the companies that supply electricity, natural gas, fuel oil/kerosene, and propane (LPG) to the interviewed households. As Federal agencies expand the use of administrative records to enhance, replace, or evaluate survey data, EIA has explored more flexible, reliable and efficient techniques to collect energy billing records. The ESS has historically been a mail-administered survey, but EIA introduced web data collection with the 2009 RECS ESS. In that survey, energy suppliers self-selected their reporting mode among several options: standardized paper form, on-line fillable form or spreadsheet, or failing all else, a nonstandard format of their choosing. In this paper, EIA describes where reporting mode appears to influence the data quality. We detail the reporting modes, the embedded and post-hoc quality control and consistency checks that were performed, the extent of detectable errors, and the methods used for correcting data errors. We explore by mode the levels of unit and item nonresponse, number of errors, and corrections made to the data. In summary, we find notable differences in data quality between modes and analyze where the benefits of offering these new modes outweigh the "costs".

  13. Determination of cell metabolite VEGF₁₆₅ and dynamic analysis of protein-DNA interactions by combination of microfluidic technique and luminescent switch-on probe.

    PubMed

    Lin, Xuexia; Leung, Ka-Ho; Lin, Ling; Lin, Luyao; Lin, Sheng; Leung, Chung-Hang; Ma, Dik-Lung; Lin, Jin-Ming

    2016-05-15

    In this paper, we rationally design a novel G-quadruplex-selective luminescent iridium (III) complex for rapid detection of oligonucleotide and VEGF165 in microfluidics. This new probe is applied as a convenient biosensor for label-free quantitative analysis of VEGF165 protein from cell metabolism, as well as for studying the kinetics of the aptamer-protein interaction combination with a microfluidic platform. As a result, we have successfully established a quantitative analysis of VEGF165 from cell metabolism. Furthermore, based on the principles of hydrodynamic focusing and diffusive mixing, different transient states during kinetics process were monitored and recorded. Thus, the combination of microfluidic technique and G-quadruplex luminescent probe will be potentially applied in the studies of intramolecular interactions and molecule recognition in the future. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  14. An in-plane magnetic chiral dichroism approach for measurement of intrinsic magnetic signals using transmitted electrons

    PubMed Central

    Song, Dongsheng; Tavabi, Amir H.; Li, Zi-An; Kovács, András; Rusz, Ján; Huang, Wenting; Richter, Gunther; Dunin-Borkowski, Rafal E.; Zhu, Jing

    2017-01-01

    Electron energy-loss magnetic chiral dichroism is a powerful technique that allows the local magnetic properties of materials to be measured quantitatively with close-to-atomic spatial resolution and element specificity in the transmission electron microscope. Until now, the technique has been restricted to measurements of the magnetic circular dichroism signal in the electron beam direction. However, the intrinsic magnetization directions of thin samples are often oriented in the specimen plane, especially when they are examined in magnetic-field-free conditions in the transmission electron microscope. Here, we introduce an approach that allows in-plane magnetic signals to be measured using electron magnetic chiral dichroism by selecting a specific diffraction geometry. We compare experimental results recorded from a cobalt nanoplate with simulations to demonstrate that an electron magnetic chiral dichroism signal originating from in-plane magnetization can be detected successfully. PMID:28504267

  15. Optimizing the design of small-sized nucleus breeding programs for dairy cattle with minimal performance recording.

    PubMed

    Kariuki, C M; Komen, H; Kahi, A K; van Arendonk, J A M

    2014-12-01

    Dairy cattle breeding programs in developing countries are constrained by minimal and erratic pedigree and performance recording on cows on commercial farms. Small-sized nucleus breeding programs offer a viable alternative. Deterministic simulations using selection index theory were performed to determine the optimum design for small-sized nucleus schemes for dairy cattle. The nucleus was made up of 197 bulls and 243 cows distributed in 8 non-overlapping age classes. Each year 10 sires and 100 dams were selected to produce the next generation of male and female selection candidates. Conception rates and sex ratio were fixed at 0.90 and 0.50, respectively, translating to 45 male and 45 female candidates joining the nucleus per year. Commercial recorded dams provided information for genetic evaluation of selection candidates (bulls) in the nucleus. Five strategies were defined: nucleus records only [within-nucleus dam performance (DP)], progeny records in addition to nucleus records [progeny testing (PT)], genomic information only [genomic selection (GS)], dam performance records in addition to genomic information (GS+DP), and progeny records in addition to genomic information (GS+PT). Alternative PT, GS, GS+DP, and GS+PT schemes differed in the number of progeny per sire and size of reference population. The maximum number of progeny records per sire was 30, and the maximum size of the reference population was 5,000. Results show that GS schemes had higher responses and lower accuracies compared with other strategies, with the higher response being due to shorter generation intervals. Compared with similar sized progeny-testing schemes, genomic-selection schemes would have lower accuracies but these are offset by higher responses per year, which might provide additional incentive for farmers to participate in recording. Copyright © 2014 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  16. Comparison of Mono-, Bi-, and Tripolar Configurations for Stimulation and Recording With an Interfascicular Interface.

    PubMed

    Nielsen, Thomas N; Sevcencu, Cristian; Struijk, Johannes J

    2014-01-01

    Previous studies have indicated that electrodes placed between fascicles can provide nerve recruitment with high topological selectivity if the areas of interest in the nerve are separated with passive elements. In this study, we investigated if this separation of fascicles also can provide topologically selective nerve recordings and compared the performance of mono-, bi-, and tripolar configurations for stimulation and recording with an intra-neural interface. The interface was implanted in the sciatic nerve of 10 rabbits and achieved a median selectivity of Ŝ=0.98-0.99 for all stimulation configurations, while recording selectivity configurations was in the range of Ŝ=0.70-0.80 with the monopolar configuration providing the lowest and the average reference configuration the highest recording selectivity. Interfascicular electrodes could provide an interesting addition to the bulk of peripheral nerve interfaces available for neural prosthetic devices. The separation of the nerve into chambers by the passive elements of the electrode could ensure a higher selectivity than comparable cuff electrodes and the intra-neural location could provide an option of targeting mainly central fascicles. Further studies are, however, still required to develop biocompatible electrodes and test their stability and safety in chronic experiments.

  17. Video techniques and data compared with observation in emergency trauma care

    PubMed Central

    Mackenzie, C; Xiao, Y

    2003-01-01

    Video recording is underused in improving patient safety and understanding performance shaping factors in patient care. We report our experience of using video recording techniques in a trauma centre, including how to gain cooperation of clinicians for video recording of their workplace performance, identify strengths of video compared with observation, and suggest processes for consent and maintenance of confidentiality of video records. Video records are a rich source of data for documenting clinician performance which reveal safety and systems issues not identified by observation. Emergency procedures and video records of critical events identified patient safety, clinical, quality assurance, systems failures, and ergonomic issues. Video recording is a powerful feedback and training tool and provides a reusable record of events that can be repeatedly reviewed and used as research data. It allows expanded analyses of time critical events, trauma resuscitation, anaesthesia, and surgical tasks. To overcome some of the key obstacles in deploying video recording techniques, researchers should (1) develop trust with video recorded subjects, (2) obtain clinician participation for introduction of a new protocol or line of investigation, (3) report aggregated video recorded data and use clinician reviews for feedback on covert processes and cognitive analyses, and (4) involve multidisciplinary experts in medicine and nursing. PMID:14645896

  18. Analytical and experimental evaluation of techniques for the fabrication of thermoplastic hologram storage devices

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Rogers, J. W.

    1975-01-01

    The results of an experimental investigation on recording information on thermoplastic are given. A description was given of a typical fabrication configuration, the recording sequence, and the samples which were examined. There are basically three configurations which can be used for the recording of information on thermoplastic. The most popular technique uses corona which furnishes free charge. The necessary energy for deformation is derived from a charge layer atop the thermoplastic. The other two techniques simply use a dc potential in place of the corona for deformation energy.

  19. Multidisciplinary approach to chest wall resection and reconstruction for chest wall tumors, a single center experience

    PubMed Central

    Liparulo, Valeria; Pica, Alessandra; Guarro, Giuseppe; Alfano, Carmine; Puma, Francesco

    2017-01-01

    Background Chest wall resection and reconstruction (CWRR) is quite challenging in surgery, due to evolution in techniques. Neoplasms of the chest wall, primary or secondary, have been considered inoperable for a long time. Thanks to evolving surgical techniques, reconstruction after extensive chest wall resection is possible with good functional and aesthetic results. Methods In our single-center experience, seven cases of extensive CWRR for tumors were performed with a multidisciplinary approach by both thoracic and plastic surgeons. Patients have been retrospective analyzed. Results Acceptable clinical and aesthetical results have been recorded, with a smooth post-operative course and a low rate of post-surgical complications. Two early complications and one late complication (asymptomatic bone allograft fracture on the site of the bar implant) were recorded. Neither postoperative deaths nor local recurrences were registered after a median follow-up period of 13 months. Conclusions Surgical planning is most effective when it is tailored to the patient. Specifically, in the treatment of selected chest wall tumors, the multidisciplinary approach is considered mandatory when an extensive demolition is required. Indeed, here, the radical wide en-bloc resection can lead to good results provided that the extent of resection is not influenced by any anticipated problem in reconstruction. PMID:29312715

  20. Effective direction of arrival estimation of gunshot signals from an in-flight unmanned aerial vehicle

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ribeiro, Juliano G. C.; Serrenho, Felipe G.; Apolinário, José A.; Ramos, António L. L.

    2018-04-01

    Spotting a shooter from a drone has been the subject of great interest lately due to its many applications in the fields of defense and security and law enforcement. Using a drone can be an effective way to detect potential threats in many real-life scenarios. Nevertheless, acoustic signals recorded from a drone usually exhibit a very low SNR, mainly due to the distance to the source and the proximity of the sensors to the propellers. This is a serious limiting factor and, therefore, the use of signal enhancement techniques is required. This work addresses the problem of determining the Direction-of-Arrival (DoA) of the muzzle blast, captured using a planar microphone array mounted on a commercial DJI PHANTOM 4 drone in flight. This new shooter localization method that relies solely on detecting and estimating the DoA of the muzzle blast. However, the typical low SNR in this scenario requires the use of preprocessing techniques, such as signal clipping and median filtering, to enhance the signal of interest (muzzle blast). In addition, we employ a recently introduced improved data selection DoA estimation method suitable for gunshot signals recorded from a low to medium altitude mobile aerial platform. Positive results achieved indicate that this approach is effective and of practical interest.

  1. Recording Approach of Heritage Sites Based on Merging Point Clouds from High Resolution Photogrammetry and Terrestrial Laser Scanning

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Grussenmeyer, P.; Alby, E.; Landes, T.; Koehl, M.; Guillemin, S.; Hullo, J. F.; Assali, P.; Smigiel, E.

    2012-07-01

    Different approaches and tools are required in Cultural Heritage Documentation to deal with the complexity of monuments and sites. The documentation process has strongly changed in the last few years, always driven by technology. Accurate documentation is closely relied to advances of technology (imaging sensors, high speed scanning, automation in recording and processing data) for the purposes of conservation works, management, appraisal, assessment of the structural condition, archiving, publication and research (Patias et al., 2008). We want to focus in this paper on the recording aspects of cultural heritage documentation, especially the generation of geometric and photorealistic 3D models for accurate reconstruction and visualization purposes. The selected approaches are based on the combination of photogrammetric dense matching and Terrestrial Laser Scanning (TLS) techniques. Both techniques have pros and cons and recent advances have changed the way of the recording approach. The choice of the best workflow relies on the site configuration, the performances of the sensors, and criteria as geometry, accuracy, resolution, georeferencing, texture, and of course processing time. TLS techniques (time of flight or phase shift systems) are widely used for recording large and complex objects and sites. Point cloud generation from images by dense stereo or multi-view matching can be used as an alternative or as a complementary method to TLS. Compared to TLS, the photogrammetric solution is a low cost one, as the acquisition system is limited to a high-performance digital camera and a few accessories only. Indeed, the stereo or multi-view matching process offers a cheap, flexible and accurate solution to get 3D point clouds. Moreover, the captured images might also be used for models texturing. Several software packages are available, whether web-based, open source or commercial. The main advantage of this photogrammetric or computer vision based technology is to get at the same time a point cloud (the resolution depends on the size of the pixel on the object), and therefore an accurate meshed object with its texture. After matching and processing steps, we can use the resulting data in much the same way as a TLS point cloud, but in addition with radiometric information for textures. The discussion in this paper reviews recording and important processing steps as geo-referencing and data merging, the essential assessment of the results, and examples of deliverables from projects of the Photogrammetry and Geomatics Group (INSA Strasbourg, France).

  2. Ground-water data for the Beryl-Enterprise area, Escalante Desert, Utah

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Mower, R.W.

    1981-01-01

    This report contains a compilation of selected ground-water data for the Beryl-Enterprise area, Iron and Washington Counties, Utah. The records of the wells include such information as driller 's logs, yield, drawdown, use, and temperature of the well water. There are also records of water levels in selected wells for the period 1973-79, chemical analyses of ground water, records of selected springs, and a tabulation of ground-water withdrawals for 1937-78. (USGS)

  3. Evaluation of the mining techniques in constructing a traditional Chinese-language nursing recording system.

    PubMed

    Liao, Pei-Hung; Chu, William; Chu, Woei-Chyn

    2014-05-01

    In 2009, the Department of Health, part of Taiwan's Executive Yuan, announced the advent of electronic medical records to reduce medical expenses and facilitate the international exchange of medical record information. An information technology platform for nursing records in medical institutions was then quickly established, which improved nursing information systems and electronic databases. The purpose of the present study was to explore the usability of the data mining techniques to enhance completeness and ensure consistency of nursing records in the database system.First, the study used a Chinese word-segmenting system on common and special terms often used by the nursing staff. We also used text-mining techniques to collect keywords and create a keyword lexicon. We then used an association rule and artificial neural network to measure the correlation and forecasting capability for keywords. Finally, nursing staff members were provided with an on-screen pop-up menu to use when establishing nursing records. Our study found that by using mining techniques we were able to create a powerful keyword lexicon and establish a forecasting model for nursing diagnoses, ensuring the consistency of nursing terminology and improving the nursing staff's work efficiency and productivity.

  4. Development of custom measurement system for biomechanical evaluation of independent wheelchair transfers

    PubMed Central

    Koontz, Alicia M.; Lin, Yen-Sheng; Kankipati, Padmaja; Boninger, Michael L.; Cooper, Rory A.

    2017-01-01

    This study describes a new custom measurement system designed to investigate the biomechanics of sitting-pivot wheelchair transfers and assesses the reliability of selected biomechanical variables. Variables assessed include horizontal and vertical reaction forces underneath both hands and three-dimensional trunk, shoulder, and elbow range of motion. We examined the reliability of these measures between 5 consecutive transfer trials for 5 subjects with spinal cord injury and 12 non-disabled subjects while they performed a self-selected sitting pivot transfer from a wheelchair to a level bench. A majority of the biomechanical variables demonstrated moderate to excellent reliability (r > 0.6). The transfer measurement system recorded reliable and valid biomechanical data for future studies of sitting-pivot wheelchair transfers. We recommend a minimum of five transfer trials to obtain a reliable measure of transfer technique for future studies. PMID:22068376

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

    Mistry, Hemma; Varela, Ana Sofia; Bonifacio, Cecile S.

    There is an urgent need to develop technologies that use renewable energy to convert waste products such as carbon dioxide into hydrocarbon fuels. Carbon dioxide can be electrochemically reduced to hydrocarbons over copper catalysts, although higher efficiency is required. We have developed oxidized copper catalysts displaying lower overpotentials for carbon dioxide electroreduction and record selectivity towards ethylene (60%) through facile and tunable plasma treatments. Herein we provide insight into the improved performance of these catalysts by combining electrochemical measurements with microscopic and spectroscopic characterization techniques. Operando X-ray absorption spectroscopy and cross-sectional scanning transmission electron microscopy show that copper oxides aremore » surprisingly resistant to reduction and copper + species remain on the surface during the reaction. Furthermore, our results demonstrate that the roughness of oxide-derived copper catalysts plays only a partial role in determining the catalytic performance, while the presence of copper + is key for lowering the onset potential and enhancing ethylene selectivity.« less

  6. Selected cis- and trans-3-fluorostyrene rotamers studied by two-color resonant two-photon mass-analyzed threshold ionization spectroscopy

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wu, Pei Ying; Tzeng, Wen Bih

    2015-10-01

    We applied two-color resonant two-photon ionization and mass-analyzed threshold ionization techniques to record the vibronic, photoionization efficiency, and cation spectra of the selected rotamers of 3-fluorostyrene. The adiabatic ionization energies of cis- and trans-3-fluorostyrene were determined to be 69 960 ± 5 and 69 856 ± 5 cm-1, respectively. Cation vibrations 10a, 15, 6b, and 12 of both rotamers have been found to have frequencies of 218, 404, 452, and 971 cm-1, respectively. This finding shows that the relative orientation of the vinyl group with respect to the F atom does not affect these vibrations of the 3-fluorostyrene cation. Our one-dimensional potential energy surface calculations support that the cis-trans isomerization of 3-fluorostyrene does not occur under the present experimental conditions.

  7. Hybrid data acquisition and processing strategies with increased throughput and selectivity: pSMART analysis for global qualitative and quantitative analysis.

    PubMed

    Prakash, Amol; Peterman, Scott; Ahmad, Shadab; Sarracino, David; Frewen, Barbara; Vogelsang, Maryann; Byram, Gregory; Krastins, Bryan; Vadali, Gouri; Lopez, Mary

    2014-12-05

    Data-dependent acquisition (DDA) and data-independent acquisition strategies (DIA) have both resulted in improved understanding of proteomics samples. Both strategies have advantages and disadvantages that are well-published, where DDA is typically applied for deep discovery and DIA may be used to create sample records. In this paper, we present a hybrid data acquisition and processing strategy (pSMART) that combines the strengths of both techniques and provides significant benefits for qualitative and quantitative peptide analysis. The performance of pSMART is compared to published DIA strategies in an experiment that allows the objective assessment of DIA performance with respect to interrogation of previously acquired MS data. The results of this experiment demonstrate that pSMART creates fewer decoy hits than a standard DIA strategy. Moreover, we show that pSMART is more selective, sensitive, and reproducible than either standard DIA or DDA strategies alone.

  8. Study of atomic and molecular emission spectra of Sr by laser induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS).

    PubMed

    Bhatt, Chet R; Alfarraj, Bader; Ayyalasomayajula, Krishna K; Ghany, Charles; Yueh, Fang Y; Singh, Jagdish P

    2015-12-01

    Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) is an ideal analytical technique for in situ analysis of elemental composition. We have performed a comparative study of the quantitative and qualitative analysis of atomic and molecular emission from LIBS spectra. In our experiments, a mixture of SrCl2 and Al2O3 in powder form was used as a sample. The atomic emission from Sr and molecular emission from SrCl and SrO observed in LIBS spectra were analyzed. The optimum laser energies, gate delays, and gate widths for selected atomic lines and molecular bands were determined from spectra recorded at various experimental parameters. These optimum experimental conditions were used to collect calibration data, and the calibration curves were used to predict the Sr concentration. Limits of detection (LODs) for selected atomic and molecular emission spectra were determined.

  9. Surface roughness effects on bidirectional reflectance

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Smith, T. F.; Hering, R. G.

    1972-01-01

    An experimental study of surface roughness effects on bidirectional reflectance of metallic surfaces is presented. A facility capable of irradiating a sample from normal to grazing incidence and recording plane of incidence bidirectional reflectance measurements was developed. Samples consisting of glass, aluminum alloy, and stainless steel materials were selected for examination. Samples were roughened using standard grinding techniques and coated with a radiatively opaque layer of pure aluminum. Mechanical surface roughness parameters, rms heights and rms slopes, evaluated from digitized surface profile measurements are less than 1.0 micrometers and 0.28, respectively. Rough surface specular, bidirectional, and directional reflectance measurements for selected values of polar angle of incidence and wavelength of incident energy within the spectral range of 1 to 14 micrometers are reported. The Beckmann bidirectional reflectance model is compared with reflectance measurements to establish its usefulness in describing the magnitude and spatial distribution of energy reflected from rough surfaces.

  10. State of the art techniques for preservation and reuse of hard copy electrocardiograms.

    PubMed

    Lobodzinski, Suave M; Teppner, Ulrich; Laks, Michael

    2003-01-01

    Baseline examinations and periodic reexaminations in longitudinal population studies, together with ongoing surveillance for morbidity and mortality, provide unique opportunities for seeking ways to enhance the value of electrocardiography (ECG) as an inexpensive and noninvasive tool for prognosis and diagnosis. We used newly developed optical ECG waveform recognition (OEWR) technique capable of extracting raw waveform data from legacy hard copy ECG recording. Hardcopy ECG recordings were scanned and processed by the OEWR algorithm. The extracted ECG datasets were formatted into a newly proposed, vendor-neutral, ECG XML data format. Oracle database was used as a repository for ECG records in XML format. The proposed technique for XML encapsulation of OEWR processed hard copy records resulted in an efficient method for inclusion of paper ECG records into research databases, thus providing their preservation, reuse and accession.

  11. Full Intelligent Cancer Classification of Thermal Breast Images to Assist Physician in Clinical Diagnostic Applications

    PubMed Central

    Lashkari, AmirEhsan; Pak, Fatemeh; Firouzmand, Mohammad

    2016-01-01

    Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer among women. The important key to treat the breast cancer is early detection of it because according to many pathological studies more than 75% – 80% of all abnormalities are still benign at primary stages; so in recent years, many studies and extensive research done to early detection of breast cancer with higher precision and accuracy. Infra-red breast thermography is an imaging technique based on recording temperature distribution patterns of breast tissue. Compared with breast mammography technique, thermography is more suitable technique because it is noninvasive, non-contact, passive and free ionizing radiation. In this paper, a full automatic high accuracy technique for classification of suspicious areas in thermogram images with the aim of assisting physicians in early detection of breast cancer has been presented. Proposed algorithm consists of four main steps: pre-processing & segmentation, feature extraction, feature selection and classification. At the first step, using full automatic operation, region of interest (ROI) determined and the quality of image improved. Using thresholding and edge detection techniques, both right and left breasts separated from each other. Then relative suspected areas become segmented and image matrix normalized due to the uniqueness of each person's body temperature. At feature extraction stage, 23 features, including statistical, morphological, frequency domain, histogram and Gray Level Co-occurrence Matrix (GLCM) based features are extracted from segmented right and left breast obtained from step 1. To achieve the best features, feature selection methods such as minimum Redundancy and Maximum Relevance (mRMR), Sequential Forward Selection (SFS), Sequential Backward Selection (SBS), Sequential Floating Forward Selection (SFFS), Sequential Floating Backward Selection (SFBS) and Genetic Algorithm (GA) have been used at step 3. Finally to classify and TH labeling procedures, different classifiers such as AdaBoost, Support Vector Machine (SVM), k-Nearest Neighbors (kNN), Naïve Bayes (NB) and probability Neural Network (PNN) are assessed to find the best suitable one. These steps are applied on different thermogram images degrees. The results obtained on native database showed the best and significant performance of the proposed algorithm in comprise to the similar studies. According to experimental results, GA combined with AdaBoost with the mean accuracy of 85.33% and 87.42% on the left and right breast images with 0 degree, GA combined with AdaBoost with mean accuracy of 85.17% on the left breast images with 45 degree and mRMR combined with AdaBoost with mean accuracy of 85.15% on the right breast images with 45 degree, and also GA combined with AdaBoost with a mean accuracy of 84.67% and 86.21%, on the left and right breast images with 90 degree, are the best combinations of feature selection and classifier for evaluation of breast images. PMID:27014608

  12. [Assessment of a software application tool for managing nursing care processes in the period 2005-2010].

    PubMed

    Medina-Valverde, M José; Rodríguez-Borrego, M Aurora; Luque-Alcaraz, Olga; de la Torre-Barbero, M José; Parra-Perea, Julia; Moros-Molina, M del Pilar

    2012-01-01

    To identify problems and critical points in the software application. Assessment of the implementation of the software tool "Azahar" used to manage nursing care processes. The monitored population consisted of nurses who were users of the tool, at the Hospital and those who benefited from it in Primary Care. Each group was selected randomly and the number was determined by data saturation. A qualitative approach was employed using in-depth interviews and group discussion as data collection techniques. The nurses considered that the most beneficial and useful application of the tool was the initial assessment and the continuity of care release forms, as well as the recording of all data on the nursing process to ensure quality. The disadvantages and weaknesses identified were associated with the continuous variability in their daily care. The nurses related an increase in workload with the impossibility of entering the records into the computer, making paper records, thus duplicating the recording process. Likewise, they consider that the operating system of the software should be improved in terms of simplicity and functionality. The simplicity of the tool and the adjustment of workloads would favour its use and as a result, continuity of care. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier España, S.L. All rights reserved.

  13. RADIUM AND MESOTHORIUM POISONING AND DOSIMETRY AND INSTRUMENTATION TECHNIQUES IN APPLIED RADIOACTIVITY. Annual Progress Report

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

    None

    The study of the toxicity of radium and radium decay products was continued. Special emphasis was placed on the acquisition of data on patients selected by record of exposure. Data are tabulated on the radium body burden of about 40 individuals. About half the measurements were made on living persons and about half on tooth or bone specimens. Case history summaries and all available medical data are summarized for persons under study. An investigation of the gamma shielding properties of dunite was continued. Design modifications and calibration of radiation detection instruments are discussed. (For preceding period see AECU-3504.) (C.H.)

  14. Vacuum Ultraviolet Radiation Desorption of Molecular Contaminants Deposited on Quartz Crystal Microbalances

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Albyn, Keith; Burns, Dewitt

    2006-01-01

    Recent quartz crystal microbalance measurements made in the Marshall Space Flight Center, Photo-Deposition Facility, for several materials, recorded a significant loss of deposited contaminants when the deposition surface of the microbalance was illuminated by a deuterium lamp. These measurements differ from observations made by other investigators in which the rate of deposition increased significantly when the deposition surface was illuminated with vacuum ultraviolet radiation. These observations suggest that the accelerated deposition of molecular contaminants on optically sensitive surfaces is dependant upon the contaminant being deposited and must be addressed during the materials selection process by common material screening techniques.

  15. Three-dimensional imaging from a unidirectional hologram: wide-viewing-zone projection type.

    PubMed

    Okoshi, T; Oshima, K

    1976-04-01

    In ordinary holography reconstructing a virtual image, the hologram must be wider than either the visual field or the viewing zone. In this paper, an economical method of recording a wide-viewing-zone wide-visual-field 3-D holographic image is proposed. In this method, many mirrors are used to collect object waves onto a small hologram. In the reconstruction, a real image from the hologram is projected onto a horizontally direction-selective stereoscreen through the same mirrors. In the experiment, satisfactory 3-D images have been observed from a wide viewing zone. The optimum design and information reduction techniques are also discussed.

  16. Influence of tellurite on lifetime for samarium doped lanthanum lead borate glass

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Madhu, A.; Eraiah, B.

    2018-04-01

    Samarium substituted tellurium lanthanum lead borate glass is prepared using melt quenching technique. Luminescence spectra have been recorded upon excitation with 402 nm various transitions from 4G5/2 level, for samarium doped tellurite glasses are studied and also lifetime for all the samples exhibit single exponential behaviour of decay curve. Luminescence spectra of present glasses show quenching effect due to cross-relation channels of samarium ions. The lifetime of glass samples decrease as the tellurite concentration is decreased. So, it evidences that to attain longer lifetime for lasing material one can tune the host by selecting concentration of tellurite.

  17. Web-video-mining-supported workflow modeling for laparoscopic surgeries.

    PubMed

    Liu, Rui; Zhang, Xiaoli; Zhang, Hao

    2016-11-01

    As quality assurance is of strong concern in advanced surgeries, intelligent surgical systems are expected to have knowledge such as the knowledge of the surgical workflow model (SWM) to support their intuitive cooperation with surgeons. For generating a robust and reliable SWM, a large amount of training data is required. However, training data collected by physically recording surgery operations is often limited and data collection is time-consuming and labor-intensive, severely influencing knowledge scalability of the surgical systems. The objective of this research is to solve the knowledge scalability problem in surgical workflow modeling with a low cost and labor efficient way. A novel web-video-mining-supported surgical workflow modeling (webSWM) method is developed. A novel video quality analysis method based on topic analysis and sentiment analysis techniques is developed to select high-quality videos from abundant and noisy web videos. A statistical learning method is then used to build the workflow model based on the selected videos. To test the effectiveness of the webSWM method, 250 web videos were mined to generate a surgical workflow for the robotic cholecystectomy surgery. The generated workflow was evaluated by 4 web-retrieved videos and 4 operation-room-recorded videos, respectively. The evaluation results (video selection consistency n-index ≥0.60; surgical workflow matching degree ≥0.84) proved the effectiveness of the webSWM method in generating robust and reliable SWM knowledge by mining web videos. With the webSWM method, abundant web videos were selected and a reliable SWM was modeled in a short time with low labor cost. Satisfied performances in mining web videos and learning surgery-related knowledge show that the webSWM method is promising in scaling knowledge for intelligent surgical systems. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  18. High-density digital recording

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kalil, F. (Editor); Buschman, A. (Editor)

    1985-01-01

    The problems associated with high-density digital recording (HDDR) are discussed. Five independent users of HDDR systems and their problems, solutions, and insights are provided as guidance for other users of HDDR systems. Various pulse code modulation coding techniques are reviewed. An introduction to error detection and correction head optimization theory and perpendicular recording are provided. Competitive tape recorder manufacturers apply all of the above theories and techniques and present their offerings. The methodology used by the HDDR Users Subcommittee of THIC to evaluate parallel HDDR systems is presented.

  19. Comparison of non-invasive electrohysterographic recording techniques for monitoring uterine dynamics.

    PubMed

    Alberola-Rubio, J; Prats-Boluda, G; Ye-Lin, Y; Valero, J; Perales, A; Garcia-Casado, J

    2013-12-01

    Non-invasive recording of uterine myoelectric activity (electrohysterogram, EHG) could provide an alternative to monitoring uterine dynamics by systems based on tocodynamometers (TOCO). Laplacian recording of bioelectric signals has been shown to give better spatial resolution and less interference than mono- and bipolar surface recordings. The aim of this work was to study the signal quality obtained from monopolar, bipolar and Laplacian techniques in EHG recordings, as well as to assess their ability to detect uterine contractions. Twenty-two recording sessions were carried out on singleton pregnant women during the active phase of labour. In each session the following simultaneous recordings were obtained: internal uterine pressure (IUP), external tension of abdominal wall (TOCO) and EHG signals (5 monopolar and 4 bipolar recordings, 1 discrete approximation to the Laplacian of the potential and 2 estimates of the Laplacian from two active annular electrodes). The results obtained show that EHG is able to detect a higher number of uterine contractions than TOCO. Laplacian recordings give improved signal quality over monopolar and bipolar techniques, reduce maternal cardiac interference and improve the signal-to-noise ratio. The optimal position for recording EHG was found to be the uterine median axis and the lower centre-right umbilical zone. Copyright © 2013 IPEM. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  20. The Development, Test, and Evaluation of Three Pilot Performance Reference Scales.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Horner, Walter R.; And Others

    A set of pilot performance reference scales was developed based upon airborne Audio-Video Recording (AVR) of student performance in T-37 undergraduate Pilot Training. After selection of the training maneuvers to be studied, video tape recordings of the maneuvers were selected from video tape recordings already available from a previous research…

  1. Intraseptal vs. periodontal ligament anaesthesia for maxillary tooth extraction: quality of local anaesthesia and haemodynamic response.

    PubMed

    Brkovic, Bozidar M B; Savic, Miroslav; Andric, Miroslav; Jurisic, Milan; Todorovic, Ljubomir

    2010-12-01

    There is no data concerning the use of the intraseptal anaesthesia (ISA) for single tooth extraction. The aims of this study were to compare the clinical efficacy and haemodynamic responses of the ISA with the periodontal ligament anaesthesia (PLA) for single tooth extraction. Thirty-five randomly selected healthy patients (ASA I) undergoing maxillary lateral incisors extraction entered the study. Onset of anaesthesia, the width of the anaesthetic field and duration of anaesthesia were recorded by pinprick testing. Intensity of anaesthesia was evaluated on a visual analogue scale. Haemodynamic parameters were recorded simultaneously at different time points after anaesthesia injection. The two techniques of local anaesthesia did not show statistically significant differences regarding the success rate and onset of anaesthesia, while the duration of the ISA on the buccal site was significantly longer in comparison with the PLA. The intensity of the achieved anaesthesia, estimated by the experienced pain during procedure, pointed out that pain was recorded in 24% of cases in the ISA group, and in 19% in the PLA group without significant differences. Postoperative pain was found to be smaller in the ISA group (70.9% of treated sites) than in the PLA group (81.3% of treated sites); however, this difference was not significant. Although the heart rate increased in both groups, there were no significant differences in the patients' haemodynamic response between the ISA and the PLA. The results of the present study indicate that both techniques are useful and suitable for the routine tooth extraction.

  2. Adaptive estimation of hand movement trajectory in an EEG based brain-computer interface system

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Robinson, Neethu; Guan, Cuntai; Vinod, A. P.

    2015-12-01

    Objective. The various parameters that define a hand movement such as its trajectory, speed, etc, are encoded in distinct brain activities. Decoding this information from neurophysiological recordings is a less explored area of brain-computer interface (BCI) research. Applying non-invasive recordings such as electroencephalography (EEG) for decoding makes the problem more challenging, as the encoding is assumed to be deep within the brain and not easily accessible by scalp recordings. Approach. EEG based BCI systems can be developed to identify the neural features underlying movement parameters that can be further utilized to provide a detailed and well defined control command set to a BCI output device. A real-time continuous control is better suited for practical BCI systems, and can be achieved by continuous adaptive reconstruction of movement trajectory than discrete brain activity classifications. In this work, we adaptively reconstruct/estimate the parameters of two-dimensional hand movement trajectory, namely movement speed and position, from multi-channel EEG recordings. The data for analysis is collected by performing an experiment that involved center-out right-hand movement tasks in four different directions at two different speeds in random order. We estimate movement trajectory using a Kalman filter that models the relation between brain activity and recorded parameters based on a set of defined predictors. We propose a method to define these predictor variables that includes spatial, spectral and temporally localized neural information and to select optimally informative variables. Main results. The proposed method yielded correlation of (0.60 ± 0.07) between recorded and estimated data. Further, incorporating the proposed predictor subset selection, the correlation achieved is (0.57 ± 0.07, p {\\lt }0.004) with significant gain in stability of the system, as well as dramatic reduction in number of predictors (76%) for the savings of computational time. Significance. The proposed system provides a real time movement control system using EEG-BCI with control over movement speed and position. These results are higher and statistically significant compared to existing techniques in EEG based systems and thus promise the applicability of the proposed method for efficient estimation of movement parameters and for continuous motor control.

  3. The preliminary development and testing of a global trigger tool to detect error and patient harm in primary-care records.

    PubMed

    de Wet, C; Bowie, P

    2009-04-01

    A multi-method strategy has been proposed to understand and improve the safety of primary care. The trigger tool is a relatively new method that has shown promise in American and secondary healthcare settings. It involves the focused review of a random sample of patient records using a series of "triggers" that alert reviewers to potential errors and previously undetected adverse events. To develop and test a global trigger tool to detect errors and adverse events in primary-care records. Trigger tool development was informed by previous research and content validated by expert opinion. The tool was applied by trained reviewers who worked in pairs to conduct focused audits of 100 randomly selected electronic patient records in each of five urban general practices in central Scotland. Review of 500 records revealed 2251 consultations and 730 triggers. An adverse event was found in 47 records (9.4%), indicating that harm occurred at a rate of one event per 48 consultations. Of these, 27 were judged to be preventable (42%). A further 17 records (3.4%) contained evidence of a potential adverse event. Harm severity was low to moderate for most patients (82.9%). Error and harm rates were higher in those aged > or =60 years, and most were medication-related (59%). The trigger tool was successful in identifying undetected patient harm in primary-care records and may be the most reliable method for achieving this. However, the feasibility of its routine application is open to question. The tool may have greater utility as a research rather than an audit technique. Further testing in larger, representative study samples is required.

  4. Signal frequency distribution and natural-time analyses from acoustic emission monitoring of an arched structure in the Castle of Racconigi

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Niccolini, Gianni; Manuello, Amedeo; Marchis, Elena; Carpinteri, Alberto

    2017-07-01

    The stability of an arch as a structural element in the thermal bath of King Charles Albert (Carlo Alberto) in the Royal Castle of Racconigi (on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 1997) was assessed by the acoustic emission (AE) monitoring technique with application of classical inversion methods to recorded AE data. First, damage source location by means of triangulation techniques and signal frequency analysis were carried out. Then, the recently introduced method of natural-time analysis was preliminarily applied to the AE time series in order to reveal a possible entrance point to a critical state of the monitored structural element. Finally, possible influence of the local seismic and microseismic activity on the stability of the monitored structure was investigated. The criterion for selecting relevant earthquakes was based on the estimation of the size of earthquake preparation zones. The presented results suggest the use of the AE technique as a tool for detecting both ongoing structural damage processes and microseismic activity during preparation stages of seismic events.

  5. Buccinator sandwich pushback: a new technique for treatment of secondary velopharyngeal incompetence.

    PubMed

    Hill, C; Hayden, C; Riaz, M; Leonard, A G

    2004-05-01

    A small percentage of patients have inadequate velopharyngeal closure, or secondary velopharyngeal incompetence, following primary palatoplasty. Use of the buccinator musculomucosal flap has been described for primary palate repair with lengthening, but its use in secondary palate lengthening for the correction of insufficient velopharyngeal closure has not been described. This study presents the results of a series of patients who had correction of secondary velopharyngeal incompetence using bilateral buccinator musculomucosal flaps used as a sandwich. In this prospective study between 1995 and 1998, a group of 16 patients with insufficient velopharyngeal closure as determined by speech assessment and videoradiography were selected. Nasopharyngoscopy was carried out in addition in a number of cases. Case selection was a result of these investigations and clinical examination in which the major factor in velopharyngeal insufficiency was determined to be short palatal length. The patients underwent palate lengthening using bilateral buccinator musculomucosal flaps as a sandwich. All patients were assessed 6 months postoperatively. The operative technique, postoperative course, and recorded postoperative complications including partial/total flap necrosis and residual velopharyngeal insufficiency were evaluated. Preoperative and postoperative speech samples were rated by an independent speech therapist. Ninety-three percent (15 of 16) had a significant improvement in velopharyngeal insufficiency, and 14 patients had no hypernasality postoperatively. Both cases of persistent mild hypernasality had had a recognized postoperative complication. The sandwich pushback technique for the correction of persistent velopharyngeal incompetence was successful in achieving good speech results.

  6. Ground Vibration Test Planning and Pre-Test Analysis for the X-33 Vehicle

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Bedrossian, Herand; Tinker, Michael L.; Hidalgo, Homero

    2000-01-01

    This paper describes the results of the modal test planning and the pre-test analysis for the X-33 vehicle. The pre-test analysis included the selection of the target modes, selection of the sensor and shaker locations and the development of an accurate Test Analysis Model (TAM). For target mode selection, four techniques were considered, one based on the Modal Cost technique, one based on Balanced Singular Value technique, a technique known as the Root Sum Squared (RSS) method, and a Modal Kinetic Energy (MKE) approach. For selecting sensor locations, four techniques were also considered; one based on the Weighted Average Kinetic Energy (WAKE), one based on Guyan Reduction (GR), one emphasizing engineering judgment, and one based on an optimum sensor selection technique using Genetic Algorithm (GA) search technique combined with a criteria based on Hankel Singular Values (HSV's). For selecting shaker locations, four techniques were also considered; one based on the Weighted Average Driving Point Residue (WADPR), one based on engineering judgment and accessibility considerations, a frequency response method, and an optimum shaker location selection based on a GA search technique combined with a criteria based on HSV's. To evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed sensor and shaker locations for exciting the target modes, extensive numerical simulations were performed. Multivariate Mode Indicator Function (MMIF) was used to evaluate the effectiveness of each sensor & shaker set with respect to modal parameter identification. Several TAM reduction techniques were considered including, Guyan, IRS, Modal, and Hybrid. Based on a pre-test cross-orthogonality checks using various reduction techniques, a Hybrid TAM reduction technique was selected and was used for all three vehicle fuel level configurations.

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

    Shcheslavskiy, V. I.; Institute of Biomedical Technologies, Nizhny Novgorod State Medical Academy, Minin and Pozharsky Square, 10/1, Nizhny Novgorod 603005; Neubauer, A.

    We present a lifetime imaging technique that simultaneously records the fluorescence and phosphorescence lifetime images in confocal laser scanning systems. It is based on modulating a high-frequency pulsed laser synchronously with the pixel clock of the scanner, and recording the fluorescence and phosphorescence signals by multidimensional time-correlated single photon counting board. We demonstrate our technique on the recording of the fluorescence/phosphorescence lifetime images of human embryonic kidney cells at different environmental conditions.

  8. Method for automatically evaluating a transition from a batch manufacturing technique to a lean manufacturing technique

    DOEpatents

    Ivezic, Nenad; Potok, Thomas E.

    2003-09-30

    A method for automatically evaluating a manufacturing technique comprises the steps of: receiving from a user manufacturing process step parameters characterizing a manufacturing process; accepting from the user a selection for an analysis of a particular lean manufacturing technique; automatically compiling process step data for each process step in the manufacturing process; automatically calculating process metrics from a summation of the compiled process step data for each process step; and, presenting the automatically calculated process metrics to the user. A method for evaluating a transition from a batch manufacturing technique to a lean manufacturing technique can comprise the steps of: collecting manufacturing process step characterization parameters; selecting a lean manufacturing technique for analysis; communicating the selected lean manufacturing technique and the manufacturing process step characterization parameters to an automatic manufacturing technique evaluation engine having a mathematical model for generating manufacturing technique evaluation data; and, using the lean manufacturing technique evaluation data to determine whether to transition from an existing manufacturing technique to the selected lean manufacturing technique.

  9. Observation of Eye Pattern on Super-Resolution Near-Field Structure Disk with Write-Strategy Technique

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fuji, Hiroshi; Kikukawa, Takashi; Tominaga, Junji

    2004-07-01

    Pit-edge recording at a density of 150 nm pits and spaces is carried out on a super-resolution near-field structure (super-RENS) disk with a platinum oxide layer. Pits are recorded and read using a 635-nm-wavelength laser and an objective lens with a 0.6 numerical aperture. We arrange laser pulses to correctly record the pits on the disk by a write-strategy technique. The laser-pulse figure includes a unit time of 0.25 T and intensities of Pw1, Pw2 and Pw3. After recording pits of various lengths, the observation of an eye pattern is achieved despite a pit smaller than the resolution limit. Furthermore, the eye pattern maintains its shape even though other pits fill the adjacent tracks at a track density of 600 nm. The disk can be used as a pit-edge recording system through a write-strategy technique.

  10. 3D motion picture of transparent gas flow by parallel phase-shifting digital holography

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Awatsuji, Yasuhiro; Fukuda, Takahito; Wang, Yexin; Xia, Peng; Kakue, Takashi; Nishio, Kenzo; Matoba, Osamu

    2018-03-01

    Parallel phase-shifting digital holography is a technique capable of recording three-dimensional (3D) motion picture of dynamic object, quantitatively. This technique can record single hologram of an object with an image sensor having a phase-shift array device and reconstructs the instantaneous 3D image of the object with a computer. In this technique, a single hologram in which the multiple holograms required for phase-shifting digital holography are multiplexed by using space-division multiplexing technique pixel by pixel. We demonstrate 3D motion picture of dynamic and transparent gas flow recorded and reconstructed by the technique. A compressed air duster was used to generate the gas flow. A motion picture of the hologram of the gas flow was recorded at 180,000 frames/s by parallel phase-shifting digital holography. The phase motion picture of the gas flow was reconstructed from the motion picture of the hologram. The Abel inversion was applied to the phase motion picture and then the 3D motion picture of the gas flow was obtained.

