An approximate solution to improve computational efficiency of impedance-type payload load prediction

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

White, C. W.

1981-01-01

The computational efficiency of the impedance type loads prediction method was studied. Three goals were addressed: devise a method to make the impedance method operate more efficiently in the computer; assess the accuracy and convenience of the method for determining the effect of design changes; and investigate the use of the method to identify design changes for reduction of payload loads. The method is suitable for calculation of dynamic response in either the frequency or time domain. It is concluded that: the choice of an orthogonal coordinate system will allow the impedance method to operate more efficiently in the computer; the approximate mode impedance technique is adequate for determining the effect of design changes, and is applicable for both statically determinate and statically indeterminate payload attachments; and beneficial design changes to reduce payload loads can be identified by the combined application of impedance techniques and energy distribution review techniques.

Impact evaluation of composite floor sections

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Boitnott, Richard L.; Fasanella, Edwin L.

1989-01-01

Graphite-epoxy floor sections representative of aircraft fuselage construction were statically and dynamically tested to evaluate their response to crash loadings. These floor sections were fabricated using a frame-stringer design typical of present aluminum aircraft without features to enhance crashworthiness. The floor sections were tested as part of a systematic research program developed to study the impact response of composite components of increasing complexity. The ultimate goal of the research program is to develop crashworthy design features for future composite aircraft. Initially, individual frames of six-foot diameter were tested both statically and dynamically. The frames were then used to construct built-up floor sections for dynamic tests at impact velocities of approximately 20 feet/sec to simulate survivable crash velocities. In addition, static tests were conducted to gain a better understanding of the failure mechanisms seen in the dynamic tests.

Simulating and Synthesizing Substructures Using Neural Network and Genetic Algorithms

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Liu, Youhua; Kapania, Rakesh K.; VanLandingham, Hugh F.

1997-01-01

The feasibility of simulating and synthesizing substructures by computational neural network models is illustrated by investigating a statically indeterminate beam, using both a 1-D and a 2-D plane stress modelling. The beam can be decomposed into two cantilevers with free-end loads. By training neural networks to simulate the cantilever responses to different loads, the original beam problem can be solved as a match-up between two subsystems under compatible interface conditions. The genetic algorithms are successfully used to solve the match-up problem. Simulated results are found in good agreement with the analytical or FEM solutions.

Side slope stability of articulated-frame logging tractors

Treesearch

H.G. Gibson; K.C. Elliott; S.P.E. Persson

1971-01-01

Many log or pulpwood transporting machines have hinged or articulated frames for steering. The articulated frame offers advantages for these machines, but the design introduces some problems in stability. We formulated and analyzed a mathematical model simulating stability of a 4-wheel-drive, articulated frame logging tractor (wheeled skidder) at static or low constant...

Analysis of frame structure of medium and small truck crane

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cao, Fuyi; Li, Jinlong; Cui, Mengkai

2018-03-01

Truck crane is an important part of hoisting machinery. Frame, as the support component of the quality of truck crane, determines the safety of crane jib load and the rationality of structural design. In this paper, the truck crane frame is a box structure, the three-dimensional model is established in CATIA software, and imported into Hyperworks software for finite element analysis. On the base of doing constraints and loads for the finite element model of the frame, the finite element static analysis is carried out. And the static stress test verifies whether the finite element model and the frame structure design are reasonable; then the free modal analysis of the frame and the analysis of the first 8 - order modal vibration deformation are carried out. The analysis results show that the maximum stress value of the frame is greater than the yield limit value of the material, and the low-order modal value is close to the excitation frequency value, which needs to be improved to provide theoretical reference for the structural design of the truck crane frame.

Seismic performance evaluation of an infilled rocking wall frame structure through quasi-static cyclic testing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pan, Peng; Wu, Shoujun; Wang, Haishen; Nie, Xin

2018-04-01

Earthquake investigations have illustrated that even code-compliant reinforced concrete frames may suffer from soft-story mechanism. This damage mode results in poor ductility and limited energy dissipation. Continuous components offer alternatives that may avoid such failures. A novel infilled rocking wall frame system is proposed that takes advantage of continuous component and rocking characteristics. Previous studies have investigated similar systems that combine a reinforced concrete frame and a wall with rocking behavior used. However, a large-scale experimental study of a reinforced concrete frame combined with a rocking wall has not been reported. In this study, a seismic performance evaluation of the newly proposed infilled rocking wall frame structure was conducted through quasi-static cyclic testing. Critical joints were designed and verified. Numerical models were established and calibrated to estimate frame shear forces. The results evaluation demonstrate that an infilled rocking wall frame can effectively avoid soft-story mechanisms. Capacity and initial stiffness are greatly improved and self-centering behavior is achieved with the help of the infilled rocking wall. Drift distribution becomes more uniform with height. Concrete cracks and damage occurs in desired areas. The infilled rocking wall frame offers a promising approach to achieving seismic resilience.

Unified approach to redshift in cosmological/black hole spacetimes and synchronous frame

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Toporensky, A. V.; Zaslavskii, O. B.; Popov, S. B.

2018-01-01

Usually, interpretation of redshift in static spacetimes (for example, near black holes) is opposed to that in cosmology. In this methodological note, we show that both explanations are unified in a natural picture. This is achieved if, considering the static spacetime, one (i) makes a transition to a synchronous frame, and (ii) returns to the original frame by means of local Lorentz boost. To reach our goal, we consider a rather general class of spherically symmetric spacetimes. In doing so, we construct frames that generalize the well-known Lemaitre and Painlevé-Gullstand ones and elucidate the relation between them. This helps us to understand, in a unifying approach, how gravitation reveals itself in different branches of general relativity. This framework can be useful for general relativity university courses.

Calculation of reinforced-concrete frame strength under a simultaneous static cross section load and a column lateral impact

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Belov, Nikolay; Yugov, Nikolay; Kopanitsa, Dmitry; Kopanitsa, Georgy; Yugov, Alexey; Kaparulin, Sergey; Plyaskin, Andrey; Kalichkina, Anna; Ustinov, Artyom

2016-01-01

When designing buildings with reinforced concrete that are planned to resist dynamic loads it is necessary to calculate this structural behavior under operational static and emergency impact and blast loads. Calculations of the structures under shock-wave loads can be performed by solving dynamic equations that do not consider static loads. Due to this fact the calculation of reinforced concrete frame under a simultaneous static and dynamic load in full 3d settings becomes a very non trivial and resource consuming problem. This problem can be split into two tasks. The first one is a shock-wave problem that can be solved using software package RANET-3, which allows solving the problem using finite elements method adapted for dynamic task. This method calculates strain-stress state of the material and its dynamic destruction, which is considered as growth and consolidation of micro defects under loading. On the second step the results of the first step are taken as input parameters for quasi static calculation of simultaneous static and dynamic load using finite elements method in AMP Civil Engineering-11.

What the Human Brain Likes About Facial Motion

PubMed Central

Schultz, Johannes; Brockhaus, Matthias; Bülthoff, Heinrich H.; Pilz, Karin S.

2013-01-01

Facial motion carries essential information about other people's emotions and intentions. Most previous studies have suggested that facial motion is mainly processed in the superior temporal sulcus (STS), but several recent studies have also shown involvement of ventral temporal face-sensitive regions. Up to now, it is not known whether the increased response to facial motion is due to an increased amount of static information in the stimulus, to the deformation of the face over time, or to increased attentional demands. We presented nonrigidly moving faces and control stimuli to participants performing a demanding task unrelated to the face stimuli. We manipulated the amount of static information by using movies with different frame rates. The fluidity of the motion was manipulated by presenting movies with frames either in the order in which they were recorded or in scrambled order. Results confirm higher activation for moving compared with static faces in STS and under certain conditions in ventral temporal face-sensitive regions. Activation was maximal at a frame rate of 12.5 Hz and smaller for scrambled movies. These results indicate that both the amount of static information and the fluid facial motion per se are important factors for the processing of dynamic faces. PMID:22535907

Perception, memory and aesthetics of indeterminate art.

PubMed

Ishai, Alumit; Fairhall, Scott L; Pepperell, Robert

2007-07-12

Indeterminate art, in which familiar objects are only suggestive, invokes a perceptual conundrum as apparently detailed and vivid images resist identification. We hypothesized that compared with paintings that depict meaningful content, object recognition in indeterminate images would be delayed, and tested whether aesthetic affect depends on meaningful content. Subjects performed object recognition and judgment of aesthetic affect tasks. Response latencies were significantly longer for indeterminate images and subjects perceived recognizable objects in 24% of these paintings. Although the aesthetic affect rating of all paintings was similar, judgement latencies for the indeterminate paintings were significantly longer. A surprise memory test revealed that more representational than indeterminate paintings were remembered and that affective strength increased the probability of subsequent recall. Our results suggest that perception and memory of art depend on semantic aspects, whereas, aesthetic affect depends on formal visual features. The longer latencies associated with indeterminate paintings reflect the underlying cognitive processes that mediate object resolution. Indeterminate art works therefore comprise a rich set of stimuli with which the neural correlates of visual perception can be investigated.

A solution to the static frame validation challenge problem using Bayesian model selection

DOE PAGES

Grigoriu, M. D.; Field, R. V.

2007-12-23

Within this paper, we provide a solution to the static frame validation challenge problem (see this issue) in a manner that is consistent with the guidelines provided by the Validation Challenge Workshop tasking document. The static frame problem is constructed such that variability in material properties is known to be the only source of uncertainty in the system description, but there is ignorance on the type of model that best describes this variability. Hence both types of uncertainty, aleatoric and epistemic, are present and must be addressed. Our approach is to consider a collection of competing probabilistic models for themore » material properties, and calibrate these models to the information provided; models of different levels of complexity and numerical efficiency are included in the analysis. A Bayesian formulation is used to select the optimal model from the collection, which is then used for the regulatory assessment. Lastly, bayesian credible intervals are used to provide a measure of confidence to our regulatory assessment.« less

Indeterminate QuantiFERON-TB Gold Increases Likelihood of Inflammatory Bowel Disease Treatment Delay and Hospitalization.

PubMed

Vajravelu, Ravy K; Osterman, Mark T; Aberra, Faten N; Roy, Jason A; Lichtenstein, Gary R; Mamtani, Ronac; Goldberg, David S; Lewis, James D; Scott, Frank I

2017-12-19

QuantiFERON-TB Gold (QFTG) is a blood test used to diagnose latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) prior to TNF-α inhibitor (anti-TNF) initiation. We sought to determine factors associated with indeterminate QFTG results in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients and whether indeterminate results are associated with IBD-related morbidity. This nested case-control study included IBD patients who underwent QFTG testing. Cases were patients with indeterminate QFTG and controls were those with negative QFTG. The association of demographic and clinical data with indeterminate QFTG result was assessed using logistic regression. We examined the clinical impact of indeterminate QFTG results on risk of hospitalization and delay in anti-TNF initiation using inverse probability-of-treatment weighting (IPTW) regression. We identified 411 patients with QFTG testing (320 negative, 80 indeterminate, and 11 positive results). No patient with an indeterminate result subsequently had LTBI. Systemic corticosteroid use (OR, 4.4; 95% CI, 2.0-9.6) and hospitalization at the time of QFTG (OR, 3.8; 95% CI, 1.9-7.7) were associated with indeterminate QFTG, while immunomodulator use was nearly statistically significant (OR, 3.1; 95% CI, 0.9-9.8) and anti-TNF use was not (OR, 0.9; 95% CI, 0.2-4.6). After IPTW adjustment, indeterminate QFTG was associated with a 23.1% (95% CI, 8.2%-37.9%) greater probability of delay in anti-TNF initiation beyond 30 days and an 11.9% (95% CI, 0.6%-23.1%) greater probability of hospitalization within 60 days. Systemic corticosteroid use and hospitalization were associated with an indeterminate QFTG result. Indeterminate QFTG results were associated with delayed anti-TNF initiation and subsequent hospitalization. © 2017 Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation of America. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com

Survival Outcomes for Patients With Indeterminate 18FDG-PET Scan for Extrahepatic Disease Before Liver Resection for Metastatic Colorectal Cancer: A Retrospective Cohort Study Using a Prospectively Maintained Database to Analyze Survival Outcomes for Patients With Indeterminate Extrahepatic Disease on 18FDG-PET Scan Before Liver Resection for Metastatic Colorectal Cancer.

PubMed

Wong, Geoffrey Yuet Mun; Kumar, Rajiv; Beeke, Carol; Ullah, Shahid; Chen, John; Karapetis, Christos; Price, Timothy; Padbury, Rob

2018-05-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate overall survival (OS) and cancer recurrence for patients with indeterminate positron emission tomography (PET) scan for extrahepatic disease (EHD) before liver resection (LR) for colorectal liver metastases (CLMs). Indeterminate EHD as determined by PET imaging indicates a probability of extrahepatic malignancy and potentially excludes patients from undergoing LR for CLM. In a retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data from February 2006 to December 2014, OS for patients with indeterminate EHD on FDG-PET scan before LR for CLM was performed using standard survival analysis methods, including Kaplan-Meier estimator and Cox proportional hazard models for multivariate analyses. Postoperative imaging was used as reference to evaluate the association between indeterminate EHD and recurrence. Of 267 patients with PET scans before LR, 197 patients had no EHD and 70 patients had indeterminate EHD. Median follow-up was 33 months. The estimated 5-year OS was 60.8% versus 59.4% for indeterminate and absent EHD, respectively (P = 0.625). Disease-free survival was comparable between both groups (P = 0.975) and overall recurrence was 57.1% and 59.5% for indeterminate and absent EHD, respectively (P = 0.742). About 16.9% of recurrence was associated with the site of indeterminate EHD, with 80% of associated recurrence occurring in the thorax. The site of indeterminate EHD appears to have a predictive value for recurrence, with indeterminate EHD in the thorax having a higher probability of malignancy. The evidence in this report supports the critical evaluation of PET scan results and that patients are not denied potential curative LR unless the evidence for unresectable EHD is certain.

Calculation of reinforced-concrete frame strength under a simultaneous static cross section load and a column lateral impact

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

Belov, Nikolay, E-mail: n.n.belov@mail.ru; Kopanitsa, Dmitry, E-mail: kopanitsa@mail.ru; Yugov, Alexey, E-mail: yugalex@mail.ru

When designing buildings with reinforced concrete that are planned to resist dynamic loads it is necessary to calculate this structural behavior under operational static and emergency impact and blast loads. Calculations of the structures under shock-wave loads can be performed by solving dynamic equations that do not consider static loads. Due to this fact the calculation of reinforced concrete frame under a simultaneous static and dynamic load in full 3d settings becomes a very non trivial and resource consuming problem. This problem can be split into two tasks. The first one is a shock-wave problem that can be solved usingmore » software package RANET-3, which allows solving the problem using finite elements method adapted for dynamic task. This method calculates strain-stress state of the material and its dynamic destruction, which is considered as growth and consolidation of micro defects under loading. On the second step the results of the first step are taken as input parameters for quasi static calculation of simultaneous static and dynamic load using finite elements method in AMP Civil Engineering-11.« less

Original analytic solution of a half-bridge modelled as a statically indeterminate system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oanta, Emil M.; Panait, Cornel; Raicu, Alexandra; Barhalescu, Mihaela

2016-12-01

The paper presents an original computer based analytical model of a half-bridge belonging to a circular settling tank. The primary unknown is computed using the force method, the coefficients of the canonical equation being calculated using either the discretization of the bending moment diagram in trapezoids, or using the relations specific to the polygons. A second algorithm based on the method of initial parameters is also presented. Analyzing the new solution we came to the conclusion that most of the computer code developed for other model may be reused. The results are useful to evaluate the behavior of the structure and to compare with the results of the finite element models.

The motion control of a statically stable biped robot on an uneven floor.

PubMed

Shih, C L; Chiou, C J

1998-01-01

This work studies the motion control of a statically stable biped robot having seven degrees of freedom. Statically stable walking of the biped robot is realized by maintaining the center-of-gravity inside the convex region of the supporting foot and/or feet during both single-support and double-support phases. The main points of this work are framing the stability in an easy and correct way, the design of a bipedal statically stable walker, and walking on sloping surfaces and stairs.

Dynamic and Quasi-Static Grade Crossing Collision Tests

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2009-03-02

To support the development of a proposed rule [1], a fullscale : dynamic test and two full-scale quasi-static tests have : been performed on the posts of a state-of-the-art (SOA) end : frame. These tests were designed to evaluate the dynamic and : qu...

MicroRNA expression patterns in indeterminate inflammatory bowel disease.

PubMed

Lin, Jingmei; Cao, Qi; Zhang, Jianjun; Li, Yong; Shen, Bo; Zhao, Zijin; Chinnaiyan, Arul M; Bronner, Mary P

2013-01-01

A diagnosis of idiopathic inflammatory bowel disease requires synthesis of clinical, radiographic, endoscopic, surgical, and histologic data. While most cases of inflammatory bowel disease can be specifically classified as either ulcerative colitis or Crohns disease, 5-10% of patients have equivocal features placing them into the indeterminate colitis category. This study examines whether microRNA biomarkers assist in the classification of classically diagnosed indeterminate inflammatory bowel disease. Fresh frozen colonic mucosa from the distal-most part of the colectomy from 53 patients was used (16 indeterminate colitis, 14 Crohns disease, 12 ulcerative colitis, and 11 diverticular disease controls). Total RNA extraction and quantitative reverse-transcription-PCR was performed using five pairs of microRNA primers (miR-19b, miR-23b, miR-106a, miR-191, and miR-629). Analysis of variance was performed assessing differences among the groups. A significant difference in expressions of miR-19b, miR-106a, and miR-629 was detected between ulcerative colitis and Crohns disease groups (P<0.05). The average expression level of all five microRNAs was statistically different between indeterminate colitis and Crohns disease groups (P<0.05); no significant difference was present between indeterminate and ulcerative colitis groups. Among the 16 indeterminate colitis patients, 15 showed ulcerative colitis-like and one Crohns disease-like microRNA pattern. MicroRNA expression patterns in indeterminate colitis are far more similar to those of ulcerative colitis than Crohns disease. MicroRNA expression patterns of indeterminate colitis provide molecular evidence indicating that most cases are probably ulcerative colitis-similar to the data from long-term clinical follow-up studies. Validation of microRNA results by additional long-term outcome data is needed, but the data presented show promise for improved classification of indeterminate inflammatory bowel disease.

An Impact Study of the Design of Exergaming Parameters on Body Intensity from Objective and Gameplay-Based Player Experience Perspectives, Based on Balance Training Exergame

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Kinect-based exergames allow players to undertake physical exercise in an interactive manner with visual stimulation. Previous studies focused on investigating physical fitness based on calories or heart rate to ascertain the effectiveness of exergames. However, designing an exergame for specific training purposes, with intensity levels suited to the needs and skills of the players, requires the investigation of motion performance to study player experience. This study investigates how parameters of a Kinect-based exergame, combined with balance training exercises, influence the balance control ability and intensity level the player can tolerate, by analyzing both objective and gameplay-based player experience, and taking enjoyment and difficulty levels into account. The exergame tested required participants to maintain their balance standing on one leg within a posture frame (PF) while a force plate evaluated the player's balance control ability in both static and dynamic gaming modes. The number of collisions with the PF depended on the frame's travel time for static PFs, and the leg-raising rate and angle for dynamic PFs. In terms of center of pressure (COP) metrics, significant impacts were caused by the frame's travel time on MDIST-AP for static PFs, and the leg-raising rate on MDIST-ML and TOTEX for dynamic PFs. The best static PF balance control performance was observed with a larger frame offset by a travel time of 2 seconds, and the worst performance with a smaller frame and a travel time of 1 second. The best dynamic PF performance was with a leg-raising rate of 1 second at a 45-degree angle, while the worst performance was with a rate of 2 seconds at a 90-degree angle. The results demonstrated that different evaluation methods for player experience could result in different findings, making it harder to study the design of those exergames with training purposes based on player experience. PMID:23922716

Targeted Next Generation Sequencing with ThyroSeq v2.1 for Indeterminate Thyroid Nodules in Clinical Practice.

PubMed

Witt, Robert L

2016-12-01

To determine if patients elect molecular testing over diagnostic surgery or repeat fine needle aspiration for indeterminate thyroid nodules. Can ThyroSeq v2.1 molecular testing reduce diagnostic thyroid surgery and rule out cancer? Retrospective review Setting: Single institution, single-practice surgeon. Fifteen month retrospective review of indeterminate thyroid nodules that went on to ThyroSeq v2.1 testing. 286 patients met American Thyroid Association guideline criteria for surgeon- performed, ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration for a thyroid nodule with on-site cytopathology. The indeterminate (Bethesda III or IV) fine needle aspiration cytology rate was 9.1 percent. Prevalence of malignancy in indeterminate nodules was 19 percent. 26/26 (100 percent) patients with indeterminate thyroid nodules elected molecular testing. 16 patients had no mutation, 9 had one or more mutations, and I had no result. 16 of 25 (64 percent) patients with no mutation elected not to undergo diagnostic surgery for indeterminate thyroid nodules. Patients demonstrated a strong preference for molecular testing instead of diagnostic thyroid surgery for indeterminate thyroid nodules. All patients in this series, 25/25 (100 percent) with indeterminate thyroid nodules elected molecular testing instead of repeat biopsy or diagnostic thyroid surgery. 16 of 25 (64 percent) patients tested had no mutation. All 16/16 (100 percent) patients with no mutation on ThyroSeq "rule out" testing elected active surveillance rather than surgery or biopsy, reducing diagnostic surgery. The risk of malignancy among mutation negative patients was not definitively established. There are a number of factors currently that may mute the power of "rule in" testing.

Proviral Features of Human T Cell Leukemia Virus Type 1 in Carriers with Indeterminate Western Blot Analysis Results

PubMed Central

Sekizuka, Tsuyoshi; Yamochi, Tadanori; Firouzi, Sanaz; Sato, Tomoo; Umeki, Kazumi; Sasaki, Daisuke; Hasegawa, Hiroo; Kubota, Ryuji; Sobata, Rieko; Matsumoto, Chieko; Kaneko, Noriaki; Momose, Haruka; Araki, Kumiko; Saito, Masumichi; Nosaka, Kisato; Utsunomiya, Atae; Koh, Ki-Ryang; Ogata, Masao; Uchimaru, Kaoru; Iwanaga, Masako; Sagara, Yasuko; Yamano, Yoshihisa; Okayama, Akihiko; Miura, Kiyonori; Satake, Masahiro; Saito, Shigeru; Itabashi, Kazuo; Yamaguchi, Kazunari; Kuroda, Makoto; Watanabe, Toshiki; Okuma, Kazu

2017-01-01

ABSTRACT Western blotting (WB) for human T cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1) is performed to confirm anti-HTLV-1 antibodies detected at the initial screening of blood donors and in pregnant women. However, the frequent occurrence of indeterminate results is a problem with this test. We therefore assessed the cause of indeterminate WB results by analyzing HTLV-1 provirus genomic sequences. A quantitative PCR assay measuring HTLV-1 provirus in WB-indeterminate samples revealed that the median proviral load was approximately 100-fold lower than that of WB-positive samples (0.01 versus 0.71 copy/100 cells). Phylogenic analysis of the complete HTLV-1 genomes of WB-indeterminate samples did not identify any specific phylogenetic groups. When we analyzed the nucleotide changes in 19 HTLV-1 isolates from WB-indeterminate samples, we identified 135 single nucleotide substitutions, composed of four types, G to A (29%), C to T (19%), T to C (19%), and A to G (16%). In the most frequent G-to-A substitution, 64% occurred at GG dinucleotides, indicating that APOBEC3G is responsible for mutagenesis in WB-indeterminate samples. Moreover, interestingly, five WB-indeterminate isolates had nonsense mutations in Pol and/or Tax, Env, p12, and p30. These findings suggest that WB-indeterminate carriers have low production of viral antigens because of a combination of a low proviral load and mutations in the provirus, which may interfere with host recognition of HTLV-1 antigens. PMID:28701419

Proviral Features of Human T Cell Leukemia Virus Type 1 in Carriers with Indeterminate Western Blot Analysis Results.

PubMed

Kuramitsu, Madoka; Sekizuka, Tsuyoshi; Yamochi, Tadanori; Firouzi, Sanaz; Sato, Tomoo; Umeki, Kazumi; Sasaki, Daisuke; Hasegawa, Hiroo; Kubota, Ryuji; Sobata, Rieko; Matsumoto, Chieko; Kaneko, Noriaki; Momose, Haruka; Araki, Kumiko; Saito, Masumichi; Nosaka, Kisato; Utsunomiya, Atae; Koh, Ki-Ryang; Ogata, Masao; Uchimaru, Kaoru; Iwanaga, Masako; Sagara, Yasuko; Yamano, Yoshihisa; Okayama, Akihiko; Miura, Kiyonori; Satake, Masahiro; Saito, Shigeru; Itabashi, Kazuo; Yamaguchi, Kazunari; Kuroda, Makoto; Watanabe, Toshiki; Okuma, Kazu; Hamaguchi, Isao

2017-09-01

Western blotting (WB) for human T cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1) is performed to confirm anti-HTLV-1 antibodies detected at the initial screening of blood donors and in pregnant women. However, the frequent occurrence of indeterminate results is a problem with this test. We therefore assessed the cause of indeterminate WB results by analyzing HTLV-1 provirus genomic sequences. A quantitative PCR assay measuring HTLV-1 provirus in WB-indeterminate samples revealed that the median proviral load was approximately 100-fold lower than that of WB-positive samples (0.01 versus 0.71 copy/100 cells). Phylogenic analysis of the complete HTLV-1 genomes of WB-indeterminate samples did not identify any specific phylogenetic groups. When we analyzed the nucleotide changes in 19 HTLV-1 isolates from WB-indeterminate samples, we identified 135 single nucleotide substitutions, composed of four types, G to A (29%), C to T (19%), T to C (19%), and A to G (16%). In the most frequent G-to-A substitution, 64% occurred at GG dinucleotides, indicating that APOBEC3G is responsible for mutagenesis in WB-indeterminate samples. Moreover, interestingly, five WB-indeterminate isolates had nonsense mutations in Pol and/or Tax, Env, p12, and p30. These findings suggest that WB-indeterminate carriers have low production of viral antigens because of a combination of a low proviral load and mutations in the provirus, which may interfere with host recognition of HTLV-1 antigens. Copyright © 2017 American Society for Microbiology.

A Maneuvering Flight Noise Model for Helicopter Mission Planning

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Greenwood, Eric; Rau, Robert; May, Benjamin; Hobbs, Christopher

2015-01-01

A new model for estimating the noise radiation during maneuvering flight is developed in this paper. The model applies the Quasi-Static Acoustic Mapping (Q-SAM) method to a database of acoustic spheres generated using the Fundamental Rotorcraft Acoustics Modeling from Experiments (FRAME) technique. A method is developed to generate a realistic flight trajectory from a limited set of waypoints and is used to calculate the quasi-static operating condition and corresponding acoustic sphere for the vehicle throughout the maneuver. By using a previously computed database of acoustic spheres, the acoustic impact of proposed helicopter operations can be rapidly predicted for use in mission-planning. The resulting FRAME-QS model is applied to near-horizon noise measurements collected for the Bell 430 helicopter undergoing transient pitch up and roll maneuvers, with good agreement between the measured data and the FRAME-QS model.

Artificial Selection for Determinate Growth Habit in Soybean

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Determinacy is an agronomically important trait associated with the domestication in soybean (Glycine max). Most soybean cultivars are classifiable into indeterminate and determinate growth habit, while Glycine soja, the wild progenitor of soybean, is indeterminate. Indeterminate (Dt1) and determina...

Frame Rate and Human Vision

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Watson, Andrew B.

2012-01-01

To enhance the quality of the theatre experience, the film industry is interested in achieving higher frame rates for capture and display. In this talk I will describe the basic spatio-temporal sensitivities of human vision, and how they respond to the time sequence of static images that is fundamental to cinematic presentation.

Kaluza-Klein two-brane-worlds cosmology at low energy

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

Feranie, S.; Arianto; Zen, Freddy P.

2010-04-15

We study two (4+n)-dimensional branes embedded in (5+n)-dimensional spacetime. Using the gradient expansion approximation, we find that the effective theory is described by (4+n)-dimensional scalar-tensor gravity with a specific coupling function. Based on this theory we investigate the Kaluza-Klein two-brane-worlds cosmology at low energy, in both the static and the nonstatic internal dimensions. In the case of the static internal dimensions, the effective gravitational constant in the induced Friedmann equation depends on the equations of state of the brane matter, and the dark radiation term naturally appears. In the nonstatic case we take a relation between the external and internalmore » scale factors of the form b(t)=a{sup {gamma}(t)} in which the brane world evolves with two scale factors. In this case, the induced Friedmann equation on the brane is modified in the effective gravitational constant and the term proportional to a{sup -4{beta}.} For dark radiation, we find {gamma}=-2/(1+n). Finally, we discuss the issue of conformal frames which naturally arises with scalar-tensor theories. We find that the static internal dimensions in the Jordan frame may become nonstatic in the Einstein frame.« less

Anti-HCV immunoblot indeterminate results in blood donors: non-specific reactivity or past exposure to HCV?

PubMed

Kiely, P; Styles, C

2017-08-01

The significance of anti-HCV immunoblot (IB) indeterminate results can be difficult to determine. We analysed results for blood donors tested on the MP Diagnostics HCV Blot 3.0 IB assay to determine whether indeterminate results representing past exposure to HCV could be distinguished from those due to non-specific reactivity. Results for all donors tested by IB during the study period (July 2010 to December 2013) were included in this study. Of 131 donors tested by IB, 34 (26.0%) were negative, 38 (29.0%) were indeterminate, and 59 (45.0%) were positive. There was no significant difference in IB band reactivity strength between indeterminate and positive donors. The PRISM HCV chemiluminescent immunoassay (ChLIA) sample to cut-off (s/co) ratio distribution for the indeterminate donors was significantly higher than for those with biological false reactivity (P = 0·037), but significantly lower than for donors who were IB positive/HCV RNA negative (P < 0·001) or IB not tested/HCV RNA positive (P < 0·001). Of donors available for follow-up, 53.1% of the indeterminate group disclosed a putative risk factor for HCV infection compared to 39.4% (P < 0·001) for the IB-negative group, 76.6% (P = 0·065) for the IB-positive group and 83.4% (P < 0·001) for the HCV RNA-positive group. The results of this study indicate that PRISM ChLIA s/co ratios >2·00 with IB indeterminate results predict exposure to HCV, particularly in the presence of putative risk factors for HCV infection. These findings may be applied to optimizing counselling of donors with indeterminate HCV results. © 2017 International Society of Blood Transfusion.

Product development: using a 3D computer model to optimize the stability of the Rocket powered wheelchair.

PubMed

Pinkney, S; Fernie, G

2001-01-01

A three-dimensional (3D) lumped-parameter model of a powered wheelchair was created to aid the development of the Rocket prototype wheelchair and to help explore the effect of innovative design features on its stability. The model was developed using simulation software, specifically Working Model 3D. The accuracy of the model was determined by comparing both its static stability angles and dynamic behavior as it passed down a 4.8-cm (1.9") road curb at a heading of 45 degrees with the performance of the actual wheelchair. The model's predictions of the static stability angles in the forward, rearward, and lateral directions were within 9.3, 7.1, and 3.8% of the measured values, respectively. The average absolute error in the predicted position of the wheelchair as it moved down the curb was 2.2 cm/m (0.9" per 3'3") traveled. The accuracy was limited by the inability to model soft bodies, the inherent difficulties in modeling a statically indeterminate system, and the computing time. Nevertheless, it was found to be useful in investigating the effect of eight design alterations on the lateral stability of the wheelchair. Stability was quantified by determining the static lateral stability angles and the maximum height of a road curb over which the wheelchair could successfully drive on a diagonal heading. The model predicted that the stability was more dependent on the configuration of the suspension system than on the dimensions and weight distribution of the wheelchair. Furthermore, for the situations and design alterations studied, predicted improvements in static stability were not correlated with improvements in dynamic stability.

Development of a static feed water electrolysis system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schubert, F. H.; Lantz, J. B.; Hallick, T. M.

1982-01-01

A one person level oxygen generation subsystem was developed and production of the one person oxygen metabolic requirements, 0.82 kg, per day was demonstrated without the need for condenser/separators or electrolyte pumps. During 650 hours of shakedown, design verification, and endurance testing, cell voltages averaged 1.62 V at 206 mA/sq cm and at average operating temperature as low as 326 K, virtually corresponding to the state of the art performance previously established for single cells. This high efficiency and low waste heat generation prevented maintenance of the 339 K design temperature without supplemental heating. Improved water electrolysis cell frames were designed, new injection molds were fabricated, and a series of frames was molded. A modified three fluid pressure controller was developed and a static feed water electrolysis that requires no electrolyte in the static feed compartment was developed and successfully evaluated.

Missile Aerodynamics for Ascent and Re-entry

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Watts, Gaines L.; McCarter, James W.

2012-01-01

Aerodynamic force and moment equations are developed for 6-DOF missile simulations of both the ascent phase of flight and a tumbling re-entry. The missile coordinate frame (M frame) and a frame parallel to the M frame were used for formulating the aerodynamic equations. The missile configuration chosen as an example is a cylinder with fixed fins and a nose cone. The equations include both the static aerodynamic coefficients and the aerodynamic damping derivatives. The inclusion of aerodynamic damping is essential for simulating a tumbling re-entry. Appended information provides insight into aerodynamic damping.

Cancer Risk Associated with Nuclear Atypia in Cytologically Indeterminate Thyroid Nodules: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

PubMed

Valderrabano, Pablo; Khazai, Laila; Thompson, Zachary J; Sharpe, Susan C; Tarasova, Valentina D; Otto, Kristen J; Hallanger-Johnson, Julie E; Wadsworth, J Trad; Wenig, Bruce M; Chung, Christine H; Centeno, Barbara A; McIver, Bryan

2018-02-01

Indeterminate categories of thyroid cytopathology (categories B-III and B-IV of the Bethesda system) are integrated by a heterogeneous spectrum of cytological scenarios that are generally clustered for analysis and management recommendations. It has been suggested that aspirates exhibiting nuclear atypia have a higher risk of malignancy. This study aimed to assess whether cytologically indeterminate thyroid nodules with nuclear atypia have a significantly higher cancer risk than those without nuclear atypia. On June 30, 2016, PubMed and EMBASE were searched for articles in English or Spanish using a search strategy developed by an endocrinologist and a librarian. Case reports were excluded, and no date limits were used. The references of all included studies were also screened for relevant missing studies. Studies were included if the prevalences of malignancy of cytologically indeterminate thyroid nodules with histological confirmation with and without nuclear atypia were reported. Studies were excluded if they had: (i) nodules suspicious for malignancy; (ii) nodules with non-indeterminate (B-III or B-IV) cytology on repeated biopsy, if performed; (iii) nodules not consecutively evaluated; or (iv) cohorts overlapping with another larger series. Two investigators independently assessed the eligibility and risk of bias of the studies. PRISMA and MOOSE guidelines were followed. Summary data were extracted from published reports by one investigator and independently reviewed by another. Data were pooled using a random-effects model. Heterogeneity was explored using subgroup analysis and mixed-effect model meta-regression. The odds ratio for malignancy of cytologically indeterminate thyroid nodules with nuclear atypia over cytologically indeterminate thyroid nodules without nuclear atypia was calculated. Of 2571 retrieved studies, 20 were eligible. The meta-analysis was conducted on summary data of 3532 cytologically indeterminate thyroid nodules: 1162 with and 2370 without nuclear atypia. The odds ratio for malignancy in cytologically indeterminate thyroid nodules with nuclear atypia was 3.63 [confidence interval 3.06-4.35]. There was no evidence of publication bias, and heterogeneity was insignificant (I 2 < 0.01%, p = 0.40). Nuclear atypia is a significant indicator of malignancy in cytologically indeterminate thyroid nodules and needs to be standardized and implemented into clinical practice.

Determination of the Static Friction Coefficient from Circular Motion

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Molina-Bolívar, J. A.; Cabrerizo-Vílchez, M. A.

2014-01-01

This paper describes a physics laboratory exercise for determining the coefficient of static friction between two surfaces. The circular motion of a coin placed on the surface of a rotating turntable has been studied. For this purpose, the motion is recorded with a high-speed digital video camera recording at 240 frames s[superscript-1], and the…

Cupriavidus taiwanensis bacteroids in Mimosa pudica Indeterminate nodules are not terminally differentiated.

PubMed

Marchetti, Marta; Catrice, Olivier; Batut, Jacques; Masson-Boivin, Catherine

2011-03-01

The beta-rhizobium Cupriavidus taiwanensis forms indeterminate nodules on Mimosa pudica. C. taiwanensis bacteroids resemble free-living bacteria in terms of genomic DNA content, cell size, membrane permeability, and viability, in contrast to bacteroids in indeterminate nodules of the galegoid clade. Bacteroid differentiation is thus unrelated to nodule ontogeny.

Is conscious perception a series of discrete temporal frames?

PubMed

White, Peter A

2018-04-01

This paper reviews proposals that conscious perception consists, in whole or part, of successive discrete temporal frames on the sub-second time scale, each frame containing information registered as simultaneous or static. Although the idea of discrete frames in conscious perception cannot be regarded as falsified, there are many problems. Evidence does not consistently support any proposed duration or range of durations for frames. EEG waveforms provide evidence of periodicity in brain activity, but not necessarily in conscious perception. Temporal properties of perceptual processes are flexible in response to competing processing demands, which is hard to reconcile with the relative inflexibility of regular frames. There are also problems concerning the definition of frames, the need for informational connections between frames, the means by which boundaries between frames are established, and the apparent requirement for a storage buffer for information awaiting entry to the next frame. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Cupriavidus taiwanensis Bacteroids in Mimosa pudica Indeterminate Nodules Are Not Terminally Differentiated ▿

PubMed Central

Marchetti, Marta; Catrice, Olivier; Batut, Jacques; Masson-Boivin, Catherine

2011-01-01

The beta-rhizobium Cupriavidus taiwanensis forms indeterminate nodules on Mimosa pudica. C. taiwanensis bacteroids resemble free-living bacteria in terms of genomic DNA content, cell size, membrane permeability, and viability, in contrast to bacteroids in indeterminate nodules of the galegoid clade. Bacteroid differentiation is thus unrelated to nodule ontogeny. PMID:21257807

(Wh-)Indeterminates, Free Choice, and Expressive Content in Korean

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Park, Eun-Hae

2009-01-01

This dissertation investigates the semantics and pragmatics of two types of free choice items (FCIs) in Korean which employ a wh-indeterminate (i.e., wh-morphology. e.g., "nwukwu" "who/someone") and a non-deictic-indefinite (e.g., "amwu") respectively in combination with a suffixal particle--"na." Both wh-indeterminate-based FCI (wh-(N)-"na")…

Indeterminate Growth: Could It Represent the Ancestral Condition?

PubMed Central

Hariharan, Iswar K.; Wake, David B.; Wake, Marvalee H.

2016-01-01

Although we are used to the idea that many organisms stop growing when they reach a predictable size, in many taxa, growth occurs throughout the life of an organism, a phenomenon referred to as indeterminate growth. Our comparative analysis suggests that indeterminate growth may indeed represent the ancestral condition, whereas the permanent arrest of growth may be a more derived state. Consistent with this idea, in diverse taxa, the basal branches show indeterminate growth, whereas more derived branches arrest their growth. Importantly, in some closely related taxa, the termination of growth has evolved in mechanistically distinct ways. Also, even within a single organism, different organs can differ with respect to whether they terminate their growth or not. Finally, the study of tooth development indicates that, even at the level of a single tissue, multiple determinate patterns of growth can evolve from an ancestral one that is indeterminate. PMID:26216720

Comparing the Impact of Dynamic and Static Media on Students' Learning of One-Dimensional Kinematics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mešic, Vanes; Dervic, Dževdeta; Gazibegovic-Busuladžic, Azra; Salibašic, Džana; Erceg, Nataša

2015-01-01

In our study, we aimed to compare the impact of simulations, sequences of printed simulation frames and conventional static diagrams on the understanding of students with regard to the one-dimensional kinematics. Our student sample consisted of three classes of middle years students (N = 63; mostly 15 year-olds). These three classes served as…

Framing of task performance strategies: effects on performance in a multiattribute dynamic decision making environment.

PubMed

Nygren, T E

1997-09-01

It is well documented that the way a static choice task is "framed" can dramatically alter choice behavior, often leading to observable preference reversals. This framing effect appears to result from perceived changes in the nature or location of a person's initial reference point, but it is not clear how framing effects might generalize to performance on dynamic decision making tasks that are characterized by high workload, time constraints, risk, or stress. A study was conducted to examine the hypothesis that framing can introduce affective components to the decision making process and can influence, either favorably (positive frame) or adversely (negative frame), the implementation and use of decision making strategies in dynamic high-workload environments. Results indicated that negative frame participants were significantly impaired in developing and employing a simple optimal decision strategy relative to a positive frame group. Discussion focuses on implications of these results for models of dynamic decision making.

A Historical Overview and Contemporary Expansion of Psychological Theories of Determinism, Probabilistic Causality, Indeterminate Free Will, and Moral and Legal Responsibility

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wilks, Duffy; Ratheal, Juli D'Ann

2009-01-01

The authors provide a historical overview of the development of contemporary theories of counseling and psychology in relation to determinism, probabilistic causality, indeterminate free will, and moral and legal responsibility. They propose a unique model of behavioral causality that incorporates a theory of indeterminate free will, a concept…

Agreement between histopathological results in clinically diagnosed cases of indeterminate leprosy in São Paulo, Brazil.

PubMed

Lombardi, C; Cohen, S; Leiker, D L; Souza, J M; Cunha, P R; Martelli, C M; Andrade, A L; Zicker, F

1994-01-01

Histopathological slides from skin biopsies of fifty-seven self-reporting patients diagnosed as indeterminate leprosy by the Leprosy Control Programme in São Paulo, were sent to three independent histopathologists. Agreement between the reports were based on the following diagnosis: "indeterminate leprosy", "suggestive leprosy" or "no leprosy". A great variation was observed in the interpretation of the histopathological examination. The three pathologists reported "indeterminate leprosy" respectively in 7.0%, 54.4% and 84.2%, of the cases studied. A kappa index of agreement between any two pathologists ranged from 0.08 to 0.32, showing poor agreement between observers. Agreement improved by pooling together the reports "suggestive leprosy" and "indeterminate leprosy". The three pathologists agreed in the results of 24 biopsies of the 27 classified as leprosy by any one of the three observers. Eight cases were considered as "no leprosy" by all pathologists. Higher agreement indices were obtained for positive and negative proportionate concordance between any two examiners. The implications of the variation in the diagnosis of indeterminate leprosy and early leprosy are discussed in the context of public health and case-management.

Method for using global optimization to the estimation of surface-consistent residual statics

DOEpatents

Reister, David B.; Barhen, Jacob; Oblow, Edward M.

2001-01-01

An efficient method for generating residual statics corrections to compensate for surface-consistent static time shifts in stacked seismic traces. The method includes a step of framing the residual static corrections as a global optimization problem in a parameter space. The method also includes decoupling the global optimization problem involving all seismic traces into several one-dimensional problems. The method further utilizes a Stochastic Pijavskij Tunneling search to eliminate regions in the parameter space where a global minimum is unlikely to exist so that the global minimum may be quickly discovered. The method finds the residual statics corrections by maximizing the total stack power. The stack power is a measure of seismic energy transferred from energy sources to receivers.

Ventilation/perfusion single-photon emission computed tomography: a service evaluation.

PubMed

Parekh, Amit; Graham, Richard; Redman, Stewart

2017-08-01

To identify the positive rate and negative predictive value (NPV) of our ventilation/perfusion (V/Q) single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) service as respective markers of overcalling (false positives) and undercalling (false negatives). We also identified the indeterminate rate as an indicator of the technical quality of the scans and reporter confidence. V/Q SPECT studies carried out over 5 years were classified into positive, negative and indeterminate results. Patients who had died or had pulmonary emboli on imaging within 3 months of a negative V/Q SPECT were identified as false negatives, from which the NPV was calculated. The total number of positive and indeterminate studies as a proportion of all studies was calculated as the positive and indeterminate rates. The positive rate, NPV and indeterminate rates in nonpregnant patients were 24, 98.7-100 and 3.6%, respectively. The positive rate, NPV and indeterminate rates in pregnant patients were 6.8, 100 and 2.3%, respectively. The positive rate and NPV for nonpregnant patients were similar to the published literature. This suggests that we provide a safe service. The indeterminate rate was slightly higher than the stated guidelines. The study shows that the positive rate and NPV are achievable indicators of potential overcalling and undercalling in a V/Q SPECT service.This is also one of the first studies to report a positive rate in pregnant patients undergoing V/Q SPECT that other institutions can use as a standard when evaluating their services.

Comparison of box-wing and conventional aircraft mission performance using multidisciplinary analysis and optimization

DOE PAGES

Andrews, Stephen A.; Perez, Ruben E.

2018-06-04

Box-wing aircraft designs have the potential to achieve significant reductions in fuel consumption. Closed non-planar wing designs have been shown to reduce induced drag and the statically indeterminate wing structure can lead to reduced wing weight. In addition, the streamwise separation of the two main wings can provide the moments necessary for static stability and control, eliminating the weight and aerodynamic drag of a horizontal tail. Proper assessment of the disciplinary interactions in box-wing designs is essential to determine any realistic performance benefits arising from the use of such a configuration. This study analyzes both box-wing and conventional aircraft designedmore » for representative regional-jet missions. A preliminary parametric investigation shows a lift-to-drag ratio advantage for box-wing designs, while a more detailed multidisciplinary study indicates that the requirement to carry the mission fuel in the wings leads to an increase of between 5% and 1% in total fuel burn compared to conventional designs. Furthermore, the multidisciplinary study identified operating conditions where the box-wing can have superior performance to conventional aircraft despite the fuel volume constraint.« less

Comparison of box-wing and conventional aircraft mission performance using multidisciplinary analysis and optimization

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

Andrews, Stephen A.; Perez, Ruben E.

Box-wing aircraft designs have the potential to achieve significant reductions in fuel consumption. Closed non-planar wing designs have been shown to reduce induced drag and the statically indeterminate wing structure can lead to reduced wing weight. In addition, the streamwise separation of the two main wings can provide the moments necessary for static stability and control, eliminating the weight and aerodynamic drag of a horizontal tail. Proper assessment of the disciplinary interactions in box-wing designs is essential to determine any realistic performance benefits arising from the use of such a configuration. This study analyzes both box-wing and conventional aircraft designedmore » for representative regional-jet missions. A preliminary parametric investigation shows a lift-to-drag ratio advantage for box-wing designs, while a more detailed multidisciplinary study indicates that the requirement to carry the mission fuel in the wings leads to an increase of between 5% and 1% in total fuel burn compared to conventional designs. Furthermore, the multidisciplinary study identified operating conditions where the box-wing can have superior performance to conventional aircraft despite the fuel volume constraint.« less

Static hand gesture recognition from a video

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rokade, Rajeshree S.; Doye, Dharmpal

2011-10-01

A sign language (also signed language) is a language which, instead of acoustically conveyed sound patterns, uses visually transmitted sign patterns to convey meaning- "simultaneously combining hand shapes, orientation and movement of the hands". Sign languages commonly develop in deaf communities, which can include interpreters, friends and families of deaf people as well as people who are deaf or hard of hearing themselves. In this paper, we proposed a novel system for recognition of static hand gestures from a video, based on Kohonen neural network. We proposed algorithm to separate out key frames, which include correct gestures from a video sequence. We segment, hand images from complex and non uniform background. Features are extracted by applying Kohonen on key frames and recognition is done.

The Use of Standing Frames for Contracture Management for Nonmobile Children with Cerebral Palsy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gibson, Susan K.; Sprod, Judy A.; Maher, Carol A.

2009-01-01

The objective of this study was to determine whether static weight-bearing in a standing frame affected hamstring length and ease of activities of daily living (ADLs) in nonambulant children with cerebral palsy (CP). A convenient sample of nonambulant children with CP was recruited for this one-group quasi-experimental study. Participants stood in…

75 FR 42770 - Notice of Inventory Completion: Denver Museum of Nature & Science, Denver, CO

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-07-22

... collected), one child of indeterminate sex, and two adults of indeterminate sex. Most of these individuals...), A533.5C (CUI 31), and A533.6A (CUI 32)). Remains include one child, which was reportedly found with... right arm bone of an adult of indeterminate sex (AC.2874; CUI 35) and two leg bones of an adult of...

Bio-inspired energy-harvesting mechanisms and patterns of dynamic soaring.

PubMed

Liu, Duo-Neng; Hou, Zhong-Xi; Guo, Zheng; Yang, Xi-Xiang; Gao, Xian-Zhong

2017-01-30

Albatrosses can make use of the dynamic soaring technique extracting energy from the wind field to achieve large-scale movement without a flap, which stimulates interest in effortless flight with small unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). However, mechanisms of energy harvesting in terms of the energy transfer from the wind to the flyer (albatross or UAV) are still indeterminate and controversial when using different reference frames in previous studies. In this paper, the classical four-phase Rayleigh cycle, includes sequentially upwind climb, downwind turn, downwind dive and upwind turn, is introduced in analyses of energy gain with the albatross's equation of motions and the simulated trajectory in dynamic soaring. Analytical and numerical results indicate that the energy gain in the air-relative frame mostly originates from large wind gradients at lower part of the climb and dive, while the energy gain in the inertial frame comes from the lift vector inclined to the wind speed direction during the climb, dive and downwind turn at higher altitude. These two energy-gain mechanisms are not equivalent in terms of energy sources and reference frames but have to be simultaneously satisfied in terms of the energy-neutral dynamic soaring cycle. For each reference frame, energy-loss phases are necessary to connect energy-gain ones. Based on these four essential phases in dynamic soaring and the albatrosses' flight trajectory, different dynamic soaring patterns are schematically depicted and corresponding optimal trajectories are computed. The optimal dynamic soaring trajectories are classified into two closed patterns including 'O' shape and '8' shape, and four travelling patterns including 'Ω' shape, 'α' shape, 'C' shape and 'S' shape. The correlation among these patterns are analysed and discussed. The completeness of the classification for different patterns is confirmed by listing and summarising dynamic soaring trajectories shown in studies over the past decades.

An improved EMD method for modal identification and a combined static-dynamic method for damage detection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Jinping; Li, Peizhen; Yang, Youfa; Xu, Dian

2018-04-01

Empirical mode decomposition (EMD) is a highly adaptable signal processing method. However, the EMD approach has certain drawbacks, including distortions from end effects and mode mixing. In the present study, these two problems are addressed using an end extension method based on the support vector regression machine (SVRM) and a modal decomposition method based on the characteristics of the Hilbert transform. The algorithm includes two steps: using the SVRM, the time series data are extended at both endpoints to reduce the end effects, and then, a modified EMD method using the characteristics of the Hilbert transform is performed on the resulting signal to reduce mode mixing. A new combined static-dynamic method for identifying structural damage is presented. This method combines the static and dynamic information in an equilibrium equation that can be solved using the Moore-Penrose generalized matrix inverse. The combination method uses the differences in displacements of the structure with and without damage and variations in the modal force vector. Tests on a four-story, steel-frame structure were conducted to obtain static and dynamic responses of the structure. The modal parameters are identified using data from the dynamic tests and improved EMD method. The new method is shown to be more accurate and effective than the traditional EMD method. Through tests with a shear-type test frame, the higher performance of the proposed static-dynamic damage detection approach, which can detect both single and multiple damage locations and the degree of the damage, is demonstrated. For structures with multiple damage, the combined approach is more effective than either the static or dynamic method. The proposed EMD method and static-dynamic damage detection method offer improved modal identification and damage detection, respectively, in structures.

The Neuronal Correlates of Indeterminate Sentence Comprehension: An fMRI Study

PubMed Central

de Almeida, Roberto G.; Riven, Levi; Manouilidou, Christina; Lungu, Ovidiu; Dwivedi, Veena D.; Jarema, Gonia; Gillon, Brendan

2016-01-01

Sentences such as The author started the book are indeterminate because they do not make explicit what the subject (the author) started doing with the object (the book). In principle, indeterminate sentences allow for an infinite number of interpretations. One theory, however, assumes that these sentences are resolved by semantic coercion, a linguistic process that forces the noun book to be interpreted as an activity (e.g., writing the book) or by a process that interpolates this activity information in the resulting enriched semantic composition. An alternative theory, pragmatic, assumes classical semantic composition, whereby meaning arises from the denotation of words and how they are combined syntactically, with enrichment obtained via pragmatic inferences beyond linguistic-semantic processes. Cognitive neuroscience studies investigating the neuroanatomical and functional correlates of indeterminate sentences have shown activations either at the ventromedial pre-frontal cortex (vmPFC) or at the left inferior frontal gyrus (L-IFG). These studies have supported the semantic coercion theory assuming that one of these regions is where enriched semantic composition takes place. Employing functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), we found that indeterminate sentences activate bilaterally the superior temporal gyrus (STG), the right inferior frontal gyrus (R-IFG), and the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), more so than control sentences (The author wrote the book). Activation of indeterminate sentences exceeded that of anomalous sentences (…drank the book) and engaged more left- and right-hemisphere areas than other sentence types. We suggest that the widespread activations for indeterminate sentences represent the deployment of pragmatic-inferential processes, which seek to enrich sentence content without necessarily resorting to semantic coercion. PMID:28066204

The predictive value of dominant nodules and the management of indeterminate group in multinodular goiter.

PubMed

Acıoğlu, Engin; Yiğit, Özgür; Seden, Nihal; Huq, Gülben Erdem

2012-01-01

The objectives of this study were to determine the predictive value of dominant nodules (DNs) in multinodular goiters (MNGs), and to stratify the risk of malignancy within the indeterminate category. The study design was retrospective study of patients with MNG. A total of 140 patients were reviewed. Fine needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) findings for all DNs were categorized into four groups: (1) benign, (2) positive or suspicious for malignancy, (3) indeterminate, and (4) non-diagnostic. All FNAB specimens of the indeterminate group were also evaluated for the presence of Hurthle cell metaplasia and were categorized according to the presence of cytological atypia. Cytohistological comparison was then performed. Mean number and diameter of the DNs were 1.45 and 25.6 mm, respectively. Based on final histopathology, 22.14% of the patients had thyroid malignancy and 74.2% of thyroid carcinomas were located in DNs. The number of DNs was significantly larger in malignant thyroid glands than in benign ones. In total, 22.6% of the indeterminate FNABs were malignant. FNABs of the indeterminate group that included atypical cells had a statistically significant higher incidence of malignancy. The presence of Hurthle cells was not statistically different in malignant and benign nodules upon final histological diagnosis. In conclusion, FNAB of only DNs in MNG could determine thyroid malignancy in 75% of patients. The DN number might be required for the predictive value of malignancy. A subclassification of the indeterminate group, based on the presence or absence of cytological atypia, is necessary to better assess the risk of malignancy.

Static and free-vibrational response of semi-circular graphite-epoxy frames with thin-walled open sections

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Collins, J. Scott; Johnson, Eric R.

1989-01-01

Experiments were conducted to measure the three-dimensional static and free vibrational response of two graphite-epoxy, thin-walled, open section frames. The frames are semi-circular with a radius of three feet, and one specimen has an I cross section and the other has a channel cross section. The flexibility influence coefficients were measured in static tests for loads applied at midspan with the ends of the specimens clamped. Natural frequencies and modes were determined from vibrational tests for free and clamped end conditions. The experimental data is used to evaluate a new finite element which was developed specifically for the analysis of curved, thin-walled structures. The formulation of the element is based on a Vlasov-type, thin-walled, curved beam theory. The predictions from the finite element program generally correlated well with the experimental data for the symmetric I-specimen. Discrepancies in some of the data were found to be due to flexibility in the clamped end conditions. With respect to the data for the channel specimen, the correlation was less satisfactory. The finite element analysis predicted the out-of-plane response of the channel specimen reasonably well, but large discrepancies occurred between the predicted in-plane response and the experimental data. The analysis predicted a much more compliant in-plane response than was observed in the experiments.

High-precision solution to the moving load problem using an improved spectral element method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wen, Shu-Rui; Wu, Zhi-Jing; Lu, Nian-Li

2018-02-01

In this paper, the spectral element method (SEM) is improved to solve the moving load problem. In this method, a structure with uniform geometry and material properties is considered as a spectral element, which means that the element number and the degree of freedom can be reduced significantly. Based on the variational method and the Laplace transform theory, the spectral stiffness matrix and the equivalent nodal force of the beam-column element are established. The static Green function is employed to deduce the improved function. The proposed method is applied to two typical engineering practices—the one-span bridge and the horizontal jib of the tower crane. The results have revealed the following. First, the new method can yield extremely high-precision results of the dynamic deflection, the bending moment and the shear force in the moving load problem. In most cases, the relative errors are smaller than 1%. Second, by comparing with the finite element method, one can obtain the highly accurate results using the improved SEM with smaller element numbers. Moreover, the method can be widely used for statically determinate as well as statically indeterminate structures. Third, the dynamic deflection of the twin-lift jib decreases with the increase in the moving load speed, whereas the curvature of the deflection increases. Finally, the dynamic deflection, the bending moment and the shear force of the jib will all increase as the magnitude of the moving load increases.

Determination of the static friction coefficient from circular motion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Molina-Bolívar, J. A.; Cabrerizo-Vílchez, M. A.

2014-07-01

This paper describes a physics laboratory exercise for determining the coefficient of static friction between two surfaces. The circular motion of a coin placed on the surface of a rotating turntable has been studied. For this purpose, the motion is recorded with a high-speed digital video camera recording at 240 frames s-1, and the videos are analyzed using Tracker video-analysis software, allowing the students to dynamically model the motion of the coin. The students have to obtain the static friction coefficient by comparing the centripetal and maximum static friction forces. The experiment only requires simple and inexpensive materials. The dynamics of circular motion and static friction forces are difficult for many students to understand. The proposed laboratory exercise addresses these topics, which are relevant to the physics curriculum.

Rotating-frame gradient fields for magnetic resonance imaging and nuclear magnetic resonance in low fields

DOEpatents

Bouchard, Louis-Serge; Pines, Alexander; Demas, Vasiliki

2014-01-21

A system and method for Fourier encoding a nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) signal is disclosed. A static magnetic field B.sub.0 is provided along a first direction. An NMR signal from the sample is Fourier encoded by applying a rotating-frame gradient field B.sub.G superimposed on the B.sub.0, where the B.sub.G comprises a vector component rotating in a plane perpendicular to the first direction at an angular frequency .omega.in a laboratory frame. The Fourier-encoded NMR signal is detected.

Control system software, simulation, and robotic applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Frisch, Harold P.

1991-01-01

All essential existing capabilities needed to create a man-machine interaction dynamics and performance (MMIDAP) capability are reviewed. The multibody system dynamics software program Order N DISCOS will be used for machine and musculo-skeletal dynamics modeling. The program JACK will be used for estimating and animating whole body human response to given loading situations and motion constraints. The basic elements of performance (BEP) task decomposition methodologies associated with the Human Performance Institute database will be used for performance assessment. Techniques for resolving the statically indeterminant muscular load sharing problem will be used for a detailed understanding of potential musculotendon or ligamentous fatigue, pain, discomfort, and trauma. The envisioned capacity is to be used for mechanical system design, human performance assessment, extrapolation of man/machine interaction test data, biomedical engineering, and soft prototyping within a concurrent engineering (CE) system.

Dactyl Alphabet Gesture Recognition in a Video Sequence Using Microsoft Kinect

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Artyukhin, S. G.; Mestetskiy, L. M.

2015-05-01

This paper presents an efficient framework for solving the problem of static gesture recognition based on data obtained from the web cameras and depth sensor Kinect (RGB-D - data). Each gesture given by a pair of images: color image and depth map. The database store gestures by it features description, genereated by frame for each gesture of the alphabet. Recognition algorithm takes as input a video sequence (a sequence of frames) for marking, put in correspondence with each frame sequence gesture from the database, or decide that there is no suitable gesture in the database. First, classification of the frame of the video sequence is done separately without interframe information. Then, a sequence of successful marked frames in equal gesture is grouped into a single static gesture. We propose a method combined segmentation of frame by depth map and RGB-image. The primary segmentation is based on the depth map. It gives information about the position and allows to get hands rough border. Then, based on the color image border is specified and performed analysis of the shape of the hand. Method of continuous skeleton is used to generate features. We propose a method of skeleton terminal branches, which gives the opportunity to determine the position of the fingers and wrist. Classification features for gesture is description of the position of the fingers relative to the wrist. The experiments were carried out with the developed algorithm on the example of the American Sign Language. American Sign Language gesture has several components, including the shape of the hand, its orientation in space and the type of movement. The accuracy of the proposed method is evaluated on the base of collected gestures consisting of 2700 frames.

Frequency of indeterminate results from an interferon-gamma release assay among HIV-infected individuals

PubMed Central

de Oliveira, Sandra Maria do Valle Leone; Trajman, Anete; Paniago, Anamaria Mello Miranda; Motta-Castro, Ana Rita Coimbra; Ruffino-Netto, Antonio; Maciel, Ethel Leonor Noia; Croda, Julio; Bonecini-Almeida, Maria da Gloria

2017-01-01

ABSTRACT Objective: To evaluate the frequency of and factors associated with indeterminate interferon-gamma release assay (IGRA) results in people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA). Methods: We tested 81 PLWHA in the central-west region of Brazil, using the tuberculin skin test and an IGRA. Information on sociodemographic and clinical variables was gathered through the use of questionnaires and from medical records. The association of those variables with indeterminate results was analyzed by calculating the adjusted ORs in a multivariate logistic regression model. Concordance was evaluated by determining the kappa statistic. Results: Among the 81 patients evaluated, the tuberculin skin test results were positive in 18 (22.2%) of the patients, and the IGRA results were positive in 10 (12.3%), with a kappa of 0.62. The IGRA results were indeterminate in 22 (27.1%) of the patients (95% CI: 17.8-38.1%). The odds of obtaining indeterminate results were significantly higher in smokers (adjusted OR = 6.0; 95% CI: 1.4-26.7) and in samples stored for less than 35 days (adjusted OR = 14.0; 95% CI: 3.1-64.2). Patients with advanced immunosuppression (CD4+ T-cell count < 200 cells/mm3) were at a higher risk for indeterminate results (OR adjusted for smoking and inadequate duration of sample storage = 4.7; 95% CI: 0.91-24.0), although the difference was not significant. Conclusions: The high prevalence of indeterminate results can be a major limitation for the routine use of IGRAs in PLWHA. The need to repeat the test increases its costs and should be taken into account in cost-effectiveness studies. The processing of samples can significantly alter the results. PMID:28746533

The super-indeterminism in orthodox quantum mechanics does not implicate the reality of experimenter free will

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Walleczek, J.

2016-03-01

The concept of ‘super-indeterminism’ captures the notion that the free choice assumption of orthodox quantum mechanics necessitates only the following requirement: an agent's free-choice performance in the selection of measurement settings must not represent an exception to the rule of irreducible quantum indeterminism in the physical universe (i.e, “universal indeterminism”). Any additional metaphysical speculation, such as to whether quantum indeterminism, i.e., intrinsic randomness, implicates the reality of experimenter “freedom”, “free will”, or “free choice”, is redundant in relation to the predictive success of orthodox quantum mechanics. Accordingly, super-indeterminism views as redundant also, from a technical standpoint, whether an affirmative or a negative answer is claimed in reference to universal indeterminism as a necessary precondition for experimenter freedom. Super-indeterminism accounts, for example, for the circular reasoning which is implicit in the free will theorem by Conway and Kochen [1,2]. The concept of super-indeterminism is of great assistance in clarifying the often misunderstood meaning of the concept of “free variables” as used by John Bell [3]. The present work argues that Bell sought an operational, effective free will theorem, one based upon the notion of “determinism without predetermination”, i.e., one wherein “free variables” represent universally uncomputable variables. In conclusion, the standard interpretation of quantum theory does not answer, and does not need to answer in order to ensure the predictive success of orthodox theory, the question of whether either incompatibilism or compatibilism is valid in relation to free-will metaphysics and to the free-will phenomenology of experimenter agents in quantum mechanics.

Technical requirements for Na¹⁸F PET bone imaging of patients being treated using a Taylor spatial frame.

PubMed

Hatherly, Robert; Brolin, Fredrik; Oldner, Åsa; Sundin, Anders; Lundblad, Henrik; Maguire, Gerald Q; Jonsson, Cathrine; Jacobsson, Hans; Noz, Marilyn E

2014-03-01

Diagnosis of new bone growth in patients with compound tibia fractures or deformities treated using a Taylor spatial frame is difficult with conventional radiography because the frame obstructs the images and creates artifacts. The use of Na(18)F PET studies may help to eliminate this difficulty. Patients were positioned on the pallet of a clinical PET/CT scanner and made as comfortable as possible with their legs immobilized. One bed position covering the site of the fracture, including the Taylor spatial frame, was chosen for the study. A topogram was performed, as well as diagnostic and attenuation correction CT. The patients were given 2 MBq of Na(18)F per kilogram of body weight. A 45-min list-mode acquisition was performed starting at the time of injection, followed by a 5-min static acquisition 60 min after injection. The patients were examined 6 wk after the Taylor spatial frame had been applied and again at 3 mo to assess new bone growth. A list-mode reconstruction sequence of 1 × 1,800 and 1 × 2,700 s, as well as the 5-min static scan, allowed visualization of regional bone turnover. With Na(18)F PET/CT, it was possible to confirm regional bone turnover as a means of visualizing bone remodeling without the interference of artifacts from the Taylor spatial frame. Furthermore, dynamic list-mode acquisition allowed different sequences to be performed, enabling, for example, visualization of tracer transport from blood to the fracture site.

Prospects for Measuring Planetary Spin and Frame-Dragging in Spacecraft Timing Signals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schärer, Andreas; Bondarescu, Ruxandra; Saha, Prasenjit; Angélil, Raymond; Helled, Ravit; Jetzer, Philippe

2017-09-01

Satellite tracking involves sending electromagnetic signals to Earth. Both the orbit of the spacecraft and the electromagnetic signals themselves are affected by the curvature of spacetime. The arrival time of the pulses is compared to the ticks of local clocks to reconstruct the orbital path of the satellite to high accuracy, and implicitly measure general relativistic effects. In particular, Schwarzschild space curvature (static) and frame-dragging (stationary) due to the planet's spin affect the satellite's orbit. The dominant relativistic effect on the path of the signal photons is Shapiro delays due to static space curvature. We compute these effects for some current and proposed space missions, using a Hamiltonian formulation in four dimensions. For highly eccentric orbits, such as in the Juno mission and in the Cassini Grand Finale, the relativistic effects have a kick-like nature, which could be advantageous for detecting them if their signatures are properly modeled as functions of time. Frame-dragging appears, in principle, measurable by Juno and Cassini, though not by Galileo 5 and 6. Practical measurement would require disentangling frame-dragging from the Newtonian "foreground" such as the gravitational quadrupole which has an impact on both the spacecraft's orbit and the signal propagation. The foreground problem remains to be solved.

Frame analysis of UNNES electric bus chassis construction using finite element method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nugroho, Untoro; Anis, Samsudin; Kusumawardani, Rini; Khoiron, Ahmad Mustamil; Maulana, Syahdan Sigit; Irvandi, Muhammad; Mashdiq, Zia Putra

2018-03-01

Designing the chassis needs to be done element simulation analysis to gain chassis strength on an electric bus. The purpose of this research is to get the results of chassis simulation on an electric bus when having load use FEM (Finite element method). This research was conduct in several stages of process, such as modeling chassis by Autodesk Inventor and finite element simulation software. The frame is going to be simulated with static loading by determine fixed support and then will be given the vertical force. The fixed on the frame is clamped at both the front and rear suspensions. After the simulation based on FEM it can conclude that frame is still under elastic zone, until the frame design is safe to use.

Lightweight design of automobile frame based on magnesium alloy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lyu, R.; Jiang, X.; Minoru, O.; Ju, D. Y.

2018-06-01

The structural performance and lightweighting of car base frame design is a challenging task due to all the performance targets that must be satisfied. In this paper, three kinds of materials (iron, aluminum and magnesium alloy) replacement along with section design optimization strategy is proposed to develop a lightweight car frame structure to satisfy the tensile and safety while reducing weight. Two kinds of cross-sections are considered as the design variables. Using Ansys static structure, the design optimization problem is solved, comparing the results of each step, structure of the base flame is optimized for lightweight.

Integrated optimization of nonlinear R/C frames with reliability constraints

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Soeiro, Alfredo; Hoit, Marc

1989-01-01

A structural optimization algorithm was researched including global displacements as decision variables. The algorithm was applied to planar reinforced concrete frames with nonlinear material behavior submitted to static loading. The flexural performance of the elements was evaluated as a function of the actual stress-strain diagrams of the materials. Formation of rotational hinges with strain hardening were allowed and the equilibrium constraints were updated accordingly. The adequacy of the frames was guaranteed by imposing as constraints required reliability indices for the members, maximum global displacements for the structure and a maximum system probability of failure.

Restoration of Static JPEG Images and RGB Video Frames by Means of Nonlinear Filtering in Conditions of Gaussian and Non-Gaussian Noise

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sokolov, R. I.; Abdullin, R. R.

2017-11-01

The use of nonlinear Markov process filtering makes it possible to restore both video stream frames and static photos at the stage of preprocessing. The present paper reflects the results of research in comparison of these types image filtering quality by means of special algorithm when Gaussian or non-Gaussian noises acting. Examples of filter operation at different values of signal-to-noise ratio are presented. A comparative analysis has been performed, and the best filtered kind of noise has been defined. It has been shown the quality of developed algorithm is much better than quality of adaptive one for RGB signal filtering at the same a priori information about the signal. Also, an advantage over median filter takes a place when both fluctuation and pulse noise filtering.

An Algorithm for Converting Static Earth Sensor Measurements into Earth Observation Vectors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Harman, R.; Hashmall, Joseph A.; Sedlak, Joseph

2004-01-01

An algorithm has been developed that converts penetration angles reported by Static Earth Sensors (SESs) into Earth observation vectors. This algorithm allows compensation for variation in the horizon height including that caused by Earth oblateness. It also allows pitch and roll to be computed using any number (greater than 1) of simultaneous sensor penetration angles simplifying processing during periods of Sun and Moon interference. The algorithm computes body frame unit vectors through each SES cluster. It also computes GCI vectors from the spacecraft to the position on the Earth's limb where each cluster detects the Earth's limb. These body frame vectors are used as sensor observation vectors and the GCI vectors are used as reference vectors in an attitude solution. The attitude, with the unobservable yaw discarded, is iteratively refined to provide the Earth observation vector solution.

Novel parametric reduced order model for aeroengine blade dynamics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yuan, Jie; Allegri, Giuliano; Scarpa, Fabrizio; Rajasekaran, Ramesh; Patsias, Sophoclis

2015-10-01

The work introduces a novel reduced order model (ROM) technique to describe the dynamic behavior of turbofan aeroengine blades. We introduce an equivalent 3D frame model to describe the coupled flexural/torsional mode shapes, with their relevant natural frequencies and associated modal masses. The frame configurations are identified through a structural identification approach based on a simulated annealing algorithm with stochastic tunneling. The cost functions are constituted by linear combinations of relative errors associated to the resonance frequencies, the individual modal assurance criteria (MAC), and on either overall static or modal masses. When static masses are considered the optimized 3D frame can represent the blade dynamic behavior with an 8% error on the MAC, a 1% error on the associated modal frequencies and a 1% error on the overall static mass. When using modal masses in the cost function the performance of the ROM is similar, but the overall error increases to 7%. The approach proposed in this paper is considerably more accurate than state-of-the-art blade ROMs based on traditional Timoshenko beams, and provides excellent accuracy at reduced computational time when compared against high fidelity FE models. A sensitivity analysis shows that the proposed model can adequately predict the global trends of the variations of the natural frequencies when lumped masses are used for mistuning analysis. The proposed ROM also follows extremely closely the sensitivity of the high fidelity finite element models when the material parameters are used in the sensitivity.

Design, Fabrication and Test of Composite Curved Frames for Helicopter Fuselage Structure

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lowry, D. W.; Krebs, N. E.; Dobyns, A. L.

1984-01-01

Aspects of curved beam effects and their importance in designing composite frame structures are discussed. The curved beam effect induces radial flange loadings which in turn causes flange curling. This curling increases the axial flange stresses and induces transverse bending. These effects are more important in composite structures due to their general inability to redistribute stresses by general yielding, such as in metal structures. A detailed finite element analysis was conducted and used in the design of composite curved frame specimens. Five specimens were statically tested and compared with predicted and test strains. The curved frame effects must be accurately accounted for to avoid premature fracture; finite element methods can accurately predict most of the stresses and no elastic relief from curved beam effects occurred in the composite frames tested. Finite element studies are presented for comparative curved beam effects on composite and metal frames.

Cost-effectiveness of lobectomy versus genetic testing (Afirma®) for indeterminate thyroid nodules: Considering the costs of surveillance.

PubMed

Balentine, Courtney J; Vanness, David J; Schneider, David F

2018-01-01

We evaluated whether diagnostic thyroidectomy for indeterminate thyroid nodules would be more cost-effective than genetic testing after including the costs of long-term surveillance. We used a Markov decision model to estimate the cost-effectiveness of thyroid lobectomy versus genetic testing (Afirma®) for evaluation of indeterminate (Bethesda 3-4) thyroid nodules. The base case was a 40-year-old woman with a 1-cm indeterminate nodule. Probabilities and estimates of utilities were obtained from the literature. Cost estimates were based on Medicare reimbursements with a 3% discount rate for costs and quality-adjusted life-years. During a 5-year period after the diagnosis of indeterminate thyroid nodules, lobectomy was less costly and more effective than Afirma® (lobectomy: $6,100; 4.50 quality-adjusted life- years vs Afirma®: $9,400; 4.47 quality-adjusted life-years). Only in 253 of 10,000 simulations (2.5%) did Afirma® show a net benefit at a cost-effectiveness threshold of $100,000 per quality- adjusted life-years. There was only a 0.3% probability of Afirma® being cost saving and a 14.9% probability of improving quality-adjusted life-years. Our base case estimate suggests that diagnostic lobectomy dominates genetic testing as a strategy for ruling out malignancy of indeterminate thyroid nodules. These results, however, were highly sensitive to estimates of utilities after lobectomy and living under surveillance after Afirma®. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Factors That Contribute to Indeterminate Results From the QuantiFERON-TB Gold In-Tube Test in Patients With Inflammatory Bowel Disease.

PubMed

Kaur, Manreet; Singapura, Prianka; Kalakota, Neeharika; Cruz, Guillermina; Shukla, Richa; Ahsan, Sidra; Tansel, Aylin; Thrift, Aaron P; El-Serag, Hashem B

2017-11-23

The QuantiFERON-Tuberculosis Gold In-Tube (QFT-GIT) (QIAGEN Group, Hilden, Germany) test is widely used to screen for latent Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection in patients with inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) before treatment with a tumor necrosis factor antagonist. The test frequently produces indeterminate results, prompting additional testing. We evaluated factors associated with indeterminate results from the QFT-GIT test among patients with IBD. We conducted a case-control study among eligible adults with QFT-GIT test results and a concomitant diagnosis of IBD receiving care at a tertiary referral center from 2011 through 2013. We compared patients with IBD with indeterminate and determinate (positive or negative) results from the QFT-GIT test. We collected data on patient demographics, clinical features, laboratory parameters, and medication use from medical charts. We calculated odds ratios (OR) and 95% CIs using multivariate logistic regression models. A total of 400 patients with IBD (265 Crohn's disease and 135 ulcerative colitis) were included in the final analyses. Indeterminate results were noted in 11.5% of patients. At the time of testing, a higher proportion of patients with indeterminate results from the QFT-GIT test were on systemic corticosteroid therapy (60.9% vs 30.5% of patients with conclusive test results; P < .001), had levels of C-reactive protein above 0.8 mg (62.2% vs 39.9% of patients with clear test results; P = .005), had an erythrocyte sedimentation rate above 15 mm/h (55.6% vs 35.8% of patients with clear test results; P = .01), had serum levels of albumin below 3.5 g/dL (33.3% vs 6.3% of patients with clear test results; P < .001), and had low levels of hemoglobin (52.2% vs 28.3% of patients with clear test results; P = .001). In multivariable analysis, corticosteroid use (adjusted OR, 2.92; 95% CI, 1.44-5.88; P = .003) and serum levels of albumin below 3.5 g/dL (adjusted OR, 3.62; 95% CI, 1.36-9.60; P = .009) were independently associated with increased risk of indeterminate QFT-GIT test results. We did not identify a dose-related effect with corticosteroid therapy and the odds of indeterminate QFT-GIT test results. In a case-control study of patients with IBD, we associated systemic corticosteroid therapy and low levels of albumin with an increased likelihood of having indeterminate QFT-GIT test result. Copyright © 2018 AGA Institute. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Experimental and analytical studies on the seismic behavior of conventional and hybrid braced frames

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lai, Jiun-Wei

This dissertation summarizes both experimental and analytical studies on the seismic response of conventional steel concentrically braced frame systems of the type widely used in North America, and preliminary studies of an innovative hybrid braced frame system: the Strong-Back System. The research work is part of NEES small group project entitled "International Hybrid Simulation of Tomorrow's Braced Frames." In the experimental phase, a total of four full-scale, one-bay, two-story conventional braced frame specimens with different bracing member section shapes and gusset plate-to-beam connection details were designed and tested at the NEES Berkeley Laboratory. Three braced frame specimens were tested quasi-statically using the same predefined loading protocol to investigate the inelastic cyclic behavior of code-compliant braced frames at both the global and local level. The last braced frame specimen was nearly identical to one of those tested quasi-statically. However, it was tested using hybrid simulation techniques to examine the sensitivity of inelastic behavior on loading sequence and to relate the behavior observed to different levels of seismic hazard. Computer models of the test specimens were developed using two different computer software programs. In the software framework OpenSees fiber-based line elements were used to simulate global buckling of members and yielding and low-cycle fatigue failure at sections. The LS-DYNA analysis program was also used to model individual struts and the test specimens using shell elements with adaptive meshing and element erosion features. This program provided enhanced ability to simulate section local buckling, strain concentrations and crack development. The numerical results were compared with test results to assess and refine and the ability of the models to predict braced frame behavior. A series of OpenSees numerical cyclic component simulations were then conducted using the validated modeling approach. Two hundred and forty pin-ended struts with square hollow structural section shape were simulated under cyclic loading to examine the effect of width-to-thickness ratios and member slenderness ratios on the deformation capacity and energy dissipation characteristics of brace members. The concept of a hybrid system, consisting of a vertical elastic truss or strong-back, and a braced frame that responds inelastically, is proposed herein to mitigate the tendency of weak-story mechanisms to form in conventional steel braced frames. A simple design strategy about member sizing of the proposed Strong-Back System is provided in this study. To assess the ability of the new Strong-Back System to perform well under seismic loading, a series of inelastic analyses were performed considering three six-story hybrid braced frames having different bracing elements, and three six-story conventional brace frames having different brace configurations. Monotonic and cyclic quasi-static inelastic analyses and inelastic time history analyses were carried out. The braced frame system behavior, bracing member force-displacement hysteresis loops, and system residual drifts were the primary response quantities examined. These indicated that the new hybrid system was able to achieve its design goals. Experimental results show for the same loading history that the braced frame specimen using round hollow structural sections as brace members has the largest deformation capacity among the three types of bracing elements studied. Beams connected to gusset plates at the column formed plastic hinges adjacent to the gusset plate. The gusset plates tend to amplify the rotation demands at these locations and stress concentrations tended to result in early fractures of the plastic hinges that form. To remedy this problem, pinned connection details used in the last two specimens; these proved to prevent failures at these locations under both quasi-static and pseudo-dynamic tests. Failure modes observed near the column to base plate connections in all of the specimens suggest the need for further study. Both OpenSees and LS-DYNA models developed in this study predict the global braced frame behavior with acceptable accuracy. In both models, low-cycle fatigue damage models were needed to achieve an acceptable level of fidelity. Shell element models were able to predict local behavior and the mode of failures with greater but not perfect confidence. OpenSees analysis results show that the proposed hybrid braced frames would perform better than conventional braced frames and that the story deformations are more uniform. Finally, future research targets are briefly discussed at the end of this dissertation.

Saturn Apollo Program

NASA Image and Video Library

1965-02-01

This photograph shows a fuel tank lower half for the Saturn V S-IC-T stage (the S-IC stage for static testing) on a C-frame transporter inside the vertical assembly building at the Marshall Space Flight Center.

Light escape cones in local reference frames of Kerr-de Sitter black hole spacetimes and related black hole shadows

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stuchlík, Zdeněk; Charbulák, Daniel; Schee, Jan

2018-03-01

We construct the light escape cones of isotropic spot sources of radiation residing in special classes of reference frames in the Kerr-de Sitter (KdS) black hole spacetimes, namely in the fundamental class of `non-geodesic' locally non-rotating reference frames (LNRFs), and two classes of `geodesic' frames, the radial geodesic frames (RGFs), both falling and escaping, and the frames related to the circular geodesic orbits (CGFs). We compare the cones constructed in a given position for the LNRFs, RGFs, and CGFs. We have shown that the photons locally counter-rotating relative to LNRFs with positive impact parameter and negative covariant energy are confined to the ergosphere region. Finally, we demonstrate that the light escaping cones govern the shadows of black holes located in front of a radiating screen, as seen by the observers in the considered frames. For shadows related to distant static observers the LNRFs are relevant.

Coloured Logic Petri Nets and analysis of their reachable trees

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Jing; Du, YuYue; Yu, ShuXia

2015-11-01

Logic Petri nets (LPNs) can describe and analyse the batch processing function and passing value indeterminacy in cooperative systems, and alleviate the state space explosion problem. However, the indeterminate data of logical output transitions cannot be described explicitly in LPNs. Therefore, Coloured Logic Petri nets (CLPNs) are defined in this paper. It can determine the indeterminate data of logic output transitions in LPNs, i.e., the indeterminate data can be represented definitely in CLPNs. A vector matching method is proposed to judge the enabling transitions and analyse CLPNs. From the marking equation and the proposed reachable tree generation algorithm of CLPNs, a reachable tree can be built, and reachable markings are calculated. The advantage of CLPNs can be shown based on the number of leaf nodes of the reachability tree, and CLPNs can solve the indeterminate data of logical output transitions. Finally, an example shows that CLPNs can further reduce the dimensionality of reachable markings.

Ground Contact Modeling for the Morpheus Test Vehicle Simulation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cordova, Luis

2014-01-01

The Morpheus vertical test vehicle is an autonomous robotic lander being developed at Johnson Space Center (JSC) to test hazard detection technology. Because the initial ground contact simulation model was not very realistic, it was decided to improve the model without making it too computationally expensive. The first development cycle added capability to define vehicle attachment points (AP) and to keep track of their states in the lander reference frame (LFRAME). These states are used with a spring damper model to compute an AP contact force. The lateral force is then overwritten, if necessary, by the Coulomb static or kinetic friction force. The second development cycle added capability to use the PolySurface class as the contact surface. The class can load CAD data in STL (Stereo Lithography) format, and use the data to compute line of sight (LOS) intercepts. A polygon frame (PFRAME) is computed from the facet intercept normal and used to convert the AP state to PFRAME. Three flat plane tests validate the transitions from kinetic to static, static to kinetic, and vertical impact. The hazardous terrain test will be used to test for visual reasonableness. The improved model is numerically inexpensive, robust, and produces results that are reasonable.

Ground Contact Modeling for the Morpheus Test Vehicle Simulation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cordova, Luis

2013-01-01

The Morpheus vertical test vehicle is an autonomous robotic lander being developed at Johnson Space Center (JSC) to test hazard detection technology. Because the initial ground contact simulation model was not very realistic, it was decided to improve the model without making it too computationally expensive. The first development cycle added capability to define vehicle attachment points (AP) and to keep track of their states in the lander reference frame (LFRAME). These states are used with a spring damper model to compute an AP contact force. The lateral force is then overwritten, if necessary, by the Coulomb static or kinetic friction force. The second development cycle added capability to use the PolySurface class as the contact surface. The class can load CAD data in STL (Stereo Lithography) format, and use the data to compute line of sight (LOS) intercepts. A polygon frame (PFRAME) is computed from the facet intercept normal and used to convert the AP state to PFRAME. Three flat plane tests validate the transitions from kinetic to static, static to kinetic, and vertical impact. The hazardous terrain test will be used to test for visual reasonableness. The improved model is numerically inexpensive, robust, and produces results that are reasonable.

Real-time filtering and detection of dynamics for compression of HDTV

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sauer, Ken D.; Bauer, Peter

1991-01-01

The preprocessing of video sequences for data compressing is discussed. The end goal associated with this is a compression system for HDTV capable of transmitting perceptually lossless sequences at under one bit per pixel. Two subtopics were emphasized to prepare the video signal for more efficient coding: (1) nonlinear filtering to remove noise and shape the signal spectrum to take advantage of insensitivities of human viewers; and (2) segmentation of each frame into temporally dynamic/static regions for conditional frame replenishment. The latter technique operates best under the assumption that the sequence can be modelled as a superposition of active foreground and static background. The considerations were restricted to monochrome data, since it was expected to use the standard luminance/chrominance decomposition, which concentrates most of the bandwidth requirements in the luminance. Similar methods may be applied to the two chrominance signals.

Interference data correction methods for lunar observation with a large-aperture static imaging spectrometer.

PubMed

Zhang, Geng; Wang, Shuang; Li, Libo; Hu, Xiuqing; Hu, Bingliang

2016-11-01

The lunar spectrum has been used in radiometric calibration and sensor stability monitoring for spaceborne optical sensors. A ground-based large-aperture static image spectrometer (LASIS) can be used to acquire the lunar spectral image for lunar radiance model improvement when the moon orbits over its viewing field. The lunar orbiting behavior is not consistent with the desired scanning speed and direction of LASIS. To correctly extract interferograms from the obtained data, a translation correction method based on image correlation is proposed. This method registers the frames to a reference frame to reduce accumulative errors. Furthermore, we propose a circle-matching-based approach to achieve even higher accuracy during observation of the full moon. To demonstrate the effectiveness of our approaches, experiments are run on true lunar observation data. The results show that the proposed approaches outperform the state-of-the-art methods.

HIV‑2 antibody detection after indeterminate or negative HIV‑1 Western blot in Cuba, 2005-2008.

PubMed

Díaz, Dervel F; Ortiz, Eva; Martín, Dayamí; Nibot, Carmen; Rizo, Adis; Silva, Eladio

2012-01-01

INTRODUCTION Differentiating between HIV-1 and HIV-2 infection is the first step to understanding HIV transmission, epidemiology and pathogenesis in geographical areas where both viruses circulate. In Cuba, positive results in mixed HIV-1/2 screening assays are confirmed by HIV-1 Western blot. Indeterminate results constitute the main limitation of this test and HIV-2 infection is among their possible causes; hence the importance of second-stage screening and confirmatory tests for HIV-2 infection. OBJECTIVE Investigate the contribution of HIV-2 antibodies to negative or indeterminate HIV-1 Western blot results in serum samples from 2005 through 2008 in Cuba. METHODS HIV-2 reactivity was studied using the ELISA DAVIH-VIH-2 diagnostic kit (Cuba) in 1723 serum samples with negative or indeterminate results for HIV-1 Western blot from January 2005 through December 2008. Duplicate sera reactive by ELISA were confirmed by HIV-2 Western blot, results interpreted according to WHO criteria. The epidemiological interview established by Cuba's National Program for Prevention and Control Sexually-Transmitted Diseases and HIV/AIDS was applied to HIV-2 Western blot-positive patients. RESULTS Among all sera studied, HIV-2 ELISA identified 12 reactive serum samples (0.70%) and 1711 non-reactive (99.30%). Western blot analysis of the 12 ELISA-reactive samples confirmed two positive samples (16.67%), 4 negative (33.33%) and 6 indeterminate (50%). Positive samples reacted against the p16, p26, gp36, p53, p56, p68 and gp105 proteins. All 12 ELISA-reactive samples belonged to the HIV-1 Western blot indeterminate group. The two HIV-2-positive samples showed well defined reactivity to gp160, p53, p55 and p34 of HIV-1. HIV-1 seroconversion was observed in all 10 remaining samples during serological followup. CONCLUSIONS Two new HIV-2 seropositive cases were diagnosed using DAVIH-VIH-2 and HIV-2 Western blot in indeterminate HIV-1 Western blot samples. Results support the recommendation that HIV-2 Western blot be included in the diagnostic algorithm for HIV-1/2 to followup negative or indeterminate HIV-1 Western blot results. KEYWORDS Diagnosis, laboratory techniques and procedures, antibodies, HIV-2, Western blot, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, algorithm, Cuba.

Experimental study of geotextile as plinth beam in a pile group-supported modeled building frame

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ravi Kumar Reddy, C.; Gunneswara Rao, T. D.

2017-12-01

This paper presents the experimental results of static vertical load tests on a model building frame with geotextile as plinth beam supported by pile groups embedded in cohesionless soil (sand). The experimental results have been compared with those obtained from the nonlinear FEA and conventional method of analysis. The results revealed that the conventional method of analysis gives a shear force of about 53%, bending moment at the top of the column about 17% and at the base of the column about 50-98% higher than that by the nonlinear FEA for the frame with geotextile as plinth beam.

Black hole radiation with modified dispersion relation in tunneling paradigm: Static frame

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tao, Jun; Wang, Peng; Yang, Haitang

2017-09-01

To study possible deviations from the Hawking's prediction, we assume that the dispersion relations of matter fields are modified at high energies and use the Hamilton-Jacobi method to investigate the corresponding effects on the Hawking radiation in this paper. The preferred frame is the static frame of the black hole. The dispersion relation adopted agrees with the relativistic one at low energies but is modified near the Planck mass mp. We calculate the corrections to the Hawking temperature for massive and charged particles to O (mp-2) and massless and neutral particles to all orders. Our results suggest that the thermal spectrum of radiations near horizon is robust, e.g. corrections to the Hawking temperature are suppressed by mp. After the spectrum of radiations near the horizon is obtained, we use the brick wall model to compute the thermal entropy of a massless scalar field near the horizon of a 4D spherically symmetric black hole. We find that the subleading logarithmic term of the entropy does not depend on how the dispersion relations of matter fields are modified. Finally, the luminosities of black holes are computed by using the geometric optics approximation.

Rigorous coupled wave analysis of acousto-optics with relativistic considerations.

PubMed

Xia, Guoqiang; Zheng, Weijian; Lei, Zhenggang; Zhang, Ruolan

2015-09-01

A relativistic analysis of acousto-optics is presented, and a rigorous coupled wave analysis is generalized for the diffraction of the acousto-optical effect. An acoustic wave generates a grating with temporally and spatially modulated permittivity, hindering direct applications of the rigorous coupled wave analysis for the acousto-optical effect. In a reference frame which moves with the acoustic wave, the grating is static, the medium moves, and the coupled wave equations for the static grating may be derived. Floquet's theorem is then applied to cast these equations into an eigenproblem. Using a Lorentz transformation, the electromagnetic fields in the grating region are transformed to the lab frame where the medium is at rest, and relativistic Doppler frequency shifts are introduced into various diffraction orders. In the lab frame, the boundary conditions are considered and the diffraction efficiencies of various orders are determined. This method is rigorous and general, and the plane waves in the resulting expansion satisfy the dispersion relation of the medium and are propagation modes. Properties of various Bragg diffractions are results, rather than preconditions, of this method. Simulations of an acousto-optical tunable filter made by paratellurite, TeO(2), are given as examples.

Nonlinear evolutions of an ultra-intense ultra-short laser pulse in a rarefied plasma through a new quasi-static theory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yazdanpanah, J.

2018-02-01

In this paper, we present a new description of self-consistent wake excitation by an intense short laser pulse, based on applying the quasi-static approximation (slow variations of the pulse-envelope) in the instantaneous Lorentz-boosted pulse co-moving frame (PCMF), and best verify our results through comparison with particle-in-cell simulations. According to this theory, the plasma motion can be treated perturbatively in the PCMF due to its high initial-velocity and produces a quasi-static wakefield in this frame. The pulse envelope, on the other hand, is governed by a form of the Schrödinger equation in the PCMF, in which the wakefield acts as an effective potential. In this context, pulse evolutions are characterized by local conservation laws resulted from this equation and subjected to Lorentz transformation into the laboratory frame. Using these conservation laws, precise formulas are obtained for spatiotemporal pulse evolutions and related wakefield variations at initial stages, and new equations are derived for instantaneous group velocity and carrier frequency. In addition, based on properties of the Schrödinger equation, spectral-evolutions of the pulse are described and the emergence of an anomalous dispersion branch with linear relation ω ≈ ck (c is the light speed) is predicted. Our results are carefully discussed versus previous publications and the significance of our approach is described by showing almost all suggestive definitions of group-velocity based on energy arguments fail to reproduce our formula and correctly describe the instantaneous pulse-velocity.

Recruitment recommendation system based on fuzzy measure and indeterminate integral

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yin, Xin; Song, Jinjie

2017-08-01

In this study, we propose a comprehensive evaluation approach based on indeterminate integral. By introducing the related concepts of indeterminate integral and their formulas into the recruitment recommendation system, we can calculate the suitability of each job for different applicants with the defined importance for each criterion listed in the job advertisements, the association between different criteria and subjective assessment as the prerequisite. Thus we can make recommendations to the applicants based on the score of the suitability of each job from high to low. In the end, we will exemplify the usefulness and practicality of this system with samples.

Precision of Sensitivity in the Design Optimization of Indeterminate Structures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Patnaik, Surya N.; Pai, Shantaram S.; Hopkins, Dale A.

2006-01-01

Design sensitivity is central to most optimization methods. The analytical sensitivity expression for an indeterminate structural design optimization problem can be factored into a simple determinate term and a complicated indeterminate component. Sensitivity can be approximated by retaining only the determinate term and setting the indeterminate factor to zero. The optimum solution is reached with the approximate sensitivity. The central processing unit (CPU) time to solution is substantially reduced. The benefit that accrues from using the approximate sensitivity is quantified by solving a set of problems in a controlled environment. Each problem is solved twice: first using the closed-form sensitivity expression, then using the approximation. The problem solutions use the CometBoards testbed as the optimization tool with the integrated force method as the analyzer. The modification that may be required, to use the stiffener method as the analysis tool in optimization, is discussed. The design optimization problem of an indeterminate structure contains many dependent constraints because of the implicit relationship between stresses, as well as the relationship between the stresses and displacements. The design optimization process can become problematic because the implicit relationship reduces the rank of the sensitivity matrix. The proposed approximation restores the full rank and enhances the robustness of the design optimization method.

Kinect-based sign language recognition of static and dynamic hand movements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dalawis, Rando C.; Olayao, Kenneth Deniel R.; Ramos, Evan Geoffrey I.; Samonte, Mary Jane C.

2017-02-01

A different approach of sign language recognition of static and dynamic hand movements was developed in this study using normalized correlation algorithm. The goal of this research was to translate fingerspelling sign language into text using MATLAB and Microsoft Kinect. Digital input image captured by Kinect devices are matched from template samples stored in a database. This Human Computer Interaction (HCI) prototype was developed to help people with communication disability to express their thoughts with ease. Frame segmentation and feature extraction was used to give meaning to the captured images. Sequential and random testing was used to test both static and dynamic fingerspelling gestures. The researchers explained some factors they encountered causing some misclassification of signs.

Studies on effects of infills in seismic resistant R/C construction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brokken, S. T.; Bertero, V. V.

1981-10-01

Experimental and analytical studies of the quantitative effects of infills in the seismic performance of buildings (particularly in buildings whose structural systems are based on the use of moment resisting frames alone are summarized); and the implications of these effects regarding the design of new buildings and retrofitting of existing R/C frame structures were evaluated. The first part is concerned with the infill problem and the experimental investigation conducted to study the effects of infill panels on seismic response of reinforced concrete frames. This investigation consisted of a series of quasi-static cyclic and monotonic load tests on 1/3-scale models of the lower 3-1/2 stories of an 11 story-three bay reinforced concrete frame infilled in the outer two bays. The reinforced concrete moment frame was designed for high rotational ductility and resistance to degradation under reversed cyclic shear loads.

Ergonomic study and static analysis for new design of electric scooter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fadzly, M. K.; Munirah, Anis; Shayfull, Z.; Saad, Mohd Sazli

2017-09-01

The purposes of this project are to design and diversify the function of a battery powered scooter frame which is more practical for the human factor in ergonomic and optimum design. The new design is based on ideas which are studied from existing scooter frame, United States Patent design and European States International Patent design. The final idea of concept design for scooter frame is based on concept chosen from the best characteristics and it is divided into three main difference ideas and the matrix evaluation method is applied. Analysis that applies to frame design, arm, rim and drive train component is based on Cosmos Express program. As a conclusion, the design that is produce are able to carry the maximum also has more practical features in ergonomic view.

High Velocity Jet Noise Source Location and Reduction. Task 6. Noise Abatement Nozzle Design Guide.

DTIC Science & Technology

1979-04-01

the Conical Nozzle 255 on the Bertin Aerotrain . xvi ji4 ’ . _______ p .. LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS (Continued) Figure Page D-37. Predicted and Measured...Moving-Frame Noise from the 256 Conical Nozzle on the Bertin Aerotrain . D-38. Predicted and Measured Static Noise from the 104-Tube 257 Nozzle on the...Bertin Aerotrain . D-39. Predicted and Measured Moving-Frame Noise from the 104- 258 Tube Nozzle on the Bertin Aerotrain . D-40. Relative Velocity Index m

75 FR 55823 - Notice of Inventory Completion: Denver Museum of Nature & Science, Denver, CO; Correction

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-09-14

...), A1985.3 (CUI 26), and A1985.4 (CUI 27)). The remains include one adult female, one child of indeterminate sex, and two adults of indeterminate sex. Most of these individuals are represented by fragmentary...

Physics of Non-Inertial Reference Frames

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

Kamalov, Timur F.

2010-12-22

Physics of non-inertial reference frames is a generalizing of Newton's laws to any reference frames. It is the system of general axioms for classical and quantum mechanics. The first, Kinematics Principle reads: the kinematic state of a body free of forces conserves and equal in absolute value to an invariant of the observer's reference frame. The second, Dynamics Principle extended Newton's second law to non-inertial reference frames and also contains additional variables there are higher derivatives of coordinates. Dynamics Principle reads: a force induces a change in the kinematic state of the body and is proportional to the rate ofmore » its change. It is mean that if the kinematic invariant of the reference frame is n-th derivative with respect the time, then the dynamics of a body being affected by the force F is described by the 2n-th differential equation. The third, Statics Principle reads: the sum of all forces acting a body at rest is equal to zero.« less

Indeterminate RIBA results were associated with the absence of hepatitis C virus RNA (HCV-RNA) in blood donors.

PubMed

Pereira, Felicidade Mota; Zarife, Maria Alice Sant'ana; Reis, Eliana Almeida Gomes; G Reis, Mitermayer

2014-01-01

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is diagnosed by the presence of antibodies and is supplemented by confirmatory testing methods, such as recombinant immunoblot assay (RIBA) and HCV-RNA detection. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of RIBA testing to diagnose HCV infection in blood donors positive for anti-HCV antibodies. A total of 102 subjects positive for anti-HCV determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) at the Hematology and Hemotherapy Foundation of Bahia (HEMOBA) were later assessed with new samples using the Abbott Architect anti-HCV test (Abbott Diagnostics, Wiesbaden, Germany), the RIBA III test (Chiron RIBA HCV 3.0 SIA, Chiron Corp., Emeryville, CA, USA), the polymerase chain reaction (PCR; COBAS® AMPLICOR HCV Roche Diagnostics Corp., Indianapolis, IN, USA) and line probe assay (LiPA - Siemens, Tarrytown, NY, USA) genotyping for HCV diagnosis. Of these new samples, 38.2% (39/102) were positive, 57.8% (59/102) were negative and 3.9% (4/102) were indeterminate for anti-HCV; HCV-RNA was detected in 22.5% (23/102) of the samples. RIBA results were positive in 58.1% (25/43), negative in 9.3% (4/43) and indeterminate in 32.6% (14/43) of the samples. The prevailing genotypes were 1 (78.3%, 18/23), 3 (17.4%, 4/23) and 2 (4.3%, 1/23). All 14 samples with indeterminate RIBA results had undetectable viral loads (detection limit ≤50 IU/mL). Of these samples, 71.4% (10/14) were reevaluated six months later. Eighty percent (8/10) of these samples remained indeterminate by RIBA, and 20% (2/10) were negative. In this study, individuals with indeterminate RIBA results had no detectable HCV-RNA.