  11. Tales of the Supernatural: A Selected List of Recordings Made in the United States and Placed in the Archive of Folk Culture. Folk Archive Finding Aid.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Delcambre, Angie C., Comp.; And Others

    This finding aid is a selected list of supernatural-related narratives recorded in the United States and held in the Archive of Folk Culture of the Library of Congress. Brief descriptions of the recordings are accompanied by identification numbers. Information about listening to or ordering any of the listed recordings is available from the…

  12. 36 CFR 1234.14 - What are the requirements for environmental controls for records storage facilities?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... temporary records, including microforms and audiovisual and electronic records, must be stored in records..., unscheduled, and/or sample/select records. All records storage facilities that store microfilm, audiovisual...

  13. How many records should be used in ASCE/SEI-7 ground motion scaling procedure?

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Reyes, Juan C.; Kalkan, Erol

    2012-01-01

    U.S. national building codes refer to the ASCE/SEI-7 provisions for selecting and scaling ground motions for use in nonlinear response history analysis of structures. Because the limiting values for the number of records in the ASCE/SEI-7 are based on engineering experience, this study examines the required number of records statistically, such that the scaled records provide accurate, efficient, and consistent estimates of “true” structural responses. Based on elastic–perfectly plastic and bilinear single-degree-of-freedom systems, the ASCE/SEI-7 scaling procedure is applied to 480 sets of ground motions; the number of records in these sets varies from three to ten. As compared to benchmark responses, it is demonstrated that the ASCE/SEI-7 scaling procedure is conservative if fewer than seven ground motions are employed. Utilizing seven or more randomly selected records provides more accurate estimate of the responses. Selecting records based on their spectral shape and design spectral acceleration increases the accuracy and efficiency of the procedure.

  14. Using ArcMap, Google Earth, and Global Positioning Systems to select and locate random households in rural Haiti.

    PubMed

    Wampler, Peter J; Rediske, Richard R; Molla, Azizur R

    2013-01-18

    A remote sensing technique was developed which combines a Geographic Information System (GIS); Google Earth, and Microsoft Excel to identify home locations for a random sample of households in rural Haiti. The method was used to select homes for ethnographic and water quality research in a region of rural Haiti located within 9 km of a local hospital and source of health education in Deschapelles, Haiti. The technique does not require access to governmental records or ground based surveys to collect household location data and can be performed in a rapid, cost-effective manner. The random selection of households and the location of these households during field surveys were accomplished using GIS, Google Earth, Microsoft Excel, and handheld Garmin GPSmap 76CSx GPS units. Homes were identified and mapped in Google Earth, exported to ArcMap 10.0, and a random list of homes was generated using Microsoft Excel which was then loaded onto handheld GPS units for field location. The development and use of a remote sensing method was essential to the selection and location of random households. A total of 537 homes initially were mapped and a randomized subset of 96 was identified as potential survey locations. Over 96% of the homes mapped using Google Earth imagery were correctly identified as occupied dwellings. Only 3.6% of the occupants of mapped homes visited declined to be interviewed. 16.4% of the homes visited were not occupied at the time of the visit due to work away from the home or market days. A total of 55 households were located using this method during the 10 days of fieldwork in May and June of 2012. The method used to generate and field locate random homes for surveys and water sampling was an effective means of selecting random households in a rural environment lacking geolocation infrastructure. The success rate for locating households using a handheld GPS was excellent and only rarely was local knowledge required to identify and locate households. This method provides an important technique that can be applied to other developing countries where a randomized study design is needed but infrastructure is lacking to implement more traditional participant selection methods.

  15. Urban Climate Station Site Selection Through Combined Digital Surface Model and Sun Angle Calculations

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kidd, Chris; Chapman, Lee

    2012-01-01

    Meteorological measurements within urban areas are becoming increasingly important due to the accentuating effects of climate change upon the Urban Heat Island (UHI). However, ensuring that such measurements are representative of the local area is often difficult due to the diversity of the urban environment. The evaluation of sites is important for both new sites and for the relocation of established sites to ensure that long term changes in the meteorological and climatological conditions continue to be faithfully recorded. Site selection is traditionally carried out in the field using both local knowledge and visual inspection. This paper exploits and assesses the use of lidar-derived digital surface models (DSMs) to quantitatively aid the site selection process. This is acheived by combining the DSM with a solar model, first to generate spatial maps of sky view factors and sun-hour potential and second, to generate site-specific views of the horizon. The results show that such a technique is a useful first-step approach to identify key sites that may be further evaluated for the location of meteorological stations within urban areas.

  16. Dosimetry during intramedullary nailing of the tibia

    PubMed Central

    2009-01-01

    Background Intramedullary nailing under fluoroscopic guidance is a common operation. We studied the intraoperative radiation dose received by both the patient and the personnel. Patients and methods 25 intramedullary nailing procedures of the tibia were studied. All patients suffered from tibial fractures and were treated using the Grosse-Kempf intramedullary nail, with free-hand technique for fixation of the distal screws, under fluoroscopic guidance. The exposure, at selected positions, was recorded using an ion chamber, while the dose area product (DAP) was measured with a DAP meter, attached to the tube head. Thermoluminescent dosimeters (TLDs) were used to derive the occupational dose to the personnel, and also to monitor the surface dose on the gonads of some of the patients. Results The mean operation time was 101 (48–240) min, with a mean fluoroscopic time of 72 seconds and a mean DAP value of 75 cGy·cm2. The surface dose to the gonads of the patients was less than 8.8 mGy during any procedure, and thus cannot be considered to be a contraindication for the use of this technique. Occupational dose differed substantially between members of the operating personnel, the maximum dose recorded being to the operator of the fluoroscopic equipment (0.11 mSv). Interpretation Our findings underscore the care required by the primary operator not to exceed the dose constraint of 10 mSv per year. The rest of the operating personnel, although they do not receive very high doses, should focus on the dose optimization of the technique. PMID:19916691

  17. Simplified edentulous treatment technique for edentulous hemimaxillectomy patients: case history report.

    PubMed

    Ceruti, Paola; Bellia, Elisabetta; Gianfranco, Gassino; Carossa, Stefano

    2015-01-01

    Technical difficulties in the construction of hard palate obturators following oncologic surgery are due to the recording limitations of the entire defect area, plus prosthesis base instability during recording of maxillomandibular relationships. This article describes a time-saving technique that ensures stable and precise recording bases. A light-polymerizing acrylic resin layer is used for making the first impression of the defect, while simultaneously obtaining an acrylic resin impression tray and base for recording maxillomandibular relationships. Adhesive paper copies are used for the arrangement of the anterior teeth.

  18. Solomon Technique Versus Selective Coagulation for Twin-Twin Transfusion Syndrome.

    PubMed

    Slaghekke, Femke; Oepkes, Dick

    2016-06-01

    Monochorionic twin pregnancies can be complicated by twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS). The best treatment option for TTTS is fetoscopic laser coagulation of the vascular anastomoses between donor and recipient. After laser therapy, up to 33% residual anastomoses were seen. These residual anastomoses can cause twin anemia polycythemia sequence (TAPS) and recurrent TTTS. In order to reduce the number of residual anastomoses and their complications, a new technique, the Solomon technique, where the whole vascular equator will be coagulated, was introduced. The Solomon technique showed a reduction of recurrent TTS compared to the selective technique. The incidence of recurrent TTTS after the Solomon technique ranged from 0% to 3.9% compared to 5.3-8.5% after the selective technique. The incidence of TAPS after the Solomon technique ranged from 0% to 2.9% compared to 4.2-15.6% after the selective technique. The Solomon technique may improve dual survival rates ranging from 64% to 85% compared to 46-76% for the selective technique. There was no difference reported in procedure-related complications such as intrauterine infection and preterm premature rupture of membranes. The Solomon technique significantly reduced the incidence of TAPS and recurrent TTTS and may improve survival and neonatal outcome, without identifiable adverse outcome or complications; therefore, the Solomon technique is recommended for the treatment of TTTS.

  19. Intelligent system for topic survey in MEDLINE by keyword recommendation and learning text characteristics.

    PubMed

    Tanaka, M; Nakazono, S; Matsuno, H; Tsujimoto, H; Kitamura, Y; Miyano, S

    2000-01-01

    We have implemented a system for assisting experts in selecting MEDLINE records for database construction purposes. This system has two specific features: The first is a learning mechanism which extracts characteristics in the abstracts of MEDLINE records of interest as patterns. These patterns reflect selection decisions by experts and are used for screening the records. The second is a keyword recommendation system which assists and supplements experts' knowledge in unexpected cases. Combined with a conventional keyword-based information retrieval system, this system may provide an efficient and comfortable environment for MEDLINE record selection by experts. Some computational experiments are provided to prove that this idea is useful.

  20. Application of diffusion maps to identify human factors of self-reported anomalies in aviation.

    PubMed

    Andrzejczak, Chris; Karwowski, Waldemar; Mikusinski, Piotr

    2012-01-01

    A study investigating what factors are present leading to pilots submitting voluntary anomaly reports regarding their flight performance was conducted. Diffusion Maps (DM) were selected as the method of choice for performing dimensionality reduction on text records for this study. Diffusion Maps have seen successful use in other domains such as image classification and pattern recognition. High-dimensionality data in the form of narrative text reports from the NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (ASRS) were clustered and categorized by way of dimensionality reduction. Supervised analyses were performed to create a baseline document clustering system. Dimensionality reduction techniques identified concepts or keywords within records, and allowed the creation of a framework for an unsupervised document classification system. Results from the unsupervised clustering algorithm performed similarly to the supervised methods outlined in the study. The dimensionality reduction was performed on 100 of the most commonly occurring words within 126,000 text records describing commercial aviation incidents. This study demonstrates that unsupervised machine clustering and organization of incident reports is possible based on unbiased inputs. Findings from this study reinforced traditional views on what factors contribute to civil aviation anomalies, however, new associations between previously unrelated factors and conditions were also found.

  1. Establishment of the Dual Whole Cell Recording Patch Clamp Configuration for the Measurement of Gap Junction Conductance.

    PubMed

    Veenstra, Richard D

    2016-01-01

    The development of the patch clamp technique has enabled investigators to directly measure gap junction conductance between isolated pairs of small cells with resolution to the single channel level. The dual patch clamp recording technique requires specialized equipment and the acquired skill to reliably establish gigaohm seals and the whole cell recording configuration with high efficiency. This chapter describes the equipment needed and methods required to achieve accurate measurement of macroscopic and single gap junction channel conductances. Inherent limitations with the dual whole cell recording technique and methods to correct for series access resistance errors are defined as well as basic procedures to determine the essential electrical parameters necessary to evaluate the accuracy of gap junction conductance measurements using this approach.

  2. Techniques for estimating selected streamflow characteristics of rural unregulated streams in Ohio

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Koltun, G.F.; Whitehead, Matthew T.

    2002-01-01

    This report provides equations for estimating mean annual streamflow, mean monthly streamflows, harmonic mean streamflow, and streamflow quartiles (the 25th-, 50th-, and 75th-percentile streamflows) as a function of selected basin characteristics for rural, unregulated streams in Ohio. The equations were developed from streamflow statistics and basin-characteristics data for as many as 219 active or discontinued streamflow-gaging stations on rural, unregulated streams in Ohio with 10 or more years of homogenous daily streamflow record. Streamflow statistics and basin-characteristics data for the 219 stations are presented in this report. Simple equations (based on drainage area only) and best-fit equations (based on drainage area and at least two other basin characteristics) were developed by means of ordinary least-squares regression techniques. Application of the best-fit equations generally involves quantification of basin characteristics that require or are facilitated by use of a geographic information system. In contrast, the simple equations can be used with information that can be obtained without use of a geographic information system; however, the simple equations have larger prediction errors than the best-fit equations and exhibit geographic biases for most streamflow statistics. The best-fit equations should be used instead of the simple equations whenever possible.

  3. Office hysteroscopic-guided selective tubal chromopertubation: acceptability, feasibility and diagnostic accuracy of this new diagnostic non-invasive technique in infertile women.

    PubMed

    Carta, Gaspare; Palermo, Patrizia; Pasquale, Chiara; Conte, Valeria; Pulcinella, Ruggero; Necozione, Stefano; Cofini, Vincenza; Patacchiola, Felice

    2018-06-01

    The aim of this study was to evaluate accuracy, tolerability and side effects of office hysteroscopic-guided chromoperturbations in infertile women without anaesthesia. Forty-nine infertile women underwent the procedure to evaluate tubal patency and the uterine cavity. Women with unilateral or bilateral tubal stenosis at hysteroscopy with chromoperturbation, and women with bilateral tubal patency who did not conceive during the period of six months, underwent laparoscopy with chromoperturbation. The results obtained from hysteroscopy and laparoscopy in the assessment of tubal patency were compared. Sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive-predictive value and negative-predictive value were used to describe diagnostic performance. Pain and tolerance were assessed during procedure using a visual analogue scale (VAS). Side effects or late complications and pregnancy rate were also recorded three and six months after the procedure. The specificity was 87.8% (95% CI: 73.80-95.90), sensitivity was 85.7% (95% CI 57.20-98.20), positive and negative predictive values were 70.6% (95% CI: 44.00-89) and 94.7% (95% CI: 82.30-99.40), respectively. Pregnancy rate (PR) within six months after performance of hysteroscopy with chromoperturbation was 27%. Office hysteroscopy-guided selective chromoperturbation in infertile patients is a valid technique to evaluate tubal patency and uterine cavity.

  4. Ultra-low frequency transcutaneous electric nerve stimulation does not affect the centric relation registration.

    PubMed

    de Bragança, Rafaella Mariana Fontes; Rodrigues, Carolina Almeida; Melchior, Melissa Oliveira; Magri, Laís Valencise; Mazzetto, Marcelo Oliveira

    2018-01-01

    To evaluate the influence of ULF-TENS on the displacement of the mandibular condyle and on the repeatability of centric relation (CR) registration of three different techniques: bimanual manipulation (BM), long strip technique, and harmonic centric occlusal relationship (R.O.C.A. wires). Twenty-five participants without temporomandibular disorder (TMD) underwent two study stages conducted via electronic position analysis: (1) three CR records were made, one for each manipulation technique; (2) the ULF-TENS was applied for 30 min, and after that the same CR records were repeated. Mann-Whitney, ICC, and one-tailed F test. The ULF-TENS did not influence the condyle total displacement, regardless of CR recording technique used (p > 0.05). BM showed an improvement in repeatability after ULF-TENS. Concerning the variance, BM showed less variation at the X-axis. Long strip technique and R.O.C.A. wires varied less at the Y-axis. Long strip technique was again less variable at the Z-axis.

  5. Selectivity and Longevity of Peripheral-Nerve and Machine Interfaces: A Review

    PubMed Central

    Ghafoor, Usman; Kim, Sohee; Hong, Keum-Shik

    2017-01-01

    For those individuals with upper-extremity amputation, a daily normal living activity is no longer possible or it requires additional effort and time. With the aim of restoring their sensory and motor functions, theoretical and technological investigations have been carried out in the field of neuroprosthetic systems. For transmission of sensory feedback, several interfacing modalities including indirect (non-invasive), direct-to-peripheral-nerve (invasive), and cortical stimulation have been applied. Peripheral nerve interfaces demonstrate an edge over the cortical interfaces due to the sensitivity in attaining cortical brain signals. The peripheral nerve interfaces are highly dependent on interface designs and are required to be biocompatible with the nerves to achieve prolonged stability and longevity. Another criterion is the selection of nerves that allows minimal invasiveness and damages as well as high selectivity for a large number of nerve fascicles. In this paper, we review the nerve-machine interface modalities noted above with more focus on peripheral nerve interfaces, which are responsible for provision of sensory feedback. The invasive interfaces for recording and stimulation of electro-neurographic signals include intra-fascicular, regenerative-type interfaces that provide multiple contact channels to a group of axons inside the nerve and the extra-neural-cuff-type interfaces that enable interaction with many axons around the periphery of the nerve. Section Current Prosthetic Technology summarizes the advancements made to date in the field of neuroprosthetics toward the achievement of a bidirectional nerve-machine interface with more focus on sensory feedback. In the Discussion section, the authors propose a hybrid interface technique for achieving better selectivity and long-term stability using the available nerve interfacing techniques. PMID:29163122

  6. Statistical approach for selection of biologically informative genes.

    PubMed

    Das, Samarendra; Rai, Anil; Mishra, D C; Rai, Shesh N

    2018-05-20

    Selection of informative genes from high dimensional gene expression data has emerged as an important research area in genomics. Many gene selection techniques have been proposed so far are either based on relevancy or redundancy measure. Further, the performance of these techniques has been adjudged through post selection classification accuracy computed through a classifier using the selected genes. This performance metric may be statistically sound but may not be biologically relevant. A statistical approach, i.e. Boot-MRMR, was proposed based on a composite measure of maximum relevance and minimum redundancy, which is both statistically sound and biologically relevant for informative gene selection. For comparative evaluation of the proposed approach, we developed two biological sufficient criteria, i.e. Gene Set Enrichment with QTL (GSEQ) and biological similarity score based on Gene Ontology (GO). Further, a systematic and rigorous evaluation of the proposed technique with 12 existing gene selection techniques was carried out using five gene expression datasets. This evaluation was based on a broad spectrum of statistically sound (e.g. subject classification) and biological relevant (based on QTL and GO) criteria under a multiple criteria decision-making framework. The performance analysis showed that the proposed technique selects informative genes which are more biologically relevant. The proposed technique is also found to be quite competitive with the existing techniques with respect to subject classification and computational time. Our results also showed that under the multiple criteria decision-making setup, the proposed technique is best for informative gene selection over the available alternatives. Based on the proposed approach, an R Package, i.e. BootMRMR has been developed and available at https://cran.r-project.org/web/packages/BootMRMR. This study will provide a practical guide to select statistical techniques for selecting informative genes from high dimensional expression data for breeding and system biology studies. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  7. Hydrologic data for the Great and Denbow heaths in eastern Maine, October 1980 through September 1981

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Nichols, Wallace J.; Smath, J.A.; Adamik, J.T.

    1983-01-01

    Hydrologic data collected on the Great and Denbow Heaths, Maine, include precipitation, pan evaporation, air temperatures, streamflow, groundwater levels, and water quality constituents. These data were collected for a peat bog hydrology study conducted in cooperation with the Maine Geological Survey. The data network consisted of climate information from three rain gages, an evaporation pan, and two maximum-minimum thermometers; surface water information from two continuous gaging stations and 19 partial record sites; groundwater information from an observation well equipped with a continuous recorder and 106 piezometers; and water quality information from 13 wells and seven surface water sites. Water quality constituents include: field determinations of pH, specific conductance, and temperature, and laboratory determinations of common inorganic cations and anions, trace elements, and selected organic compounds. Methods used for the collection and analyses of data included standard Survey techniques modified for the unique hydrologic environment of the study area. (Author 's abstract)

  8. Feasibility of pedigree recording and genetic selection in village sheep flocks of smallholder farmers.

    PubMed

    Gizaw, Solomon; Goshme, Shenkute; Getachew, Tesfaye; Haile, Aynalem; Rischkowsky, Barbara; van Arendonk, Johan; Valle-Zárate, Anne; Dessie, Tadelle; Mwai, Ally Okeyo

    2014-06-01

    Pedigree recording and genetic selection in village flocks of smallholder farmers have been deemed infeasible by researchers and development workers. This is mainly due to the difficulty of sire identification under uncontrolled village breeding practices. A cooperative village sheep-breeding scheme was designed to achieve controlled breeding and implemented for Menz sheep of Ethiopia in 2009. In this paper, we evaluated the reliability of pedigree recording in village flocks by comparing genetic parameters estimated from data sets collected in the cooperative village and in a nucleus flock maintained under controlled breeding. Effectiveness of selection in the cooperative village was evaluated based on trends in breeding values over generations. Heritability estimates for 6-month weight recorded in the village and the nucleus flock were very similar. There was an increasing trend over generations in average estimated breeding values for 6-month weight in the village flocks. These results have a number of implications: the pedigree recorded in the village flocks was reliable; genetic parameters, which have so far been estimated based on nucleus data sets, can be estimated based on village recording; and appreciable genetic improvement could be achieved in village sheep selection programs under low-input smallholder farming systems.

  9. Comparison of Preloaded Bougie versus Standard Bougie Technique for Endotracheal Intubation in a Cadaveric Model.

    PubMed

    Baker, Jay B; Maskell, Kevin F; Matlock, Aaron G; Walsh, Ryan M; Skinner, Carl G

    2015-07-01

    We compared intubating with a preloaded bougie (PB) against standard bougie technique in terms of success rates, time to successful intubation and provider preference on a cadaveric airway model. In this prospective, crossover study, healthcare providers intubated a cadaver using the PB technique and the standard bougie technique. Participants were randomly assigned to start with either technique. Following standardized training and practice, procedural success and time for each technique was recorded for each participant. Subsequently, participants were asked to rate their perceived ease of intubation on a visual analogue scale of 1 to 10 (1=difficult and 10=easy) and to select which technique they preferred. 47 participants with variable experience intubating were enrolled at an emergency medicine intern airway course. The success rate of all groups for both techniques was equal (95.7%). The range of times to completion for the standard bougie technique was 16.0-70.2 seconds, with a mean time of 29.7 seconds. The range of times to completion for the PB technique was 15.7-110.9 seconds, with a mean time of 29.4 seconds. There was a non-significant difference of 0.3 seconds (95% confidence interval -2.8 to 3.4 seconds) between the two techniques. Participants rated the relative ease of intubation as 7.3/10 for the standard technique and 7.6/10 for the preloaded technique (p=0.53, 95% confidence interval of the difference -0.97 to 0.50). Thirty of 47 participants subjectively preferred the PB technique (p=0.039). There was no significant difference in success or time to intubation between standard bougie and PB techniques. The majority of participants in this study preferred the PB technique. Until a clear and clinically significant difference is found between these techniques, emergency airway operators should feel confident in using the technique with which they are most comfortable.

  10. Improving medical record retrieval for validation studies in Medicare data.

    PubMed

    Wright, Nicole C; Delzell, Elizabeth S; Smith, Wilson K; Xue, Fei; Auroa, Tarun; Curtis, Jeffrey R

    2017-04-01

    The purpose of the study is to describe medical record retrieval for a study validating claims-based algorithms used to identify seven adverse events of special interest (AESI) in a Medicare population. We analyzed 2010-2011 Medicare claims of women with postmenopausal osteoporosis and men ≥65 years of age in the Medicare 5% national sample. The final cohorts included beneficiaries covered continuously for 12+ months by Medicare parts A, B, and D and not enrolled in Medicare Advantage before starting follow-up. We identified beneficiaries using each AESI algorithm and randomly selected 400 women and 100 men with each AESI for medical record retrieval. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services provided beneficiary contact information, and we requested medical records directly from providers, without patient contact. We selected 3331 beneficiaries (women: 2272; men: 559) for whom we requested 3625 medical records. Overall, we received 1738 [47.9% (95%CI 46.3%, 49.6%)] of the requested medical records. We observed small differences in the characteristics of the total population with AESIs compared with those randomly selected for retrieval; however, no differences were seen between those selected and those retrieved. We retrieved 54.7% of records requested from hospitals compared with 26.3% of records requested from physician offices (p < 0.001). Retrieval did not differ by sex or vital status of the beneficiaries. Our national medical record validation study of claims-based algorithms produced a modest retrieval rate. The medical record procedures outlined in this paper could have led to the improved retrieval from our previous medical record retrieval study. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  11. Choline induces opposite changes in pyramidal neuron excitability and synaptic transmission through a nicotinic receptor-independent process in hippocampal slices.

    PubMed

    Albiñana, E; Luengo, J G; Baraibar, A M; Muñoz, M D; Gandía, L; Solís, J M; Hernández-Guijo, J M

    2017-06-01

    Choline is present at cholinergic synapses as a product of acetylcholine degradation. In addition, it is considered a selective agonist for α5 and α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs). In this study, we determined how choline affects action potentials and excitatory synaptic transmission using extracellular and intracellular recording techniques in CA1 area of hippocampal slices obtained from both mice and rats. Choline caused a reversible depression of evoked field excitatory postsynaptic potentials (fEPSPs) in a concentration-dependent manner that was not affected by α7 nAChR antagonists. Moreover, this choline-induced effect was not mimicked by either selective agonists or allosteric modulators of α7 nAChRs. Additionally, this choline-mediated effect was not prevented by either selective antagonists of GABA receptors or hemicholinium, a choline uptake inhibitor. The paired pulse facilitation paradigm, which detects whether a substance affects presynaptic release of glutamate, was not modified by choline. On the other hand, choline induced a robust increase of population spike evoked by orthodromic stimulation but did not modify that evoked by antidromic stimulation. We also found that choline impaired recurrent inhibition recorded in the pyramidal cell layer through a mechanism independent of α7 nAChR activation. These choline-mediated effects on fEPSP and population spike observed in rat slices were completely reproduced in slices obtained from α7 nAChR knockout mice, which reinforces our conclusion that choline modulates synaptic transmission and neuronal excitability by a mechanism independent of nicotinic receptor activation.

  12. Rainfall thresholds and susceptibility mapping for shallow landslides and debris flows in Scotland

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Postance, Benjamin; Hillier, John; Dijkstra, Tom; Dixon, Neil

    2017-04-01

    Shallow translational slides and debris flows (hereafter 'landslides') pose a significant threat to life and cause significant annual economic impacts (e.g. by damage and disruption of infrastructure). The focus of this research is on the definition of objective rainfall thresholds using a weather radar system and landslide susceptibility mapping. In the study area Scotland, an inventory of 75 known landslides was used for the period 2003 to 2016. First, the effect of using different rain records (i.e. time series length) on two threshold selection techniques in receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was evaluated. The results show that thresholds selected by 'Threat Score' (minimising false alarms) are sensitive to rain record length and which is not routinely considered, whereas thresholds selected using 'Optimal Point' (minimising failed alarms) are not; therefore these may be suited to establishing lower limit thresholds and be of interest to those developing early warning systems. Robust thresholds are found for combinations of normalised rain duration and accumulation at 1 and 12 day's antecedence respectively; these are normalised using the rainy-day normal and an equivalent measure for rain intensity. This research indicates that, in Scotland, rain accumulation provides a better indicator than rain intensity and that landslides may be generated by threshold conditions lower than previously thought. Second, a landslide susceptibility map is constructed using a cross-validated logistic regression model. A novel element of the approach is that landslide susceptibility is calculated for individual hillslope sections. The developed thresholds and susceptibility map are combined to assess potential hazards and impacts posed to the national highway network in Scotland.

  13. Investigating local and long-range neuronal network dynamics by simultaneous optogenetics, reverse microdialysis and silicon probe recordings in vivo

    PubMed Central

    Taylor, Hannah; Schmiedt, Joscha T.; Çarçak, Nihan; Onat, Filiz; Di Giovanni, Giuseppe; Lambert, Régis; Leresche, Nathalie; Crunelli, Vincenzo; David, Francois

    2014-01-01

    Background The advent of optogenetics has given neuroscientists the opportunity to excite or inhibit neuronal population activity with high temporal resolution and cellular selectivity. Thus, when combined with recordings of neuronal ensemble activity in freely moving animals optogenetics can provide an unprecedented snapshot of the contribution of neuronal assemblies to (patho)physiological conditions in vivo. Still, the combination of optogenetic and silicone probe (or tetrode) recordings does not allow investigation of the role played by voltage- and transmitter-gated channels of the opsin-transfected neurons and/or other adjacent neurons in controlling neuronal activity. New method and results We demonstrate that optogenetics and silicone probe recordings can be combined with intracerebral reverse microdialysis for the long-term delivery of neuroactive drugs around the optic fiber and silicone probe. In particular, we show the effect of antagonists of T-type Ca2+ channels, hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-gated channels and metabotropic glutamate receptors on silicone probe-recorded activity of the local opsin-transfected neurons in the ventrobasal thalamus, and demonstrate the changes that the block of these thalamic channels/receptors brings about in the network dynamics of distant somatotopic cortical neuronal ensembles. Comparison with existing methods This is the first demonstration of successfully combining optogenetics and neuronal ensemble recordings with reverse microdialysis. This combination of techniques overcomes some of the disadvantages that are associated with the use of intracerebral injection of a drug-containing solution at the site of laser activation. Conclusions The combination of reverse microdialysis, silicone probe recordings and optogenetics can unravel the short and long-term effects of specific transmitter- and voltage-gated channels on laser-modulated firing at the site of optogenetic stimulation and the actions that these manipulations exert on distant neuronal populations. PMID:25004203

  14. Investigating local and long-range neuronal network dynamics by simultaneous optogenetics, reverse microdialysis and silicon probe recordings in vivo.

    PubMed

    Taylor, Hannah; Schmiedt, Joscha T; Carçak, Nihan; Onat, Filiz; Di Giovanni, Giuseppe; Lambert, Régis; Leresche, Nathalie; Crunelli, Vincenzo; David, Francois

    2014-09-30

    The advent of optogenetics has given neuroscientists the opportunity to excite or inhibit neuronal population activity with high temporal resolution and cellular selectivity. Thus, when combined with recordings of neuronal ensemble activity in freely moving animals optogenetics can provide an unprecedented snapshot of the contribution of neuronal assemblies to (patho)physiological conditions in vivo. Still, the combination of optogenetic and silicone probe (or tetrode) recordings does not allow investigation of the role played by voltage- and transmitter-gated channels of the opsin-transfected neurons and/or other adjacent neurons in controlling neuronal activity. We demonstrate that optogenetics and silicone probe recordings can be combined with intracerebral reverse microdialysis for the long-term delivery of neuroactive drugs around the optic fiber and silicone probe. In particular, we show the effect of antagonists of T-type Ca(2+) channels, hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-gated channels and metabotropic glutamate receptors on silicone probe-recorded activity of the local opsin-transfected neurons in the ventrobasal thalamus, and demonstrate the changes that the block of these thalamic channels/receptors brings about in the network dynamics of distant somatotopic cortical neuronal ensembles. This is the first demonstration of successfully combining optogenetics and neuronal ensemble recordings with reverse microdialysis. This combination of techniques overcomes some of the disadvantages that are associated with the use of intracerebral injection of a drug-containing solution at the site of laser activation. The combination of reverse microdialysis, silicone probe recordings and optogenetics can unravel the short and long-term effects of specific transmitter- and voltage-gated channels on laser-modulated firing at the site of optogenetic stimulation and the actions that these manipulations exert on distant neuronal populations. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  15. Techniques for extracting single-trial activity patterns from large-scale neural recordings

    PubMed Central

    Churchland, Mark M; Yu, Byron M; Sahani, Maneesh; Shenoy, Krishna V

    2008-01-01

    Summary Large, chronically-implanted arrays of microelectrodes are an increasingly common tool for recording from primate cortex, and can provide extracellular recordings from many (order of 100) neurons. While the desire for cortically-based motor prostheses has helped drive their development, such arrays also offer great potential to advance basic neuroscience research. Here we discuss the utility of array recording for the study of neural dynamics. Neural activity often has dynamics beyond that driven directly by the stimulus. While governed by those dynamics, neural responses may nevertheless unfold differently for nominally identical trials, rendering many traditional analysis methods ineffective. We review recent studies – some employing simultaneous recording, some not – indicating that such variability is indeed present both during movement generation, and during the preceding premotor computations. In such cases, large-scale simultaneous recordings have the potential to provide an unprecedented view of neural dynamics at the level of single trials. However, this enterprise will depend not only on techniques for simultaneous recording, but also on the use and further development of analysis techniques that can appropriately reduce the dimensionality of the data, and allow visualization of single-trial neural behavior. PMID:18093826

  16. Differences in head impulse test results due to analysis techniques.

    PubMed

    Cleworth, Taylor W; Carpenter, Mark G; Honegger, Flurin; Allum, John H J

    2017-01-01

    Different analysis techniques are used to define vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) gain between eye and head angular velocity during the video head impulse test (vHIT). Comparisons would aid selection of gain techniques best related to head impulse characteristics and promote standardisation. Compare and contrast known methods of calculating vHIT VOR gain. We examined lateral canal vHIT responses recorded from 20 patients twice within 13 weeks of acute unilateral peripheral vestibular deficit onset. Ten patients were tested with an ICS Impulse system (GN Otometrics) and 10 with an EyeSeeCam (ESC) system (Interacoustics). Mean gain and variance were computed with area, average sample gain, and regression techniques over specific head angular velocity (HV) and acceleration (HA) intervals. Results for the same gain technique were not different between measurement systems. Area and average sample gain yielded equally lower variances than regression techniques. Gains computed over the whole impulse duration were larger than those computed for increasing HV. Gain over decreasing HV was associated with larger variances. Gains computed around peak HV were smaller than those computed around peak HA. The median gain over 50-70 ms was not different from gain around peak HV. However, depending on technique used, the gain over increasing HV was different from gain around peak HA. Conversion equations between gains obtained with standard ICS and ESC methods were computed. For low gains, the conversion was dominated by a constant that needed to be added to ESC gains to equal ICS gains. We recommend manufacturers standardize vHIT gain calculations using 2 techniques: area gain around peak HA and peak HV.

  17. Trends in record-breaking temperatures for the conterminous United States

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rowe, Clinton M.; Derry, Logan E.

    2012-08-01

    In an unchanging climate, record-breaking temperatures are expected to decrease in frequency over time, as established records become increasingly more difficult to surpass. This inherent trend in the number of record-breaking events confounds the interpretation of actual trends in the presence of any underlying climate change. Here, a simple technique to remove the inherent trend is introduced so that any remaining trend can be examined separately for evidence of a climate change. As this technique does not use the standard definition of a broken record, our records* are differentiated by an asterisk. Results for the period 1961-2010 indicate that the number of record* low daily minimum temperatures has been significantly and steadily decreasing nearly everywhere across the United States while the number of record* high daily minimum temperatures has been predominantly increasing. Trends in record* low and record* high daily maximum temperatures are generally weaker and more spatially mixed in sign. These results are consistent with other studies examining changes expected in a warming climate.

  18. A comparison of sequential and spiral scanning techniques in brain CT.

    PubMed

    Pace, Ivana; Zarb, Francis

    2015-01-01

    To evaluate and compare image quality and radiation dose of sequential computed tomography (CT) examinations of the brain and spiral CT examinations of the brain imaged on a GE HiSpeed NX/I Dual Slice 2CT scanner. A random sample of 40 patients referred for CT examination of the brain was selected and divided into 2 groups. Half of the patients were scanned using the sequential technique; the other half were scanned using the spiral technique. Radiation dose data—both the computed tomography dose index (CTDI) and the dose length product (DLP)—were recorded on a checklist at the end of each examination. Using the European Guidelines on Quality Criteria for Computed Tomography, 4 radiologists conducted a visual grading analysis and rated the level of visibility of 6 anatomical structures considered necessary to produce images of high quality. The mean CTDI(vol) and DLP values were statistically significantly higher (P <.05) with the sequential scans (CTDI(vol): 22.06 mGy; DLP: 304.60 mGy • cm) than with the spiral scans (CTDI(vol): 14.94 mGy; DLP: 229.10 mGy • cm). The mean image quality rating scores for all criteria of the sequential scanning technique were statistically significantly higher (P <.05) in the visual grading analysis than those of the spiral scanning technique. In this local study, the sequential technique was preferred over the spiral technique for both overall image quality and differentiation between gray and white matter in brain CT scans. Other similar studies counter this finding. The radiation dose seen with the sequential CT scanning technique was significantly higher than that seen with the spiral CT scanning technique. However, image quality with the sequential technique was statistically significantly superior (P <.05).

  19. Low-flow analysis and selected flow statistics representative of 1930-2002 for streamflow-gaging stations in or near West Virginia

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Wiley, Jeffrey B.

    2006-01-01

    Five time periods between 1930 and 2002 are identified as having distinct patterns of annual minimum daily mean flows (minimum flows). Average minimum flows increased around 1970 at many streamflow-gaging stations in West Virginia. Before 1930, however, there might have been a period of minimum flows greater than any period identified between 1930 and 2002. The effects of climate variability are probably the principal causes of the differences among the five time periods. Comparisons of selected streamflow statistics are made between values computed for the five identified time periods and values computed for the 1930-2002 interval for 15 streamflow-gaging stations. The average difference between statistics computed for the five time periods and the 1930-2002 interval decreases with increasing magnitude of the low-flow statistic. The greatest individual-station absolute difference was 582.5 percent greater for the 7-day 10-year low flow computed for 1970-1979 compared to the value computed for 1930-2002. The hydrologically based low flows indicate approximately equal or smaller absolute differences than biologically based low flows. The average 1-day 3-year biologically based low flow (1B3) and 4-day 3-year biologically based low flow (4B3) are less than the average 1-day 10-year hydrologically based low flow (1Q10) and 7-day 10-year hydrologic-based low flow (7Q10) respectively, and range between 28.5 percent less and 13.6 percent greater. Seasonally, the average difference between low-flow statistics computed for the five time periods and 1930-2002 is not consistent between magnitudes of low-flow statistics, and the greatest difference is for the summer (July 1-September 30) and fall (October 1-December 31) for the same time period as the greatest difference determined in the annual analysis. The greatest average difference between 1B3 and 4B3 compared to 1Q10 and 7Q10, respectively, is in the spring (April 1-June 30), ranging between 11.6 and 102.3 percent greater. Statistics computed for the individual station's record period may not represent the statistics computed for the period 1930 to 2002 because (1) station records are available predominantly after about 1970 when minimum flows were greater than the average between 1930 and 2002 and (2) some short-term station records are mostly during dry periods, whereas others are mostly during wet periods. A criterion-based sampling of the individual station's record periods at stations was taken to reduce the effects of statistics computed for the entire record periods not representing the statistics computed for 1930-2002. The criterion used to sample the entire record periods is based on a comparison between the regional minimum flows and the minimum flows at the stations. Criterion-based sampling of the available record periods was superior to record-extension techniques for this study because more stations were selected and areal distribution of stations was more widespread. Principal component and correlation analyses of the minimum flows at 20 stations in or near West Virginia identify three regions of the State encompassing stations with similar patterns of minimum flows: the Lower Appalachian Plateaus, the Upper Appalachian Plateaus, and the Eastern Panhandle. All record periods of 10 years or greater between 1930 and 2002 where the average of the regional minimum flows are nearly equal to the average for 1930-2002 are determined as representative of 1930-2002. Selected statistics are presented for the longest representative record period that matches the record period for 77 stations in West Virginia and 40 stations near West Virginia. These statistics can be used to develop equations for estimating flow in ungaged stream locations.

  20. Application Of Decision Tree Approach To Student Selection Model- A Case Study

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Harwati; Sudiya, Amby

    2016-01-01

    The main purpose of the institution is to provide quality education to the students and to improve the quality of managerial decisions. One of the ways to improve the quality of students is to arrange the selection of new students with a more selective. This research takes the case in the selection of new students at Islamic University of Indonesia, Yogyakarta, Indonesia. One of the university's selection is through filtering administrative selection based on the records of prospective students at the high school without paper testing. Currently, that kind of selection does not yet has a standard model and criteria. Selection is only done by comparing candidate application file, so the subjectivity of assessment is very possible to happen because of the lack standard criteria that can differentiate the quality of students from one another. By applying data mining techniques classification, can be built a model selection for new students which includes criteria to certain standards such as the area of origin, the status of the school, the average value and so on. These criteria are determined by using rules that appear based on the classification of the academic achievement (GPA) of the students in previous years who entered the university through the same way. The decision tree method with C4.5 algorithm is used here. The results show that students are given priority for admission is that meet the following criteria: came from the island of Java, public school, majoring in science, an average value above 75, and have at least one achievement during their study in high school.

  1. SERS investigations and electrical recording of neuronal networks with three-dimensional plasmonic nanoantennas (Conference Presentation)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    De Angelis, Francesco

    2017-06-01

    SERS investigations and electrical recording of neuronal networks with three-dimensional plasmonic nanoantennas Michele Dipalo, Valeria Caprettini, Anbrea Barbaglia, Laura Lovato, Francesco De Angelis e-mail: francesco.deangelis@iit.it Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Morego 30, 16163, Genova Biological systems are analysed mainly by optical, chemical or electrical methods. Normally each of these techniques provides only partial information about the environment, while combined investigations could reveal new phenomena occurring in complex systems such as in-vitro neuronal networks. Aiming at the merging of optical and electrical investigations of biological samples, we introduced three-dimensional plasmonic nanoantennas on CMOS-based electrical sensors [1]. The overall device is then capable of enhanced Raman Analysis of cultured cells combined with electrical recording of neuronal activity. The Raman measurements show a much higher sensitivity when performed on the tip of the nanoantenna in respect to the flat substrate [2]; this effect is a combination of the high plasmonic field enhancement and of the tight adhesion of cells on the nanoantenna tip. Furthermore, when plasmonic opto-poration is exploited [3] the 3D nanoelectrodes are able to penetrate through the cell membrane thus accessing the intracellular environment. Our latest results (unpublished) show that the technique is completely non-invasive and solves many problems related to state-of-the-art intracellular recording approaches on large neuronal networks. This research received funding from ERC-IDEAS Program: "Neuro-Plasmonics" [Grant n. 616213]. References: [1] M. Dipalo, G. C. Messina, H. Amin, R. La Rocca, V. Shalabaeva, A. Simi, A. Maccione, P. Zilio, L. Berdondini, F. De Angelis, Nanoscale 2015, 7, 3703. [2] R. La Rocca, G. C. Messina, M. Dipalo, V. Shalabaeva, F. De Angelis, Small 2015, 11, 4632. [3] G. C. Messina et al., Spatially, Temporally, and Quantitatively Controlled Delivery of Broad Range of Molecules into Selected Cells through Plasmonic Nanotubes. Advanced Materials 2015.

  2. Proposal and evaluation of FASDIM, a Fast And Simple De-Identification Method for unstructured free-text clinical records.

    PubMed

    Chazard, Emmanuel; Mouret, Capucine; Ficheur, Grégoire; Schaffar, Aurélien; Beuscart, Jean-Baptiste; Beuscart, Régis

    2014-04-01

    Medical free-text records enable to get rich information about the patients, but often need to be de-identified by removing the Protected Health Information (PHI), each time the identification of the patient is not mandatory. Pattern matching techniques require pre-defined dictionaries, and machine learning techniques require an extensive training set. Methods exist in French, but either bring weak results or are not freely available. The objective is to define and evaluate FASDIM, a Fast And Simple De-Identification Method for French medical free-text records. FASDIM consists in removing all the words that are not present in the authorized word list, and in removing all the numbers except those that match a list of protection patterns. The corresponding lists are incremented in the course of the iterations of the method. For the evaluation, the workload is estimated in the course of records de-identification. The efficiency of the de-identification is assessed by independent medical experts on 508 discharge letters that are randomly selected and de-identified by FASDIM. Finally, the letters are encoded after and before de-identification according to 3 terminologies (ATC, ICD10, CCAM) and the codes are compared. The construction of the list of authorized words is progressive: 12h for the first 7000 letters, 16 additional hours for 20,000 additional letters. The Recall (proportion of removed Protected Health Information, PHI) is 98.1%, the Precision (proportion of PHI within the removed token) is 79.6% and the F-measure (harmonic mean) is 87.9%. In average 30.6 terminology codes are encoded per letter, and 99.02% of those codes are preserved despite the de-identification. FASDIM gets good results in French and is freely available. It is easy to implement and does not require any predefined dictionary. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  3. An improved chronology for the Lateglacial palaeoenvironmental record of Lake Haemelsee, Germany: challenges for independent site comparisons

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lane, Christine; Brauer, Achim; Ramsey Christopher, Bronk; Engels, Stefan; Haliuc, Aritina; Hoek, Wim; Hubay, Katalin; Jones, Gwydion; Sachse, Dirk; Staff, Richard; Turner, Falko; Wagner-Cremer, Frederike

    2016-04-01

    Exploring temporal and spatial variability of environmental response to climatic changes requires the comparison of widespread palaeoenvironmental sequences on their own, independently-derived, age models. High precision age-models can be constructed using statistical methods to combine absolute and relative age estimates measured using a range of techniques. Such an approach may help to highlight otherwise unrecognised uncertainties, where a single dating method has been applied in isolation. Radiocarbon dating, tephrochronology and varve counting have been combined within a Bayesian depositional model to build a chronology for a sediment sequence from Lake Haemelsee (Northern Germany) that continuously covers the entire Lateglacial and early Holocene. Each of the dating techniques used brought its own challenges. Radiocarbon dates provide the only absolute ages measured directly in the record, however a low macrofossil content led to small sample sizes and a limited number of low precision dates. A floating varved interval provided restricted but very precise relative dating for sediments covering the Allerød to Younger Dryas transition. Well-spaced, visible and crypto- tephra layers, including the widespread Laacher See , Vedde Ash, Askja-S and Saksunarvatn tephra layers, allow absolute ages for the tephra layers established in other locations to be imported into the Haemelsee sequence. These layers also provide multiple tie-lines that allow the Haemelsee sequences to be directly compared at particular moments in time, and within particular intervals, to other important Lateglacial archives. However, selecting the "best" published tephra ages to use in the Haemelsee age model is not simple and risks biasing comparison of the palaeoenvironmental record to fit one or another comparative archive. Here we investigate the use of multiple age models for the Haemelsee record, in order to retain an independent approach to investigating the environmental transitions of the Lateglacial to Early Holocene.