Effect of URM infills on seismic vulnerability of Indian code designed RC frame buildings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Haldar, Putul; Singh, Yogendra; Paul, D. K.

2012-03-01

Unreinforced Masonry (URM) is the most common partitioning material in framed buildings in India and many other countries. Although it is well-known that under lateral loading the behavior and modes of failure of the frame buildings change significantly due to infill-frame interaction, the general design practice is to treat infills as nonstructural elements and their stiffness, strength and interaction with the frame is often ignored, primarily because of difficulties in simulation and lack of modeling guidelines in design codes. The Indian Standard, like many other national codes, does not provide explicit insight into the anticipated performance and associated vulnerability of infilled frames. This paper presents an analytical study on the seismic performance and fragility analysis of Indian code-designed RC frame buildings with and without URM infills. Infills are modeled as diagonal struts as per ASCE 41 guidelines and various modes of failure are considered. HAZUS methodology along with nonlinear static analysis is used to compare the seismic vulnerability of bare and infilled frames. The comparative study suggests that URM infills result in a significant increase in the seismic vulnerability of RC frames and their effect needs to be properly incorporated in design codes.

An analytical and experimental investigation of the response of the curved, composite frame/skin specimens

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Moas, Eduardo; Boitnott, Richard L.; Griffin, O. Hayden, Jr.

1994-01-01

Six-foot diameter, semicircular graphite/epoxy specimens representative of generic aircraft frames were loaded quasi-statistically to determine their load response and failure mechanisms for large deflections that occur in airplanes crashes. These frame/skin specimens consisted of a cylindrical skin section co-cured with a semicircular I-frame. The skin provided the necessary lateral stiffness to keep deformations in the plane of the frame in order to realistically represent deformations as they occur in actual fuselage structures. Various frame laminate stacking sequences and geometries were evaluated by statically loading the specimen until multiple failures occurred. Two analytical methods were compared for modeling the frame/skin specimens: a two-dimensional shell finite element analysis and a one-dimensional, closed-form, curved beam solution derived using an energy method. Flange effectivities were included in the beam analysis to account for the curling phenomenon that occurs in thin flanges of curved beams. Good correlation was obtained between experimental results and the analytical predictions of the linear response of the frames prior to the initial failure. The specimens were found to be useful for evaluating composite frame designs.

Quiet Clean Short-haul Experimental Engine (QCSEE) composite fan frame design report

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mitchell, S. C.

1978-01-01

An advanced composite frame which is flight-weight and integrates the functions of several structures was developed for the over the wing (OTW) engine and for the under the wing (UTW) engine. The composite material system selected as the basic material for the frame is Type AS graphite fiber in a Hercules 3501 epoxy resin matrix. The frame was analyzed using a finite element digital computer program. This program was used in an iterative fashion to arrive at practical thicknesses and ply orientations to achieve a final design that met all strength and stiffness requirements for critical conditions. Using this information, the detail design of each of the individual parts of the frame was completed and released. On the basis of these designs, the required tooling was designed to fabricate the various component parts of the frame. To verify the structural integrity of the critical joint areas, a full-scale test was conducted on the frame before engine testing. The testing of the frame established critical spring constants and subjected the frame to three critical load cases. The successful static load test was followed by 153 and 58 hours respectively of successful running on the UTW and OTW engines.

Update on Molecular Testing for Cytologically Indeterminate Thyroid Nodules.

PubMed

Nishino, Michiya; Nikiforova, Marina

2018-04-01

- Approximately 15% to 30% of thyroid nodules that undergo fine-needle aspiration are classified as cytologically indeterminate, presenting management challenges for patients and clinicians alike. During the past several years, several molecular tests have been developed to reduce the diagnostic uncertainty of indeterminate thyroid fine-needle aspirations. - To review the methodology, clinical validation, and recent peer-reviewed literature for 4 molecular tests that are currently marketed for cytologically indeterminate thyroid fine-needle aspiration specimens: Afirma, ThyroSeq, ThyGenX/ThyraMIR, and RosettaGX Reveal. - Peer-reviewed literature retrieved from PubMed search, data provided by company websites and representatives, and authors' personal experiences. - The 4 commercially available molecular tests for thyroid cytology offer unique approaches to improve the risk stratification of thyroid nodules. Familiarity with data from the validation studies as well as the emerging literature about test performance in the postvalidation setting can help users to select and interpret these tests in a clinically meaningful way.

The effect of load and thickness variation on stress analysis of monocoque frame of electric city car using FEM

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Makhrojan, Agus; Suprihadi, Agus; Budi, Sigit Setijo; Jamari, J.; Ismail, Rifky

2017-01-01

The electric car is transportation which growing and constantly put through improvisation vehicle design. One of the structural components of the electric car which holds a major role is a frame. The purpose of this study is to get monocoque frame design which lightweight and powerful for a city car with two passengers that was able to improve the efficiency of the battery voltage source. Monocoque frame should be able to accept the normal loads such as the weight of batteries, passenger, and body. The most important thing, monocoque frame should also be able to protect the driver and passengers in the event of a collision. Mild steel was chosen for the design because it is easy to obtain and reasonable price as well as easy to shaped for two-seater electric car. FEM (finite element method) was used to determine stress determination and rigidity of the monocoque frame when receiving a static load. The results show that the monocoque frame was still able to withstand the required loads with minimal deflection.

Formulation of blade-flutter spectral analyses in stationary reference frame

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kurkov, A. P.

1984-01-01

Analytic representations are developed for the discrete blade deflection and the continuous tip static pressure fields in a stationary reference frame. Considered are the sampling rates equal to the rotational frequency, equal to blade passing frequency, and for the pressure, equal to a multiple of the blade passing frequency. For the last two rates the expressions for determining the nodal diameters from the spectra are included. A procedure is presented for transforming the complete unsteady pressure field into a rotating frame of reference. The determination of the true flutter frequency by using two sensors is described. To illustrate their use, the developed procedures are used to interpret selected experimental results.

Design of bridges against large tectonic deformation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anastasopoulos, I.; Gazetas, G.; Drosos, V.; Georgarakos, T.; Kourkoulis, R.

2008-12-01

The engineering community has devoted much effort to understanding the response of soil-structure systems to seismic ground motions, but little attention to the effects of an outcropping fault offset. The 1999 earthquakes of Turkey and Taiwan, offering a variety of case histories of structural damage due to faulting, have (re)fueled the interest on the subject. This paper presents a methodology for design of bridges against tectonic deformation. The problem is decoupled in two analysis steps: the first (at the local level) deals with the response of a single pier and its foundation to fault rupture propagating through the soil, and the superstructure is modeled in a simplified manner; and the second (at the global level) investigates detailed models of the superstructure subjected to the support (differential) displacements of Step 1. A parametric study investigates typical models of viaduct and overpass bridges, founded on piles or caissons. Fixed-head piled foundations are shown to be rather vulnerable to faulting-induced deformation. End-bearing piles in particular are unable to survive bedrock offsets exceeding 10 cm. Floating piles perform better, and if combined with hinged pile-to-cap connections, they could survive much larger offsets. Soil resilience is beneficial in reducing pile distress. Caisson foundations are almost invariably successful. Statically-indeterminate superstructures are quite vulnerable, while statically-determinate are insensitive (allowing differential displacements and rotations without suffering any distress). For large-span cantilever-construction bridges, where a statically determinate system is hardly an option, inserting resilient seismic isolation bearings is advantageous as long as ample seating can prevent the deck from falling off the supports. An actual application of the developed method is presented for a major bridge, demonstrating the feasibility of design against tectonic deformation.

Development of stiffer and ductile glulam portal frame

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Komatsu, Kohei

2017-11-01

Portal frame structures, which are constituted of straight glulam beams and columns connected semi-rigidly by steel insert gusset plate with a lot of drift pins, were the first successful glulam structures widely used in Japan. In addition to this connection system, the author invented also a new type of jointing devise for glulam structures named as "Lagscrewbolt" which had a full threaded portion at inner part to grip wooden member as well as another thread part at the end of shank to connect with other member. The initial type of "Lagscrewbolt" was successfully applied to a various types of glulam buildings which could be rapidly built-up on construction site. Its strength performance, however, was rather brittle therefore the improvement of the ductility was a crucial research subject. In order to give a sufficient ductility on the "Lagscrewbolted joint system", so-called "Slotted Bolted Connection" concept was adopted for making use of large energy dissipation characteristics due to high-tension bolted steel connection with slotted bolt holes. Static & dynamic performance of glulam portal frame specimens was evaluated by static cyclic loading test as well as shaking table test. Current latest form of the jointing system can show very high ductility as well as stable hysteretic cyclic loops by inserting brass-shim between steel-to-steel friction interfaces

Gyroscope precession in special and general relativity from basic principles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jonsson, Rickard M.

2007-05-01

In special relativity a gyroscope that is suspended in a torque-free manner will precess as it is moved along a curved path relative to an inertial frame S. We explain this effect, which is known as Thomas precession, by considering a real grid that moves along with the gyroscope, and that by definition is not rotating as observed from its own momentary inertial rest frame. From the basic properties of the Lorentz transformation we deduce how the form and rotation of the grid (and hence the gyroscope) will evolve relative to S. As an intermediate step we consider how the grid would appear if it were not length contracted along the direction of motion. We show that the uncontracted grid obeys a simple law of rotation. This law simplifies the analysis of spin precession compared to more traditional approaches based on Fermi transport. We also consider gyroscope precession relative to an accelerated reference frame and show that there are extra precession effects that can be explained in a way analogous to the Thomas precession. Although fully relativistically correct, the entire analysis is carried out using three-vectors. By using the equivalence principle the formalism can also be applied to static spacetimes in general relativity. As an example, we calculate the precession of a gyroscope orbiting a static black hole.

Mathematics in chemistry: indeterminate forms and their meaning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Segurado, Manuel A. P.; Silva, Margarida F. B.; Castro, Rita

2011-07-01

The mathematical language and its tools are complementary to the formalism in chemistry, in particular at an advanced level. It is thus crucial, for its understanding, that students acquire a solid knowledge in Calculus and that they know how to apply it. The frequent occurrence of indeterminate forms in multiple areas, particularly in Physical Chemistry, justifies the need to properly understand the limiting process in such cases. This article emphasizes the importance of the L'Hôpital's rule as a practical tool, although often neglected, to obtain the more common indeterminate limits, through the use of some specific examples as the radioactive decay, spectrophotometric error, Planck's radiation law, second-order kinetics, or consecutive reactions.

Mathematics in Chemistry: Indeterminate Forms and Their Meaning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Segurado, Manuel A. P.; Silva, Margarida F. B.; Castro, Rita

2011-01-01

The mathematical language and its tools are complementary to the formalism in chemistry, in particular at an advanced level. It is thus crucial, for its understanding, that students acquire a solid knowledge in Calculus and that they know how to apply it. The frequent occurrence of indeterminate forms in multiple areas, particularly in Physical…

Reference frames in allocentric representations are invariant across static and active encoding

PubMed Central

Chan, Edgar; Baumann, Oliver; Bellgrove, Mark A.; Mattingley, Jason B.

2013-01-01

An influential model of spatial memory—the so-called reference systems account—proposes that relationships between objects are biased by salient axes (“frames of reference”) provided by environmental cues, such as the geometry of a room. In this study, we sought to examine the extent to which a salient environmental feature influences the formation of spatial memories when learning occurs via a single, static viewpoint and via active navigation, where information has to be integrated across multiple viewpoints. In our study, participants learned the spatial layout of an object array that was arranged with respect to a prominent environmental feature within a virtual arena. Location memory was tested using judgments of relative direction. Experiment 1A employed a design similar to previous studies whereby learning of object-location information occurred from a single, static viewpoint. Consistent with previous studies, spatial judgments were significantly more accurate when made from an orientation that was aligned, as opposed to misaligned, with the salient environmental feature. In Experiment 1B, a fresh group of participants learned the same object-location information through active exploration, which required integration of spatial information over time from a ground-level perspective. As in Experiment 1A, object-location information was organized around the salient environmental cue. Taken together, the findings suggest that the learning condition (static vs. active) does not affect the reference system employed to encode object-location information. Spatial reference systems appear to be a ubiquitous property of spatial representations, and might serve to reduce the cognitive demands of spatial processing. PMID:24009595

Balancing a force on the fingertip of a two-dimensional finger model without intrinsic muscles.

PubMed

Spoor, C W

1983-01-01

A slightly flexed human middle finger can balance an external force on the fingertip. Internal stabilization is also possible, which means that the externally unloaded finger can be kept stiff. We want to analyse whether in these situations the intrinsic hand muscles are needed. Distances from tendons to flexion axes are taken from the literature and are substituted in the moment equilibrium equations of a two-dimensional finger model. Diagrams illustrate the statically indeterminate problem of solving tendon forces. The possibilities for equilibrium without intrinsics appear to depend mainly on four tendon-to-joint distances. These distances determine to which of two groups a finger belongs: (1) one in which intrinsics are not necessary for internal stabilization nor for balancing a force on the fingertip in any direction in the sagittal plane; (2) one in which, without intrinsics, internal stabilization is impossible and only dorso-distally directed forces on the fingertip can be balanced.

Full-frame video stabilization with motion inpainting.

PubMed

Matsushita, Yasuyuki; Ofek, Eyal; Ge, Weina; Tang, Xiaoou; Shum, Heung-Yeung

2006-07-01

Video stabilization is an important video enhancement technology which aims at removing annoying shaky motion from videos. We propose a practical and robust approach of video stabilization that produces full-frame stabilized videos with good visual quality. While most previous methods end up with producing smaller size stabilized videos, our completion method can produce full-frame videos by naturally filling in missing image parts by locally aligning image data of neighboring frames. To achieve this, motion inpainting is proposed to enforce spatial and temporal consistency of the completion in both static and dynamic image areas. In addition, image quality in the stabilized video is enhanced with a new practical deblurring algorithm. Instead of estimating point spread functions, our method transfers and interpolates sharper image pixels of neighboring frames to increase the sharpness of the frame. The proposed video completion and deblurring methods enabled us to develop a complete video stabilizer which can naturally keep the original image quality in the stabilized videos. The effectiveness of our method is confirmed by extensive experiments over a wide variety of videos.

Seroprevalence, cost per donation and reduction in blood supply due to positive and indeterminate results for infectious markers in a blood bank in Lima, Peru.

PubMed

Moya-Salazar, Jeel; Ubidia-Incio, Roberto; Incio-Grande, Maritza; Blejer, Jorgelina L; Gonzalez, Carlos A

Safety in Transfusion Medicine is subject to regulations and government legislation within a total quality framework. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of seroprevalence and indeterminate results on lost units and cost per donation. A prospective cross-sectional study was performed in the Blood Bank and Transfusion Therapy Department of the Hospital Central de la Policia Nacional del Perú in Lima, Peru. All completed donations (replacement/voluntary) without complications were included in this study. Every donation met the institutional requirements and quality criteria of Programa Nacional de Hemoterapia y Bancos de Sangre (PRONAHEBAS). Data analysis was achieved using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences. A total of 7723 donations were evaluated during 2014 and 2015 with 493 being seropositive (overall prevalence 5.25%) and 502 having indeterminate results (overall prevalence 5.35%). Thus total loss was 995units, 437.8L of blood and 49,750 US dollars. The most common seropositive infectious markers were the core antibody of hepatitis B virus (2.82%) and syphilis (1.02%), and the most common indeterminate results were Chagas disease (1.27%) and the core antibody of hepatitis B virus (1.26%). There was no significant change in the prevalence of seropositivity (p-value=0.243) or indeterminate results (p-value=0.227) over the two-year period of the study. A statistical correlation was found between the cost per lost donation and the most prevalent markers (rho=0.848; p-value=<0.001). Seroprevalence was lower than the regional mean, but the prevalence of indeterminate results was elevated causing a great impact on blood supply and economic losses to this institution. Copyright © 2017 Associação Brasileira de Hematologia, Hemoterapia e Terapia Celular. Published by Elsevier Editora Ltda. All rights reserved.

A preliminary structural analysis of space-based inflatable tubular frame structures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Main, John A.; Peterson, Steven W.; Strauss, Alvin M.

1992-01-01

The use of inflatable structures has often been proposed for aerospace and planetary applications. The advantages of such structures include low launch weight and easy assembly. The use of inflatables for applications requiring very large frame structures intended for aerospace use are proposed. In order to consider using an inflated truss, the structural behavior of the inflated frame must be examined. The statics of inflated tubes as beams was discussed in the literature, but the dynamics of these elements has not received much attention. In an effort to evaluate the vibration characteristics of the inflated beam a series of free vibration tests of an inflated fabric cantilevers were performed. Results of the tests are presented and models for system behavior posed.

Points of view: where do we look when we watch TV?

PubMed

Brasel, S Adam; Gips, James

2008-01-01

How is our gaze dispersed across the screen when watching television? An exploratory eyetracker study with a custom-designed show indicated a very strong center-of-screen bias with gaze points following a roughly normal distribution peaked near screen center. Examining the show across time revealed that people were rarely all looking at the same location, and the amount of gaze dispersion within frames was highly variable. Different forms of programming yielded different levels of dispersion: static network 'bumpers' created the tightest visual groupings, and gaze dispersion for frames with show content was less than the dispersion for commercials. Advertising frames with brand logos generated higher dispersion than the non-branded advertisement portions, and repeated advertisements generated higher dispersion than their first-run counterparts.

Spatial Reorientation of Sensorimotor Balance Control in Altered Gravity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Paloski, W. H.; Black, F. L.; Kaufman, G. D.; Reschke, M. F.; Wood, S. J.

2007-01-01

Sensorimotor coordination of body segments following space flight are more pronounced after landing when the head is actively tilted with respect to the trunk. This suggests that central vestibular processing shifts from a gravitational frame of reference to a head frame of reference in microgravity. A major effect of such changes is a significant postural instability documented by standard head-erect Sensory Organization Tests. Decrements in functional performance may still be underestimated when head and gravity reference frames remained aligned. The purpose of this study was to examine adaptive changes in spatial processing for balance control following space flight by incorporating static and dynamic tilts that dissociate head and gravity reference frames. A second aim of this study was to examine the feasibility of altering the re-adaptation process following space flight by providing discordant visual-vestibular-somatosensory stimuli using short-radius pitch centrifugation.

Static sign language recognition using 1D descriptors and neural networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Solís, José F.; Toxqui, Carina; Padilla, Alfonso; Santiago, César

2012-10-01

A frame work for static sign language recognition using descriptors which represents 2D images in 1D data and artificial neural networks is presented in this work. The 1D descriptors were computed by two methods, first one consists in a correlation rotational operator.1 and second is based on contour analysis of hand shape. One of the main problems in sign language recognition is segmentation; most of papers report a special color in gloves or background for hand shape analysis. In order to avoid the use of gloves or special clothing, a thermal imaging camera was used to capture images. Static signs were picked up from 1 to 9 digits of American Sign Language, a multilayer perceptron reached 100% recognition with cross-validation.

Apical bud toughness tests and tree sway movements to examine crown abrasion: preliminary results

Treesearch

Tyler Brannon; Wayne Clatterbuck

2012-01-01

Apical bud toughness differences were examined for several species to determine if crown abrasion affects shoot growth of determinate and indeterminate species during stand development. Determinate buds will set and harden after initial shoot elongation in the spring, while the indeterminate shoots form leaves from the apical meristem continuously based on the...

Using Menelaus' Theorem and Dynamic Mathematics Software to Convey the Meanings of Indeterminate Forms to Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Çekmez, Erdem

2016-01-01

This study investigates the effectiveness of a teaching activity that aimed to convey the meaning of indeterminate forms to a group of undergraduate students who were enrolled in an elementary mathematics education programme. The study reports the implementation sequence of the activity and students' experiences in the classroom. To assess the…

CT findings in ulcerative, granulomatous, and indeterminate colitis

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

Gore, R.M.; Marn, C.S.; Kirby, D.F.

1984-08-01

Eight patients with ulcerative colitis, three with colitis indeterminate, and 15 patients with Crohn disease were studied by computed tomography (CT) to establish CT criteria for each disorder in hopes of providing a new diagnostic perspective useful in the radiographic evaluation of inflammatory colitis. The CT findings in ulcerative colitis included thickening of the colon wall, which was characterized by inhomogeneous attenuation and a target appearance of the rectum, and proliferation of perirectal fat. Bowel wall thickening with homogeneous attenuation, fistula and abscess formation, and mesenteric abnormalities were observed in patients with Crohn colitis. Patients with colitis indeterminate showed colonicmore » changes on CT observed in both disorders. Initial experience suggests that CT can differentiate patients with well established ulcerative and Crohn colitis.« less

Sensitivity analysis for large-scale problems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Noor, Ahmed K.; Whitworth, Sandra L.

1987-01-01

The development of efficient techniques for calculating sensitivity derivatives is studied. The objective is to present a computational procedure for calculating sensitivity derivatives as part of performing structural reanalysis for large-scale problems. The scope is limited to framed type structures. Both linear static analysis and free-vibration eigenvalue problems are considered.

Ultra-fast high-resolution hybrid and monolithic CMOS imagers in multi-frame radiography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kwiatkowski, Kris; Douence, Vincent; Bai, Yibin; Nedrow, Paul; Mariam, Fesseha; Merrill, Frank; Morris, Christopher L.; Saunders, Andy

2014-09-01

A new burst-mode, 10-frame, hybrid Si-sensor/CMOS-ROIC FPA chip has been recently fabricated at Teledyne Imaging Sensors. The intended primary use of the sensor is in the multi-frame 800 MeV proton radiography at LANL. The basic part of the hybrid is a large (48×49 mm2) stitched CMOS chip of 1100×1100 pixel count, with a minimum shutter speed of 50 ns. The performance parameters of this chip are compared to the first generation 3-frame 0.5-Mpixel custom hybrid imager. The 3-frame cameras have been in continuous use for many years, in a variety of static and dynamic experiments at LANSCE. The cameras can operate with a per-frame adjustable integration time of ~ 120ns-to- 1s, and inter-frame time of 250ns to 2s. Given the 80 ms total readout time, the original and the new imagers can be externally synchronized to 0.1-to-5 Hz, 50-ns wide proton beam pulses, and record up to ~1000-frame radiographic movies typ. of 3-to-30 minute duration. The performance of the global electronic shutter is discussed and compared to that of a high-resolution commercial front-illuminated monolithic CMOS imager.

The special theory of Brownian relativity: equivalence principle for dynamic and static random paths and uncertainty relation for diffusion.

PubMed

Mezzasalma, Stefano A

2007-03-15

The theoretical basis of a recent theory of Brownian relativity for polymer solutions is deepened and reexamined. After the problem of relative diffusion in polymer solutions is addressed, its two postulates are formulated in all generality. The former builds a statistical equivalence between (uncorrelated) timelike and shapelike reference frames, that is, among dynamical trajectories of liquid molecules and static configurations of polymer chains. The latter defines the "diffusive horizon" as the invariant quantity to work with in the special version of the theory. Particularly, the concept of universality in polymer physics corresponds in Brownian relativity to that of covariance in the Einstein formulation. Here, a "universal" law consists of a privileged observation, performed from the laboratory rest frame and agreeing with any diffusive reference system. From the joint lack of covariance and simultaneity implied by the Brownian Lorentz-Poincaré transforms, a relative uncertainty arises, in a certain analogy with quantum mechanics. It is driven by the difference between local diffusion coefficients in the liquid solution. The same transformation class can be used to infer Fick's second law of diffusion, playing here the role of a gauge invariance preserving covariance of the spacetime increments. An overall, noteworthy conclusion emerging from this view concerns the statistics of (i) static macromolecular configurations and (ii) the motion of liquid molecules, which would be much more related than expected.

The likelihood of an indeterminate test result from a whole-blood interferon-gamma release assay for the diagnosis of Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection in children correlates with age and immune status.

PubMed

Haustein, Thomas; Ridout, Deborah A; Hartley, John C; Thaker, Urvashi; Shingadia, Delane; Klein, Nigel J; Novelli, Vas; Dixon, Garth L J

2009-08-01

Interferon-gamma release assays for the diagnosis of infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis have been increasingly used in recent years and are endorsed by national guidelines, but experience regarding their use in children is still limited. We retrospectively evaluated the routine use of the QuantiFERON-TB Gold In-Tube assay (QFT-IT) in a pediatric tertiary care center with a high prevalence of immunocompromising conditions. The relationship between age, immune status, and likelihood of an indeterminate test result was analyzed using logistic regression analysis and fractional polynomials. Two hundred thirty-seven tests from 237 children were included in the analysis. Fifty-nine children (25%) were immunocompromised by our definition. An indeterminate test result was obtained in 83 children (35%). The likelihood of an indeterminate test result was inversely correlated with age (P < 0.001) for children who were not known to be immunocompromised, and decreased by 13% per year of age. Impaired immunity (P < 0.001) was independently associated with a higher probability of an indeterminate QFT-IT. Among 161 children with a documented tuberculin skin test, 89% had a concordant QFT-IT (kappa = 0.71). Twelve of 16 patients with culture-proven TB had a positive QFT-IT. These data suggest that QFT-IT may not provide a determinate test result in a substantial proportion of children in a tertiary care setting due to the combination of young age and primary and acquired immune deficiencies.

Integrated Force Method Solution to Indeterminate Structural Mechanics Problems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Patnaik, Surya N.; Hopkins, Dale A.; Halford, Gary R.

2004-01-01

Strength of materials problems have been classified into determinate and indeterminate problems. Determinate analysis primarily based on the equilibrium concept is well understood. Solutions of indeterminate problems required additional compatibility conditions, and its comprehension was not exclusive. A solution to indeterminate problem is generated by manipulating the equilibrium concept, either by rewriting in the displacement variables or through the cutting and closing gap technique of the redundant force method. Compatibility improvisation has made analysis cumbersome. The authors have researched and understood the compatibility theory. Solutions can be generated with equal emphasis on the equilibrium and compatibility concepts. This technique is called the Integrated Force Method (IFM). Forces are the primary unknowns of IFM. Displacements are back-calculated from forces. IFM equations are manipulated to obtain the Dual Integrated Force Method (IFMD). Displacement is the primary variable of IFMD and force is back-calculated. The subject is introduced through response variables: force, deformation, displacement; and underlying concepts: equilibrium equation, force deformation relation, deformation displacement relation, and compatibility condition. Mechanical load, temperature variation, and support settling are equally emphasized. The basic theory is discussed. A set of examples illustrate the new concepts. IFM and IFMD based finite element methods are introduced for simple problems.

Dependence of image flicker on dielectric anisotropy of liquid crystal in a fringe field switching liquid crystal cell

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oh, Seung-Won; Baek, Jong-Min; Kim, Jung-Wook; Yoon, Tae-Hoon

2016-09-01

Two types of image flicker, which are caused by the flexoelectric effect of liquid crystals (LCs), are observed when a fringe-field switching (FFS) LC cell is driven by a low frequency electric field. Static image flicker, observed because of the transmittance difference between neighboring frames, has been reported previously. On the other hand, research on dynamic image flicker has been minimal until now. Dynamic image flicker is noticeable because of the brief transmittance drop when the sign of the applied voltage is reversed. We investigated the dependence of the image flicker in an FFS LC cell on dielectric anisotropy of the LCs in terms of both the static and dynamic flicker. Experimental results show that small dielectric anisotropy of the LC can help suppress not only the static but also dynamic flicker for positive LCs. We found that both the static and dynamic flicker in negative LCs is less evident than in positive LCs.

Composite monocoque frame for a mountain bicycle: Testing and calculation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Castejón, L.; Miravete, A.; Ullod, J.; Larrodé, E.

1994-05-01

The present paper shows the way in which a monocoque frame of a mountain bicycle made of carbon fiber and kevlar laminate, a poliurethane foam core and different metallic stiffeners were analyzed. The study was performed in two parts, namely, a first part in which the bicycle was tested considering several static and dynamic cases and a second part carried out by using the F.E.M., from which vibration frequencies and modes were obtained, as well as the foam optimization to be used in the core. It was also possible to compare the results obtained in both parts.

Method of vibration isolating an aircraft engine

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bender, Stanley I. (Inventor); Butler, Lawrence (Inventor); Dawes, Peter W. (Inventor)

1991-01-01

A method for coupling an engine to a support frame for mounting to a fuselage of an aircraft using a three point vibration isolating mounting system in which the load reactive forces at each mounting point are statically and dynamically determined. A first vibration isolating mount pivotably couples a first end of an elongated support beam to a stator portion of an engine with the pivoting action of the vibration mount being oriented such that it is pivotable about a line parallel to a center line of the engine. An aft end of the supporting frame is coupled to the engine through an additional pair of vibration isolating mounts with the mounts being oriented such that they are pivotable about a circumference of the engine. The aft mounts are symmetrically spaced to each side of the supporting frame by 45 degrees. The relative orientation between the front mount and the pair of rear mounts is such that only the rear mounts provide load reactive forces parallel to the engine center line, in support of the engine to the aircraft against thrust forces. The forward mount is oriented so as to provide only radial forces to the engine and some lifting forces to maintain the engine in position adjacent a fuselage. Since each mount is connected to provide specific forces to support the engine, forces required of each mount are statically and dynamically determinable.

Effects of floor location on response of composite fuselage frames

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Carden, Huey D.; Jones, Lisa E.; Fasanella, Edwin L.

1992-01-01

Experimental and analytical results are presented which show the effect of floor placement on the structural response and strength of circular fuselage frames constructed of graphite-epoxy composite material. The research was conducted to study the behavior of conventionally designed advanced composite aircraft components. To achieve desired new designs which incorporate improved energy absorption capabilities requires an understanding of how these conventional designs behave under crash type loadings. Data are presented on the static behavior of the composite structure through photographs of the frame specimen, experimental strain distributions, and through analytical data from composite structural models. An understanding of this behavior can aid the dynamist in predicting the crash behavior of these structures and may assist the designer in achieving improved designs for energy absorption and crash behavior of future structures.

A Classroom Note on: Bounds on Integer Solutions of xy = k(x + y) and xyz = k(xy + xz + yz)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Umar, Abdullahi; Alassar, Rajai

2011-01-01

Diophantine equations constitute a rich mathematical field. This article may be useful as a basis for a student math club project. There are several situations in which one needs to find a solution of indeterminate polynomial equations that allow the variables to be integers only. These indeterminate equations are fewer than the involved unknown…

An MR/MRI compatible core holder with the RF probe immersed in the confining fluid.

PubMed

Shakerian, M; Balcom, B J

2018-01-01

An open frame RF probe for high pressure and high temperature MR/MRI measurements was designed, fabricated, and tested. The open frame RF probe was installed inside an MR/MRI compatible metallic core holder, withstanding a maximum pressure and temperature of 5000 psi and 80 °C. The open frame RF probe was tunable for both 1 H and 19 F resonance frequencies with a 0.2 T static magnetic field. The open frame structure was based on simple pillars of PEEK polymer upon which the RF probe was wound. The RF probe was immersed in the high pressure confining fluid during operation. The open frame structure simplified fabrication of the RF probe and significantly reduced the amount of polymeric materials in the core holder. This minimized the MR background signal detected. Phase encoding MRI methods were employed to map the spin density of a sulfur hexafluoride gas saturating a Berea core plug in the core holder. The SF 6 was imaged as a high pressure gas and as a supercritical fluid. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

An MR/MRI compatible core holder with the RF probe immersed in the confining fluid

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shakerian, M.; Balcom, B. J.

2018-01-01

An open frame RF probe for high pressure and high temperature MR/MRI measurements was designed, fabricated, and tested. The open frame RF probe was installed inside an MR/MRI compatible metallic core holder, withstanding a maximum pressure and temperature of 5000 psi and 80 °C. The open frame RF probe was tunable for both 1H and 19F resonance frequencies with a 0.2 T static magnetic field. The open frame structure was based on simple pillars of PEEK polymer upon which the RF probe was wound. The RF probe was immersed in the high pressure confining fluid during operation. The open frame structure simplified fabrication of the RF probe and significantly reduced the amount of polymeric materials in the core holder. This minimized the MR background signal detected. Phase encoding MRI methods were employed to map the spin density of a sulfur hexafluoride gas saturating a Berea core plug in the core holder. The SF6 was imaged as a high pressure gas and as a supercritical fluid.

Regulation of gene expression mediating indeterminate muscle growth in teleosts.

PubMed

Ahammad, A K Shakur; Asaduzzaman, Md; Asakawa, Shuichi; Watabe, Shugo; Kinoshita, Shigeharu

2015-08-01

Teleosts are unique among vertebrates due to their indeterminate muscle growth, i.e., continued production of neonatal muscle fibers until death. However, the molecular mechanism(s) underlying this property is unknown. Here, we focused on the torafugu (Takifugu rubripes) myosin heavy chain gene, MYHM2528-1, which is specifically expressed in neonatal muscle fibers produced by indeterminate muscle growth. We examined the flanking region of MYHM2528-1 through an in vivo reporter assay using zebrafish (Danio rerio) and identified a 2100 bp 5'-flanking sequence that contained sufficient promoter activity to allow specific gene expression. The effects of enhanced promoter activity were observed at the outer region of the fast muscle and the dorsal edge of slow muscle in zebrafish larvae. At the juvenile stage, the promoter was specifically activated in small diameter muscle fibers scattered throughout fast muscle and in slow muscle near the septum separating slow and fast muscles. This spatio-temporal promoter activity overlapped with known myogenic zones involved in teleost indeterminate muscle growth. A deletion mutant analysis revealed that the -2100 to -600 bp 5'flanking sequence of MYHM2528-1 is essential for promoter activity. This region contains putative binding sites for several representative myogenesis-related transcription factors and nuclear factor of activated T-cell (NFAT), a transcription activator involved in regeneration of mammalian adult skeletal muscle. A significant reduction in the promoter activity of the MYHM2528-1 deletion constructs was observed in accordance with a reduction in the number of these binding sites, suggesting the involvement of specific transcription factors in indeterminate muscle growth. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Echocardiogram video summarization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ebadollahi, Shahram; Chang, Shih-Fu; Wu, Henry D.; Takoma, Shin

2001-05-01

This work aims at developing innovative algorithms and tools for summarizing echocardiogram videos. Specifically, we summarize the digital echocardiogram videos by temporally segmenting them into the constituent views and representing each view by the most informative frame. For the segmentation we take advantage of the well-defined spatio- temporal structure of the echocardiogram videos. Two different criteria are used: presence/absence of color and the shape of the region of interest (ROI) in each frame of the video. The change in the ROI is due to different modes of echocardiograms present in one study. The representative frame is defined to be the frame corresponding to the end- diastole of the heart cycle. To locate the end-diastole we track the ECG of each frame to find the exact time the time- marker on the ECG crosses the peak of the end-diastole we track the ECG of each frame to find the exact time the time- marker on the ECG crosses the peak of the R-wave. The corresponding frame is chosen to be the key-frame. The entire echocardiogram video can be summarized into either a static summary, which is a storyboard type of summary and a dynamic summary, which is a concatenation of the selected segments of the echocardiogram video. To the best of our knowledge, this if the first automated system for summarizing the echocardiogram videos base don visual content.

A comparison of different postures for scaffold end-frame disassembly.

PubMed

Cutlip, R; Hsiao, H; Garcia, R; Becker, E; Mayeux, B

2000-10-01

Overexertion and fall injuries comprise the largest category of nonfatal injuries among scaffold workers. This study was conducted to identify the most favourable scaffold end-frame disassembly techniques and evaluate the associated slip potential by measuring whole-body isometric strength capability and required coefficient of friction (RCOF) to reduce the incidence of injury. Forty-six male construction workers were used to study seven typical postures associated with scaffold end-frame disassembly. An analysis of variance (ANOVA) showed that the isometric forces (334.4-676.3 N) resulting from the seven postures were significantly different (p < 0.05). Three of the disassembly postures resulted in considerable biomechanical stress to workers. The symmetric front-lift method with hand locations at knuckle height would be the most favourable posture; at least 93% of the male construction worker population could handle the end frame with minimum overexertion risk. The static RCOF value resulting from this posture during the disassembly phase was less than 0.2, thus the likelihood of a slip should be low.

Earthquake behavior of steel cushion-implemented reinforced concrete frames

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Özkaynak, Hasan

2018-04-01

The earthquake performance of vulnerable structures can be increased by the implementation of supplementary energy-dissipative metallic elements. The main aim of this paper is to describe the earthquake behavior of steel cushion-implemented reinforced concrete frames (SCI-RCFR) in terms of displacement demands and energy components. Several quasi-static experiments were performed on steel cushions (SC) installed in reinforced concrete (RC) frames. The test results served as the basis of the analytical models of SCs and a bare reinforced concrete frame (B-RCFR). These models were integrated in order to obtain the resulting analytical model of the SCI-RCFR. Nonlinear-time history analyses (NTHA) were performed on the SCI-RCFR under the effects of the selected earthquake data set. According to the NTHA, SC application is an effective technique for increasing the seismic performance of RC structures. The main portion of the earthquake input energy was dissipated through SCs. SCs succeeded in decreasing the plastic energy demand on structural elements by almost 50% at distinct drift levels.

An under-designed RC frame: Seismic assessment through displacement based approach and possible refurbishment with FRP strips and RC jacketing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Valente, Marco; Milani, Gabriele

2017-07-01

Many existing reinforced concrete buildings in Southern Europe were built (and hence designed) before the introduction of displacement based design in national seismic codes. They are obviously highly vulnerable to seismic actions. In such a situation, simplified methodologies for the seismic assessment and retrofitting of existing structures are required. In this study, a displacement based procedure using non-linear static analyses is applied to a four-story existing RC frame. The aim is to obtain an estimation of its overall structural inadequacy as well as the effectiveness of a specific retrofitting intervention by means of GFRP laminates and RC jacketing. Accurate numerical models are developed within a displacement based approach to reproduce the seismic response of the RC frame in the original configuration and after strengthening.

Analysis for the Progressive Failure Response of Textile Composite Fuselage Frames

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Johnson, Eric R.; Boitnott, Richard L. (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

A part of aviation accident mitigation is a crashworthy airframe structure, and an important measure of merit for a crashworthy structure is the amount of kinetic energy that can be absorbed in the crush of the structure. Prediction of the energy absorbed from finite element analyses requires modeling the progressive failure sequence. Progressive failure modes may include material degradation, fracture and crack growth, and buckling and collapse. The design of crashworthy airframe components will benefit from progressive failure analyses that have been validated by tests. The subject of this research is the development of a progressive failure analysis for a textile composite, circumferential fuselage frame subjected to a quasi-static, crash-type load. The test data for the frame are reported, and these data are used to develop and to validate methods for the progressive failure response.

Spherically symmetric vacuum solutions arising from trace dynamics modifications to gravitation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Adler, Stephen L.; Ramazanoğlu, Fethi M.

2015-12-01

We derive the equations governing static, spherically symmetric vacuum solutions to the Einstein equations, as modified by the frame-dependent effective action (derived from trace dynamics) that gives an alternative explanation of the origin of "dark energy". We give analytic and numerical results for the solutions of these equations, first in polar coordinates, and then in isotropic coordinates. General features of the static case are that: (i) there is no horizon, since g00 is nonvanishing for finite values of the polar radius, and only vanishes (in isotropic coordinates) at the internal singularity, (ii) the Ricci scalar R vanishes identically, and (iii) there is a physical singularity at cosmological distances. The large distance singularity may be an artifact of the static restriction, since we find that the behavior at large distances is altered in a time-dependent solution using the McVittie Ansatz.

Envoicing Silent Objects: Art and Literature at the Site of the Canadian Landscape

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brock, Richard

2008-01-01

In this article, the author examines some of the ways in which art and literature converge upon the site of the Canadian landscape, generating an "ekphrastic" conception of place which reminds everyone constantly that every framed, static view of a landscape represents a story house, a repository of narratives concerning all those…

Modeling, Simulation, and Flight Test for Automatic Flight Control of the Condor Hybrid-Electric Remote Piloted Aircraft

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-03-01

comprehensive explanations (Yechout, 2003), (Nelson, 1998). Figure 9: USAFA/Brandt Jet5 Aircraft Modeling Program 18 2.5.1 Dynamic Aircraft...16 2.5.1 Dynamic Aircraft Stability Modes .......................................................... 18 2.5.2 State...12 Figure 7: Body-Fixed Reference Frame ........................................................................... 13 Figure 8: Static and Dynamic

Combining Acceleration and Displacement Dependent Modal Frequency Responses Using an MSC/NASTRAN DMAP Alter

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Barnett, Alan R.; Widrick, Timothy W.; Ludwiczak, Damian R.

1996-01-01

Solving for dynamic responses of free-free launch vehicle/spacecraft systems acted upon by buffeting winds is commonly performed throughout the aerospace industry. Due to the unpredictable nature of this wind loading event, these problems are typically solved using frequency response random analysis techniques. To generate dynamic responses for spacecraft with statically-indeterminate interfaces, spacecraft contractors prefer to develop models which have response transformation matrices developed for mode acceleration data recovery. This method transforms spacecraft boundary accelerations and displacements into internal responses. Unfortunately, standard MSC/NASTRAN modal frequency response solution sequences cannot be used to combine acceleration- and displacement-dependent responses required for spacecraft mode acceleration data recovery. External user-written computer codes can be used with MSC/NASTRAN output to perform such combinations, but these methods can be labor and computer resource intensive. Taking advantage of the analytical and computer resource efficiencies inherent within MS C/NASTRAN, a DMAP Alter has been developed to combine acceleration- and displacement-dependent modal frequency responses for performing spacecraft mode acceleration data recovery. The Alter has been used successfully to efficiently solve a common aerospace buffeting wind analysis.

Methods for Force Analysis of Overconstrained Parallel Mechanisms: A Review

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Wen-Lan; Xu, Yun-Dou; Yao, Jian-Tao; Zhao, Yong-Sheng

2017-11-01

The force analysis of overconstrained PMs is relatively complex and difficult, for which the methods have always been a research hotspot. However, few literatures analyze the characteristics and application scopes of the various methods, which is not convenient for researchers and engineers to master and adopt them properly. A review of the methods for force analysis of both passive and active overconstrained PMs is presented. The existing force analysis methods for these two kinds of overconstrained PMs are classified according to their main ideas. Each category is briefly demonstrated and evaluated from such aspects as the calculation amount, the comprehensiveness of considering limbs' deformation, and the existence of explicit expressions of the solutions, which provides an important reference for researchers and engineers to quickly find a suitable method. The similarities and differences between the statically indeterminate problem of passive overconstrained PMs and that of active overconstrained PMs are discussed, and a universal method for these two kinds of overconstrained PMs is pointed out. The existing deficiencies and development directions of the force analysis methods for overconstrained systems are indicated based on the overview.

Seismic performance for vertical geometric irregularity frame structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ismail, R.; Mahmud, N. A.; Ishak, I. S.

2018-04-01

This research highlights the result of vertical geometric irregularity frame structures. The aid of finite element analysis software, LUSAS was used to analyse seismic performance by focusing particularly on type of irregular frame on the differences in height floors and continued in the middle of the building. Malaysia’s building structures were affected once the earthquake took place in the neighbouring country such as Indonesia (Sumatera Island). In Malaysia, concrete is widely used in building construction and limited tension resistance to prevent it. Analysing structural behavior with horizontal and vertical static load is commonly analyses by using the Plane Frame Analysis. The case study of this research is to determine the stress and displacement in the seismic response under this type of irregular frame structures. This study is based on seven-storey building of Clinical Training Centre located in Sungai Buloh, Selayang, Selangor. Since the largest earthquake occurs in Acheh, Indonesia on December 26, 2004, the data was recorded and used in conducting this research. The result of stress and displacement using IMPlus seismic analysis in LUSAS Modeller Software under the seismic response of a formwork frame system states that the building is safe to withstand the ground and in good condition under the variation of seismic performance.

Evaluating the Human Damage of Tsunami at Each Time Frame in Aggregate Units Based on GPS data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ogawa, Y.; Akiyama, Y.; Kanasugi, H.; Shibasaki, R.; Kaneda, H.

2016-06-01

Assessments of the human damage caused by the tsunami are required in order to consider disaster prevention at such a regional level. Hence, there is an increasing need for the assessments of human damage caused by earthquakes. However, damage assessments in japan currently usually rely on static population distribution data, such as statistical night time population data obtained from national census surveys. Therefore, human damage estimation that take into consideration time frames have not been assessed yet. With these backgrounds, the objectives of this study are: to develop a method for estimating the population distribution of the for each time frame, based on location positioning data observed with mass GPS loggers of mobile phones, to use a evacuation and casualties models for evaluating human damage due to the tsunami, and evaluate each time frame by using the data developed in the first objective, and 3) to discuss the factors which cause the differences in human damage for each time frame. By visualizing the results, we clarified the differences in damage depending on time frame, day and area. As this study enables us to assess damage for any time frame in and high resolution, it will be useful to consider provision for various situations when an earthquake may hit, such as during commuting hours or working hours and week day or holiday.

Analysis of high-rise constructions with the using of three-dimensional models of rods in the finite element program PRINS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Agapov, Vladimir

2018-03-01

The necessity of new approaches to the modeling of rods in the analysis of high-rise constructions is justified. The possibility of the application of the three-dimensional superelements of rods with rectangular cross section for the static and dynamic calculation of the bar and combined structures is considered. The results of the eighteen-story spatial frame free vibrations analysis using both one-dimensional and three-dimensional models of rods are presented. A comparative analysis of the obtained results is carried out and the conclusions on the possibility of three-dimensional superelements application in static and dynamic analysis of high-rise constructions are given on its basis.

Analysis for the Progressive Failure Response of Textile Composite Fuselage Frames

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Johnson, Eric R.; Boitnott, Richard L. (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

A part of aviation accident mitigation is a crash worthy airframe structure, and an important measure of merit for a crash worthy structure is the amount of kinetic energy that can be absorbed in the crush of the structure. Prediction of the energy absorbed from finite element analyses requires modeling the progressive failure sequence. Progressive failure modes may include material degradation, fracture and crack growth, and buckling and collapse. The design of crash worthy airframe components will benefit from progressive failure analyses that have been validated by tests. The subject of this research is the development of a progressive failure analysis for textile composite. circumferential fuselage frames subjected to a quasi-static, crash-type load. The test data for these frames are reported, and these data, along with stub column test data, are to be used to develop and to validate methods for the progressive failure response.

Sociocultural Analysis of Second Language Learner Beliefs: A Qualitative Case Study of Two Study-Abroad ESL Learners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yang, Jin-Suk; Kim, Tae-Young

2011-01-01

Framed in Vygotsky's sociocultural theory (SCT) of mind, this paper explores second language (L2) learning beliefs in study-abroad (SA) contexts. Previous research on learner beliefs has relied mostly on survey methods, while regarding belief as a static, internal representation of experience that is resistant to change. Due to the concern…

Touching Ghosts: Observing Free Fall from an Infalling Frame of Reference into a Schwarzschild Black Hole

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Augousti, A. T.; Gawelczyk, M.; Siwek, A.; Radosz, A.

2012-01-01

The problem of communication between observers in the vicinity of a black hole in a Schwarzschild metric is considered. The classic example of an infalling observer Alice and a static distant mother station (MS) is extended to include a second infalling observer Bob, who follows Alice in falling towards the event horizon. Kruskal coordinates are…

PDA: A coupling of knowledge and memory for case-based reasoning

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bharwani, S.; Walls, J.; Blevins, E.

1988-01-01

Problem solving in most domains requires reference to past knowledge and experience whether such knowledge is represented as rules, decision trees, networks or any variant of attributed graphs. Regardless of the representational form employed, designers of expert systems rarely make a distinction between the static and dynamic aspects of the system's knowledge base. The current paper clearly distinguishes between knowledge-based and memory-based reasoning where the former in its most pure sense is characterized by a static knowledge based resulting in a relatively brittle expert system while the latter is dynamic and analogous to the functions of human memory which learns from experience. The paper discusses the design of an advisory system which combines a knowledge base consisting of domain vocabulary and default dependencies between concepts with a dynamic conceptual memory which stores experimental knowledge in the form of cases. The case memory organizes past experience in the form of MOPs (memory organization packets) and sub-MOPs. Each MOP consists of a context frame and a set of indices. The context frame contains information about the features (norms) common to all the events and sub-MOPs indexed under it.

Converting Static Image Datasets to Spiking Neuromorphic Datasets Using Saccades.

PubMed

Orchard, Garrick; Jayawant, Ajinkya; Cohen, Gregory K; Thakor, Nitish

2015-01-01

Creating datasets for Neuromorphic Vision is a challenging task. A lack of available recordings from Neuromorphic Vision sensors means that data must typically be recorded specifically for dataset creation rather than collecting and labeling existing data. The task is further complicated by a desire to simultaneously provide traditional frame-based recordings to allow for direct comparison with traditional Computer Vision algorithms. Here we propose a method for converting existing Computer Vision static image datasets into Neuromorphic Vision datasets using an actuated pan-tilt camera platform. Moving the sensor rather than the scene or image is a more biologically realistic approach to sensing and eliminates timing artifacts introduced by monitor updates when simulating motion on a computer monitor. We present conversion of two popular image datasets (MNIST and Caltech101) which have played important roles in the development of Computer Vision, and we provide performance metrics on these datasets using spike-based recognition algorithms. This work contributes datasets for future use in the field, as well as results from spike-based algorithms against which future works can compare. Furthermore, by converting datasets already popular in Computer Vision, we enable more direct comparison with frame-based approaches.

Steroid use in acute liver failure.