  4. [Perception and selectivity of sound duration in the central auditory midbrain].

    PubMed

    Wang, Xin; Li, An-An; Wu, Fei-Jian

    2010-08-25

    Sound duration plays important role in acoustic communication. Information of acoustic signal is mainly encoded in the amplitude and frequency spectrum of different durations. Duration selective neurons exist in the central auditory system including inferior colliculus (IC) of frog, bat, mouse and chinchilla, etc., and they are important in signal recognition and feature detection. Two generally accepted models, which are "coincidence detector model" and "anti-coincidence detector model", have been raised to explain the mechanism of neural selective responses to sound durations based on the study of IC neurons in bats. Although they are different in details, they both emphasize the importance of synaptic integration of excitatory and inhibitory inputs, and are able to explain the responses of most duration-selective neurons. However, both of the hypotheses need to be improved since other sound parameters, such as spectral pattern, amplitude and repetition rate, could affect the duration selectivity of the neurons. The dynamic changes of sound parameters are believed to enable the animal to effectively perform recognition of behavior related acoustic signals. Under free field sound stimulation, we analyzed the neural responses in the IC and auditory cortex of mouse and bat to sounds with different duration, frequency and amplitude, using intracellular or extracellular recording techniques. Based on our work and previous studies, this article reviews the properties of duration selectivity in central auditory system and discusses the mechanisms of duration selectivity and the effect of other sound parameters on the duration coding of auditory neurons.

  5. A method for compression of intra-cortically-recorded neural signals dedicated to implantable brain-machine interfaces.

    PubMed

    Shaeri, Mohammad Ali; Sodagar, Amir M

    2015-05-01

    This paper proposes an efficient data compression technique dedicated to implantable intra-cortical neural recording devices. The proposed technique benefits from processing neural signals in the Discrete Haar Wavelet Transform space, a new spike extraction approach, and a novel data framing scheme to telemeter the recorded neural information to the outside world. Based on the proposed technique, a 64-channel neural signal processor was designed and prototyped as a part of a wireless implantable extra-cellular neural recording microsystem. Designed in a 0.13- μ m standard CMOS process, the 64-channel neural signal processor reported in this paper occupies ∼ 0.206 mm(2) of silicon area, and consumes 94.18 μW when operating under a 1.2-V supply voltage at a master clock frequency of 1.28 MHz.

  6. Measurement of time-dependent CP asymmetries and constraints on sin(2beta+gamma) with partial reconstruction of B0-->D*-/+pi+/- decays.

    PubMed

    Aubert, B; Barate, R; Boutigny, D; Couderc, F; Gaillard, J-M; Hicheur, A; Karyotakis, Y; Lees, J P; Robbe, P; Tisserand, V; Zghiche, A; Palano, A; Pompili, A; Chen, J C; Qi, N D; Rong, G; Wang, P; Zhu, Y S; Eigen, G; Ofte, I; Stugu, B; Abrams, G S; Borgland, A W; Breon, A B; Brown, D N; Button-Shafer, J; Cahn, R N; Charles, E; Day, C T; Gill, M S; Gritsan, A V; Groysman, Y; Jacobsen, R G; Kadel, R W; Kadyk, J; Kerth, L T; Kolomensky, Yu G; Kukartsev, G; LeClerc, C; Levi, M E; Lynch, G; Mir, L M; Oddone, P J; Orimoto, T J; Pripstein, M; Roe, N A; Romosan, A; Ronan, M T; Shelkov, V G; Telnov, A V; Wenzel, W A; Ford, K; Harrison, T J; Hawkes, C M; Knowles, D J; Morgan, S E; Penny, R C; Watson, A T; Watson, N K; Goetzen, K; Held, T; Koch, H; Lewandowski, B; Pelizaeus, M; Peters, K; Schmuecker, H; Steinke, M; Boyd, J T; Chevalier, N; Cottingham, W N; Kelly, M P; Latham, T E; Mackay, C; Wilson, F F; Abe, K; Cuhadar-Donszelmann, T; Hearty, C; Mattison, T S; McKenna, J A; Thiessen, D; Kyberd, P; McKemey, A K; Teodorescu, L; Blinov, V E; Bukin, A D; Golubev, V B; Ivanchenko, V N; Kravchenko, E A; Onuchin, A P; Serednyakov, S I; Skovpen, Yu I; Solodov, E P; Yushkov, A N; Best, D; Bruinsma, M; Chao, M; Kirkby, D; Lankford, A J; Mandelkern, M; Mommsen, R K; Roethel, W; Stoker, D P; Buchanan, C; Hartfiel, B L; Gary, J W; Layter, J; Shen, B C; Wang, K; del Re, D; Hadavand, H K; Hill, E J; MacFarlane, D B; Paar, H P; Rahatlou, Sh; Sharma, V; Berryhill, J W; Campagnari, C; Dahmes, B; Levy, S L; Long, O; Lu, A; Mazur, M A; Richman, J D; Verkerke, W; Beck, T W; Beringer, J; Eisner, A M; Heusch, C A; Lockman, W S; Schalk, T; Schmitz, R E; Schumm, B A; Seiden, A; Spradlin, P; Turri, M; Walkowiak, W; Williams, D C; Wilson, M G; Albert, J; Chen, E; Dubois-Felsmann, G P; Dvoretskii, A; Erwin, R J; Hitlin, D G; Narsky, I; Piatenko, T; Porter, F C; Ryd, A; Samuel, A; Yang, S; Jayatilleke, S; Mancinelli, G; Meadows, B T; Sokoloff, M D; Abe, T; Blanc, F; Bloom, P; Chen, S; Clark, P J; Ford, W T; Nauenberg, U; Olivas, A; Rankin, P; Roy, J; Smith, J G; van Hoek, W C; Zhang, L; Harton, J L; Hu, T; Soffer, A; Toki, W H; Wilson, R J; Zhang, J; Altenburg, D; Brandt, T; Brose, J; Colberg, T; Dickopp, M; Dubitzky, R S; Hauke, A; Lacker, H M; Maly, E; Müller-Pfefferkorn, R; Nogowski, R; Otto, S; Schubert, J; Schubert, K R; Schwierz, R; Spaan, B; Wilden, L; Bernard, D; Bonneaud, G R; Brochard, F; Cohen-Tanugi, J; Grenier, P; Thiebaux, Ch; Vasileiadis, G; Verderi, M; Khan, A; Lavin, D; Muheim, F; Playfer, S; Swain, J E; Andreotti, M; Azzolini, V; Bettoni, D; Bozzi, C; Calabrese, R; Cibinetto, G; Luppi, E; Negrini, M; Piemontese, L; Sarti, A; Treadwell, E; Baldini-Ferroli, R; Calcaterra, A; de Sangro, R; Falciai, D; Finocchiaro, G; Patteri, P; Piccolo, M; Zallo, A; Buzzo, A; Capra, R; Contri, R; Crosetti, G; Lo Vetere, M; Macri, M; Monge, M R; Passaggio, S; Patrignani, C; Robutti, E; Santroni, A; Tosi, S; Bailey, S; Morii, M; Won, E; Bhimji, W; Bowerman, D A; Dauncey, P D; Egede, U; Eschrich, I; Gaillard, J R; Morton, G W; Nash, J A; Taylor, G P; Grenier, G J; Lee, S-J; Mallik, U; Cochran, J; Crawley, H B; Lamsa, J; Meyer, W T; Prell, S; Rosenberg, E I; Yi, J; Davier, M; Grosdidier, G; Höcker, A; Laplace, S; Diberder, F Le; Lepeltier, V; Lutz, A M; Petersen, T C; Plaszczynski, S; Schune, M H; Tantot, L; Wormser, G; Brigljević, V; Cheng, C H; Lange, D J; Simani, M C; Wright, D M; Bevan, A J; Coleman, J P; Fry, J R; Gabathuler, E; Gamet, R; Kay, M; Parry, R J; Payne, D J; Sloane, R J; Touramanis, C; Back, J J; Harrison, P F; Shorthouse, H W; Vidal, P B; Brown, C L; Cowan, G; Flack, R L; Flaecher, H U; George, S; Green, M G; Kurup, A; Marker, C E; McMahon, T R; Ricciardi, S; Salvatore, F; Vaitsas, G; Winter, M A; Brown, D; Davis, C L; Allison, J; Barlow, N R; Barlow, R J; Hart, P A; Hodgkinson, M C; Jackson, F; Lafferty, G D; Lyon, A J; Weatherall, J H; Williams, J C; Farbin, A; Jawahery, A; Kovalskyi, D; Lae, C K; Lillard, V; Roberts, D A; Blaylock, G; Dallapiccola, C; Flood, K T; Hertzbach, S S; Kofler, R; Koptchev, V B; Moore, T B; Saremi, S; Staengle, H; Willocq, S; Cowan, R; Sciolla, G; Taylor, F; Yamamoto, R K; Mangeol, D J J; Patel, P M; Robertson, S H; Lazzaro, A; Palombo, F; Bauer, J M; Cremaldi, L; Eschenburg, V; Godang, R; Kroeger, R; Reidy, J; Sanders, D A; Summers, D J; Zhao, H W; Brunet, S; Cote-Ahern, D; Taras, P; Nicholson, H; Cartaro, C; Cavallo, N; De Nardo, G; Fabozzi, F; Gatto, C; Lista, L; Paolucci, P; Piccolo, D; Sciacca, C; Baak, M A; Raven, G; LoSecco, J M; Gabriel, T A; Brau, B; Gan, K K; Honscheid, K; Hufnagel, D; Kagan, H; Kass, R; Pulliam, T; Wong, Q K; Brau, J; Frey, R; Igonkina, O; Potter, C T; Sinev, N B; Strom, D; Torrence, E; Colecchia, F; Dorigo, A; Galeazzi, F; Margoni, M; Morandin, M; Posocco, M; Rotondo, M; Simonetto, F; Stroili, R; Tiozzo, G; Voci, C; Benayoun, M; Briand, H; Chauveau, J; David, P; de la Vaissière, Ch; Del Buono, L; Hamon, O; John, M J J; Leruste, Ph; Ocariz, J; Pivk, M; Roos, L; Stark, J; T'Jampens, S; Therin, G; Manfredi, P F; Re, V; Behera, P K; Gladney, L; Guo, Q H; Panetta, J; Anulli, F; Biasini, M; Peruzzi, I M; Pioppi, M; Angelini, C; Batignani, G; Bettarini, S; Bondioli, M; Bucci, F; Calderini, G; Carpinelli, M; Del Gamba, V; Forti, F; Giorgi, M A; Lusiani, A; Marchiori, G; Martinez-Vidal, F; Morganti, M; Neri, N; Paoloni, E; Rama, M; Rizzo, G; Sandrelli, F; Walsh, J; Haire, M; Judd, D; Paick, K; Wagoner, D E; Danielson, N; Elmer, P; Lu, C; Miftakov, V; Olsen, J; Smith, A J S; Tanaka, H A; Varnes, E W; Bellini, F; Cavoto, G; Faccini, R; Ferrarotto, F; Ferroni, F; Gaspero, M; Mazzoni, M A; Morganti, S; Pierini, M; Piredda, G; SafaiTehrani, F; Voena, C; Christ, S; Wagner, G; Waldi, R; Adye, T; De Groot, N; Franek, B; Geddes, N I; Gopal, G P; Olaiya, E O; Xella, S M; Aleksan, R; Emery, S; Gaidot, A; Ganzhur, S F; Giraud, P-F; Hamel de Monchenault, G; Kozanecki, W; Langer, M; Legendre, M; London, G W; Mayer, B; Schott, G; Vasseur, G; Yeche, Ch; Zito, M; Purohit, M V; Weidemann, A W; Yumiceva, F X; Aston, D; Bartoldus, R; Berger, N; Boyarski, A M; Buchmueller, O L; Convery, M R; Cristinziani, M; Dong, D; Dorfan, J; Dujmic, D; Dunwoodie, W; Elsen, E E; Field, R C; Glanzman, T; Gowdy, S J; Grauges-Pous, E; Hadig, T; Halyo, V; Hryn'ova, T; Innes, W R; Jessop, C P; Kelsey, M H; Kim, P; Kocian, M L; Langenegger, U; Leith, D W G S; Libby, J; Luitz, S; Luth, V; Lynch, H L; Marsiske, H; Messner, R; Muller, D R; O'Grady, C P; Ozcan, V E; Perazzo, A; Perl, M; Petrak, S; Ratcliff, B N; Roodman, A; Salnikov, A A; Schindler, R H; Schwiening, J; Simi, G; Snyder, A; Soha, A; Stelzer, J; Su, D; Sullivan, M K; Va'vra, J; Wagner, S R; Weaver, M; Weinstein, A J R; Wisniewski, W J; Wright, D H; Young, C C; Burchat, P R; Edwards, A J; Meyer, T I; Petersen, B A; Roat, C; Ahmed, M; Ahmed, S; Alam, M S; Ernst, J A; Saeed, M A; Saleem, M; Wappler, F R; Bugg, W; Krishnamurthy, M; Spanier, S M; Eckmann, R; Kim, H; Ritchie, J L; Schwitters, R F; Izen, J M; Kitayama, I; Lou, X C; Ye, S; Bianchi, F; Bona, M; Gallo, F; Gamba, D; Borean, C; Bosisio, L; Della Ricca, G; Dittongo, S; Grancagnolo, S; Lanceri, L; Poropat, P; Vitale, L; Vuagnin, G; Panvini, R S; Banerjee, Sw; Brown, C M; Fortin, D; Jackson, P D; Kowalewski, R; Roney, J M; Band, H R; Dasu, S; Datta, M; Eichenbaum, A M; Johnson, J R; Kutter, P E; Li, H; Liu, R; Di Lodovico, F; Mihalyi, A; Mohapatra, A K; Pan, Y; Prepost, R; Sekula, S J; von Wimmersperg-Toeller, J H; Wu, J; Wu, S L; Yu, Z; Neal, H

    2004-06-25

    We present a measurement of time-dependent CP-violating asymmetries in decays of neutral B mesons to the final states D(*-/+)pi(+/-), using approximately 82x10(6) BBmacr; events recorded by the BABAR experiment at the PEP-II e(+)e(-) storage ring. Events containing these decays are selected with a partial reconstruction technique, in which only the high-momentum pi(+/-) from the B decay and the low-momentum pi(-/+) from the D(*-/+) decay are used. We measure the amplitude of the asymmetry to be -0.063+/-0.024(stat)+/-0.014(syst) and compute bounds on |sin((2beta+gamma)|.

  7. XANES analyses of silicon crystalline irradiated by nitrogen/oxygen ions.

    PubMed

    Yoshida, T; Hara, T; Li, T; Yoshida, H; Tanabe, T

    2001-03-01

    X-ray absorption techniques have been applied to the characterization of 5 keV nitrogen / oxygen ions implanted silicon samples. The depth selective measurement of XANES by recording in PEY mode and the quantitative analysis by superposition of XANES spectra were carried out to elucidate the depth profile of implanted ions. It has been revealed that the silicon nitride phase were formed in silicon after prolonged N+ irradiation and it extended over the deep part of the damaged region from the surface. On the other hand, for the O+ irradiation, silicon dioxide phase were produced only in the shallow part of the damaged region, i.e., the silicon dioxide phase likely broke off during the irradiation.

  8. Wilderness experience in Rocky Mountain National Park 2002: Report to RMNP

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Schuster, Elke; Johnson, S. Shea; Taylor, Jonathan G.

    2004-01-01

    The social science technique of Visitor Employed Photography [VEP] was used to obtain information from visitors about wilderness experiences. Visitors were selected at random from Park-designated wilderness trails, in proportion to their use, and asked to participate in the survey. Respondents were given single-use, 10-exposure cameras and photo-log diaries to record experiences. A total of 293 cameras were distributed, with a response rate of 87%. Following the development of the photos, a copy of the photos, two pertinent pages from the photo-log, and a follow-up survey were mailed to respondents. Fifty six percent of the follow-up surveys were returned. Findings from the two surveys were analyzed and compared.

  9. Long life assurance study for manned spacecraft long life hardware. Volume 3: Long life assurance studies of components

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1972-01-01

    The guidelines for selecting hardware to be used in manned spacecraft to obtain a five year operational lifetime without maintenance were developed. An analysis was conducted on the design, application, failure mechanisms, manufacturing processes and controls, screen and burn-in techniques, and quality control of hardware items. The equipment considered for evaluation include: (1) electric motors and bearings; (2) accelerometers; (3) gyroscopes and bearings; (4) compressors and pumps, (5) magnetic tape recorders; (6) plumbing components and tubing; (7) check valves; (8) pressure regulators and solenoid valves; (9) thermal control valves; (10) pressure vessels and positive expulsion devices; (11) nickel cadmium batteries; and (12) transducers.

  10. Scanning force microscope for in situ nanofocused X-ray diffraction studies

    PubMed Central

    Ren, Zhe; Mastropietro, Francesca; Davydok, Anton; Langlais, Simon; Richard, Marie-Ingrid; Furter, Jean-Jacques; Thomas, Olivier; Dupraz, Maxime; Verdier, Marc; Beutier, Guillaume; Boesecke, Peter; Cornelius, Thomas W.

    2014-01-01

    A compact scanning force microscope has been developed for in situ combination with nanofocused X-ray diffraction techniques at third-generation synchrotron beamlines. Its capabilities are demonstrated on Au nano-islands grown on a sapphire substrate. The new in situ device allows for in situ imaging the sample topography and the crystallinity by recording simultaneously an atomic force microscope (AFM) image and a scanning X-ray diffraction map of the same area. Moreover, a selected Au island can be mechanically deformed using the AFM tip while monitoring the deformation of the atomic lattice by nanofocused X-ray diffraction. This in situ approach gives access to the mechanical behavior of nanomaterials. PMID:25178002

  11. Toward Robust and Efficient Climate Downscaling for Wind Energy

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Vanvyve, E.; Rife, D.; Pinto, J. O.; Monaghan, A. J.; Davis, C. A.

    2011-12-01

    This presentation describes a more accurate and economical (less time, money and effort) wind resource assessment technique for the renewable energy industry, that incorporates innovative statistical techniques and new global mesoscale reanalyzes. The technique judiciously selects a collection of "case days" that accurately represent the full range of wind conditions observed at a given site over a 10-year period, in order to estimate the long-term energy yield. We will demonstrate that this new technique provides a very accurate and statistically reliable estimate of the 10-year record of the wind resource by intelligently choosing a sample of ±120 case days. This means that the expense of downscaling to quantify the wind resource at a prospective wind farm can be cut by two thirds from the current industry practice of downscaling a randomly chosen 365-day sample to represent winds over a "typical" year. This new estimate of the long-term energy yield at a prospective wind farm also has far less statistical uncertainty than the current industry standard approach. This key finding has the potential to reduce significantly market barriers to both onshore and offshore wind farm development, since insurers and financiers charge prohibitive premiums on investments that are deemed to be high risk. Lower uncertainty directly translates to lower perceived risk, and therefore far more attractive financing terms could be offered to wind farm developers who employ this new technique.

  12. Optimal management strategies for biodiversity within a powerline right-of-way

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Perry, M.C.; Osenton, P.C.; Fallon, F.W.; Fallon, J.E.; Williams, James R.= (Randy); Goodrich-Mahoney, John W.; Wisniewski, Jan R.; Wisniewski, Joe

    1997-01-01

    Management techniques used to control vegetation along a new 8.5 km- (5.3 mile) long powerline right-of-way located at Patuxent Research Refuge are being evaluated to identify changes in habitat that affect wildlife. Techniques include: complete mow, strip mow, low volume foliar spray, selective basal spray, and tree topping. One hundred and one bird species were recorded during line transect sampling along the right-of-way. The eastern towhee had the highest frequency of occurrence followed by the field sparrow and the common yellowthroat. The field sparrow had the highest numbers per visit followed by the eastern towhee and eastern bluebird. Fifteen species were recorded in numbers greater than ten individuals per visit in at least one season of the year. Nine species of mammals were trapped in live traps during the study and four other mammal species were observed but not captured. Twelve species of amphibians and six species of reptiles were trapped in pitfall or funnel traps. Differences in the distribution of species seemed to be related to the physical and hydrological features of the right-of-way. Although no major differences in the distribution of wildlife species resulted from the vegetation management, differences are expected in the future as vegetation differences become more pronounced. Data from this study will be of value to resource managers attempting to provide optimal habitat for biodiversity.

  13. Phase-difference and spectroscopic imaging for monitoring of human brain temperature during cooling.

    PubMed

    Weis, Jan; Covaciu, Lucian; Rubertsson, Sten; Allers, Mats; Lunderquist, Anders; Ortiz-Nieto, Francisco; Ahlström, Håkan

    2012-12-01

    Decrease of the human brain temperature was induced by intranasal cooling. The main purpose of this study was to compare the two magnetic resonance methods for monitoring brain temperature changes during cooling: phase-difference and magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging (MRSI) with high spatial resolution. Ten healthy volunteers were measured. Selective brain cooling was performed through nasal cavities using saline-cooled balloon catheters. MRSI was based on a radiofrequency spoiled gradient echo sequence. The spectral information was encoded by incrementing the echo time of the subsequent eight image records. Reconstructed voxel size was 1×1×5 mm(3). Relative brain temperature was computed from the positions of water spectral lines. Phase maps were obtained from the first image record of the MRSI sequence. Mild hypothermia was achieved in 15-20 min. Mean brain temperature reduction varied in the interval <-3.0; -0.6>°C and <-2.7; -0.7>°C as measured by the MRSI and phase-difference methods, respectively. Very good correlation was found in all locations between the temperatures measured by both techniques except in the frontal lobe. Measurements in the transversal slices were more robust to the movement artifacts than those in the sagittal planes. Good agreement was found between the MRSI and phase-difference techniques. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  14. Selectivity/Specificity Improvement Strategies in Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy Analysis

    PubMed Central

    Wang, Feng; Cao, Shiyu; Yan, Ruxia; Wang, Zewei; Wang, Dan; Yang, Haifeng

    2017-01-01

    Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) is a powerful technique for the discrimination, identification, and potential quantification of certain compounds/organisms. However, its real application is challenging due to the multiple interference from the complicated detection matrix. Therefore, selective/specific detection is crucial for the real application of SERS technique. We summarize in this review five selective/specific detection techniques (chemical reaction, antibody, aptamer, molecularly imprinted polymers and microfluidics), which can be applied for the rapid and reliable selective/specific detection when coupled with SERS technique. PMID:29160798

  15. Up-to-date state of storage techniques used for large numerical data files

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Chlouba, V.

    1975-01-01

    Methods for data storage and output in data banks and memory files are discussed along with a survey of equipment available for this. Topics discussed include magnetic tapes, magnetic disks, Terabit magnetic tape memory, Unicon 690 laser memory, IBM 1360 photostore, microfilm recording equipment, holographic recording, film readers, optical character readers, digital data storage techniques, and photographic recording. The individual types of equipment are summarized in tables giving the basic technical parameters.

  16. A three-dimensional muscle activity imaging technique for assessing pelvic muscle function

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhang, Yingchun; Wang, Dan; Timm, Gerald W.

    2010-11-01

    A novel multi-channel surface electromyography (EMG)-based three-dimensional muscle activity imaging (MAI) technique has been developed by combining the bioelectrical source reconstruction approach and subject-specific finite element modeling approach. Internal muscle activities are modeled by a current density distribution and estimated from the intra-vaginal surface EMG signals with the aid of a weighted minimum norm estimation algorithm. The MAI technique was employed to minimally invasively reconstruct electrical activity in the pelvic floor muscles and urethral sphincter from multi-channel intra-vaginal surface EMG recordings. A series of computer simulations were conducted to evaluate the performance of the present MAI technique. With appropriate numerical modeling and inverse estimation techniques, we have demonstrated the capability of the MAI technique to accurately reconstruct internal muscle activities from surface EMG recordings. This MAI technique combined with traditional EMG signal analysis techniques is being used to study etiologic factors associated with stress urinary incontinence in women by correlating functional status of muscles characterized from the intra-vaginal surface EMG measurements with the specific pelvic muscle groups that generated these signals. The developed MAI technique described herein holds promise for eliminating the need to place needle electrodes into muscles to obtain accurate EMG recordings in some clinical applications.

  17. Digital camera auto white balance based on color temperature estimation clustering

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhang, Lei; Liu, Peng; Liu, Yuling; Yu, Feihong

    2010-11-01

    Auto white balance (AWB) is an important technique for digital cameras. Human vision system has the ability to recognize the original color of an object in a scene illuminated by a light source that has a different color temperature from D65-the standard sun light. However, recorded images or video clips, can only record the original information incident into the sensor. Therefore, those recorded will appear different from the real scene observed by the human. Auto white balance is a technique to solve this problem. Traditional methods such as gray world assumption, white point estimation, may fail for scenes with large color patches. In this paper, an AWB method based on color temperature estimation clustering is presented and discussed. First, the method gives a list of several lighting conditions that are common for daily life, which are represented by their color temperatures, and thresholds for each color temperature to determine whether a light source is this kind of illumination; second, an image to be white balanced are divided into N blocks (N is determined empirically). For each block, the gray world assumption method is used to calculate the color cast, which can be used to estimate the color temperature of that block. Third, each calculated color temperature are compared with the color temperatures in the given illumination list. If the color temperature of a block is not within any of the thresholds in the given list, that block is discarded. Fourth, the remaining blocks are given a majority selection, the color temperature having the most blocks are considered as the color temperature of the light source. Experimental results show that the proposed method works well for most commonly used light sources. The color casts are removed and the final images look natural.

  18. Required number of records for ASCE/SEI 7 ground-motion scaling procedure

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Reyes, Juan C.; Kalkan, Erol

    2011-01-01

    The procedures and criteria in 2006 IBC (International Council of Building Officials, 2006) and 2007 CBC (International Council of Building Officials, 2007) for the selection and scaling ground-motions for use in nonlinear response history analysis (RHA) of structures are based on ASCE/SEI 7 provisions (ASCE, 2005, 2010). According to ASCE/SEI 7, earthquake records should be selected from events of magnitudes, fault distance, and source mechanisms that comply with the maximum considered earthquake, and then scaled so that the average value of the 5-percent-damped response spectra for the set of scaled records is not less than the design response spectrum over the period range from 0.2Tn to 1.5Tn sec (where Tn is the fundamental vibration period of the structure). If at least seven ground-motions are analyzed, the design values of engineering demand parameters (EDPs) are taken as the average of the EDPs determined from the analyses. If fewer than seven ground-motions are analyzed, the design values of EDPs are taken as the maximum values of the EDPs. ASCE/SEI 7 requires a minimum of three ground-motions. These limits on the number of records in the ASCE/SEI 7 procedure are based on engineering experience, rather than on a comprehensive evaluation. This study statistically examines the required number of records for the ASCE/SEI 7 procedure, such that the scaled records provide accurate, efficient, and consistent estimates of" true" structural responses. Based on elastic-perfectly-plastic and bilinear single-degree-of-freedom systems, the ASCE/SEI 7 scaling procedure is applied to 480 sets of ground-motions. The number of records in these sets varies from three to ten. The records in each set were selected either (i) randomly, (ii) considering their spectral shapes, or (iii) considering their spectral shapes and design spectral-acceleration value, A(Tn). As compared to benchmark (that is, "true") responses from unscaled records using a larger catalog of ground-motions, it is demonstrated that the ASCE/SEI 7 scaling procedure is overly conservative if fewer than seven ground-motions are employed. Utilizing seven or more randomly selected records provides a more accurate estimate of the EDPs accompanied by reduced record-to-record variability of the responses. Consistency in accuracy and efficiency is achieved only if records are selected on the basis of their spectral shape and A(Tn).

  19. Coliform species recovered from untreated surface water and drinking water by the membrane filter, standard, and modified most-probable-number techniques.

    PubMed Central

    Evans, T M; LeChevallier, M W; Waarvick, C E; Seidler, R J

    1981-01-01

    The species of total coliform bacteria isolated from drinking water and untreated surface water by the membrane filter (MF), the standard most-probable-number (S-MPN), and modified most-probable-number (M-MPN) techniques were compared. Each coliform detection technique selected for a different profile of coliform species from both types of water samples. The MF technique indicated that Citrobacter freundii was the most common coliform species in water samples. However, the fermentation tube techniques displayed selectivity towards the isolation of Escherichia coli and Klebsiella. The M-MPN technique selected for more C. freundii and Enterobacter spp. from untreated surface water samples and for more Enterobacter and Klebsiella spp. from drinking water samples than did the S-MPN technique. The lack of agreement between the number of coliforms detected in a water sample by the S-MPN, M-MPN, and MF techniques was a result of the selection for different coliform species by the various techniques. PMID:7013706

  20. Estimation of flood discharges at selected annual exceedance probabilities for unregulated, rural streams in Vermont, with a section on Vermont regional skew regression

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Olson, Scott A.; with a section by Veilleux, Andrea G.

    2014-01-01

    This report provides estimates of flood discharges at selected annual exceedance probabilities (AEPs) for streamgages in and adjacent to Vermont and equations for estimating flood discharges at AEPs of 50-, 20-, 10-, 4-, 2-, 1-, 0.5-, and 0.2-percent (recurrence intervals of 2-, 5-, 10-, 25-, 50-, 100-, 200-, and 500-years, respectively) for ungaged, unregulated, rural streams in Vermont. The equations were developed using generalized least-squares regression. Flood-frequency and drainage-basin characteristics from 145 streamgages were used in developing the equations. The drainage-basin characteristics used as explanatory variables in the regression equations include drainage area, percentage of wetland area, and the basin-wide mean of the average annual precipitation. The average standard errors of prediction for estimating the flood discharges at the 50-, 20-, 10-, 4-, 2-, 1-, 0.5-, and 0.2-percent AEP with these equations are 34.9, 36.0, 38.7, 42.4, 44.9, 47.3, 50.7, and 55.1 percent, respectively. Flood discharges at selected AEPs for streamgages were computed by using the Expected Moments Algorithm. To improve estimates of the flood discharges for given exceedance probabilities at streamgages in Vermont, a new generalized skew coefficient was developed. The new generalized skew for the region is a constant, 0.44. The mean square error of the generalized skew coefficient is 0.078. This report describes a technique for using results from the regression equations to adjust an AEP discharge computed from a streamgage record. This report also describes a technique for using a drainage-area adjustment to estimate flood discharge at a selected AEP for an ungaged site upstream or downstream from a streamgage. The final regression equations and the flood-discharge frequency data used in this study will be available in StreamStats. StreamStats is a World Wide Web application providing automated regression-equation solutions for user-selected sites on streams.

  1. Machine-learning-based diagnosis of schizophrenia using combined sensor-level and source-level EEG features.

    PubMed

    Shim, Miseon; Hwang, Han-Jeong; Kim, Do-Won; Lee, Seung-Hwan; Im, Chang-Hwan

    2016-10-01

    Recently, an increasing number of researchers have endeavored to develop practical tools for diagnosing patients with schizophrenia using machine learning techniques applied to EEG biomarkers. Although a number of studies showed that source-level EEG features can potentially be applied to the differential diagnosis of schizophrenia, most studies have used only sensor-level EEG features such as ERP peak amplitude and power spectrum for machine learning-based diagnosis of schizophrenia. In this study, we used both sensor-level and source-level features extracted from EEG signals recorded during an auditory oddball task for the classification of patients with schizophrenia and healthy controls. EEG signals were recorded from 34 patients with schizophrenia and 34 healthy controls while each subject was asked to attend to oddball tones. Our results demonstrated higher classification accuracy when source-level features were used together with sensor-level features, compared to when only sensor-level features were used. In addition, the selected sensor-level features were mostly found in the frontal area, and the selected source-level features were mostly extracted from the temporal area, which coincide well with the well-known pathological region of cognitive processing in patients with schizophrenia. Our results suggest that our approach would be a promising tool for the computer-aided diagnosis of schizophrenia. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  2. A NEW MASS SPECTROMETRIC TECHNIQUE FOR ...

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    Most organic compounds are not found in mass spectral libraries and cannot be easily identified from low resolution mass spectra. Ion Composition Elucidation (ICE) utilizes selected ion recording with a double focusing mass spectrometer in a new way to determine exact masses and relative abundances of ions more rapidly and with greater accuracy than by full scanning. These measurements are made as analytes from a complex mixture elute from a GC column into the ion source. The exact masses and relative abundances establish the elemental compositions of the ions in a mass spectrum, which limits the possible identify of the compound sufficiently to make searches of the chemical and commercial literature feasible. ICE has two facets: Mass Peak Profiling from Selected Ion Recording Data (MPPSIRD) for data acquisition and a Profile Generation Model (PGM) for automated data interpretation. NTPSIRD and the PGM will be described and several applications of ICE will be shown: tentative identification of a compound that provided a mass spectrum with I I plausible NIST library matches; confirmation of the presence of temazepam, a sedative and one of the 200 most prescribed drugs in 1999. The research focused on in the subtasks is the development and application of state-of the-art technologies to meet the needs of the public, Office of Water, and ORD in the area of Water Quality. Located In the subtasks are the various research projects being performed in support of this T

  3. Metal-ceramic bond strength between a feldspathic porcelain and a Co-Cr alloy fabricated with Direct Metal Laser Sintering technique.

    PubMed

    Dimitriadis, Konstantinos; Spyropoulos, Konstantinos; Papadopoulos, Triantafillos

    2018-02-01

    The aim of the present study was to record the metal-ceramic bond strength of a feldspathic dental porcelain and a Co-Cr alloy, using the Direct Metal Laser Sintering technique (DMLS) for the fabrication of metal substrates. Ten metal substrates were fabricated with powder of a dental Co-Cr alloy using DMLS technique (test group) in dimensions according to ISO 9693. Another ten substrates were fabricated with a casing dental Co-Cr alloy using classic casting technique (control group) for comparison. Another three substrates were fabricated using each technique to record the Modulus of Elasticity ( E ) of the used alloys. All substrates were examined to record external and internal porosity. Feldspathic porcelain was applied on the substrates. Specimens were tested using the three-point bending test. The failure mode was determined using optical and scanning electron microscopy. The statistical analysis was performed using t-test. Substrates prepared using DMLS technique did not show internal porosity as compared to those produced using the casting technique. The E of control and test group was 222 ± 5.13 GPa and 227 ± 3 GPa, respectively. The bond strength was 51.87 ± 7.50 MPa for test group and 54.60 ± 6.20 MPa for control group. No statistically significant differences between the two groups were recorded. The mode of failure was mainly cohesive for all specimens. Specimens produced by the DMLS technique cover the lowest acceptable metal-ceramic bond strength of 25 MPa specified in ISO 9693 and present satisfactory bond strength for clinical use.

  4. A novel fiber-free technique for brain activity imaging in multiple freely behaving mice

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Inagaki, Shigenori; Agetsuma, Masakazu; Nagai, Takeharu

    2018-02-01

    Brain functions and related psychiatric disorders have been investigated by recording electrophysiological field potential. When recording it, a conventional method requires fiber-based apparatus connected to the brain, which however hampers the simultaneous measurement in multiple animals (e.g. by a tangle of fibers). Here, we propose a fiber-free recording technique in conjunction with a ratiometric bioluminescent voltage indicator. Our method allows investigation of electrophysiological filed potential dynamics in multiple freely behaving animals simultaneously over a long time period. Therefore, this fiber-free technique opens up the way to investigate a new mechanism of brain function that governs social behaviors and animal-to-animal interaction.

  5. Accurate paleointensities - the multi-method approach

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    de Groot, Lennart

    2016-04-01

    The accuracy of models describing rapid changes in the geomagnetic field over the past millennia critically depends on the availability of reliable paleointensity estimates. Over the past decade methods to derive paleointensities from lavas (the only recorder of the geomagnetic field that is available all over the globe and through geologic times) have seen significant improvements and various alternative techniques were proposed. The 'classical' Thellier-style approach was optimized and selection criteria were defined in the 'Standard Paleointensity Definitions' (Paterson et al, 2014). The Multispecimen approach was validated and the importance of additional tests and criteria to assess Multispecimen results must be emphasized. Recently, a non-heating, relative paleointensity technique was proposed -the pseudo-Thellier protocol- which shows great potential in both accuracy and efficiency, but currently lacks a solid theoretical underpinning. Here I present work using all three of the aforementioned paleointensity methods on suites of young lavas taken from the volcanic islands of Hawaii, La Palma, Gran Canaria, Tenerife, and Terceira. Many of the sampled cooling units are <100 years old, the actual field strength at the time of cooling is therefore reasonably well known. Rather intuitively, flows that produce coherent results from two or more different paleointensity methods yield the most accurate estimates of the paleofield. Furthermore, the results for some flows pass the selection criteria for one method, but fail in other techniques. Scrutinizing and combing all acceptable results yielded reliable paleointensity estimates for 60-70% of all sampled cooling units - an exceptionally high success rate. This 'multi-method paleointensity approach' therefore has high potential to provide the much-needed paleointensities to improve geomagnetic field models for the Holocene.

  6. Spoken Records. Third Edition.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Roach, Helen

    Surveying 75 years of accomplishment in the field of spoken recording, this reference work critically evaluates commercially available recordings selected for excellence of execution, literary or historical merit, interest, and entertainment value. Some types of spoken records included are early recording, documentaries, lectures, interviews,…

  7. Low-flow frequency and flow duration of selected South Carolina streams in the Saluda, Congaree, and Edisto River basins through March 2009

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Feaster, Toby D.; Guimaraes, Wladmir B.

    2012-01-01

    Part of the mission of the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control and the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources is to protect and preserve South Carolina's water resources. Doing so requires an ongoing understanding of streamflow characteristics of the rivers and streams in South Carolina. A particular need is information concerning the low-flow characteristics of streams, which is especially important for effectively managing the State's water resources during critical flow periods, such as during periods of severe drought like South Carolina has experienced in the last decade or so. The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control, initiated a study in 2008 to update low-flow statistics at continuous-record streamgaging stations operated by the U.S. Geological Survey in South Carolina. This report presents the low-flow statistics for 25 selected streamgaging stations in the Saluda, Congaree, and Edisto River basins in South Carolina, and includes flow durations for the 5-, 10-, 25-, 50-,75-, 90-, and 95-percent exceedances and the annual minimum 1-, 3-, 7-, 14-, 30-, 60-, and 90-day average flows with recurrence intervals of 2, 5, 10, 20, 30, and 50 years, depending on the length of record available at the streamgaging station. The low-flow statistics were computed from records available through March 31, 2009. Of the 25 streamgaging stations for which recurrence interval computations were made, 20 were compared to low-flow statistics that were published in previous U.S. Geological Survey reports. A comparison of the low-flow statistics for the annual minimum 7-day average streamflow with a 10-year recurrence interval (7Q10) from this study with the most recently published values indicates that 18 of the 20 streamgaging stations have values lower than the previous published values. The low-flow statistics are influenced by length of record, hydrologic regime under which the record was collected, analytical techniques used, and other changes, such as urbanization, diversions, droughts, and so on, that may have occurred in the basin.

  8. Dual-band frequency selective surface with large band separation and stable performance

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhou, Hang; Qu, Shao-Bo; Peng, Wei-Dong; Lin, Bao-Qin; Wang, Jia-Fu; Ma, Hua; Zhang, Jie-Qiu; Bai, Peng; Wang, Xu-Hua; Xu, Zhuo

    2012-05-01

    A new technique of designing a dual-band frequency selective surface with large band separation is presented. This technique is based on a delicately designed topology of L- and Ku-band microwave filters. The two band-pass responses are generated by a capacitively-loaded square-loop frequency selective surface and an aperture-coupled frequency selective surface, respectively. A Faraday cage is located between the two frequency selective surface structures to eliminate undesired couplings. Based on this technique, a dual-band frequency selective surface with large band separation is designed, which possesses large band separation, high selectivity, and stable performance under various incident angles and different polarizations.

  9. Influence of handrim wheelchair propulsion training in adolescent wheelchair users, a pilot study.

    PubMed

    Dysterheft, Jennifer L; Rice, Ian M; Rice, Laura A

    2015-01-01

    Ten full-time adolescent wheelchair users (ages 13-18) completed a total of three propulsion trials on carpet and tile surfaces, at a self-selected velocity, and on a concrete surface, at a controlled velocity. All trials were performed in their personal wheelchair with force and moment sensing wheels attached bilaterally. The first two trials on each surface were used as pre-intervention control trials. The third trial was performed after receiving training on proper propulsion technique. Peak resultant force, contact angle, stroke frequency, and velocity were recorded during all trials for primary analysis. Carpet and tile trials resulted in significant increases in contact angle and peak total force with decreased stroke frequency after training. During the velocity controlled trials on concrete, significant increases in contact angle occurred, as well as decreases in stroke frequency after training. Overall, the use of a training video and verbal feedback may help to improve short-term propulsion technique in adolescent wheelchair users and decrease the risk of developing upper limb pain and injury.

  10. One- and two-dimensional pulse electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy: concepts and applications.

    PubMed

    Van Doorslaer, S; Schweiger, A

    2000-06-01

    During the last two decades, the possibilities of pulse electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) and pulse electron nuclear double resonance (ENDOR) spectroscopy have increased tremendously. While at the beginning of the 1980s pulse-EPR and ENDOR applications were still a rarity, the techniques are now very frequently applied in chemistry, physics, materials science, biology and mineralogy. This is mainly due to the considerable efforts invested in the last few years on instrument development and pulse-sequence design. Pulse-EPR spectrometers are now commercially available, which enables many research groups to use these techniques. In this work, an overview of state-of-the-art pulse EPR and ENDOR spectroscopy is given. The rapid expansion of the field, however, does not allow us to give an exhaustive record of all the pulse methods introduced so far. After a brief and very qualitative description of the basic principles of pulse EPR, we discuss some of the experiments in more detail and illustrate the potential of the methods with a number of selected applications.

  11. Learning planar Ising models

    DOE PAGES

    Johnson, Jason K.; Oyen, Diane Adele; Chertkov, Michael; ...

    2016-12-01

    Inference and learning of graphical models are both well-studied problems in statistics and machine learning that have found many applications in science and engineering. However, exact inference is intractable in general graphical models, which suggests the problem of seeking the best approximation to a collection of random variables within some tractable family of graphical models. In this paper, we focus on the class of planar Ising models, for which exact inference is tractable using techniques of statistical physics. Based on these techniques and recent methods for planarity testing and planar embedding, we propose a greedy algorithm for learning the bestmore » planar Ising model to approximate an arbitrary collection of binary random variables (possibly from sample data). Given the set of all pairwise correlations among variables, we select a planar graph and optimal planar Ising model defined on this graph to best approximate that set of correlations. Finally, we demonstrate our method in simulations and for two applications: modeling senate voting records and identifying geo-chemical depth trends from Mars rover data.« less

  12. Learning planar Ising models

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

    Johnson, Jason K.; Oyen, Diane Adele; Chertkov, Michael

    Inference and learning of graphical models are both well-studied problems in statistics and machine learning that have found many applications in science and engineering. However, exact inference is intractable in general graphical models, which suggests the problem of seeking the best approximation to a collection of random variables within some tractable family of graphical models. In this paper, we focus on the class of planar Ising models, for which exact inference is tractable using techniques of statistical physics. Based on these techniques and recent methods for planarity testing and planar embedding, we propose a greedy algorithm for learning the bestmore » planar Ising model to approximate an arbitrary collection of binary random variables (possibly from sample data). Given the set of all pairwise correlations among variables, we select a planar graph and optimal planar Ising model defined on this graph to best approximate that set of correlations. Finally, we demonstrate our method in simulations and for two applications: modeling senate voting records and identifying geo-chemical depth trends from Mars rover data.« less

  13. [Use of the critical incident technique in the development of a measurement tool for satisfaction in psychiatry].

    PubMed

    Pourin, C; Daucourt, V; Barberger-Gateau, P

    2001-06-01

    Health care centers will have to set up a regular survey of their patients' satisfaction, in addition to the discharge questionnaire. Few instruments for measuring satisfaction are at present available. A working group associating 10 psychiatric hospitals in Aquitaine conducted a study on the specificity of this measure in psychiatry. To record the patient's perception on the stay in order to identify areas of satisfaction and dissatisfaction as perceived and reported by himself, using a qualitative approach. The critical incident technique was used in 3 volunteer hospitals, in patients hospitalised in psychiatric wards selected by their doctor. Interview using a semi-structured questionnaire were conducted by an investigator external to the departments. Data were analysed in a qualitative way. 32 interviews could be analysed, and 215 events were extracted. These events were classified in 12 themes. The events identified from these interviews have allowed identification of new areas of patient satisfaction, which could be used to build additional items centered on patients' preoccupations.

  14. Understanding the determinants of problem-solving behavior in a complex environment

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Casner, Stephen A.

    1994-01-01

    It is often argued that problem-solving behavior in a complex environment is determined as much by the features of the environment as by the goals of the problem solver. This article explores a technique to determine the extent to which measured features of a complex environment influence problem-solving behavior observed within that environment. In this study, the technique is used to determine how complex flight deck and air traffic control environment influences the strategies used by airline pilots when controlling the flight path of a modern jetliner. Data collected aboard 16 commercial flights are used to measure selected features of the task environment. A record of the pilots' problem-solving behavior is analyzed to determine to what extent behavior is adapted to the environmental features that were measured. The results suggest that the measured features of the environment account for as much as half of the variability in the pilots' problem-solving behavior and provide estimates on the probable effects of each environmental feature.

  15. The basolateral amygdala in reward learning and addiction

    PubMed Central

    Wassum, Kate M.; Izquierdo, Alicia

    2015-01-01

    Sophisticated behavioral paradigms partnered with the emergence of increasingly selective techniques to target the basolateral amygdala (BLA) have resulted in an enhanced understanding of the role of this nucleus in learning and using reward information. Due to the wide variety of behavioral approaches many questions remain on the circumscribed role of BLA in appetitive behavior. In this review, we integrate conclusions of BLA function in reward-related behavior using traditional interference techniques (lesion, pharmacological inactivation) with those using newer methodological approaches in experimental animals that allow in vivo manipulation of cell type-specific populations and neural recordings. Secondly, from a review of appetitive behavioral tasks in rodents and monkeys and recent computational models of reward procurement, we derive evidence for BLA as a neural integrator of reward value, history, and cost parameters. Taken together, BLA codes specific and temporally dynamic outcome representations in a distributed network to orchestrate adaptive responses. We provide evidence that experiences with opiates and psychostimulants alter these outcome representations in BLA, resulting in long-term modified action. PMID:26341938

  16. The York Gospels: a 1000-year biological palimpsest

    PubMed Central

    Fiddyment, Sarah; Vnouček, Jiří; Mattiangeli, Valeria; Speller, Camilla; Binois, Annelise; Carver, Martin; Dand, Catherine; Newfield, Timothy P.; Webb, Christopher C.; Bradley, Daniel G.; Collins, Matthew J.

    2017-01-01

    Medieval manuscripts, carefully curated and conserved, represent not only an irreplaceable documentary record but also a remarkable reservoir of biological information. Palaeographic and codicological investigation can often locate and date these documents with remarkable precision. The York Gospels (York Minster Ms. Add. 1) is one such codex, one of only a small collection of pre-conquest Gospel books to have survived the Reformation. By extending the non-invasive triboelectric (eraser-based) sampling technique eZooMS, to include the analysis of DNA, we report a cost-effective and simple-to-use biomolecular sampling technique for parchment. We apply this combined methodology to document for the first time a rich palimpsest of biological information contained within the York Gospels, which has accumulated over the 1000-year lifespan of this cherished object that remains an active participant in the life of York Minster. These biological data provide insights into the decisions made in the selection of materials, the construction of the codex and the use history of the object. PMID:29134095

  17. Improved Rhenium Thrust Chambers

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    O'Dell, John Scott

    2015-01-01

    Radiation-cooled bipropellant thrust chambers are being considered for ascent/ descent engines and reaction control systems on various NASA missions and spacecraft, such as the Mars Sample Return and Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle (MPCV). Currently, iridium (Ir)-lined rhenium (Re) combustion chambers are the state of the art for in-space engines. NASA's Advanced Materials Bipropellant Rocket (AMBR) engine, a 150-lbf Ir-Re chamber produced by Plasma Processes and Aerojet Rocketdyne, recently set a hydrazine specific impulse record of 333.5 seconds. To withstand the high loads during terrestrial launch, Re chambers with improved mechanical properties are needed. Recent electrochemical forming (EL-Form"TM") results have shown considerable promise for improving Re's mechanical properties by producing a multilayered deposit composed of a tailored microstructure (i.e., Engineered Re). The Engineered Re processing techniques were optimized, and detailed characterization and mechanical properties tests were performed. The most promising techniques were selected and used to produce an Engineered Re AMBR-sized combustion chamber for testing at Aerojet Rocketdyne.

  18. Teaching Oral-Aural Communication Skills in a Rehabilitation Center for the Blind

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Leavitt, Glenn

    1973-01-01

    Oral-aural communication skills, which are sequentially taught in 1-hour classes to three or four students at the Michigan Rehabilitation Center for the Blind, include audition, conversation, use of playback-recording devices, techniques of aural reading, and techniques for learning sources of recorded reading materials. (Author/MC)

  19. Determination of baseline periods of record for selected streamflow-gaging stations in and near Oklahoma for use in modeling applications

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Esralew, Rachel A.

    2010-01-01

    Use of historical streamflow data from a least-altered period of record can be used in calibration of various modeling applications that are used to characterize least-altered flow and predict the effects of proposed streamflow alteration. This information can be used to enhance water-resources planning. A baseline period of record was determined for selected streamflow-gaging stations that can be used as a calibration dataset for modeling applications. The baseline period of record was defined as a period that is least-altered by anthropogenic activity and has sufficient streamflow record length to represent extreme climate variability. Streamflow data from 171 stations in and near Oklahoma with a minimum of 10 complete water years of daily streamflow record through water year 2007 and drainage areas that were less than 2,500 square miles were considered for use in the baseline period analysis. The first step to determine the least-altered period of record was to evaluate station information by using previous publications, historical station record notes, and information gathered from oral and written communication with hydrographers familiar with selected stations. The second step was to indentify stations that had substantial effects from upstream regulation by evaluating the location and extent of dams in the drainage basin. The third step was (a) the analysis of annual hydrographs and included visual hydrograph analysis for selected stations with 20 or more years of streamflow record, (b) analysis of covariance of double-mass curves, and (c) Kendall's tau trend analysis to detect statistically significant trends in base flow, runoff, total flow, and base-flow index related to anthropogenic activity for selected stations with 15 or more years of streamflow record. A preliminary least-altered period of record for each stream was identified by removing the period of streamflow record when streams were substantially affected by anthropogenic activity. After streamflow record was removed from designation as a least-altered period, stations that did not have at least 10 years of remaining continuous streamflow record were considered to have an insufficient baseline period for modeling applications. An optimum minimum period of record was determined for each of the least-altered periods for each station to ensure a sufficient streamflow record length to provide a representative sample of annual climate variability. An optimum minimum period of 10 years or more was evaluated by analyzing the variability of annual precipitation for selected 5-, 10-, 15-, 25-, and 35-year periods for each of 20 climate divisions that contained stations used in the baseline period analysis. The distribution of annual precipitation was compared for each consecutive overlapping 5-year period to the period 1925-2007 by using a Wilcoxon rank-sum test. The least-altered period of record for stations was also compared to the period 1925-2007 by using a Wilcoxon rank-sum test. The results of this analysis were used to determine how many years of annual precipitation data were needed for the selected period to be statistically similar to the distribution of annual precipitation data for a long-term period, 1925-2007. Minimum optimum periods ranged from 10 to 35 years and varied by climate division. A final baseline period was determined for 111 stations that had a baseline period of at least 10 years of continuous streamflow record after the record-elimination process. A suitable baseline period of record for use in modeling applications could not be identified for 58 of the initial 171 stations because of substantial anthropogenic alteration of the stream or drainage basin and for 2 stations because the least-altered period of record was not representative of annual climate variability. The baseline period for each station was rated ?excellent?, ?good?, ?fair?, ?poor?, or ?no baseline period.? This rating was based on a qualitative evaluation of t

  20. Implications of genetic selection on yolk proportion on the dry matter content of eggs in a White Leghorn population.

    PubMed

    Icken, W; Looft, C; Schellander, K; Cavero, D; Blanco, A; Schmutz, M; Preisinger, R

    2014-01-01

    1. The responses to genetic selection on yolk proportion as a technique for increasing egg dry matter content, an important criterion for the egg-product industry, was investigated in a pedigree flock of White Leghorn hens. 2. Parents were preselected on high and low yolk proportion from a base population. The absolute estimated breeding value for yolk proportion of both groups differed by 3%. The realised selection difference in dry matter content of eggs between groups was more than 1% in the analysed offspring population. 3. Heritability estimates were moderate and dry matter had a lower heritability (h(2) = 0.39) than yolk proportion (h(2) = 0.44). 4. The genetic correlation between yolk proportion and dry matter content was highly positive (rg = 0.91). Genetic correlations with egg weight were negative and would have to be compensated for in a breeding programme (rg = -0.76 with yolk proportion and rg = -0.64 with dry matter content). The genetic correlation between the laying performance and yolk proportion was rg = 0.28 and close to zero (rg = -0.05) for dry matter content. 5. Easy recording and lower undesirable correlations make yolk proportion more suitable for commercial selection compared with egg dry matter content in layer breeding.

  1. Models of Protocellular Structure, Function and Evolution

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    New, Michael H.; Pohorille, Andrew; Szostak, Jack W.; Keefe, Tony; Lanyi, Janos K.

    2001-01-01

    In the absence of any record of protocells, the most direct way to test our understanding of the origin of cellular life is to construct laboratory models that capture important features of protocellular systems. Such efforts are currently underway in a collaborative project between NASA-Ames, Harvard Medical School and University of California. They are accompanied by computational studies aimed at explaining self-organization of simple molecules into ordered structures. The centerpiece of this project is a method for the in vitro evolution of protein enzymes toward arbitrary catalytic targets. A similar approach has already been developed for nucleic acids in which a small number of functional molecules are selected from a large, random population of candidates. The selected molecules are next vastly multiplied using the polymerase chain reaction. A mutagenic approach, in which the sequences of selected molecules are randomly altered, can yield further improvements in performance or alterations of specificities. Unfortunately, the catalytic potential of nucleic acids is rather limited. Proteins are more catalytically capable but cannot be directly amplified. In the new technique, this problem is circumvented by covalently linking each protein of the initial, diverse, pool to the RNA sequence that codes for it. Then, selection is performed on the proteins, but the nucleic acids are replicated. Additional information is contained in the original extended abstract.

  2. Health information security: a case study of three selected medical centers in iran.

    PubMed

    Hajrahimi, Nafiseh; Dehaghani, Sayed Mehdi Hejazi; Sheikhtaheri, Abbas

    2013-03-01

    Health Information System (HIS) is considered a unique factor in improving the quality of health care activities and cost reduction, but today with the development of information technology and use of internet and computer networks, patients' electronic records and health information systems have become a source for hackers. This study aims at checking health information security of three selected medical centers in Iran using AHP fuzzy and TOPSIS compound model. To achieve that security measures were identified, based on the research literature and decision making matrix using experts' points of view. Among the 27 indicators, seven indicators were selected as effective indicators and Fuzzy AHP technique was used to determine the importance of security indicators. Based on the comparisons made between the three selected medical centers to assess the security of health information, it is concluded that Chamran hospital has the most acceptable level of security and attention in three indicators of "verification and system design, user access management, access control system", Al Zahra Hospital in two indicators of "access management and network access control" and Amin Hospital in "equipment safety and system design". In terms of information security, Chamran Hospital ranked first, Al-Zahra Hospital ranked second and Al- Zahra hospital has the third place.

  3. Health Information Security: A Case Study of Three Selected Medical Centers in Iran

    PubMed Central

    Hajrahimi, Nafiseh; Dehaghani, Sayed Mehdi Hejazi; Sheikhtaheri, Abbas

    2013-01-01

    Health Information System (HIS) is considered a unique factor in improving the quality of health care activities and cost reduction, but today with the development of information technology and use of internet and computer networks, patients’ electronic records and health information systems have become a source for hackers. Methods This study aims at checking health information security of three selected medical centers in Iran using AHP fuzzy and TOPSIS compound model. To achieve that security measures were identified, based on the research literature and decision making matrix using experts’ points of view. Results and discussion Among the 27 indicators, seven indicators were selected as effective indicators and Fuzzy AHP technique was used to determine the importance of security indicators. Based on the comparisons made between the three selected medical centers to assess the security of health information, it is concluded that Chamran hospital has the most acceptable level of security and attention in three indicators of “verification and system design, user access management, access control system”, Al Zahra Hospital in two indicators of “access management and network access control” and Amin Hospital in “equipment safety and system design”. In terms of information security, Chamran Hospital ranked first, Al-Zahra Hospital ranked second and Al- Zahra hospital has the third place. PMID:23572861

  4. Retweets as a Predictor of Relationships among Users on Social Media.

    PubMed

    Tsugawa, Sho; Kito, Kosuke

    2017-01-01

    Link prediction is the problem of detecting missing links or predicting future link formation in a network. Application of link prediction to social media, such as Twitter and Facebook, is useful both for developing novel services and for sociological analyses. While most existing research on link prediction uses only the social network topology for the prediction, in social media, records of user activities such as posting, replying, and reposting are available. These records are expected to reflect user interest, and so incorporating them should improve link prediction. However, research into link prediction using the records of user activities is still in its infancy, and the effectiveness of such records for link prediction has not been fully explored. In this study, we focus in particular on records of reposting as a promising source that could be useful for link prediction, and investigate their effectiveness for link prediction on the popular social media platform Twitter. Our results show that (1) the prediction accuracy of techniques using reposting records is higher than that of popular topology-based techniques such as common neighbors and resource allocation for actively retweeting users, (2) the accuracy of link prediction techniques that use network topology alone can be improved by incorporating reposting records.

  5. Single-shot optical recording with sub-picosecond resolution spans record nanosecond lengths

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

    Muir, Ryan; Heebner, John

    With the advent of electronics, oscilloscopes and photodiodes are now routinely capable of measuring events well below nanosecond resolution. However, these electronic instruments do not currently measure events below 10 ps resolution. From Walden’s observation that there is an engineering tradeoff between electronic bit depth and temporal resolution in analog-to-digital converters, this technique is projected to have extremely poor fidelity if it is extended to record single events with picosecond resolution. While this constraint may be circumvented with extensive signal averaging or other multiple measurements approaches, rare events and nonrepetitive events cannot be observed with this technique. Techniques capable ofmore » measuring information in a single shot are often required. There is a general lack of available technologies that are easily scalable to long records with sub-picosecond resolution, and are simultaneously versatile in wavelength of operation. Since it is difficult to scale electronic methods to shorter resolutions, we instead aim to scale optical methods to longer records. Demonstrated optical recording methods that have achieved 1 ps resolution and long recording lengths rely on either time scaling to slow down the temporal information or, like Wien, perform time-to-space mapping so that fast events may be captured with a conventional camera.« less

  6. Single-shot optical recording with sub-picosecond resolution spans record nanosecond lengths

    DOE PAGES

    Muir, Ryan; Heebner, John

    2018-01-18

    With the advent of electronics, oscilloscopes and photodiodes are now routinely capable of measuring events well below nanosecond resolution. However, these electronic instruments do not currently measure events below 10 ps resolution. From Walden’s observation that there is an engineering tradeoff between electronic bit depth and temporal resolution in analog-to-digital converters, this technique is projected to have extremely poor fidelity if it is extended to record single events with picosecond resolution. While this constraint may be circumvented with extensive signal averaging or other multiple measurements approaches, rare events and nonrepetitive events cannot be observed with this technique. Techniques capable ofmore » measuring information in a single shot are often required. There is a general lack of available technologies that are easily scalable to long records with sub-picosecond resolution, and are simultaneously versatile in wavelength of operation. Since it is difficult to scale electronic methods to shorter resolutions, we instead aim to scale optical methods to longer records. Demonstrated optical recording methods that have achieved 1 ps resolution and long recording lengths rely on either time scaling to slow down the temporal information or, like Wien, perform time-to-space mapping so that fast events may be captured with a conventional camera.« less

  7. Retweets as a Predictor of Relationships among Users on Social Media

    PubMed Central

    Kito, Kosuke

    2017-01-01

    Link prediction is the problem of detecting missing links or predicting future link formation in a network. Application of link prediction to social media, such as Twitter and Facebook, is useful both for developing novel services and for sociological analyses. While most existing research on link prediction uses only the social network topology for the prediction, in social media, records of user activities such as posting, replying, and reposting are available. These records are expected to reflect user interest, and so incorporating them should improve link prediction. However, research into link prediction using the records of user activities is still in its infancy, and the effectiveness of such records for link prediction has not been fully explored. In this study, we focus in particular on records of reposting as a promising source that could be useful for link prediction, and investigate their effectiveness for link prediction on the popular social media platform Twitter. Our results show that (1) the prediction accuracy of techniques using reposting records is higher than that of popular topology-based techniques such as common neighbors and resource allocation for actively retweeting users, (2) the accuracy of link prediction techniques that use network topology alone can be improved by incorporating reposting records. PMID:28107489

  8. CDTI target selection criteria

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Britt, C. L.; Davis, C. M.; Jackson, C. B.; Mcclellan, V. A.

    1984-01-01

    A Cockpit Display of Traffic Information (CDTI) is a cockpit instrument which provides information to the aircrew on the relative location of aircraft traffic in the vicinity of their aircraft (township). In addition, the CDTI may provide information to assist in navigation and in aircraft control. It is usually anticipated that the CDTI will be integrated with a horizontal situation indicator used for navigational purposes and/or with a weather radar display. In this study, several sets of aircraft traffic data are analyzed to determine statistics on the number of targets that will be displayed on a CDTI using various target selection criteria. Traffic data were obtained from an Atlanta Terminal Area Simulation and from radar tapes recorded at the Atlanta and Miami terminal areas. Results are given in the form of plots showing the average percentage of time (or probability) that an aircraft equipped with a CDTI would observe from 0 to 10 other aircraft on the display for range settings on the CDTI up to 30 n. mi. and using various target discrimination techniques.

  9. Making stronger causal inferences: Accounting for selection bias in associations between high performance work systems, leadership, and employee and customer satisfaction.

    PubMed

    Schmidt, Joseph A; Pohler, Dionne M

    2018-05-17

    We develop competing hypotheses about the relationship between high performance work systems (HPWS) with employee and customer satisfaction. Drawing on 8 years of employee and customer survey data from a financial services firm, we used a recently developed empirical technique-covariate balanced propensity score (CBPS) weighting-to examine if the proposed relationships between HPWS and satisfaction outcomes can be explained by reverse causality, selection effects, or commonly omitted variables such as leadership behavior. The results provide support for leader behaviors as a primary driver of customer satisfaction, rather than HPWS, and also suggest that the problem of reverse causality requires additional attention in future human resource (HR) systems research. Model comparisons suggest that the estimates and conclusions vary across CBPS, meta-analytic, cross-sectional, and time-lagged models (with and without a lagged dependent variable as a control). We highlight the theoretical and methodological implications of the findings for HR systems research. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

  10. Evaluation of light detector surface area for functional Near Infrared Spectroscopy.

    PubMed

    Wang, Lei; Ayaz, Hasan; Izzetoglu, Meltem; Onaral, Banu

    2017-10-01

    Functional Near Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS) is an emerging neuroimaging technique that utilizes near infrared light to detect cortical concentration changes of oxy-hemoglobin and deoxy-hemoglobin non-invasively. Using light sources and detectors over the scalp, multi-wavelength light intensities are recorded as time series and converted to concentration changes of hemoglobin via modified Beer-Lambert law. Here, we describe a potential source for systematic error in the calculation of hemoglobin changes and light intensity measurements. Previous system characterization and analysis studies looked into various fNIRS parameters such as type of light source, number and selection of wavelengths, distance between light source and detector. In this study, we have analyzed the contribution of light detector surface area to the overall outcome. Results from Monte Carlo based digital phantoms indicated that selection of detector area is a critical system parameter in minimizing the error in concentration calculations. The findings here can guide the design of future fNIRS sensors. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  11. Selective Attention with Human Earphones.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Goodwin, C. James

    1988-01-01

    Describes a method for demonstrating dichotic listening tasks in the classroom which involves substituting live readers for tape recorded messages to allow direct student observation of various selective attention phenomena. Concludes that live readers offer pedagogical benefits that make them superior to tape recorded dichotic listening tasks.…

  12. A scoping review of skills and tools oral health professionals need to engage children and parents in dietary changes to prevent childhood obesity and consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages.

    PubMed

    Mallonee, Lisa F; Boyd, Linda D; Stegeman, Cynthia

    2017-06-01

    Increased consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) has been linked to obesity. Obesity now affects one in six children in the United States. The purpose of this scoping review is to identify and review published studies that discuss skills and tools oral health professionals can use with children (under age 12) and their parents to encourage dietary changes to aid in preventing childhood obesity and reducing consumption of SSBs. Key search terms were identified and used to examine selected databases via PubMed, EMBASE, CINAHL, and Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. A total of 637 records were identified. After duplicates were removed and records were screened for eligibility, 33 remained. Six met established inclusion/exclusion criteria and were included in the review. Only two full-text articles included dental-office-based weight interventions. Patient response to education on healthy habits and weight maintenance in the dental setting was favorable. Literature supports oral health professionals expanding their role in health care delivery by offering nutrition and physical activity recommendations to prevent and/or reduce chronic disease. Active listening and motivational interviewing were techniques identified to promote beneficial lifestyle changes. There is limited research on behavior modification tools and skills that have been effectively implemented in the dental setting to decrease risk of obesity. Oral health professionals are uniquely positioned to address consumption of SSBs and promote positive dietary habits for improved weight management. Future studies are needed to identify effective techniques that techniques that oral health professionals can integrate into preventive patient care. © 2017 American Association of Public Health Dentistry.

  13. Time-resolved multicolor two-photon excitation fluorescence microscopy of cells and tissues

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zheng, Wei

    2014-11-01

    Multilabeling which maps the distribution of different targets is an indispensable technique in many biochemical and biophysical studies. Two-photon excitation fluorescence (TPEF) microscopy of endogenous fluorophores combining with conventional fluorescence labeling techniques such as genetically encoded fluorescent protein (FP) and fluorescent dyes staining could be a powerful tool for imaging living cells. However, the challenge is that the excitation and emission wavelength of these endogenous fluorophores and fluorescent labels are very different. A multi-color ultrafast source is required for the excitation of multiple fluorescence molecules. In this study, we developed a two-photon imaging system with excitations from the pump femtosecond laser and the selected supercontinuum generated from a photonic crystal fiber (PCF). Multiple endogenous fluorophores, fluorescent proteins and fluorescent dyes were excited in their optimal wavelengths simultaneously. A time- and spectral-resolved detection system was used to record the TPEF signals. This detection technique separated the TPEF signals from multiple sources in time and wavelength domains. Cellular organelles such as nucleus, mitochondria, microtubule and endoplasmic reticulum, were clearly revealed in the TPEF images. The simultaneous imaging of multiple fluorophores of cells will greatly aid the study of sub-cellular compartments and protein localization.

  14. Time-distance domain transformation for Acoustic Emission source localization in thin metallic plates.

    PubMed

    Grabowski, Krzysztof; Gawronski, Mateusz; Baran, Ireneusz; Spychalski, Wojciech; Staszewski, Wieslaw J; Uhl, Tadeusz; Kundu, Tribikram; Packo, Pawel

    2016-05-01

    Acoustic Emission used in Non-Destructive Testing is focused on analysis of elastic waves propagating in mechanical structures. Then any information carried by generated acoustic waves, further recorded by a set of transducers, allow to determine integrity of these structures. It is clear that material properties and geometry strongly impacts the result. In this paper a method for Acoustic Emission source localization in thin plates is presented. The approach is based on the Time-Distance Domain Transform, that is a wavenumber-frequency mapping technique for precise event localization. The major advantage of the technique is dispersion compensation through a phase-shifting of investigated waveforms in order to acquire the most accurate output, allowing for source-sensor distance estimation using a single transducer. The accuracy and robustness of the above process are also investigated. This includes the study of Young's modulus value and numerical parameters influence on damage detection. By merging the Time-Distance Domain Transform with an optimal distance selection technique, an identification-localization algorithm is achieved. The method is investigated analytically, numerically and experimentally. The latter involves both laboratory and large scale industrial tests. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  15. Optimal electrode selection for multi-channel electroencephalogram based detection of auditory steady-state responses.

    PubMed

    Van Dun, Bram; Wouters, Jan; Moonen, Marc

    2009-07-01

    Auditory steady-state responses (ASSRs) are used for hearing threshold estimation at audiometric frequencies. Hearing impaired newborns, in particular, benefit from this technique as it allows for a more precise diagnosis than traditional techniques, and a hearing aid can be better fitted at an early age. However, measurement duration of current single-channel techniques is still too long for clinical widespread use. This paper evaluates the practical performance of a multi-channel electroencephalogram (EEG) processing strategy based on a detection theory approach. A minimum electrode set is determined for ASSRs with frequencies between 80 and 110 Hz using eight-channel EEG measurements of ten normal-hearing adults. This set provides a near-optimal hearing threshold estimate for all subjects and improves response detection significantly for EEG data with numerous artifacts. Multi-channel processing does not significantly improve response detection for EEG data with few artifacts. In this case, best response detection is obtained when noise-weighted averaging is applied on single-channel data. The same test setup (eight channels, ten normal-hearing subjects) is also used to determine a minimum electrode setup for 10-Hz ASSRs. This configuration allows to record near-optimal signal-to-noise ratios for 80% of subjects.