PubMed

Karkhanis, Jamuna; Verna, Elizabeth C; Chang, Matthew S; Stravitz, R Todd; Schilsky, Michael; Lee, William M; Brown, Robert S

2014-02-01

Drug-induced and indeterminate acute liver failure (ALF) might be due to an autoimmune-like hepatitis that is responsive to corticosteroid therapy. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether corticosteroids improve survival in fulminant autoimmune hepatitis, drug-induced, or indeterminate ALF, and whether this benefit varies according to the severity of illness. We conducted a retrospective analysis of autoimmune, indeterminate, and drug-induced ALF patients in the Acute Liver Failure Study Group from 1998-2007. The primary endpoints were overall and spontaneous survival (SS, survival without transplant). In all, 361 ALF patients were studied, 66 with autoimmune (25 steroids, 41 no steroids), 164 with indeterminate (21 steroids, 143 no steroids), and 131 with drug-induced (16 steroids, 115 no steroids) ALF. Steroid use was not associated with improved overall survival (61% versus 66%, P = 0.41), nor with improved survival in any diagnosis category. Steroid use was associated with diminished survival in certain subgroups of patients, including those with the highest quartile of the Model for Endstage Liver Disease (MELD) (>40, survival 30% versus 57%, P = 0.03). In multivariate analysis controlling for steroid use and diagnosis, age (odds ratio [OR] 1.37 per decade), coma grade (OR 2.02 grade 2, 2.65 grade 3, 5.29 grade 4), MELD (OR 1.07), and pH < 7.4 (OR 3.09) were significantly associated with mortality. Although steroid use was associated with a marginal benefit in SS overall (35% versus 23%, P = 0.047), this benefit did not persistent in multivariate analysis; mechanical ventilation (OR 0.24), MELD (OR 0.93), and alanine aminotransferase (1.02) were the only significant predictors of SS. Corticosteroids did not improve overall survival or SS in drug-induced, indeterminate, or autoimmune ALF and were associated with lower survival in patients with the highest MELD scores. © 2013 by the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases.

Time to Initiation of Antiretroviral Therapy Among Patients Who Are ART Eligible in Rwanda: Improvement Over Time

PubMed Central

Teasdale, Chloe A.; Wang, Chunhui; Francois, Uwinkindi; d’Amour Ndahimana, Jean; Vincent, Mutabazi; Sahabo, Ruben; El-Sadr, Wafaa M.; Abrams, Elaine J.

2016-01-01

Background Delayed initiation of antiretroviral therapy (ART) in eligible patients is a concern in resource-limited countries. Methods We analyzed data on HIV-positive patients ≥15 years enrolled at 41 ICAP-supported health care facilities in Rwanda, 2005–2010, to determine time to ART initiation among patients eligible at enrollment compared with those ineligible or of indeterminate eligibility who become eligible during follow-up. ART eligibility was based on CD4+ cell count (CD4+) and WHO staging; patients lacking CD4+ and WHO stage were considered indeterminate. Cumulative incidence of reaching ART eligibility and to ART initiation after eligibility was generated using competing risk estimators. Results A total of 31,033 ART-naive adults were enrolled; 64.2% were female. At enrollment, 10,158 (32.7%) patients were ART eligible, 13,372 (43.1%) were ineligible for ART, and 7503 (24.2%) patients were indeterminate. Among patients retained in care pre-ART eligibility, 17.9% [95% confidence interval (CI): 17.2 to 18.6] of ineligible and 22.8% (95% CI: 21.7 to 23.8) of indeterminate patients at enrollment reached ART eligibility within 12 months. Cumulative incidence of ART initiation within 3 months for patients eligible at enrollment was 77.2% (95% CI: 76.4 to 78.0) compared with 67.9% (95% CI: 66.4 to 69.3) for ineligible and 63.8% (95% CI: 61.9 to 65.8) for patients with indeterminate eligibility at enrollment (P < 0.05). Over the study period, there was more rapid ART initiation for patients who became ART eligible. Conclusions We found higher rates of ART initiation within 3 months among patients who were ART eligible at enrollment compared with those who reached eligibility during follow-up. From 2006 to 2011, earlier initiation of ART after eligibility was observed likely reflecting improved program quality. PMID:25415291

Experimental study on the influence of the opening in brick-masonry wall to seismic performance of reinforced concrete frame structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maidiawati, Tanjung, Jafril; Medriosa, Hamdeni

2017-10-01

Reinforced concrete (RC) frame structures with brick-masonry infills are commonly used in developing countries and high-risk seismic area, such as Indonesia. Significant researches have been carried out for studying the seismic performance of RC frame structures with brick-masonry infills. Only few of them focused on effects of the opening in the brick-masonry infill to the seismic performance of the RC frame structures. The presence of opening in brick-masonry infill is often used for placing doors and windows as well, however, it may reduce the seismic performance of the RC frame structure. In the current study, they influence of the opening in brick-masonry infills to the seismic performance RC frame structure will experimentally evaluated. Five of 1/4-scaled single story and single bay RC frame specimens were prepared, i.e. an RC bare frame, a clay brick-masonry infilled RC frame and three of clay brick-masonry infilled RC frame with openings in the brick-masonry infills. The last three specimens were clay brick infilled RC frame with a center opening, clay brick infilled RC frame with two openings used for placing the windows and clay brick infilled RC frame with opening for placing the door. The specimens pushed over by applying the static monotonic lateral load to the upper beam of the RC frame structures. The incremental of the lateral load and the lateral displacement of RC frame's column was recorded during test. The crack propagation and the major cracks were also observed to identify the mechanism failure of specimens. As the results, the opening in the brick-masonry wall controls the failure mechanism, the lateral strength and the stiffness of the overall of infilled RC frame structure. The diagonal shear crack pattern was found on brick-masonry wall without opening, on other hand the different crack patterns were observed on brick-masonry wall with openings. Although the opening in the brick masonry infill reduced the lateral strength and stiffness of the infilled RC frame, it was still stronger and stiffer than the bare frame.

Method for collecting thermocouple data via secured shell over a wireless local area network in real time

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arnold, F.; DeMallie, I.; Florence, L.; Kashinski, D. O.

2015-03-01

This manuscript addresses the design, hardware details, construction, and programming of an apparatus allowing an experimenter to monitor and record high-temperature thermocouple measurements of dynamic systems in real time. The apparatus uses wireless network technology to bridge the gap between a dynamic (moving) sample frame and the static laboratory frame. Our design is a custom solution applied to samples that rotate through large angular displacements where hard-wired and typical slip-ring solutions are not practical because of noise considerations. The apparatus consists of a Raspberry PI mini-Linux computer, an Arduino micro-controller, an Ocean Controls thermocouple multiplexer shield, and k-type thermocouples.

Method for collecting thermocouple data via secured shell over a wireless local area network in real time.

PubMed

Arnold, F; DeMallie, I; Florence, L; Kashinski, D O

2015-03-01

This manuscript addresses the design, hardware details, construction, and programming of an apparatus allowing an experimenter to monitor and record high-temperature thermocouple measurements of dynamic systems in real time. The apparatus uses wireless network technology to bridge the gap between a dynamic (moving) sample frame and the static laboratory frame. Our design is a custom solution applied to samples that rotate through large angular displacements where hard-wired and typical slip-ring solutions are not practical because of noise considerations. The apparatus consists of a Raspberry PI mini-Linux computer, an Arduino micro-controller, an Ocean Controls thermocouple multiplexer shield, and k-type thermocouples.

Cystic mediastinal masses and the role of MRI.

PubMed

Madan, Rachna; Ratanaprasatporn, Lisa; Ratanaprasatporn, Linda; Carter, Brett W; Ackman, Jeanne B

2017-12-27

While some cystic masses can be definitively diagnosed on CT, others remain indeterminate. Because of its intrinsic superior soft tissue resolution, MR is an important tool in the evaluation of select mediastinal masses that are incompletely characterized on CT. This review describes how non-vascular MR provides greater diagnostic precision in the evaluation of indeterminate cystic mediastinal masses on CT. It also emphasizes key MR pulse sequences for optimal evaluation of problematic mediastinal masses. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Compton Scattering by Static and Moving Media. Part 1; The Transfer Equation and its Moments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Psaltis, Dimitrios; Lamb, Frederick K.

1997-01-01

Compton scattering of photons by nonrelativistic particles is thought to play an important role in forming the radiation spectrum of many astrophysical systems. Here we derive the time-dependent photon kinetic equation that describes spontaneous and induced Compton scattering, as well as absorption and emission by static and moving media, the corresponding radiative transfer equation, and their zeroth and first angular moments, both in the system frame and in the frame comoving with the medium. We show that it is necessary to use the correct relativistic differential scattering cross section in order to obtain a photon kinetic equation that is correct to first order in Epsilon/m(sub e), T(sub e)/m(sub e), and V, where Epsilon is the photon energy, T(sub e) and m(sub e) are the electron temperature and rest mass, and V is the electron bulk velocity in units of the speed of light. We also demonstrate that the terms in the radiative transfer equation that are second order in V should usually be retained, because if the radiation energy density is sufficiently large, compared to the radiation flux, the effects of bulk Comptonization described by the terms that are second order in V can be as important as the effects described by the terms that are first order in V, even when V is small. The system- and fluid-frame equations that we derive are correct to first order in Epsilon/m(sub e). Our system-frame equations, which are correct to second order in V, may be used when V is not too large. Our fluid-frame equations, which are exact in V, may be used when V approaches 1. Both sets of equations are valid for systems of arbitrary optical depth and can therefore be used in both the free-streaming and diffusion regimes. We demonstrate that Comptonization by the electron bulk motion occurs whether or not the radiation field is isotropic or the bulk flow converges and that it is more important than thermal Comptonization if V(sup 2) is greater than 3T(sub e)/m(sub e).

Numerical Analysis of a Masonry Panel Reinforced with Pultruded FRP Frames

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Casalegno, C.; Russo, S.; Sciarretta, F.

2018-05-01

The paper presents a numerical study on the retrofit of traditional masonry with pultruded GFRP profile frames adjacent to a wall and connected to it by mechanical fasteners. This kind of retrofit solution, not having been explored yet either in theory or practice, is similar to the common steel frame retrofits, but offers the advantages of lightness and durability of FRP composite materials. The retrofit system proposed, once proven effective and advantageous, would bring a considerable potential innovation into its available options. Three different frame geometries and two cases of masonry thickness were considered to investigate the effectiveness of the retrofit GFRP frame on the inplane static response of the wall to horizontal loads. The global and local (connection) failure behavior of the wall-frame system was investigated using the 3D finite-element method. A general increase in strength after the retrofit, up to about 130%, was found, and a switch from rocking to the diagonal tension failure mode was observed. The strength hierarchy of the retrofitted systems was also analyzed to clarify the effectiveness of the retrofit in imparting a residual strength to masonry. A thinner masonry structure was clearly recognized to have got the greatest benefits, but the retrofit could also significantly improve the inplane shear strength of a thicker wall. A comparison with steel structures of analogous capacity in terms of weight and natural vibration frequencies supported the viability of composite FRP frames for retrofit.

Fourier domain optical coherence tomographic and auto-fluorescence findings in indeterminate choroidal melanocytic lesions.

PubMed

Singh, Arun D; Belfort, Rubens N; Sayanagi, Kaori; Kaiser, Peter K

2010-04-01

To compare detection rates of drusen and subretinal fluid by Fourier domain optical coherence tomography (FD OCT) and orange pigment by fundus autofluorescence (FAF) with ophthalmoscopy in indeterminate choroidal melanocytic lesions. In a consecutive case series of 38 patients with indeterminate choroidal melanocytic lesion that would have been categorised as a small tumour according to the size-based nomenclature used in the Collaborative Ocular Melanoma Study, each eye was submitted to ophthalmoscopic examination, FD OCT and FAF. The presence of drusen, subretinal fluid and orange pigment was recorded for each lesion by a single observer at the time of initial ophthalmoscopic evaluation and on fundus photographs. FD OCT and autofluorescence images were reviewed in all cases in a masked fashion. The ophthalmoscopic examination revealed drusen in 42%, subretinal fluid in 53% and orange pigment in 50% of patients. FD-OCT detected drusen in 45% and subretinal fluid in 58% of cases, and FAF detected orange pigment in 58% of cases. Based on the McNemar test, none of the differences were statistically significant at the 0.05 level. FD OCT and FAF complement clinical examination by verifying and documenting retinal and RPE changes associated with indeterminate choroidal melanocytic lesions. The detection rates by FD OCT and FAF of important qualitative prognostic factors appear to be equivalent to ophthalmoscopy by a trained observer. Once validated in a larger number of patients, FD OCT and FAF findings can be incorporated into diagnostic algorithms.

Acetaminophen Adducts Detected in Serum of Pediatric Patients With Acute Liver Failure.

PubMed

Alonso, Estella M; James, Laura P; Zhang, Song; Squires, Robert H

2015-07-01

Previous studies in patients with acute liver failure identified acetaminophen (APAP) protein adducts in the serum of 12% and 19% of children and adults, respectively, with acute liver failure of indeterminate etiology. This article details the testing of APAP adducts in a subset (n = 393) of patients with varied diagnoses in the Pediatric Acute Liver Failure Study Group (PALFSG). Serum samples were available from 393 participants included in the PALFSG registry. Adduct measurement was performed using validated methods. Participants were grouped by diagnostic category as known APAP overdose, known other diagnosis, and indeterminate etiology. Demographic and clinical characteristics and participant outcomes were compared by adduct status (positive or negative) within each group. APAP adduct testing was positive in 86% of participants with known APAP overdose, 6% with other known diagnoses, and 11% with an indeterminate cause of liver failure. Adduct-positive participants were noted to have marked elevation of serum alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase coupled with total serum bilirubin that was significantly lower than adduct-negative patients. In the indeterminate group, adduct-positive patients had different outcomes than adduct-negative patients (P = 0.03); spontaneous survival was 16 of 21 (76%) in adduct-positive patients versus 75 of 169 (44%) in adduct-negative patients. Prognosis did not vary by adduct status in patients with known diagnoses. Furthermore, study is needed to understand the relation of APAP exposure, as determined by the presence of APAP adducts, to the clinical phenotype and outcomes of children with acute liver failure.

Static and Dynamic Human Shape Modeling - A Review of the Literature and State of the Art

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-04-01

Figure 60. Confluent marker-based animation (Aguiar et al. 2006). Subsequent frames showing the female scan authentically performing a soccer kick ...Infoscitex Corp. 4027 Colonel Glenn Highway Suite 210 Dayton OH 45431-1672 Kathleen Robinette Biosciences and Protection Division Biomechanics ...Biosciences and Protection Division Biomechanics Branch Wright-Patterson AFB OH 45433 Approved for public release; distribution unlimited. NOTICE

Spatial reference frames of visual, vestibular, and multimodal heading signals in the dorsal subdivision of the medial superior temporal area.

PubMed

Fetsch, Christopher R; Wang, Sentao; Gu, Yong; Deangelis, Gregory C; Angelaki, Dora E

2007-01-17

Heading perception is a complex task that generally requires the integration of visual and vestibular cues. This sensory integration is complicated by the fact that these two modalities encode motion in distinct spatial reference frames (visual, eye-centered; vestibular, head-centered). Visual and vestibular heading signals converge in the primate dorsal subdivision of the medial superior temporal area (MSTd), a region thought to contribute to heading perception, but the reference frames of these signals remain unknown. We measured the heading tuning of MSTd neurons by presenting optic flow (visual condition), inertial motion (vestibular condition), or a congruent combination of both cues (combined condition). Static eye position was varied from trial to trial to determine the reference frame of tuning (eye-centered, head-centered, or intermediate). We found that tuning for optic flow was predominantly eye-centered, whereas tuning for inertial motion was intermediate but closer to head-centered. Reference frames in the two unimodal conditions were rarely matched in single neurons and uncorrelated across the population. Notably, reference frames in the combined condition varied as a function of the relative strength and spatial congruency of visual and vestibular tuning. This represents the first investigation of spatial reference frames in a naturalistic, multimodal condition in which cues may be integrated to improve perceptual performance. Our results compare favorably with the predictions of a recent neural network model that uses a recurrent architecture to perform optimal cue integration, suggesting that the brain could use a similar computational strategy to integrate sensory signals expressed in distinct frames of reference.

Uniformly accelerated black holes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Letelier, Patricio S.; Oliveira, Samuel R.

2001-09-01

The static and stationary C metric are examined in a generic framework and their interpretations studied in some detail, especially those with two event horizons, one for the black hole and another for the acceleration. We find that (i) the spacetime of an accelerated static black hole is plagued by either conical singularities or a lack of smoothness and compactness of the black hole horizon, (ii) by using standard black hole thermodynamics we show that accelerated black holes have a higher Hawking temperature than Unruh temperature of the accelerated frame, and (iii) the usual upper bound on the product of the mass and acceleration parameters (<1/27) is just a coordinate artifact. The main results are extended to accelerated rotating black holes with no significant changes.

Aeroelastic Deformation Measurements of Flap, Gap, and Overhang on a Semispan Model

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Burner, A. W.; Liu, Tianshu; Garg, Sanjay; Ghee, Terence A.; Taylor, Nigel J.

2000-01-01

Single-camera, single-view videogrammetry has been used to determine static aeroelastic deformation of a slotted flap configuration on a semispan model at the National Transonic Facility (NTF). Deformation was determined by comparing wind-off to wind-on spatial data from targets placed on the main element, shroud, and flap of the model. Digitized video images from a camera were recorded and processed to automatically determine target image plane locations that were then corrected for sensor, lens, and frame grabber spatial errors. The videogrammetric technique has been established at NASA facilities as the technique of choice when high-volume static aeroelastic data with minimum impact on data taking is required. The primary measurement at the NTF with this technique in the past has been the measurement of static aeroelastic wing twist on full span models. The first results using the videogrammetric technique for the measurement of component deformation during semispan testing at the NTF are presented.

Robust Target Tracking with Multi-Static Sensors under Insufficient TDOA Information.

PubMed

Shin, Hyunhak; Ku, Bonhwa; Nelson, Jill K; Ko, Hanseok

2018-05-08

This paper focuses on underwater target tracking based on a multi-static sonar network composed of passive sonobuoys and an active ping. In the multi-static sonar network, the location of the target can be estimated using TDOA (Time Difference of Arrival) measurements. However, since the sensor network may obtain insufficient and inaccurate TDOA measurements due to ambient noise and other harsh underwater conditions, target tracking performance can be significantly degraded. We propose a robust target tracking algorithm designed to operate in such a scenario. First, track management with track splitting is applied to reduce performance degradation caused by insufficient measurements. Second, a target location is estimated by a fusion of multiple TDOA measurements using a Gaussian Mixture Model (GMM). In addition, the target trajectory is refined by conducting a stack-based data association method based on multiple-frames measurements in order to more accurately estimate target trajectory. The effectiveness of the proposed method is verified through simulations.

Control Augmented Structural Synthesis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lust, Robert V.; Schmit, Lucien A.

1988-01-01

A methodology for control augmented structural synthesis is proposed for a class of structures which can be modeled as an assemblage of frame and/or truss elements. It is assumed that both the plant (structure) and the active control system dynamics can be adequately represented with a linear model. The structural sizing variables, active control system feedback gains and nonstructural lumped masses are treated simultaneously as independent design variables. Design constraints are imposed on static and dynamic displacements, static stresses, actuator forces and natural frequencies to ensure acceptable system behavior. Multiple static and dynamic loading conditions are considered. Side constraints imposed on the design variables protect against the generation of unrealizable designs. While the proposed approach is fundamentally more general, here the methodology is developed and demonstrated for the case where: (1) the dynamic loading is harmonic and thus the steady state response is of primary interest; (2) direct output feedback is used for the control system model; and (3) the actuators and sensors are collocated.

YoTube: Searching Action Proposal Via Recurrent and Static Regression Networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhu, Hongyuan; Vial, Romain; Lu, Shijian; Peng, Xi; Fu, Huazhu; Tian, Yonghong; Cao, Xianbin

2018-06-01

In this paper, we present YoTube-a novel network fusion framework for searching action proposals in untrimmed videos, where each action proposal corresponds to a spatialtemporal video tube that potentially locates one human action. Our method consists of a recurrent YoTube detector and a static YoTube detector, where the recurrent YoTube explores the regression capability of RNN for candidate bounding boxes predictions using learnt temporal dynamics and the static YoTube produces the bounding boxes using rich appearance cues in a single frame. Both networks are trained using rgb and optical flow in order to fully exploit the rich appearance, motion and temporal context, and their outputs are fused to produce accurate and robust proposal boxes. Action proposals are finally constructed by linking these boxes using dynamic programming with a novel trimming method to handle the untrimmed video effectively and efficiently. Extensive experiments on the challenging UCF-101 and UCF-Sports datasets show that our proposed technique obtains superior performance compared with the state-of-the-art.

Coarsening Kinetics and Morphological Evolution in a Two-Phase Titanium Alloy During Heat Treatment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Jianwei; Zeng, Weidong; Jia, Zhiqiang; Sun, Xin; Zhao, Yawei

2016-03-01

The effects of alpha/beta heat treatment on microstructure evolution of Ti-17 alloy with a lamellar colony structure are established. Heat treatment experiments are conducted at 1103 or 1063 K for times ranging from 10 min to 8 h. The main features of microstructure evolution during heat treatment comprise static globularization and coarsening of primary alpha phase. Such behaviors can be accelerated by higher heat treatment temperature. Furthermore, globularization and coarsening behaviors show a faster rate at higher prestrain. In order to better understand the microstructure evolution of Ti-17 alloy during alpha/beta heat treatment, static globularization and coarsening behaviors are modeled in the theoretical frame of the Johnson-Mehl-Avarmi-Kolmogorov (JMAK) and Lifshitz-Slyozov-Wagner (LSW) theories, respectively. The JMAK and LSW kinetics parameters are derived under different experimental conditions. Agreements between measurements and predictions are found, indicating that the JMAK and LSW theories can be used to predict and trace static globularization and coarsening processes of Ti-17 alloy during alpha/beta heat treatment.

A computational framework for simultaneous estimation of muscle and joint contact forces and body motion using optimization and surrogate modeling.

PubMed

Eskinazi, Ilan; Fregly, Benjamin J

2018-04-01

Concurrent estimation of muscle activations, joint contact forces, and joint kinematics by means of gradient-based optimization of musculoskeletal models is hindered by computationally expensive and non-smooth joint contact and muscle wrapping algorithms. We present a framework that simultaneously speeds up computation and removes sources of non-smoothness from muscle force optimizations using a combination of parallelization and surrogate modeling, with special emphasis on a novel method for modeling joint contact as a surrogate model of a static analysis. The approach allows one to efficiently introduce elastic joint contact models within static and dynamic optimizations of human motion. We demonstrate the approach by performing two optimizations, one static and one dynamic, using a pelvis-leg musculoskeletal model undergoing a gait cycle. We observed convergence on the order of seconds for a static optimization time frame and on the order of minutes for an entire dynamic optimization. The presented framework may facilitate model-based efforts to predict how planned surgical or rehabilitation interventions will affect post-treatment joint and muscle function. Copyright © 2018 IPEM. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of inadequate, indeterminate, false-negative and false-positive cases in cytological examination for breast cancer according to histological type

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background We previously investigated the current status of breast cytology cancer screening at seven institutes in our area of southern Fukuoka Prefecture, and found some differences in diagnostic accuracy among the institutions. In the present study, we evaluated the cases involved and noted possible reasons for their original cytological classification as inadequate, indeterminate, false-negative and false-positive according to histological type. Methods We evaluated the histological findings in 5693 individuals who underwent cytological examination for breast cancer (including inadequate, indeterminate, false-negative and false-positive cases), to determine the most common histological types and/or features in these settings and the usefulness/limitations of cytological examination for the diagnosis of breast cancer. Results Among 1152 cytologically inadequate cases, histology revealed that 75/173 (43.6%) cases were benign, including mastopathy (fibrocystic disease) in 38.6%, fibroadenoma in 24.0% and papilloma in 5.3%. Ninety-five of 173 (54.9%) cases were histologically malignant, with scirrhous growing type, invasive ductal carcinoma (SIDC) being significantly more frequent (49.5%) than papillotubular growing type (Papi-tub) (P < 0.0001), solid-tubular growing type (P = 0.0001) and ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) (P = 0.0001). Among 458 indeterminate cases, 54/139 (38.8%) were histologically benign (mastopathy, 30.0%; fibroadenoma, 27.8%; papilloma, 26.0%) and 73/139 (52.5%) were malignant, with SIDC being the most frequent malignant tumor (37.0%). Among 52 false-negative cases, SIDC was significantly more frequent (42.3%) than DCIS (P = 0.0049) and Papi-tub (P = 0.001). There were three false-positive cases, with one each of fibroadenoma, epidermal cyst and papilloma. Conclusions The inadequate, indeterminate, false-negative and false-positive cases showed similar histological types, notably SIDC for malignant tumors, and mastopathy, fibroadenoma and papilloma for benign cases. We need to pay particular attention to the collection and assessment of aspirates for these histological types of breast disease. In particular, several inadequate, indeterminate and false-negative cases with samples collected by aspiration were diagnosed as SIDC. These findings should encourage the use of needle biopsy rather than aspiration when this histological type is identified on imaging. Namely, good communication between clinicians and pathological staff, and triple assessment (i.e., clinical, pathological and radiological assessment), are important for accurate diagnosis of aspiration samples. Virtual slides The virtual slide(s) for this article can be found here: http://www.diagnosticpathology.diagnomx.eu/vs/7349809170055423 PMID:22607447

Archeological Testing of the North Bend Site (16SMY132) and Survey of the Todd Area Levee, St. Mary Parish, Louisiana

DTIC Science & Technology

1993-07-01

borings and from the drilling of vibracore or hand auger holes for a specific project. The terrane is the unit used to map the subsurface distribution...three pieces of amethyst glass and a piece of dark green bottle glass. Two pieces of coal, one indeterminate nail fragment and a 12- gauge shotgun shell...and three pieces of indeterminate iron. Also recovered were a 12- gauge shotgun shell base, and one brick fragment. Based on the stratigraphy all were

Class III Survey and Testing of Cultural Resources in Proposed Flood Control System Right-of-Way, Southeastern El Paso, El Paso County, Texas

DTIC Science & Technology

1988-05-01

and 3 contained Mormon tea-type pollen, as well as high spine Asteraceae. Levels 3 and 4 contained Pooceoe and Opuntia. Level 4 contained modern oak...Sample Identification Quantity EP-1 Cheno-Am 12 Pinus 5 Poaceae 1 Opuntia 3 High Spine Asteraceae 1 V Ephedra torroyana-type 1 Indeterminate 1 - I...Total 24 Lycopodium 84 Concentration Value (grains/ml) 258.3 EP-2 Cheno-Am 19 Pinus 1 High Spine Asteraceae 2 Ephedra torreyana-type 1 Indeterminate 1

Computational procedures for evaluating the sensitivity derivatives of vibration frequencies and Eigenmodes of framed structures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fetterman, Timothy L.; Noor, Ahmed K.

1987-01-01

Computational procedures are presented for evaluating the sensitivity derivatives of the vibration frequencies and eigenmodes of framed structures. Both a displacement and a mixed formulation are used. The two key elements of the computational procedure are: (a) Use of dynamic reduction techniques to substantially reduce the number of degrees of freedom; and (b) Application of iterative techniques to improve the accuracy of the derivatives of the eigenmodes. The two reduction techniques considered are the static condensation and a generalized dynamic reduction technique. Error norms are introduced to assess the accuracy of the eigenvalue and eigenvector derivatives obtained by the reduction techniques. The effectiveness of the methods presented is demonstrated by three numerical examples.

Non Linear Analyses for the Evaluation of Seismic Behavior of Mixed R.C.-Masonry Structures

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

Liberatore, Laura; Tocci, Cesare; Masiani, Renato

2008-07-08

In this work the seismic behavior of masonry buildings with mixed structural system, consisting of perimeter masonry walls and internal r.c. frames, is studied by means of non linear static (pushover) analyses. Several aspects, like the distribution of seismic action between masonry and r.c. elements, the local and global behavior of the structure, the crisis of the connections and the attainment of the ultimate strength of the whole structure are examined. The influence of some parameters, such as the masonry compressive and tensile strength, on the structural behavior is investigated. The numerical analyses are also repeated on a building inmore » which the r.c. internal frames are replaced with masonry walls.« less

An overview of the crash dynamics failure behavior of metal and composite aircraft structures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Carden, Huey D.; Boitnott, Richard L.; Fasanella, Edwin L.; Jones, Lisa E.

1991-01-01

An overview of failure behavior results is presented from some of the crash dynamics research conducted with concepts of aircraft elements and substructure not necessarily designed or optimized for energy absorption or crash loading considerations. Experimental and analytical data are presented that indicate some general trends in the failure behavior of a class of composite structures that includes fuselage panels, individual fuselage sections, fuselage frames, skeleton subfloors with stringers and floor beams without skin covering, and subfloors with skin added to the frame stringer structure. Although the behavior is complex, a strong similarity in the static/dynamic failure behavior among these structures is illustrated through photographs of the experimental results and through analytical data of generic composite structural models.

Preliminary evaluation of fiber composite reinforcement of truck frame rails

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Faddoul, J. R.

1977-01-01

The use of graphite fiber/resin matrix composite to effectively reinforce a standard steel truck frame rail is studied. A preliminary design was made and it was determined that the reinforcement weight could be reduced by a factor of 10 when compared to a steel reinforcement. A section of a 1/3 scale reinforced rail was fabricated to demonstrate low cost manufacturing techniques. The scale rail section was then tested and increased stiffness was confirmed. No evidence of composite fatigue was found after 500,000 cycles to a fiber stress of 34,000 psi. The test specimen failed in bending in a static test at a load 50 percent greater than that predicted for a non-reinforced rail.

Hydrocarbon potential, palynology and palynofacies of four sedimentary basins in the Benue Trough, northern Cameroon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bessong, Moïse; Hell, Joseph Victor; Samankassou, Elias; Feist-Burkhardt, Susanne; Eyong, John Takem; Ngos, Simon, III; Nolla, Junior Désiré; Mbesse, Cecile Olive; Adatte, Thierry; Mfoumbeng, Marie Paule; Dissombo, Edimo André Noel; Ntsama, Atangana Jacqueline; Mouloud, Bennami; Ndjeng, Emmanuel

2018-03-01

Organic geochemical, palynological and palynofacies analyses were carried out on 79 selected samples from four sedimentary basins (Mayo-Rey, Mayo-Oulo-Lere, Hamakoussou and Benue) in northern Cameroon. Rock-Eval pyrolysis and Total Organic Carbon results indicate that most of the samples of the studied basins are thermally immature to mature. The organic matter consists of terrestrial components (peat, lignite, bituminous coal, and anthracite) associated with organic matter of marine origin. Based on the appraisal of multiple parameters: Total Organic Carbon (TOC), maximum Temperature (T-max), Hydrogen Index (HI), Oxygen Index (OI) and Production Index (PI), some samples are organically rich both in oil and/or gas-prone kerogen Type-II, II/III and III. The source rock quality ranges from poor to very good. The source material is composed of both algae and higher plants. Samples from these basins yielded palynological residue composed of translucent and opaque phytoclasts, Amorphous Organic Matter (AOM), fungal remains, algal cysts pollen and pteridophyte spores. Abundance and diversity of the palynomorphs overall low and include Monoporopollenites annulatus (= Monoporites annulatus), indeterminate periporate pollen, indeterminate tetracolporate pollen, indeterminate tricolporate pollen, indeterminate triporate pollen, indeterminate trilete spores, Polypodiaceoisporites spp., Biporipsilonites sp., Rhizophagites sp., Striadiporites sp., Botryococcus sp. (colonial, freshwater green algae), and Chomotriletes minor (cyst of zygnematalean freshwater green algae). Age assigned confidently for all these basins the palynological data except for one sample of Hamakoussou that can be dated as Early to Mid-Cretaceous in age. Callialasporites dampieri, Classopollis spp., Eucommiidites spp. and Araucariacites australis indicate, an Aptian to Cenomanian age. The other pollen and spores recovered may indicate a Tertiary or younger age (especially Monoporopollenites annulatus), or have arisen from modern contamination. Geochemical data show that sediments are wackes, arkose, iron-sandstone and iron-shale. The Chemical Index of Alteration (CIA-K) is low moderate to high, suggesting a shorter exposure time and fast erosion and transport. The studied sequences cover various depositional settings ranging from wetlands to dry environment inside island arc, passive margin or active continental margin. This study reveals new data and the economic potential of this part of Cameroon.

Prediction of Clinical Outcomes in Prenatal Hydronephrosis: Importance of Gravity Assisted Drainage.

PubMed

Sussman, Rachael D; Blum, Emily S; Sprague, Bruce M; Majd, Massoud; Rushton, H Gil; Pohl, Hans G

2017-03-01

In infants with SFU (Society for Fetal Urology) grade 3-4 congenital hydronephrosis, 99m Tc-mercaptoacetyltriglycine diuretic renography assesses differential function and drainage half-time. We routinely also include the percent of radiotracer drained after 30 minutes of diuresis as well as after 15 minutes with the patient in the upright position. We investigated whether any 1 or more of these parameters on initial diuretic renography predicts persistent or worsening drainage parameters. Infants 6 months or younger with grade 3-4 congenital hydronephrosis who presented between January 2009 and December 2014 were identified from billing data and included in analysis if they underwent at least 1 baseline diuretic renography. Those with structural anomalies were excluded from study. Baseline and followup differential function, diuresis half-time, clearance at 30 minutes and clearance with the patient upright were abstracted and comparisons were made between those with initially indeterminate diuresis half-time who underwent pyeloplasty vs those showing spontaneous improvement. A total of 74 patients (82 renal units) with presumed ureteropelvic junction obstruction met inclusion/exclusion criteria. All 10 renal units with initial diuresis half-time less than 5 minutes resolved spontaneously and all 25 renal units with initial diuresis half-time greater than 75 minutes underwent pyeloplasty. Therefore, we defined the indeterminate group as the 47 renal units with initial half-time between 5 and 75 minutes. Of those 47 renal units with indeterminate initial diuresis half-time 23 (47%) underwent pyeloplasty and 25 (53%) resolved spontaneously. Indications for pyeloplasty included worsening in 17 cases, persistent obstruction in 4 and urinary tract infection in 1. Among renal units with indeterminate drainage clearance while upright and clearance at 30 minutes were the only variables that differed significantly between surgical cases and those that resolved spontaneously. Radiotracer clearance with the patient upright and clearance at 30 minutes are more predictive of surgical management than diuresis half-time or differential function for renal units with indeterminate drainage. They should be included in the standard assessment of ureteropelvic junction obstruction. Copyright © 2017 American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Low Indeterminate Rates Associated With Use of the QuantiFERON-TB Gold In-Tube Test in Children With Inflammatory Bowel Disease on Long-term Infliximab.

PubMed

Vortia, Eugene; Uko, Victor E; Yen-Lieberman, Belinda; Frawley, Jill; Worley, Sarah E; Danziger-Isakov, Lara; Kaplan, Barbara; Mahajan, Lori

2018-03-19

Tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) inhibitors are linked with increased risk of reactivation of active tuberculosis. The QuantiFERON-TB Gold In-Tube test is approved for screening latent tuberculosis infection in children and adults. There are limited data on the test performance in children on long-term treatment with TNF-α inhibitors. The objective of this study was to assess the proportion of indeterminate results for the QuantiFERON-TB Gold In-Tube in children with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) on long-term infliximab treatment and to evaluate the range of interferon-γ responses to mitogen. A single-center prospective study of children 5 to 19 years of age with IBD on long-term infliximab treatment (>3 months). Each child was assessed for tuberculosis exposure risk and had blood drawn for the QuantiFERON-TB Gold In-Tube. Data on the range of interferon-γ responses and final QuantiFERON-TB Gold In-Tube test results were collected. Ninety-three children were included, with a median age of 16 years. The median total duration of infliximab therapy was 34 months (range, 3-119 months). The QuantiFERON-TB Gold In-Tube was indeterminate in 1 patient (1.1%), positive in 2 patients, and negative in 90 patients. The maximum interferon-γ response to mitogen (10 IU/mL) was observed in 82 patients (88%), with only 1 patient having an inadequate response. The proportion of indeterminate results was significantly lower than the prospectively hypothesized rate of 8%, based on prior studies in nonimmunosuppressed patients (P = 0.004). Pediatric patients with IBD on long-term treatment with infliximab had an adequate interferon-γ response to mitogen and a low indeterminate rate when assessed with the QuantiFERON-TB Gold In-Tube test. This study demonstrates a robust interferon gamma response to phytohemagglutinin stimulation in a pediatric population on long-term therapy with infliximab. The QuantiFERON-TB Gold In-Tube test may therefore be useful as a periodic screening tactic for latent TB in children on long-term infliximab therapy.

Experimental verification of numerical calculations of railway passenger seats

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ligaj, B.; Wirwicki, M.; Karolewska, K.; Jasińska, A.

2018-04-01

The construction of railway seats is based on industry regulations and the requirements of end users, i.e. passengers. The two main documents in this context are the UIC 566 (3rd Edition, dated 7 January 1994) and the EN 12663-1: 2010+A1:2014. The study was to carry out static load tests of passenger seat frames. The paper presents the construction of the test bench and the results of experimental and numerical studies of passenger seat rail frames. The test bench consists of a frame, a transverse beam, two electric cylinders with a force value of 6 kN, and a strain gauge amplifier. It has a modular structure that allows for its expansion depending on the structure of the seats. Comparing experimental results with numerical results for points A and B allowed to determine the existing differences. It follows from it that higher stress values are obtained by numerical calculations in the range of 0.2 MPa to 35.9 MPa.

Incidence of a single subsegmental mismatched perfusion defect in single-photon emission computed tomography and planar ventilation/perfusion scans.

PubMed

Stubbs, Matthew; Chan, Kenneth; McMeekin, Helena; Navalkissoor, Shaunak; Wagner, Thomas

2017-02-01

This study aims to compare the incidence of ventilation/perfusion (V/Q) scans interpreted as indeterminate for the diagnosis of pulmonary embolism (PE) using single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) versus planar scintigraphy and to consider the effect of variable interpretation of single subsegmental V/Q mismatch (SSM). A total of 1300 consecutive V/Q scans were retrospectively reviewed. After exclusion and matching for age and sex, 542 SPECT and 589 planar scans were included in the analysis. European Association of Nuclear Medicine guidelines were used to interpret the V/Q scans, initially interpreting SSM as negative scans. Patients with SSM were followed up for 3 months and further imaging for PE was collected. Indeterminate scans were significantly fewer in the SPECT than the planar group on the basis of the initial report (7.7 vs. 12.2%, P<0.05). This is irrespective of classification of SSM as a negative scan (4.6 vs. 12.1%, P<0.0001) or an indeterminate scan (8.3 vs. 12.2%, P<0.05). Of the 21 patients who had SSM, 19 underwent computer tomography pulmonary angiogram and embolism was found in one patient. None of these patients died at the 3-month follow-up. V/Q SPECT has greater diagnostic certainty of PE, with a 41% reduction in an indeterminate scan compared with planar scintigraphy. This is irrespective of the clinician's interpretation of SSM as negative or intermediate probability. Patients with SSM would not require further computer tomography pulmonary angiogram imaging.

The value of preoperative computed tomography combined with ultrasound in the investigation of small indeterminate liver lesions in patients with colorectal cancer.

PubMed

Abraham-Nordling, Mirna; Öistämö, Emma; Josephson, Thomas; Hjern, Fredrik; Blomqvist, Lennart

2017-11-01

Background Computed tomography (CT) is used routinely for the preoperative detection of colorectal cancer (CRC) metastases. When small indeterminate focal liver lesions are detected that are too small to characterize (TSTC) on CT, additional imaging is usually needed, resulting in a potential delay in obtaining a complete diagnostic work-up. Purpose To determine the diagnostic accuracy of ultrasound (US) of the liver performed in direct conjunction to CT in the preoperative investigation among patients with newly diagnosed CRC when indeterminate liver lesions were found on CT. Material and Methods Preoperative investigations with CT and consecutive US where CT had shown at least one focal liver lesion in 74 patients diagnosed with CRC between June 2009 and February 2012 were retrospectively reviewed. Either histopathological findings or a combination of imaging and clinical follow-up one to three years after surgery was used as the reference. Results Liver metastases were diagnosed with CT/US in 13 out of 74 patients (17.6%). In one patient, a liver cyst was preoperatively regarded as liver metastasis by a combined CT/US. The sensitivity and specificity for the CT with consecutive US procedure was 100% (13/13) and 98.4% (60/61). Conclusion US performed in conjunction with CT in patients with indeterminate focal liver lesions on CT is an accurate work-up for detection of liver metastases in patients with newly diagnosed CRC. Although our results are promising, they cannot be considered safely generalizable to all hospitals.

The yield of adequate and conclusive fine-needle aspiration results in thyroid nodules is uniform across functional and goiter types.

PubMed

Liel, Y

1999-01-01

Relatively little is known about the cytological characteristics of hyperfunctioning (hot) thyroid nodules. Concern has been expressed that fine-needle aspiration (FNA) identifies hot nodules as follicular tumors or indeterminate, and as a consequence patients could be unnecessarily referred for surgery. Between 1979 and 1996, thyroid FNA was performed on 829 patients. Result of thyroid scan was available in 326; 69 (21%) patients had hot, and 257 (79%) had warm or cold thyroid nodules. Nodules in each of these major groups were divided into 2 subgroups: clinically solitary nodules and dominant nodules in multinodular goiters (MNG). The frequencies of adequate versus inadequate FNA samples, and of conclusive versus indeterminate FNA results were determined separately for each of the groups and subgroups. In addition, patients with hot nodules and overt hyperthyroidism were identified and evaluated separately. Bivariate analyses were performed for the frequency of adequate versus inadequate smears and conclusive versus indeterminate results between hot, toxic, and cold-warm nodules, and between solitary nodules and MNG. The frequency of adequate aspirations and conclusive results in the various groups and subgroups was found to be statistically indistinguishable. In conclusion, the yield of adequate samples and the rate of conclusive results of FNA in thyroid nodules is similar, irrespective of the functional state or of goiter presentation. Hot thyroid nodules do not seem to produce an increase in the rate of inadequate or indeterminate FNA results, and therefore, do not affect the overall performance of thyroid FNA.

On estimating the accuracy of monitoring methods using Bayesian error propagation technique

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zonta, Daniele; Bruschetta, Federico; Cappello, Carlo; Zandonini, R.; Pozzi, Matteo; Wang, Ming; Glisic, B.; Inaudi, D.; Posenato, D.; Zhao, Y.

2014-04-01

This paper illustrates an application of Bayesian logic to monitoring data analysis and structural condition state inference. The case study is a 260 m long cable-stayed bridge spanning the Adige River 10 km north of the town of Trento, Italy. This is a statically indeterminate structure, having a composite steel-concrete deck, supported by 12 stay cables. Structural redundancy, possible relaxation losses and an as-built condition differing from design, suggest that long-term load redistribution between cables can be expected. To monitor load redistribution, the owner decided to install a monitoring system which combines built-on-site elasto-magnetic and fiber-optic sensors. In this note, we discuss a rational way to improve the accuracy of the load estimate from the EM sensors taking advantage of the FOS information. More specifically, we use a multi-sensor Bayesian data fusion approach which combines the information from the two sensing systems with the prior knowledge, including design information and the outcomes of laboratory calibration. Using the data acquired to date, we demonstrate that combining the two measurements allows a more accurate estimate of the cable load, to better than 50 kN.

THE TREATMENT OF INTERSEX AND THE PROBLEM OF DELAY: THE AUSTRALIAN SENATE INQUIRY INTO INTERSEX SURGERY AND CONFLICTING HUMAN RIGHTS FOR CHILDREN.

PubMed

O'Connor, Mike

2016-03-01

When a child is born with indeterminate genitalia (so-called intersex or disordered sex development), it becomes very difficult to balance the child's right to determine their own sexual future against the problems of living as a child with an indeterminate gender. Moreover, the initial assignment of gender may prove to be inappropriate and major psychological disturbances in the recipient can arise during adolescence and adult life. The problems of these children were explained to the Australian Senate Committee during its inquiry into intersex surgery in 2013. As a result, the Committee made a number of recommendations, including a proposal that all surgery be deferred until the child is able to consent to treatment. The author argues that the Committee's proposal to delay all modifications of indeterminate genitalia is impractical. The inclusion in the definition of intersex of common conditions (such as hypospadias in genetic male infants) means that necessary and uncontroversial surgery will be delayed until after puberty. This delay may be harmful and adverse to some children's best interests.

Neuroscience, quantum indeterminism and the Cartesian soul.

PubMed

Clarke, Peter G H

2014-02-01

Quantum indeterminism is frequently invoked as a solution to the problem of how a disembodied soul might interact with the brain (as Descartes proposed), and is sometimes invoked in theories of libertarian free will even when they do not involve dualistic assumptions. Taking as example the Eccles-Beck model of interaction between self (or soul) and brain at the level of synaptic exocytosis, I here evaluate the plausibility of these approaches. I conclude that Heisenbergian uncertainty is too small to affect synaptic function, and that amplification by chaos or by other means does not provide a solution to this problem. Furthermore, even if Heisenbergian effects did modify brain functioning, the changes would be swamped by those due to thermal noise. Cells and neural circuits have powerful noise-resistance mechanisms, that are adequate protection against thermal noise and must therefore be more than sufficient to buffer against Heisenbergian effects. Other forms of quantum indeterminism must be considered, because these can be much greater than Heisenbergian uncertainty, but these have not so far been shown to play a role in the brain. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Indetermination of particle sizing by laser diffraction in the anomalous size ranges

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pan, Linchao; Ge, Baozhen; Zhang, Fugen

2017-09-01

The laser diffraction method is widely used to measure particle size distributions. It is generally accepted that the scattering angle becomes smaller and the angles to the location of the main peak of scattered energy distributions in laser diffraction instruments shift to smaller values with increasing particle size. This specific principle forms the foundation of the laser diffraction method. However, this principle is not entirely correct for non-absorbing particles in certain size ranges and these particle size ranges are called anomalous size ranges. Here, we derive the analytical formulae for the bounds of the anomalous size ranges and discuss the influence of the width of the size segments on the signature of the Mie scattering kernel. This anomalous signature of the Mie scattering kernel will result in an indetermination of the particle size distribution when measured by laser diffraction instruments in the anomalous size ranges. By using the singular-value decomposition method we interpret the mechanism of occurrence of this indetermination in detail and then validate its existence by using inversion simulations.

Pushover analysis of reinforced concrete frames considering shear failure at beam-column joints

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sung, Y. C.; Lin, T. K.; Hsiao, C. C.; Lai, M. C.

2013-09-01

Since most current seismic capacity evaluations of reinforced concrete (RC) frame structures are implemented by either static pushover analysis (PA) or dynamic time history analysis, with diverse settings of the plastic hinges (PHs) on such main structural components as columns, beams and walls, the complex behavior of shear failure at beam-column joints (BCJs) during major earthquakes is commonly neglected. This study proposes new nonlinear PA procedures that consider shear failure at BCJs and seek to assess the actual damage to RC structures. Based on the specifications of FEMA-356, a simplified joint model composed of two nonlinear cross struts placed diagonally over the location of the plastic hinge is established, allowing a sophisticated PA to be performed. To verify the validity of this method, the analytical results for the capacity curves and the failure mechanism derived from three different full-size RC frames are compared with the experimental measurements. By considering shear failure at BCJs, the proposed nonlinear analytical procedures can be used to estimate the structural behavior of RC frames, including seismic capacity and the progressive failure sequence of joints, in a precise and effective manner.

Quantitative image fusion in infrared radiometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Romm, Iliya; Cukurel, Beni

2018-05-01

Towards high-accuracy infrared radiance estimates, measurement practices and processing techniques aimed to achieve quantitative image fusion using a set of multi-exposure images of a static scene are reviewed. The conventional non-uniformity correction technique is extended, as the original is incompatible with quantitative fusion. Recognizing the inherent limitations of even the extended non-uniformity correction, an alternative measurement methodology, which relies on estimates of the detector bias using self-calibration, is developed. Combining data from multi-exposure images, two novel image fusion techniques that ultimately provide high tonal fidelity of a photoquantity are considered: ‘subtract-then-fuse’, which conducts image subtraction in the camera output domain and partially negates the bias frame contribution common to both the dark and scene frames; and ‘fuse-then-subtract’, which reconstructs the bias frame explicitly and conducts image fusion independently for the dark and the scene frames, followed by subtraction in the photoquantity domain. The performances of the different techniques are evaluated for various synthetic and experimental data, identifying the factors contributing to potential degradation of the image quality. The findings reflect the superiority of the ‘fuse-then-subtract’ approach, conducting image fusion via per-pixel nonlinear weighted least squares optimization.

Basic physics of nuclear magnetic resonance.

PubMed

Patz, S

1986-01-01

This review of basic physics of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) discusses precession of magnetic nuclei in a static external field, introduces the concept of the rotating frame, and describes excitation of nuclei by an RF field. Treats subject of T1 and T2 relaxation from the dual viewpoints of (1) phenomena of relaxation times for both the longitudinal and transverse magnetization and (2) relaxation resulting from local field fluctuations. It describes practical ways in which T1 and T2 are measured (i.e., inversion recovery and spin-echo) and gives the value of the nuclear magnetization in thermodynamic equilibrium with a static external field. It discusses the reduction of NMR signal resulting from saturation. These concepts are related to clinical use with a set of four spin-echo images of a human head.

Comparison of different approaches of modelling in a masonry building

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saba, M.; Meloni, D.

2017-12-01

The present work has the objective to model a simple masonry building, through two different modelling methods in order to assess their validity in terms of evaluation of static stresses. Have been chosen two of the most commercial software used to address this kind of problem, which are of S.T.A. Data S.r.l. and Sismicad12 of Concrete S.r.l. While the 3Muri software adopts the Frame by Macro Elements Method (FME), which should be more schematic and more efficient, Sismicad12 software uses the Finite Element Method (FEM), which guarantees accurate results, with greater computational burden. Remarkably differences of the static stresses, for such a simple structure between the two approaches have been found, and an interesting comparison and analysis of the reasons is proposed.

Are fixations in static natural scenes a useful predictor of attention in the real world?