  16. Search for Narrow Resonances in Dijet Final States at √{s }=8 TeV with the Novel CMS Technique of Data Scouting

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Khachatryan, V.; Sirunyan, A. M.; Tumasyan, A.; Adam, W.; Asilar, E.; Bergauer, T.; Brandstetter, J.; Brondolin, E.; Dragicevic, M.; Erö, J.; Flechl, M.; Friedl, M.; Frühwirth, R.; Ghete, V. M.; Hartl, C.; Hörmann, N.; Hrubec, J.; Jeitler, M.; König, A.; Krätschmer, I.; Liko, D.; Matsushita, T.; Mikulec, I.; Rabady, D.; Rad, N.; Rahbaran, B.; Rohringer, H.; Schieck, J.; Strauss, J.; Treberer-Treberspurg, W.; Waltenberger, W.; Wulz, C.-E.; Mossolov, V.; Shumeiko, N.; Suarez Gonzalez, J.; Alderweireldt, S.; De Wolf, E. A.; Janssen, X.; Knutsson, A.; Lauwers, J.; Van De Klundert, M.; Van Haevermaet, H.; Van Mechelen, P.; Van Remortel, N.; Van Spilbeeck, A.; Abu Zeid, S.; Blekman, F.; D'Hondt, J.; Daci, N.; De Bruyn, I.; Deroover, K.; Heracleous, N.; Lowette, S.; Moortgat, S.; Moreels, L.; Olbrechts, A.; Python, Q.; Tavernier, S.; Van Doninck, W.; Van Mulders, P.; Van Parijs, I.; Brun, H.; Caillol, C.; Clerbaux, B.; De Lentdecker, G.; Delannoy, H.; Fasanella, G.; Favart, L.; Goldouzian, R.; Grebenyuk, A.; Karapostoli, G.; Lenzi, T.; Léonard, A.; Luetic, J.; Maerschalk, T.; Marinov, A.; Randle-conde, A.; Seva, T.; Vander Velde, C.; Vanlaer, P.; Yonamine, R.; Zenoni, F.; Zhang, F.; Cimmino, A.; Cornelis, T.; Dobur, D.; Fagot, A.; Garcia, G.; Gul, M.; Mccartin, J.; Poyraz, D.; Salva, S.; Schöfbeck, R.; Tytgat, M.; Van Driessche, W.; Yazgan, E.; Zaganidis, N.; Beluffi, C.; Bondu, O.; Brochet, S.; Bruno, G.; Caudron, A.; Ceard, L.; De Visscher, S.; Delaere, C.; Delcourt, M.; Forthomme, L.; Francois, B.; Giammanco, A.; Jafari, A.; Jez, P.; Komm, M.; Lemaitre, V.; Magitteri, A.; Mertens, A.; Musich, M.; Nuttens, C.; Piotrzkowski, K.; Quertenmont, L.; Selvaggi, M.; Vidal Marono, M.; Wertz, S.; Beliy, N.; Aldá Júnior, W. L.; Alves, F. L.; Alves, G. A.; Brito, L.; Correa Martins Junior, M.; Hensel, C.; Moraes, A.; Pol, M. E.; Rebello Teles, P.; Belchior Batista Das Chagas, E.; Carvalho, W.; Chinellato, J.; Custódio, A.; Da Costa, E. M.; Da Silveira, G. G.; De Jesus Damiao, D.; De Oliveira Martins, C.; Fonseca De Souza, S.; Huertas Guativa, L. M.; Malbouisson, H.; Matos Figueiredo, D.; Mora Herrera, C.; Mundim, L.; Nogima, H.; Prado Da Silva, W. L.; Santoro, A.; Sznajder, A.; Tonelli Manganote, E. J.; Vilela Pereira, A.; Ahuja, S.; Bernardes, C. A.; Dogra, S.; Fernandez Perez Tomei, T. R.; Gregores, E. M.; Mercadante, P. G.; Moon, C. S.; Novaes, S. F.; Padula, Sandra S.; Romero Abad, D.; Ruiz Vargas, J. C.; Aleksandrov, A.; Hadjiiska, R.; Iaydjiev, P.; Rodozov, M.; Stoykova, S.; Sultanov, G.; Vutova, M.; Dimitrov, A.; Glushkov, I.; Litov, L.; Pavlov, B.; Petkov, P.; Fang, W.; Ahmad, M.; Bian, J. G.; Chen, G. M.; Chen, H. S.; Chen, M.; Chen, Y.; Cheng, T.; Du, R.; Jiang, C. H.; Leggat, D.; Liu, Z.; Romeo, F.; Shaheen, S. M.; Spiezia, A.; Tao, J.; Wang, C.; Wang, Z.; Zhang, H.; Zhao, J.; Asawatangtrakuldee, C.; Ban, Y.; Li, Q.; Liu, S.; Mao, Y.; Qian, S. J.; Wang, D.; Xu, Z.; Avila, C.; Cabrera, A.; Chaparro Sierra, L. F.; Florez, C.; Gomez, J. P.; González Hernández, C. F.; Ruiz Alvarez, J. D.; Sanabria, J. C.; Godinovic, N.; Lelas, D.; Puljak, I.; Ribeiro Cipriano, P. M.; Antunovic, Z.; Kovac, M.; Brigljevic, V.; Ferencek, D.; Kadija, K.; Micanovic, S.; Sudic, L.; Attikis, A.; Mavromanolakis, G.; Mousa, J.; Nicolaou, C.; Ptochos, F.; Razis, P. A.; Rykaczewski, H.; Finger, M.; Finger, M.; Carrera Jarrin, E.; Elgammal, S.; Mohamed, A.; Mohammed, Y.; Salama, E.; Calpas, B.; Kadastik, M.; Murumaa, M.; Perrini, L.; Raidal, M.; Tiko, A.; Veelken, C.; Eerola, P.; Pekkanen, J.; Voutilainen, M.; Härkönen, J.; Karimäki, V.; Kinnunen, R.; Lampén, T.; Lassila-Perini, K.; Lehti, S.; Lindén, T.; Luukka, P.; Peltola, T.; Tuominiemi, J.; Tuovinen, E.; Wendland, L.; Talvitie, J.; Tuuva, T.; Besancon, M.; Couderc, F.; Dejardin, M.; Denegri, D.; Fabbro, B.; Faure, J. L.; Favaro, C.; Ferri, F.; Ganjour, S.; Ghosh, S.; Givernaud, A.; Gras, P.; Hamel de Monchenault, G.; Jarry, P.; Kucher, I.; Locci, E.; Machet, M.; Malcles, J.; Rander, J.; Rosowsky, A.; Titov, M.; Zghiche, A.; Abdulsalam, A.; Antropov, I.; Baffioni, S.; Beaudette, F.; Busson, P.; Cadamuro, L.; Chapon, E.; Charlot, C.; Davignon, O.; Granier de Cassagnac, R.; Jo, M.; Lisniak, S.; Miné, P.; Naranjo, I. N.; Nguyen, M.; Ochando, C.; Ortona, G.; Paganini, P.; Pigard, P.; Regnard, S.; Salerno, R.; Sirois, Y.; Strebler, T.; Yilmaz, Y.; Zabi, A.; Agram, J.-L.; Andrea, J.; Aubin, A.; Bloch, D.; Brom, J.-M.; Buttignol, M.; Chabert, E. C.; Chanon, N.; Collard, C.; Conte, E.; Coubez, X.; Fontaine, J.-C.; Gelé, D.; Goerlach, U.; Le Bihan, A.-C.; Merlin, J. A.; Skovpen, K.; Van Hove, P.; Gadrat, S.; Beauceron, S.; Bernet, C.; Boudoul, G.; Bouvier, E.; Carrillo Montoya, C. A.; Chierici, R.; Contardo, D.; Courbon, B.; Depasse, P.; El Mamouni, H.; Fan, J.; Fay, J.; Gascon, S.; Gouzevitch, M.; Grenier, G.; Ille, B.; Lagarde, F.; Laktineh, I. B.; Lethuillier, M.; Mirabito, L.; Pequegnot, A. L.; Perries, S.; Popov, A.; Sabes, D.; Sordini, V.; Vander Donckt, M.; Verdier, P.; Viret, S.; Toriashvili, T.; Lomidze, D.; Autermann, C.; Beranek, S.; Feld, L.; Heister, A.; Kiesel, M. K.; Klein, K.; Lipinski, M.; Ostapchuk, A.; Preuten, M.; Raupach, F.; Schael, S.; Schomakers, C.; Schulte, J. F.; Schulz, J.; Verlage, T.; Weber, H.; Zhukov, V.; Brodski, M.; Dietz-Laursonn, E.; Duchardt, D.; Endres, M.; Erdmann, M.; Erdweg, S.; Esch, T.; Fischer, R.; Güth, A.; Hebbeker, T.; Heidemann, C.; Hoepfner, K.; Knutzen, S.; Merschmeyer, M.; Meyer, A.; Millet, P.; Mukherjee, S.; Olschewski, M.; Padeken, K.; Papacz, P.; Pook, T.; Radziej, M.; Reithler, H.; Rieger, M.; Scheuch, F.; Sonnenschein, L.; Teyssier, D.; Thüer, S.; Cherepanov, V.; Erdogan, Y.; Flügge, G.; Hoehle, F.; Kargoll, B.; Kress, T.; Künsken, A.; Lingemann, J.; Nehrkorn, A.; Nowack, A.; Nugent, I. M.; Pistone, C.; Pooth, O.; Stahl, A.; Aldaya Martin, M.; Asin, I.; Beernaert, K.; Behnke, O.; Behrens, U.; Bin Anuar, A. A.; Borras, K.; Campbell, A.; Connor, P.; Contreras-Campana, C.; Costanza, F.; Diez Pardos, C.; Dolinska, G.; Eckerlin, G.; Eckstein, D.; Eichhorn, T.; Gallo, E.; Garay Garcia, J.; Geiser, A.; Gizhko, A.; Grados Luyando, J. M.; Gunnellini, P.; Harb, A.; Hauk, J.; Hempel, M.; Jung, H.; Kalogeropoulos, A.; Karacheban, O.; Kasemann, M.; Keaveney, J.; Kieseler, J.; Kleinwort, C.; Korol, I.; Lange, W.; Lelek, A.; Leonard, J.; Lipka, K.; Lobanov, A.; Lohmann, W.; Mankel, R.; Melzer-Pellmann, I.-A.; Meyer, A. B.; Mittag, G.; Mnich, J.; Mussgiller, A.; Ntomari, E.; Pitzl, D.; Placakyte, R.; Raspereza, A.; Roland, B.; Sahin, M. Ö.; Saxena, P.; Schoerner-Sadenius, T.; Seitz, C.; Spannagel, S.; Stefaniuk, N.; Trippkewitz, K. D.; Van Onsem, G. P.; Walsh, R.; Wissing, C.; Blobel, V.; Centis Vignali, M.; Draeger, A. R.; Dreyer, T.; Erfle, J.; Garutti, E.; Goebel, K.; Gonzalez, D.; Görner, M.; Haller, J.; Hoffmann, M.; Höing, R. S.; Junkes, A.; Klanner, R.; Kogler, R.; Kovalchuk, N.; Lapsien, T.; Lenz, T.; Marchesini, I.; Marconi, D.; Meyer, M.; Niedziela, M.; Nowatschin, D.; Ott, J.; Pantaleo, F.; Peiffer, T.; Perieanu, A.; Pietsch, N.; Poehlsen, J.; Sander, C.; Scharf, C.; Schleper, P.; Schlieckau, E.; Schmidt, A.; Schumann, S.; Schwandt, J.; Stadie, H.; Steinbrück, G.; Stober, F. M.; Stöver, M.; Tholen, H.; Troendle, D.; Usai, E.; Vanelderen, L.; Vanhoefer, A.; Vormwald, B.; Barth, C.; Baus, C.; Berger, J.; Butz, E.; Chwalek, T.; Colombo, F.; De Boer, W.; Dierlamm, A.; Fink, S.; Friese, R.; Giffels, M.; Gilbert, A.; Haitz, D.; Hartmann, F.; Heindl, S. M.; Husemann, U.; Katkov, I.; Kornmayer, A.; Lobelle Pardo, P.; Maier, B.; Mildner, H.; Mozer, M. U.; Müller, T.; Müller, Th.; Plagge, M.; Quast, G.; Rabbertz, K.; Röcker, S.; Roscher, F.; Schröder, M.; Sieber, G.; Simonis, H. J.; Ulrich, R.; Wagner-Kuhr, J.; Wayand, S.; Weber, M.; Weiler, T.; Williamson, S.; Wöhrmann, C.; Wolf, R.; Anagnostou, G.; Daskalakis, G.; Geralis, T.; Giakoumopoulou, V. A.; Kyriakis, A.; Loukas, D.; Topsis-Giotis, I.; Agapitos, A.; Kesisoglou, S.; Panagiotou, A.; Saoulidou, N.; Tziaferi, E.; Evangelou, I.; Flouris, G.; Foudas, C.; Kokkas, P.; Loukas, N.; Manthos, N.; Papadopoulos, I.; Paradas, E.; Filipovic, N.; Bencze, G.; Hajdu, C.; Hidas, P.; Horvath, D.; Sikler, F.; Veszpremi, V.; Vesztergombi, G.; Zsigmond, A. J.; Beni, N.; Czellar, S.; Karancsi, J.; Molnar, J.; Szillasi, Z.; Bartók, M.; Makovec, A.; Raics, P.; Trocsanyi, Z. L.; Ujvari, B.; Bahinipati, S.; Choudhury, S.; Mal, P.; Mandal, K.; Nayak, A.; Sahoo, D. K.; Sahoo, N.; Swain, S. K.; Bansal, S.; Beri, S. B.; Bhatnagar, V.; Chawla, R.; Gupta, R.; Bhawandeep, U.; Kalsi, A. K.; Kaur, A.; Kaur, M.; Kumar, R.; Mehta, A.; Mittal, M.; Singh, J. B.; Walia, G.; Kumar, Ashok; Bhardwaj, A.; Choudhary, B. C.; Garg, R. 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M.; Fahim, A.; Khakzad, M.; Mohammadi Najafabadi, M.; Naseri, M.; Paktinat Mehdiabadi, S.; Rezaei Hosseinabadi, F.; Safarzadeh, B.; Zeinali, M.; Felcini, M.; Grunewald, M.; Abbrescia, M.; Calabria, C.; Caputo, C.; Colaleo, A.; Creanza, D.; Cristella, L.; De Filippis, N.; De Palma, M.; Fiore, L.; Iaselli, G.; Maggi, G.; Maggi, M.; Miniello, G.; My, S.; Nuzzo, S.; Pompili, A.; Pugliese, G.; Radogna, R.; Ranieri, A.; Selvaggi, G.; Silvestris, L.; Venditti, R.; Abbiendi, G.; Battilana, C.; Bonacorsi, D.; Braibant-Giacomelli, S.; Brigliadori, L.; Campanini, R.; Capiluppi, P.; Castro, A.; Cavallo, F. R.; Chhibra, S. S.; Codispoti, G.; Cuffiani, M.; Dallavalle, G. M.; Fabbri, F.; Fanfani, A.; Fasanella, D.; Giacomelli, P.; Grandi, C.; Guiducci, L.; Marcellini, S.; Masetti, G.; Montanari, A.; Navarria, F. L.; Perrotta, A.; Rossi, A. M.; Rovelli, T.; Siroli, G. 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T.; Ligabue, F.; Lomtadze, T.; Martini, L.; Messineo, A.; Palla, F.; Rizzi, A.; Savoy-Navarro, A.; Spagnolo, P.; Tenchini, R.; Tonelli, G.; Venturi, A.; Verdini, P. G.; Barone, L.; Cavallari, F.; Cipriani, M.; D'imperio, G.; Del Re, D.; Diemoz, M.; Gelli, S.; Jorda, C.; Longo, E.; Margaroli, F.; Meridiani, P.; Organtini, G.; Paramatti, R.; Preiato, F.; Rahatlou, S.; Rovelli, C.; Santanastasio, F.; Amapane, N.; Arcidiacono, R.; Argiro, S.; Arneodo, M.; Bartosik, N.; Bellan, R.; Biino, C.; Cartiglia, N.; Costa, M.; Covarelli, R.; Degano, A.; Demaria, N.; Finco, L.; Kiani, B.; Mariotti, C.; Maselli, S.; Migliore, E.; Monaco, V.; Monteil, E.; Obertino, M. M.; Pacher, L.; Pastrone, N.; Pelliccioni, M.; Pinna Angioni, G. L.; Ravera, F.; Romero, A.; Ruspa, M.; Sacchi, R.; Shchelina, K.; Sola, V.; Solano, A.; Staiano, A.; Traczyk, P.; Belforte, S.; Candelise, V.; Casarsa, M.; Cossutti, F.; Della Ricca, G.; La Licata, C.; Schizzi, A.; Zanetti, A.; Kim, D. H.; Kim, G. N.; Kim, M. S.; Lee, S.; Lee, S. W.; Oh, Y. D.; Sekmen, S.; Son, D. C.; Yang, Y. C.; Kim, H.; Lee, A.; Brochero Cifuentes, J. A.; Kim, T. J.; Cho, S.; Choi, S.; Go, Y.; Gyun, D.; Ha, S.; Hong, B.; Jo, Y.; Kim, Y.; Lee, B.; Lee, K.; Lee, K. S.; Lee, S.; Lim, J.; Park, S. K.; Roh, Y.; Almond, J.; Kim, J.; Oh, S. B.; Seo, S. h.; Yang, U. K.; Yoo, H. D.; Yu, G. B.; Choi, M.; Kim, H.; Kim, H.; Kim, J. H.; Lee, J. S. H.; Park, I. C.; Ryu, G.; Ryu, M. S.; Choi, Y.; Goh, J.; Kim, D.; Kwon, E.; Lee, J.; Yu, I.; Dudenas, V.; Juodagalvis, A.; Vaitkus, J.; Ahmed, I.; Ibrahim, Z. A.; Komaragiri, J. R.; Md Ali, M. A. B.; Mohamad Idris, F.; Wan Abdullah, W. A. T.; Yusli, M. N.; Zolkapli, Z.; Casimiro Linares, E.; Castilla-Valdez, H.; De La Cruz-Burelo, E.; Heredia-De La Cruz, I.; Hernandez-Almada, A.; Lopez-Fernandez, R.; Mejia Guisao, J.; Sanchez-Hernandez, A.; Carrillo Moreno, S.; Vazquez Valencia, F.; Pedraza, I.; Salazar Ibarguen, H. A.; Uribe Estrada, C.; Morelos Pineda, A.; Krofcheck, D.; Butler, P. H.; Ahmad, A.; Ahmad, M.; Hassan, Q.; Hoorani, H. R.; Khan, W. A.; Qazi, S.; Shoaib, M.; Waqas, M.; Bialkowska, H.; Bluj, M.; Boimska, B.; Frueboes, T.; Górski, M.; Kazana, M.; Nawrocki, K.; Romanowska-Rybinska, K.; Szleper, M.; Zalewski, P.; Bunkowski, K.; Byszuk, A.; Doroba, K.; Kalinowski, A.; Konecki, M.; Krolikowski, J.; Misiura, M.; Olszewski, M.; Walczak, M.; Bargassa, P.; Beirão Da Cruz E Silva, C.; Di Francesco, A.; Faccioli, P.; Ferreira Parracho, P. G.; Gallinaro, M.; Hollar, J.; Leonardo, N.; Lloret Iglesias, L.; Nemallapudi, M. V.; Rodrigues Antunes, J.; Seixas, J.; Toldaiev, O.; Vadruccio, D.; Varela, J.; Vischia, P.; Bunin, P.; Gavrilenko, M.; Golutvin, I.; Gorbounov, N.; Gorbunov, I.; Karjavin, V.; Kozlov, G.; Lanev, A.; Malakhov, A.; Matveev, V.; Moisenz, P.; Palichik, V.; Perelygin, V.; Savina, M.; Shmatov, S.; Shulha, S.; Skatchkov, N.; Smirnov, V.; Zarubin, A.; Chtchipounov, L.; Golovtsov, V.; Ivanov, Y.; Kim, V.; Kuznetsova, E.; Murzin, V.; Oreshkin, V.; Sulimov, V.; Vorobyev, A.; Andreev, Yu.; Dermenev, A.; Gninenko, S.; Golubev, N.; Karneyeu, A.; Kirsanov, M.; Krasnikov, N.; Pashenkov, A.; Tlisov, D.; Toropin, A.; Epshteyn, V.; Gavrilov, V.; Lychkovskaya, N.; Popov, V.; Pozdnyakov, I.; Safronov, G.; Spiridonov, A.; Toms, M.; Vlasov, E.; Zhokin, A.; Chadeeva, M.; Danilov, M.; Zhemchugov, E.; Andreev, V.; Azarkin, M.; Dremin, I.; Kirakosyan, M.; Leonidov, A.; Rusakov, S. V.; Terkulov, A.; Baskakov, A.; Belyaev, A.; Boos, E.; Dubinin, M.; Dudko, L.; Ershov, A.; Gribushin, A.; Klyukhin, V.; Kodolova, O.; Lokhtin, I.; Miagkov, I.; Obraztsov, S.; Petrushanko, S.; Savrin, V.; Snigirev, A.; Azhgirey, I.; Bayshev, I.; Bitioukov, S.; Elumakhov, D.; Kachanov, V.; Kalinin, A.; Konstantinov, D.; Krychkine, V.; Petrov, V.; Ryutin, R.; Sobol, A.; Troshin, S.; Tyurin, N.; Uzunian, A.; Volkov, A.; Adzic, P.; Cirkovic, P.; Devetak, D.; Milosevic, J.; Rekovic, V.; Alcaraz Maestre, J.; Calvo, E.; Cerrada, M.; Chamizo Llatas, M.; Colino, N.; De La Cruz, B.; Delgado Peris, A.; Escalante Del Valle, A.; Fernandez Bedoya, C.; Fernández Ramos, J. P.; Flix, J.; Fouz, M. C.; Garcia-Abia, P.; Gonzalez Lopez, O.; Goy Lopez, S.; Hernandez, J. M.; Josa, M. I.; Navarro De Martino, E.; Pérez-Calero Yzquierdo, A.; Puerta Pelayo, J.; Quintario Olmeda, A.; Redondo, I.; Romero, L.; Soares, M. S.; de Trocóniz, J. 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B.; Schäfer, C.; Schwick, C.; Seidel, M.; Sharma, A.; Silva, P.; Simon, M.; Sphicas, P.; Steggemann, J.; Stoye, M.; Takahashi, Y.; Treille, D.; Triossi, A.; Tsirou, A.; Veckalns, V.; Veres, G. I.; Wardle, N.; Zagozdzinska, A.; Zeuner, W. D.; Bertl, W.; Deiters, K.; Erdmann, W.; Horisberger, R.; Ingram, Q.; Kaestli, H. C.; Kotlinski, D.; Langenegger, U.; Rohe, T.; Bachmair, F.; Bäni, L.; Bianchini, L.; Casal, B.; Dissertori, G.; Dittmar, M.; Donegà, M.; Eller, P.; Grab, C.; Heidegger, C.; Hits, D.; Hoss, J.; Kasieczka, G.; Lecomte, P.; Lustermann, W.; Mangano, B.; Marionneau, M.; Martinez Ruiz del Arbol, P.; Masciovecchio, M.; Meinhard, M. T.; Meister, D.; Micheli, F.; Musella, P.; Nessi-Tedaldi, F.; Pandolfi, F.; Pata, J.; Pauss, F.; Perrin, G.; Perrozzi, L.; Quittnat, M.; Rossini, M.; Schönenberger, M.; Starodumov, A.; Takahashi, M.; Tavolaro, V. R.; Theofilatos, K.; Wallny, R.; Aarrestad, T. K.; Amsler, C.; Caminada, L.; Canelli, M. F.; Chiochia, V.; De Cosa, A.; Galloni, C.; Hinzmann, A.; Hreus, T.; Kilminster, B.; Lange, C.; Ngadiuba, J.; Pinna, D.; Rauco, G.; Robmann, P.; Salerno, D.; Yang, Y.; Doan, T. H.; Jain, Sh.; Khurana, R.; Konyushikhin, M.; Kuo, C. M.; Lin, W.; Lu, Y. J.; Pozdnyakov, A.; Yu, S. S.; Kumar, Arun; Chang, P.; Chang, Y. H.; Chang, Y. W.; Chao, Y.; Chen, K. F.; Chen, P. H.; Dietz, C.; Fiori, F.; Hou, W.-S.; Hsiung, Y.; Liu, Y. F.; Lu, R.-S.; Miñano Moya, M.; Paganis, E.; Psallidas, A.; Tsai, J. f.; Tzeng, Y. M.; Asavapibhop, B.; Singh, G.; Srimanobhas, N.; Suwonjandee, N.; Adiguzel, A.; Cerci, S.; Damarseckin, S.; Demiroglu, Z. S.; Dozen, C.; Dumanoglu, I.; Girgis, S.; Gokbulut, G.; Guler, Y.; Gurpinar, E.; Hos, I.; Kangal, E. E.; Onengut, G.; Ozdemir, K.; Sunar Cerci, D.; Tali, B.; Topakli, H.; Zorbilmez, C.; Bilin, B.; Bilmis, S.; Isildak, B.; Karapinar, G.; Yalvac, M.; Zeyrek, M.; Gülmez, E.; Kaya, M.; Kaya, O.; Yetkin, E. A.; Yetkin, T.; Cakir, A.; Cankocak, K.; Sen, S.; Vardarlı, F. 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M.; Richards, A.; Rose, A.; Seez, C.; Tapper, A.; Uchida, K.; Vazquez Acosta, M.; Virdee, T.; Zenz, S. C.; Cole, J. E.; Hobson, P. R.; Khan, A.; Kyberd, P.; Leslie, D.; Reid, I. D.; Symonds, P.; Teodorescu, L.; Turner, M.; Borzou, A.; Call, K.; Dittmann, J.; Hatakeyama, K.; Liu, H.; Pastika, N.; Charaf, O.; Cooper, S. I.; Henderson, C.; Rumerio, P.; Arcaro, D.; Avetisyan, A.; Bose, T.; Gastler, D.; Rankin, D.; Richardson, C.; Rohlf, J.; Sulak, L.; Zou, D.; Benelli, G.; Berry, E.; Cutts, D.; Ferapontov, A.; Garabedian, A.; Hakala, J.; Heintz, U.; Jesus, O.; Laird, E.; Landsberg, G.; Mao, Z.; Narain, M.; Piperov, S.; Sagir, S.; Spencer, E.; Syarif, R.; Breedon, R.; Breto, G.; Burns, D.; Calderon De La Barca Sanchez, M.; Chauhan, S.; Chertok, M.; Conway, J.; Conway, R.; Cox, P. T.; Erbacher, R.; Flores, C.; Funk, G.; Gardner, M.; Ko, W.; Lander, R.; Mclean, C.; Mulhearn, M.; Pellett, D.; Pilot, J.; Ricci-Tam, F.; Shalhout, S.; Smith, J.; Squires, M.; Stolp, D.; Tripathi, M.; Wilbur, S.; Yohay, R.; Cousins, R.; Everaerts, P.; Florent, A.; Hauser, J.; Ignatenko, M.; Saltzberg, D.; Takasugi, E.; Valuev, V.; Weber, M.; Burt, K.; Clare, R.; Ellison, J.; Gary, J. W.; Hanson, G.; Heilman, J.; Jandir, P.; Kennedy, E.; Lacroix, F.; Long, O. R.; Malberti, M.; Olmedo Negrete, M.; Paneva, M. I.; Shrinivas, A.; Wei, H.; Wimpenny, S.; Yates, B. R.; Branson, J. G.; Cerati, G. B.; Cittolin, S.; D'Agnolo, R. T.; Derdzinski, M.; Gerosa, R.; Holzner, A.; Kelley, R.; Klein, D.; Letts, J.; Macneill, I.; Olivito, D.; Padhi, S.; Pieri, M.; Sani, M.; Sharma, V.; Simon, S.; Tadel, M.; Vartak, A.; Wasserbaech, S.; Welke, C.; Wood, J.; Würthwein, F.; Yagil, A.; Zevi Della Porta, G.; Bhandari, R.; Bradmiller-Feld, J.; Campagnari, C.; Dishaw, A.; Dutta, V.; Flowers, K.; Franco Sevilla, M.; Geffert, P.; George, C.; Golf, F.; Gouskos, L.; Gran, J.; Heller, R.; Incandela, J.; Mccoll, N.; Mullin, S. D.; Ovcharova, A.; Richman, J.; Stuart, D.; Suarez, I.; West, C.; Yoo, J.; Anderson, D.; Apresyan, A.; Bendavid, J.; Bornheim, A.; Bunn, J.; Chen, Y.; Duarte, J.; Mott, A.; Newman, H. B.; Pena, C.; Spiropulu, M.; Vlimant, J. R.; Xie, S.; Zhu, R. Y.; Andrews, M. B.; Azzolini, V.; Calamba, A.; Carlson, B.; Ferguson, T.; Paulini, M.; Russ, J.; Sun, M.; Vogel, H.; Vorobiev, I.; Cumalat, J. P.; Ford, W. T.; Jensen, F.; Johnson, A.; Krohn, M.; Mulholland, T.; Stenson, K.; Wagner, S. R.; Alexander, J.; Chaves, J.; Chu, J.; Dittmer, S.; Mirman, N.; Nicolas Kaufman, G.; Patterson, J. R.; Rinkevicius, A.; Ryd, A.; Skinnari, L.; Sun, W.; Tan, S. M.; Tao, Z.; Thom, J.; Tucker, J.; Wittich, P.; Winn, D.; Abdullin, S.; Albrow, M.; Apollinari, G.; Banerjee, S.; Bauerdick, L. A. T.; Beretvas, A.; Berryhill, J.; Bhat, P. C.; Bolla, G.; Burkett, K.; Butler, J. N.; Cheung, H. W. K.; Chlebana, F.; Cihangir, S.; Cremonesi, M.; Elvira, V. D.; Fisk, I.; Freeman, J.; Gottschalk, E.; Gray, L.; Green, D.; Grünendahl, S.; Gutsche, O.; Hare, D.; Harris, R. M.; Hasegawa, S.; Hirschauer, J.; Hu, Z.; Jayatilaka, B.; Jindariani, S.; Johnson, M.; Joshi, U.; Klima, B.; Kreis, B.; Lammel, S.; Linacre, J.; Lincoln, D.; Lipton, R.; Liu, T.; Lopes De Sá, R.; Lykken, J.; Maeshima, K.; Marraffino, J. M.; Maruyama, S.; Mason, D.; McBride, P.; Merkel, P.; Mrenna, S.; Nahn, S.; Newman-Holmes, C.; O'Dell, V.; Pedro, K.; Prokofyev, O.; Rakness, G.; Ristori, L.; Sexton-Kennedy, E.; Soha, A.; Spalding, W. J.; Spiegel, L.; Stoynev, S.; Strobbe, N.; Taylor, L.; Tkaczyk, S.; Tran, N. V.; Uplegger, L.; Vaandering, E. W.; Vernieri, C.; Verzocchi, M.; Vidal, R.; Wang, M.; Weber, H. A.; Whitbeck, A.; Acosta, D.; Avery, P.; Bortignon, P.; Bourilkov, D.; Brinkerhoff, A.; Carnes, A.; Carver, M.; Curry, D.; Das, S.; Field, R. D.; Furic, I. K.; Konigsberg, J.; Korytov, A.; Ma, P.; Matchev, K.; Mei, H.; Milenovic, P.; Mitselmakher, G.; Rank, D.; Shchutska, L.; Sperka, D.; Thomas, L.; Wang, J.; Wang, S.; Yelton, J.; Linn, S.; Markowitz, P.; Martinez, G.; Rodriguez, J. L.; Ackert, A.; Adams, J. R.; Adams, T.; Askew, A.; Bein, S.; Diamond, B.; Hagopian, S.; Hagopian, V.; Johnson, K. F.; Khatiwada, A.; Prosper, H.; Santra, A.; Weinberg, M.; Baarmand, M. M.; Bhopatkar, V.; Colafranceschi, S.; Hohlmann, M.; Kalakhety, H.; Noonan, D.; Roy, T.; Yumiceva, F.; Adams, M. R.; Apanasevich, L.; Berry, D.; Betts, R. R.; Bucinskaite, I.; Cavanaugh, R.; Evdokimov, O.; Gauthier, L.; Gerber, C. E.; Hofman, D. J.; Kurt, P.; O'Brien, C.; Sandoval Gonzalez, I. D.; Turner, P.; Varelas, N.; Wu, Z.; Zakaria, M.; Zhang, J.; Bilki, B.; Clarida, W.; Dilsiz, K.; Durgut, S.; Gandrajula, R. P.; Haytmyradov, M.; Khristenko, V.; Merlo, J.-P.; Mermerkaya, H.; Mestvirishvili, A.; Moeller, A.; Nachtman, J.; Ogul, H.; Onel, Y.; Ozok, F.; Penzo, A.; Snyder, C.; Tiras, E.; Wetzel, J.; Yi, K.; Anderson, I.; Blumenfeld, B.; Cocoros, A.; Eminizer, N.; Fehling, D.; Feng, L.; Gritsan, A. V.; Maksimovic, P.; Osherson, M.; Roskes, J.; Sarica, U.; Swartz, M.; Xiao, M.; Xin, Y.; You, C.; Al-bataineh, A.; Baringer, P.; Bean, A.; Bowen, J.; Bruner, C.; Castle, J.; Kenny, R. P.; Kropivnitskaya, A.; Majumder, D.; Mcbrayer, W.; Murray, M.; Sanders, S.; Stringer, R.; Tapia Takaki, J. D.; Wang, Q.; Ivanov, A.; Kaadze, K.; Khalil, S.; Makouski, M.; Maravin, Y.; Mohammadi, A.; Saini, L. K.; Skhirtladze, N.; Toda, S.; Lange, D.; Rebassoo, F.; Wright, D.; Anelli, C.; Baden, A.; Baron, O.; Belloni, A.; Calvert, B.; Eno, S. C.; Ferraioli, C.; Gomez, J. A.; Hadley, N. J.; Jabeen, S.; Kellogg, R. G.; Kolberg, T.; Kunkle, J.; Lu, Y.; Mignerey, A. C.; Shin, Y. H.; Skuja, A.; Tonjes, M. B.; Tonwar, S. C.; Apyan, A.; Barbieri, R.; Baty, A.; Bi, R.; Bierwagen, K.; Brandt, S.; Busza, W.; Cali, I. A.; Demiragli, Z.; Di Matteo, L.; Gomez Ceballos, G.; Goncharov, M.; Gulhan, D.; Hsu, D.; Iiyama, Y.; Innocenti, G. M.; Klute, M.; Kovalskyi, D.; Krajczar, K.; Lai, Y. S.; Lee, Y.-J.; Levin, A.; Luckey, P. D.; Marini, A. C.; Mcginn, C.; Mironov, C.; Narayanan, S.; Niu, X.; Paus, C.; Roland, C.; Roland, G.; Salfeld-Nebgen, J.; Stephans, G. S. F.; Sumorok, K.; Tatar, K.; Varma, M.; Velicanu, D.; Veverka, J.; Wang, J.; Wang, T. W.; Wyslouch, B.; Yang, M.; Zhukova, V.; Benvenuti, A. C.; Chatterjee, R. M.; Dahmes, B.; Evans, A.; Finkel, A.; Gude, A.; Hansen, P.; Kalafut, S.; Kao, S. C.; Klapoetke, K.; Kubota, Y.; Lesko, Z.; Mans, J.; Nourbakhsh, S.; Ruckstuhl, N.; Rusack, R.; Tambe, N.; Turkewitz, J.; Acosta, J. G.; Oliveros, S.; Avdeeva, E.; Bartek, R.; Bloom, K.; Bose, S.; Claes, D. R.; Dominguez, A.; Fangmeier, C.; Gonzalez Suarez, R.; Kamalieddin, R.; Knowlton, D.; Kravchenko, I.; Meier, F.; Monroy, J.; Siado, J. E.; Snow, G. R.; Stieger, B.; Alyari, M.; Dolen, J.; George, J.; Godshalk, A.; Harrington, C.; Iashvili, I.; Kaisen, J.; Kharchilava, A.; Kumar, A.; Parker, A.; Rappoccio, S.; Roozbahani, B.; Alverson, G.; Barberis, E.; Baumgartel, D.; Chasco, M.; Hortiangtham, A.; Massironi, A.; Morse, D. M.; Nash, D.; Orimoto, T.; Teixeira De Lima, R.; Trocino, D.; Wang, R.-J.; Wood, D.; Bhattacharya, S.; Hahn, K. A.; Kubik, A.; Low, J. F.; Mucia, N.; Odell, N.; Pollack, B.; Schmitt, M. H.; Sung, K.; Trovato, M.; Velasco, M.; Dev, N.; Hildreth, M.; Hurtado Anampa, K.; Jessop, C.; Karmgard, D. J.; Kellams, N.; Lannon, K.; Marinelli, N.; Meng, F.; Mueller, C.; Musienko, Y.; Planer, M.; Reinsvold, A.; Ruchti, R.; Rupprecht, N.; Smith, G.; Taroni, S.; Valls, N.; Wayne, M.; Wolf, M.; Woodard, A.; Alimena, J.; Antonelli, L.; Brinson, J.; Bylsma, B.; Durkin, L. S.; Flowers, S.; Francis, B.; Hart, A.; Hill, C.; Hughes, R.; Ji, W.; Liu, B.; Luo, W.; Puigh, D.; Rodenburg, M.; Winer, B. L.; Wulsin, H. W.; Cooperstein, S.; Driga, O.; Elmer, P.; Hardenbrook, J.; Hebda, P.; Luo, J.; Marlow, D.; Medvedeva, T.; Mooney, M.; Olsen, J.; Palmer, C.; Piroué, P.; Stickland, D.; Tully, C.; Zuranski, A.; Malik, S.; Barker, A.; Barnes, V. E.; Benedetti, D.; Folgueras, S.; Gutay, L.; Jha, M. K.; Jones, M.; Jung, A. W.; Jung, K.; Miller, D. H.; Neumeister, N.; Radburn-Smith, B. C.; Shi, X.; Sun, J.; Svyatkovskiy, A.; Wang, F.; Xie, W.; Xu, L.; Parashar, N.; Stupak, J.; Adair, A.; Akgun, B.; Chen, Z.; Ecklund, K. M.; Geurts, F. J. M.; Guilbaud, M.; Li, W.; Michlin, B.; Northup, M.; Padley, B. P.; Redjimi, R.; Roberts, J.; Rorie, J.; Tu, Z.; Zabel, J.; Betchart, B.; Bodek, A.; de Barbaro, P.; Demina, R.; Duh, Y. t.; Ferbel, T.; Galanti, M.; Garcia-Bellido, A.; Han, J.; Hindrichs, O.; Khukhunaishvili, A.; Lo, K. H.; Tan, P.; Verzetti, M.; Chou, J. P.; Contreras-Campana, E.; Gershtein, Y.; Gómez Espinosa, T. A.; Halkiadakis, E.; Heindl, M.; Hidas, D.; Hughes, E.; Kaplan, S.; Kunnawalkam Elayavalli, R.; Kyriacou, S.; Lath, A.; Nash, K.; Saka, H.; Salur, S.; Schnetzer, S.; Sheffield, D.; Somalwar, S.; Stone, R.; Thomas, S.; Thomassen, P.; Walker, M.; Foerster, M.; Heideman, J.; Riley, G.; Rose, K.; Spanier, S.; Thapa, K.; Bouhali, O.; Castaneda Hernandez, A.; Celik, A.; Dalchenko, M.; De Mattia, M.; Delgado, A.; Dildick, S.; Eusebi, R.; Gilmore, J.; Huang, T.; Juska, E.; Kamon, T.; Krutelyov, V.; Mueller, R.; Pakhotin, Y.; Patel, R.; Perloff, A.; Perniè, L.; Rathjens, D.; Rose, A.; Safonov, A.; Tatarinov, A.; Ulmer, K. A.; Akchurin, N.; Cowden, C.; Damgov, J.; Dragoiu, C.; Dudero, P. R.; Faulkner, J.; Kunori, S.; Lamichhane, K.; Lee, S. W.; Libeiro, T.; Undleeb, S.; Volobouev, I.; Wang, Z.; Delannoy, A. G.; Greene, S.; Gurrola, A.; Janjam, R.; Johns, W.; Maguire, C.; Melo, A.; Ni, H.; Sheldon, P.; Tuo, S.; Velkovska, J.; Xu, Q.; Arenton, M. W.; Barria, P.; Cox, B.; Goodell, J.; Hirosky, R.; Ledovskoy, A.; Li, H.; Neu, C.; Sinthuprasith, T.; Sun, X.; Wang, Y.; Wolfe, E.; Xia, F.; Clarke, C.; Harr, R.; Karchin, P. E.; Lamichhane, P.; Sturdy, J.; Belknap, D. A.; Dasu, S.; Dodd, L.; Duric, S.; Gomber, B.; Grothe, M.; Herndon, M.; Hervé, A.; Klabbers, P.; Lanaro, A.; Levine, A.; Long, K.; Loveless, R.; Ojalvo, I.; Perry, T.; Pierro, G. A.; Polese, G.; Ruggles, T.; Savin, A.; Sharma, A.; Smith, N.; Smith, W. H.; Taylor, D.; Verwilligen, P.; Woods, N.; CMS Collaboration

    2016-07-01

    A search for narrow resonances decaying into dijet final states is performed on data from proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 8 TeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 18.8 fb-1 . The data were collected with the CMS detector using a novel technique called data scouting, in which the information associated with these selected events is much reduced, permitting collection of larger data samples. This technique enables CMS to record events containing jets at a rate of 1 kHz, by collecting the data from the high-level-trigger system. In this way, the sensitivity to low-mass resonances is increased significantly, allowing previously inaccessible couplings of new resonances to quarks and gluons to be probed. The resulting dijet mass distribution yields no evidence of narrow resonances. Upper limits are presented on the resonance cross sections as a function of mass, and compared with a variety of models predicting narrow resonances. The limits are translated into upper limits on the coupling of a leptophobic resonance ZB' to quarks, improving on the results obtained by previous experiments for the mass range from 500 to 800 GeV.

  17. Lag screw fixation of anterior mandibular fractures: a retrospective analysis of intraoperative and postoperative complications.

    PubMed

    Tiwana, Paul S; Kushner, George M; Alpert, Brian

    2007-06-01

    To review, retrospectively, the outcomes of 102 patients who underwent lag screw technique fixation of fractures of the anterior mandible. A total of 102 consecutive, skeletally mature patients who have undergone open reduction internal fixation for fractures of the anterior mandible utilizing the lag screw technique were reviewed. All patients had a clinically mobile fracture between the mental foramina of the mandible. The patients were followed at usual postoperative intervals with shortest long-term follow-up of 2 months. Intraoperative and long-term postoperative outcomes including status of union, infection, and intraoperative surgical misadventure were recorded. Data from the 102 patients showed that there was 1 fixation failure due to inappropriate patient selection, 1 nonunion requiring bone grafting, 1 with infected screws but with union, 1 with an infected screw and delayed union treated conservatively, and 6 with broken drills from intraoperative surgical misadventures. Lag screw osteosynthesis of anterior mandibular fractures is a sensitive, facile, predictable, and relatively inexpensive method for internal fixation of indicated fractures. As with all methods of rigid internal fixation, most failures or complications are the result of operator judgment or technique.

  18. Corneal transplantation trends in France from 2004 to 2015: A 12-year review.

    PubMed

    Bigan, Guillaume; Puyraveau, Marc; Saleh, Maher; Gain, Philippe; Martinache, Isabelle; Delbosc, Bernard; Gauthier, Anne-Sophie

    2018-04-01

    The aim of this study was to report the 12-year longitudinal trends in indication and corneal transplantation techniques in France from 2004 to 2015. The records of all corneal transplantations performed from 2004 to 2015 in France were retrospectively reviewed. The patient indications and types of transplant performed were analyzed. A total of 46,658 corneal transplantations were performed between 2004 and 2015, with 34,187 (73.3%) penetrating keratoplasty and 10,452 (22.4%) lamellar keratoplasty. The leading surgical indications were secondary endothelial failure (24.3%), keratoconus (18.8%), regraft (13.5%), and Fuchs endothelial corneal dystrophy (15.1%). Endothelial keratoplasty became the preferred technique for endothelial diseases and deep anterior lamellar keratoplasty the preferred technique for keratoconus, surpassing penetrating keratoplasty in 2013. Secondary endothelial failure is the top indication for performing a keratoplasty over the 12-year period. There was a shift from penetrating keratoplasty to endothelial keratoplasty performed for Fuchs endothelial corneal dystrophy and secondary endothelial failure, and to deep anterior lamellar keratoplasty, performed for keratoconus. This highlights an important shift in managing corneal diseases toward the application of selective and more conservative surgeries and changes in indications in corneal transplantation.

  19. Orthopyroxene as a recorder of lunar crust evolution: An ion microprobe investigations of Mg-suite norites. [Abstract only

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Papike, J. J.; Fowler, G. W.; Shearer, C. K.

    1994-01-01

    The lunar Mg suite, which includes dunites, troctolites, and norites, could make up 20-30% of the Moon's crust down to a depth of 60 km. The remainder is largely anorthositic. This report focuses on norites because we have found that the chemical characteristics of orthopyroxene are effective recorders of their parental melt compositions. Many of the samples representing the Mg suite are small and unrepresentative. In addition, they are cumulates and thus are difficult to study by whole-rock techniques. Therefore, we decided to study these rocks by SIMS techniques to analyze a suite of trace elements in orthopyroxene. The 12 norite samples were selected from a recent compilation by Warren who attempted to select the best candidate samples from the standpoint of their pristine character. Our present database includes greater than 300 superior Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP) analyses and greater than 50 scanning ion mass spectroscopy (SIMS) analyses for 8 Rare Earth Elements (REE), Zr, Y, and Sr. The Mg#s for the parental melts calculated from Mg#s in orthopyroxene show that most melts have Mg#s in the range of 0.36-0.60. This compares with a range of Mg#s for lunar volcanic picritic glass beads of 0.4-0.68. Therefore, although the cumulate whole-rock compositions of the Mg suite can be extremely magnesian, the calculated parental melts are not anomalously high in Mg. A chemical characteristic of the Mg-suite norites that is more difficult to explain is the high KREEP content of the calculated parental melts. The REE contents for the calculated norite parental melts have REE that match or exceed the high-K KREEP component of Warren. Therefore, mixing of a KREEP component and a picritic melt cannot, by itself, explain the high estimated REE contents of the melts parental to norites. Advanced crystallization following KREEP incorporation, especially of plagiclase, may also be required.

  20. Impact of the Z potential technique on reducing the sperm DNA fragmentation index, fertilization rate and embryo development.

    PubMed

    Duarte, Carlos; Núñez, Víctor; Wong, Yat; Vivar, Carlos; Benites, Elder; Rodriguez, Urso; Vergara, Carlos; Ponce, Jorge

    2017-12-01

    In assisted reproduction procedures, we need to develop and enhance new protocols to optimize sperm selection. The aim of this study is to evaluate the ability of the Z potential technique to select sperm with intact DNA in non-normospermic patients and evaluate the impact of this selection on embryonic development. We analyzed a total of 174 human seminal samples with at least one altered parameter. We measured basal, post density gradients, and post density gradients + Z potential DNA fragmentation index. To evaluate the impact of this technique on embryo development, 54 cases were selected. The embryo development parameters evaluated were fertilization rate, cleavage rate, top quality embryos at the third day and blastocysts rate. We found significant differences in the study groups when we compared the sperm fragmentation index by adding the Z potential technique to density gradient selection vs. density gradients alone. Furthermore, there was no significant difference in the embryo development parameters between the low sperm fragmentation index group vs. the moderate and high sperm fragmentation index groups, when selecting sperms with this new technique. The Z potential technique is a very useful tool for sperm selection; it significantly reduces the DNA fragmentation index and improves the parameters of embryo development. This technique could be considered routine for its simplicity and low cost.

  1. EFFECT OF QUALITY OF CHEST RADIOGRAPHS ON THE CATEGORIZATION OF COALWORKERS' PNEUMOCONIOSIS

    PubMed Central

    Pearson, N. G.; Ashford, J. R.; Morgan, D. C.; Pasqual, R. S. H.; Rae, S.

    1965-01-01

    An investigation into the effect of variations in radiographic technical quality on pneumoconiosis reading standards in the Pneumoconiosis Field Research of the National Coal Board is reported. From the group of men for whom retake films had been obtained because of unsatisfactory technique of the originals, a trial series of pairs and triplets of films showing differing technique was assembled. A total of 778 films was read for pneumoconiosis and assessed for technical quality by four readers. The quality was assessed in terms of three separate factors, viz., density (at high, medium, and low levels), contrast (satisfactory and unsatisfactory), and definition (satisfactory and unsatisfactory). The intra and inter observer consistency of this assessment was estimated, and the effect of techical quality on the reading of pneumoconiosis category was determined. A tendency for lower pneumoconiosis readings to be recorded on films with unsatisfactory technique was demonstrated. A random 10% sample of the best available films (those on which routine pneumoconiosis readings have been made) for all men examined since the beginning of the research was also read for technical quality. Of the total of 4,188 films, 80% were considered satisfactory. It appeared that films taken on second surveys were, in general, of rather better quality than those taken on first surveys. The physical attributes of the men examined had some effect on the technical standards, the proportion of unsatisfactory films rising with increasing values of the weight/sitting height ratio and being greater in men with pneumoconiosis categories 1 and A and in the middle age group. The tendency for lower pneumoconiosis readings to be recorded on films with unsatisfactory technique is in contrast to the results of work previously published. Different criteria for the selection of films and the assessment of technical quality, and possibly differing reading conventions, make comparison with other work difficult. PMID:14278806

  2. Updating estimates of low streamflow statistics to account for possible trends

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Blum, A. G.; Archfield, S. A.; Hirsch, R. M.; Vogel, R. M.; Kiang, J. E.; Dudley, R. W.

    2017-12-01

    Given evidence of both increasing and decreasing trends in low flows in many streams, methods are needed to update estimators of low flow statistics used in water resources management. One such metric is the 10-year annual low-flow statistic (7Q10) calculated as the annual minimum seven-day streamflow which is exceeded in nine out of ten years on average. Historical streamflow records may not be representative of current conditions at a site if environmental conditions are changing. We present a new approach to frequency estimation under nonstationary conditions that applies a stationary nonparametric quantile estimator to a subset of the annual minimum flow record. Monte Carlo simulation experiments were used to evaluate this approach across a range of trend and no trend scenarios. Relative to the standard practice of using the entire available streamflow record, use of a nonparametric quantile estimator combined with selection of the most recent 30 or 50 years for 7Q10 estimation were found to improve accuracy and reduce bias. Benefits of data subset selection approaches were greater for higher magnitude trends annual minimum flow records with lower coefficients of variation. A nonparametric trend test approach for subset selection did not significantly improve upon always selecting the last 30 years of record. At 174 stream gages in the Chesapeake Bay region, 7Q10 estimators based on the most recent 30 years of flow record were compared to estimators based on the entire period of record. Given the availability of long records of low streamflow, using only a subset of the flow record ( 30 years) can be used to update 7Q10 estimators to better reflect current streamflow conditions.

  3. A comparative analysis of swarm intelligence techniques for feature selection in cancer classification.

    PubMed

    Gunavathi, Chellamuthu; Premalatha, Kandasamy

    2014-01-01

    Feature selection in cancer classification is a central area of research in the field of bioinformatics and used to select the informative genes from thousands of genes of the microarray. The genes are ranked based on T-statistics, signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), and F-test values. The swarm intelligence (SI) technique finds the informative genes from the top-m ranked genes. These selected genes are used for classification. In this paper the shuffled frog leaping with Lévy flight (SFLLF) is proposed for feature selection. In SFLLF, the Lévy flight is included to avoid premature convergence of shuffled frog leaping (SFL) algorithm. The SI techniques such as particle swarm optimization (PSO), cuckoo search (CS), SFL, and SFLLF are used for feature selection which identifies informative genes for classification. The k-nearest neighbour (k-NN) technique is used to classify the samples. The proposed work is applied on 10 different benchmark datasets and examined with SI techniques. The experimental results show that the results obtained from k-NN classifier through SFLLF feature selection method outperform PSO, CS, and SFL.

  4. QRS classification and spatial combination for robust heart rate detection in low-quality fetal ECG recordings.

    PubMed

    Warmerdam, G; Vullings, R; Van Pul, C; Andriessen, P; Oei, S G; Wijn, P

    2013-01-01

    Non-invasive fetal electrocardiography (ECG) can be used for prolonged monitoring of the fetal heart rate (FHR). However, the signal-to-noise-ratio (SNR) of non-invasive ECG recordings is often insufficient for reliable detection of the FHR. To overcome this problem, source separation techniques can be used to enhance the fetal ECG. This study uses a physiology-based source separation (PBSS) technique that has already been demonstrated to outperform widely used blind source separation techniques. Despite the relatively good performance of PBSS in enhancing the fetal ECG, PBSS is still susceptible to artifacts. In this study an augmented PBSS technique is developed to reduce the influence of artifacts. The performance of the developed method is compared to PBSS on multi-channel non-invasive fetal ECG recordings. Based on this comparison, the developed method is shown to outperform PBSS for the enhancement of the fetal ECG.

  5. A simple white noise analysis of neuronal light responses.

    PubMed

    Chichilnisky, E J

    2001-05-01

    A white noise technique is presented for estimating the response properties of spiking visual system neurons. The technique is simple, robust, efficient and well suited to simultaneous recordings from multiple neurons. It provides a complete and easily interpretable model of light responses even for neurons that display a common form of response nonlinearity that precludes classical linear systems analysis. A theoretical justification of the technique is presented that relies only on elementary linear algebra and statistics. Implementation is described with examples. The technique and the underlying model of neural responses are validated using recordings from retinal ganglion cells, and in principle are applicable to other neurons. Advantages and disadvantages of the technique relative to classical approaches are discussed.

  6. Optimal feature selection using a modified differential evolution algorithm and its effectiveness for prediction of heart disease.

    PubMed

    Vivekanandan, T; Sriman Narayana Iyengar, N Ch

    2017-11-01

    Enormous data growth in multiple domains has posed a great challenge for data processing and analysis techniques. In particular, the traditional record maintenance strategy has been replaced in the healthcare system. It is vital to develop a model that is able to handle the huge amount of e-healthcare data efficiently. In this paper, the challenging tasks of selecting critical features from the enormous set of available features and diagnosing heart disease are carried out. Feature selection is one of the most widely used pre-processing steps in classification problems. A modified differential evolution (DE) algorithm is used to perform feature selection for cardiovascular disease and optimization of selected features. Of the 10 available strategies for the traditional DE algorithm, the seventh strategy, which is represented by DE/rand/2/exp, is considered for comparative study. The performance analysis of the developed modified DE strategy is given in this paper. With the selected critical features, prediction of heart disease is carried out using fuzzy AHP and a feed-forward neural network. Various performance measures of integrating the modified differential evolution algorithm with fuzzy AHP and a feed-forward neural network in the prediction of heart disease are evaluated in this paper. The accuracy of the proposed hybrid model is 83%, which is higher than that of some other existing models. In addition, the prediction time of the proposed hybrid model is also evaluated and has shown promising results. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  7. Drug induced sleep endoscopy: its role in evaluation of the upper airway obstruction and patient selection for surgical and non-surgical treatment

    PubMed Central

    De Vito, Andrea

    2018-01-01

    Sleep related breathing disorders cause obstruction of the upper airway which can be alleviated by continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy, oral devices or surgical intervention. Non-surgical treatment modalities are not always accepted by patients and in order to attain successful surgical outcomes, evaluation of the upper airway is necessary to carefully select the patients who would benefit from surgery. There are numerous techniques available to assess the upper airway obstruction and these include imaging, acoustic analysis, pressure transducer recording and endoscopic evaluation. It is essential to note that the nocturnal obstructive upper airway has limited muscle control compared to the tone of the upper airway lumen during wakefulness. Thus, if one were to attempt to identify the anatomical segments contributing to upper airway obstruction in sleep related breathing disorders; it must be borne in mind that evaluation of the airway must be performed if possible when the patient is awake and asleep albeit during drug induced sleep. This fact as such limits the use of imaging techniques for the purpose. Drug induced sleep endoscopy (DISE) was pioneered at Royal National Throat, Nose and Ear Hospital, London in 1990 and initially introduced as sleep nasendoscopy. The nomenclature and the technique has been modified by various Institutions but the core value of this evaluation technique remains similar and extremely useful for identifying the anatomical segment responsible for obstructing the upper airway during sleep in patients with sleep related breathing disorders. There have been numerous controversies that have surrounded this technique but over the last two decades most of these have been addressed and it now remains in the forefront of methods of evaluating the upper airway obstruction. A variety of sedative agents and different grading systems have been described and efforts to unify various aspects of the technique have been made. This article will look at its usefulness and advantages and will discuss some important contributions made to the field of evaluation of the upper airway using DISE. PMID:29445527

  8. UNC Collaboratory Project: Overview

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1990-11-01

    technical, and other expository documents. Crucial to our success has been the selection of driving problems whose solutions have been of significance not...systems, and with the growing necessity for "team science", we believe the time is right to select a new driving problem -- support for multiple...the WE computer system. The WE system includes sensors imbedded within it that record each users’ action These records include each menu selection

  9. Accident investigation: Analysis of aircraft motions from ATC radar recordings

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Wingrove, R. C.

    1976-01-01

    A technique was developed for deriving time histories of an aircraft's motion from air traffic control (ATC) radar records. This technique uses the radar range and azimuth data, along with the downlinked altitude data (from an onboard Mode-C transponder), to derive an expanded set of data which includes airspeed, lift, thrust-drag, attitude angles (pitch, roll, and heading), etc. This method of analyzing aircraft motions was evaluated through flight experiments which used the CV-990 research aircraft and recordings from both the enroute and terminal ATC radar systems. The results indicate that the values derived from the ATC radar records are for the most part in good agreement with the corresponding values obtained from airborne measurements. In an actual accident, this analysis of ATC radar records can complement the flight-data recorders, now onboard airliners, and provide a source of recorded information for other types of aircraft that are equipped with Mode-C transponders but not with onboard recorders.

  10. Analytical electron tomography mapping of the SiCporeoxidation at the nanoscale

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Florea, Ileana; Ersen, Ovidiu; Hirlimann, Charles; Roiban, Lucian; Deneuve, Adrien; Houllé, Matthieu; Janowska, Izabela; Nguyen, Patrick; Pham, Charlotte; Pham-Huu, Cuong

    2010-12-01

    Silicon carbide is a ceramic material that has been widely studied because of its potential applications, ranging from electronics to heterogeneous catalysis. Recently, a new type of SiC materials with a medium specific surface area and thermal conductivity, called β-SiC, has attracted overgrowing interest as a new class of catalyst support in several catalytic reactions. A primary electron tomography study, performed in usual mode, has revealed a dual surface structure defined by two types of porosities made of networks of connected channels with sizes larger than 50 nm and ink-bottled pores with sizes spanning from 4 to 50 nm. Depending on the solvent nature, metal nanoparticles could be selectively deposited inside one of the two porosities, a fact that illustrates a selective wetting titration of the two types of surfaces by different liquids. The explaining hypothesis that has been put forward was that this selectivity against solvents is related to the pore surface oxidation degree of the two types of pores. A new technique of analytical electron tomography, where the series of projections used to reconstruct the volume of an object is recorded in energy filtered mode (EFTEM), has been implemented to map the poreoxidation state and to correlate it with the morphology and the accessibility of the porous network. Applied, for the first time, at a nanoscale resolution, this technique allowed us to obtain 3D elemental maps of different elements present in the analysed porous grains, in particular oxygen; we found thus that the interconnected channelpores are more rapidly oxidized than the ink-bottled ones. Alternatively, our study highlights the great interest of this method that opens the way for obtaining precise information on the chemical composition of a 3D surface at a nanometer scale.Silicon carbide is a ceramic material that has been widely studied because of its potential applications, ranging from electronics to heterogeneous catalysis. Recently, a new type of SiC materials with a medium specific surface area and thermal conductivity, called β-SiC, has attracted overgrowing interest as a new class of catalyst support in several catalytic reactions. A primary electron tomography study, performed in usual mode, has revealed a dual surface structure defined by two types of porosities made of networks of connected channels with sizes larger than 50 nm and ink-bottled pores with sizes spanning from 4 to 50 nm. Depending on the solvent nature, metal nanoparticles could be selectively deposited inside one of the two porosities, a fact that illustrates a selective wetting titration of the two types of surfaces by different liquids. The explaining hypothesis that has been put forward was that this selectivity against solvents is related to the pore surface oxidation degree of the two types of pores. A new technique of analytical electron tomography, where the series of projections used to reconstruct the volume of an object is recorded in energy filtered mode (EFTEM), has been implemented to map the poreoxidation state and to correlate it with the morphology and the accessibility of the porous network. Applied, for the first time, at a nanoscale resolution, this technique allowed us to obtain 3D elemental maps of different elements present in the analysed porous grains, in particular oxygen; we found thus that the interconnected channelpores are more rapidly oxidized than the ink-bottled ones. Alternatively, our study highlights the great interest of this method that opens the way for obtaining precise information on the chemical composition of a 3D surface at a nanometer scale. Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available: SI-1-SI-4. See DOI: 10.1039/c0nr00449a

  11. 76 FR 27355 - Law Enforcement Vehicular Digital Multimedia Evidence Recording System Selection and Application...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-05-11

    ... DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE Office of Justice Programs [OJP (NIJ) Docket No. 1553] Law Enforcement Vehicular Digital Multimedia Evidence Recording System Selection and Application Guide AGENCY: National... of Justice (NIJ) will make available, to the general public, the ``Law Enforcement Vehicular Digital...

  12. Nondestructive evaluation of turbine blades vibrating in resonant modes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sciammarella, Cesar A.; Ahmadshahi, Mansour A.

    1991-12-01

    The paper presents the analysis of the strain distribution of turbine blades. The holographic moire technique is used in conjunction with computer analysis of the fringes. The application of computer fringe analysis technique reduces the number of holograms to be recorded to two. Stroboscopic illumination is used to record the patterns. Strains and stresses are computed.

  13. The Technique of the Sound Studio: Radio, Record Production, Television, and Film. Revised Edition.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Nisbett, Alec

    Detailed explanations of the studio techniques used in radio, record, television, and film sound production are presented in as non-technical language as possible. An introductory chapter discusses the physics and physiology of sound. Subsequent chapters detail standards for sound control in the studio; explain the planning and routine of a sound…

  14. A laboratory investigation of the accuracy of the repositioning impression coping technique at the implant level for single-tooth implants.

    PubMed

    Daoudi, M Firas; Setchell, Derrick J; Searson, Lloyd J

    2003-03-01

    This study investigated the accuracy of the repositioning impression technique at the implant level using vinyl polysiloxane impression material. Three groups each of ten senior dentists, postgraduate students and technicians were asked to use this technique to record the position of an implant in a master model. The Reflex Microscope was used to measure variations between the resulting casts and the master model. Significant difference between the casts and the master model in the X and Y-axes (p < 0.01) was recorded. Alarming inclinational and rotational errors for the implant analogue position were measured with all groups of operators. Similar distortion in the Z-axis was recorded.

  15. Metal-ceramic bond strength between a feldspathic porcelain and a Co-Cr alloy fabricated with Direct Metal Laser Sintering technique

    PubMed Central

    Spyropoulos, Konstantinos

    2018-01-01

    PURPOSE The aim of the present study was to record the metal-ceramic bond strength of a feldspathic dental porcelain and a Co-Cr alloy, using the Direct Metal Laser Sintering technique (DMLS) for the fabrication of metal substrates. MATERIALS AND METHODS Ten metal substrates were fabricated with powder of a dental Co-Cr alloy using DMLS technique (test group) in dimensions according to ISO 9693. Another ten substrates were fabricated with a casing dental Co-Cr alloy using classic casting technique (control group) for comparison. Another three substrates were fabricated using each technique to record the Modulus of Elasticity (E) of the used alloys. All substrates were examined to record external and internal porosity. Feldspathic porcelain was applied on the substrates. Specimens were tested using the three-point bending test. The failure mode was determined using optical and scanning electron microscopy. The statistical analysis was performed using t-test. RESULTS Substrates prepared using DMLS technique did not show internal porosity as compared to those produced using the casting technique. The E of control and test group was 222 ± 5.13 GPa and 227 ± 3 GPa, respectively. The bond strength was 51.87 ± 7.50 MPa for test group and 54.60 ± 6.20 MPa for control group. No statistically significant differences between the two groups were recorded. The mode of failure was mainly cohesive for all specimens. CONCLUSION Specimens produced by the DMLS technique cover the lowest acceptable metal-ceramic bond strength of 25 MPa specified in ISO 9693 and present satisfactory bond strength for clinical use. PMID:29503711

  16. Statistical geochemistry reveals disruption in secular lithospheric evolution about 2.5 Gyr ago.

    PubMed

    Keller, C Brenhin; Schoene, Blair

    2012-05-23

    The Earth has cooled over the past 4.5 billion years (Gyr) as a result of surface heat loss and declining radiogenic heat production. Igneous geochemistry has been used to understand how changing heat flux influenced Archaean geodynamics, but records of systematic geochemical evolution are complicated by heterogeneity of the rock record and uncertainties regarding selection and preservation bias. Here we apply statistical sampling techniques to a geochemical database of about 70,000 samples from the continental igneous rock record to produce a comprehensive record of secular geochemical evolution throughout Earth history. Consistent with secular mantle cooling, compatible and incompatible elements in basalts record gradually decreasing mantle melt fraction through time. Superimposed on this gradual evolution is a pervasive geochemical discontinuity occurring about 2.5 Gyr ago, involving substantial decreases in mantle melt fraction in basalts, and in indicators of deep crustal melting and fractionation, such as Na/K, Eu/Eu* (europium anomaly) and La/Yb ratios in felsic rocks. Along with an increase in preserved crustal thickness across the Archaean/Proterozoic boundary, these data are consistent with a model in which high-degree Archaean mantle melting produced a thick, mafic lower crust and consequent deep crustal delamination and melting--leading to abundant tonalite-trondhjemite-granodiorite magmatism and a thin preserved Archaean crust. The coincidence of the observed changes in geochemistry and crustal thickness with stepwise atmospheric oxidation at the end of the Archaean eon provides a significant temporal link between deep Earth geochemical processes and the rise of atmospheric oxygen on the Earth.

  17. Recording the adult zebrafish cerebral field potential during pentylenetetrazole seizures

    PubMed Central

    Pineda, Ricardo; Beattie, Christine E.; Hall, Charles W.

    2017-01-01

    Although the zebrafish is increasingly used as a model organism to study epilepsy, no standard electrophysiological technique for recording electrographic seizures in adult fish exists. The purpose of this paper is to introduce a readily implementable technique for recording pentylenetetrazole seizures in the adult zebrafish. We find that we can consistently record a high quality field potential over the zebrafish cerebrum using an amplification of 5000 V/V and bandpass filtering at corner frequencies of 1.6 and 16 Hz. The cerebral field potential recordings show consistent features in the baseline, pre-seizure, seizure and post-seizure time periods that can be easily recognized by visual inspection as is the case with human and rodent electroencephalogram. Furthermore, numerical analysis of the field potential at the time of seizure onset reveals an increase in the total power, bandwidth and peak frequency in the power spectrum, as is also the case with human and rodent electroencephalogram. The techniques presented herein stand to advance the utility of the adult zebrafish in the study of epilepsy by affording an equivalent to the electroencephalogram used in mammalian models and human patients. PMID:21689682

  18. Sexing adult black-legged kittiwakes by DNA, behavior, and morphology

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Jodice, P.G.R.; Lanctot, Richard B.; Gill, V.A.; Roby, D.D.; Hatch, Shyla A.

    2000-01-01

    We sexed adult Black-legged Kittiwakes (Rissa tridactyla) using DNA-based genetic techniques, behavior and morphology and compared results from these techniques. Genetic and morphology data were collected on 605 breeding kittiwakes and sex-specific behaviors were recorded for a sub-sample of 285 of these individuals. We compared sex classification based on both genetic and behavioral techniques for this sub-sample to assess the accuracy of the genetic technique. DNA-based techniques correctly sexed 97.2% and sex-specific behaviors, 96.5% of this sub-sample. We used the corrected genetic classifications from this sub-sample and the genetic classifications for the remaining birds, under the assumption they were correct, to develop predictive morphometric discriminant function models for all 605 birds. These models accurately predicted the sex of 73-96% of individuals examined, depending on the sample of birds used and the characters included. The most accurate single measurement for determining sex was length of head plus bill, which correctly classified 88% of individuals tested. When both members of a pair were measured, classification levels improved and approached the accuracy of both behavioral observations and genetic analyses. Morphometric techniques were only slightly less accurate than genetic techniques but were easier to implement in the field and less costly. Behavioral observations, while highly accurate, required that birds be easily observable during the breeding season and that birds be identifiable. As such, sex-specific behaviors may best be applied as a confirmation of sex for previously marked birds. All three techniques thus have the potential to be highly accurate, and the selection of one or more will depend on the circumstances of any particular field study.

  19. Combined data mining/NIR spectroscopy for purity assessment of lime juice

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shafiee, Sahameh; Minaei, Saeid

    2018-06-01

    This paper reports the data mining study on the NIR spectrum of lime juice samples to determine their purity (natural or synthetic). NIR spectra for 72 pure and synthetic lime juice samples were recorded in reflectance mode. Sample outliers were removed using PCA analysis. Different data mining techniques for feature selection (Genetic Algorithm (GA)) and classification (including the radial basis function (RBF) network, Support Vector Machine (SVM), and Random Forest (RF) tree) were employed. Based on the results, SVM proved to be the most accurate classifier as it achieved the highest accuracy (97%) using the raw spectrum information. The classifier accuracy dropped to 93% when selected feature vector by GA search method was applied as classifier input. It can be concluded that some relevant features which produce good performance with the SVM classifier are removed by feature selection. Also, reduced spectra using PCA do not show acceptable performance (total accuracy of 66% by RBFNN), which indicates that dimensional reduction methods such as PCA do not always lead to more accurate results. These findings demonstrate the potential of data mining combination with near-infrared spectroscopy for monitoring lime juice quality in terms of natural or synthetic nature.

  20. [Stress fractures in disabled athletes' preparation for the paralympic games in Athens, 2004: an assessment].

    PubMed

    Laboute, E; Druvert, J C; Pailler, D; Piera, J-B

    2008-03-01

    To identify stress fracture frequency and the associated risk factors in disabled female athletes preparing the Paralympic Games in Athens in 2004. The study is focused on four athletes (including one with a vision impairment) among the 31 women selected to participate in the Paralympic Games. The medical records of selected athletes not having been able to participate in the Games due to a stress fracture were analyzed. One case of stress fracture to the first metatarsal was reported of one below-knee amputee and an additional case to the second metatarsal of one hemiplegic athlete. Two of three athletes with physical disability were unable to participate in the Games because of stress fracture occurring during the preparatory phase. Among four athletes selected to take part in the Paralympic Games. If morphological predispositions are inherent to the sportswomen, the main favouring factor to be retained is their running asymmetry. Training programmes must therefore take this characteristic into account and must not offer heavy-load repetitive exercise (such as endurance or jogging) at the expense of technique. Over-intense training exposes the disabled athlete to this type of pathology and is likely to affect his chances of competing.

  1. Size-selective sorting in bubble streaming flows: Particle migration on fast time scales

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Thameem, Raqeeb; Rallabandi, Bhargav; Hilgenfeldt, Sascha

    2015-11-01

    Steady streaming from ultrasonically driven microbubbles is an increasingly popular technique in microfluidics because such devices are easily manufactured and generate powerful and highly controllable flows. Combining streaming and Poiseuille transport flows allows for passive size-sensitive sorting at particle sizes and selectivities much smaller than the bubble radius. The crucial particle deflection and separation takes place over very small times (milliseconds) and length scales (20-30 microns) and can be rationalized using a simplified geometric mechanism. A quantitative theoretical description is achieved through the application of recent results on three-dimensional streaming flow field contributions. To develop a more fundamental understanding of the particle dynamics, we use high-speed photography of trajectories in polydisperse particle suspensions, recording the particle motion on the time scale of the bubble oscillation. Our data reveal the dependence of particle displacement on driving phase, particle size, oscillatory flow speed, and streaming speed. With this information, the effective repulsive force exerted by the bubble on the particle can be quantified, showing for the first time how fast, selective particle migration is effected in a streaming flow. We acknowledge support by the National Science Foundation under grant number CBET-1236141.

  2. (abstract) Synthesis of Speaker Facial Movements to Match Selected Speech Sequences

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Scott, Kenneth C.

    1994-01-01

    We are developing a system for synthesizing image sequences the simulate the facial motion of a speaker. To perform this synthesis, we are pursuing two major areas of effort. We are developing the necessary computer graphics technology to synthesize a realistic image sequence of a person speaking selected speech sequences. Next, we are developing a model that expresses the relation between spoken phonemes and face/mouth shape. A subject is video taped speaking an arbitrary text that contains expression of the full list of desired database phonemes. The subject is video taped from the front speaking normally, recording both audio and video detail simultaneously. Using the audio track, we identify the specific video frames on the tape relating to each spoken phoneme. From this range we digitize the video frame which represents the extreme of mouth motion/shape. Thus, we construct a database of images of face/mouth shape related to spoken phonemes. A selected audio speech sequence is recorded which is the basis for synthesizing a matching video sequence; the speaker need not be the same as used for constructing the database. The audio sequence is analyzed to determine the spoken phoneme sequence and the relative timing of the enunciation of those phonemes. Synthesizing an image sequence corresponding to the spoken phoneme sequence is accomplished using a graphics technique known as morphing. Image sequence keyframes necessary for this processing are based on the spoken phoneme sequence and timing. We have been successful in synthesizing the facial motion of a native English speaker for a small set of arbitrary speech segments. Our future work will focus on advancement of the face shape/phoneme model and independent control of facial features.

  3. Real-time trichromatic holographic interferometry: preliminary study

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Albe, Felix; Bastide, Myriam; Desse, Jean-Michel; Tribillon, Jean-Louis H.

    1998-08-01

    In this paper we relate our preliminary experiments on real- time trichromatic holographic interferometry. For this purpose a CW `white' laser (argon and krypton of Coherent- Radiation, Spectrum model 70) is used. This laser produces about 10 wavelengths. A system consisting of birefringent plates and polarizers allows to select a trichromatic TEM00 triplet: blue line ((lambda) equals 476 nm, 100 mW), green line ((lambda) equals 514 nm, 100 mW) and red line ((lambda) equals 647 nm, 100 mW). In a first stage we recorded a trichromatic reflection hologram with a separate reference beam on a single-layer silver-halide panchromatic plate (PFG 03C). After processing, the hologram is put back into the original recording set-up, as in classical experiments on real-time monochromatic holographic interferometry. So we observe interference fringes between the 3 reconstructed waves and the 3 actual waves. The interference fringes of the phenomenon are observed on a screen and recorded by a video camera at 25 frames per second. A color video film of about 3 minutes of duration is presented. Some examples related to phase objects are presented (hot airflow from a candle, airflow from a hand). The actual results show the possibility of using this technique to study, in real time, aerodynamic wakes and mechanical deformation.

  4. Optimal use of EEG recordings to target active brain areas with transcranial electrical stimulation.

    PubMed

    Dmochowski, Jacek P; Koessler, Laurent; Norcia, Anthony M; Bikson, Marom; Parra, Lucas C

    2017-08-15

    To demonstrate causal relationships between brain and behavior, investigators would like to guide brain stimulation using measurements of neural activity. Particularly promising in this context are electroencephalography (EEG) and transcranial electrical stimulation (TES), as they are linked by a reciprocity principle which, despite being known for decades, has not led to a formalism for relating EEG recordings to optimal stimulation parameters. Here we derive a closed-form expression for the TES configuration that optimally stimulates (i.e., targets) the sources of recorded EEG, without making assumptions about source location or distribution. We also derive a duality between TES targeting and EEG source localization, and demonstrate that in cases where source localization fails, so does the proposed targeting. Numerical simulations with multiple head models confirm these theoretical predictions and quantify the achieved stimulation in terms of focality and intensity. We show that constraining the stimulation currents automatically selects optimal montages that involve only a few (4-7) electrodes, with only incremental loss in performance when targeting focal activations. The proposed technique allows brain scientists and clinicians to rationally target the sources of observed EEG and thus overcomes a major obstacle to the realization of individualized or closed-loop brain stimulation. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  5. Optimal use of EEG recordings to target active brain areas with transcranial electrical stimulation

    PubMed Central

    Dmochowski, Jacek P.; Koessler, Laurent; Norcia, Anthony M.; Bikson, Marom; Parra, Lucas C.

    2018-01-01

    To demonstrate causal relationships between brain and behavior, investigators would like to guide brain stimulation using measurements of neural activity. Particularly promising in this context are electroencephalography (EEG) and transcranial electrical stimulation (TES), as they are linked by a reciprocity principle which, despite being known for decades, has not led to a formalism for relating EEG recordings to optimal stimulation parameters. Here we derive a closed-form expression for the TES configuration that optimally stimulates (i.e., targets) the sources of recorded EEG, without making assumptions about source location or distribution. We also derive a duality between TES targeting and EEG source localization, and demonstrate that in cases where source localization fails, so does the proposed targeting. Numerical simulations with multiple head models confirm these theoretical predictions and quantify the achieved stimulation in terms of focality and intensity. We show that constraining the stimulation currents automatically selects optimal montages that involve only a few (4–7) electrodes, with only incremental loss in performance when targeting focal activations. The proposed technique allows brain scientists and clinicians to rationally target the sources of observed EEG and thus overcomes a major obstacle to the realization of individualized or closed-loop brain stimulation. PMID:28578130

  6. Characterization and identification of microorganisms by FT-IR microspectrometry

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ngo-Thi, N. A.; Kirschner, C.; Naumann, D.

    2003-12-01

    We report on a novel FT-IR approach for microbial characterization/identification based on a light microscope coupled to an infrared spectrometer which offers the possibility to acquire IR-spectra of microcolonies containing only few hundred cells. Microcolony samples suitable for FT-IR microspectroscopic measurements were obtained by a replica technique with a stamping device that transfers spatially accurate cells of microcolonies growing on solid culture plates to a special, IR-transparent or reflecting stamping plate. High quality spectra could be recorded either by applying the transmission/absorbance or the reflectance/absorbance mode of the infrared microscope. Signal to noise ratios higher than 1000 were obtained for microcolonies as small as 40 μm in diameter. Reproducibility levels were established that allowed species and strain identification. The differentiation and classification capacity of the FT-IR microscopic technique was tested for different selected microorganisms. Cluster and factor analysis methods were used to evaluate the complex spectral data. Excellent discrimination between bacteria and yeasts, and at the same time Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacterial strains was obtained. Twenty-two selected strains of different species within the genus Staphylococcus were repetitively measured and could be grouped into correct species cluster. Moreover, the results indicated that the method allows also identifications at the subspecies level. Additionally, the new approach allowed spectral mapping analysis of single colonies which provided spatially resolved characterization of growth heterogeneity within complex microbial populations such as colonies.

  7. Extracorporeal irradiation for malignant bone tumors.

    PubMed

    Hong, A; Stevens, G; Stalley, P; Pendlebury, S; Ahern, V; Ralston, A; Estoesta, E; Barrett, I

    2001-06-01

    Extracorporeal irradiation (ECI) has been used selectively in the management of primary malignant bone tumors since 1996. We report our techniques for ECI and the short-term oncologic and orthopedic outcomes. Sixteen patients with primary malignant bone tumors were treated with ECI from 1996 to 2000. The median age was 14 years. The histologic diagnoses were Ewing's sarcoma (11), osteosarcoma (4) and chondrosarcoma (1). The treated sites were femur (7), tibia (4), humerus (2), ilium (2), and sacrum (1). Following induction chemotherapy in Ewing's sarcomas and osteosarcoma, en bloc resection of the tumor and tumor-bearing bone was performed. A single dose of 50 Gy was delivered to the bone extracorporeally using either a linear accelerator (9 cases) or a blood product irradiator (7 cases). The orthopedic outcome was recorded using a standard functional scale. At a median follow-up of 19.5 months, there were no cases of local recurrence or graft failure. One patient required amputation due to chronic osteomyelitis. For the 10 patients with follow-up greater than 18 months, the functional outcomes were graded good to excellent. The short-term oncologic and orthopedic results are encouraging and suggest that ECI provides a good alternative for reconstruction in limb conservative surgery in selected patients. This technique should only be used in a multidisciplinary setting, where careful follow-up is available to assess the long-term outcomes.

  8. Treatment of localized gingival recession using the free rotated papilla autograft combined with coronally advanced flap by conventional (macrosurgery) and surgery under magnification (microsurgical) technique: A comparative clinical study

    PubMed Central

    Pandey, Suraj; Mehta, D. S.

    2013-01-01

    Background: The aim of the present study was to evaluate and compare the conventional (macro-surgical) and microsurgical approach in performing the free rotated papilla autograft combined with coronally advanced flap surgery in treatment of localized gingival recession. Materials and Methods: A total of 20 sites from 10 systemically healthy patients were selected for the study. The selected sites were randomly divided into experimental site A and experimental site B by using the spilt mouth design. Conventional (macro-surgical) approach for site A and micro-surgery for site B was applied in performing the free rotated papilla autograft combined with coronally advanced flap. Recession depth (RD), recession width (RW) clinical attachment level (CAL.) and width of keratinized tissue (WKT.) were recorded at baseline, 3 months and 6 months post-operatively. Results: Both (macro- and microsurgery) groups showed significant clinical improvement in all the parameters (RD, RW, CAL and WKT). However, on comparing both the groups, these parameters did not reach statistical significance. Conclusion: Both the surgical procedures were equally effective in treatment of localized gingival recession by the free rotated papilla autograft technique combined with coronally advanced flap. However, surgery under magnification (microsurgery) may be clinically better than conventional surgery in terms of less post-operative pain and discomfort experienced by patients at the microsurgical site. PMID:24554888

  9. Microfilm Standards. Counties, Municipalities, School Districts.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    New Jersey State Dept. of Education, Trenton.

    This pamphlet contains the standards and requirements approved by the New Jersey State Records Committee on May 13, 1981, which bring the microfilm quality-control standards into conformity with national standards. Standards and guidelines are established for the selection of records to be microfilmed, the selection of equipment and vendors, the…

  10. 42 CFR 482.90 - Condition of participation: Patient and living donor selection.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... principles of medical ethics. Transplant centers must: (1) Ensure that a prospective living donor receives a... candidate on its waiting list, the candidate's medical record must contain documentation that the candidate... selected to receive a transplant, the center must document in the patient's medical record the patient...

  11. Functional and taxonomic plant diversity for riverbank protection works: bioengineering techniques close to natural banks and beyond hard engineering.

    PubMed

    Cavaillé, Paul; Ducasse, Léon; Breton, Vincent; Dommanget, Fanny; Tabacchi, Eric; Evette, André

    2015-03-15

    Erosion control is a major issue in the Prealps region since piedmont is subject to both intense flood hazards and anthropic pressure. Riverbank protections may have major impacts on local ecosystem functioning and ecological corridor continuity. This study aimed to estimate the effects of the types of riverbank protection technique (from pure riprap to pure bioengineering) on the taxonomic and ecological composition of plant communities in comparison with unmanaged riverbanks as the referential system. Thirty-eight embankments were sampled in the foothills of the French and Swiss Alps. Four distinct riverbank techniques were analyzed and natural young willow stands were chosen as the referential system. At each site, vegetation was sampled along three transects from the waterline to the top of the riverbank. Plant communities were characterized using biological group composition (growth forms and life history, life strategies and distribution in space and time) and functional diversity indices (MFAD, FDc and wFDc). We identified 177 distinct plant species on 38 sites. Higher species richness levels were observed on bioengineered banks (from an average of 12 species recorded on ripraps to 27 species recorded on bioengineered banks) strongly dominated by Salicaceae species, especially for fascine and cribwall banks. Functional analyses of plant communities highlighted significant differences among bank types (p-value: 0.001) for all selected biological groups. Competitive - ruderal strategy, rooting shoots, stems or leaves that lie down or break off, and unisexual - dioecious, as well as pioneer plants and low shrubs (<4 m tall) distinguished bioengineered bank types. Functional diversity indices confirmed these differences among bank types (MFAD: p-value: 0.002; FDc: p-value: 0.003; wFDc: p-value: 0.005). Riprap always showed the lowest levels on functional diversity indices, fascine and cribwall banks were at the medium level and finally mixed and natural banks the highest level. These results confirm the low ecological potential of purely hard engineering techniques and highlight the similarity of bioengineered techniques and unmanaged riverbanks. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  12. Characterisation of slope directional resonance by analysing ambient noise instantaneous polarisation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Del Gaudio, Vincenzo; Wasowski, Janusz

    2014-05-01

    Several studies have shown that the dynamic response of landslide prone slopes to seismic shaking can play an important role in failure triggering during earthquakes. It was also demonstrated that slope seismic response is often characterised by directional resonance phenomena. Directivity can be revealed by the analysis of ambient noise recordings according to a technique known as HVNR method based on the analysis of azimuthal variation of spectral ratios between the spectral amplitude of horizontal H and vertical V component of noise recording. Directional resonance is then revealed by the presence of a preferential polarisation of H/V ratio peaks, whose frequencies correspond to resonance frequencies and whose amplitudes depend on the impedance contrast between surface material and bedrock. H/V ratio amplitudes can potentially provide information also on amplification factors. However, the relation is not straightforward depending on the nature of the waves contributing to the ambient noise. Thus, it is desirable to distinguish different kinds of noise wave packets, possibly isolating the contribution of Rayleigh waves, which appear to better reflect site response properties. To identify Rayleigh wave packets in noise recording a new approach was tested, based on a technique of analysis of instantaneous polarisation. The results are promising for the investigation of site response directional properties, particularly in the case of complex site conditions, where resonance can be characterised by multiple anisotropic peaks. In our preliminary tests of noise recordings carried out at a site located on a slope affected by landslides, only a small fraction of data samples (in the order of 1 %) were identified as Rayleigh type waves: this was likely due the fact that the noise recording was dominated by an overlapping of signals with different kinds of polarisation. Thus, it was possible to recognise Rayleigh polarisation only when the energy of this kind of wave was prevalent. However, from a relatively short noise recording (in the order of 30-45 minutes) one can obtain a high number (in the order of thousands) of estimates of H/V amplitude and azimuth, providing a robust statistics to recognise ground vibration properties reflecting site response. The tests on sites where directional resonance properties had been verified through the analysis of seismic event recordings, showed that more coherent observations can be obtained for H/V ratios and directivity estimates by selecting Rayleigh type data samples, rather than analysing the entire data set or SH-type wave packets.This offers the possibility of reducing the uncertainties in data interpretation related to the influence of the nature of the noise wavefield.

  13. Two- versus four-handed techniques for endonasal resection of orbital apex tumors.

    PubMed

    Craig, John R; Lee, John Y K; Petrov, Dmitriy; Mehta, Sonul; Palmer, James N; Adappa, Nithin D

    2015-01-01

    Open versus endonasal resection of orbital apex (OA) tumors is generally based on tumor size, location, and pathology. For endonasal resection, two- and four-handed techniques have been reported, but whether one technique is more optimal based on these tumor features has not been evaluated. To determine whether two- versus four-handed techniques result in better outcomes after endoscopic resection of OA tumors, and whether either technique is better suited for intra- versus extraconal location and for benign versus malignant pathology. A retrospective review of all expanded endonasal approaches for OA tumors was performed at a single institution from 2009 to 2013. A PubMed database search was also performed to review series published on endonasal OA tumor resection. Across all the cases reviewed, the following data were recorded: two- versus four-handed techniques, intra- versus extraconal tumor location, and benign versus malignant pathology. The relationship between these variables and resection extent was analyzed by the Fisher exact test. Postoperative visual status and complications were also reviewed. Ten cases from the institution and 94 cases from 17 publications were reviewed. Both two- and four-handed techniques were used to resect extra- and intraconal OA tumors, for both benign and malignant pathology. Four-handed techniques included a purely endonasal approach and a combined endonasal-orbital approach. On univariate analysis, the strongest predictor of complete resection was benign pathology (p = 0.005). No significant difference was found between the extent of resection and a two- versus a four-handed technique. Visual status was improved or unchanged in 94% of cases, and other complications were rare. Benign tumors that involve the medial extraconal and posterior inferomedial intraconal OA can be treated by either two- or four-handed endonasal techniques. Selecting two- versus four-handed techniques and endonasal versus endonasal-orbital four-handed techniques depends mainly on surgeons' experience. Endonasal approaches for malignant OA tumors are less likely to result in complete resection.

  14. Digital Tools for Documenting and Conserving Bahrain's Built Heritage for Posterity

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mezzino, D.; Barazzetti, L.; Santana Quintero, M.; El-Habashi, A.

    2017-08-01

    Documenting the physical characteristics of historic structures is the first step for any preventive maintenance, monitoring, conservation, planning and promotion action. Metric documentation supports informative decision-making process for property owners, site managers, public officials, and conservators. This information serves also a broader purpose, over time, it becomes the primary means by which scholars, heritage professionals, and the general public understand a site that radically changed or disappeared. Further, documentation supports monitoring as well as the character-defining elements analysis, relevant to define the values of the building for the local and international community. The awareness of these concepts oriented the digital documentation and training activities, developed between 2016 and 2017, for the Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities (BACA) in Bahrain. The developed activities had two main aims: a) support the local staff in using specific recording techniques to efficiently document and consequently preserve built heritage sites with appropriate accuracy and in a relatively short period; b) develop a pilot project in collaboration with BACA to validate the capacity of the team to accurately document and produce measured records for the conservation and management of Bahrain built heritage. The documentation project has been developed by a multidisciplinary team of experts from BACA, Carleton Immersive Media Studio (CIMS), Carleton University, Canada and a contracted researcher from the Gicarus Lab, Politecnico di Milano (POLIMI) in Italy. In the training activities, the participants have been exposed to a wide range of recording techniques, illustrating them the selection criteria for the most suitable one, according to requirements, site specifications, categories of values identified for the various built elements, and budget. The pilot project has been tested on three historical structures, both with strong connotations in the Bahrain cultural identity: the Shaikh Isa bin Ali house, Aljazzaf house and the Siyadi Majlis. These two buildings, outstanding examples of Bahrain architecture as well as tangible memory of the country history, have been documented employing several digital techniques, including: aerial and terrestrial photogrammetry, rectifying photography, total station and 3D laser scanning.

  15. Readout signals calculated for near-field optical pickups with land and groove recording.

    PubMed

    Saito, K; Kishima, K; Ichimura, I

    2000-08-10

    Optical disk readout signals with a solid immersion lens (SIL) and the land-groove recording technique are calculated by use of a simplified vector-diffraction theory. In this method the full vector-diffraction theory is applied to calculate the diffracted light from the initial state of the disk, and the light scattered from the recorded marks is regarded as a perturbation. Using this method, we confirmed that the land-groove recording technique is effective as a means of cross-talk reduction even when the numerical aperture is more than 1. However, the top surface of the disk under the SIL must be flat, or the readout signal from marks recorded on a groove decays when the optical depth of the groove is greater than lambda/8.

  16. The evolution of endovascular electroencephalography: historical perspective and future applications.

    PubMed

    Sefcik, Roberta K; Opie, Nicholas L; John, Sam E; Kellner, Christopher P; Mocco, J; Oxley, Thomas J

    2016-05-01

    Current standard practice requires an invasive approach to the recording of electroencephalography (EEG) for epilepsy surgery, deep brain stimulation (DBS), and brain-machine interfaces (BMIs). The development of endovascular techniques offers a minimally invasive route to recording EEG from deep brain structures. This historical perspective aims to describe the technical progress in endovascular EEG by reviewing the first endovascular recordings made using a wire electrode, which was followed by the development of nanowire and catheter recordings and, finally, the most recent progress in stent-electrode recordings. The technical progress in device technology over time and the development of the ability to record chronic intravenous EEG from electrode arrays is described. Future applications for the use of endovascular EEG in the preoperative and operative management of epilepsy surgery are then discussed, followed by the possibility of the technique's future application in minimally invasive operative approaches to DBS and BMI.

  17. The precision-processing subsystem for the Earth Resources Technology Satellite.

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Chapelle, W. E.; Bybee, J. E.; Bedross, G. M.

    1972-01-01

    Description of the precision processor, a subsystem in the image-processing system for the Earth Resources Technology Satellite (ERTS). This processor is a special-purpose image-measurement and printing system, designed to process user-selected bulk images to produce 1:1,000,000-scale film outputs and digital image data, presented in a Universal-Transverse-Mercator (UTM) projection. The system will remove geometric and radiometric errors introduced by the ERTS multispectral sensors and by the bulk-processor electron-beam recorder. The geometric transformations required for each input scene are determined by resection computations based on reseau measurements and image comparisons with a special ground-control base contained within the system; the images are then printed and digitized by electronic image-transfer techniques.

  18. Mobile internet and technology for optical teaching reform in higher education

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhou, Muchun; Zhao, Qi; Chen, Yanru

    2017-08-01

    There are some problems in optical education such as insufficient flexibility, individuality and adaptability to students who need information and education at present. The development of mobile internet and technology provides support to solve these problems. Basic characteristics, advantages and developments of these techniques used in education are presented in this paper. Mobile internet is introduced to reform the classroom teaching of optical courses. Mobile network tool selection, teaching resources construction and reform in teaching methods are discussed. Academic record and sampling surveys are used to assess intention to adopt mobile internet and learning effect of academic major of students, the results show that high quality optical education can be offered by adopting mobile internet and technologies in traditional instruction.

  19. Volatility forecasting for low-volatility portfolio selection in the US and the Korean equity markets

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kim, Saejoon

    2018-01-01

    We consider the problem of low-volatility portfolio selection which has been the subject of extensive research in the field of portfolio selection. To improve the currently existing techniques that rely purely on past information to select low-volatility portfolios, this paper investigates the use of time series regression techniques that make forecasts of future volatility to select the portfolios. In particular, for the first time, the utility of support vector regression and its enhancements as portfolio selection techniques is provided. It is shown that our regression-based portfolio selection provides attractive outperformances compared to the benchmark index and the portfolio defined by a well-known strategy on the data-sets of the S&P 500 and the KOSPI 200.

  20. Investigation of a high speed data handling system for use with multispectral aircraft scanners

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kelly, W. L.; Meredith, B. D.

    1978-01-01

    A buffer memory data handling technique for use with multispectral aircraft scanners is presented which allows digital data generated at high data rates to be recorded on magnetic tape. A digital memory is used to temporarily store the data for subsequent recording at slower rates during the passive time of the scan line, thereby increasing the maximum data rate recording capability over real-time recording. Three possible implementations are described and the maximum data rate capability is defined in terms of the speed capability of the key hardware components. The maximum data rates can be used to define the maximum ground resolution achievable by a multispectral aircraft scanner using conventional data handling techniques.

  1. Simplified Technique for Incorporating a Metal Mesh into Record Bases for Mandibular Implant Overdentures.

    PubMed

    Godoy, Antonio; Siegel, Sharon C

    2015-12-01

    Mandibular implant-retained overdentures have become the standard of care for patients with mandibular complete edentulism. As part of the treatment, the mandibular implant-retained overdenture may require a metal mesh framework to be incorporated to strengthen the denture and avoid fracture of the prosthesis. Integrating the metal mesh framework as part of the acrylic record base and wax occlusion rim before the jaw relation procedure will avoid the distortion of the record base and will minimize the chances of processing errors. A simplified method to incorporate the mesh into the record base and occlusion rim is presented in this technique article. © 2015 by the American College of Prosthodontists.

  2. Thick phase holographic gratings recorded on BB-640 and PFG-01 silver halide materials

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Neipp, Cristian; Márquez, Andrés; Pascual, Inmaculada; Beléndez, Augusto

    2003-09-01

    Photographic emulsions are still widely used to record holographic optical elements. In particular, if high diffraction efficiencies are needed, phase volume holograms are preferably recorded on these emulsions. Two particular techniques producing high-quality volume phase holograms are fixation-free rehalogenating bleaching and the use of silver-halide-sensitized gelatin. In this work we compare these two particular techniques applied to three different red-sensitive emulsions: Agfa 8E75 HD, BB-640, and Slavich PFG-01 emulsions. The differences between these emulsions determine the particular experimental conditions needed to record high-quality volume holograms on them. In this work these differences are analysed, and also their influence on the experimental procedure.

  3. High-speed and ultrahigh-speed cinematographic recording techniques

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Miquel, J. C.

    1980-12-01

    A survey is presented of various high-speed and ultrahigh-speed cinematographic recording systems (covering a range of speeds from 100 to 14-million pps). Attention is given to the functional and operational characteristics of cameras and to details of high-speed cinematography techniques (including image processing, and illumination). A list of cameras (many of them French) available in 1980 is presented

  4. Estimation of submarine mass failure probability from a sequence of deposits with age dates

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Geist, Eric L.; Chaytor, Jason D.; Parsons, Thomas E.; ten Brink, Uri S.

    2013-01-01

    The empirical probability of submarine mass failure is quantified from a sequence of dated mass-transport deposits. Several different techniques are described to estimate the parameters for a suite of candidate probability models. The techniques, previously developed for analyzing paleoseismic data, include maximum likelihood and Type II (Bayesian) maximum likelihood methods derived from renewal process theory and Monte Carlo methods. The estimated mean return time from these methods, unlike estimates from a simple arithmetic mean of the center age dates and standard likelihood methods, includes the effects of age-dating uncertainty and of open time intervals before the first and after the last event. The likelihood techniques are evaluated using Akaike’s Information Criterion (AIC) and Akaike’s Bayesian Information Criterion (ABIC) to select the optimal model. The techniques are applied to mass transport deposits recorded in two Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) drill sites located in the Ursa Basin, northern Gulf of Mexico. Dates of the deposits were constrained by regional bio- and magnetostratigraphy from a previous study. Results of the analysis indicate that submarine mass failures in this location occur primarily according to a Poisson process in which failures are independent and return times follow an exponential distribution. However, some of the model results suggest that submarine mass failures may occur quasiperiodically at one of the sites (U1324). The suite of techniques described in this study provides quantitative probability estimates of submarine mass failure occurrence, for any number of deposits and age uncertainty distributions.

  5. Optimized suppression of coherent noise from seismic data using the Karhunen-Loève transform

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Montagne, Raúl; Vasconcelos, Giovani L.

    2006-07-01

    Signals obtained in land seismic surveys are usually contaminated with coherent noise, among which the ground roll (Rayleigh surface waves) is of major concern for it can severely degrade the quality of the information obtained from the seismic record. This paper presents an optimized filter based on the Karhunen-Loève transform for processing seismic images contaminated with ground roll. In this method, the contaminated region of the seismic record, to be processed by the filter, is selected in such way as to correspond to the maximum of a properly defined coherence index. The main advantages of the method are that the ground roll is suppressed with negligible distortion of the remnant reflection signals and that the filtering procedure can be automated. The image processing technique described in this study should also be relevant for other applications where coherent structures embedded in a complex spatiotemporal pattern need to be identified in a more refined way. In particular, it is argued that the method is appropriate for processing optical coherence tomography images whose quality is often degraded by coherent noise (speckle).

  6. Near infrared cavity enhanced absorption spectra of atmospherically relevant ether-1, 4-Dioxane.

    PubMed

    Chandran, Satheesh; Varma, Ravi

    2016-01-15

    1, 4-Dioxane (DX) is a commonly found ether in industrially polluted atmosphere. The near infrared absorption spectra of this compound has been recorded in the region 5900-8230 cm(-1) with a resolution of 0.08 cm(-1) using a novel Fourier transform incoherent broadband cavity-enhanced absorption spectrometer (FT-IBBCEAS). All recorded spectra were found to contain regions that are only weakly perturbed. The possible combinations of fundamental modes and their overtone bands corresponding to selected regions in the measured spectra are tabulated. Two interesting spectral regions were identified as 5900-6400 cm(-1) and 8100-8230 cm(-1). No significant spectral interference due to presence of water vapor was observed suggesting the suitability of these spectral signatures for spectroscopic in situ detection of DX. The technique employed here is much more sensitive than standard Fourier transform spectrometer measurements on account of long effective path length achieved. Hence significant enhancement of weaker absorption lines above the noise level was observed as demonstrated by comparison with an available measurement from database. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  7. Detection of nicotine content impact in tobacco manufacturing using computational intelligence.

    PubMed

    Begic Fazlic, Lejla; Avdagic, Zikrija

    2011-01-01

    A study is presented for the detection of nicotine impact in different cigarette type, using recorded data and Computational Intelligence techniques. Recorded puffs are processed using Continuous Wavelet Transform and used to extract time-frequency features for normal and abnormal puffs conditions. The wavelet energy distributions are used as inputs to classifiers based on Adaptive Neuro-Fuzzy Inference Systems (ANFIS) and Genetic Algorithms (GAs). The number and the parameters of Membership Functions are used in ANFIS along with the features from wavelet energy distributionare selected using GAs, maximising the diagnosis success. GA with ANFIS (GANFIS) are trained with a subset of data with known nicotine conditions. The trained GANFIS are tested using the other set of data (testing data). A classical method by High-Performance Liquid Chromatography is also introduced to solve this problem, respectively. The results as well as the performances of these two approaches are compared. A combination of these two algorithms is also suggested to improve the efficiency of this solution procedure. Computational results show that this combined algorithm is promising.

  8. Mortality among Canadian military personnel exposed to low-dose radiation.

    PubMed

    Raman, S; Dulberg, C S; Spasoff, R A; Scott, T

    1987-05-15

    We carried out a cohort study of mortality among 954 Canadian military personnel exposed to low-dose ionizing radiation during nuclear reactor clean-up operations at Chalk River Nuclear Laboratories, Chalk River, Ont., and during observation of atomic test blasts in the United States and Australia in the 1950s. Two controls matched for age, service, rank and trade were selected for each exposed subject. Mortality among the exposed and control groups was ascertained by means of record linkage with the Canadian Mortality Data Base. Survival analysis with life-table techniques did not reveal any difference in overall mortality between the exposed and control groups. Analysis of cause-specific mortality showed similar mortality patterns in the two groups; there was no elevation in the exposed group in the frequency of death from leukemia or thyroid cancer, the causes of death most often associated with radiation exposure. Analysis of survival by recorded gamma radiation dose also did not show any effect of radiation dose on mortality. The findings are in agreement with the current scientific literature on the risk of death from exposure to low-dose radiation.

  9. Low-flow frequency and flow duration of selected South Carolina streams in the Broad River basin through March 2008

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Guimaraes, Wladmir B.; Feaster, Toby D.

    2010-01-01

    Of the 23 streamgaging stations for which recurrence interval computations were made, 14 had low-flow statistics that were published in previous U.S. Geological Survey reports. A comparison of the low-flow statistics for the minimum mean flow for a 7-consecutive-day period with a 10-year recurrence interval (7Q10) from this study with the most recently published values indicated that 8 of the 14 streamgaging stations had values that were within plus or minus 25 percent of the previous value. Ten of the 14 streamgaging stations had negative percent differences indicating the low-flow statistic had decreased since the previous study, and 4 streamgaging stations had positive percent differences indicating that the low-flow statistic had increased since the previous study. The low-flow statistics are influenced by length of record, hydrologic regime under which the record was collected, techniques used to do the analysis, and other changes, such as urbanization, diversions, and so on, that may have occurred in the basin.

  10. Low-flow characteristics of streams on the Kitsap Peninsula and selected adjacent islands, Washington

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Cummans, J.E.

    1976-01-01

    Low-flow-frequency data are tabulated for 90 streamflow sites on the Kitsap Peninsula and adjacent islands, Washington. Also listed are data for 56 additional sites which have insufficient measurements for frequency analysis but which have been observed having no flow at least once during the low-flow period. The streams drain relatively small basins; only three streams have drainage areas greater than 20.0 square miles, and only nine other streams have drainage areas greater than 10.0 square miles. Mean annual precipitation during the period 1931-60 ranged from about 25 inches near Hansville to about 70 inches near Tahuya. Low-flow-frequency curves plotted from records of streamflow at eight long-term gaging stations were used to determine data for low-flow durations of 7, 30, 60, 90, and 183 days. Regression techniques then were used to estimate low flows with frequencies up to 20 years for stations with less than 10 years of record and for miscellaneous sites where discharge measurements have been made. (Woodard-USGS)

  11. Pulsed differential holographic measurements of vibration modes of high temperature panels

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Evensen, D. A.; Aprahamian, R.; Overoye, K. R.

    1972-01-01

    Holography is a lensless imaging technique which can be applied to measure static or dynamic displacements of structures. Conventional holography cannot be readily applied to measure vibration modes of high-temperature structures, due to difficulties caused by thermal convection currents. The present report discusses the use of pulsed differential holography, which is a technique for recording structural motions in the presence of random fluctuations such as turbulence. An analysis of the differential method is presented, and demonstration experiments were conducted using heated stainless steel plates. Vibration modes were successfully recorded for the heated plates at temperatures of 1000, 1600, and 2000 F. The technique appears promising for such future measurments as vibrations of the space shuttle TPS panels or recording flutter of aeroelastic models in a wind-tunnel.

  12. The MeteoMet2 project—highlights and results

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Merlone, A.; Sanna, F.; Beges, G.; Bell, S.; Beltramino, G.; Bojkovski, J.; Brunet, M.; del Campo, D.; Castrillo, A.; Chiodo, N.; Colli, M.; Coppa, G.; Cuccaro, R.; Dobre, M.; Drnovsek, J.; Ebert, V.; Fernicola, V.; Garcia-Benadí, A.; Garcia-Izquierdo, C.; Gardiner, T.; Georgin, E.; Gonzalez, A.; Groselj, D.; Heinonen, M.; Hernandez, S.; Högström, R.; Hudoklin, D.; Kalemci, M.; Kowal, A.; Lanza, L.; Miao, P.; Musacchio, C.; Nielsen, J.; Nogueras-Cervera, M.; Oguz Aytekin, S.; Pavlasek, P.; de Podesta, M.; Rasmussen, M. K.; del-Río-Fernández, J.; Rosso, L.; Sairanen, H.; Salminen, J.; Sestan, D.; Šindelářová, L.; Smorgon, D.; Sparasci, F.; Strnad, R.; Underwood, R.; Uytun, A.; Voldan, M.