PubMed

Foulsham, Tom; Kingstone, Alan

2017-06-01

Research investigating scene perception normally involves laboratory experiments using static images. Much has been learned about how observers look at pictures of the real world and the attentional mechanisms underlying this behaviour. However, the use of static, isolated pictures as a proxy for studying everyday attention in real environments has led to the criticism that such experiments are artificial. We report a new study that tests the extent to which the real world can be reduced to simpler laboratory stimuli. We recorded the gaze of participants walking on a university campus with a mobile eye tracker, and then showed static frames from this walk to new participants, in either a random or sequential order. The aim was to compare the gaze of participants walking in the real environment with fixations on pictures of the same scene. The data show that picture order affects interobserver fixation consistency and changes looking patterns. Critically, while fixations on the static images overlapped significantly with the actual real-world eye movements, they did so no more than a model that assumed a general bias to the centre. Remarkably, a model that simply takes into account where the eyes are normally positioned in the head-independent of what is actually in the scene-does far better than any other model. These data reveal that viewing patterns to static scenes are a relatively poor proxy for predicting real world eye movement behaviour, while raising intriguing possibilities for how to best measure attention in everyday life. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

Theoretical research and experimental validation of elastic dynamic load spectra on bogie frame of high-speed train

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhu, Ning; Sun, Shouguang; Li, Qiang; Zou, Hua

2016-05-01

When a train runs at high speeds, the external exciting frequencies approach the natural frequencies of bogie critical components, thereby inducing strong elastic vibrations. The present international reliability test evaluation standard and design criteria of bogie frames are all based on the quasi-static deformation hypothesis. Structural fatigue damage generated by structural elastic vibrations has not yet been included. In this paper, theoretical research and experimental validation are done on elastic dynamic load spectra on bogie frame of high-speed train. The construction of the load series that correspond to elastic dynamic deformation modes is studied. The simplified form of the load series is obtained. A theory of simplified dynamic load-time histories is then deduced. Measured data from the Beijing-Shanghai Dedicated Passenger Line are introduced to derive the simplified dynamic load-time histories. The simplified dynamic discrete load spectra of bogie frame are established. Based on the damage consistency criterion and a genetic algorithm, damage consistency calibration of the simplified dynamic load spectra is finally performed. The computed result proves that the simplified load series is reasonable. The calibrated damage that corresponds to the elastic dynamic discrete load spectra can cover the actual damage at the operating conditions. The calibrated damage satisfies the safety requirement of damage consistency criterion for bogie frame. This research is helpful for investigating the standardized load spectra of bogie frame of high-speed train.

An Experimental Investigation on the Static Equilibria and Dynamics of Liquid Bridges. Degree Awarded by the University of Alabama, 1997

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Resnick, Andrew Howard

1997-01-01

A liquid bridge is a volume of liquid held between two or more solid supports. In the case of small disk supports with a sharp edge, the contact line between the bridge and the support disk will be anchored along the edge of the disk. For these cases the solid presents a geometrical singularity and the contact angle is indeterminate within a given range. This dissertation presents research conducted on liquid bridges with anchored contact lines. The three major topics covered are: determining the role of support geometry on static equilibria, liquid bridge dynamical behavior, and forces exerted by a liquid bridge on a support structure. The work was primarily experimental and conducted in a "Plateau tank" that allowed for the simulation of equivalent low-gravity conditions. The main thrust of the experimental work involved the use of a high resolution optical measurement system for imaging the dynamic zone shape, measurement of the static and dynamic contact angles and non-invasive analysis of excited surface modes. The liquid bridge was manipulated by computer controlled linear actuators which allowed precise control over the physical characteristics of the bridge. Experiments have been carried out to locate a bifurcation point along the maximum volume axisymmetric stability margin. Below the critical slenderness the bifurcation from an axisymmetric to a stable nonaxisymmetric configuration is supercritical. However, above this critical slenderness, the bifurcation is subcritical. A series of experiments analyzed the effect on axisymmetric bridge stability by using support disks of different radii, The shape behavior as transition points were approached, as well as the limiting case of a vanishing support radius was investigated. Experiments were performed to determine the resonant frequencies of axisymmetric bridges subject to lateral vibrations. Anomolous results led to a series of experiments to characterize nonlinearities present in the dynamic bridge shape. Finally, an attempt was made to experimentally measure the force exerted by the bridge on the lower support disk. This was done through use of a force balance apparatus. Particular attention was paid to the behavior of the bridge as the minimum volume stability limit was approached.

Combinatorial Reductions for the Stanley Depth of I and S/I

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

Keller, Mitchel T.; Young, Stephen J.

2017-09-07

We develop combinatorial tools to study the realtionship between the Stanley depth of a monomial ideal I and the Stanley depth of its compliment S/I. Using these results we prove that if S is a polynomial ring with at most 5 indeterminates and I is a square-free monomial ideal, then the Stanley depth of I is strictly larger than the Stanley depth of S/I. Using a computer search, we extend the strict inequality to the case of polynomial rings with at most 7 indeterminates. This partially answers questinos asked by Proescu and Qureshi as well as Herzog.

Tensile Deformation and Adiabatic Heating in Post-Yield Response of Polycarbonate

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-11-01

display a currently valid OMB control number. PLEASE DO NOT RETURN YOUR FORM TO THE ABOVE ADDRESS. 1. REPORT DATE (DD-MM-YYYY) November 2015 2...to investigate the rate-dependent mechanical response from quasi-static to intermediate (~5/s) strain rates using a traditional servo -hydraulic load...less than 7-mm thickness) These specimens were loaded in tension using an Instron servo -hydraulic test frame. Far-field load and stress measurements

REDIR: Automated Static Detection of Obfuscated Anti-Debugging Techniques

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-03-27

analyzing code samples that resist other forms of analysis. 2.5.6 RODS and HASTI: Software Engineering Cognitive Support Software Engineering (SE) is another...and (c) this method is resistant to common obfuscation techniques. To achieve this goal, the Data/Frame sensemaking theory guides the process of...No Starch Press, 2012. [46] C.-W. Hsu, S. W. Shieh et al., “Divergence Detector: A Fine-Grained Approach to Detecting VM-Awareness Malware,” in

An Innovative Procedure for Calibration of Strapdown Electro-Optical Sensors Onboard Unmanned Air Vehicles

PubMed Central

Fasano, Giancarmine; Accardo, Domenico; Moccia, Antonio; Rispoli, Attilio

2010-01-01

This paper presents an innovative method for estimating the attitude of airborne electro-optical cameras with respect to the onboard autonomous navigation unit. The procedure is based on the use of attitude measurements under static conditions taken by an inertial unit and carrier-phase differential Global Positioning System to obtain accurate camera position estimates in the aircraft body reference frame, while image analysis allows line-of-sight unit vectors in the camera based reference frame to be computed. The method has been applied to the alignment of the visible and infrared cameras installed onboard the experimental aircraft of the Italian Aerospace Research Center and adopted for in-flight obstacle detection and collision avoidance. Results show an angular uncertainty on the order of 0.1° (rms). PMID:22315559

Failure behavior of generic metallic and composite aircraft structural components under crash loads

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Carden, Huey D.; Robinson, Martha P.

1990-01-01

Failure behavior results are presented from crash dynamics research using concepts of aircraft elements and substructure not necessarily designed or optimized for energy absorption or crash loading considerations. To achieve desired new designs incorporating improved energy absorption capabilities often requires an understanding of how more conventional designs behave under crash loadings. Experimental and analytical data are presented which indicate some general trends in the failure behavior of a class of composite structures including individual fuselage frames, skeleton subfloors with stringers and floor beams without skin covering, and subfloors with skin added to the frame-stringer arrangement. Although the behavior is complex, a strong similarity in the static/dynamic failure behavior among these structures is illustrated through photographs of the experimental results and through analytical data of generic composite structural models.

Aeroelastic Deformation Measurements of Flap, Gap, and Overhang on a Semispan Model

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Burner, A. W.; Liu, Tian-Shu; Garg, Sanjay; Ghee, Terence A.; Taylor, Nigel J.

2001-01-01

Single-camera, single-view videogrammetry has been used for the first time to determine static aeroelastic deformation of a slotted flap configuration on a semispan model at the National Transonic Facility (NTF). Deformation was determined by comparing wind-off to wind-on spatial data from targets placed on the main element, shroud, and flap of the model. Digitized video images from a camera were recorded and processed to automatically determine target image plane locations that were then corrected for sensor, lens, and frame grabber spatial errors. The videogrammetric technique used for the measurements presented here has been established at NASA facilities as the technique of choice when high-volume static aeroelastic data with minimum impact on data taking is required. However, the primary measurement at the NTF with this technique in the past has been the measurement of the static aeroelastic wing twist of the main wing element on full span models rather than for the measurement of component deformation. Considerations for using the videogrammetric technique for semispan component deformation measurements as well as representative results are presented.

Performance of a fully disposable, digital, single-operator cholangiopancreatoscope.

PubMed

Shah, Raj J; Raijman, Isaac; Brauer, Brian; Gumustop, Bora; Pleskow, Douglas K

2017-07-01

Background and study aim  Our aim was to evaluate the first use in humans of a new, single-use, digital, single-operator intraductal cholangiopancreatoscopy system (IDCP). Patients and methods  Data were collected retrospectively from four US institutions between February 2015 and April 2015. The visual impression of neoplasia or benign findings with IDCP was determined by the performing endoscopist. High grade dysplasia, intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm, neuroendocrine tumor, and malignancy were categorized as neoplasia. Benign disease was defined as the absence of neoplasia during ≥ 6 months of follow-up. Results  Patients (n = 108) with indeterminate strictures, dilatation, or difficult stones underwent IDCP. Of 74 patients with indeterminate stricture or dilatation, 29 (39 %) had neoplasia, of which 25 were confirmed by miniature biopsy forceps, 2 by surgical pathology, and 2 by the presence of metastatic disease on follow-up imaging. In patients with benign disease, 15 had concentric stenosis or normal/erythematous changes, 5 had low papillary mucosal projections, 6 had coarse granular mucosa, and 4 had nodular mucosa. Findings in patients with neoplastic disease included dilated, tortuous vessels ("tumor vessels"; n = 13), irregular margins with partial occlusion of the lumen (infiltrative stricture, n = 12), villous or nodular mass (n = 9), and finger-like villiform projections (n = 5). Operating characteristics for indeterminate stricture or dilatation were: 97 % sensitivity, 93 % specificity, 90 % positive predictive value, 98 % negative predictive value. Targeted biopsy yielded 86 % sensitivity and 100 % specificity. Stone clearance was noted in all cases. Adverse events occurred in 3 %. Conclusion  The new IDCP system provides enhanced image resolution, and may improve the ability to target difficult stones and diagnose indeterminate strictures. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Reasons Associated with Total Thyroidectomy as Initial Surgical Management of an Indeterminate Thyroid Nodule.

PubMed

Angell, Trevor E; Vyas, Chirag M; Barletta, Justine A; Cibas, Edmund S; Cho, Nancy L; Doherty, Gerard M; Gawande, Atul A; Howitt, Brooke E; Krane, Jeffrey F; Marqusee, Ellen; Strickland, Kyle C; Alexander, Erik K; Moore, Francis D; Nehs, Matthew A

2018-05-01

Diagnostic hemithyroidectomy (HT) is the most widely recommended surgical procedure for a nodule with indeterminate cytology; however, additional details may make initial total thyroidectomy (TT) preferable. We sought to identify patient-specific factors (PSFs) associated with initial TT in patients with indeterminate thyroid nodules. Retrospective analysis of all patients with a thyroid nodule ≥ 1 cm and initial cytology of atypia of undetermined significance or suspicious for follicular neoplasm between 2012 and 2015 who underwent thyroidectomy. Medical records were reviewed for patient demographics, neck symptoms, nodule size, cytology, molecular test results, final histopathology, and additional PSFs influencing surgical management. Variables were analyzed to determine associations with the use of initial TT. Logistic regression analyses were performed to identify independent associations. Of 325 included patients, 182/325 (56.0%) had HT and 143/325 (44.0%) had TT. While patient age and sex, nodule size, and cytology result were not associated with initial treatment, five PSFs were associated with initial TT (p < 0.0001). These included contralateral nodules, hypothyroidism, fluorodeoxyglucose avidity on positron emission tomography scan, family history of thyroid cancer, and increased surgical risk. At least one PSF was present in 126/143 (88.1%) TT patients versus 47/182 (25.8%) HT patients (p < 0.0001). Multivariate logistic regression analysis demonstrated that these variables were the strongest independent predictor of TT (odds ratio 45.93, 95% confidence interval 18.80-112.23, p < 0.001). When surgical management of an indeterminate cytology thyroid nodule was performed, several PSFs were associated with a preference by surgeons and patients for initial TT, which may be useful to consider in making decisions on initial operative extent.

Ultra low dose CT screen-detected non-malignant incidental findings in the Western Australian Asbestos Review Programme.

PubMed

Murray, Conor P; Wong, Patrick M; Teh, Joelin; de Klerk, Nick; Rosenow, Tim; Alfonso, Helman; Reid, Alison; Franklin, Peter; Musk, A W Bill; Brims, Fraser J H

2016-11-01

Computed tomography (CT)-based studies of asbestos-exposed individuals report a high prevalence of lung cancer, but the utility of low dose CT (LDCT) to screen asbestos-exposed populations is not established. We aimed to describe the prevalence of indeterminate pulmonary nodules and incidental findings on chest LDCT of asbestos-exposed subjects in Western Australia. A total of 906 subjects from the Western Australian Asbestos Review Programme underwent LDCT of the chest as part of regular annual review. An indeterminate (solid) nodule was defined as >50 mm 3 and part-solid/non-solid nodules >5 mm. The presence of asbestos-related diseases was recorded with a standardized report. Subjects were mostly (81%) men with a median age of 70 years. Fifty-eight (6.5%) participants were current smokers, 511 (56.4%) ex-smokers and 325 (36.4%) never-smokers. One hundred and four indeterminate nodules were detected in 77 subjects (8.5%); of these, eight cases had confirmed lung cancer (0.88%). Eighty-seven subjects (9.6%) had incidental findings that required further investigation, 42 (4.6%) from lower airways inflammation. The majority of nodules were solid, 4-6 mm and more common with age. Five hundred and eighty (64%) subjects had pleural plaques, and 364 (40.2%) had evidence of interstitial lung disease. The prevalence of LDCT-detected indeterminate lung nodules in 906 individuals with significant asbestos exposure was 8.5%, lower than many other CT studies. Clinically important incidental findings were found in 9.4%, predominantly related to lower respiratory tract inflammation. LDCT appears to effectively describe asbestos-related diseases and is likely to be an acceptable modality to monitor asbestos-exposed individuals. © 2016 Asian Pacific Society of Respirology.

The added value of using mutational profiling in addition to cytology in diagnosing aggressive pancreaticobiliary disease: review of clinical cases at a single center

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background This study aimed to better understand the supporting role that mutational profiling (MP) of DNA from microdissected cytology slides and supernatant specimens may play in the diagnosis of malignancy in fine-needle aspirates (FNA) and biliary brushing specimens from patients with pancreaticobiliary masses. Methods Cytology results were examined in a total of 30 patients with associated surgical (10) or clinical (20) outcomes. MP of DNA from microdissected cytology slides and from discarded supernatant fluid was analyzed in 26 patients with atypical, negative or indeterminate cytology. Results Cytology correctly diagnosed aggressive disease in 4 patients. Cytological diagnoses for the remaining 26 were as follows: 16 negative (9 false negative), 9 atypical, 1 indeterminate. MP correctly determined aggressive disease in 1 false negative cytology case and confirmed a negative cytology diagnosis in 7 of 7 cases of non-aggressive disease. Of the 9 atypical cytology cases, MP correctly diagnosed 7 as positive and 1 as negative for aggressive disease. One specimen that was indeterminate by cytology was correctly diagnosed as non-aggressive by MP. When first line malignant (positive) cytology results were combined with positive second line MP results, 12/21 cases of aggressive disease were identified, compared to 4/21 cases identified by positive cytology alone. Conclusions When first line cytology results were uncertain (atypical), questionable (negative), or not possible (non-diagnostic/indeterminate), MP provided additional information regarding the presence of aggressive disease. When used in conjunction with first line cytology, MP increased detection of aggressive disease without compromising specificity in patients that were difficult to diagnose by cytology alone. PMID:25084836

Radiological indeterminate vestibular schwannoma and meningioma in cerebellopontine angle area: differentiating using whole-tumor histogram analysis of apparent diffusion coefficient.

PubMed

Xu, Xiao-Quan; Li, Yan; Hong, Xun-Ning; Wu, Fei-Yun; Shi, Hai-Bin

2017-02-01

To assess the role of whole-tumor histogram analysis of apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) maps in differentiating radiological indeterminate vestibular schwannoma (VS) from meningioma in cerebellopontine angle (CPA). Diffusion-weighted (DW) images (b = 0 and 1000 s/mm 2 ) of pathologically confirmed and radiological indeterminate CPA meningioma (CPAM) (n = 27) and VS (n = 12) were retrospectively collected and processed with mono-exponential model. Whole-tumor regions of interest were drawn on all slices of the ADC maps to obtain histogram parameters, including the mean ADC (ADC mean ), median ADC (ADC median ), 10th/25th/75th/90th percentile ADC (ADC 10 , ADC 25 , ADC 75 and ADC 90 ), skewness and kurtosis. The differences of ADC histogram parameters between CPAM and VS were compared using unpaired t-test. Multiple receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves analysis was used to determine and compare the diagnostic value of each significant parameter. Significant differences were found on the ADC mean , ADC median , ADC 10 , ADC 25 , ADC 75 and ADC 90 between CPAM and VS (all p values < 0.001), while no significant difference was found on kurtosis (p = 0.562) and skewness (p = 0.047). ROC curves analysis revealed, a cut-off value of 1.126 × 10 -3 mm 2 /s for the ADC 90 value generated highest area under curves (AUC) for differentiating CPAM from VS (AUC, 0.975; sensitivity, 100%; specificity, 88.9%). Histogram analysis of ADC maps based on whole tumor can be a useful tool for differentiating radiological indeterminate CPAM from VS. The ADC 90 value was the most promising parameter for differentiating these two entities.

Comparison of Accuracy Between 13C- and 14C-Urea Breath Testing: Is an Indeterminate-Results Category Still Needed?

PubMed

Charest, Mathieu; Bélair, Marc-André

2017-06-01

Helicobacter pylori infection is the leading cause of peptic ulcer disease. The purpose of this study was, first, to assess the difference in the distribution of negative versus positive results between the older 14 C-urea breath test and the newer 13 C-urea breath test and, second, to determine whether use of an indeterminate-results category is still meaningful and what type of results should trigger repeated testing. Methods: A retrospective survey was performed of all consecutive patients referred to our service for urea breath testing. We analyzed 562 patients who had undergone testing with 14 C-urea and 454 patients who had undergone testing with 13 C-urea. Results: In comparison with the wide distribution of negative 14 C results, negative 13 C results were distributed farther from the cutoff and were grouped more tightly around the mean negative value. Distribution analysis of the negative results for 13 C testing, compared with those for 14 C testing, revealed a statistically significant difference between the two. Within the 13 C group, only 1 patient could have been classified as having indeterminate results using the same indeterminate zone as was used for the 14 C group. This is significantly less frequent than what was found for the 14 C group. Discussion: Borderline-negative results do occur with 13 C-urea breath testing, although less frequently than with 14 C-urea breath testing, and we will be carefully monitoring differences falling between 3.0 and 3.5 %Δ. 13 C-urea breath testing is safe and simple for the patient and, in most cases, provides clearer positive or negative results for the clinician. © 2017 by the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging.

Habitat structure and body size distributions: Cross-ecosystem comparison for taxa with determinate and indeterminate growth

USGS Publications Warehouse

Nash, Kirsty L.; Allen, Craig R.; Barichievy, Chris; Nystrom, Magnus; Sundstrom, Shana M.; Graham, Nicholas A.J.

2014-01-01

Habitat structure across multiple spatial and temporal scales has been proposed as a key driver of body size distributions for associated communities. Thus, understanding the relationship between habitat and body size is fundamental to developing predictions regarding the influence of habitat change on animal communities. Much of the work assessing the relationship between habitat structure and body size distributions has focused on terrestrial taxa with determinate growth, and has primarily analysed discontinuities (gaps) in the distribution of species mean sizes (species size relationships or SSRs). The suitability of this approach for taxa with indeterminate growth has yet to be determined. We provide a cross-ecosystem comparison of bird (determinate growth) and fish (indeterminate growth) body mass distributions using four independent data sets. We evaluate three size distribution indices: SSRs, species size–density relationships (SSDRs) and individual size–density relationships (ISDRs), and two types of analysis: looking for either discontinuities or abundance patterns and multi-modality in the distributions. To assess the respective suitability of these three indices and two analytical approaches for understanding habitat–size relationships in different ecosystems, we compare their ability to differentiate bird or fish communities found within contrasting habitat conditions. All three indices of body size distribution are useful for examining the relationship between cross-scale patterns of habitat structure and size for species with determinate growth, such as birds. In contrast, for species with indeterminate growth such as fish, the relationship between habitat structure and body size may be masked when using mean summary metrics, and thus individual-level data (ISDRs) are more useful. Furthermore, ISDRs, which have traditionally been used to study aquatic systems, present a potentially useful common currency for comparing body size distributions across terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Intraductal biliopancreatic imaging: European Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ESGE) technology review.

PubMed

Tringali, Andrea; Lemmers, Arnaud; Meves, Volker; Terheggen, Grischa; Pohl, Jürgen; Manfredi, Guido; Häfner, Michael; Costamagna, Guido; Devière, Jacques; Neuhaus, Horst; Caillol, Fabrice; Giovannini, Marc; Hassan, Cesare; Dumonceau, Jean-Marc

2015-08-01

This technology review expresses the current view of the European Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ESGE) on the available techniques for intraductal biliopancreatic imaging. The three cholangioscopy techniques are described: the "dual-operator" and " single-operator" mother-baby approaches using dedicated instruments, and the "direct" technique using currently available ultrathin gastroscopes. The mother-baby method is standardized and reproducible, while direct cholangioscopy is technically demanding and its safety requires further evaluation. As well as direct visualization of the bile ducts, cholangioscopy has the further advantage of allowing targeted biopsy. Image quality is still suboptimal for single-operator cholangioscopy, while the other techniques have achieved adequately detailed imaging. The costs of mother-baby cholangioscopy are high and its application in clinical practice should be restricted to selected cases (i.e. indeterminate biliary strictures/intraluminal lesions, difficult biliary stones) and to the setting of tertiary care centers. Peroral pancreatoscopy may find an indication in situations where other imaging modalities (mainly EUS) are inconclusive (i.e. delineation of main duct intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasia extension, sampling of indeterminate main pancreatic duct strictures). Intraductal ultrasonography (IDUS) has a poorer performance than EUS in the staging of pancreatic malignancies and can increase the risk of pancreatitis. A promising indication for IDUS could be the evaluation of indeterminate biliary strictures and ampullary tumors. Probe-based confocal laser endomicroscopy (pCLE) of the bile ducts is a difficult and expensive technique. Appropriate training needs to be established, since interpretation of images is challenging. pCLE can be an important diagnostic tool in the setting of indeterminate biliary strictures. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Yield of Routine Image-Guided Biopsy of Renal Mass Thermal Ablation Zones: 11-Year Experience.

PubMed

Wasnik, Ashish P; Higgins, Ellen J; Fox, Giovanna A; Caoili, Elaine M; Davenport, Matthew S

2018-06-19

To determine the yield of routine image-guided core biopsy of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) thermal ablation zones. Institutional review board approval was obtained for this Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act-compliant quality improvement effort. Routine core biopsy of RCC ablation zones was performed 2 months postablation from July 2003 to December 2014. Routine nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide staining was performed by specialized genitourinary pathologists to assess cell viability. The original purpose of performing routine postablation biopsy was to verify, in addition to imaging, whether the mass was completely treated. Imaging was stratified as negative, indeterminate, or positive for viable malignancy. Histology was stratified as negative, indeterminate, positive, or nondiagnostic for viable malignancy. Histology results were compared to prebiopsy imaging findings. Routine ablation zone biopsy was performed after 50% (146/292) of index ablations (24 cryoablations, 122 radiofrequency ablations), and postablation imaging was performed more often with multiphasic computed tomography than magnetic resonance imaging (100 vs 46, p < 0.0001). When imaging was negative (n = 117), biopsy added no additional information (92% [n = 108] negative, 0.9% [n = 1] indeterminate, 7% [n = 8] nondiagnostic). When imaging was indeterminate (n = 19), 11% (n = 2) of biopsies had viable RCC and 89% (n = 17) were negative. When imaging was positive, biopsy detected viable neoplasm in only 10% (1/10) of cases; 80% (8/10) were negative and 10% (1/10) were nondiagnostic. Routine biopsy of renal ablation zones to validate postablation imaging results was not value-added and therefore was discontinued at the study institution. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Concordance between the tuberculin skin test and interferon gamma release assay (IGRA) for diagnosing latent tuberculosis infection in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus and patient characteristics associated with an indeterminate IGRA.

PubMed

Cho, H; Kim, Y W; Suh, C-H; Jung, J-Y; Um, Y-J; Jung, J-H; Kim, H-A

2016-10-01

We investigated the agreement between the tuberculin skin test (TST) and the QuantiFERON-TB gold (QFT-G) assay in the diagnosis of latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Furthermore, we evaluated the factors associated with indeterminate results in the QFT-G assay in patients with SLE. We enrolled 136 patients with SLE prospectively, and compared them to 66 patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). In addition to the TST, QFT-G assay, patients' medications, and Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccination status were also investigated. A positive TST or QFT-G assay result without an active tuberculosis lesion on chest x-ray was considered to indicate a diagnosis of LTBI. The prevalence of LTBI was 26.5% in patients with SLE and 30.3% in patients with RA. The agreement between the TST and QFT-G assay was fair in SLE patients, but poor in RA patients. BCG vaccination was one factor associated with discordance between TST and QFT-G. Older age and higher SLE Disease Activity Index (SLEDAI) score were associated with a negative TST/positive QFT-G result in patients with SLE. Higher SLEDAI score and increased glucocorticoid dose were associated with an indeterminate result in the QFT-G assay for patients with SLE. Agreement between the QFT-G assay and TST in patients with SLE was found to be fair. However, BCG vaccination status, age, and SLEDAI score are all factors that could result in discordance between the two tests. Indeterminate results from the QFT-G assay may be caused by a higher SLEDAI score or increased glucocorticoid dose. © The Author(s) 2016.

Perceptual multistability in figure-ground segregation using motion stimuli.

PubMed

Gori, Simone; Giora, Enrico; Pedersini, Riccardo

2008-11-01

In a series of experiments using ambiguous stimuli, we investigate the effects of displaying ordered, discrete series of images on the dynamics of figure-ground segregation. For low frame presentation speeds, the series were perceived as a sequence of discontinuous, static images, while for high speeds they were perceived as continuous. We conclude that using stimuli varying continuously along one parameter results in stronger hysteresis and reduces spontaneous switching compared to matched static stimuli with discontinuous parameter changes. The additional evidence that the size of the hysteresis effects depended on trial duration is consistent with the stochastic nature of the dynamics governing figure-ground segregation. The results showed that for continuously changing stimuli, alternative figure-ground organizations are resolved via low-level, dynamical competition. A second series of experiments confirmed these results with an ambiguous stimulus based on Petter's effect.

Lensless microscopy technique for static and dynamic colloidal systems.

PubMed

Alvarez-Palacio, D C; Garcia-Sucerquia, J

2010-09-15

We present the application of a lensless microscopy technique known as digital in-line holographic microscopy (DIHM) to image dynamic and static colloidal systems of microspheres. DIHM has been perfected up to the point that submicrometer lateral resolution with several hundreds of micrometers depth of field is achieved with visible light; it is shown that the lateral resolution of DIHM is enough to resolve self-assembled colloidal monolayers built up from polystyrene spheres with submicrometer diameters. The time resolution of DIHM is of the order of 4 frames/s at 2048 x 2048 pixels, which represents an overall improvement of 16 times the time resolution of confocal scanning microscopy. This feature is applied to the visualization of the migration of dewetting fronts in dynamic colloidal systems and the formation of front-like arrangements of particles. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A Comparative Study of Registration Methods for RGB-D Video of Static Scenes

PubMed Central

Morell-Gimenez, Vicente; Saval-Calvo, Marcelo; Azorin-Lopez, Jorge; Garcia-Rodriguez, Jose; Cazorla, Miguel; Orts-Escolano, Sergio; Fuster-Guillo, Andres

2014-01-01

The use of RGB-D sensors for mapping and recognition tasks in robotics or, in general, for virtual reconstruction has increased in recent years. The key aspect of these kinds of sensors is that they provide both depth and color information using the same device. In this paper, we present a comparative analysis of the most important methods used in the literature for the registration of subsequent RGB-D video frames in static scenarios. The analysis begins by explaining the characteristics of the registration problem, dividing it into two representative applications: scene modeling and object reconstruction. Then, a detailed experimentation is carried out to determine the behavior of the different methods depending on the application. For both applications, we used standard datasets and a new one built for object reconstruction. PMID:24834909

Evaluation of gas-liquid chromatography for the rapid diagnosis of Clostridium difficile associated disease.

PubMed Central

Gianfrilli, P; Pantosti, A; Luzzi, I

1985-01-01

Direct gas-liquid chromatography of faecal specimens with isocaproic acid as a marker was used for the rapid diagnosis of Clostridium difficile associated diarrhoeal diseases. Ninety stools were examined and results were compared with conventional culture on selective medium and cytotoxin assay in tissue culture. Using a combined analysis of isocaproic acid and butyric acid peak heights we defined three categories: positive, negative, and indeterminate. When the indeterminate group was excluded, the positive and negative predictive values of gas-liquid chromatography analysis were 86.9% and 85% respectively compared with culture and 71.4% and 95% respectively compared with cytotoxin assay. PMID:4008667

Cystic Fibrosis Diagnosis and Newborn Screening.

PubMed

Rosenfeld, Margaret; Sontag, Marci K; Ren, Clement L

2016-08-01

The diagnosis of cystic fibrosis (CF) has evolved over the past decade as newborn screening has become universal in the United States and elsewhere. The heterogeneity of phenotypes associated with CF transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) dysfunction and mutations in the CFTR gene has become clearer, ranging from classic pancreatic-insufficient CF to manifestations in only 1 organ system to indeterminate diagnoses identified by newborn screening. The tools available for diagnosis have also expanded. This article reviews the newest diagnostic criteria for CF, newborn screening, prenatal screening and diagnosis, and indeterminate diagnoses in newborn-screened infants and symptomatic adults. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Misclassification of suicide deaths: examining the psychiatric history of overdose decedents.

PubMed

Bohnert, Amy S B; McCarthy, John F; Ignacio, Rosalinda V; Ilgen, Mark A; Eisenberg, Anna; Blow, Frederic C

2013-10-01

The intent of a death from overdose can be difficult to determine. The goal of this study was to examine the association of psychiatric diagnoses among overdose deaths ruled by a medical examiner as intentional, unintentional and indeterminate intent. All Veterans Health Administration patients in Fiscal Year 1999 (n=3 291 891) were followed through Fiscal Year 2006. We tested the relative strength of association between psychiatric disorders among types of overdoses (categorised by intent) using multinomial models, adjusted for age, sex, Veterans Affairs priority status and Charlson comorbidity scores. Data were from National Death Index records and patient medical records. Substance use disorders (SUD) had a stronger association with indeterminate intent overdoses than intentional overdoses (adjusted OR (AOR)=1.80, 95% CI 1.47 to 2.22). SUDs also had a stronger association with unintentional overdoses than intentional (AOR=1.48, 95% CI 1.27 to 1.72), but the reverse was true for all other psychiatric disorders (except post-traumatic stress disorder). Overdoses ruled indeterminate may be misclassified suicide deaths and are important to suicide surveillance and prevention efforts. Additionally, overdose deaths not classified as suicides may include some cases due to suicidal-like thinking without overt suicidal intent.

The limited impact of indeterminacy for healthcare rationing: how indeterminacy problems show the need for a hybrid theory, but nothing more.

PubMed

Herlitz, Anders

2016-01-01

A notorious debate in the ethics of healthcare rationing concerns whether to address rationing decisions with substantial principles or with a procedural approach. One major argument in favour of procedural approaches is that substantial principles are indeterminate so that we can reasonably disagree about how to apply them. To deal with indeterminacy, we need a just decision process. In this paper I argue that it is a mistake to abandon substantial principles just because they are indeterminate. It is true that reasonable substantial principles designed to deal with healthcare rationing can be expected to be indeterminate. Yet, the indeterminacy is only partial. In some situations we can fully determine what to do in light of the principles, in some situations we cannot. The conclusion to draw from this fact is not that we need to develop procedural approaches to healthcare rationing, but rather that we need a more complex theory in which both substantial principles and procedural approaches are needed. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/

Surgical management of benign and indeterminate hepatic lesions in the era of laparoscopic liver surgery.

PubMed

Abu Hilal, Mohammed; Di Fabio, Francesco; Teng, Mabel Joey; Godfrey, Dean Anthony; Primrose, John Neil; Pearce, Neil William

2011-01-01

The expansion of the laparoscopic approach for the management of benign liver lesions has raised concerns regarding the risk of widening surgical indications and compromising safety. Large single-centre series focusing on laparoscopic management of benign liver lesions are sporadic. We reviewed a prospectively collected database of patients undergoing pure laparoscopic liver resection (LLR) for benign liver lesions. All cases were individually discussed at a multidisciplinary team meeting. Forty-six patients underwent 50 LLRs for benign disease. Indications for surgery were: symptomatic lesions, preoperative diagnosis of adenoma or cystadenoma, and lesions with an indeterminate diagnosis. The preoperative diagnosis was uncertain in 11 cases. Of these, histological diagnosis was hepatocellular carcinoma in one (9%) and benign lesion in 10 patients (91%). Thirteen patients (28%) required major hepatectomy. Three patients (7%) developed postoperative complications. Mortality was nil. The median postoperative hospital stay following major and minor hepatectomy was 4 and 3 days, respectively. The laparoscopic approach represents a safe option for the management of benign and indeterminate liver lesions, even when major hepatectomy is required. LLR should be only performed in specialized centres to ensure safety and strict adherence to orthodox surgical indication. Copyright © 2011 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Increased appropriateness of customized alert acknowledgement reasons for overridden medication alerts in a computerized provider order entry system.

PubMed

Dekarske, Brian M; Zimmerman, Christopher R; Chang, Robert; Grant, Paul J; Chaffee, Bruce W

2015-12-01

Computerized provider order entry systems commonly contain alerting mechanisms for patient allergies, incorrect doses, or drug-drug interactions when ordering medications. Providers have the option to override (bypass) these alerts and continue with the order unchanged. This study examines the effect of customizing medication alert override options on the appropriateness of override selection related to patient allergies, drug dosing, and drug-drug interactions when ordering medications in an electronic medical record. In this prospective, randomized crossover study, providers were randomized into cohorts that required a reason for overriding a medication alert from a customized or non-customized list of override reasons and/or by free-text entry. The primary outcome was to compare override responses that appropriately correlate with the alert type between the customized and non-customized configurations. The appropriateness of a subset of free-text responses that represented an affirmative and active acknowledgement of the alert without further explanation was classified as "indeterminate." Results were analyzed in three different ways by classifying indeterminate answers as either appropriate, inappropriate, or excluded entirely. Secondary outcomes included the appropriateness of override reasons when comparing cohorts and individual providers, reason selection based on order within the override list, and the determination of the frequency of free-text use, nonsensical responses, and multiple selection responses. Twenty-two clinicians were randomized into 2 cohorts and a total of 1829 alerts with a required response were generated during the study period. The customized configuration had a higher rate of appropriateness when compared to the non-customized configuration regardless of how indeterminate responses were classified (p<0.001). When comparing cohorts, appropriateness was significantly higher in the customized configuration regardless of the classification of indeterminate responses (p<0.001) with one exception: when indeterminate responses were considered inappropriate for the cohort of providers that were first exposed to the non-customized list (p=0.103). Free-text use was higher in the customized configuration overall (p<0.001), and there was no difference in nonsensical response between configurations (p=0.39). There is a benefit realized by using a customized list for medication override reasons. Poor application design or configuration can negatively affect provider behavior when responding to important medication alerts. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.

Probabilistic structural analysis by extremum methods

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nafday, Avinash M.

1990-01-01

The objective is to demonstrate discrete extremum methods of structural analysis as a tool for structural system reliability evaluation. Specifically, linear and multiobjective linear programming models for analysis of rigid plastic frames under proportional and multiparametric loadings, respectively, are considered. Kinematic and static approaches for analysis form a primal-dual pair in each of these models and have a polyhedral format. Duality relations link extreme points and hyperplanes of these polyhedra and lead naturally to dual methods for system reliability evaluation.

High quality digital holographic reconstruction on analog film

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nelsen, B.; Hartmann, P.

2017-05-01

High quality real-time digital holographic reconstruction, i.e. at 30 Hz frame rates, has been at the forefront of research and has been hailed as the holy grail of display systems. While these efforts have produced a fascinating array of computer algorithms and technology, many applications of reconstructing high quality digital holograms do not require such high frame rates. In fact, applications such as 3D holographic lithography even require a stationary mask. Typical devices used for digital hologram reconstruction are based on spatial-light-modulator technology and this technology is great for reconstructing arbitrary holograms on the fly; however, it lacks the high spatial resolution achievable by its analog counterpart, holographic film. Analog holographic film is therefore the method of choice for reconstructing highquality static holograms. The challenge lies in taking a static, high-quality digitally calculated hologram and effectively writing it to holographic film. We have developed a theoretical system based on a tunable phase plate, an intensity adjustable high-coherence laser and a slip-stick based piezo rotation stage to effectively produce a digitally calculated hologram on analog film. The configuration reproduces the individual components, both the amplitude and phase, of the hologram in the Fourier domain. These Fourier components are then individually written on the holographic film after interfering with a reference beam. The system is analogous to writing angularly multiplexed plane waves with individual component phase control.

Radiation from violently accelerated bodies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gerlach, Ulrich H.

2001-11-01

A determination is made of the radiation emitted by a linearly uniformly accelerated uncharged dipole transmitter. It is found that, first of all, the radiation rate is given by the familiar Larmor formula, but it is augmented by an amount which becomes dominant for sufficiently high acceleration. For an accelerated dipole oscillator, the criterion is that the center of mass motion become relativistic within one oscillation period. The augmented formula and the measurements which it summarizes presuppose an expanding inertial observation frame. A static inertial reference frame will not do. Secondly, it is found that the radiation measured in the expanding inertial frame is received with 100% fidelity. There is no blueshift or redshift due to the accelerative motion of the transmitter. Finally, it is found that a pair of coherently radiating oscillators accelerating (into opposite directions) in their respective causally disjoint Rindler-coordinatized sectors produces an interference pattern in the expanding inertial frame. Like the pattern of a Young double slit interferometer, this Rindler interferometer pattern has a fringe spacing which is inversely proportional to the proper separation and the proper frequency of the accelerated sources. The interferometer, as well as the augmented Larmor formula, provide a unifying perspective. It joins adjacent Rindler-coordinatized neighborhoods into a single spacetime arena for scattering and radiation from accelerated bodies.

Investigation of kinematic features for dismount detection and tracking

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Narayanaswami, Ranga; Tyurina, Anastasia; Diel, David; Mehra, Raman K.; Chinn, Janice M.

2012-05-01

With recent changes in threats and methods of warfighting and the use of unmanned aircrafts, ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance) activities have become critical to the military's efforts to maintain situational awareness and neutralize the enemy's activities. The identification and tracking of dismounts from surveillance video is an important step in this direction. Our approach combines advanced ultra fast registration techniques to identify moving objects with a classification algorithm based on both static and kinematic features of the objects. Our objective was to push the acceptable resolution beyond the capability of industry standard feature extraction methods such as SIFT (Scale Invariant Feature Transform) based features and inspired by it, SURF (Speeded-Up Robust Feature). Both of these methods utilize single frame images. We exploited the temporal component of the video signal to develop kinematic features. Of particular interest were the easily distinguishable frequencies characteristic of bipedal human versus quadrupedal animal motion. We examine limits of performance, frame rates and resolution required for human, animal and vehicles discrimination. A few seconds of video signal with the acceptable frame rate allow us to lower resolution requirements for individual frames as much as by a factor of five, which translates into the corresponding increase of the acceptable standoff distance between the sensor and the object of interest.

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

Ko, Sung Moon; Park, Jeong-Hyuck; Suh, Minwoo, E-mail: sinsmk2003@sogang.ac.kr, E-mail: park@sogang.ac.kr, E-mail: minsuh@usc.edu

Double Field Theory suggests to view the whole massless sector of closed strings as the gravitational unity. The fundamental symmetries therein, including the O( D , D ) covariance, can determine unambiguously how the Standard Model as well as a relativistic point particle should couple to the closed string massless sector. The theory also refines the notion of singularity. We consider the most general, spherically symmetric, asymptotically flat, static vacuum solution to D =4 Double Field Theory, which contains three free parameters and consequently generalizes the Schwarzschild geometry. Analyzing the circular geodesic of a point particle in string frame, wemore » obtain the orbital velocity as a function of R /( M {sub ∞} G ) which is the dimensionless radial variable normalized by mass. The rotation curve generically features a maximum and thus non-Keplerian over a finite range, while becoming asymptotically Keplerian at infinity, R /( M {sub ∞} G )→ ∞. The adoption of the string frame rather than Einstein frame is the consequence of the fundamental symmetry principle. Our result opens up a new scheme to solve the dark matter/energy problems by modifying General Relativity at 'short' range of R /( M {sub ∞} G ).« less

Multi-frame X-ray Phase Contrast Imaging (MPCI) for Dynamic Experiments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Iverson, Adam; Carlson, Carl; Sanchez, Nathaniel; Jensen, Brian

2017-06-01

Recent advances in coupling synchrotron X-ray diagnostics to dynamic experiments are providing new information about the response of materials at extremes. For example, propagation based X-ray Phase Contrast Imaging (PCI) which is sensitive to differences in density has been successfully used to study a wide range of phenomena, e.g. jet-formation, compression of additive manufactured (AM) materials, and detonator dynamics. In this talk, we describe the current multi-frame X-ray phase contrast imaging (MPCI) system which allows up to eight frames per experiment, remote optimization, and an improved optical design that increases optical efficiency and accommodates dual-magnification during a dynamic event. Data will be presented that used the dual-magnification feature to obtain multiple images of an exploding foil initiator. In addition, results from static testing will be presented that used a multiple scintillator configuration required to extend the density retrieval to multi-constituent, or heterogeneous systems. The continued development of this diagnostic is fundamentally important to capabilities at the APS including IMPULSE and the Dynamic Compression Sector (DCS), and will benefit future facilities such as MaRIE at Los Alamos National Laboratory.

Alternative approximation concepts for space frame synthesis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lust, R. V.; Schmit, L. A.

1985-01-01

A structural synthesis methodology for the minimum mass design of 3-dimensionall frame-truss structures under multiple static loading conditions and subject to limits on displacements, rotations, stresses, local buckling, and element cross-sectional dimensions is presented. A variety of approximation concept options are employed to yield near optimum designs after no more than 10 structural analyses. Available options include: (A) formulation of the nonlinear mathematcal programming problem in either reciprocal section property (RSP) or cross-sectional dimension (CSD) space; (B) two alternative approximate problem structures in each design space; and (C) three distinct assumptions about element end-force variations. Fixed element, design element linking, and temporary constraint deletion features are also included. The solution of each approximate problem, in either its primal or dual form, is obtained using CONMIN, a feasible directions program. The frame-truss synthesis methodology is implemented in the COMPASS computer program and is used to solve a variety of problems. These problems were chosen so that, in addition to exercising the various approximation concepts options, the results could be compared with previously published work.

New robust algorithm for tracking cells in videos of Drosophila morphogenesis based on finding an ideal path in segmented spatio-temporal cellular structures.

PubMed

Bellaïche, Yohanns; Bosveld, Floris; Graner, François; Mikula, Karol; Remesíková, Mariana; Smísek, Michal

2011-01-01

In this paper, we present a novel algorithm for tracking cells in time lapse confocal microscopy movie of a Drosophila epithelial tissue during pupal morphogenesis. We consider a 2D + time video as a 3D static image, where frames are stacked atop each other, and using a spatio-temporal segmentation algorithm we obtain information about spatio-temporal 3D tubes representing evolutions of cells. The main idea for tracking is the usage of two distance functions--first one from the cells in the initial frame and second one from segmented boundaries. We track the cells backwards in time. The first distance function attracts the subsequently constructed cell trajectories to the cells in the initial frame and the second one forces them to be close to centerlines of the segmented tubular structures. This makes our tracking algorithm robust against noise and missing spatio-temporal boundaries. This approach can be generalized to a 3D + time video analysis, where spatio-temporal tubes are 4D objects.

A high-speed two-frame, 1-2 ns gated X-ray CMOS imager used as a hohlraum diagnostic on the National Ignition Facility (invited).

PubMed

Chen, Hui; Palmer, N; Dayton, M; Carpenter, A; Schneider, M B; Bell, P M; Bradley, D K; Claus, L D; Fang, L; Hilsabeck, T; Hohenberger, M; Jones, O S; Kilkenny, J D; Kimmel, M W; Robertson, G; Rochau, G; Sanchez, M O; Stahoviak, J W; Trotter, D C; Porter, J L

2016-11-01

A novel x-ray imager, which takes time-resolved gated images along a single line-of-sight, has been successfully implemented at the National Ignition Facility (NIF). This Gated Laser Entrance Hole diagnostic, G-LEH, incorporates a high-speed multi-frame CMOS x-ray imager developed by Sandia National Laboratories to upgrade the existing Static X-ray Imager diagnostic at NIF. The new diagnostic is capable of capturing two laser-entrance-hole images per shot on its 1024 × 448 pixels photo-detector array, with integration times as short as 1.6 ns per frame. Since its implementation on NIF, the G-LEH diagnostic has successfully acquired images from various experimental campaigns, providing critical new information for understanding the hohlraum performance in inertial confinement fusion (ICF) experiments, such as the size of the laser entrance hole vs. time, the growth of the laser-heated gold plasma bubble, the change in brightness of inner beam spots due to time-varying cross beam energy transfer, and plasma instability growth near the hohlraum wall.

Application of updated guidelines on diastolic dysfunction in patients with severe sepsis and septic shock.

PubMed

Clancy, David J; Scully, Timothy; Slama, Michel; Huang, Stephen; McLean, Anthony S; Orde, Sam R

2017-12-19

Left ventricular diastolic dysfunction is suggested to be associated with higher mortality in severe sepsis and septic shock, yet the methods of diagnosis described in the literature are often inconsistent. The recently published 2016 American Society of Echocardiography and European Association of Cardiovascular Imaging (ASE/EACVI) guidelines offer the opportunity to apply a simple pragmatic diagnostic algorithm for the detection of diastolic dysfunction; however, it has not been tested in this cohort. We sought to assess the applicability in septic patients of recently published 2016 ASE/EACVI guidelines on diastolic dysfunction compared with the 2009 ASE guidelines. Our hypothesis was that there would be poor agreement in classifying patients. Prospective observational study includes patients identified as having severe sepsis and septic shock. Patients underwent transthoracic echocardiography on day 1 and day 3 of their ICU admission. Patients with normal and abnormal (ejection fraction < 52%) systolic function had their diastolic function stratified according to both the 2009 ASE and 2016 ASE/EACVI guidelines. On day 1 echocardiography, of the 62 patients analysed, 37 (60%) had diastolic dysfunction according to the 2016 ASE/EACVI guideline with a further 23% having indeterminate diastolic function, compared to the 2009 ASE guidelines where only 13 (21%) had confirmed diastolic dysfunction with 46 (74%) having indeterminate diastolic dysfunction. On day 3, of the 55 patients studied, 22 patients (40%) were defined as having diastolic dysfunction, with 6 (11%) having indeterminate diastolic dysfunction according to the 2016 ASE/EACVI guidelines, compared to the 2009 guidelines where 11 (20%) were confirmed to have diastolic dysfunction and 41 (75%) had indeterminate diastolic function. Systolic dysfunction was identified in 18 of 62 patients (29%) on day 1 and 18 of 55 (33%) on day 3. These patients were classified as having abnormal diastolic function in 94 and 89% with the 2016 guidelines on day 1 and day 3, respectively, compared with 50 and 28% using the 2009 guidelines. The 2016 guidelines had less patients with indeterminate diastolic function on days 1 and 3 (11 and 6%) compared to the 2009 guidelines (50 and 72%). Normal systolic function was identified in 44 patients on day 1 and 37 on day 3. In this group, abnormal diastolic function was present in 45 and 54% on days 1 and 3 according to the 2016 ASE/EACVI guidelines, compared with 9 and 16% using the 2009 guidelines, respectively. In those with normal systolic function, the 2016 guidelines had less indeterminate patients with 30 and 16% on days 1 and 3, respectively, compared to 84 and 76% in the 2009 guidelines. The 2016 ASE/EACVI diastolic function guidelines identify a significantly higher incidence of dysfunction in patients with severe sepsis and septic shock compared to the previous 2009 guidelines. Although the new guidelines seem to be an improvement, issues remain with the application of guidelines using traditional measures of diastolic dysfunction in this cohort.

Dynamic mechanical characterization of aluminum: analysis of strain-rate-dependent behavior

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rahmat, Meysam

2018-05-01

A significant number of materials show different mechanical behavior under dynamic loads compared to quasi-static (Salvado et al. in Prog. Mater. Sci. 88:186-231, 2017). Therefore, a comprehensive study of material dynamic behavior is essential for applications in which dynamic loads are dominant (Li et al. in J. Mater. Process. Technol. 255:373-386, 2018). In this work, aluminum 6061-T6, as an example of ductile alloys with numerous applications including in the aerospace industry, has been studied under quasi-static and dynamic tensile tests with strain rates of up to 156 s^{-1}. Dogbone specimens were designed, instrumented and tested with a high speed servo-hydraulic load frame, and the results were validated with the literature. It was observed that at a strain rate of 156 s^{-1} the yield and ultimate strength increased by 31% and 33% from their quasi-static values, respectively. Moreover, the failure elongation and fracture energy per unit volume also increased by 18% and 52%, respectively. A Johnson-Cook model was used to capture the behavior of the material at different strain rates, and a modified version of this model was presented to enhance the capabilities of the original model, especially in predicting material properties close to the failure point. Finally, the fracture surfaces of specimens tested under quasi-static and dynamic loads were compared and conclusions about the differences were drawn.