    2018-02-01

    Launched in 2011 within the European Metrology Research Programme (EMRP) of EURAMET, the joint research project ‘MeteoMet’—Metrology for Meteorology—is the largest EMRP consortium; national metrology institutes, universities, meteorological and climate agencies, research institutes, collaborators and manufacturers are working together, developing new metrological techniques, as well as improving existing ones, for use in meteorological observations and climate records. The project focuses on humidity in the upper and surface atmosphere, air temperature, surface and deep-sea temperatures, soil moisture, salinity, permafrost temperature, precipitation, and the snow albedo effect on air temperature. All tasks are performed using a rigorous metrological approach and include the design and study of new sensors, new calibration facilities, the investigation of sensor characteristics, improved techniques for measurements of essential climate variables with uncertainty evaluation, traceability, laboratory proficiency and the inclusion of field influencing parameters, long-lasting measurements, and campaigns in remote and extreme areas. The vision for MeteoMet is to take a step further towards establishing full data comparability, coherency, consistency, and long-term continuity, through a comprehensive evaluation of the measurement uncertainties for the quantities involved in the global climate observing systems and the derived observations. The improvement in quality of essential climate variables records, through the inclusion of measurement uncertainty budgets, will also highlight possible strategies for the reduction of the uncertainty. This contribution presents selected highlights of the MeteoMet project and reviews the main ongoing activities, tasks and deliverables, with a view to its possible future evolution and extended impact.

  13. American Folk Music and Folklore Recordings 1984: A Selected List.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Library of Congress, Washington, DC. American Folklife Center.

    In an effort to encourage appreciation of the rich folk heritage of the United States, the American Folklife Center of the Library of Congress presents this annual list of 30 recordings selected by a panel of distinguished experts from nearly two hundred titles submitted by producers, suggested by folklorists and ethnomusicologists, and proposed…

  14. The role of frontline RNs in the selection of an electronic medical record business partner.

    PubMed

    Wilhoit, Kathryn; Mustain, Jane; King, Marjorie

    2006-01-01

    Frontline RNs knowledgeable in the strategic objectives of their organization made a difference in the selection of an electronic medical record business partner for a large, complex healthcare system. Their impact was significant because of the chief nurse executive's personal articulation of the organization's strategic goals and of her investment in their education. These factors provided the frontline RNs with a foundational base of knowledge about a variety of electronic medical record systems. The preparation and exposure enabled the frontline RNs to make a valuable contribution to the selection of an electronic medical record business partner. The RNs were a major force in affecting philosophical change from the organization's original pursuit of "best-of-breed" interfaced systems to a fully integrated, "best-of-class" vendor business partner. The learning experiences of the frontline RNs are explored to answer the following question: Why must frontline RNs play a key role in this process?

  15. Bacteriophage vehicles for phage display: biology, mechanism, and application.

    PubMed

    Ebrahimizadeh, Walead; Rajabibazl, Masoumeh

    2014-08-01

    The phage display technique is a powerful tool for selection of various biological agents. This technique allows construction of large libraries from the antibody repertoire of different hosts and provides a fast and high-throughput selection method. Specific antibodies can be isolated based on distinctive characteristics from a library consisting of millions of members. These features made phage display technology preferred method for antibody selection and engineering. There are several phage display methods available and each has its unique merits and application. Selection of appropriate display technique requires basic knowledge of available methods and their mechanism. In this review, we describe different phage display techniques, available bacteriophage vehicles, and their mechanism.

  16. SU-E-T-240: Design and Implement of An Electronic Records Function for Treatment Plan Checked Meeting

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

    Wu, Q

    Purpose: To replace the paper records, we designed an electronic records function for plan checked meeting in our in-house developed radiotherapy information management system(RTIMS). Methods: Since 2007, the RTIMS has been developed on a database and web service of Apache+PHP+MySQL, and almost all computers and smartphones could access the RTIMS through IE browser, to input, search, count, and print the data. In 2012, we also established an radiation therapy case conference multi-media system(RTCCMMS) based on Windows Remote Desktop feature. Since 2013, we have carried out the treatment plan checked meeting of the physics division in every afternoon for about halfmore » an hour. In 2014, we designed an electronic records function, which includes a meeting information record and a checked plan record. And the meeting record includes the following items: meeting date, name, place, length, status, attendee, content, etc. The plan record includes the followings: meeting date, meeting name, patient ID, gender, age, patient name, course, plan, purpose, position, technique, CTsim type, plan type, primary doctor, other doctor, primary physicist, other physicist, difficulty, quality, score, opinion, status, note, etc. Results: In the past year, the electronic meeting records function has been successfully developed and implemented in the division, and it could be accessed from an smartphone. Almost all items have the corresponding pull-down menu selection, and each option would try to intelligently inherit default value from the former record or other form. According to the items, we could do big data mining to the input data. It also has both Chinese and English two versions. Conclusion: It was demonstrated to be user-friendly and was proven to significantly improve the clinical efficiency and quality of treatment plan. Since the RTIMS is an in-house developed system, more functions can be added or modified to further enhance its potentials in research and clinical practice. Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No.81101694)« less

  17. Evaluating privacy-preserving record linkage using cryptographic long-term keys and multibit trees on large medical datasets.

    PubMed

    Brown, Adrian P; Borgs, Christian; Randall, Sean M; Schnell, Rainer

    2017-06-08

    Integrating medical data using databases from different sources by record linkage is a powerful technique increasingly used in medical research. Under many jurisdictions, unique personal identifiers needed for linking the records are unavailable. Since sensitive attributes, such as names, have to be used instead, privacy regulations usually demand encrypting these identifiers. The corresponding set of techniques for privacy-preserving record linkage (PPRL) has received widespread attention. One recent method is based on Bloom filters. Due to superior resilience against cryptographic attacks, composite Bloom filters (cryptographic long-term keys, CLKs) are considered best practice for privacy in PPRL. Real-world performance of these techniques using large-scale data is unknown up to now. Using a large subset of Australian hospital admission data, we tested the performance of an innovative PPRL technique (CLKs using multibit trees) against a gold-standard derived from clear-text probabilistic record linkage. Linkage time and linkage quality (recall, precision and F-measure) were evaluated. Clear text probabilistic linkage resulted in marginally higher precision and recall than CLKs. PPRL required more computing time but 5 million records could still be de-duplicated within one day. However, the PPRL approach required fine tuning of parameters. We argue that increased privacy of PPRL comes with the price of small losses in precision and recall and a large increase in computational burden and setup time. These costs seem to be acceptable in most applied settings, but they have to be considered in the decision to apply PPRL. Further research on the optimal automatic choice of parameters is needed.

  18. Guidelines for selecting matching techniques for ride sharing.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1982-01-01

    Several matching techniques for ride sharing are available to serve a wide range of operating conditions. There is a need for guidelines to aid ride-sharing agencies in Virginia in selecting the most appropriate matching technique. The objective of t...

  19. Electrical termination techniques

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Oakey, W. E.; Schleicher, R. R.

    1976-01-01

    A technical review of high reliability electrical terminations for electronic equipment was made. Seven techniques were selected from this review for further investigation, experimental work, and preliminary testing. From the preliminary test results, four techniques were selected for final testing and evaluation. These four were: (1) induction soldering, (2) wire wrap, (3) percussive arc welding, and (4) resistance welding. Of these four, induction soldering was selected as the best technique in terms of minimizing operator errors, controlling temperature and time, minimizing joint contamination, and ultimately producing a reliable, uniform, and reusable electrical termination.

  20. Comparative evaluation of pressure generated on a simulated maxillary oral analog by impression materials in custom trays of different spacer designs: An in vitro study.

    PubMed

    Chopra, Sakshi; Gupta, Narendra Kumar; Tandan, Amrit; Dwivedi, Ravi; Gupta, Swati; Agarwal, Garima

    2016-01-01

    Literature reveals that masticatory load on denture bearing tissues through complete dentures should be maximum on primary stress bearing areas and least on relief area in accordance with the histology of underlying tissues. A study to validate the existing beliefs was planned to compare the pressure on mucosa using selective pressure technique and minimal pressure technique, with the incorporation of two different impression materials utilizing the pressure sensors during secondary impression procedure. The study was performed using a maxillary analog. Three pressure sensors were imbedded in the oral analog, one in the mid palatine area and the other two in the right and left ridge crest. Custom trays of two different configurations were fabricated. The two impression materials tested were light body and zinc oxide eugenol. A total of 40 impressions were made. A constant weight of 1 kg was placed, and the pressure was recorded as initial and end pressures. A significant difference in the pressure produced using different impression materials was found (P < 0.001). Light body vinyl polysiloxane produced significantly lesser pressure than zinc oxide eugenol impression materials. The presence of relief did affect the magnitude of pressure at various locations. All impression materials produced pressure during maxillary edentulous impression making. Tray modification is an important factor in changing the amount of pressure produced. The impression materials used also had a significant role to play on the pressures acting on the tissues during impression procedure. Light body VPS impression material may be recommended to achieve minimal pressure on the denture bearing tissues in both selective as well as minimal pressure techniques.

  1. Borehole geophysics applied to ground-water investigations

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Keys, W.S.

    1990-01-01

    The purpose of this manual is to provide hydrologists, geologists, and others who have the necessary background in hydrogeology with the basic information needed to apply the most useful borehole-geophysical-logging techniques to the solution of problems in ground-water hydrology. Geophysical logs can provide information on the construction of wells and on the character of the rocks and fluids penetrated by those wells, as well as on changes in the character of these factors over time. The response of well logs is caused by petrophysical factors, by the quality, temperature, and pressure of interstitial fluids, and by ground-water flow. Qualitative and quantitative analysis of analog records and computer analysis of digitized logs are used to derive geohydrologic information. This information can then be extrapolated vertically within a well and laterally to other wells using logs. The physical principles by which the mechanical and electronic components of a logging system measure properties of rocks, fluids, and wells, as well as the principles of measurement, must be understood if geophysical logs are to be interpreted correctly. Plating a logging operation involves selecting the equipment and the logs most likely to provide the needed information. Information on well construction and geohydrology is needed to guide this selection. Quality control of logs is an important responsibility of both the equipment operator and the log analyst and requires both calibration and well-site standardization of equipment. Logging techniques that are widely used in ground-water hydrology or that have significant potential for application to this field include spontaneous potential, resistance, resistivity, gamma, gamma spectrometry, gamma-gamma, neutron, acoustic velocity, acoustic televiewer, caliper, and fluid temperature, conductivity, and flow. The following topics are discussed for each of these techniques: principles and instrumentation, calibration and standardization, volume of investigation, extraneous effects, and interpretation and applications.

  2. Borehole geophysics applied to ground-water investigations

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Keys, W.S.

    1988-01-01

    The purpose of this manual is to provide hydrologists, geologists, and others who have the necessary training with the basic information needed to apply the most useful borehole-geophysical-logging techniques to the solution of problems in ground-water hydrology. Geophysical logs can provide information on the construction of wells and on the character of the rocks and fluids penetrated by those wells, in addition to changes in the character of these factors with time. The response of well logs is caused by: petrophysical factors; the quality; temperature, and pressure of interstitial fluids; and ground-water flow. Qualitative and quantitative analysis of the analog records and computer analysis of digitized logs are used to derive geohydrologic information. This information can then be extrapolated vertically within a well and laterally to other wells using logs.The physical principles by which the mechanical and electronic components of a logging system measure properties of rocks, fluids and wells, and the principles of measurement need to be understood to correctly interpret geophysical logs. Planning the logging operation involves selecting the equipment and the logs most likely to provide the needed information. Information on well construction and geohydrology are needed to guide this selection. Quality control of logs is an important responsibility of both the equipment operator and log analyst and requires both calibration and well-site standardization of equipment.Logging techniques that are widely used in ground-water hydrology or that have significant potential for application to this field include: spontaneous potential, resistance, resistivity, gamma, gamma spectrometry, gamma-gamma, neutron, acoustic velocity, acoustic televiewer, caliper, and fluid temperature, conductivity, and flow. The following topics are discussed for each of these techniques: principles and instrumentation, calibration and standardization, volume of investigation, extraneous effects, and interpretation and applications.

  3. [Surgical treatment of gynecomastia: an algorithm].

    PubMed

    Wolter, A; Scholz, T; Diedrichson, J; Liebau, J

    2013-04-01

    Gynecomastia is a persistent benign uni- or bilateral enlargement of the male breast ranging from small to excessive findings with marked skin redundancy. In this paper we introduce an algorithm to facilitate the selection of the appropriate surgical technique according to the presented morphological aspects. The records of 118 patients (217 breasts) with gynecomastia from 01/2009 to 08/2012 were retrospectively reviewed. The authors conducted three different surgical techniques depending on four severity grades. The outcome parameters complication rate, patient satisfaction with the aesthetic result, nipple sensitivity and the need to re-operate were observed and related to the employed technique. In 167 (77%) breasts with moderate breast enlargement without skin redundancy (Grade I-IIa by Simon's classification) a subcutaneous semicircular periareolar mastectomy was performed in combination with water-jet assisted liposuction. In 40 (18%) breasts with skin redundancy (Grade IIb) a circumferential mastopexy was performed additionally. An inferior pedicled mammaplasty was used in 10 (5%) severe cases (Grade III). Complication rate was 4.1%. Surgical corrections were necessary in 17 breasts (7.8%). The patient survey revealed a high satisfaction level: 88% of the patients rated the aesthetic results as "very good" or "good", nipple sensitivity was rated as "very good" or "good" by 83%. Surgical treatment of gynecomastia should ensure minimal scarring while respecting the aesthetic unit. The selection of the appropriate surgical method depends on the severity grade, the presence of skin redundancy and the volume of the male breast glandular tissue. The presented algorithm rarely leads to complications, is simple to perform and shows a high satisfaction rate and a preservation of the nipple sensitivity. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

  4. A Corpus-Based Approach for Automatic Thai Unknown Word Recognition Using Boosting Techniques

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Techo, Jakkrit; Nattee, Cholwich; Theeramunkong, Thanaruk

    While classification techniques can be applied for automatic unknown word recognition in a language without word boundary, it faces with the problem of unbalanced datasets where the number of positive unknown word candidates is dominantly smaller than that of negative candidates. To solve this problem, this paper presents a corpus-based approach that introduces a so-called group-based ranking evaluation technique into ensemble learning in order to generate a sequence of classification models that later collaborate to select the most probable unknown word from multiple candidates. Given a classification model, the group-based ranking evaluation (GRE) is applied to construct a training dataset for learning the succeeding model, by weighing each of its candidates according to their ranks and correctness when the candidates of an unknown word are considered as one group. A number of experiments have been conducted on a large Thai medical text to evaluate performance of the proposed group-based ranking evaluation approach, namely V-GRE, compared to the conventional naïve Bayes classifier and our vanilla version without ensemble learning. As the result, the proposed method achieves an accuracy of 90.93±0.50% when the first rank is selected while it gains 97.26±0.26% when the top-ten candidates are considered, that is 8.45% and 6.79% improvement over the conventional record-based naïve Bayes classifier and the vanilla version. Another result on applying only best features show 93.93±0.22% and up to 98.85±0.15% accuracy for top-1 and top-10, respectively. They are 3.97% and 9.78% improvement over naive Bayes and the vanilla version. Finally, an error analysis is given.

  5. Streamflow statistics for selected streams in North Dakota, Minnesota, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Williams-Sether, Tara

    2012-01-01

    Statistical summaries of streamflow data for the periods of record through water year 2009 for selected active and discontinued U.S. Geological Survey streamflow-gaging stations in North Dakota, Minnesota, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan were compiled. The summaries for each streamflow-gaging station include a brief station description, a graph of the annual peak and annual mean discharge for the period of record, statistics of monthly and annual mean discharges, monthly and annual flow durations, probability of occurrence of annual high discharges, annual peak discharge and corresponding gage height for the period of record, and monthly and annual mean discharges for the period of record.

  6. SU-E-I-97: Smart Auto-Planning Framework in An EMR Environment (SAFEE)

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

    Zhang, B; Chen, S; Mutaf, Y

    2014-06-01

    Purpose: Our Radiation Oncology Department uses clinical practice guidelines for patient treatment, including normal tissue sparing and other dosimetric constraints. These practice guidelines were adapted from national guidelines, clinical trials, literature reviews, and practitioner's own experience. Modern treatment planning systems (TPS) have the capability of incorporating these practice guidelines to automatically create radiation therapy treatment plans with little human intervention. We are developing a software infrastructure to integrate clinical practice guidelines and radiation oncology electronic medical record (EMR) system into radiation therapy treatment planning system (TPS) for auto planning. Methods: Our Smart Auto-Planning Framework in an EMR environment (SAFEE) usesmore » a software pipeline framework to integrate practice guidelines,EMR, and TPS together. The SAFEE system starts with retrieving diagnosis information and physician's prescription from the EMR system. After approval of contouring, SAFEE will automatically create plans according to our guidelines. Based on clinical objectives, SAFEE will automatically select treatment delivery techniques (such as, 3DRT/IMRT/VMAT) and optimize plans. When necessary, SAFEE will create multiple treatment plans with different combinations of parameters. SAFEE's pipeline structure makes it very flexible to integrate various techniques, such as, Model-Base Segmentation (MBS) and plan optimization algorithms, e.g., Multi-Criteria Optimization (MCO). In addition, SAFEE uses machine learning, data mining techniques, and an integrated database to create clinical knowledgebase and then answer clinical questions, such as, how to score plan quality or how volume overlap affects physicians' decision in beam and treatment technique selection. Results: In our institution, we use Varian Aria EMR system and RayStation TPS from RaySearch, whose ScriptService API allows control by external programs. These applications are the building blocks of our SAFEE system. Conclusion: SAFEE is a feasible method of integrating clinical information to develop an auto-planning paradigm to improve clinical workflow in cancer patient care.« less

  7. Data selection techniques in the interpretation of MAGSAT data over Australia

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Johnson, B. D.; Dampney, C. N. G.

    1983-01-01

    The MAGSAT data require critical selection in order to produce a self-consistent data set suitable for map construction and subsequent interpretation. Interactive data selection techniques are described which involve the use of a special-purpose profile-oriented data base and a colour graphics display. The careful application of these data selection techniques permits validation every data value and ensures that the best possible self-consistent data set is being used to construct the maps of the magnetic field measured at satellite altitudes over Australia.

  8. Microtomography-based comparison of reciprocating single-file F2 ProTaper technique versus rotary full sequence.

    PubMed

    Paqué, Frank; Zehnder, Matthias; De-Deus, Gustavo

    2011-10-01

    A preparation technique with only 1 single instrument was proposed on the basis of the reciprocating movement of the F2 ProTaper instrument. The present study was designed to quantitatively assess canal preparation outcomes achieved by this technique. Twenty-five extracted human mandibular first molars with 2 separate mesial root canals were selected. Canals were randomly assigned to 1 of the 2 experimental groups: group 1, rotary conventional preparation by using ProTaper, and group 2, reciprocate instrumentation with 1 single ProTaper F2 instrument. Specimens were scanned initially and after root canal preparation with an isotropic resolution of 20 μm by using a micro-computed tomography system. The following parameters were assessed: changes in dentin volume, percentage of shaped canal walls, and degree of canal transportation. In addition, the time required to reach working length with the F2 instrument was recorded. Preoperatively, there were no differences regarding root canal curvature and volume between experimental groups. Overall, instrumentation led to enlarged canal shapes with no evidence of preparation errors. There were no statistical differences between the 2 preparation techniques in the anatomical parameters assessed (P > .01), except for a significantly higher canal transportation caused by the reciprocating file in the coronal canal third. On the other hand, preparation was faster by using the single-file technique (P < .01). Shaping outcomes with the single-file F2 ProTaper technique and conventional ProTaper full-sequence rotary approach were similar. However, the single-file F2 ProTaper technique was markedly faster in reaching working length. Copyright © 2011 American Association of Endodontists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  9. Tomographic inversion techniques incorporating physical constraints for line integrated spectroscopy in stellarators and tokamaks

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

    Pablant, N. A.; Bell, R. E.; Bitter, M.

    2014-11-15

    Accurate tomographic inversion is important for diagnostic systems on stellarators and tokamaks which rely on measurements of line integrated emission spectra. A tomographic inversion technique based on spline optimization with enforcement of constraints is described that can produce unique and physically relevant inversions even in situations with noisy or incomplete input data. This inversion technique is routinely used in the analysis of data from the x-ray imaging crystal spectrometer (XICS) installed at the Large Helical Device. The XICS diagnostic records a 1D image of line integrated emission spectra from impurities in the plasma. Through the use of Doppler spectroscopy andmore » tomographic inversion, XICS can provide profile measurements of the local emissivity, temperature, and plasma flow. Tomographic inversion requires the assumption that these measured quantities are flux surface functions, and that a known plasma equilibrium reconstruction is available. In the case of low signal levels or partial spatial coverage of the plasma cross-section, standard inversion techniques utilizing matrix inversion and linear-regularization often cannot produce unique and physically relevant solutions. The addition of physical constraints, such as parameter ranges, derivative directions, and boundary conditions, allow for unique solutions to be reliably found. The constrained inversion technique described here utilizes a modified Levenberg-Marquardt optimization scheme, which introduces a condition avoidance mechanism by selective reduction of search directions. The constrained inversion technique also allows for the addition of more complicated parameter dependencies, for example, geometrical dependence of the emissivity due to asymmetries in the plasma density arising from fast rotation. The accuracy of this constrained inversion technique is discussed, with an emphasis on its applicability to systems with limited plasma coverage.« less

  10. Tomographic inversion techniques incorporating physical constraints for line integrated spectroscopy in stellarators and tokamaksa)

    DOE PAGES

    Pablant, N. A.; Bell, R. E.; Bitter, M.; ...

    2014-08-08

    Accurate tomographic inversion is important for diagnostic systems on stellarators and tokamaks which rely on measurements of line integrated emission spectra. A tomographic inversion technique based on spline optimization with enforcement of constraints is described that can produce unique and physically relevant inversions even in situations with noisy or incomplete input data. This inversion technique is routinely used in the analysis of data from the x-ray imaging crystal spectrometer (XICS) installed at LHD. The XICS diagnostic records a 1D image of line integrated emission spectra from impurities in the plasma. Through the use of Doppler spectroscopy and tomographic inversion, XICSmore » can provide pro file measurements of the local emissivity, temperature and plasma flow. Tomographic inversion requires the assumption that these measured quantities are flux surface functions, and that a known plasma equilibrium reconstruction is available. In the case of low signal levels or partial spatial coverage of the plasma cross-section, standard inversion techniques utilizing matrix inversion and linear-regularization often cannot produce unique and physically relevant solutions. The addition of physical constraints, such as parameter ranges, derivative directions, and boundary conditions, allow for unique solutions to be reliably found. The constrained inversion technique described here utilizes a modifi ed Levenberg-Marquardt optimization scheme, which introduces a condition avoidance mechanism by selective reduction of search directions. The constrained inversion technique also allows for the addition of more complicated parameter dependencies, for example geometrical dependence of the emissivity due to asymmetries in the plasma density arising from fast rotation. The accuracy of this constrained inversion technique is discussed, with an emphasis on its applicability to systems with limited plasma coverage.« less

  11. Genetic correlation of longevity with growth, post-mortem, docility and some morphological traits in the Pirenaica beef cattle breed.

    PubMed

    Varona, L; Moreno, C; Altarriba, J

    2012-06-01

    Survival or longevity is an economically relevant trait in cattle. However, it is not currently included in cattle selection criteria because of the delayed recording of phenotypic data and the high computational demand of survival techniques under proportional hazard models. The identification of longevity-correlated traits that can be early registered in lifetime would therefore be very useful for beef cattle selection processes. The aim of this study was to estimate the genetic correlation of survival (SURV) with: growth - birth weight (BW), weight at 120 days (W120), weight at 210 days (W210); carcass - cold carcass weight (CCW), conformation (CON), fatness (FAT) and meat colour (COL); teat morphology - teat thickness (TT), teat length (TL) and udder depth (UD); leg morphology - forward (FL) and backward legs (BL); milk production (MILK) and docility (DOC). In the statistical analysis, SURV was measured in discrete-time intervals and modelled via a sequential threshold model. A series of independent bivariate Bayesian analyses between cow survival and each recorded trait were carried out. The posterior mean estimates (and posterior standard deviation) for the heritability of SURV was 0.05 (0.01); and for the relevant genetic correlations with SURV were 0.07 (0.04), 0.12 (0.05), 0.10 (0.05), 0.15 (0.05), -0.18 (0.06), 0.33 (0.06) and 0.27 (0.15) for BW, W120, W210, CCW, CON, FAT and COL, respectively.

  12. Purified ryanodine receptor from rabbit skeletal muscle is the calcium- release channel of sarcoplasmic reticulum

    PubMed Central

    1988-01-01

    The ryanodine receptor of rabbit skeletal muscle sarcoplasmic reticulum was purified as a single 450,000-dalton polypeptide from CHAPS- solubilized triads using immunoaffinity chromatography. The purified receptor had a [3H]ryanodine-binding capacity (Bmax) of 490 pmol/mg and a binding affinity (Kd) of 7.0 nM. Using planar bilayer recording techniques, we show that the purified receptor forms cationic channels selective for divalent ions. Ryanodine receptor channels were identical to the Ca-release channels described in native sarcoplasmic reticulum using the same techniques. In the present work, four criteria were used to establish this identity: (a) activation of channels by micromolar Ca and millimolar ATP and inhibition by micromolar ruthenium red, (b) a main channel conductance of 110 +/- 10 pS in 54 mM trans Ca, (c) a long- term open state of lower unitary conductance induced by ryanodine concentrations as low as 20 nM, and (d) a permeability ratio PCa/PTris approximately equal to 14. In addition, we show that the purified ryanodine receptor channel displays a saturable conductance in both monovalent and divalent cation solutions (gamma max for K and Ca = 1 nS and 172 pS, respectively). In the absence of Ca, channels had a broad selectivity for monovalent cations, but in the presence of Ca, they were selectively permeable to Ca against K by a permeability ratio PCa/PK approximately equal to 6. Receptor channels displayed several equivalent conductance levels, which suggest an oligomeric pore structure. We conclude that the 450,000-dalton polypeptide ryanodine receptor is the Ca-release channel of the sarcoplasmic reticulum and is the target site of ruthenium red and ryanodine. PMID:2459298

  13. Apparatus Characterizes Transient Voltages in Real Time

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Medelius, Pedro

    2005-01-01

    The figure shows a prototype of a relatively inexpensive electronic monitoring apparatus that measures and records selected parameters of lightning-induced transient voltages on communication and power cables. The selected parameters, listed below, are those most relevant to the ability of lightning-induced transients to damage electronic equipment. This apparatus bridges a gap between some traditional transient-voltage recorders that record complete waveforms and other traditional transient-voltage recorders that record only peak values: By recording the most relevant parameters and only those parameters this apparatus yields more useful information than does a traditional peak-value (only) recorder while imposing much smaller data-storage and data-transmission burdens than does a traditional complete-waveform recorder. Also, relative to a complete-waveform recorder, this apparatus is more reliable and can be built at lower cost because it contains fewer electronic components. The transients generated by sources other than lightning tend to have frequency components well below 1 MHz. Most commercial transient recorders can detect and record such transients, but cannot respond rapidly enough for recording lightning-induced transient voltage peaks, which can rise from 10 to 90 percent of maximum amplitude in a fraction of a microsecond. Moreover, commercial transient recorders cannot rearm themselves rapidly enough to respond to the multiple transients that occur within milliseconds of each other on some lightning strikes. One transient recorder, designed for Kennedy Space Center earlier [ Fast Transient-Voltage Recorder (KSC- 11991), NASA Tech Briefs, Vol. 23, No. 10, page 6a (October 1999)], is capable of sampling transient voltages at peak values up to 50 V in four channels at a rate of 20 MHz. That recorder contains a trigger circuit that continuously compares the amplitudes of the signals on four channels to a preset triggering threshold. When a trigger signal is received, a volatile memory is filled with data for a total time of 200 ms. After the data are transferred to nonvolatile memory, the recorder rearms itself within 400 ms to enable recording of subsequent transients. Unfortunately, the recorded data must be retrieved through a serial communication link. Depending on the amount of data recorded, the memory can be filled before retrieval is completed. Although large amounts of data are recorded and retrieved, only a small part of the information (the selected parameters) is usually required. The present transient-voltage recorder provides the required information, without incurring the overhead associated with the recording, storage, and retrieval of complete transient-waveform data. In operation, this apparatus processes transient voltage waveforms in real time to extract and record the selected parameters. An analog-to-digital converter that operates at a speed of as much as 100 mega-samples per second is used to sample a transient waveform. A real-time comparator and peak detector are implemented by use of fast field-programmable gate arrays.

  14. Lippman photographs recorded in DuPont color photopolymer material

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bjelkhagen, Hans I.

    1997-04-01

    At the end of the last century, Gabriel Lippmann was experimenting with color photography. His photographic color recording technique, Lippmann photography, produced very beautiful photographs and the fact that the colors are preserved in the early Lippmann photographs indicates something about their archival properties. Recent progress in color reflection holography has made it possible to take a new look at this one hundred year old photographic technique. Today, high-resolution panchromatic recording materials suitable for Lippmann photography are on the market. In particular, the color photopolymers from DuPont have been investigated for modern Lippmann photography. Since the color photographs contain no dyes or pigments their archival stability may be high. In addition, a Lippmann photograph is difficult to copy which makes it a unique color photographic recording. Both of these features must attract a photographer interested in creating beautiful art photographs. Security application is another potential field for Lippmann photographs as well as optical filters. The dry processing of the photopolymer material is an important advantage. Another advantage is that no expensive equipment, such as lasers, is needed to explore this photographic recording technique; only a modified camera is required.

  15. Intensive care unit depth of sleep: proof of concept of a simple electroencephalography index in the non-sedated

    PubMed Central

    2014-01-01

    Introduction Intensive care unit (ICU) patients are known to experience severely disturbed sleep, with possible detrimental effects on short- and long- term outcomes. Investigation into the exact causes and effects of disturbed sleep has been hampered by cumbersome and time consuming methods of measuring and staging sleep. We introduce a novel method for ICU depth of sleep analysis, the ICU depth of sleep index (IDOS index), using single channel electroencephalography (EEG) and apply it to outpatient recordings. A proof of concept is shown in non-sedated ICU patients. Methods Polysomnographic (PSG) recordings of five ICU patients and 15 healthy outpatients were analyzed using the IDOS index, based on the ratio between gamma and delta band power. Manual selection of thresholds was used to classify data as either wake, sleep or slow wave sleep (SWS). This classification was compared to visual sleep scoring by Rechtschaffen & Kales criteria in normal outpatient recordings and ICU recordings to illustrate face validity of the IDOS index. Results When reduced to two or three classes, the scoring of sleep by IDOS index and manual scoring show high agreement for normal sleep recordings. The obtained overall agreements, as quantified by the kappa coefficient, were 0.84 for sleep/wake classification and 0.82 for classification into three classes (wake, non-SWS and SWS). Sensitivity and specificity were highest for the wake state (93% and 93%, respectively) and lowest for SWS (82% and 76%, respectively). For ICU recordings, agreement was similar to agreement between visual scorers previously reported in literature. Conclusions Besides the most satisfying visual resemblance with manually scored normal PSG recordings, the established face-validity of the IDOS index as an estimator of depth of sleep was excellent. This technique enables real-time, automated, single channel visualization of depth of sleep, facilitating the monitoring of sleep in the ICU. PMID:24716479

  16. Recording and Modulation of Epileptiform Activity in Rodent Brain Slices Coupled to Microelectrode Arrays.

    PubMed

    Panuccio, Gabriella; Colombi, Ilaria; Chiappalone, Michela

    2018-05-15

    Temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) is the most common partial complex epileptic syndrome and the least responsive to medications. Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is a promising approach when pharmacological treatment fails or neurosurgery is not recommended. Acute brain slices coupled to microelectrode arrays (MEAs) represent a valuable tool to study neuronal network interactions and their modulation by electrical stimulation. As compared to conventional extracellular recording techniques, they provide the added advantages of a greater number of observation points and a known inter-electrode distance, which allow studying the propagation path and speed of electrophysiological signals. However, tissue oxygenation may be greatly impaired during MEA recording, requiring a high perfusion rate, which comes at the cost of decreased signal-to-noise ratio and higher oscillations in the experimental temperature. Electrical stimulation further stresses the brain tissue, making it difficult to pursue prolonged recording/stimulation epochs. Moreover, electrical modulation of brain slice activity needs to target specific structures/pathways within the brain slice, requiring that electrode mapping be easily and quickly performed live during the experiment. Here, we illustrate how to perform the recording and electrical modulation of 4-aminopyridine (4AP)-induced epileptiform activity in rodent brain slices using planar MEAs. We show that the brain tissue obtained from mice outperforms rat brain tissue and is thus better suited for MEA experiments. This protocol guarantees the generation and maintenance of a stable epileptiform pattern that faithfully reproduces the electrophysiological features observed with conventional field potential recording, persists for several hours, and outlasts sustained electrical stimulation for prolonged epochs. Tissue viability throughout the experiment is achieved thanks to the use of a small-volume custom recording chamber allowing for laminar flow and quick solution exchange even at low (1 mL/min) perfusion rates. Quick MEA mapping for real-time monitoring and selection of stimulating electrodes is performed by a custom graphic user interface (GUI).

  17. 75 FR 28307 - Privacy Act of 1974: Update and Amend System of Records

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-05-20

    ... information in support of Homeland Defense initiatives.'' CATEGORIES OF RECORDS IN THE SYSTEM: Delete entry... addresses, phone numbers, and e-mail addresses; employment history; military record information; selective service registration record; residential history; education and degrees earned; names of associates and...

  18. Imaging Analysis of Near-Field Recording Technique for Observation of Biological Specimens

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Moriguchi, Chihiro; Ohta, Akihiro; Egami, Chikara; Kawata, Yoshimasa; Terakawa, Susumu; Tsuchimori, Masaaki; Watanabe, Osamu

    2006-07-01

    We present an analysis of the properties of an imaging based on a near-field recording technique in comparison with simulation results. In the system, the optical field distributions localized near the specimens are recorded as the surface topographic distributions of a photosensitive film. It is possible to observe both soft and moving specimens, because the system does not require a scanning probe to obtain the observed image. The imaging properties are evaluated using fine structures of paramecium, and we demonstrate that it is possible to observe minute differences of refractive indices.

  19. Acoustical holographic recording with coherent optical read-out and image processing

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Liu, H. K.

    1980-10-01

    New acoustic holographic wave memory devices have been designed for real-time in-situ recording applications. The basic operating principles of these devices and experimental results through the use of some of the prototypes of the devices are presented. Recording media used in the device include thermoplastic resin, Crisco vegetable oil, and Wilson corn oil. In addition, nonlinear coherent optical image processing techniques including equidensitometry, A-D conversion, and pseudo-color, all based on the new contact screen technique, are discussed with regard to the enhancement of the normally poor-resolved acoustical holographic images.

  20. Biomechanical and energetic determinants of technique selection in classical cross-country skiing.

    PubMed

    Pellegrini, Barbara; Zoppirolli, Chiara; Bortolan, Lorenzo; Holmberg, Hans-Christer; Zamparo, Paola; Schena, Federico

    2013-12-01

    Classical cross-country skiing can be performed using three main techniques: diagonal stride (DS), double poling (DP), and double poling with kick (DK). Similar to other forms of human and animal gait, it is currently unclear whether technique selection occurs to minimize metabolic cost or to keep some mechanical factors below a given threshold. The aim of this study was to find the determinants of technique selection. Ten male athletes roller skied on a treadmill at different slopes (from 0° to 7° at 10km/h) and speeds (from 6 to 18km/h at 2°). The technique preferred by skiers was gathered for every proposed condition. Biomechanical parameters and metabolic cost were then measured for each condition and technique. Skiers preferred DP for skiing on the flat and they transitioned to DK and then to DS with increasing slope steepness, when increasing speed all skiers preferred DP. Data suggested that selections mainly occur to remain below a threshold of poling force. Second, critically low values of leg thrust time may limit the use of leg-based techniques at high speeds. A small role has been identified for the metabolic cost of locomotion, which determined the selection of DP for flat skiing. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  1. Biomechanical stability of intramedullary technique for fixation of joint depressed calcaneus fracture.

    PubMed

    Nelson, Joshua D; McIff, Terence E; Moodie, Patrick G; Iverson, Jamey L; Horton, Greg A

    2010-03-01

    Internal fixation of the os calcis is often complicated by prolonged soft tissue management and posterior facet disruption. An ideal calcaneal construct would include minimal hardware prominence, sturdy posterior facet fixation and nominal soft tissue disruption. The purpose of this study was to develop such a construct and provide a biomechanical analysis comparing our technique to a standard internal fixation technique. Twenty fresh-frozen cadaver calcanei were used to create a reproducible Sanders type-IIB calcaneal fracture pattern. One calcaneus of each pair was randomly selected to be fixed using our compressive headless screw technique. The contralateral matched calcaneus was fixed with a nonlocking calcaneal plate in a traditional fashion. Each calcaneus was cyclically loaded at a frequency of 1 Hz for 4000 cycles using an increasing force from 250 N to 1000 N. An Optotrak motion capturing system was used to detect relative motion of the three fracture fragments at eight different points along the fracture lines. Horizontal separation and vertical displacement at the fracture lines was recorded, as well as relative rotation at the primary fracture line. When the data were averaged, there was more horizontal displacement at the primary fracture line of the plate and screw construct compared to the headless screw construct. The headless screw construct also had less vertical displacement at the primary fracture line at every load. On average those fractures fixed with the headless screw technique had less rotation than those fixed with the side plate technique. A new headless screw technique for calcaneus fracture fixation was shown to provide stability as good as, or better than, a standard side plating technique under the axial loading conditions of our model. Although further testing is needed, the stability of the proposed technique is similar to that typically provided by intramedullary fixation. This fixation technique provides a biomechanically stable construct with the potential for a minimally invasive approach and improved post-operative soft tissue healing.

  2. Improved numerical methods for turbulent viscous recirculating flows

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Vandoormaal, J. P.; Turan, A.; Raithby, G. D.

    1986-01-01

    The objective of the present study is to improve both the accuracy and computational efficiency of existing numerical techniques used to predict viscous recirculating flows in combustors. A review of the status of the study is presented along with some illustrative results. The effort to improve the numerical techniques consists of the following technical tasks: (1) selection of numerical techniques to be evaluated; (2) two dimensional evaluation of selected techniques; and (3) three dimensional evaluation of technique(s) recommended in Task 2.

  3. American Folk Music and Folklore Recordings 1983: A Selected List.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Library of Congress, Washington, DC. American Folklife Center.

    Recognizing the need to inform the public about newly issued folk recordings and audio tapes, the American Folklife Center of the Library of Congress initiates this annual list of selected titles, chosen by a panel of distinguished experts from a compilation of 1983 releases prepared by the Center staff. Although not a comprehensive list, it is…

  4. Dysthymia among Substance Abusers: An Exploratory Study of Individual and Mental Health Factors

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Diaz, Naelys; Horton, Eloise G.; McIlveen, John; Weiner, Michael; Nelson, Jenniffer

    2009-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to examine the individual characteristics and mental health factors of dysthymic and nondysthymic substance abusers. Out of a total of 1,209 medical records reviewed to select cases of dysthymic and nondysthymic substance abusers attending a community drug treatment program, 183 medical records were selected, 48% of…

  5. US EPA record of decision review for landfills: Sanitary landfill (740-G), Savannah River Site

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

    Not Available

    1993-06-01

    This report presents the results of a review of the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Record of Decision System (RODS) database search conducted to identify Superfund landfill sites where a Record of Decision (ROD) has been prepared by EPA, the States or the US Army Corps of Engineers describing the selected remedy at the site. ROD abstracts from the database were reviewed to identify site information including site type, contaminants of concern, components of the selected remedy, and cleanup goals. Only RODs from landfill sites were evaluated so that the results of the analysis can be used to support themore » remedy selection process for the Sanitary Landfill at the Savannah River Site (SRS).« less

  6. The Records Management Officer in Local Government. Basic Records Management for Local Government, No. 2.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    New York State Education Dept., Albany. State Archives and Records Administration.

    This reports provides local governments with guidelines and suggestions for selecting a Records Management Officer to develop, organize, and direct a records management program. Such a program is described as an over-arching, continuing, administrative effort that manages recorded information from its initial creation to its final disposition.…

  7. Bioprospecting for hyper-lipid producing microalgal strains for sustainable biofuel production.

    PubMed

    Mutanda, T; Ramesh, D; Karthikeyan, S; Kumari, S; Anandraj, A; Bux, F

    2011-01-01

    Global petroleum reserves are shrinking at a fast pace, increasing the demand for alternate fuels. Microalgae have the ability to grow rapidly, and synthesize and accumulate large amounts (approximately 20-50% of dry weight) of neutral lipid stored in cytosolic lipid bodies. A successful and economically viable algae based biofuel industry mainly depends on the selection of appropriate algal strains. The main focus of bioprospecting for microalgae is to identify unique high lipid producing microalgae from different habitats. Indigenous species of microalgae with high lipid yields are especially valuable in the biofuel industry. Isolation, purification and identification of natural microalgal assemblages using conventional techniques is generally time consuming. However, the recent use of micromanipulation as a rapid isolating tool allows for a higher screening throughput. The appropriate media and growth conditions are also important for successful microalgal proliferation. Environmental parameters recorded at the sampling site are necessary to optimize in vitro growth. Identification of species generally requires a combination of morphological and genetic characterization. The selected microalgal strains are grown in upscale systems such as raceway ponds or photobireactors for biomass and lipid production. This paper reviews the recent methodologies adopted for site selection, sampling, strain selection and identification, optimization of cultural conditions for superior lipid yield for biofuel production. Energy generation routes of microalgal lipids and biomass are discussed in detail. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  8. Green method by diffuse reflectance infrared spectroscopy and spectral region selection for the quantification of sulphamethoxazole and trimethoprim in pharmaceutical formulations.

    PubMed

    da Silva, Fabiana E B; Flores, Érico M M; Parisotto, Graciele; Müller, Edson I; Ferrão, Marco F

    2016-03-01

    An alternative method for the quantification of sulphametoxazole (SMZ) and trimethoprim (TMP) using diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier-transform spectroscopy (DRIFTS) and partial least square regression (PLS) was developed. Interval Partial Least Square (iPLS) and Synergy Partial Least Square (siPLS) were applied to select a spectral range that provided the lowest prediction error in comparison to the full-spectrum model. Fifteen commercial tablet formulations and forty-nine synthetic samples were used. The ranges of concentration considered were 400 to 900 mg g-1SMZ and 80 to 240 mg g-1 TMP. Spectral data were recorded between 600 and 4000 cm-1 with a 4 cm-1 resolution by Diffuse Reflectance Infrared Fourier Transform Spectroscopy (DRIFTS). The proposed procedure was compared to high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The results obtained from the root mean square error of prediction (RMSEP), during the validation of the models for samples of sulphamethoxazole (SMZ) and trimethoprim (TMP) using siPLS, demonstrate that this approach is a valid technique for use in quantitative analysis of pharmaceutical formulations. The selected interval algorithm allowed building regression models with minor errors when compared to the full spectrum PLS model. A RMSEP of 13.03 mg g-1for SMZ and 4.88 mg g-1 for TMP was obtained after the selection the best spectral regions by siPLS.

  9. Simultaneous Video-EEG-ECG Monitoring to Identify Neurocardiac Dysfunction in Mouse Models of Epilepsy.

    PubMed

    Mishra, Vikas; Gautier, Nicole M; Glasscock, Edward

    2018-01-29

    In epilepsy, seizures can evoke cardiac rhythm disturbances such as heart rate changes, conduction blocks, asystoles, and arrhythmias, which can potentially increase risk of sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP). Electroencephalography (EEG) and electrocardiography (ECG) are widely used clinical diagnostic tools to monitor for abnormal brain and cardiac rhythms in patients. Here, a technique to simultaneously record video, EEG, and ECG in mice to measure behavior, brain, and cardiac activities, respectively, is described. The technique described herein utilizes a tethered (i.e., wired) recording configuration in which the implanted electrode on the head of the mouse is hard-wired to the recording equipment. Compared to wireless telemetry recording systems, the tethered arrangement possesses several technical advantages such as a greater possible number of channels for recording EEG or other biopotentials; lower electrode costs; and greater frequency bandwidth (i.e., sampling rate) of recordings. The basics of this technique can also be easily modified to accommodate recording other biosignals, such as electromyography (EMG) or plethysmography for assessment of muscle and respiratory activity, respectively. In addition to describing how to perform the EEG-ECG recordings, we also detail methods to quantify the resulting data for seizures, EEG spectral power, cardiac function, and heart rate variability, which we demonstrate in an example experiment using a mouse with epilepsy due to Kcna1 gene deletion. Video-EEG-ECG monitoring in mouse models of epilepsy or other neurological disease provides a powerful tool to identify dysfunction at the level of the brain, heart, or brain-heart interactions.

  10. Channel modeling, signal processing and coding for perpendicular magnetic recording

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wu, Zheng

    With the increasing areal density in magnetic recording systems, perpendicular recording has replaced longitudinal recording to overcome the superparamagnetic limit. Studies on perpendicular recording channels including aspects of channel modeling, signal processing and coding techniques are presented in this dissertation. To optimize a high density perpendicular magnetic recording system, one needs to know the tradeoffs between various components of the system including the read/write transducers, the magnetic medium, and the read channel. We extend the work by Chaichanavong on the parameter optimization for systems via design curves. Different signal processing and coding techniques are studied. Information-theoretic tools are utilized to determine the acceptable region for the channel parameters when optimal detection and linear coding techniques are used. Our results show that a considerable gain can be achieved by the optimal detection and coding techniques. The read-write process in perpendicular magnetic recording channels includes a number of nonlinear effects. Nonlinear transition shift (NLTS) is one of them. The signal distortion induced by NLTS can be reduced by write precompensation during data recording. We numerically evaluate the effect of NLTS on the read-back signal and examine the effectiveness of several write precompensation schemes in combating NLTS in a channel characterized by both transition jitter noise and additive white Gaussian electronics noise. We also present an analytical method to estimate the bit-error-rate and use it to help determine the optimal write precompensation values in multi-level precompensation schemes. We propose a mean-adjusted pattern-dependent noise predictive (PDNP) detection algorithm for use on the channel with NLTS. We show that this detector can offer significant improvements in bit-error-rate (BER) compared to conventional Viterbi and PDNP detectors. Moreover, the system performance can be further improved by combining the new detector with a simple write precompensation scheme. Soft-decision decoding for algebraic codes can improve performance for magnetic recording systems. In this dissertation, we propose two soft-decision decoding methods for tensor-product parity codes. We also present a list decoding algorithm for generalized error locating codes.

  11. Automated Predictive Big Data Analytics Using Ontology Based Semantics.

    PubMed

    Nural, Mustafa V; Cotterell, Michael E; Peng, Hao; Xie, Rui; Ma, Ping; Miller, John A

    2015-10-01

    Predictive analytics in the big data era is taking on an ever increasingly important role. Issues related to choice on modeling technique, estimation procedure (or algorithm) and efficient execution can present significant challenges. For example, selection of appropriate and optimal models for big data analytics often requires careful investigation and considerable expertise which might not always be readily available. In this paper, we propose to use semantic technology to assist data analysts and data scientists in selecting appropriate modeling techniques and building specific models as well as the rationale for the techniques and models selected. To formally describe the modeling techniques, models and results, we developed the Analytics Ontology that supports inferencing for semi-automated model selection. The SCALATION framework, which currently supports over thirty modeling techniques for predictive big data analytics is used as a testbed for evaluating the use of semantic technology.

  12. Automated Predictive Big Data Analytics Using Ontology Based Semantics

    PubMed Central

    Nural, Mustafa V.; Cotterell, Michael E.; Peng, Hao; Xie, Rui; Ma, Ping; Miller, John A.

    2017-01-01

    Predictive analytics in the big data era is taking on an ever increasingly important role. Issues related to choice on modeling technique, estimation procedure (or algorithm) and efficient execution can present significant challenges. For example, selection of appropriate and optimal models for big data analytics often requires careful investigation and considerable expertise which might not always be readily available. In this paper, we propose to use semantic technology to assist data analysts and data scientists in selecting appropriate modeling techniques and building specific models as well as the rationale for the techniques and models selected. To formally describe the modeling techniques, models and results, we developed the Analytics Ontology that supports inferencing for semi-automated model selection. The SCALATION framework, which currently supports over thirty modeling techniques for predictive big data analytics is used as a testbed for evaluating the use of semantic technology. PMID:29657954

  13. Tackling Production Techniques: Professional Studio Sound at Amateur Prices: the Power of the Portable Four-Track Audio Recorder.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Robinson, David E.

    1997-01-01

    One solution to poor quality sound in student video projects is a four-track audio cassette recorder. This article discusses the advantages of four-track over single-track recorders and compares two student productions, one using a single-track and the other a four-track recorder. (PEN)

  14. Individual identification via electrocardiogram analysis.

    PubMed

    Fratini, Antonio; Sansone, Mario; Bifulco, Paolo; Cesarelli, Mario

    2015-08-14

    During last decade the use of ECG recordings in biometric recognition studies has increased. ECG characteristics made it suitable for subject identification: it is unique, present in all living individuals, and hard to forge. However, in spite of the great number of approaches found in literature, no agreement exists on the most appropriate methodology. This study aimed at providing a survey of the techniques used so far in ECG-based human identification. Specifically, a pattern recognition perspective is here proposed providing a unifying framework to appreciate previous studies and, hopefully, guide future research. We searched for papers on the subject from the earliest available date using relevant electronic databases (Medline, IEEEXplore, Scopus, and Web of Knowledge). The following terms were used in different combinations: electrocardiogram, ECG, human identification, biometric, authentication and individual variability. The electronic sources were last searched on 1st March 2015. In our selection we included published research on peer-reviewed journals, books chapters and conferences proceedings. The search was performed for English language documents. 100 pertinent papers were found. Number of subjects involved in the journal studies ranges from 10 to 502, age from 16 to 86, male and female subjects are generally present. Number of analysed leads varies as well as the recording conditions. Identification performance differs widely as well as verification rate. Many studies refer to publicly available databases (Physionet ECG databases repository) while others rely on proprietary recordings making difficult them to compare. As a measure of overall accuracy we computed a weighted average of the identification rate and equal error rate in authentication scenarios. Identification rate resulted equal to 94.95 % while the equal error rate equal to 0.92 %. Biometric recognition is a mature field of research. Nevertheless, the use of physiological signals features, such as the ECG traits, needs further improvements. ECG features have the potential to be used in daily activities such as access control and patient handling as well as in wearable electronics applications. However, some barriers still limit its growth. Further analysis should be addressed on the use of single lead recordings and the study of features which are not dependent on the recording sites (e.g. fingers, hand palms). Moreover, it is expected that new techniques will be developed using fiducials and non-fiducial based features in order to catch the best of both approaches. ECG recognition in pathological subjects is also worth of additional investigations.

  15. 7 CFR 331.17 - Records.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 5 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Records. 331.17 Section 331.17 Agriculture Regulations... OF AGRICULTURE POSSESSION, USE, AND TRANSFER OF SELECT AGENTS AND TOXINS § 331.17 Records. (a) An individual or entity required to register under this part must maintain complete records relating to the...

  16. [Multi-channel in vivo recording techniques: signal processing of action potentials and local field potentials].

    PubMed

    Xu, Jia-Min; Wang, Ce-Qun; Lin, Long-Nian

    2014-06-25

    Multi-channel in vivo recording techniques are used to record ensemble neuronal activity and local field potentials (LFP) simultaneously. One of the key points for the technique is how to process these two sets of recorded neural signals properly so that data accuracy can be assured. We intend to introduce data processing approaches for action potentials and LFP based on the original data collected through multi-channel recording system. Action potential signals are high-frequency signals, hence high sampling rate of 40 kHz is normally chosen for recording. Based on waveforms of extracellularly recorded action potentials, tetrode technology combining principal component analysis can be used to discriminate neuronal spiking signals from differently spatially distributed neurons, in order to obtain accurate single neuron spiking activity. LFPs are low-frequency signals (lower than 300 Hz), hence the sampling rate of 1 kHz is used for LFPs. Digital filtering is required for LFP analysis to isolate different frequency oscillations including theta oscillation (4-12 Hz), which is dominant in active exploration and rapid-eye-movement (REM) sleep, gamma oscillation (30-80 Hz), which is accompanied by theta oscillation during cognitive processing, and high frequency ripple oscillation (100-250 Hz) in awake immobility and slow wave sleep (SWS) state in rodent hippocampus. For the obtained signals, common data post-processing methods include inter-spike interval analysis, spike auto-correlation analysis, spike cross-correlation analysis, power spectral density analysis, and spectrogram analysis.

  17. Solvent-free optical recording of structural colours on pre-imprinted photocrosslinkable nanostructures

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jiang, Hao; Rezaei, Mohamad; Abdolahi, Mahssa; Kaminska, Bozena

    2017-09-01

    Optical digital information storage media, despite their ever-increasing storage capacity and data transfer rate, are vulnerable to the potential risk of turning inaccessible. For this reason, long-term eye-readable full-colour optical archival storage is in high demand for preserving valuable information from cultural, intellectual, and scholarly resources. However, the concurrent requirements in recording colours inexpensively and precisely, and preserving colours for the very long term (for at least 100 years), have not yet been met by existing storage techniques. Structural colours hold the promise to overcome such challenges. However, there is still the lack of an inexpensive, rapid, reliable, and solvent-free optical patterning technique for recording structural colours. In this paper, we introduce an enabling technique based on optical and thermal patterning of nanoimprinted SU-8 nanocone arrays. Using photocrosslinking and thermoplastic flow of SU-8, diffractive structural colours of nanocone arrays are recorded using ultra-violet (UV) exposure followed by the thermal development and reshaping of nanocones. Different thermal treatment procedures in reshaping nanocones are investigated and compared, and two-step progressive baking is found to allow the controllable reshaping of nanocones. The height of the nanocones and brightness of diffractive colours are modulated by varying the UV exposure dose to enable grey-scale patterning. An example of recorded full-colour image through half-tone patterning is also demonstrated. The presented technique requires only low-power continuous-wave UV light and is very promising to be adopted for professional and consumer archival storage applications.

  18. Documenting for Posterity: Advocating the Use of Advanced Recording Techniques for Documentation in the Field of Building Archaeology

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    De Vos, P. J.

    2017-08-01

    Since the new millennium, living in historic cities has become extremely popular in the Netherlands. As a consequence, historic environments are being adapted to meet modern living standards. Houses are constantly subjected to development, restoration and renovation. Although most projects are carried out with great care and strive to preserve and respect as much historic material as possible, nevertheless a significant amount of historical fabric disappears. This puts enormous pressure on building archaeologists that struggle to rapidly and accurately capture in situ authentic material and historical evidence in the midst of construction works. In Leiden, a medieval city that flourished during the seventeenth century and that today counts over 3,000 listed monuments, a solution to the problem has been found with the implementation of advanced recording techniques. Since 2014, building archaeologists of the city council have experienced first-hand that new recording techniques, such as laser scanning and photogrammetry, have dramatically decreased time spent on site with documentation. Time they now use to uncover, analyse and interpret the recovered historical data. Nevertheless, within building archaeology education, a strong case is made for hand drawing as a method for understanding a building, emphasising the importance of close observation and physical contact with the subject. In this paper, the use of advanced recording techniques in building archaeology is being advocated, confronting traditional educational theory with practise, and research tradition with the rapid rise of new recording technologies.

  19. A simple model for cell type recognition using 2D-correlation analysis of FTIR images from breast cancer tissue

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ali, Mohamed H.; Rakib, Fazle; Al-Saad, Khalid; Al-Saady, Rafif; Lyng, Fiona M.; Goormaghtigh, Erik

    2018-07-01

    Breast cancer is the second most common cancer after lung cancer. So far, in clinical practice, most cancer parameters originating from histopathology rely on the visualization by a pathologist of microscopic structures observed in stained tissue sections, including immunohistochemistry markers. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) spectroscopy provides a biochemical fingerprint of a biopsy sample and, together with advanced data analysis techniques, can accurately classify cell types. Yet, one of the challenges when dealing with FTIR imaging is the slow recording of the data. One cm2 tissue section requires several hours of image recording. We show in the present paper that 2D covariance analysis singles out only a few wavenumbers where both variance and covariance are large. Simple models could be built using 4 wavenumbers to identify the 4 main cell types present in breast cancer tissue sections. Decision trees provide particularly simple models to reach discrimination between the 4 cell types. The robustness of these simple decision-tree models were challenged with FTIR spectral data obtained using different recording conditions. One test set was recorded by transflection on tissue sections in the presence of paraffin while the training set was obtained on dewaxed tissue sections by transmission. Furthermore, the test set was collected with a different brand of FTIR microscope and a different pixel size. Despite the different recording conditions, separating extracellular matrix (ECM) from carcinoma spectra was 100% successful, underlying the robustness of this univariate model and the utility of covariance analysis for revealing efficient wavenumbers. We suggest that 2D covariance maps using the full spectral range could be most useful to select the interesting wavenumbers and achieve very fast data acquisition on quantum cascade laser infrared imaging microscopes.

  20. Use of Satellite Remote Sensing of Cloud and Rainfall for Selected Operational Applications in the Fields of Applied Hydrology and Food Production.

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Power, Clare

    Available from UMI in association with The British Library. The material presented in this thesis takes the form of a series of discrete, but inter-related projects on subjects related to the use of satellite remote sensing techniques for selected applications in the fields of cloud, rainfall, vegetation and food production monitoring and assessment. Detailed literature reviews have been carried out on remote sensing techniques in these fields, in particular, for rainfall monitoring and the development of systems for food crop prediction from various rainfall, vegetation and crop monitoring algorithms. The second part of the thesis is devoted to a series of practical projects using five different and contrasting satellite rainfall monitoring techniques using visible and/or infrared imagery, three applied over the Sultanate of Oman and two over West Africa. The case studies applied over the Sultanate of Oman show a range of techniques from manual nephanalyses of Potential Rain Clouds and the derivation of a 20 year record of Tropical Cyclone tracks over the Arabian Sea, to the manual Bristol rainfall monitoring technique and its human-machine interactive successor BIAS, which are applicable to the analysis of short term extreme rainfall events. The remaining two techniques were developed simultaneously over West Africa. The first, namely, PERMIT (the Polar-orbiter Effective Rainfall Monitoring Technique), was developed by the Author, and the second, ADMIT (Agricultural Drought Monitoring Integrated Technique), by a colleague, Giles D'Souza. The development, testing on data from July and August 1985 and July 1986, and subsequent modification of the PERMIT technique is described. The 1986 Case Study results have been compared with the ADMIT results from the same data set, as part of a project funded by FAO to compare the performance of four Meteosat rainfall monitoring techniques (Snijders 1988). PERMIT was designed to be an economic, (in terms of satellite data and computer processing needs), automatic rainfall estimation technique suitable for use in environments where computer facilities are limited. Finally the PERMIT rainfall products have been compared with contemporaneous NOAA AVHRR Normalised Vegetation Index monthly composites. The relationships observed between these two satellite-derived products may contribute to the future development of a simple, low cost crop prediction scheme for developing countries. The main conclusion drawn from this research is that there is an urgent need for simple but effective rainfall and vegetation monitoring systems such as PERMIT, to be implemented operationally on low cost portable microcomputer systems which are readily installed in Developing Countries, where effective monitoring of such environmental elements can provide early warnings and reduce the impacts of drought inflicted famine disasters.

  1. Integrating cockpit display and video recorder systems

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bailey, David C.; Jones, Romie; Testerman, David

    1995-06-01

    A pair of flight data recording and playback systems are described for the F-22 and F-15. These systems employ multiplexing techniques to expand the amount of data recorded and inherent benefit therefrom. Variations between the system accommodate the different avionics architecture of each aircraft.

  2. Development of electronic cinema projectors

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Glenn, William E.

    2001-03-01

    All of the components for the electronic cinema are now commercially available. Sony has a high definition progressively scanned 24 frame per second electronic cinema camera. This can be recorded digitally on tape or film on hard drives in RAID recorders. Much of the post production processing is now done digitally by scanning film, processing it digitally, and recording it on film for release. Fiber links and satellites can transmit cinema program material to theaters in real time. RAID or tape recorders can play programs for viewing at a much lower cost than storage on film. Two companies now have electronic cinema projectors on the market. Of all of the components, the electronic cinema projector is the most challenging. Achieving the resolution, light, output, contrast ratio, and color rendition all at the same time without visible artifacts is a difficult task. Film itself is, of course, a form of light-valve. However, electronically modulated light uses other techniques rather than changes in density to control the light. The optical techniques that have been the basis for many electronic light-valves have been under development for over 100 years. Many of these techniques are based on optical diffraction to modulate the light. This paper will trace the history of these techniques and show how they may be extended to produce electronic cinema projectors in the future.

  3. A technique to detect microclimatic inhomogeneities in historical temperature records

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Runnalls, K. E.; Oke, T. R.

    2003-04-01

    A technique to identify inhomogeneities in historical temperature records caused by microclimatic changes to the surroundings of a climate station (e.g. minor instrument relocations, vegetation growth/removal, construction of houses, roads, runways) is presented. The technique uses daily maximum and minimum temperatures to estimate the magnitude of nocturnal cooling. The test station is compared to a nearby reference station by constructing time series of monthly "cooling ratios". It is argued that the cooling ratio is a particularly sensitive measure of microclimatic differences between neighbouring climate stations. Firstly, because microclimatic character is best expressed at night in stable conditions. Secondly, because larger-scale climatic influences common to both stations are removed by the use of a ratio and, because the ratio can be shown to be invariant in the mean with weather variables such as wind and cloud. Inflections (change points) in time series of cooling ratios therefore signal microclimatic change in one of the station records. Hurst rescaling is applied to the time series to aid in the identification of change points, which can then be compared to documented station history events, if sufficient metatdata is available. Results for a variety of air temperature records, ranging from rural to urban stations, are presented to illustrate the applicability of the technique.

  4. Maximum performance synergy: A new approach to recording studio control room design

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Szymanski, Jeff D.

    2003-10-01

    Popular recording studio control room designs include LEDE(tm), RFZ(tm), and nonenvironment rooms. The common goal of all of these is to create an accurate acoustical environment that does not distort or otherwise color audio reproduction. Also common to these designs is the frequent need to have multiple ancillary recording rooms, often adjacent to the main control room, where group members perform. This approach, where group members are physically separated from one another, can lead to lack of ensemble in the finished recordings. New twists on old acoustical treatment techniques have been implemented at a studio in Nashville, Tennessee, which minimize the need for multiple ancillary recording rooms, thus creating an environment where talent, producer and recording professionals can all occupy the same space for maximum performance synergy. Semi-separated performance areas are designed around a central, critical listening area. The techniques and equipment required to achieve this separation are reviewed, as are advantages and disadvantages to this new control room design approach.

  5. The analysis and forecasting of male cycling time trial records established within England and Wales.

    PubMed

    Dyer, Bryce; Hassani, Hossein; Shadi, Mehran

    2016-01-01

    The format of cycling time trials in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, involves riders competing individually over several fixed race distances of 10-100 miles in length and using time constrained formats of 12 and 24 h in duration. Drawing on data provided by the national governing body that covers the regions of England and Wales, an analysis of six male competition record progressions was undertaken to illustrate its progression. Future forecasts are then projected through use of the Singular Spectrum Analysis technique. This method has not been applied to sport-based time series data before. All six records have seen a progressive improvement and are non-linear in nature. Five records saw their highest level of record change during the 1950-1969 period. Whilst new record frequency generally has reduced since this period, the magnitude of performance improvement has generally increased. The Singular Spectrum Analysis technique successfully provided forecasted projections in the short to medium term with a high level of fit to the time series data.

  6. The Sounds of Desaturation: A Survey of Commercial Pulse Oximeter Sonifications.

    PubMed

    Loeb, Robert G; Brecknell, Birgit; Sanderson, Penelope M

    2016-05-01

    The pulse oximeter has been a standard of care medical monitor for >25 years. Most manufacturers include a variable-pitch pulse tone in their pulse oximeters. Research has shown that the acoustic properties of variable-pitch tones are not standardized. In this study, we surveyed the properties of pulse tones from 21 pulse oximeters, consisting of 1 to 4 instruments of 11 different models and 8 brands. Our goals were to fully document the sounds over saturation values 0% to 100%, test whether tones become quieter at low saturation values, and create a public repository of pulse oximeter recordings for future use. A convenience sample of commercial pulse oximeters in use at one hospital was studied. Audiovisual recordings of each pulse oximeter's display and sounds were taken while it monitored a simulator starting at a saturation of 100% and slowly decreasing in 1% steps until the saturation reached 0%. Recorded pulse tones were analyzed for spectral frequency and total power. Audio files for each pulse oximeter containing 100 pulse tones, one at every saturation value, were created for inclusion in the repository. Recordings containing 509 to 1053 pulse tones were made from the 21 pulse oximeters. Fundamental frequencies at 100% saturation ranged from 479 to 921 Hz, and fundamental frequencies at 1% saturation ranged from 38 to 404 Hz. The pulse tones from all but one model pulse oximeter contained harmonics. Pulse tone step sizes were linear in 6 models and logarithmic in 6 models. Only 6 pulse oximeter models decreased the pulse tone pitch at every decrease in saturation; all others decreased the pitch at only select saturation thresholds. Five pulse oximeter models stopped decreasing pitch altogether once the saturation reached a certain lower threshold. Pulse tone power (perceived as loudness) changed with saturation level for all pulse oximeters, increasing above baseline as saturation decreased from 100% and decreasing to levels below baseline at low saturation values. Current pulse oximeters use different techniques to address the competing goals of (1) using pitch steps that are large enough to be readily perceived, and (2) conveying saturation values from 0 to 100 within a limited range of sound frequencies. From a clinical perspective, 2 techniques for increasing perceivability (increasing the frequency range and using ratio step sizes) have no drawback, but 2 techniques (not changing pitch at every saturation change and using a lower saturation cutoff) do have potential clinical drawbacks. On the basis of our findings, we have made suggestions for clinicians and manufacturers.

  7. Generalization of the Lyot filter and its application to snapshot spectral imaging.

    PubMed

    Gorman, Alistair; Fletcher-Holmes, David William; Harvey, Andrew Robert

    2010-03-15

    A snapshot multi-spectral imaging technique is described which employs multiple cascaded birefringent interferometers to simultaneously spectrally filter and demultiplex multiple spectral images onto a single detector array. Spectral images are recorded directly without the need for inversion and without rejection of light and so the technique offers the potential for high signal-to-noise ratio. An example of an eight-band multi-spectral movie sequence is presented; we believe this is the first such demonstration of a technique able to record multi-spectral movie sequences without the need for computer reconstruction.

  8. Fluorescence lidar measurements at the archaeological site House of Augustus at Palatino, Rome

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Raimondi, Valentina; Alisi, Chiara; Barup, Kerstin; Bracciale, Maria Paola; Broggi, Alessandra; Conti, Cinzia; Hällström, Jenny; Lognoli, David; Palombi, Lorenzo; Santarelli, Maria Laura; Sprocati, Anna Rosa

    2013-10-01

    Early diagnostics and documentation fulfill an essential role for an effective planning of conservation and restoration of cultural heritage assets. In particular, remote sensing techniques that do not require the use of scaffolds or lifts, such as fluoresence lidar, can provide useful information to obtain an overall assessment of the status of the investigated surfaces and can be exploited to address analytical studies in selected areas. Here we present the results of a joint Italian-Swedish project focused on documenting and recording the status of some sections of the part closed to the public by using fluorescence hyperspectral imaging lidar. The lidar used a tripled-frequency Nd:YAG laser emitting at 355 nm as excitation source and an intensified, gated 512x512-pixel CCD as detector. The lidar had imaging capabilities thanks to a computer-controlled scanning mirror. The fluorescence characteristics of fresco wall paintings were compared to those of fresco fragments found at the same archaeological site and separately examined in the lab using FT-IR and Raman techniques for the identification of pigments. The fluorescence lidar was also used to remotely detect the growth of phototrophic biodeteriogens on the walls. The fluorescence lidar data were compared with results from biological sampling, cultivation and laboratory analysis by molecular techniques.

  9. A comparative evaluation of subepithelial connective tissue graft (SCTG) versus platelet concentrate graft (PCG) in the treatment of gingival recession using coronally advanced flap technique: A 12-month study

    PubMed Central

    Kumar, G. Naveen Vital; Murthy, K. Raja Venkatesh

    2013-01-01

    Objective: The objective of this study was to clinically evaluate and compare the efficacy of platelet concentrate graft (PCG) with that of subepithelial connective tissue graft (SCTG) using a coronally advanced flap technique in the treatment of gingival recession. Materials and Methods: Twelve patients with a total of 24 gingival recession defects were selected and randomly assigned either to experimental site-A (SCTG) or experimental site-B (PCG). The clinical parameters were recorded at baseline up to 12 months post-operatively and compared. Results: The mean vertical recession depth (VRD) statistically significantly decreased from 2.50 ± 0.48 mm to 0.54 ± 0.50 mm with PCG and from 2.75 ± 0.58 mm to 0.54 ± 0.45 mm with SCTG at 12 months. No statistically significant differences between the treatments were found for VRD and clinical attachment level (CAL), while keratinized tissue width (KTW) gain was statistically significant. Conclusion: Both the SCTG and the PCG group resulted in a significant amount of root coverage. The PCG technique was less invasive and required minimal time and clinical maneuver. It resulted in superior aesthetic outcome and lower post-surgical discomfort at the 12 months follow-up. PMID:24554889

  10. Assessing the integrated pest management practices of southeastern US ornamental nursery operations.

    PubMed

    LeBude, Anthony V; White, Sarah A; Fulcher, Amy F; Frank, Steve; Klingeman Iii, William E; Chong, Juang-Horng; Chappell, Matthew R; Windham, Alan; Braman, Kris; Hale, Frank; Dunwell, Winston; Williams-Woodward, Jean; Ivors, Kelly; Adkins, Craig; Neal, Joe

    2012-09-01

    The Southern Nursery Integrated Pest Management (SNIPM) working group surveyed ornamental nursery crop growers in the southeastern United States to determine their pest management practices. Respondents answered questions about monitoring practices for insects, diseases and weeds, prevention techniques, intervention decisions, concerns about IPM and educational opportunities. Survey respondents were categorized into three groups based on IPM knowledge and pest management practices adopted. The three groups differed in the use of standardized sampling plans for scouting pests, in monitoring techniques, e.g. sticky cards, phenology and growing degree days, in record-keeping, in the use of spot-spraying and in the number of samples sent to a diagnostic clinic for identification and management recommendation. Stronger emphasis is needed on deliberate scouting techniques and tools to monitor pest populations to provide earlier pest detection and greater flexibility of management options. Most respondents thought that IPM was effective and beneficial for both the environment and employees, but had concerns about the ability of natural enemies to control insect pests, and about the availability and effectiveness of alternatives to chemical controls. Research and field demonstration is needed for selecting appropriate natural enemies for augmentative biological control. Two groups utilized cooperative extension almost exclusively, which would be an avenue for educating those respondents. Copyright © 2012 Society of Chemical Industry.

  11. Search for Narrow Resonances in Dijet Final States at sqrt[s]=8  TeV with the Novel CMS Technique of Data Scouting.

    PubMed

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Andrews, M B; Azzolini, V; Calamba, A; Carlson, B; Ferguson, T; Paulini, M; Russ, J; Sun, M; Vogel, H; Vorobiev, I; Cumalat, J P; Ford, W T; Jensen, F; Johnson, A; Krohn, M; Mulholland, T; Stenson, K; Wagner, S R; Alexander, J; Chaves, J; Chu, J; Dittmer, S; Mirman, N; Nicolas Kaufman, G; Patterson, J R; Rinkevicius, A; Ryd, A; Skinnari, L; Sun, W; Tan, S M; Tao, Z; Thom, J; Tucker, J; Wittich, P; Winn, D; Abdullin, S; Albrow, M; Apollinari, G; Banerjee, S; Bauerdick, L A T; Beretvas, A; Berryhill, J; Bhat, P C; Bolla, G; Burkett, K; Butler, J N; Cheung, H W K; Chlebana, F; Cihangir, S; Cremonesi, M; Elvira, V D; Fisk, I; Freeman, J; Gottschalk, E; Gray, L; Green, D; Grünendahl, S; Gutsche, O; Hare, D; Harris, R M; Hasegawa, S; Hirschauer, J; Hu, Z; Jayatilaka, B; Jindariani, S; Johnson, M; Joshi, U; Klima, B; Kreis, B; Lammel, S; Linacre, J; Lincoln, D; Lipton, R; Liu, T; Lopes De Sá, R; Lykken, J; Maeshima, K; Marraffino, J M; Maruyama, S; Mason, D; McBride, P; Merkel, P; Mrenna, S; Nahn, S; Newman-Holmes, C; O'Dell, V; Pedro, K; Prokofyev, O; Rakness, G; Ristori, L; Sexton-Kennedy, E; Soha, A; Spalding, W J; Spiegel, L; Stoynev, S; Strobbe, N; Taylor, L; Tkaczyk, S; Tran, N V; Uplegger, L; Vaandering, E W; Vernieri, C; Verzocchi, M; Vidal, R; Wang, M; Weber, H A; Whitbeck, A; Acosta, D; Avery, P; Bortignon, P; Bourilkov, D; Brinkerhoff, A; Carnes, A; Carver, M; Curry, D; Das, S; Field, R D; Furic, I K; Konigsberg, J; Korytov, A; Ma, P; Matchev, K; Mei, H; Milenovic, P; Mitselmakher, G; Rank, D; Shchutska, L; Sperka, D; Thomas, L; Wang, J; Wang, S; Yelton, J; Linn, S; Markowitz, P; Martinez, G; Rodriguez, J L; Ackert, A; Adams, J R; Adams, T; Askew, A; Bein, S; Diamond, B; Hagopian, S; Hagopian, V; Johnson, K F; Khatiwada, A; Prosper, H; Santra, A; Weinberg, M; Baarmand, M M; Bhopatkar, V; Colafranceschi, S; Hohlmann, M; Kalakhety, H; Noonan, D; Roy, T; Yumiceva, F; Adams, M R; Apanasevich, L; Berry, D; Betts, R R; Bucinskaite, I; Cavanaugh, R; Evdokimov, O; Gauthier, L; Gerber, C E; Hofman, D J; Kurt, P; O'Brien, C; Sandoval Gonzalez, I D; Turner, P; Varelas, N; Wu, Z; Zakaria, M; Zhang, J; Bilki, B; Clarida, W; Dilsiz, K; Durgut, S; Gandrajula, R P; Haytmyradov, M; Khristenko, V; Merlo, J-P; Mermerkaya, H; Mestvirishvili, A; Moeller, A; Nachtman, J; Ogul, H; Onel, Y; Ozok, F; Penzo, A; Snyder, C; Tiras, E; Wetzel, J; Yi, K; Anderson, I; Blumenfeld, B; Cocoros, A; Eminizer, N; Fehling, D; Feng, L; Gritsan, A V; Maksimovic, P; Osherson, M; Roskes, J; Sarica, U; Swartz, M; Xiao, M; Xin, Y; You, C; Al-Bataineh, A; Baringer, P; Bean, A; Bowen, J; Bruner, C; Castle, J; Kenny, R P; Kropivnitskaya, A; Majumder, D; Mcbrayer, W; Murray, M; Sanders, S; Stringer, R; Tapia Takaki, J D; Wang, Q; Ivanov, A; Kaadze, K; Khalil, S; Makouski, M; Maravin, Y; Mohammadi, A; Saini, L K; Skhirtladze, N; Toda, S; Lange, D; Rebassoo, F; Wright, D; Anelli, C; Baden, A; Baron, O; Belloni, A; Calvert, B; Eno, S C; Ferraioli, C; Gomez, J A; Hadley, N J; Jabeen, S; Kellogg, R G; Kolberg, T; 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Smith, W H; Taylor, D; Verwilligen, P; Woods, N

    2016-07-15

    A search for narrow resonances decaying into dijet final states is performed on data from proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 8 TeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 18.8  fb^{-1}. The data were collected with the CMS detector using a novel technique called data scouting, in which the information associated with these selected events is much reduced, permitting collection of larger data samples. This technique enables CMS to record events containing jets at a rate of 1 kHz, by collecting the data from the high-level-trigger system. In this way, the sensitivity to low-mass resonances is increased significantly, allowing previously inaccessible couplings of new resonances to quarks and gluons to be probed. The resulting dijet mass distribution yields no evidence of narrow resonances. Upper limits are presented on the resonance cross sections as a function of mass, and compared with a variety of models predicting narrow resonances. The limits are translated into upper limits on the coupling of a leptophobic resonance Z_{B}^{'} to quarks, improving on the results obtained by previous experiments for the mass range from 500 to 800 GeV.

  12. Search for narrow resonances in dijet final states at $$\\sqrt s=$$ 8 TeV with the novel CMS technique of data scouting

    DOE PAGES

    Khachatryan, Vardan

    2016-07-14

    A search for narrow resonances decaying into dijet final states is performed on data from proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 8 TeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 18.8 fb -1. The data were collected with the CMS detector using a novel technique called data scouting, in which the information associated with these selected events is much reduced, permitting collection of larger data samples. This technique enables CMS to record events containing jets at a rate of 1 kHz, by collecting the data from the high-level-trigger system. In this way, the sensitivity to low-mass resonances is increased significantly, allowing previouslymore » inaccessible couplings of new resonances to quarks and gluons to be probed. The resulting dijet mass distribution yields no evidence of narrow resonances. Upper limits are presented on the resonance cross sections as a function of mass, and compared with a variety of models predicting narrow resonances. Furthermore, the limits are translated into upper limits on the coupling of a leptophobic resonance Z' B to quarks, improving on the results obtained by previous experiments for the mass range from 500 to 800 GeV.« less

  13. Secondary Voice Restoration After Laryngotracheal Separation (LTS) for Dysphagia with Intractable Aspiration.

    PubMed

    Bonte, Katrien; Huvenne, Wouter; De Loof, Marie; Deron, Philippe; Viaene, Annick; Duprez, Fréderic; Vermeersch, Hubert

    2015-12-01

    Intractable aspiration is a serious, often life-threatening condition due to its potential impact on pulmonary function. Aspiration requires therapeutic measures, starting with conservative management but often necessitating surgical treatment. The basic surgical principle is to separate the alimentary and respiratory tracts through a variety of procedures which, unfortunately, nearly all result in the loss of phonation, with the exception of total laryngectomy (TL) which includes the placement of an indwelling voice prosthesis. In this study, we present a modified laryngotracheal separation (LTS) technique that, we believe, offers multiple advantages compared to standard TL. After reviewing the medical records of 35 patients with intractable aspiration who have undergone LTS, we describe the surgical technique and present the postoperative result. In a second surgical procedure about two months following LTS, we aimed to achieve voice restoration by placement of an indwelling voice prosthesis. Intractable aspiration was successfully treated in all patients. Placement of an indwelling voice prosthesis during a second operation was successful in 15 patients, representing the largest reported cohort thus far. LTS is a reliable surgical technique to treat intractable aspiration, with restoration of oral intake, thereby improving the general condition and quality of life of these unfortunate patients. Furthermore, voice restoration can be achieved in selected patients, by placement of a voice prosthesis.

  14. Acquisition and visualization techniques for narrow spectral color imaging.

    PubMed

    Neumann, László; García, Rafael; Basa, János; Hegedüs, Ramón

    2013-06-01

    This paper introduces a new approach in narrow-band imaging (NBI). Existing NBI techniques generate images by selecting discrete bands over the full visible spectrum or an even wider spectral range. In contrast, here we perform the sampling with filters covering a tight spectral window. This image acquisition method, named narrow spectral imaging, can be particularly useful when optical information is only available within a narrow spectral window, such as in the case of deep-water transmittance, which constitutes the principal motivation of this work. In this study we demonstrate the potential of the proposed photographic technique on nonunderwater scenes recorded under controlled conditions. To this end three multilayer narrow bandpass filters were employed, which transmit at 440, 456, and 470 nm bluish wavelengths, respectively. Since the differences among the images captured in such a narrow spectral window can be extremely small, both image acquisition and visualization require a novel approach. First, high-bit-depth images were acquired with multilayer narrow-band filters either placed in front of the illumination or mounted on the camera lens. Second, a color-mapping method is proposed, using which the input data can be transformed onto the entire display color gamut with a continuous and perceptually nearly uniform mapping, while ensuring optimally high information content for human perception.

  15. Status of air-shower measurements with sparse radio arrays

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Schröder, Frank G.

    2017-03-01

    This proceeding gives a summary of the current status and open questions of the radio technique for cosmic-ray air showers, assuming that the reader is already familiar with the principles. It includes recent results of selected experiments not present at this conference, e.g., LOPES and TREND. Current radio arrays like AERA or Tunka-Rex have demonstrated that areas of several km2 can be instrumented for reasonable costs with antenna spacings of the order of 200m. For the energy of the primary particle such sparse antenna arrays can already compete in absolute accuracy with other precise techniques, like the detection of air-fluorescence or air-Cherenkov light. With further improvements in the antenna calibration, the radio detection might become even more accurate. For the atmospheric depth of the shower maximum, Xmax, currently only the dense array LOFAR features a precision similar to the fluorescence technique, but analysis methods for the radio measurement of Xmax are still under development. Moreover, the combination of radio and muon measurements is expected to increase the accuracy of the mass composition, and this around-the-clock recording is not limited to clear nights as are the light-detection methods. Consequently, radio antennas will be a valuable add-on for any air shower array targeting the energy range above 100 PeV.

  16. Editorial

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Buitink, S.; Hörandel, J. R.; de Jong, S.; Lahmann, R.; Nahnhauer, R.; Scholten, O.

    2017-03-01

    This proceeding gives a summary of the current status and open questions of the radio technique for cosmic-ray air showers, assuming that the reader is already familiar with the principles. It includes recent results of selected experiments not present at this conference, e.g., LOPES and TREND. Current radio arrays like AERA or Tunka-Rex have demonstrated that areas of several km2 can be instrumented for reasonable costs with antenna spacings of the order of 200m. For the energy of the primary particle such sparse antenna arrays can already compete in absolute accuracy with other precise techniques, like the detection of air-fluorescence or air-Cherenkov light. With further improvements in the antenna calibration, the radio detection might become even more accurate. For the atmospheric depth of the shower maximum, Xmax, currently only the dense array LOFAR features a precision similar to the fluorescence technique, but analysis methods for the radio measurement of Xmax are still under development. Moreover, the combination of radio and muon measurements is expected to increase the accuracy of the mass composition, and this around-the-clock recording is not limited to clear nights as are the light-detection methods. Consequently, radio antennas will be a valuable add-on for any air shower array targeting the energy range above 100 PeV.

  17. The effect of partially exposed connective tissue graft on root-coverage outcomes: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

    PubMed

    Dodge, Austin; Garcia, Jeffrey; Luepke, Paul; Lai, Yu-Lin; Kassab, Moawia; Lin, Guo-Hao

    2018-04-01

    The aim of this systematic review was to compare the root-coverage outcomes of using a partially exposed connective tissue graft (CTG) technique with a fully covered CTG technique for root coverage. An electronic search up to February 28 th , 2017, was performed to identify human clinical studies with data comparing outcomes of root coverage using CTG, with and without a partially exposed graft. Five clinical studies were selected for inclusion in this review. For each study, the gain of keratinized gingiva, reduction of recession depth, number of surgical sites achieving complete root coverage, percentage of root coverage, gain of tissue thickness, and changes of probing depth and clinical attachment level were recorded. Meta-analysis for the comparison of complete root coverage between the two techniques presented no statistically significant differences. A statistically significant gain of keratinized tissue in favor of the sites with an exposed CTG and a tendency of greater reduction in recession depth were seen at the sites with a fully covered CTG. Based on the results, the use of a partially exposed CTG in root-coverage procedures could achieve greater gain in keratinized gingiva, while a fully covered CTG might be indicated for procedures aiming to reduce recession depth. © 2018 Eur J Oral Sci.

  18. [Practical and theoretical aspects of cost-benefit relations in viscerosynthesis].

    PubMed

    Fuchs, K H; Heimbucher, J; Geiger, D; Thiede, A

    1997-01-01

    The necessity of limiting health care costs requires adequate service recording and quality control even in visceral surgery. In this field, the safety of the anastomoses is of greatest importance. Anastomoses at risk are esophageal connections to jejunum or colon and deep rectal anastomoses. At these locations expensive suture devices, such as stapling instruments, can be used in a cost saving aspect, if they help to increase anastomotic safety, time saving and expansion of surgical indication. Manual sutures thus represent the cheapest anastomotic technique as continuous sutures would cost between DM 10.- to 20.- and single stitch sutures between DM 60.- and 100.-. A surgical school should prevalently aim at training manual anastomoses, while special anastomotic techniques should only complete the skill for selected indications. The overall staff expenditure for extended operations amounts around DM 600.- per hour respectively DM 10.- per minute. Time for surgery might be shortened by auxiliary tools as much as to perform an additional operation. However, a circular stapler anastomosis that costs between DM 650.- to 850.- is twice as expensive as manual sutures notwithstanding the double time needed. In the past years, the necessity for a rational use of different anastomotic techniques has shown to be mandatory since, increasingly, financial aspects of health economy require cost benefit calculations in visceral surgery.

  19. Standardised imaging technique for guided M-mode and Doppler echocardiography in the horse.

    PubMed

    Long, K J; Bonagura, J D; Darke, P G

    1992-05-01

    Eighteen echocardiographic images useful for diagnostic imaging, M-mode echocardiography, and Doppler echocardiography of the equine heart were standardised by relating the position of the axial beam to various intracardiac landmarks. The transducer orientation required for each image was recorded in 14 adult horses by describing the degree of sector rotation and the orientation of the axial beam relative to the thorax. Repeatable images could be obtained within narrow limits of angulation and rotation for 14 of the 18 standardised images evaluated. Twenty-seven National Hunt horses were subsequently examined using this standardised technique. Selected cardiac dimensions were measured from two-dimensional and guided M-mode studies. Satisfactory results were achieved in 26 of the 27 horses. There was no linear correlation between any of the measured cardiac values and bodyweight. There was no significant difference between measurements taken from the left and the right hemithorax. Six horses were imaged on three consecutive days to assess the repeatability of the measurements. No significant difference was found between measurements obtained on different days. This study demonstrates a method for standardised echocardiographic evaluation of the equine heart that is repeatable, valuable for teaching techniques of equine echocardiography, applicable for diagnostic imaging and quantification of cardiac size, and useful for the evaluation of blood-flow patterns by Doppler ultrasound.

  20. fMRI Validation of fNIRS Measurements During a Naturalistic Task

    PubMed Central

    Noah, J. Adam; Ono, Yumie; Nomoto, Yasunori; Shimada, Sotaro; Tachibana, Atsumichi; Zhang, Xian; Bronner, Shaw; Hirsch, Joy

    2015-01-01

    We present a method to compare brain activity recorded with near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) in a dance video game task to that recorded in a reduced version of the task using fMRI (functional magnetic resonance imaging). Recently, it has been shown that fNIRS can accurately record functional brain activities equivalent to those concurrently recorded with functional magnetic resonance imaging for classic psychophysical tasks and simple finger tapping paradigms. However, an often quoted benefit of fNIRS is that the technique allows for studying neural mechanisms of complex, naturalistic behaviors that are not possible using the constrained environment of fMRI. Our goal was to extend the findings of previous studies that have shown high correlation between concurrently recorded fNIRS and fMRI signals to compare neural recordings obtained in fMRI procedures to those separately obtained in naturalistic fNIRS experiments. Specifically, we developed a modified version of the dance video game Dance Dance Revolution (DDR) to be compatible with both fMRI and fNIRS imaging procedures. In this methodology we explain the modifications to the software and hardware for compatibility with each technique as well as the scanning and calibration procedures used to obtain representative results. The results of the study show a task-related increase in oxyhemoglobin in both modalities and demonstrate that it is possible to replicate the findings of fMRI using fNIRS in a naturalistic task. This technique represents a methodology to compare fMRI imaging paradigms which utilize a reduced-world environment to fNIRS in closer approximation to naturalistic, full-body activities and behaviors. Further development of this technique may apply to neurodegenerative diseases, such as Parkinson’s disease, late states of dementia, or those with magnetic susceptibility which are contraindicated for fMRI scanning. PMID:26132365

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