Revisiting the analogue of the Jebsen-Birkhoff theorem in Brans-Dicke gravity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Faraoni, Valerio; Hammad, Fayçal; Cardini, Adriana M.; Gobeil, Thomas

2018-04-01

We report the explicit form of the general static, spherically symmetric, and asymptotically flat solution of vacuum Brans-Dicke gravity in the Jordan frame, assuming that the Brans-Dicke scalar field has no singularities or zeros (except possibly for a central singularity). This general solution is conformal to the Fisher-Wyman geometry of Einstein theory and its nature depends on a scalar charge parameter. Apart from the Schwarzschild black hole, only wormhole throats and central naked singularities are possible.

Ultimate Realities: Deterministic and Evolutionary

PubMed Central

Moxley, Roy A

2007-01-01

References to ultimate reality commonly turn up in the behavioral literature as references to determinism. However, this determinism is often difficult to interpret. There are different kinds of determinisms as well as different kinds of ultimate realities for a behaviorist to consider. To clarify some of the issues involved, the views of ultimate realities are treated as falling along a continuum, with extreme views of complete indeterminism and complete determinism at either end and various mixes in between. Doing so brings into play evolutionary realities and the movement from indeterminism to determinism, as in Peirce's evolutionary cosmology. In addition, this framework helps to show how the views of determinism by B. F. Skinner and other behaviorists have shifted over time. PMID:22478489

Systematic distortions of perceptual stability investigated using immersive virtual reality

PubMed Central

Tcheang, Lili; Gilson, Stuart J.; Glennerster, Andrew

2010-01-01

Using an immersive virtual reality system, we measured the ability of observers to detect the rotation of an object when its movement was yoked to the observer's own translation. Most subjects had a large bias such that a static object appeared to rotate away from them as they moved. Thresholds for detecting target rotation were similar to those for an equivalent speed discrimination task carried out by static observers, suggesting that visual discrimination is the predominant limiting factor in detecting target rotation. Adding a stable visual reference frame almost eliminated the bias. Varying the viewing distance of the target had little effect, consistent with observers under-estimating distance walked. However, accuracy of walking to a briefly presented visual target was high and not consistent with an under-estimation of distance walked. We discuss implications for theories of a task-independent representation of visual space. PMID:15845248

Mechanical Properties of Transgenic Silkworm Silk Under High Strain Rate Tensile Loading

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chu, J.-M.; Claus, B.; Chen, W.

2017-12-01

Studies have shown that transgenic silkworm silk may be capable of having similar properties of spider silk while being mass-producible. In this research, the tensile stress-strain response of transgenic silkworm silk fiber is systematically characterized using a quasi-static load frame and a tension Kolsky bar over a range of strain-rates between 10^{-3} and 700/s. The results show that transgenic silkworm silk tends to have higher overall ultimate stress and failure strain at high strain rate (700/s) compared to quasi-static strain rates, indicating rate sensitivity of the material. The failure strain at the high strain rate is higher than that of spider silk. However, the stress levels are significantly below that of spider silk, and far below that of high-performance fiber. Failure surfaces are examined via scanning electron microscopy and reveal that the failure modes are similar to those of spider silk.

Wide-Baseline Stereo-Based Obstacle Mapping for Unmanned Surface Vehicles

PubMed Central

Mou, Xiaozheng; Wang, Han

2018-01-01

This paper proposes a wide-baseline stereo-based static obstacle mapping approach for unmanned surface vehicles (USVs). The proposed approach eliminates the complicated calibration work and the bulky rig in our previous binocular stereo system, and raises the ranging ability from 500 to 1000 m with a even larger baseline obtained from the motion of USVs. Integrating a monocular camera with GPS and compass information in this proposed system, the world locations of the detected static obstacles are reconstructed while the USV is traveling, and an obstacle map is then built. To achieve more accurate and robust performance, multiple pairs of frames are leveraged to synthesize the final reconstruction results in a weighting model. Experimental results based on our own dataset demonstrate the high efficiency of our system. To the best of our knowledge, we are the first to address the task of wide-baseline stereo-based obstacle mapping in a maritime environment. PMID:29617293

Selection of noisy measurement locations for error reduction in static parameter identification

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sanayei, Masoud; Onipede, Oladipo; Babu, Suresh R.

1992-09-01

An incomplete set of noisy static force and displacement measurements is used for parameter identification of structures at the element level. Measurement location and the level of accuracy in the measured data can drastically affect the accuracy of the identified parameters. A heuristic method is presented to select a limited number of degrees of freedom (DOF) to perform a successful parameter identification and to reduce the impact of measurement errors on the identified parameters. This pretest simulation uses an error sensitivity analysis to determine the effect of measurement errors on the parameter estimates. The selected DOF can be used for nondestructive testing and health monitoring of structures. Two numerical examples, one for a truss and one for a frame, are presented to demonstrate that using the measurements at the selected subset of DOF can limit the error in the parameter estimates.

Study on the Effect of Steel Wheel and Ground on Single Steel Vibratory Roller

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Jiabo; You, Guanghui; Qiao, Jiabin; Ye, Min; Guo, Jin; Zhang, Hongyang

2018-03-01

In the compacting operation of single drum vibratory roller, the forces acting on the foundation of drum include the weight of the drum, the weight of the frame, the exciting force and so on. Based on the theoretical study of ground mechanics, this paper analyzes and calculates the forces acting on the steel wheel and the ground, and obtains the distribution of the laminar stress in the ground when the working plane vibrates. Derive the formula of dynamic compressive stress and static compressive stress in the foundation during vibration compaction. Through the compaction test of the soil trough of 20T single drum roller, the compressive stress data of the soil hydraulic field are obtained. The data of the dynamic compressive stress and the static compressive stress of each layer during the third compaction are obtained, and the theoretical research is verified.

Static and fatigue testing of full-scale fuselage panels fabricated using a Therm-X(R) process

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dinicola, Albert J.; Kassapoglou, Christos; Chou, Jack C.

1992-01-01

Large, curved, integrally stiffened composite panels representative of an aircraft fuselage structure were fabricated using a Therm-X process, an alternative concept to conventional two-sided hard tooling and contour vacuum bagging. Panels subsequently were tested under pure shear loading in both static and fatigue regimes to assess the adequacy of the manufacturing process, the effectiveness of damage tolerant design features co-cured with the structure, and the accuracy of finite element and closed-form predictions of postbuckling capability and failure load. Test results indicated the process yielded panels of high quality and increased damage tolerance through suppression of common failure modes such as skin-stiffener separation and frame-stiffener corner failure. Finite element analyses generally produced good predictions of postbuckled shape, and a global-local modelling technique yielded failure load predictions that were within 7% of the experimental mean.

Mobility performance analysis of an innovation lunar rover with diameter-variable wheel

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, Gang; Gao, Feng; Sun, Peng; Xu, Guoyan

2007-11-01

To achieve excellent mobility performance, a four-wheel, all-wheel drive lunar rover with diameter-variable wheel was presented, the wheel can be contracted and extended by the motor equipped in the wheel hub, accompanied with wheel diameter varying from 200mm to 390mm. The wheel sinkage and drawbar pull force were predicated with terramechanics formulae and lunar regolith mechanic parameters employed, furthermore, the slope traversability was investigated through quasi-static modeling mechanic analysis, also the obstacle resistance and the maximum negotiable obstacle height for different wheel radius were derived from the equations of static equilibrium of the rover. Analysis results show that for the innovation lunar rover presented, it will bring much better slope traveling stability and obstacle climbing capability than rovers with normal wheels, these will improve the rover mobility performance and stabilize the rover's frame, smooth the motion of sensors.

Fecal Calprotectin Collection Protocol

ClinicalTrials.gov

2018-01-30

Inflammatory Bowel Diseases; Irritable Bowel Syndrome; Ulcerative Colitis; Crohn Disease; Indeterminate Colitis; Chronic Diarrhea; Celiac Disease; Diverticulitis; Abdominal Pain; Distension; Weight Loss; Food Intolerance; Constipation

Perceptual upright: the relative effectiveness of dynamic and static images under different gravity States.

PubMed

Jenkin, Michael R; Dyde, Richard T; Jenkin, Heather L; Zacher, James E; Harris, Laurence R

2011-01-01

The perceived direction of up depends on both gravity and visual cues to orientation. Static visual cues to orientation have been shown to be less effective in influencing the perception of upright (PU) under microgravity conditions than they are on earth (Dyde et al., 2009). Here we introduce dynamic orientation cues into the visual background to ascertain whether they might increase the effectiveness of visual cues in defining the PU under different gravity conditions. Brief periods of microgravity and hypergravity were created using parabolic flight. Observers viewed a polarized, natural scene presented at various orientations on a laptop viewed through a hood which occluded all other visual cues. The visual background was either an animated video clip in which actors moved along the visual ground plane or an individual static frame taken from the same clip. We measured the perceptual upright using the oriented character recognition test (OCHART). Dynamic visual cues significantly enhance the effectiveness of vision in determining the perceptual upright under normal gravity conditions. Strong trends were found for dynamic visual cues to produce an increase in the visual effect under both microgravity and hypergravity conditions.

Chronic indeterminate phase of Chagas' disease: mitochondrial involvement in infection with two strains.

PubMed

Báez, Alejandra Lidia; Lo Presti, María Silvina; Fretes, Ricardo; Díaz, Cintia; Pons, Patricia; Bazán, Paola Carolina; Strauss, Mariana; Rivarola, Héctor Walter; Paglini-Oliva, Patricia

2013-03-01

Chagasic cardiopathy has become one of the most frequent causes of heart failure and sudden death, as well as one of the most common causes of cardio-embolic stroke in Latin America. The myocyte response to oxidative stress involves the progression of cellular changes, primarily targeting the mitochondria and modifying therefore the energy supply. In this paper we analysed the effect of the infection of mice with 2 different strains of Trypanosoma cruzi (Tulahuen and SGO Z12) in the chronic indeterminate stage (75 days post-infection), upon the structure and function of cardiac mitochondria. The structural results showed that 83% of the mitochondria from the Tulahuen-infected mice presented an increase in their matrix and 91% of the mitochondria from the SGO Z12-infected group showed a reduction in their diameter (P < 0.05). When the Krebs cycle and mitochondrial respiratory chain functionality was analysed through the measurement of the citrate synthase and complexes I to IV activity, it showed that their activity was altered in all cases in a similar manner in both infected groups. In this paper we have demonstrated that the chronic indeterminate phase is not 'silent' and that cardiac mitochondria are clearly involved in the genesis and progression to the chronic chagasic cardiopathy when different factors alter the host-parasite equilibrium.

Molecular-Directed Treatment of Differentiated Thyroid Cancer: Advances in Diagnosis and Treatment.

PubMed

Yip, Linwah; Sosa, Julie Ann

2016-07-01

Thyroid cancer incidence is increasing, and when fine-needle aspiration biopsy results are cytologically indeterminate, the diagnosis is often still established only after thyroidectomy. Molecular marker testing may be helpful in guiding patient-oriented and tailored management of thyroid nodules and thyroid cancer. To summarize available data on the use of molecular testing to improve the diagnosis and prognostication of thyroid cancer. A MEDLINE review was conducted using the primary search terms molecular, thyroid cancer, thyroid nodule, and gene expression classifier in search strings. Articles were restricted to those published between January 1, 2010, and June 1, 2015, inclusive of adult humans, and reported in the English language only. Of 867 titles screened, 67 articles were further identified for review of the full text. The 2 most studied molecular marker testing techniques for indeterminate thyroid nodules include gene expression classifier analysis and evaluation for somatic mutations or rearrangements that are commonly found in thyroid cancer (7-gene panel). Nodules with benign results on gene expression classifier analysis can be associated with less than a 5% risk of cancer and may be observed, while nodules with positive results on the 7-gene panel may have a higher risk of cancer (80%-100%) and definitive surgery can be recommended. However, cancer prevalence and geographic variations in histologic subtypes may affect accuracy and clinical applicability of both tests. Molecular marker tests such as ThyroSeq version 2.1 are more comprehensive, but they need further validation. Preoperative risk stratification using molecular markers also may be used to better define the optimal extent of thyroidectomy for patients with thyroid cancer. Molecular markers potentially can augment the diagnostic specificity of fine-needle aspiration biopsy to better differentiate cytologically indeterminate nodules that can be safely observed from cytologically indeterminate nodules that may be associated with differentiated thyroid cancer. Long-term follow-up data are still needed; in the end, patient preference regarding the relative risks and benefits of molecular testing is at the crux of decision making.

SWCD: a sliding window and self-regulated learning-based background updating method for change detection in videos

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Işık, Şahin; Özkan, Kemal; Günal, Serkan; Gerek, Ömer Nezih

2018-03-01

Change detection with background subtraction process remains to be an unresolved issue and attracts research interest due to challenges encountered on static and dynamic scenes. The key challenge is about how to update dynamically changing backgrounds from frames with an adaptive and self-regulated feedback mechanism. In order to achieve this, we present an effective change detection algorithm for pixelwise changes. A sliding window approach combined with dynamic control of update parameters is introduced for updating background frames, which we called sliding window-based change detection. Comprehensive experiments on related test videos show that the integrated algorithm yields good objective and subjective performance by overcoming illumination variations, camera jitters, and intermittent object motions. It is argued that the obtained method makes a fair alternative in most types of foreground extraction scenarios; unlike case-specific methods, which normally fail for their nonconsidered scenarios.

Mechanical design and simulation of two-wheeled wheelchair using solidworks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Altalmas, T. M.; Ahmad, S.; Aula, A.; Akmeliawati, R.; Sidek, S. N.

2013-12-01

This article is presented a new design of two-wheeled wheelchair that can balance on two wheels to make it suitable in the narrow areas, especially in the domestic environments; it has the ability to extend the height of the chair to help the user to act independently in the life for example, in the library to pick and put books on the shelves. The 3D model has been built up using SolidWorks Software. Nowadays, SolidWorks environment is considered as a powerful tool that is helping designer to design products and attain its performance before physical prototype stage. SolidWorks simulation model has been employed to test the frame of the wheelchair under the weight of the human body and the upper part of the wheelchair. The static analysis has been done on the frame using steel and aluminium; however the aluminium material has been selected due to its light weight

A video event trigger for high frame rate, high resolution video technology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Williams, Glenn L.

1991-12-01

When video replaces film the digitized video data accumulates very rapidly, leading to a difficult and costly data storage problem. One solution exists for cases when the video images represent continuously repetitive 'static scenes' containing negligible activity, occasionally interrupted by short events of interest. Minutes or hours of redundant video frames can be ignored, and not stored, until activity begins. A new, highly parallel digital state machine generates a digital trigger signal at the onset of a video event. High capacity random access memory storage coupled with newly available fuzzy logic devices permits the monitoring of a video image stream for long term or short term changes caused by spatial translation, dilation, appearance, disappearance, or color change in a video object. Pretrigger and post-trigger storage techniques are then adaptable for archiving the digital stream from only the significant video images.

Evolution of integrated panel structural design and interfaces for PV power plants

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Arnett, J. C.; Anderson, A. J.; Robertson, R. E.

1983-01-01

The evolution of integrated photovoltaic (PV) panel design at ARCO Solar is discussed. Historically, framed PV modules of about 1 x 4-ft size were individually mounted in the field on fixed support structures and interconnected electrically with cables to build higher-power arrays. When ARCO Solar saw the opportunity in 1982 to marry its PV modules with state-of-the-art heliostat trackers developed by ARCO Power Systems, it became obvious that mounting individual modules was impractical. For this project, the framed modules were factory-assembled into panels and interconnected with cables before being mounted on the trackers. Since then, ARCO Solar made considerable progress and gained substantial experience in the design and fabrication of large PV panels. Constraints and criteria considered in these design activities included static and dynamic loads; assembly and transportation equipment and logistics, structural and electrical interfaces, and safety and grounding concerns.

Experimental evaluation of fluctuating density and radiated noise from a high temperature jet

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Massier, P. F.; Parthasarathy, S. P.; Cuffel, R. F.

1973-01-01

An experimental investigation has been conducted to characterize the fluctuating density within a high-temperature (1100 K) subsonic jet and to characterize by the noise radiated to the surroundings. Cross correlations obtained by introducing time delay to the signals detected from spatially separated crossed laser beams set up as a Schlieren system were used to determine radial and axial distributions of the convection velocity of the moving noise sources (eddies). In addition, the autocorrelation of the fluctuating density was evaluated in the moving frame of reference of the eddies. Also, the autocorrelation of the radiated noise in the moving reference frame was evaluated from cross correlations by introducing time delay to the signals detected by spatially separated pairs of microphones. Radial distributions of the mean velocity were obtained from measurements of the stagnation temperature, and stagnation and static pressures with the use of probes.

Shield evaluation and performance testing at the USMB`s Strategic Structures Testing Laboratory

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

Barczak, T.M.; Gearhart, D.F.

1996-12-31

Historically, shield performance testing is conducted by the support manufacturers at European facilities. The U.S. Bureau of Mines (USBM) has conducted extensive research in shield Mechanics and is now opening its Strategic Structures Testing (SST) Laboratory to the mining industry for shield performance testing. The SST Laboratory provides unique shield testing capabilities using the Mine Roof Simulator (MRS) load frame. The MRS provides realistic and cost-effective shield evaluation by combining both vertical and horizontal loading into a single load cycle; whereas, several load cycles would be required to obtain this loading in a static frame. In addition to these advantages,more » the USBM acts as an independent research organization to provide an unbiased assessment of shield performance. This paper describes the USBM`s shield testing program that is designed specifically to simulate in-service mining conditions using the unique the capabilities of the SST Laboratory.« less

Molecular frame photoelectron angular distributions for core ionization of ethane, carbon tetrafluoride and 1,1-difluoroethylene

DOE PAGES

Menssen, A.; Trevisan, C. S.; Schöffler, M. S.; ...

2016-02-15

Molecular frame photoelectron angular distributions (MFPADs) are measured in this paper in electron–ion momentum imaging experiments and compared with complex Kohn variational calculations for carbon K-shell ionization of carbon tetrafluoride (CF 4), ethane (C 2H 6) and 1,1-difluoroethylene (C 2H 2F 2). While in ethane the polarization averaged MFPADs show a tendency at low energies for the photoelectron to be emitted in the directions of the bonds, the opposite effect is seen in CF 4. A combination of these behaviors is seen in difluoroethylene where ionization from the two carbons can be distinguished experimentally because of their different K-shell ionizationmore » potentials. Excellent agreement is found between experiment and simple static-exchange or coupled two-channel theoretical calculations. Finally, however, simple electrostatics do not provide an adequate explanation of the suggestively simple angular distributions at low electron ejection energies.« less

Solar system constraints on disformal gravity theories

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

Ip, Hiu Yan; Schmidt, Fabian; Sakstein, Jeremy, E-mail: iphys@mpa-garching.mpg.de, E-mail: jeremy.sakstein@port.ac.uk, E-mail: fabians@mpa-garching.mpg.de

Disformal theories of gravity are scalar-tensor theories where the scalar couples derivatively to matter via the Jordan frame metric. These models have recently attracted interest in the cosmological context since they admit accelerating solutions. We derive the solution for a static isolated mass in generic disformal gravity theories and transform it into the parameterised post-Newtonian form. This allows us to investigate constraints placed on such theories by local tests of gravity. The tightest constraints come from preferred-frame effects due to the motion of the Solar System with respect to the evolving cosmological background field. The constraints we obtain improve uponmore » the previous solar system constraints by two orders of magnitude, and constrain the scale of the disformal coupling for generic models to ℳ ∼> 100 eV. These constraints render all disformal effects irrelevant for cosmology.« less

A video event trigger for high frame rate, high resolution video technology

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Williams, Glenn L.

1991-01-01

When video replaces film the digitized video data accumulates very rapidly, leading to a difficult and costly data storage problem. One solution exists for cases when the video images represent continuously repetitive 'static scenes' containing negligible activity, occasionally interrupted by short events of interest. Minutes or hours of redundant video frames can be ignored, and not stored, until activity begins. A new, highly parallel digital state machine generates a digital trigger signal at the onset of a video event. High capacity random access memory storage coupled with newly available fuzzy logic devices permits the monitoring of a video image stream for long term or short term changes caused by spatial translation, dilation, appearance, disappearance, or color change in a video object. Pretrigger and post-trigger storage techniques are then adaptable for archiving the digital stream from only the significant video images.

Stress and Fracture Analyses Under Elastic-plastic and Creep Conditions: Some Basic Developments and Computational Approaches

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Reed, K. W.; Stonesifer, R. B.; Atluri, S. N.

1983-01-01

A new hybrid-stress finite element algorith, suitable for analyses of large quasi-static deformations of inelastic solids, is presented. Principal variables in the formulation are the nominal stress-rate and spin. A such, a consistent reformulation of the constitutive equation is necessary, and is discussed. The finite element equations give rise to an initial value problem. Time integration has been accomplished by Euler and Runge-Kutta schemes and the superior accuracy of the higher order schemes is noted. In the course of integration of stress in time, it has been demonstrated that classical schemes such as Euler's and Runge-Kutta may lead to strong frame-dependence. As a remedy, modified integration schemes are proposed and the potential of the new schemes for suppressing frame dependence of numerically integrated stress is demonstrated. The topic of the development of valid creep fracture criteria is also addressed.

Finite Element Analysis of Composite Aircraft Fuselage Frame

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dandekar, Aditya Milind

Composites have been introduced in aircraft industries, for their stronger, stiffer, and lighter properties than their metal-alloys counterparts. The general purpose of an aircraft is to transport commercial or military payload. Aircraft frames primarily maintains the shape of fuselage and prevent instability of the structure. Fuselage is similar as wing in construction which consist of longitudinal elements (longerons and stringers), transverse elements (frames and bulkheads) and its external skin. The fuselage is subjected to forces such as the wing reactions, landing gear reaction, empennage reaction, inertia forces subjected due to size and weight, internal pressure forces due to high altitude. Frames also ensure fail-safe design against skin crack propagation due to hoops stress. Ideal fuselage frames cross section is often circular ring shape with a frame cap of Z section. They are mainly made up of light alloy commonly used is aluminium alloys such as Al-2024, Al-7010, Al-7050, Al-7175. Aluminium alloys have good strength to density ratios in compression and bending of thin plate. A high strength to weight ratio of composite materials can result in a lighter aircraft structure or better safety factor. This research focuses on analysis of fuselage frame under dynamic load condition with change in material. Composites like carbon fibre reinforced plastics [CFRP] and glass fibre reinforced plastics [GFRP] are compared with traditional aluminium alloy Al-7075. The frame is subjected to impact test by dropping it at a velocity of 30 ft. / secs from a height of 86 inch from its centre of gravity. These parameters are considered in event of failure of landing gear, and an aircraft is subject to belly landing or gear-up landing. The shear flow is calculated due to impact force which acts in radial direction. The frame is analysed under static structural and explicit dynamic load conditions. Geometry is created in ANSYS Design Modeler. Analysis setup is created using ANSYS Explicit Dynamic (AUTODYN) and ANSYS Composite PrepPost (ACP-Pre) modules. Shear flow and Stress Flow equations are solved by generating a MATLAB code.

Frequency of indeterminate results from an interferon-gamma release assay among HIV-infected individuals.

PubMed

Oliveira, Sandra Maria do Valle Leone de; Trajman, Anete; Paniago, Anamaria Mello Miranda; Motta-Castro, Ana Rita Coimbra; Ruffino-Netto, Antonio; Maciel, Ethel Leonor Noia; Croda, Julio; Bonecini-Almeida, Maria da Gloria

2017-01-01

To evaluate the frequency of and factors associated with indeterminate interferon-gamma release assay (IGRA) results in people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA). We tested 81 PLWHA in the central-west region of Brazil, using the tuberculin skin test and an IGRA. Information on sociodemographic and clinical variables was gathered through the use of questionnaires and from medical records. The association of those variables with indeterminate results was analyzed by calculating the adjusted ORs in a multivariate logistic regression model. Concordance was evaluated by determining the kappa statistic. Among the 81 patients evaluated, the tuberculin skin test results were positive in 18 (22.2%) of the patients, and the IGRA results were positive in 10 (12.3%), with a kappa of 0.62. The IGRA results were indeterminate in 22 (27.1%) of the patients (95% CI: 17.8-38.1%). The odds of obtaining indeterminate results were significantly higher in smokers (adjusted OR = 6.0; 95% CI: 1.4-26.7) and in samples stored for less than 35 days (adjusted OR = 14.0; 95% CI: 3.1-64.2). Patients with advanced immunosuppression (CD4+ T-cell count < 200 cells/mm3) were at a higher risk for indeterminate results (OR adjusted for smoking and inadequate duration of sample storage = 4.7; 95% CI: 0.91-24.0), although the difference was not significant. The high prevalence of indeterminate results can be a major limitation for the routine use of IGRAs in PLWHA. The need to repeat the test increases its costs and should be taken into account in cost-effectiveness studies. The processing of samples can significantly alter the results. Avaliar a frequência de resultados indeterminados de um interferon-gamma release assay (IGRA, ensaio de liberação de interferon-gama) e os fatores relacionados com esses resultados em pessoas vivendo com HIV/AIDS (PVHA). Foram avaliadas 81 PVHA na região Centro-Oeste do Brasil, por meio do teste tuberculínico e de um IGRA. Informações a respeito de variáveis sociodemográficas e clínicas foram obtidas por meio de questionários e prontuários médicos. A relação entre essas variáveis e os resultados indeterminados foi avaliada por meio do cálculo da OR ajustada em um modelo de regressão logística multivariada. A concordância foi avaliada por meio do coeficiente kappa. Os resultados do teste tuberculínico e do IGRA foram positivos em 18 (22,2%) e 10 (12,3%), respectivamente, dos 81 pacientes avaliados (κ = 0,62). O resultado do IGRA foi indeterminado em 22 (27,1%) dos pacientes (IC95%: 17,8-38,1%). A chance de resultados indeterminados foi significativamente maior em fumantes (OR ajustada = 6,0; IC95%: 1,4-26,7) e em amostras armazenadas durante menos de 35 dias (OR ajustada = 14,0; IC95%: 3,1-64,2). Pacientes com imunossupressão avançada (contagem de células T CD4+ < 200 células/mm3) apresentaram maior risco de resultados indeterminados (OR ajustada para tabagismo e tempo inadequado de armazenamento das amostras = 4,7; IC95%: 0,91-24,0), embora a diferença não tenha sido significativa. A alta prevalência de resultados indeterminados pode ser um grande obstáculo ao uso rotineiro de IGRAs em PVHA. A necessidade de repetir o teste aumenta seu custo e deve ser levada em conta em estudos da relação entre custo e eficácia. O processamento das amostras pode alterar significativamente os resultados.

Accuracy and precision of a custom camera-based system for 2D and 3D motion tracking during speech and nonspeech motor tasks

PubMed Central

Feng, Yongqiang; Max, Ludo

2014-01-01

Purpose Studying normal or disordered motor control requires accurate motion tracking of the effectors (e.g., orofacial structures). The cost of electromagnetic, optoelectronic, and ultrasound systems is prohibitive for many laboratories, and limits clinical applications. For external movements (lips, jaw), video-based systems may be a viable alternative, provided that they offer high temporal resolution and sub-millimeter accuracy. Method We examined the accuracy and precision of 2D and 3D data recorded with a system that combines consumer-grade digital cameras capturing 60, 120, or 240 frames per second (fps), retro-reflective markers, commercially-available computer software (APAS, Ariel Dynamics), and a custom calibration device. Results Overall mean error (RMSE) across tests was 0.15 mm for static tracking and 0.26 mm for dynamic tracking, with corresponding precision (SD) values of 0.11 and 0.19 mm, respectively. The effect of frame rate varied across conditions, but, generally, accuracy was reduced at 240 fps. The effect of marker size (3 vs. 6 mm diameter) was negligible at all frame rates for both 2D and 3D data. Conclusion Motion tracking with consumer-grade digital cameras and the APAS software can achieve sub-millimeter accuracy at frame rates that are appropriate for kinematic analyses of lip/jaw movements for both research and clinical purposes. PMID:24686484

High Resolution Ultrasound Superharmonic Perfusion Imaging: In Vivo Feasibility and Quantification of Dynamic Contrast-Enhanced Acoustic Angiography.

PubMed

Lindsey, Brooks D; Shelton, Sarah E; Martin, K Heath; Ozgun, Kathryn A; Rojas, Juan D; Foster, F Stuart; Dayton, Paul A

2017-04-01

Mapping blood perfusion quantitatively allows localization of abnormal physiology and can improve understanding of disease progression. Dynamic contrast-enhanced ultrasound is a low-cost, real-time technique for imaging perfusion dynamics with microbubble contrast agents. Previously, we have demonstrated another contrast agent-specific ultrasound imaging technique, acoustic angiography, which forms static anatomical images of the superharmonic signal produced by microbubbles. In this work, we seek to determine whether acoustic angiography can be utilized for high resolution perfusion imaging in vivo by examining the effect of acquisition rate on superharmonic imaging at low flow rates and demonstrating the feasibility of dynamic contrast-enhanced superharmonic perfusion imaging for the first time. Results in the chorioallantoic membrane model indicate that frame rate and frame averaging do not affect the measured diameter of individual vessels observed, but that frame rate does influence the detection of vessels near and below the resolution limit. The highest number of resolvable vessels was observed at an intermediate frame rate of 3 Hz using a mechanically-steered prototype transducer. We also demonstrate the feasibility of quantitatively mapping perfusion rate in 2D in a mouse model with spatial resolution of ~100 μm. This type of imaging could provide non-invasive, high resolution quantification of microvascular function at penetration depths of several centimeters.

Vision-based stress estimation model for steel frame structures with rigid links

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Park, Hyo Seon; Park, Jun Su; Oh, Byung Kwan

2017-07-01

This paper presents a stress estimation model for the safety evaluation of steel frame structures with rigid links using a vision-based monitoring system. In this model, the deformed shape of a structure under external loads is estimated via displacements measured by a motion capture system (MCS), which is a non-contact displacement measurement device. During the estimation of the deformed shape, the effective lengths of the rigid link ranges in the frame structure are identified. The radius of the curvature of the structural member to be monitored is calculated using the estimated deformed shape and is employed to estimate stress. Using MCS in the presented model, the safety of a structure can be assessed gauge-freely. In addition, because the stress is directly extracted from the radius of the curvature obtained from the measured deformed shape, information on the loadings and boundary conditions of the structure are not required. Furthermore, the model, which includes the identification of the effective lengths of the rigid links, can consider the influences of the stiffness of the connection and support on the deformation in the stress estimation. To verify the applicability of the presented model, static loading tests for a steel frame specimen were conducted. By comparing the stress estimated by the model with the measured stress, the validity of the model was confirmed.

LUCK AND HISTORY-SENSITIVE COMPATIBILISM

PubMed Central

Levy, Neil

2009-01-01

Libertarianism seems vulnerable to a serious problem concerning present luck, because it requires indeterminism somewhere in the causal chain leading to directly free action. Compatibilism, in contrast, is thought to be free of this problem, as not requiring indeterminism in the causal chain. I argue that this view is false: compatibilism is subject to a problem of present luck. This is less of a problem for compatibilism than for libertarianism. However, its effects are just as devastating for one kind of compatibilism, the kind of compatibilism which is history-sensitive, and therefore must take the problem of constitutive luck seriously. The problem of present luck confronting compatibilism is sufficient to undermine the history-sensitive compatibilist’s response to remote – constitutive – luck. PMID:19649158

Comparison of conventional reconstruction plate versus direct metal laser sintering plate: an in vitro mechanical characteristics study.

PubMed

Xie, Pusheng; Ouyang, Hanbin; Deng, Yuping; Yang, Yang; Xu, Jing; Huang, Wenhua

2017-09-02

Additive manufacturing (AM) technology has helped to achieve several advances in the medical field, particularly as far as fabrication of implants is concerned. But the application of direct metal laser sintering (DMLS) bone plate is quite limited due to the indeterminate mechanical property. The purposes of this study were to characterize the biomechanical properties of the polished DMLS reconstruction plate and to compare these with the properties of commonly applied implants and to find whether the mechanical performance of DMLS plate meets the requirements for clinical application. In this study, we fabricated two groups of plates by DMLS and computer numerical control (CNC) techniques. After that, we polished all samples and investigated their roughness, components, hardness, static bending, and torsional performance. Moreover, cyclic bending tests and fractographic analysis were conducted. Statistical comparisons of the group by means of monotonic test data were made, and a qualitative comparison was performed to assess failures in fatigue. We found no differences in surface roughness or components after polishing, but the DMLS plate hardness is 7.42% (p < 0.01) greater than that of the CNC plates. Compared with the CNC plates, the DMLS plate static bending and torsional performance were significantly greater. In a dynamic test, the DMLS plates survived 10 6 , 10 6 , 32,731, and 33,264 cycles under 0.6, 0.8, 0.9, and 1 kN cyclic loads, respectively, while the CNC plates survived 10 6 , 10 6 , 10 6 , and 283,714 cycles. These results indicate that the mechanical performances of the DMLS plate are stronger, and the strength under fatigue tests is sufficient. DMLS implant has great potential and may become a better choice for clinical use in the future. However, direct application of these AM instruments in the operating room requires further validation including animal and clinical experiment.

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

Darling, Jeremy, E-mail: jdarling@colorado.edu

Objects and structures gravitationally decoupled from the Hubble expansion will appear to shrink in angular size as the universe expands. Observations of extragalactic proper motions can thus directly reveal the cosmic expansion. Relatively static structures such as galaxies or galaxy clusters can potentially be used to measure the Hubble constant, and test masses in large scale structures can measure the overdensity. Since recession velocities and angular separations can be precisely measured, apparent proper motions can also provide geometric distance measurements to static structures. The apparent fractional angular compression of static objects is 15 μas yr{sup –1} in the local universe;more » this motion is modulated by the overdensity in dynamic expansion-decoupled structures. We use the Titov et al. quasar proper motion catalog to examine the pairwise proper motion of a sparse network of test masses. Small-separation pairs (<200 Mpc comoving) are too few to measure the expected effect, yielding an inconclusive 8.3 ± 14.9 μas yr{sup –1}. Large-separation pairs (200-1500 Mpc) show no net convergence or divergence for z < 1, –2.7 ± 3.7 μas yr{sup –1}, consistent with pure Hubble expansion and significantly inconsistent with static structures, as expected. For all pairs a 'null test' gives –0.36 ± 0.62 μas yr{sup –1}, consistent with Hubble expansion and excludes a static locus at ∼5-10σ significance for z ≅ 0.5-2.0. The observed large-separation pairs provide a reference frame for small-separation pairs that will significantly deviate from the Hubble flow. The current limitation is the number of small-separation objects with precise astrometry, but Gaia will address this and will likely detect the cosmic recession.« less

Initial Alignment for SINS Based on Pseudo-Earth Frame in Polar Regions.

PubMed

Gao, Yanbin; Liu, Meng; Li, Guangchun; Guang, Xingxing

2017-06-16

An accurate initial alignment must be required for inertial navigation system (INS). The performance of initial alignment directly affects the following navigation accuracy. However, the rapid convergence of meridians and the small horizontalcomponent of rotation of Earth make the traditional alignment methods ineffective in polar regions. In this paper, from the perspective of global inertial navigation, a novel alignment algorithm based on pseudo-Earth frame and backward process is proposed to implement the initial alignment in polar regions. Considering that an accurate coarse alignment of azimuth is difficult to obtain in polar regions, the dynamic error modeling with large azimuth misalignment angle is designed. At the end of alignment phase, the strapdown attitude matrix relative to local geographic frame is obtained without influence of position errors and cumbersome computation. As a result, it would be more convenient to access the following polar navigation system. Then, it is also expected to unify the polar alignment algorithm as much as possible, thereby further unifying the form of external reference information. Finally, semi-physical static simulation and in-motion tests with large azimuth misalignment angle assisted by unscented Kalman filter (UKF) validate the effectiveness of the proposed method.

Posture-based processing in visual short-term memory for actions.

PubMed

Vicary, Staci A; Stevens, Catherine J

2014-01-01

Visual perception of human action involves both form and motion processing, which may rely on partially dissociable neural networks. If form and motion are dissociable during visual perception, then they may also be dissociable during their retention in visual short-term memory (VSTM). To elicit form-plus-motion and form-only processing of dance-like actions, individual action frames can be presented in the correct or incorrect order. The former appears coherent and should elicit action perception, engaging both form and motion pathways, whereas the latter appears incoherent and should elicit posture perception, engaging form pathways alone. It was hypothesized that, if form and motion are dissociable in VSTM, then recognition of static body posture should be better after viewing incoherent than after viewing coherent actions. However, as VSTM is capacity limited, posture-based encoding of actions may be ineffective with increased number of items or frames. Using a behavioural change detection task, recognition of a single test posture was significantly more likely after studying incoherent than after studying coherent stimuli. However, this effect only occurred for spans of two (but not three) items and for stimuli with five (but not nine) frames. As in perception, posture and motion are dissociable in VSTM.

Substructure analysis using NICE/SPAR and applications of force to linear and nonlinear structures. [spacecraft masts

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Razzaq, Zia; Prasad, Venkatesh; Darbhamulla, Siva Prasad; Bhati, Ravinder; Lin, Cai

1987-01-01

Parallel computing studies are presented for a variety of structural analysis problems. Included are the substructure planar analysis of rectangular panels with and without a hole, the static analysis of space mast, using NICE/SPAR and FORCE, and substructure analysis of plane rigid-jointed frames using FORCE. The computations are carried out on the Flex/32 MultiComputer using one to eighteen processors. The NICE/SPAR runstream samples are documented for the panel problem. For the substructure analysis of plane frames, a computer program is developed to demonstrate the effectiveness of a substructuring technique when FORCE is enforced. Ongoing research activities for an elasto-plastic stability analysis problem using FORCE, and stability analysis of the focus problem using NICE/SPAR are briefly summarized. Speedup curves for the panel, the mast, and the frame problems provide a basic understanding of the effectiveness of parallel computing procedures utilized or developed, within the domain of the parameters considered. Although the speedup curves obtained exhibit various levels of computational efficiency, they clearly demonstrate the excellent promise which parallel computing holds for the structural analysis problem. Source code is given for the elasto-plastic stability problem and the FORCE program.

Single-atom trapping and transport in DMD-controlled optical tweezers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stuart, Dustin; Kuhn, Axel

2018-02-01

We demonstrate the trapping and manipulation of single neutral atoms in reconfigurable arrays of optical tweezers. Our approach offers unparalleled speed by using a Texas instruments digital micro-mirror device as a holographic amplitude modulator with a frame rate of 20 000 per second. We show the trapping of static arrays of up to 20 atoms, as well as transport of individually selected atoms over a distance of 25 μm with laser cooling and 4 μm without. We discuss the limitations of the technique and the scope for technical improvements.

Nonperturbative parton distributions and the proton spin problem

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

Simonov, Yu. A., E-mail: simonov@itep.ru

2016-05-15

The Lorentz contracted form of the static wave functions is used to calculate the valence parton distributions for mesons and baryons, boosting the rest frame solutions of the path integral Hamiltonian. It is argued that nonperturbative parton densities are due to excitedmultigluon baryon states. A simplemodel is proposed for these states ensuring realistic behavior of valence and sea quarks and gluon parton densities at Q{sup 2} = 10 (GeV/c){sup 2}. Applying the same model to the proton spin problem one obtains Σ{sub 3} = 0.18 for the same Q{sup 2}.

Experimental observation of a hydrodynamic mode in a flow duct with a porous material.

PubMed

Aurégan, Yves; Singh, Deepesh Kumar

2014-08-01

This paper experimentally investigates the acoustic behavior of a homogeneous porous material with a rigid frame (metallic foam) under grazing flow. The transmission coefficient shows an unusual oscillation over a particular range of frequencies which reports the presence of an unstable hydrodynamic wave that can exchange energy with the acoustic waves. This coupling of acoustic and hydrodynamic waves becomes larger when the Mach number increases. A rise of the static pressure drop in the lined region is induced by an acoustic excitation when the hydrodynamic wave is present.

Circulating Plasma MicroRNA-208a as Potential Biomarker of Chronic Indeterminate Phase of Chagas Disease.

PubMed

Linhares-Lacerda, Leandra; Granato, Alessandra; Gomes-Neto, João Francisco; Conde, Luciana; Freire-de-Lima, Leonardo; de Freitas, Elisangela O; Freire-de-Lima, Celio G; Coutinho Barroso, Shana P; Jorge de Alcântara Guerra, Rodrigo; Pedrosa, Roberto C; Savino, Wilson; Morrot, Alexandre

2018-01-01

Chagas cardiomyopathy is the most severe clinical manifestation of chronic Chagas disease. The disease affects most of the Latin American countries, being considered one of the leading causes of morbidity and death in the continent. The pathogenesis of Chagas cardiomyopathy is very complex, with mechanisms involving parasite-dependent cytopathy, immune-mediated myocardial damage and neurogenic disturbances. These pathological changes eventually result in cardiac myocyte hypertrophy, arrhythmias, congestive heart failure and stroke during chronic infection phase. Herein, we show that miR-208a, a microRNA that is a key factor in promoting cardiovascular dysfunction during cardiac hypertrophy processes of heart failure, has its circulating levels increased during chronic indeterminate phase when compared to cardiac (CARD) clinical forms in patients with Chagas disease. In contrast, we have not found altered serum levels of miR-34a, a microRNA known to promote pro-apoptotic role in myocardial infarction during degenerative process of cardiac injuries thus indicating intrinsic differences in the nature of the mechanisms underlying the heart failure triggered by Trypanosoma cruzi infection. Our findings support that the chronic indeterminate phase is a progressive phase involved in the genesis of chagasic cardiopathy and point out the use of plasma levels of miR-208a as candidate biomarker in risk-prediction score for the clinical prognosis of Chagas disease.

Molecular Signature of Indeterminate Thyroid Lesions: Current Methods to Improve Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology (FNAC) Diagnosis

PubMed Central

Cantara, Silvia; Marzocchi, Carlotta; Pilli, Tania; Cardinale, Sandro; Forleo, Raffaella; Castagna, Maria Grazia; Pacini, Furio

2017-01-01

Fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) represents the gold standard for determining the nature of thyroid nodules. It is a reliable method with good sensitivity and specificity. However, indeterminate lesions remain a diagnostic challenge and researchers have contributed molecular markers to search for in cytological material to refine FNAC diagnosis and avoid unnecessary surgeries. Nowadays, several “home-made” methods as well as commercial tests are available to investigate the molecular signature of an aspirate. Moreover, other markers (i.e., microRNA, and circulating tumor cells) have been proposed to discriminate benign from malignant thyroid lesions. Here, we review the literature and provide data from our laboratory on mutational analysis of FNAC material and circulating microRNA expression obtained in the last 6 years. PMID:28383480

Indeterminate cell histiocytosis in a pediatric patient: successful treatment with thalidomide.

PubMed

Tóth, Béla; Katona, Mária; Hársing, Judit; Szepesi, Agota; Kárpáti, Sarolta

2012-04-01

The 15-year-old male patient presented several 2-6 mm large livid reddish-yellowish, shiny, compact papules on the head, trunk and extremities, which had developed within the last 4 months. Histology showed normal epidermis with dense dermal infiltrate of histiocytes accompanied by few eosinophils, Touton or foamy giant cells. The histiocytes were S100 positive, CD1a negative and did not contain Birbeck granules ultrastructurally. Chest X ray, EEG, skull MRI did not show pathology. Opthalmology, neurology, oto-rhino-laryngology did not reveal alterations. Based upon the clinical symptoms and the histopathology, the diagnosis of indeterminate cell histiocytosis was confirmed. Cryotherapy and cauterization did not stop the progression of the disease, however, under thalidomide treatment no new symptoms developed and the lesions healed with pigmentation.

Memory monitoring by animals and humans

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smith, J. D.; Shields, W. E.; Allendoerfer, K. R.; Washburn, D. A.; Rumbaugh, D. M. (Principal Investigator)

1998-01-01

The authors asked whether animals and humans would use similarly an uncertain response to escape indeterminate memories. Monkeys and humans performed serial probe recognition tasks that produced differential memory difficulty across serial positions (e.g., primacy and recency effects). Participants were given an escape option that let them avoid any trials they wished and receive a hint to the trial's answer. Across species, across tasks, and even across conspecifics with sharper or duller memories, monkeys and humans used the escape option selectively when more indeterminate memory traces were probed. Their pattern of escaping always mirrored the pattern of their primary memory performance across serial positions. Signal-detection analyses confirm the similarity of the animals' and humans' performances. Optimality analyses assess their efficiency. Several aspects of monkeys' performance suggest the cognitive sophistication of their decisions to escape.

The limits of predictability: Indeterminism and undecidability in classical and quantum physics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Korolev, Alexandre V.

This thesis is a collection of three case studies, investigating various sources of indeterminism and undecidability as they bear upon in principle unpredictability of the behaviour of mechanistic systems in both classical and quantum physics. I begin by examining the sources of indeterminism and acausality in classical physics. Here I discuss the physical significance of an often overlooked and yet important Lipschitz condition, the violation of which underlies the existence of anomalous non-trivial solutions in the Norton-type indeterministic systems. I argue that the singularity arising from the violation of the Lipschitz condition in the systems considered appears to be so fragile as to be easily destroyed by slightly relaxing certain (infinite) idealizations required by these models. In particular, I show that the idealization of an absolutely nondeformable, or infinitely rigid, dome appears to be an essential assumption for anomalous motion to begin; any slightest elastic deformations of the dome due to finite rigidity of the dome destroy the shape of the dome required for indeterminism to obtain. I also consider several modifications of the original Norton's example and show that indeterminism in these cases, too, critically depends on the nature of certain idealizations pertaining to elastic properties of the bodies in these models. As a result, I argue that indeterminism of the Norton-type Lipschitz-indeterministic systems should rather be viewed as an artefact of certain (infinite) idealizations essential for the models, depriving the examples of much of their intended metaphysical import, as, for example, in Norton's antifundamentalist programme. Second, I examine the predictive computational limitations of a classical Laplace's demon. I demonstrate that in situations of self-fulfilling prognoses the class of undecidable propositions about certain future events, in general, is not empty; any Laplace's demon having all the information about the world now will be unable to predict all the future. In order to answer certain questions about the future it needs to resort occasionally to, or to consult with, a demon of a higher order in the computational hierarchy whose computational powers are beyond that of any Turing machine. In computer science such power is attributed to a theoretical device called an Oracle---a device capable of looking through an infinite domain in a finite time. I also discuss the distinction between ontological and epistemological views of determinism, and how adopting Wheeler-Landauer view of physical laws can entangle these aspects on a more fundamental level. Thirdly, I examine a recent proposal from the area of quantum computation purporting to utilize peculiarities of quantum reality to perform hypercomputation. While the current view is that quantum algorithms (such as Shor's) lead to re-description of the complexity space for computational problems, recently it has been argued (by Kieu) that certain novel quantum adiabatic algorithms may even require reconsideration of the whole notion of computability, by being able to break the Turing limit and "compute the non-computable". If implemented, such algorithms could serve as a physical realization of an Oracle needed for a Laplacian demon to accomplish its job. I critically review this latter proposal by exposing the weaknesses of Kieu's quantum adiabatic demon, pointing out its failure to deliver the purported hypercomputation. Regardless of whether the class of hypercomputers is non-empty, Kieu's proposed algorithm is not a member of this distinguished club, and a quantum computer powered Laplace's demon can do no more than its ordinary classical counterpart.

Aerodynamic and torque characteristics of enclosed Co/counter rotating disks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Daniels, W. A.; Johnson, B. V.; Graber, D. J.

1989-06-01

Experiments were conducted to determine the aerodynamic and torque characteristics of adjacent rotating disks enclosed in a shroud, in order to obtain an extended data base for advanced turbine designs such as the counterrotating turbine. Torque measurements were obtained on both disks in the rotating frame of reference for corotating, counterrotating and one-rotating/one-static disk conditions. The disk models used in the experiments included disks with typical smooth turbine geometry, disks with bolts, disks with bolts and partial bolt covers, and flat disks. A windage diaphragm was installed at mid-cavity for some experiments. The experiments were conducted with various amounts of coolant throughflow injected into the disk cavity from the disk hub or from the disk OD with swirl. The experiments were conducted at disk tangential Reynolds number up to 1.6 x 10 to the 7th with air as the working fluid. The results of this investigation indicated that the static shroud contributes a significant amount to the total friction within the disk system; the torque on counterrotating disks is essentially independent of coolant flow total rate, flow direction, and tangential Reynolds number over the range of conditions tested; and a static windage diaphragm reduces disk friction in counterrotating disk systems.

Theoretical study of asymmetric super-rotors: Alignment and orientation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Omiste, Juan J.

2018-02-01

We report a theoretical study of the optical centrifuge acceleration of an asymmetric top molecule interacting with an electric static field by solving the time-dependent Schrödinger equation in the rigid rotor approximation. A detailed analysis of the mixing of the angular momentum in both the molecular and the laboratory fixed frames allows us to deepen the understanding of the main features of the acceleration process, for instance, the effective angular frequency of the molecule at the end of the pulse. For the case of the SO2 molecular super-rotor, we show numerically that it rotates around one internal axis and that its dynamics is confined to the plane defined by the polarization axis of the laser, in agreement with experimental findings. Furthermore, we consider the orientation patterns induced by the dc field, showing the characteristics of their structure as a function of the strength of the static field and the initial configuration of the fields.

Evaluation of structural design concepts for an arrow-wing supersonic cruise aircraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sakata, I. F.; Davis, G. W.

1977-01-01

An analytical study was performed to determine the best structural approach for design of primary wing and fuselage structure of a Mach 2.7 arrow wing supersonic cruise aircraft. Concepts were evaluated considering near term start of design. Emphasis was placed on the complex interactions between thermal stress, static aeroelasticity, flutter, fatigue and fail safe design, static and dynamic loads, and the effects of variations in structural arrangements, concepts and materials on these interactions. Results indicate that a hybrid wing structure incorporating low profile convex beaded and honeycomb sandwich surface panels of titanium alloy 6Al-4V were the most efficient. The substructure includes titanium alloy spar caps reinforced with boron polyimide composites. The fuselage shell consists of hat stiffened skin and frame construction of titanium alloy 6Al-4V. A summary of the study effort is presented, and a discussion of the overall logic, design philosophy and interaction between the analytical methods for supersonic cruise aircraft design are included.

Universal ICT Picosecond Camera

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lebedev, Vitaly B.; Syrtzev, V. N.; Tolmachyov, A. M.; Feldman, Gregory G.; Chernyshov, N. A.

1989-06-01

The paper reports on the design of an ICI camera operating in the mode of linear or three-frame image scan. The camera incorporates two tubes: time-analyzing ICI PIM-107 1 with cathode S-11, and brightness amplifier PMU-2V (gain about 104) for the image shaped by the first tube. The camera is designed on the basis of streak camera AGAT-SF3 2 with almost the same power sources, but substantially modified pulse electronics. Schematically, the design of tube PIM-107 is depicted in the figure. The tube consists of cermet housing 1, photocathode 2 made in a separate vacuum volume and introduced into the housing by means of a manipulator. In a direct vicinity of the photocathode, accelerating electrode is located made of a fine-structure grid. An electrostatic lens formed by focusing electrode 4 and anode diaphragm 5 produces a beam of electrons with a "remote crossover". The authors have suggested this term for an electron beam whose crossover is 40 to 60 mm away from the anode diaphragm plane which guarantees high sensitivity of scan plates 6 with respect to multiaperture framing diaphragm 7. Beyond every diaphragm aperture, a pair of deflecting plates 8 is found shielded from compensation plates 10 by diaphragm 9. The electronic image produced by the photocathode is focused on luminescent screen 11. The tube is controlled with the help of two saw-tooth voltages applied in antiphase across plates 6 and 10. Plates 6 serve for sweeping the electron beam over the surface of diaphragm 7. The beam is either allowed toward the screen, or delayed by the diaphragm walls. In such a manner, three frames are obtained, the number corresponding to that of the diaphragm apertures. Plates 10 serve for stopping the compensation of the image streak sweep on the screen. To avoid overlapping of frames, plates 8 receive static potentials responsible for shifting frames on the screen. Changing the potentials applied to plates 8, one can control the spacing between frames and partially or fully overlap the frames. This sort of control is independent of the frequency of frame running and of their duration, and can only determine frame positioning on the screen. Since diaphragm 7 is located in the area of crossover and electron trajectories cross in the crossover, the frame is not decomposed into separate elements during its formation. The image is transferred onto the screen practically within the entire time of frame duration increasing the aperture ratio of the tube as compared to that in Ref. 3.

Estimation of prenatal aorta intima-media thickness in ultrasound examination

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Veronese, Elisa; Poletti, Enea; Cosmi, Erich; Grisan, Enrico

2012-03-01

Prenatal events such as intrauterine growth restriction have been shown to be associated with an increased thickness of abdominal aorta in the fetus. Therefore the measurement of abdominal aortic intima-media thickness (aIMT) has been recently considered a sensitive marker of artherosclerosis risk. To date measure of aortic diameter and of aIMT has been performed manually on US fetal images, thus being susceptible to intra- and inter- operator variability. This work introduces an automatic algorithm that identifies abdominal aorta and estimates its diameter and aIMT from videos recorded during routine third trimester ultrasonographic fetal biometry. Firstly, in each frame, the algorithm locates and segments the region corresponding to aorta by means of an active contour driven by two different external forces: a static vector field convolution force and a dynamic pressure force. Then, in each frame, the mean diameter of the vessel is computed, to reconstruct the cardiac cycle: in fact, we expect the diameter to have a sinusoidal trend, according to the heart rate. From the obtained sinusoid, we identify the frames corresponding to the end diastole and to the end systole. Finally, in these frames we assess the aIMT. According to its definition, we consider as aIMT the distance between the leading edge of the blood-intima interface, and the leading edge of the media-adventitia interface on the far wall of the vessel. The correlation between end-diastole and end-systole aIMT automatic and manual measures is 0.90 and 0.84 respectively.

High-speed multi-frame laser Schlieren for visualization of explosive events

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Clarke, S. A.; Murphy, M. J.; Landon, C. D.; Mason, T. A.; Adrian, R. J.; Akinci, A. A.; Martinez, M. E.; Thomas, K. A.

2007-09-01

High-Speed Multi-Frame Laser Schlieren is used for visualization of a range of explosive and non-explosive events. Schlieren is a well-known technique for visualizing shock phenomena in transparent media. Laser backlighting and a framing camera allow for Schlieren images with very short (down to 5 ns) exposure times, band pass filtering to block out explosive self-light, and 14 frames of a single explosive event. This diagnostic has been applied to several explosive initiation events, such as exploding bridgewires (EBW), Exploding Foil Initiators (EFI) (or slappers), Direct Optical Initiation (DOI), and ElectroStatic Discharge (ESD). Additionally, a series of tests have been performed on "cut-back" detonators with varying initial pressing (IP) heights. We have also used this Diagnostic to visualize a range of EBW, EFI, and DOI full-up detonators. The setup has also been used to visualize a range of other explosive events, such as explosively driven metal shock experiments and explosively driven microjets. Future applications to other explosive events such as boosters and IHE booster evaluation will be discussed. Finite element codes (EPIC, CTH) have been used to analyze the schlieren images to determine likely boundary or initial conditions to determine the temporal-spatial pressure profile across the output face of the detonator. These experiments are part of a phased plan to understand the evolution of detonation in a detonator from initiation shock through run to detonation to full detonation to transition to booster and booster detonation.

Dynamic Imaging of the Eye, Optic Nerve, and Extraocular Muscles With Golden Angle Radial MRI

PubMed Central

Smith, David S.; Smith, Alex K.; Welch, E. Brian; Smith, Seth A.

2017-01-01

Purpose The eye and its accessory structures, the optic nerve and the extraocular muscles, form a complex dynamic system. In vivo magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of this system in motion can have substantial benefits in understanding oculomotor functioning in health and disease, but has been restricted to date to imaging of static gazes only. The purpose of this work was to develop a technique to image the eye and its accessory visual structures in motion. Methods Dynamic imaging of the eye was developed on a 3-Tesla MRI scanner, based on a golden angle radial sequence that allows freely selectable frame-rate and temporal-span image reconstructions from the same acquired data set. Retrospective image reconstructions at a chosen frame rate of 57 ms per image yielded high-quality in vivo movies of various eye motion tasks performed in the scanner. Motion analysis was performed for a left–right version task where motion paths, lengths, and strains/globe angle of the medial and lateral extraocular muscles and the optic nerves were estimated. Results Offline image reconstructions resulted in dynamic images of bilateral visual structures of healthy adults in only ∼15-s imaging time. Qualitative and quantitative analyses of the motion enabled estimation of trajectories, lengths, and strains on the optic nerves and extraocular muscles at very high frame rates of ∼18 frames/s. Conclusions This work presents an MRI technique that enables high-frame-rate dynamic imaging of the eyes and orbital structures. The presented sequence has the potential to be used in furthering the understanding of oculomotor mechanics in vivo, both in health and disease. PMID:28813574

Indeterminate lung nodules in cancer patients: pretest probability of malignancy and the role of 18F-FDG PET/CT.

PubMed

Evangelista, Laura; Panunzio, Annalori; Polverosi, Roberta; Pomerri, Fabio; Rubello, Domenico

2014-03-01

The purpose of this study was to determine likelihood of malignancy for indeterminate lung nodules identified on CT comparing two standardized models with (18)F-FDG PET/CT. Fifty-nine cancer patients with indeterminate lung nodules (solid tumors; diameter, ≥5 mm) on CT had FDG PET/CT for lesion characterization. Mayo Clinic and Veterans Affairs Cooperative Study models of likelihood of malignancy were applied to solitary pulmonary nodules. High probability of malignancy was assigned a priori for multiple nodules. Low (<5%), intermediate (5-60%), and high (>60%) pretest malignancy probabilities were analyzed separately. Patients were reclassified with PET/CT. Histopathology or 2-year imaging follow-up established diagnosis. Outcome-based reclassification differences were defined as net reclassification improvement. A null hypothesis of asymptotic test was applied. Thirty-one patients had histology-proven malignancy. PET/CT was true-positive in 24 and true-negative in 25 cases. Negative predictive value was 78% and positive predictive value was 89%. On the basis of the Mayo Clinic model (n=31), 18 patients had low, 12 had intermediate, and one had high pretest likelihood; on the basis of the Veterans Affairs model (n=26), 5 patients had low, 20 had intermediate, and one had high pretest likelihood. Because of multiple lung nodules, 28 patients were classified as having high malignancy risk. PET/CT showed 32 negative and 27 positive scans. Net reclassification improvements respectively were 0.95 and 1.6 for Mayo Clinic and Veterans Affairs models (both p<0.0001). Fourteen of 31 (45.2%) and 12 of 26 (46.2%) patients with low and intermediate pretest likelihood, respectively, had positive findings on PET/CT for the Mayo Clinic and Veterans Affairs models, respectively. Of 15 patients with high pretest likelihood and negative findings on PET/CT, 13 (86.7%) did not have lung malignancy. PET/CT improves stratification of cancer patients with indeterminate pulmonary nodules. A substantial number of patients considered at low and intermediate pretest likelihood of malignancy with histology-proven lung malignancy showed abnormal PET/CT findings.

MRI of suspected appendicitis during pregnancy: interradiologist agreement, indeterminate interpretation and the meaning of non-visualization of the appendix.

PubMed

Tsai, Richard; Raptis, Constantine; Fowler, Kathryn J; Owen, Joseph W; Mellnick, Vincent M

2017-11-01

To determine the degree of interradiologist agreement between the MRI features of appendicitis during pregnancy, the outcomes associated with an indeterminate interpretation and the negative predictive value of non-visualization of the appendix. Our study was approved by the institutional review board at the Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri (WUStL) and was HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996)-compliant. The informed consent requirement was waived. Cases of suspected appendicitis during pregnancy evaluated using MRI were retrospectively identified using search queries. Scans were re-reviewed by two radiologists (7 and 9 years experience, respectively) to evaluate the interradiologist agreement of different MRI features of appendicitis during pregnancy (visualization of the appendix, appendiceal diameter, appendiceal wall thickening, periappendiceal fat stranding, fluid-filled appendix and periappendiceal fluid). The radiologists were blinded to patient outcome, patient intervention, laboratory data, demographic data and the original MRI reports. Clinical outcomes were documented by surgical pathology or clinical observation. Interradiologist agreement was analysed using Cohen's κ, while patient demographic and clinical data was analysed using Student's t-testing. 233 females with suspected appendicitis during pregnancy were evaluated using MRI over a 13-year period (mean age, 28.4 years; range, 17-38 years). There were 14 (6%) positive examinations for appendicitis during pregnancy, including 1 patient whose MRI was interpreted as negative, proven by surgical pathology. The presence of periappendiceal soft-tissue stranding and the final overall impression had the most interradiologist agreement (к = 0.81-1). There were no pregnant patients found to have acute appendicitis who had an indeterminate MR interpretation or when the appendix could not be visualized. The final impression by the two retrospectively reviewing radiologists of MR examinations performed for suspected appendicitis during pregnancy had near-perfect agreement. In patients where the appendix could not be visualized or in patients that were interpreted as indeterminate, no patients had acute appendicitis. Advances in knowledge: MR impression for suspected appendicitis in the pregnant patient has high interradiologist agreement, and a non-visualized appendix or lack of inflammatory findings at the time of MR, reliably excludes surgical appendicitis.

Secondary Moments due to Prestressing with Different Bond at the Ultimate Limit State

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Halvoník, Jaroslav; Pažma, Peter; Vida, Radoslav

2018-03-01

Secondary effects of prestressing develop in statically indeterminate structures (e.g., continuous beams) due to the restraint of deformations imposed by hyperstatic restraints. These effects may significantly influence internal forces and stresses in prestressed structures. Secondary effects are influenced by the redundancy of a structural system, which raises the question of whether they will remain constant after a change in the structural system, e.g., due to the development of plastic hinge(s) in a critical cross-section(s) or after the development of a kinematic mechanism, or if they will disappear when the structure changes into a sequence of simply supported beams. The paper deals with an investigation of the behavior of continuous post-tensioned beams subjected to an ultimate load with significant secondary effects from prestressing. A total of 6 two-span beams prestressed by tendons with different bonds were tested in a laboratory with a load that changed their structural system into a kinematic mechanism. The internal forces and secondary effects of the prestressing were controlled through measurements of the reactions in all the supports. The results revealed that the secondary effects remained as a permanent part of the action on the experimental beams, even after the development of the kinematic mechanism. The results obtained confirmed that secondary effects should be included in all combinations of actions for verifications of ultimate limit states (ULS).

Differential approach to strategies of segmental stabilisation in postural control.

PubMed

Isableu, Brice; Ohlmann, Théophile; Crémieux, Jacques; Amblard, Bernard

2003-05-01

The present paper attempts to clarify the between-subjects variability exhibited in both segmental stabilisation strategies and their subordinated or associated sensory contribution. Previous data have emphasised close relationships between the interindividual variability in both the visual control of posture and the spatial visual perception. In this study, we focused on the possible relationships that might link perceptual visual field dependence-independence and the visual contribution to segmental stabilisation strategies. Visual field dependent (FD) and field independent (FI) subjects were selected on the basis of their extreme score in a static rod and frame test where an estimation of the subjective vertical was required. In the postural test, the subjects stood in the sharpened Romberg position in darkness or under normal or stroboscopic illumination, in front of either a vertical or a tilted frame. Strategies of segmental stabilisation of the head, shoulders and hip in the roll plane were analysed by means of their anchoring index (AI). Our hypothesis was that FD subjects might use mainly visual cues for calibrating not only their spatial perception but also their strategies of segmental stabilisation. In the case of visual cue disturbances, a greater visual dependency to the strategies of segmental stabilisation in FD subjects should be validated by observing more systematic "en bloc" functioning (i.e. negative AI) between two adjacent segments. The main results are the following: 1. Strategies of segmental stabilisation differed between both groups and differences were amplified with the deprivation of either total vision and/or static visual cues. 2. In the absence of total vision and/or static visual cues, FD subjects have shown an increased efficiency of the hip stabilisation in space strategy and an "en bloc" operation of the shoulder-hip unit (whole trunk). The last "en bloc" operation was extended to the whole head-trunk unit in darkness, associated with a hip stabilisation in space. 3. The FI subjects have adopted neither a strategy of segmental stabilisation in space nor on the underlying segment, whatever the body segment considered and the visual condition. Thus, in this group, head, shoulder and hip moved independently from each other during stance control, roughly without taking into account the visual condition. The results, emphasising a differential weighting of sensory input involved in both perceptual and postural control, are discussed in terms of the differential choice and/or ability to select the adequate frame of reference common to both cognitive and motor spatial activities. We assumed that a motor-somesthetics "neglect" or a lack of mastering of these inputs/outputs rather than a mere visual dependence in FD subjects would generate these interindividual differences in both spatial perception and postural balance. This proprioceptive "neglect" is assumed to lead FD subjects to sensory reweighting, whereas proprioceptive dominance would lead FI subjects to a greater ability in selecting the adequate frame of reference in the case of intersensory disturbances. Finally, this study also provides evidence for a new interpretation of the visual field dependence-independence dimension in both spatial perception and postural control.

On the construction of a direct numerical simulation of a breaking inertia-gravity wave in the upper mesosphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fruman, Mark D.; Remmler, Sebastian; Achatz, Ulrich; Hickel, Stefan

2014-10-01

A systematic approach to the direct numerical simulation (DNS) of breaking upper mesospheric inertia-gravity waves of amplitude close to or above the threshold for static instability is presented. Normal mode or singular vector analysis applied in a frame of reference moving with the phase velocity of the wave (in which the wave is a steady solution) is used to determine the most likely scale and structure of the primary instability and to initialize nonlinear "2.5-D" simulations (with three-dimensional velocity and vorticity fields but depending only on two spatial coordinates). Singular vector analysis is then applied to the time-dependent 2.5-D solution to predict the transition of the breaking event to three-dimensional turbulence and to initialize three-dimensional DNS. The careful choice of the computational domain and the relatively low Reynolds numbers, on the order of 25,000, relevant to breaking waves in the upper mesosphere, makes the three-dimensional DNS tractable with present-day computing clusters. Three test cases are presented: a statically unstable low-frequency inertia-gravity wave, a statically and dynamically stable inertia-gravity wave, and a statically unstable high-frequency gravity wave. The three-dimensional DNS are compared to ensembles of 2.5-D simulations. In general, the decay of the wave and generation of turbulence is faster in three dimensions, but the results are otherwise qualitatively and quantitatively similar, suggesting that results of 2.5-D simulations are meaningful if the domain and initial condition are chosen properly.

Spatial domain entertainment audio decompression/compression

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chan, Y. K.; Tam, Ka Him K.

2014-02-01

The ARM7 NEON processor with 128bit SIMD hardware accelerator requires a peak performance of 13.99 Mega Cycles per Second for MP3 stereo entertainment quality decoding. For similar compression bit rate, OGG and AAC is preferred over MP3. The Patent Cooperation Treaty Application dated 28/August/2012 describes an audio decompression scheme producing a sequence of interleaving "min to Max" and "Max to min" rising and falling segments. The number of interior audio samples bound by "min to Max" or "Max to min" can be {0|1|…|N} audio samples. The magnitudes of samples, including the bounding min and Max, are distributed as normalized constants within the 0 and 1 of the bounding magnitudes. The decompressed audio is then a "sequence of static segments" on a frame by frame basis. Some of these frames needed to be post processed to elevate high frequency. The post processing is compression efficiency neutral and the additional decoding complexity is only a small fraction of the overall decoding complexity without the need of extra hardware. Compression efficiency can be speculated as very high as source audio had been decimated and converted to a set of data with only "segment length and corresponding segment magnitude" attributes. The PCT describes how these two attributes are efficiently coded by the PCT innovative coding scheme. The PCT decoding efficiency is obviously very high and decoding latency is basically zero. Both hardware requirement and run time is at least an order of magnitude better than MP3 variants. The side benefit is ultra low power consumption on mobile device. The acid test on how such a simplistic waveform representation can indeed reproduce authentic decompressed quality is benchmarked versus OGG(aoTuv Beta 6.03) by three pair of stereo audio frames and one broadcast like voice audio frame with each frame consisting 2,028 samples at 44,100KHz sampling frequency.

Tackling action-based video abstraction of animated movies for video browsing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ionescu, Bogdan; Ott, Laurent; Lambert, Patrick; Coquin, Didier; Pacureanu, Alexandra; Buzuloiu, Vasile

2010-07-01

We address the issue of producing automatic video abstracts in the context of the video indexing of animated movies. For a quick browse of a movie's visual content, we propose a storyboard-like summary, which follows the movie's events by retaining one key frame for each specific scene. To capture the shot's visual activity, we use histograms of cumulative interframe distances, and the key frames are selected according to the distribution of the histogram's modes. For a preview of the movie's exciting action parts, we propose a trailer-like video highlight, whose aim is to show only the most interesting parts of the movie. Our method is based on a relatively standard approach, i.e., highlighting action through the analysis of the movie's rhythm and visual activity information. To suit every type of movie content, including predominantly static movies or movies without exciting parts, the concept of action depends on the movie's average rhythm. The efficiency of our approach is confirmed through several end-user studies.

Live dynamic imaging and analysis of developmental cardiac defects in mouse models with optical coherence tomography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lopez, Andrew L.; Wang, Shang; Garcia, Monica; Valladolid, Christian; Larin, Kirill V.; Larina, Irina V.

2015-03-01

Understanding mouse embryonic development is an invaluable resource for our interpretation of normal human embryology and congenital defects. Our research focuses on developing methods for live imaging and dynamic characterization of early embryonic development in mouse models of human diseases. Using multidisciplinary methods: optical coherence tomography (OCT), live mouse embryo manipulations and static embryo culture, molecular biology, advanced image processing and computational modeling we aim to understand developmental processes. We have developed an OCT based approach to image live early mouse embryos (E8.5 - E9.5) cultured on an imaging stage and visualize developmental events with a spatial resolution of a few micrometers (less than the size of an individual cell) and a frame rate of up to hundreds of frames per second and reconstruct cardiodynamics in 4D (3D+time). We are now using these methods to study how specific embryonic lethal mutations affect cardiac morphology and function during early development.

An ensemble of paired spin(-1/2) nuclei in a rotating solid: Polarization evolution and NMR spectrum in a wobbling frame.

PubMed

Kundla, Enn

2007-04-01

The evolution of the magnetic polarization of an ensemble of paired spin(-1/2) nuclei in an MAS NMR (nuclear magnetic resonance) experiment and the induced spectrum are described theoretically by means of a Liouville-von Neumann equation representation in a wobbling rotating frame in combination with the averaged Hamiltonian theory. In this method, the effect of a high-intensity external static magnetic field and the effects of the leftover interaction components of the Hamiltonian that commute with the approximate Hamiltonian are taken into account simultaneously and equivalently. This method reproduces details that really exist in the recorded spectra, caused by secular terms in the Hamiltonian, which might otherwise be smoothed out owing to the approximate treatment of the effects of the secular terms. Complete analytical expressions, which describe the whole NMR spectrum including the rotational sideband sets, and which consider all the relevant intermolecular interactions, are obtained.

F-actin and microtubule suspensions as indeterminate fluids.

PubMed

Buxbaum, R E; Dennerll, T; Weiss, S; Heidemann, S R

1987-03-20

The viscosity of F-actin and microtubule suspensions has been measured as a function of shear rate with a Weissenberg rheogoniometer. At shear rates of less than 1.0 per second the viscosity of suspensions of these two structural proteins is inversely proportional to shear rate. These results are consistent with previous in vivo measurements of the viscosity of cytoplasm. This power law implies that shear stress is independent of shear rate; that is, shear stress is a constant at all shear rates less than 1.0 per second. Thus the flow profile of these fluids is indeterminate, or nearly so. This flow property may explain several aspects of intracellular motility in living cells. Possible explanations for this flow property are based on a recent model for semidilute suspensions of rigid rods or a classical friction model for liquid crystals.

Evaluation of Sienna Cancer Diagnostics hTERT Antibody on 500 Consecutive Urinary Tract Specimens.

PubMed

Allison, Derek B; Sharma, Rajni; Cowan, Morgan L; VandenBussche, Christopher J

2018-06-06

Telomerase activity can be detected in up to 90% of urothelial carcinomas (UC). Telomerase activity can also be detected in urinary tract cytology (UTC) specimens and indicate an increased risk of UC. We evaluated the performance of a commercially available antibody that putatively binds the telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) subunit on 500 UTC specimens. Unstained CytospinTM preparations were created from residual urine specimens and were stained using the anti-hTERT antibody (SCD-A7). Two algorithms were developed for concatenating the hTERT result and cytologic diagnosis: a "no indeterminates algorithm," in which a negative cytology and positive hTERT result are considered positive, and a "high-specificity algorithm," in which a negative cytology and positive hTERT result are considered indeterminate (and thus negative for comparison to the gold standard). The "no indeterminates algorithm" and "high-specificity algorithm" yielded a sensitivity of 60.6 and 52.1%, a specificity of 70.4 and 90.7%, a positive predictive value of 39.1 and 63.8%, and a negative predictive value of 85.0 and 85.8%, respectively. A positive hTERT result may identify a subset of patients with an increased risk of high-grade UC (HGUC) who may otherwise not be closely followed, while a negative hTERT immunocytochemistry result is associated with a reduction in risk for HGUC. © 2018 The Author(s) Published by S. Karger AG, Basel.

Cost analysis of intraoperative frozen section examinations in thyroid surgery in a Canadian tertiary center.

PubMed

Lai, Philip; Segall, Lorne; de Korompay, Nevin; Witterick, Ian; Freeman, Jeremy

2009-10-01

To perform a cost analysis of the routine intraoperative frozen section (FS) examinations in the management of patients undergoing thyroid surgery for unilateral thyroid nodules with benign or indeterminate cytology on preoperative fine-needle aspiration biopsies (FNABs). A retrospective chart review of 190 consecutive patients with unilateral thyroid nodules undergoing thyroid surgery was undertaken between March 2006 and March 2008. The results of FNAB, FS, and final histology were obtained from the pathology report. A cost analysis was performed to compare the cost of routine FS examinations to determine malignancy with the cost of performing a second surgical procedure. Of the 169 patients evaluated, there were 53 cases of malignant nodules. Malignancy was diagnosed by FS in 16 of these 53 cases, resulting in a total thyroidectomy and thereby avoiding the need for a completion thyroidectomy. The sensitivity and specificity of FS examination were 30.2% and 100.0%, respectively. The routine use of intraoperative FS examination in cases of benign or indeterminate nodules afforded a total cost savings of $3719.27, or a cost savings of $22.01 per patient. FS examination was useful in guiding our intraoperative management for patients with unilateral thyroid nodules with benign or indeterminate preoperative FNAB. The routine use of FS was cost-effective in our Canadian health care system, even without considering the intangible costs, such as patients' anxiety, emotional stress, and the loss of productivity owing to a second surgical procedure.

Loose Plant Architecture1, an INDETERMINATE DOMAIN Protein Involved in Shoot Gravitropism, Regulates Plant Architecture in Rice1[W

PubMed Central

Wu, Xinru; Tang, Ding; Li, Ming; Wang, Kejian; Cheng, Zhukuan

2013-01-01

Tiller angle and leaf angle are two important components of rice (Oryza sativa) plant architecture that play a crucial role in determining grain yield. Here, we report the cloning and characterization of the Loose Plant Architecture1 (LPA1) gene in rice, the functional ortholog of the AtIDD15/SHOOT GRAVITROPISM5 (SGR5) gene in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana). LPA1 regulates tiller angle and leaf angle by controlling the adaxial growth of tiller node and lamina joint. LPA1 was also found to affect shoot gravitropism. Expression pattern analysis suggested that LPA1 influences plant architecture by affecting the gravitropism of leaf sheath pulvinus and lamina joint. However, LPA1 only influences gravity perception or signal transduction in coleoptile gravitropism by regulating the sedimentation rate of amyloplasts, distinct from the actions of LAZY1. LPA1 encodes a plant-specific INDETERMINATE DOMAIN protein and defines a novel subfamily of 28 INDETERMINATE DOMAIN proteins with several unique conserved features. LPA1 is localized in the nucleus and functions as an active transcriptional repressor, an activity mainly conferred by a conserved ethylene response factor-associated amphiphilic repression-like motif. Further analysis suggests that LPA1 participates in a complicated transcriptional and protein interaction network and has evolved novel functions distinct from SGR5. This study not only facilitates the understanding of gravitropism mechanisms but also generates a useful genetic material for rice breeding. PMID:23124325

Solid pulmonary nodule risk assessment and decision analysis: comparison of four prediction models in 285 cases.

PubMed

Perandini, Simone; Soardi, Gian Alberto; Motton, Massimiliano; Rossi, Arianna; Signorini, Manuel; Montemezzi, Stefania

2016-09-01

The aim of this study was to compare classification results from four major risk prediction models in a wide population of incidentally detected solitary pulmonary nodules (SPNs) which were selected to crossmatch inclusion criteria for the selected models. A total of 285 solitary pulmonary nodules with a definitive diagnosis were evaluated by means of four major risk assessment models developed from non-screening populations, namely the Mayo, Gurney, PKUPH and BIMC models. Accuracy was evaluated by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) area under the curve (AUC) analysis. Each model's fitness to provide reliable help in decision analysis was primarily assessed by adopting a surgical threshold of 65 % and an observation threshold of 5 % as suggested by ACCP guidelines. ROC AUC values, false positives, false negatives and indeterminate nodules were respectively 0.775, 3, 8, 227 (Mayo); 0.794, 41, 6, 125 (Gurney); 0.889, 42, 0, 144 (PKUPH); 0.898, 16, 0, 118 (BIMC). Resultant data suggests that the BIMC model may be of greater help than Mayo, Gurney and PKUPH models in preoperative SPN characterization when using ACCP risk thresholds because of overall better accuracy and smaller numbers of indeterminate nodules and false positive results. • The BIMC and PKUPH models offer better characterization than older prediction models • Both the PKUPH and BIMC models completely avoided false negative results • The Mayo model suffers from a large number of indeterminate results.

A novel mutation in TFL1 homolog affecting determinacy in cowpea (Vigna unguiculata).

PubMed

Dhanasekar, P; Reddy, K S

2015-02-01

Mutations in the widely conserved Arabidopsis Terminal Flower 1 (TFL1) gene and its homologs have been demonstrated to result in determinacy across genera, the knowledge of which is lacking in cowpea. Understanding the molecular events leading to determinacy of apical meristems could hasten development of cowpea varieties with suitable ideotypes. Isolation and characterization of a novel mutation in cowpea TFL1 homolog (VuTFL1) affecting determinacy is reported here for the first time. Cowpea TFL1 homolog was amplified using primers designed based on conserved sequences in related genera and sequence variation was analysed in three gamma ray-induced determinate mutants, their indeterminate parent "EC394763" and two indeterminate varieties. The analyses of sequence variation exposed a novel SNP distinguishing the determinate mutants from the indeterminate types. The non-synonymous point mutation in exon 4 at position 1,176 resulted from transversion of cytosine (C) to adenine (A) leading to an amino acid change (Pro-136 to His) in determinate mutants. The effect of the mutation on protein function and stability was predicted to be detrimental using different bioinformatics/computational tools. The functionally significant novel substitution mutation is hypothesized to affect determinacy in the cowpea mutants. Development of suitable regeneration protocols in this hitherto recalcitrant crop and subsequent complementation assay in mutants or over-expressing assay in parents could decisively conclude the role of the SNP in regulating determinacy in these cowpea mutants.

Knowing about guessing and guessing about knowing: preschoolers' understanding of indeterminacy.

PubMed

Fay, A L; Klahr, D

1996-04-01

In this article we investigate preschool children's understanding of indeterminacy by examining their ability to distinguish between determinate situations--in which the available evidence eliminates all uncertainty about an outcome--and indeterminate situations--in which it does not. We argue that a full understanding of indeterminacy requires the coordination of 3 processes: search, evaluation, and mapping. We describe 3 experiments aimed at discovering the extent to which these processes, each of which has been implicated in previous accounts of indeterminate reasoning, are developed in preschoolers and the extent to which different children organize the processes into different strategies. Experiment 1 examines 5-year-olds' performance on 1- versus 2-solution problems having different configurations of irrelevant information. Experiments 2 and 3 extend the possible sources of indeterminacy from 2 to 4 and vary the amount of consistent, inconsistent, and to-be-discovered evidence. Our results show that 4- and 5-year-old children readily give "Can tell" responses to determinate problems, as well as "Can't tell" responses when they think that the evidence warrants such a response. In addition, we report 2 new findings: (a) different children use different strategies to process determinate evidence, and these strategies, in turn, predict their performance on indeterminate problems; (b) evidence patterns in which a single positive instance is contrasted with 1 or more negative or unknown instances are particularly difficult to resolve. Many children use a decision rule--the Positive Capture rule--that produces consistent errors on this type of problem.

An evaluation of corn earworm damage and thresholds in soybean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Adams, Brian Patrick

Interactions between corn earworm, Helicoverpa zea (Boddie), and soybean, Glycine max L. (Merrill), were investigated in the Mid-South to evaluate thresholds and damage levels. Field studies were conducted in both indeterminate and determinate modern cultivars to evaluate damage, critical injury levels, and soybean response to simulated corn earworm injury. Field studies were also conducted to evaluate the response of indeterminate cultivars to infestations of corn earworm. Field studies were also conducted to investigate the relationship between pyrethroid insecticide application and corn earworm oviposition in soybean. Results of field studies involving simulated corn earworm damage indicated the need for a dynamic threshold that becomes more conservative as soybean phenology progressed through the reproductive growth stages. This suggested that soybean was more tolerant to fruit loss during the earlier reproductive stages and was able to compensate for fruit loss better during this time than at later growth stages. Results of field studies involving infestations of corn earworm indicated that current thresholds are likely too liberal. This resulted in economic injury level tables being constructed based upon a range of crop values and control costs, however, a general action threshold was also recommended for indeterminate soybean in the Mid-South. Field study results investigating the relationship of pyrethroid application and corn earworm oviposition indicated that even in the presence of an insecticide, corn earworm prefers to oviposit in the upper portion of the canopy, as well as on the leaves as opposed to all other plant parts, consistent with all previous literature.

Loose Plant Architecture1, an INDETERMINATE DOMAIN protein involved in shoot gravitropism, regulates plant architecture in rice.

PubMed

Wu, Xinru; Tang, Ding; Li, Ming; Wang, Kejian; Cheng, Zhukuan

2013-01-01

Tiller angle and leaf angle are two important components of rice (Oryza sativa) plant architecture that play a crucial role in determining grain yield. Here, we report the cloning and characterization of the Loose Plant Architecture1 (LPA1) gene in rice, the functional ortholog of the AtIDD15/SHOOT GRAVITROPISM5 (SGR5) gene in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana). LPA1 regulates tiller angle and leaf angle by controlling the adaxial growth of tiller node and lamina joint. LPA1 was also found to affect shoot gravitropism. Expression pattern analysis suggested that LPA1 influences plant architecture by affecting the gravitropism of leaf sheath pulvinus and lamina joint. However, LPA1 only influences gravity perception or signal transduction in coleoptile gravitropism by regulating the sedimentation rate of amyloplasts, distinct from the actions of LAZY1. LPA1 encodes a plant-specific INDETERMINATE DOMAIN protein and defines a novel subfamily of 28 INDETERMINATE DOMAIN proteins with several unique conserved features. LPA1 is localized in the nucleus and functions as an active transcriptional repressor, an activity mainly conferred by a conserved ethylene response factor-associated amphiphilic repression-like motif. Further analysis suggests that LPA1 participates in a complicated transcriptional and protein interaction network and has evolved novel functions distinct from SGR5. This study not only facilitates the understanding of gravitropism mechanisms but also generates a useful genetic material for rice breeding.

Q-elastography in the presurgical diagnosis of thyroid nodules with indeterminate cytology.

PubMed

Cantisani, Vito; Ulisse, Salvatore; Guaitoli, Eleonora; De Vito, Corrado; Caruso, Riccardo; Mocini, Renzo; D'Andrea, Vito; Ascoli, Valeria; Antonaci, Alfredo; Catalano, Carlo; Nardi, Francesco; Redler, Adriano; Ricci, Paolo; De Antoni, Enrico; Sorrenti, Salvatore

2012-01-01

Quantitative ultrasound (US) elastography (Q-USE), able to evaluate tissue stiffness has been indicated as a new diagnostic tool to differentiate benign from malignant thyroid lesions. Aim of this prospective study, conducted at the Department of Surgical Sciences, of the "Sapienza" University of Rome, was to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of Q-USE, compared with US parameters, in thyroid nodules with indeterminate cytology (Thy3).The case study included 140 nodules from 140 consecutive patients. Patient's thyroid nodules were evaluated by Q-USE, measuring the strain ratio (SR) of stiffness between nodular and surrounding normal thyroid tissue, and conventional US parameters prior fine-needle aspiration cytology. Those with Thy3 diagnosis were included in the study. Forty of the nodules analyzed harbored a malignant lesion. Q-USE demonstrated that malignant nodules have a significant higher stiffness with respect to benign one and an optimun SR cut-off value of 2.05 was individuated following ROC analysis. Univariate analysis showed that hypoechogenicity, irregular margins and SR >2.05 associated with malignancy, with an accuracy of 67.2%, 81,0% and 89.8%, respectively. Data were unaffected by nodule size or thyroiditis. These findings were confirmed in multivariate analysis demonstrating a significant association of the SR and the irregular margins with thyroid nodule's malignancy. In conclusion, we demonstrated the diagnostic utility of Q-USE in the differential diagnosis of thyroid nodules with indeterminate cytology that, if confirmed, could be of major clinical utility in patients' presurgical selection.

Q-Elastography in the Presurgical Diagnosis of Thyroid Nodules with Indeterminate Cytology

PubMed Central

Guaitoli, Eleonora; De Vito, Corrado; Caruso, Riccardo; Mocini, Renzo; D’Andrea, Vito; Ascoli, Valeria; Antonaci, Alfredo; Catalano, Carlo; Nardi, Francesco; Redler, Adriano; Ricci, Paolo; De Antoni, Enrico; Sorrenti, Salvatore

2012-01-01

Quantitative ultrasound (US) elastography (Q-USE), able to evaluate tissue stiffness has been indicated as a new diagnostic tool to differentiate benign from malignant thyroid lesions. Aim of this prospective study, conducted at the Department of Surgical Sciences, of the “Sapienza” University of Rome, was to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of Q-USE, compared with US parameters, in thyroid nodules with indeterminate cytology (Thy3).The case study included 140 nodules from 140 consecutive patients. Patient’s thyroid nodules were evaluated by Q-USE, measuring the strain ratio (SR) of stiffness between nodular and surrounding normal thyroid tissue, and conventional US parameters prior fine-needle aspiration cytology. Those with Thy3 diagnosis were included in the study. Forty of the nodules analyzed harbored a malignant lesion. Q-USE demonstrated that malignant nodules have a significant higher stiffness with respect to benign one and an optimun SR cut-off value of 2.05 was individuated following ROC analysis. Univariate analysis showed that hypoechogenicity, irregular margins and SR >2.05 associated with malignancy, with an accuracy of 67.2%, 81,0% and 89.8%, respectively. Data were unaffected by nodule size or thyroiditis. These findings were confirmed in multivariate analysis demonstrating a significant association of the SR and the irregular margins with thyroid nodule’s malignancy. In conclusion, we demonstrated the diagnostic utility of Q-USE in the differential diagnosis of thyroid nodules with indeterminate cytology that, if confirmed, could be of major clinical utility in patients’ presurgical selection. PMID:23209819

Novel high-resolution computed tomography-based radiomic classifier for screen-identified pulmonary nodules in the National Lung Screening Trial.

PubMed

Peikert, Tobias; Duan, Fenghai; Rajagopalan, Srinivasan; Karwoski, Ronald A; Clay, Ryan; Robb, Richard A; Qin, Ziling; Sicks, JoRean; Bartholmai, Brian J; Maldonado, Fabien

2018-01-01

Optimization of the clinical management of screen-detected lung nodules is needed to avoid unnecessary diagnostic interventions. Herein we demonstrate the potential value of a novel radiomics-based approach for the classification of screen-detected indeterminate nodules. Independent quantitative variables assessing various radiologic nodule features such as sphericity, flatness, elongation, spiculation, lobulation and curvature were developed from the NLST dataset using 726 indeterminate nodules (all ≥ 7 mm, benign, n = 318 and malignant, n = 408). Multivariate analysis was performed using least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) method for variable selection and regularization in order to enhance the prediction accuracy and interpretability of the multivariate model. The bootstrapping method was then applied for the internal validation and the optimism-corrected AUC was reported for the final model. Eight of the originally considered 57 quantitative radiologic features were selected by LASSO multivariate modeling. These 8 features include variables capturing Location: vertical location (Offset carina centroid z), Size: volume estimate (Minimum enclosing brick), Shape: flatness, Density: texture analysis (Score Indicative of Lesion/Lung Aggression/Abnormality (SILA) texture), and surface characteristics: surface complexity (Maximum shape index and Average shape index), and estimates of surface curvature (Average positive mean curvature and Minimum mean curvature), all with P<0.01. The optimism-corrected AUC for these 8 features is 0.939. Our novel radiomic LDCT-based approach for indeterminate screen-detected nodule characterization appears extremely promising however independent external validation is needed.

Computerized cytometry and wavelet analysis of follicular lesions for detecting malignancy: A pilot study in thyroid cytology.

PubMed

Gilshtein, Hayim; Mekel, Michal; Malkin, Leonid; Ben-Izhak, Ofer; Sabo, Edmond

2017-01-01

The cytologic diagnosis of indeterminate lesions of the thyroid involves much uncertainty, and the final diagnosis often requires operative resection. Computerized cytomorphometry and wavelets analysis were examined to evaluate their ability to better discriminate between benign and malignant lesions based on cytology slides. Cytologic reports from patients who underwent thyroid operation in a single, tertiary referral center were retrieved. Patients with Bethesda III and IV lesions were divided according to their final histopathology. Cytomorphometry and wavelet analysis were performed on the digitized images of the cytology slides. Cytology slides of 40 patients were analyzed. Seven patients had a histologic diagnosis of follicular malignancy, 13 had follicular adenomas, and 20 had a benign goiter. Computerized cytomorphometry with a combination of descriptors of nuclear size, shape, and texture was able to predict quantitatively adenoma versus malignancy within the indeterminate group with 95% accuracy. An automated wavelets analysis with a neural network algorithm reached an accuracy of 96% in identifying correctly malignant vs. benign lesions based on cytology. Computerized analysis of cytology slides seems to be more accurate in defining indeterminate thyroid lesions compared with conventional cytologic analysis, which is based on visual characteristics on cytology as well as the expertise of the cytologist. This pilot study needs to be validated with a greater number of samples. Providing a successful validation, we believe that such methods carry promise for better patient treatment. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A Novel Real-Time Reference Key Frame Scan Matching Method.

PubMed

Mohamed, Haytham; Moussa, Adel; Elhabiby, Mohamed; El-Sheimy, Naser; Sesay, Abu

2017-05-07

Unmanned aerial vehicles represent an effective technology for indoor search and rescue operations. Typically, most indoor missions' environments would be unknown, unstructured, and/or dynamic. Navigation of UAVs in such environments is addressed by simultaneous localization and mapping approach using either local or global approaches. Both approaches suffer from accumulated errors and high processing time due to the iterative nature of the scan matching method. Moreover, point-to-point scan matching is prone to outlier association processes. This paper proposes a low-cost novel method for 2D real-time scan matching based on a reference key frame (RKF). RKF is a hybrid scan matching technique comprised of feature-to-feature and point-to-point approaches. This algorithm aims at mitigating errors accumulation using the key frame technique, which is inspired from video streaming broadcast process. The algorithm depends on the iterative closest point algorithm during the lack of linear features which is typically exhibited in unstructured environments. The algorithm switches back to the RKF once linear features are detected. To validate and evaluate the algorithm, the mapping performance and time consumption are compared with various algorithms in static and dynamic environments. The performance of the algorithm exhibits promising navigational, mapping results and very short computational time, that indicates the potential use of the new algorithm with real-time systems.

Low-Rank Matrix Recovery Approach for Clutter Rejection in Real-Time IR-UWB Radar-Based Moving Target Detection

PubMed Central

Sabushimike, Donatien; Na, Seung You; Kim, Jin Young; Bui, Ngoc Nam; Seo, Kyung Sik; Kim, Gil Gyeom

2016-01-01

The detection of a moving target using an IR-UWB Radar involves the core task of separating the waves reflected by the static background and by the moving target. This paper investigates the capacity of the low-rank and sparse matrix decomposition approach to separate the background and the foreground in the trend of UWB Radar-based moving target detection. Robust PCA models are criticized for being batched-data-oriented, which makes them inconvenient in realistic environments where frames need to be processed as they are recorded in real time. In this paper, a novel method based on overlapping-windows processing is proposed to cope with online processing. The method consists of processing a small batch of frames which will be continually updated without changing its size as new frames are captured. We prove that RPCA (via its Inexact Augmented Lagrange Multiplier (IALM) model) can successfully separate the two subspaces, which enhances the accuracy of target detection. The overlapping-windows processing method converges on the optimal solution with its batch counterpart (i.e., processing batched data with RPCA), and both methods prove the robustness and efficiency of the RPCA over the classic PCA and the commonly used exponential averaging method. PMID:27598159

TIME-DEPENDENT MULTI-GROUP MULTI-DIMENSIONAL RELATIVISTIC RADIATIVE TRANSFER CODE BASED ON SPHERICAL HARMONIC DISCRETE ORDINATE METHOD

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

Tominaga, Nozomu; Shibata, Sanshiro; Blinnikov, Sergei I., E-mail: tominaga@konan-u.ac.jp, E-mail: sshibata@post.kek.jp, E-mail: Sergei.Blinnikov@itep.ru

We develop a time-dependent, multi-group, multi-dimensional relativistic radiative transfer code, which is required to numerically investigate radiation from relativistic fluids that are involved in, e.g., gamma-ray bursts and active galactic nuclei. The code is based on the spherical harmonic discrete ordinate method (SHDOM) which evaluates a source function including anisotropic scattering in spherical harmonics and implicitly solves the static radiative transfer equation with ray tracing in discrete ordinates. We implement treatments of time dependence, multi-frequency bins, Lorentz transformation, and elastic Thomson and inelastic Compton scattering to the publicly available SHDOM code. Our code adopts a mixed-frame approach; the source functionmore » is evaluated in the comoving frame, whereas the radiative transfer equation is solved in the laboratory frame. This implementation is validated using various test problems and comparisons with the results from a relativistic Monte Carlo code. These validations confirm that the code correctly calculates the intensity and its evolution in the computational domain. The code enables us to obtain an Eddington tensor that relates the first and third moments of intensity (energy density and radiation pressure) and is frequently used as a closure relation in radiation hydrodynamics calculations.« less

Impact Testing and Simulation of Composite Airframe Structures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jackson, Karen E.; Littell, Justin D.; Horta, Lucas G.; Annett, Martin S.; Fasanella, Edwin L.; Seal, Michael D., II

2014-01-01

Dynamic tests were performed at NASA Langley Research Center on composite airframe structural components of increasing complexity to evaluate their energy absorption behavior when subjected to impact loading. A second objective was to assess the capabilities of predicting the dynamic response of composite airframe structures, including damage initiation and progression, using a state-of-the-art nonlinear, explicit transient dynamic finite element code, LS-DYNA. The test specimens were extracted from a previously tested composite prototype fuselage section developed and manufactured by Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation under the US Army's Survivable Affordable Repairable Airframe Program (SARAP). Laminate characterization testing was conducted in tension and compression. In addition, dynamic impact tests were performed on several components, including I-beams, T-sections, and cruciform sections. Finally, tests were conducted on two full-scale components including a subfloor section and a framed fuselage section. These tests included a modal vibration and longitudinal impact test of the subfloor section and a quasi-static, modal vibration, and vertical drop test of the framed fuselage section. Most of the test articles were manufactured of graphite unidirectional tape composite with a thermoplastic resin system. However, the framed fuselage section was constructed primarily of a plain weave graphite fabric material with a thermoset resin system. Test data were collected from instrumentation such as accelerometers and strain gages and from full-field photogrammetry.

Videogrammetric Model Deformation Measurement Technique

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Burner, A. W.; Liu, Tian-Shu

2001-01-01

The theory, methods, and applications of the videogrammetric model deformation (VMD) measurement technique used at NASA for wind tunnel testing are presented. The VMD technique, based on non-topographic photogrammetry, can determine static and dynamic aeroelastic deformation and attitude of a wind-tunnel model. Hardware of the system includes a video-rate CCD camera, a computer with an image acquisition frame grabber board, illumination lights, and retroreflective or painted targets on a wind tunnel model. Custom software includes routines for image acquisition, target-tracking/identification, target centroid calculation, camera calibration, and deformation calculations. Applications of the VMD technique at five large NASA wind tunnels are discussed.

The R-38 Catastrophe and the Mechanics of Rigid Airship Construction

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Herrera, Emilio

1922-01-01

An airship frame may be regarded as a rigid girder subjected to a number of forces which, according to their nature, may be classified as follows: weight or loads (force of gravity); lifting forces (aero-static); accelerations (dynamic). These forces must be in equilibrium in the three most important cases during flight: 1) when the airship is floating (aerostatic problem); 2) when flying without acceleration (aerodynamic problem). 3) When under the influence of any accelerating force (dynamic problem). This report will briefly discuss each of these cases in regard to the R-38 airship accident.

-dimensional thin shell wormhole with deformed throat can be supported by normal matter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mazharimousavi, S. Habib; Halilsoy, M.

2015-06-01

From the physics standpoint the exotic matter problem is a major difficulty in thin shell wormholes (TSWs) with spherical/cylindrical throat topologies. We aim to circumvent this handicap by considering angle dependent throats in dimensions. By considering the throat of the TSW to be deformed spherical, i.e., a function of and , we present general conditions which are to be satisfied by the shape of the throat in order to have the wormhole supported by matter with positive density in the static reference frame. We provide particular solutions/examples to the constraint conditions.

Report of Combat Consumption Modeling Improvement Panel.

DTIC Science & Technology

1980-07-01

within a static frame- work , and so may require the use of a dynamic approach. 5. Navy Methodologies ( Less Risk) Like the Air Force, the Navy uses a...mda~id iw Cumr MOAN3 70 C 620 Ib9 Umplmmut d6 Um. IN PWmAN d WM A PaW dme adn hiSses by Onbs ds dmu~m. p.1Mm d6 tga agmey. UNCLASSIFIED lecumV...by ,the panel to be important, in detail. In many areas, the panel believes that the caveats and recommendations for future work presented In the DoD

Diagnostic test accuracy of a 2-transcript host RNA signature for discriminating bacterial vs viral infection in febrile children

PubMed Central

Shailes, Hannah; Eleftherohorinou, Hariklia; Hoggart, Clive J; Cebey-Lopez, Miriam; Carter, Michael J; Janes, Victoria A; Gormley, Stuart; Shimizu, Chisato; Tremoulet, Adriana H; Barendregt, Anouk M; Salas, Antonio; Kanegaye, John; Pollard, Andrew J; Faust, Saul N; Patel, Sanjay; Kuijpers, Taco; Martinon-Torres, Federico; Burns, Jane C; Coin, Lachlan JM; Levin, Michael

2018-01-01

Importance As clinical features do not reliably distinguish bacterial from viral infection, many children worldwide receive unnecessary antibiotic treatment whilst bacterial infection is missed in others. Objective To identify a blood RNA expression signature that distinguishes bacterial from viral infection in febrile children. Design Febrile children presenting to participating hospitals in UK, Spain, Netherlands and USA between 2009-2013 were prospectively recruited, comprising a discovery group and validation group. Each group was classified after microbiological investigation into definite bacterial, definite viral infection or indeterminate infection. RNA expression signatures distinguishing definite bacterial from viral infection were identified in the discovery group and diagnostic performance assessed in the validation group. Additional validation was undertaken in separate studies of children with meningococcal disease (n=24) inflammatory diseases (n=48), and on published gene expression datasets. Exposures A 2-transcript RNA expression signature distinguishing bacterial infection from viral infection was evaluated against clinical and microbiological diagnosis. Main Outcomes Definite Bacterial and viral infection was confirmed by culture or molecular detection of the pathogens. Performance of the RNA signature was evaluated in the definite bacterial and viral group, and the indeterminate group. Results The discovery cohort of 240 children (median age 19 months, 62% males) included 52 with definite bacterial infection of whom 36 (69%) required intensive care; and 92 with definite viral infection of whom 32 (35%) required intensive care. 96 children had indeterminate infection. Bioinformatic analysis of RNA expression data identified a 38-transcript signature distinguishing bacterial from viral infection. A smaller (2-transcript) signature (FAM89A and IFI44L) was identified by removing highly correlated transcripts. When this 2-transcript signature was implemented as a Disease Risk Score in the validation group (130 children, including 23 bacterial, 28 viral, 79 indeterminate; median age 17 months, 57% males), bacterial infection was identified in all 23 microbiologically-confirmed definite bacterial patients, with a sensitivity of 100% (95% confidence interval [CI], 100 - 100), and in 1 of 28 definite viral patients, with specificity of 96.4% (95% CI, 89.3 – 100). When applied to additional validation datasets from patients with meningococcal and inflammatory diseases, bacterial infection was identified with a sensitivity of 91.7% (79.2-100) and 90.0% (70.0-100) respectively, and with specificity of 96.0% (88.0-100) and 95.8% (89.6-100). A minority of children in the indeterminate group were classified as having bacterial infection (63 of 136, 46.3%), although most received antibiotic treatment (129 of 136, 94.9%). Conclusions and Relevance This study provides preliminary data regarding test accuracy of a 2-transcript host RNA signature discriminating bacterial from viral infection in febrile children. Further studies are needed in diverse groups of patients to assess accuracy and clinical utility of this test in different clinical settings. PMID:27552617

How does cryotherapy effect ankle proprioception in healthy individuals?

PubMed

Houten, Daniel; Cooper, Darren

2017-09-01

Objectives To investigate how a 15-min cryotherapy intervention effects proprioception by measuring joint positional sense (JPS) and static single legged balance. Design Repeated measures design. Setting Laboratory. Participants Eighteen healthy university sports team students (11 males, 7 females) aged between 20 and 21 years old. Main outcome measures Participants were treated with 15 min of Aircast Cryo-cuff. The subject's skin temperature was measured before and immediately after 15 min of cryotherapy treatment. Ankle active joint positional sense (A-JPS) and passive joint positional sense (P-JPS) were measured at pre-test, immediately post-test, and 5 min post-test. Static balance was measured by centre of pressure (CoP) mean path length, medial-lateral (ML) CoP mean deviation, and anterior-posterior (AP) CoP mean deviation and mean time-to-boundary (TtB) minima for AP and ML directions. Results No significant differences were found for the variables of JPS and static single balance testing after 15 min of cryotherapy treatment. However, mean differences for CoP mean path length and ML mean deviation were shown to improve following cryotherapy treatment, results not previously found in the literature. Conclusion Results suggest that 15 min of Cryo-cuff treatment does not significantly affect proprioception. Although the effect of cryotherapy on proprioception depends on cooling modality used, time frame applied, and joint applied to.

Rings of h-deformed differential operators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ogievetsky, O. V.; Herlemont, B.

2017-08-01

We describe the center of the ring Diff h ( n) of h- deformed differential operators of type A. We establish an isomorphism between certain localizations of Diff h ( n) and the Weyl algebra W n , extended by n indeterminates.

Overexpression of KNAT1 in lettuce shifts leaf determinate growth to a shoot-like indeterminate growth associated with an accumulation of isopentenyl-type cytokinins.

PubMed

Frugis, G; Giannino, D; Mele, G; Nicolodi, C; Chiappetta, A; Bitonti, M B; Innocenti, A M; Dewitte, W; Van Onckelen, H; Mariotti, D

2001-08-01

Leaves are specialized organs characterized by defined developmental destiny and determinate growth. The overexpression of Knotted1-like homeobox genes in different species has been shown to alter leaf shape and development, but a definite role for this class of genes remains to be established. Transgenics that overexpress Knotted1-like genes present some traits that are characteristic of altered cytokinin physiology. Here we show that lettuce (Lactuca sativa) leaves that overexpress KNAT1, an Arabidopsis kn1-like gene, acquire characteristics of indeterminate growth typical of the shoot and that this cell fate change is associated with the accumulation of specific types of cytokinins. The possibility that the phenotypic effects of KNAT1 overexpression may arise primarily from the modulation of local ratios of different cytokinins is discussed.

Overexpression of KNAT1 in Lettuce Shifts Leaf Determinate Growth to a Shoot-Like Indeterminate Growth Associated with an Accumulation of Isopentenyl-Type Cytokinins1

PubMed Central

Frugis, Giovanna; Giannino, Donato; Mele, Giovanni; Nicolodi, Chiara; Chiappetta, Adriana; Bitonti, Maria Beatrice; Innocenti, Anna Maria; Dewitte, Walter; Van Onckelen, Harry; Mariotti, Domenico

2001-01-01

Leaves are specialized organs characterized by defined developmental destiny and determinate growth. The overexpression of Knotted1-like homeobox genes in different species has been shown to alter leaf shape and development, but a definite role for this class of genes remains to be established. Transgenics that overexpress Knotted1-like genes present some traits that are characteristic of altered cytokinin physiology. Here we show that lettuce (Lactuca sativa) leaves that overexpress KNAT1, an Arabidopsis kn1-like gene, acquire characteristics of indeterminate growth typical of the shoot and that this cell fate change is associated with the accumulation of specific types of cytokinins. The possibility that the phenotypic effects of KNAT1 overexpression may arise primarily from the modulation of local ratios of different cytokinins is discussed. PMID:11500537

Control of joint motion simulators for biomechanical research

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Colbaugh, R.; Glass, K.

1992-01-01

The authors present a hierarchical adaptive algorithm for controlling upper extremity human joint motion simulators. A joint motion simulator is a computer-controlled, electromechanical system which permits the application of forces to the tendons of a human cadaver specimen in such a way that the cadaver joint under study achieves a desired motion in a physiologic manner. The proposed control scheme does not require knowledge of the cadaver specimen dynamic model, and solves on-line the indeterminate problem which arises because human joints typically possess more actuators than degrees of freedom. Computer simulation results are given for an elbow/forearm system and wrist/hand system under hierarchical control. The results demonstrate that any desired normal joint motion can be accurately tracked with the proposed algorithm. These simulation results indicate that the controller resolved the indeterminate problem redundancy in a physiologic manner, and show that the control scheme was robust to parameter uncertainty and to sensor noise.

High dynamic range CMOS-based mammography detector for FFDM and DBT

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peters, Inge M.; Smit, Chiel; Miller, James J.; Lomako, Andrey

2016-03-01

Digital Breast Tomosynthesis (DBT) requires excellent image quality in a dynamic mode at very low dose levels while Full Field Digital Mammography (FFDM) is a static imaging modality that requires high saturation dose levels. These opposing requirements can only be met by a dynamic detector with a high dynamic range. This paper will discuss a wafer-scale CMOS-based mammography detector with 49.5 μm pixels and a CsI scintillator. Excellent image quality is obtained for FFDM as well as DBT applications, comparing favorably with a-Se detectors that dominate the X-ray mammography market today. The typical dynamic range of a mammography detector is not high enough to accommodate both the low noise and the high saturation dose requirements for DBT and FFDM applications, respectively. An approach based on gain switching does not provide the signal-to-noise benefits in the low-dose DBT conditions. The solution to this is to add frame summing functionality to the detector. In one X-ray pulse several image frames will be acquired and summed. The requirements to implement this into a detector are low noise levels, high frame rates and low lag performance, all of which are unique characteristics of CMOS detectors. Results are presented to prove that excellent image quality is achieved, using a single detector for both DBT as well as FFDM dose conditions. This method of frame summing gave the opportunity to optimize the detector noise and saturation level for DBT applications, to achieve high DQE level at low dose, without compromising the FFDM performance.

Spatial coding of eye movements relative to perceived earth and head orientations during static roll tilt

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wood, S. J.; Paloski, W. H.; Reschke, M. F.

1998-01-01

This purpose of this study was to examine the spatial coding of eye movements during static roll tilt (up to +/-45 degrees) relative to perceived earth and head orientations. Binocular videographic recordings obtained in darkness from eight subjects allowed us to quantify the mean deviations in gaze trajectories along both horizontal and vertical coordinates relative to the true earth and head orientations. We found that both variability and curvature of gaze trajectories increased with roll tilt. The trajectories of eye movements made along the perceived earth-horizontal (PEH) were more accurate than movements along the perceived head-horizontal (PHH). The trajectories of both PEH and PHH saccades tended to deviate in the same direction as the head tilt. The deviations in gaze trajectories along the perceived earth-vertical (PEV) and perceived head-vertical (PHV) were both similar to the PHH orientation, except that saccades along the PEV deviated in the opposite direction relative to the head tilt. The magnitude of deviations along the PEV, PHH, and PHV corresponded to perceptual overestimations of roll tilt obtained from verbal reports. Both PEV gaze trajectories and perceptual estimates of tilt orientation were different following clockwise rather than counterclockwise tilt rotation; however, the PEH gaze trajectories were less affected by the direction of tilt rotation. Our results suggest that errors in gaze trajectories along PEV and perceived head orientations increase during roll tilt in a similar way to perceptual errors of tilt orientation. Although PEH and PEV gaze trajectories became nonorthogonal during roll tilt, we conclude that the spatial coding of eye movements during roll tilt is overall more accurate for the perceived earth reference frame than for the perceived head reference frame.

A general approach to the electronic spin relaxation of Gd(III) complexes in solutions. Monte Carlo simulations beyond the Redfield limit

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rast, S.; Fries, P. H.; Belorizky, E.; Borel, A.; Helm, L.; Merbach, A. E.

2001-10-01

The time correlation functions of the electronic spin components of a metal ion without orbital degeneracy in solution are computed. The approach is based on the numerical solution of the time-dependent Schrödinger equation for a stochastic perturbing Hamiltonian which is simulated by a Monte Carlo algorithm using discrete time steps. The perturbing Hamiltonian is quite general, including the superposition of both the static mean crystal field contribution in the molecular frame and the usual transient ligand field term. The Hamiltonian of the static crystal field can involve the terms of all orders, which are invariant under the local group of the average geometry of the complex. In the laboratory frame, the random rotation of the complex is the only source of modulation of this Hamiltonian, whereas an additional Ornstein-Uhlenbeck process is needed to describe the time fluctuations of the Hamiltonian of the transient crystal field. A numerical procedure for computing the electronic paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectra is proposed and discussed. For the [Gd(H2O)8]3+ octa-aqua ion and the [Gd(DOTA)(H2O)]- complex [DOTA=1,4,7,10-tetrakis(carboxymethyl)-1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclo dodecane] in water, the predictions of the Redfield relaxation theory are compared with those of the Monte Carlo approach. The Redfield approximation is shown to be accurate for all temperatures and for electronic resonance frequencies at and above X-band, justifying the previous interpretations of EPR spectra. At lower frequencies the transverse and longitudinal relaxation functions derived from the Redfield approximation display significantly faster decays than the corresponding simulated functions. The practical interest of this simulation approach is underlined.

Confinement Effect on Material Properties of RC Beams Under Flexure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kulkarni, Sumant; Shiyekar, Mukund Ramchandra; Shiyekar, Sandip Mukund

2017-12-01

In structural analysis, especially in indeterminate structures, it becomes essential to know the material and geometrical properties of members. The codal provisions recommend elastic properties of concrete and steel and these are fairly accurate enough. The stress-strain curve for concrete cylinder or a cube specimen is plotted. The slope of this curve is modulus of elasticity of plain concrete. Another method of determining modulus of elasticity of concrete is by flexural test of a beam specimen. The modulus of elasticity most commonly used for concrete is secant modulus. The modulus of elasticity of steel is obtained by performing a tension test of steel bar. While performing analysis by any software for high rise building, cross area of plain concrete is taken into consideration whereas effects of reinforcement bars and concrete confined by stirrups are neglected. Present aim of study is to determine elastic properties of reinforced cement concrete beam. Two important stiffness properties such as AE and EI play important role in analysis of high rise RCC building idealized as plane frame. The experimental program consists of testing of beams (model size 150 × 150 × 700 mm) with percentage of reinforcement varying from 0.54 to 1.63% which commensurate with existing Codal provisions of IS:456-2000 for flexural member. The effect of confinement is considered in this study. The experimental results are verified by using 3D finite element techniques.

Molecular analysis of human T cell lymphotropic virus type 1 and 2 (HTLV-1/2) seroindeterminate blood donors from Northeast Iran: evidence of proviral tax, env, and gag sequences.

PubMed

Zanjani, Delaram Sayadpour; Shahabi, Majid; Talaei, Nasim; Afzalaghaee, Monavar; Tehranian, Farahnaz; Bazargani, Reihane

2011-02-01

Human T cell lymphotropic virus type 1 and 2 (HTLV-1/2) Western blot indeterminate results are a problem for blood banks in endemic areas. To determine the prevalence of HTLV-1/2 infection among indeterminate donors, we analyzed 130 cases from Mashhad, an HTLV-1/2 endemic area in Northeast Iran. The most frequent Western blot bands were GD21 alone (37.2%) followed by rgp46-2 alone (32.1%). We further tested 40 available DNA samples of these cases by PCR for viral sequences, tax, gag, and pol, and found five cases (12.5%) to be positive for two or three HTLV-1 genes. There were no significant age, sex, and blood group differences between PCR-positive and PCR-negative cases. Among PCR-positive individuals, the most prevalent Western blot bands were variable combinations of rgp46-1, GD21, and gp21. The mean of the optical density (OD) of the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) test was significantly higher in PCR-positive individuals. The frequency of the rgp46-1 band was also significantly higher in PCR-positive cases compared to PCR-negative ones. In conclusion, the majority of HTLV-indeterminate donors lack the HTLV provirus and therefore are not considered infected. However, in some cases with higher ODs in the ELISA test and seroreactivity to env proteins, rgp46-1 and GD21 in particular may be indicative of infection and need further evaluation by molecular methods.

Higher levels of knowledge reduce health care costs in patients with inflammatory bowel disease.

PubMed

Colombara, Federica; Martinato, Matteo; Girardin, Giulia; Gregori, Dario

2015-03-01

The potentially high costs of care associated with inflammatory bowel disease are recognized. A knowledge-based self-management approach seems to reduce health care costs, improve disease control, and reduce indirect costs. The aim of this study was to determine whether there is a significant association between patient knowledge and health care costs. Patients diagnosed with inflammatory bowel disease, Crohn's disease (CD), ulcerative colitis, or indeterminate colitis, in 2010 to 2011 were included. Direct costs were investigated for each patient, including costs of blood tests, procedures, medications, hospitalization, and visits. Specific prices were reported according to the hospital billing database for 2010. For medical and surgical hospital admissions, DRG 19 prices were reported. A validated questionnaire (CCKNOW) was used to assess disease-related knowledge. Ninety-one patients (38 men), mean age 47 years (range, 33-63 yr) were studied (14 indeterminate colitis, 33 CD, and 44 ulcerative colitis). Median cost for patients is higher in CD (&OV0556;4099.02). The mean overall CCKNOW score was 8.00 (8.50 for indeterminate colitis, 7.50 for CD, and 7.50 for ulcerative colitis). An increase of 5 points on the CCKNOW corresponds to a cost decrease of &OV0556;1099.53 in the first year of disease. Higher levels of knowledge were shown to be associated with significantly lower health care costs. The data suggest that better information could lead to better choices and improved outcomes; thus, patient information and education is a key priority for managing patients with inflammatory bowel disease, perhaps planning structured and formal patient education programs in the future.

A Novel Reporting System to Improve Accuracy in Appendicitis Imaging

PubMed Central

Godwin, Benjamin D.; Drake, Frederick T.; Simianu, Vlad V.; Shriki, Jabi E.; Hippe, Daniel S.; Dighe, Manjiri; Bastawrous, Sarah; Cuevas, Carlos; Flum, David; Bhargava, Puneet

2015-01-01

OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to ascertain if standardized radiologic reporting for appendicitis imaging increases diagnostic accuracy. MATERIALS AND METHODS We developed a standardized appendicitis reporting system that includes objective imaging findings common in appendicitis and a certainty score ranging from 1 (definitely not appendicitis) through 5 (definitely appendicitis). Four radiologists retrospectively reviewed the preoperative CT scans of 96 appendectomy patients using our reporting system. The presence of appendicitis-specific imaging findings and certainty scores were compared with final pathology. These comparisons were summarized using odds ratios (ORs) and the AUC. RESULTS The appendix was visualized on CT in 89 patients, of whom 71 (80%) had pathologically proven appendicitis. Imaging findings associated with appendicitis included appendiceal diameter (odds ratio [OR] = 14 [> 10 vs < 6 mm]; p = 0.002), periappendiceal fat stranding (OR = 8.9; p < 0.001), and appendiceal mucosal hyperenhancement (OR = 8.7; p < 0.001). Of 35 patients whose initial clinical findings were reported as indeterminate, 28 (80%) had appendicitis. In this initially indeterminate group, using the standardized reporting system, radiologists assigned higher certainty scores (4 or 5) in 21 of the 28 patients with appendicitis (75%) and lower scores (1 or 2) in five of the seven patients without appendicitis (71%) (AUC = 0.90; p = 0.001). CONCLUSION Standardized reporting and grading of objective imaging findings correlated well with postoperative pathology and may decrease the number of CT findings reported as indeterminate for appendicitis. Prospective evaluation of this reporting system on a cohort of patients with clinically suspected appendicitis is currently under way. PMID:26001230

'The thing is not knowing': patients' perspectives on surveillance of an indeterminate pulmonary nodule.

PubMed

Wiener, Renda Soylemez; Gould, Michael K; Woloshin, Steven; Schwartz, Lisa M; Clark, Jack A

2015-06-01

The hundreds of thousands of patients found to have a potentially malignant pulmonary nodule each year are faced with tremendous uncertainty regarding what the nodule is and how it should be evaluated. To explore patients' responses to the detection and evaluation of a pulmonary nodule. Qualitative study based on four focus-group discussions. We performed inductive analysis using principles of grounded theory to identify themes relating to responses to the nodule and strategies to manage uncertainty. Twenty-two patients from two medical centres who were undergoing surveillance for an indeterminate pulmonary nodule. Patient responses to an indeterminate pulmonary nodule were varied and evolved over time. Although almost all patients reported an initial fear about cancer, subsequent depictions of the nodule diverged into four types defined on two dimensions: cognitive ('it's cancer' vs. 'I don't know what it is' vs. 'it's nothing serious') and emotional (anxiety vs. equanimity). Most eventually accepted that the nodule was unlikely to be malignant; however, some remained anxious, convinced the nodule could turn into cancer at any time and should be aggressively monitored for life. Patients used results of surveillance tests as well as their own strategies (e.g. vigilance for symptoms, information-seeking, contemplating and controlling modifiable risk factors, avoidance, faith) to manage uncertainty. Surveillance for a pulmonary nodule can weigh heavily on some patients for months or years. Our findings may help clinicians prepare patients with a newly detected pulmonary nodule for the burden of the prolonged uncertainty of surveillance. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Next-Generation Sequencing Identifies Gene Mutations That Are Predictive of Malignancy in Residual Needle Rinses Collected From Fine-Needle Aspirations of Thyroid Nodules.

PubMed

Fuller, Maren Y; Mody, Dina; Hull, April; Pepper, Kristi; Hendrickson, Heather; Olsen, Randall

2018-02-01

- Thyroid nodules have a prevalence of approximately 70% in adults. Fine-needle aspiration (FNA) is a minimally invasive, cost-effective, standard method to collect tissue from thyroid nodules for cytologic examination. However, approximately 15% of thyroid FNA specimens cannot be unambiguously diagnosed as benign or malignant. - To investigate whether clinically actionable data can be obtained using next-generation sequencing of residual needle rinse material. - A total of 24 residual needle rinse specimens with malignant (n = 6), indeterminate (n = 9), or benign (n = 9) thyroid FNA diagnoses were analyzed in our clinical molecular diagnostics laboratory using next-generation sequencing assays designed to detect gene mutations and translocations that commonly occur in thyroid cancer. Results were correlated with surgical diagnoses and clinical outcomes. - Interpretable data were generated from 23 of 24 residual needle rinse specimens. Consistent with its well-known role in thyroid malignancy, BRAF V600E mutations were detected in 4 malignant cases. An NRAS mutation was detected in 1 benign case. No mutations were detected from specimens with indeterminate diagnoses. - Our data demonstrate that residual thyroid FNA needle rinses are an adequate source of material for molecular diagnostic testing. Importantly, detection of a mutation implicated in thyroid malignancy was predictive of the final surgical diagnosis and clinical outcome. Our strategy to triage thyroid nodules with indeterminate cytology with molecular testing eliminates the need to perform additional FNA passes into dedicated media or to schedule additional invasive procedures. Further investigation with a larger sample size to confirm the clinical utility of our proposed strategy is underway.

Trends in diagnoses after implementation of the Chicago classification for esophageal motility disorders (V3.0) for high-resolution manometry studies.

PubMed

Laing, P; Bress, A P; Fang, J; Peterson, K; Adler, D G; Gawron, A J

2017-12-01

To determine trends in the diagnostic distribution of esophageal motility disorders after implementation of the Chicago Classification Version 3.0 (CC V3.0) for interpretation of high-resolution manometry (HRM) studies compared to non-Chicago Classification criteria. Retrospective trends analysis of patients with an HRM study conducted at a single center from January 1, 2013 to September 30, 2015. The implementation of the CC V3.0 for manometry interpretation occurred in September 2014. Patient charts were manually reviewed for data collection including demographics and HRM diagnoses. The prevalence and relative risks (RR) of CC V3.0 diagnostic categories (i.e. normal, indeterminate, achalasia, and EGJ outflow obstruction [EJGOO], and major and minor motility disorders) were calculated before and after CC V3.0 implementation. Four hundred sixty-five HRM studies were included in the study including 268 before and 179 after CC V3.0 implementation. The mean ± SD age was 54 ± 15.4 years and 59.8% were female (n = 278). The percentage with indeterminate diagnosis decreased from 35.3% before CC V3.0 implementation to 16.8% after implementation (adjusted RR 0.5, 95%CI 0.30-0.70, p < 0.001). The percentage with a major motility disorders decreased from 13.9% to 7.3% (adjusted RR 0.5, 95%CI 0.2-1.0, p < 0.001). The percentage with EJGOO and minor diagnoses increased from 1.4% to 14.5% and 11.9% to 22.9%, respectively. The percentage with achalasia and normal diagnosis did not change over the study period. Implementation of CCV3.0 was associated with changes in the distribution of esophageal motility diagnoses in clinical practice. The percentage of indeterminate and major diagnosis decreased and EGJOO and minor diagnoses increased. The decrease in the number of indeterminate studies suggests that the CC V3.0 may clarify the criteria for the interpreting physician. The increase in studies with a diagnosis of EGJ outflow obstruction may reflect the heterogeneity of disorders with clinically relevant outflow obstruction. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of International Society for Diseases of the Esophagus 2017. This work is written by (a) US Government employee(s) and is in the public domain in the US.

Correlation of Slag Expulsion with Ballistic Anomalies in Shuttle Solid Rocket Motors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sambamurthi, Jay K.; Alvarado, Alexis; Mathias, Edward C.

1996-01-01

During the Shuttle launches, the solid rocket motors (SRM) occasionally experience pressure perturbations (8-13 psi) between 65-75 s into the motor burn time. The magnitudes of these perturbations are very small in comparison with the operating motor chamber pressure, which is over 600 psi during this time frame. These SRM pressure perturbations are believed to he caused primarily by the expulsion of slag (aluminum oxide). Two SRM static tests, TEM-11 and FSM-4, were instrumented extensively for the study of the phenomena associated with pressure perturbations. The test instrumentation used included nonintrusive optical and infrared diagnostics of the plume, such as high-speed photography, radiometers, and thermal image cameras. Results from all of these nonintrusive observations provide substantial circumstantial evidence to support the scenario that the pressure perturbation event in the Shuttle SRM is caused primarily by the expulsion of molten slag. In the static motor tests, the slag was also expelled preferentially near the bottom of the nozzle because of slag accumulation at the bottom of the aft end of the horizontally oriented motor.

Dependence of locked mode behavior on frequency and polarity of a rotating external magnetic perturbation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Inoue, S.; Shiraishi, J.; Takechi, M.; Matsunaga, G.; Isayama, A.; Hayashi, N.; Ide, S.

2018-02-01

Active control and stabilization of locked modes (LM) via rotating external magnetic perturbations are numerically investigated under a realistic low resistivity condition. To explore plasma responses to rotating and/or static external magnetic perturbations, we have developed a resistive magnetohydrodynamic code ‘AEOLUS-IT’. By using AEOLUS-IT, dependencies of mode behavior on frequency and polarity of the rotating magnetic perturbation are successfully clarified. Here, the rotational direction of the rotating magnetic perturbation to the equilibrium plasma rotation in the laboratory frame is referred to as ‘polarity’. The rotating magnetic perturbation acts on the background rotating plasma in the presence of a static field. Under such circumstances, there exist bifurcated states of the background rotating plasma, which should be taken into account when studying the dependence of the mode behavior on the rotating magnetic perturbation. It is found that there exist an optimum frequency and polarity of the rotating magnetic perturbation to control the LM, and that the LM is effectively stabilized by a co-polarity magnetic perturbation in comparison with a counter-polarity one.

Relative effects of posture and activity on human height estimation from surveillance footage.

PubMed

Ramstrand, Nerrolyn; Ramstrand, Simon; Brolund, Per; Norell, Kristin; Bergström, Peter

2011-10-10

Height estimations based on security camera footage are often requested by law enforcement authorities. While valid and reliable techniques have been established to determine vertical distances from video frames, there is a discrepancy between a person's true static height and their height as measured when assuming different postures or when in motion (e.g., walking). The aim of the research presented in this report was to accurately record the height of subjects as they performed a variety of activities typically observed in security camera footage and compare results to height recorded using a standard height measuring device. Forty-six able bodied adults participated in this study and were recorded using a 3D motion analysis system while performing eight different tasks. Height measurements captured using the 3D motion analysis system were compared to static height measurements in order to determine relative differences. It is anticipated that results presented in this report can be used by forensic image analysis experts as a basis for correcting height estimations of people captured on surveillance footage. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Climate Analytics as a Service. Chapter 11

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schnase, John L.

2016-01-01

Exascale computing, big data, and cloud computing are driving the evolution of large-scale information systems toward a model of data-proximal analysis. In response, we are developing a concept of climate analytics as a service (CAaaS) that represents a convergence of data analytics and archive management. With this approach, high-performance compute-storage implemented as an analytic system is part of a dynamic archive comprising both static and computationally realized objects. It is a system whose capabilities are framed as behaviors over a static data collection, but where queries cause results to be created, not found and retrieved. Those results can be the product of a complex analysis, but, importantly, they also can be tailored responses to the simplest of requests. NASA's MERRA Analytic Service and associated Climate Data Services API provide a real-world example of climate analytics delivered as a service in this way. Our experiences reveal several advantages to this approach, not the least of which is orders-of-magnitude time reduction in the data assembly task common to many scientific workflows.

Top-down approach to vestibular compensation: translational lessons from vestibular rehabilitation

PubMed Central

Balaban, Carey D.; Hoffer, Michael E.; Gottshall, Kim R.

2012-01-01

This review examines vestibular compensation and vestibular rehabilitation from a unified translational research perspective. Laboratory studies illustrate neurobiological principles of vestibular compensation at the molecular, cellular and systems levels in animal models that inform vestibular rehabilitation practice. However, basic research has been hampered by an emphasis on ‘naturalistic’ recovery, with time after insult and drug interventions as primary dependent variables. The vestibular rehabilitation literature, on the other hand, provides information on how the degree of compensation can be shaped by specific activity regimens. The milestones of the early spontaneous static compensation mark the re-establishment of static gaze stability, which provides a common coordinate frame for the brain to interpret residual vestibular information in the context of visual, somatosensory and visceral signals that convey gravitoinertial information. Stabilization of the head orientation and the eye orientation (suppression of spontaneous nystagmus) appear to be necessary by not sufficient conditions for successful rehabilitation, and define a baseline for initiating retraining. The lessons from vestibular rehabilitation in animal models offer the possibility of shaping the recovery trajectory to identify molecular and genetic factors that can improve vestibular compensation. PMID:22981400

Temporal Resolution Needed for Auditory Communication: Measurement With Mosaic Speech

PubMed Central

Nakajima, Yoshitaka; Matsuda, Mizuki; Ueda, Kazuo; Remijn, Gerard B.

2018-01-01

Temporal resolution needed for Japanese speech communication was measured. A new experimental paradigm that can reflect the spectro-temporal resolution necessary for healthy listeners to perceive speech is introduced. As a first step, we report listeners' intelligibility scores of Japanese speech with a systematically degraded temporal resolution, so-called “mosaic speech”: speech mosaicized in the coordinates of time and frequency. The results of two experiments show that mosaic speech cut into short static segments was almost perfectly intelligible with a temporal resolution of 40 ms or finer. Intelligibility dropped for a temporal resolution of 80 ms, but was still around 50%-correct level. The data are in line with previous results showing that speech signals separated into short temporal segments of <100 ms can be remarkably robust in terms of linguistic-content perception against drastic manipulations in each segment, such as partial signal omission or temporal reversal. The human perceptual system thus can extract meaning from unexpectedly rough temporal information in speech. The process resembles that of the visual system stringing together static movie frames of ~40 ms into vivid motion. PMID:29740295

Geographic applications of ERTS-1 imagery to rural landscape change in eastern Tennessee

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rehder, J. B. (Principal Investigator); Omalley, J. R.

1973-01-01

There are no author-identified significant results in this report. A multistage sampling experiment was conducted using low (10,000') and high (60,000') altitude aircraft imagery in comparison with orbital (560 miles) ERTS imagery. Although the aircraft data provide detailed landscape observations similar to ground truth data, they cover relatively small areas per image frame for irregular static slices of time. By comparison, ERTS provides repetitive observations in a regional perspective for broad areal coverage. Microdensitometric and computer techniques are being used to analyze the ERTS imagery for gray tone signatures, comparisons, and ultimately for landscape change detection.

Micro-tensile testing system

DOEpatents

Wenski, Edward G [Lenexa, KS

2007-08-21

A micro-tensile testing system providing a stand-alone test platform for testing and reporting physical or engineering properties of test samples of materials having thicknesses of approximately between 0.002 inch and 0.030 inch, including, for example, LiGA engineered materials. The testing system is able to perform a variety of static, dynamic, and cyclic tests. The testing system includes a rigid frame and adjustable gripping supports to minimize measurement errors due to deflection or bending under load; serrated grips for securing the extremely small test sample; high-speed laser scan micrometers for obtaining accurate results; and test software for controlling the testing procedure and reporting results.

Micro-tensile testing system

DOEpatents

Wenski, Edward G.

2006-01-10

A micro-tensile testing system providing a stand-alone test platform for testing and reporting physical or engineering properties of test samples of materials having thicknesses of approximately between 0.002 inch and 0.030 inch, including, for example, LiGA engineered materials. The testing system is able to perform a variety of static, dynamic, and cyclic tests. The testing system includes a rigid frame and adjustable gripping supports to minimize measurement errors due to deflection or bending under load; serrated grips for securing the extremely small test sample; high-speed laser scan micrometers for obtaining accurate results; and test software for controlling the testing procedure and reporting results.

Micro-tensile testing system

DOEpatents

Wenski, Edward G [Lenexa, KS

2007-07-17

A micro-tensile testing system providing a stand-alone test platform for testing and reporting physical or engineering properties of test samples of materials having thicknesses of approximately between 0.002 inch and 0.030 inch, including, for example, LiGA engineered materials. The testing system is able to perform a variety of static, dynamic, and cyclic tests. The testing system includes a rigid frame and adjustable gripping supports to minimize measurement errors due to deflection or bending under load; serrated grips for securing the extremely small test sample; high-speed laser scan micrometers for obtaining accurate results; and test software for controlling the testing procedure and reporting results.

Modulating complex beams in amplitude and phase using fast tilt-micromirror arrays and phase masks.

PubMed

Roth, Matthias; Heber, Jörg; Janschek, Klaus

2018-06-15

The Letter proposes a system for the spatial modulation of light in amplitude and phase at kilohertz frame rates and high spatial resolution. The focus is fast spatial light modulators (SLMs) consisting of continuously tiltable micromirrors. We investigate the utilization of such SLMs in combination with a static phase mask in a 4f setup. The phase mask enables the complex beam modulation in a linear optical arrangement. Furthermore, adding so-called phase steps to the phase mask increases both the number of image pixels at constant SLM resolution and the optical efficiency. We illustrate our concept based on numerical simulations.

Geodetic measurement of deformation in the Loma Prieta, California earthquake with very long baseline interferometry

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Clark, T. A.; Ma, C.; Sauber, J. M.; Ryan, J. W.; Gordon, D.; Shaffer, D. B.; Carprette, D. S.; Vandenberg, N. R.

1990-01-01

VLBI measurements were conducted immediately after the Loma Prieta earthquake and compared with VLBI gathered at Monterey, San Francisco, and Point Reyes since 1983 to obtain preearthquake deformation rates with respect to a North American reference frame. The estimated displacements at Monterey and San Francisco are consistent with the static displacements predicted on the basis of a coseismic slip model in which slip on the southern segment is shallower than slip on the northern segment of the fault rupture. Cartesian positions are presented at epoch 1990.0 of a set of VLBI fiducial stations and the three mobile sites in the earthquake's vicinity.

A Novel Real-Time Reference Key Frame Scan Matching Method

PubMed Central

Mohamed, Haytham; Moussa, Adel; Elhabiby, Mohamed; El-Sheimy, Naser; Sesay, Abu

2017-01-01

Unmanned aerial vehicles represent an effective technology for indoor search and rescue operations. Typically, most indoor missions’ environments would be unknown, unstructured, and/or dynamic. Navigation of UAVs in such environments is addressed by simultaneous localization and mapping approach using either local or global approaches. Both approaches suffer from accumulated errors and high processing time due to the iterative nature of the scan matching method. Moreover, point-to-point scan matching is prone to outlier association processes. This paper proposes a low-cost novel method for 2D real-time scan matching based on a reference key frame (RKF). RKF is a hybrid scan matching technique comprised of feature-to-feature and point-to-point approaches. This algorithm aims at mitigating errors accumulation using the key frame technique, which is inspired from video streaming broadcast process. The algorithm depends on the iterative closest point algorithm during the lack of linear features which is typically exhibited in unstructured environments. The algorithm switches back to the RKF once linear features are detected. To validate and evaluate the algorithm, the mapping performance and time consumption are compared with various algorithms in static and dynamic environments. The performance of the algorithm exhibits promising navigational, mapping results and very short computational time, that indicates the potential use of the new algorithm with real-time systems. PMID:28481285

Toward an implantable functional electrical stimulation device to correct strabismus

PubMed Central

Velez, Federico G.; Isobe, Jun; Zealear, David; Judy, Jack W.; Edgerton, V. Reggie; Patnode, Stephanie; Lee, Hyowon; Hahn, Brian T.

2010-01-01

PURPOSE To investigate the feasibility of electrically stimulating the lateral rectus muscle to recover its physiologic abduction ability in cases of complete sixth cranial (abducens) nerve palsy. METHODS In the feline lateral rectus muscle model, the effects of a charge-balanced, biphasic, current-controlled stimulus on the movement of the eye were investigated while stimulation frequency, amplitude, and pulse duration was varied. Eye deflection was measured with a force transducer. Denervated conditions were simulated by injection of botulinum toxin A. RESULTS Three chemically denervated and 4 control lateral rectus muscles were analyzed. In control lateral rectus muscles, the minimum fusion frequency was approximately 170 Hz, and the maximum evoked abduction was 27°. The minimum fusion frequency was unchanged after 4 weeks of chemical denervation. Stimulation of chemically denervated lateral rectus muscle resulted in 17° of abduction. For both innervated and chemically denervated lateral rectus muscle, frequencies greater than 175 Hz yielded very little increase in abduction. Modulating amplitude produced noticeable movement throughout the tested range (0.2 to 9 mA). CONCLUSIONS Results from the feline lateral rectus muscle showed that electrical stimulation is a feasible approach to evoke a contraction from a denervated lateral rectus muscle. The degree of denervation of the feline lateral rectus muscle was indeterminate. Varying the stimulation amplitude allowed greater eye movement. It is very likely that both frequency and amplitude must be modulated for finer control of static eye position. PMID:19375369

The influence of the way the muscle force is modeled on the predicted results obtained by solving indeterminate problems for a fast elbow flexion.

PubMed

Raikova, Rositsa; Aladjov, Hristo

2003-06-01

A critical point in models of the human limbs when the aim is to investigate the motor control is the muscle model. More often the mechanical output of a muscle is considered as one musculotendon force that is a design variable in optimization tasks solved predominantly by static optimization. For dynamic conditions, the relationship between the developed force, the length and the contraction velocity of a muscle becomes important and rheological muscle models can be incorporated in the optimization tasks. Here the muscle activation can be a design variable as well. Recently a new muscle model was proposed. A muscle is considered as a mixture of motor units (MUs) with different peculiarities and the muscle force is calculated as a sum of the MUs twitches. The aim of the paper is to compare these three ways for presenting the muscle force. Fast elbow flexion is investigated using a planar model with five muscles. It is concluded that the rheological models are suitable for calculation of the current maximal muscle forces that can be used as weight factors in the objective functions. The model based on MUs has many advantages for precise investigations of motor control. Such muscle presentation can explain the muscle co-contraction and the role of the fast and the slow MUs. The relationship between the MUs activation and the mechanical output is more clear and closer to the reality.

Multi-material size optimization of a ladder frame chassis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baker, Michael

The Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) is an American fuel standard that sets regulations on fuel economy in vehicles. This law ultimately shapes the development and design research for automakers. Reducing the weight of conventional cars offers a way to improve fuel efficiency. This research investigated the optimality of an automobile's ladder frame chassis (LFC) by conducting multi-objective optimization on the LFC in order to reduce the weight of the chassis. The focus of the design and optimization was a ladder frame chassis commonly used for mass production light motor vehicles with an open-top rear cargo area. This thesis is comprised of two major sections. The first looked to perform thickness optimization in the outer walls of the ladder frame. In the second section, many multi-material distributions, including steel and aluminium varieties, were investigated. A simplified model was used to do an initial hand calculation analysis of the problem. This was used to create a baseline validation to compare the theory with the modeling. A CAD model of the LFC was designed. From the CAD model, a finite element model was extracted and joined using weld and bolt connectors. Following this, a linear static analysis was performed to look at displacement and stresses when subjected to loading conditions that simulate harsh driving conditions. The analysis showed significant values of stress and displacement on the ends of the rails, suggesting improvements could be made elsewhere. An optimization scheme was used to find the values of an all steel frame an optimal thickness distribution was found. This provided a 13% weight reduction over the initial model. To advance the analysis a multi-material approach was used to push the weight savings even further. Several material distributions were analyzed and the lightest utilized aluminium in all but the most strenuous subjected components. This enabled a reduction in weight of 15% over the initial model, equivalent to approximately 1 mile per gallon (MPG) in fuel economy.

Comparative study of silver nanoparticle permeation using Side-Bi-Side and Franz diffusion cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Trbojevich, Raul A.; Fernandez, Avelina; Watanabe, Fumiya; Mustafa, Thikra; Bryant, Matthew S.

2016-03-01

Better understanding the mechanisms of nanoparticle permeation through membranes and packaging polymers has important implications for the evaluation of drug transdermal uptake, in food safety and the environmental implications of nanotechnology. In this study, permeation of 21 nm diameter silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) was tested using Side-Bi-Side and Franz static diffusion cells through hydrophilic 0.1 and 0.05 µm pore diameter 125 µm thick synthetic cellulose membranes, and 16 and 120 µm thick low-density polyethylene (LDPE) films. Experiments performed with LDPE films discarded permeation of AgNPs or Ag ions over the investigated time-frame in both diffusion systems. But controlled release of AgNPs has been quantified using semipermeable hydrophilic membranes. The permeation followed a quasi-linear time-dependent model during the experimental time-frame, which represents surface reaction-limited permeation. Diffusive flux, diffusion coefficients, and membrane permeability were determined as a function of pore size and diffusion model. Concentration gradient and pore size were key to understand mass transfer phenomena in the diffusion systems.

Behavior of composite/metal aircraft structural elements and components under crash type loads: What are they telling us

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Carden, Huey D.; Boitnott, Richard L.; Fasanella, Edwin L.

1990-01-01

Failure behavior results are presented from crash dynamics research using concepts of aircraft elements and substructure not necessarily designed or optimized for energy absorption or crash loading considerations. To achieve desired new designs which incorporate improved energy absorption capabilities often requires an understanding of how more conventional designs behave under crash loadings. Experimental and analytical data are presented which indicate some general trends in the failure behavior of a class of composite structures which include individual fuselage frames, skeleton subfloors with stringers and floor beams but without skin covering, and subfloors with skin added to the frame-stringer arrangement. Although the behavior is complex, a strong similarity in the static and dynamic failure behavior among these structures is illustrated through photographs of the experimental results and through analytical data of generic composite structural models. It is believed that the similarity in behavior is giving the designer and dynamists much information about what to expect in the crash behavior of these structures and can guide designs for improving the energy absorption and crash behavior of such structures.

Behavior of composite/metal aircraft structural elements and components under crash type loads - What are they telling us?

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Carden, Huey D.; Boitnott, Richard L.; Fasanella, Edwin L.

1990-01-01

Failure behavior results are presented from crash dynamics research using concepts of aircraft elements and substructure not necessarily designed or optimized for energy absorption or crash loading considerations. To achieve desired new designs which incorporate improved energy absorption capabilities often requires an understanding of how more conventional designs behave under crash loadings. Experimental and analytical data are presented which indicate some general trends in the failure behavior of a class of composite structures which include individual fuselage frames, skeleton subfloors with stringers and floor beams but without skin covering, and subfloors with skin added to the frame-stringer arrangement. Although the behavior is complex, a strong similarity in the static and dynamic failure behavior among these structures is illustrated through photographs of the experimental results and through analytical data of generic composite structural models. It is believed that the similarity in behavior is giving the designer and dynamists much information about what to expect in the crash behavior of these structures and can guide designs for improving the energy absorption and crash behavior of such structures.

Unique failure behavior of metal/composite aircraft structural components under crash type loads

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Carden, Huey D.

1990-01-01

Failure behavior results are presented on some of the crash dynamics research conducted with concepts of aircraft elements and substructure which have not necessarily been designed or optimized for energy absorption or crash loading considerations. To achieve desired new designs which incorporate improved energy absorption capabilities often requires an understanding of how more conventional designs behave under crash type loadings. Experimental and analytical data are presented which indicate some general trends in the failure behavior of a class of composite structures which include individual fuselage frames, skeleton subfloors with stringers and floor beams but without skin covering, and subfloors with skin added to the frame-stringer arrangement. Although the behavior is complex, a strong similarity in the static/dynamic failure behavior among these structures is illustrated through photographs of the experimental results and through analytical data of generic composite structural models. It is believed that the thread of similarity in behavior is telling the designer and dynamists a great deal about what to expect in the crash behavior of these structures and can guide designs for improving the energy absorption and crash behavior of such structures.

Results From the New NIF Gated LEH imager

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Hui; Amendt, P.; Barrios, M.; Bradley, D.; Casey, D.; Hinkel, D.; Berzak Hopkins, L.; Kilkenny, J.; Kritcher, A.; Landen, O.; Jones, O.; Ma, T.; Milovich, J.; Michel, P.; Moody, J.; Ralph, J.; Pak, A.; Palmer, N.; Schneider, M.

2016-10-01

A novel ns-gated Laser Entrance Hole (G-LEH) diagnostic has been successfully implemented at the National Ignition Facility (NIF). This diagnostic has successfully acquired images from various experimental campaigns, providing critical information for inertial confinement fusion experiments. The G-LEH diagnostic which takes time-resolved gated images along a single line-of-sight, incorporates a high-speed multi-frame CMOS x-ray imager developed by Sandia National Laboratories into the existing Static X-ray Imager diagnostic at NIF. It is capable of capturing two laser-entrance-hole images per shot on its 1024x448 pixel photo-detector array, with integration times as short as 2 ns per frame. The results that will be presented include the size of the laser entrance hole vs. time, the growth of the laser-heated gold plasma bubble, the change in brightness of inner beam spots due to time-varying cross beam energy transfer, and plasma instability growth near the hohlraum wall. This work was performed under the auspices of the U.S. Department of Energy by LLNS, LLC, under Contract No. DE-AC52- 07NA27344.

Microfabricated teeter-totter resonator

DOEpatents

Adkins, Douglas Ray; Heller, Edwin J.; Shul, Randy J.

2004-11-23

A microfabricated teeter-totter resonator comprises a frame, a paddle pivotably anchored to the frame by pivot arms that define an axis of rotation, a current conductor line on a surface of the paddle, means for applying a static magnetic field substantially perpendicular to the rotational axis and in the plane of the paddle, and means for energizing the current conductor line with an alternating current. A Lorentz force is generated by the interaction of the magnetic field with the current flowing in the conductor line, causing the paddle to oscillate about the axis of rotation. The teeter-totter resonator can be fabricated with micromachining techniques with materials used in the integrated circuits manufacturing industry. The microfabricated teeter-totter resonator has many varied applications, both as an actuation device and as a sensor. When used as a chemical sensor, a chemically sensitive coating can be disposed on one or both surfaces of the paddle to enhance the absorption of chemical analytes from a fluid stream. The resulting mass change can be detected as a change in the resonant frequency or phase of the oscillatory motion of the paddle.

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

Poels, Kenneth, E-mail: kenneth.poels@uzbrussel.be; Verellen, Dirk; Van de Vondel, Iwein

Purpose: Because frame rates on current clinical available electronic portal imaging devices (EPID’s) are limited to 7.5 Hz, a new commercially available PerkinElmer EPID (XRD 1642 AP19) with a maximum frame rate of 30 Hz and a new scintillator (Kyokko PI200) with improved sensitivity (light output) for megavolt (MV) irradiation was evaluated. In this work, the influence of MV pulse artifacts and pulsing artifact suppression techniques on fiducial marker and marker-less detection of a lung lesion was investigated, because target localization is an important component of uncertainty in geometrical verification of real-time tumor tracking. Methods: Visicoil™ markers with a diametermore » of 0.05 and 0.075 cm were used for MV marker tracking with a frame rate of, respectively, 7.5, 15, and 30 Hz. A 30 Hz readout of the detector was obtained by a 2 × 2 pixel binning, reducing spatial resolution. Static marker detection was conducted in function of increasing phantom thickness. Additionally, marker-less tracking was conducted and compared with the ground-truth fiducial marker motion. Performance of MV target detection was investigated by comparing the least-square sine wave fit of the detected marker positions with the predefined sine wave motion. For fiducial marker detection, a Laplacian-of-Gaussian enhancement was applied after which normalized cross correlation was used to find the most probable marker position. Marker-less detection was performed by using the scale and orientation adaptive mean shift tracking algorithm. For each MV fluoroscopy, a free running (FR-nF) (ignoring MV pulsing during readout) acquisition mode was compared with two acquisition modes intending to reduce MV pulsing artifacts, i.e., combined wavelet-FFT filtering (FR-wF) and electronic readout synchronized with respect to MV pulses. Results: A 0.05 cm Visicoil marker resulted in an unacceptable root-mean square error (RMSE) > 0.2 cm with a maximum frame rate of 30 Hz during FR-nF readout. With a 30 Hz synchronized readout (S-nF) and during 15 Hz readout (independent of readout mode), RMSE was submillimeter for a static 0.05 cm Visicoil. A dynamic 0.05 cm Visicoil was not detectable on the XRD 1642 AP19, despite a fast synchronized readout. For a 0.075 cm Visicoil, deviations of sine wave motion were submillimeter (RMSE < 0.08 cm), independent of the acquisition mode (FR, S). For marker-less tumor detection, FR-nF images resulted in RMSE > 0.3 cm, while for MV fluoroscopy in S-mode RMSE < 0.1 cm for 15 Hz and RMSE < 0.16 cm for 30 Hz. Largest consistency in target localization was experienced during 15 Hz S-nF readout. Conclusions: In general, marker contrast decreased in function of higher frame rates, which was detrimental for marker detection success. In this work, Visicoils with a thickness of 0.075 cm were showing best results for a 15 Hz frame rate, while non-MV compatible 0.05 cm Visicoil markers were not visible on the new EPID with improved sensitivity compared to EPID models based on a Kodak Lanex Fast scintillator. No noticeable influence of pulsing artifacts on the detection of a 0.075 cm Visicoil was observed, while a synchronized readout provided most reliable detection of a marker-less soft-tissue structure.« less

Microdissection of Shoot Meristem Functional Domains

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The shoot apical meristem (SAM) maintains a pool of indeterminate cells within the SAM proper, while lateral organs are initiated from the SAM periphery. Laser microdissection–microarray technology was used to compare transcriptional profiles within these SAM domains to identify novel maize genes th...

Can Computers Create?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hausman, Carl R.

1985-01-01

To be creative, an act must have as its outcome something new in the way it is intelligible and valuable. Computers have restricted contexts of information and have no ability to weigh bits of information. Computer optimists presuppose either determinism or indeterminism, either of which abandons creativity. (MT)

Red blood cell metabolism (M114), part D. [in Skylab space flight simulation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mengel, C. E.

1973-01-01

Statistically significant differences were found between Skylab simulation crews and controls for glycolytic enzymes. The absence of simultaneous controls for the pre- and postchamber analyses leaves the significance of the findings in the crew during these periods indeterminate.

Air Pollution.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barker, K.; And Others

Pollution of the general environment, which exposes an entire population group for an indeterminate period of time, certainly constitutes a problem in public health. Serious aid pollution episodes have resulted in increased mortality and a possible relationship between chronic exposure to a polluted atmosphere and certain diseases has been…

Classical genetics and traditional breeding

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Cucurbit crops simultaneously bestow upon the breeder several advantages and disadvantages. As pointed out by Whitaker and Bohn (1950), cucurbit crops are easily grown with indeterminant plants which typically offer plenty of large flowers to work with over a fairly long period of time. Probably t...

Heating of metallic implants and instruments induced by gradient switching in a 1.5-Tesla whole-body unit.

PubMed

Graf, Hansjörg; Steidle, Günter; Schick, Fritz

2007-11-01

To examine gradient switching-induced heating of metallic parts. Copper and titanium frames and sheets ( approximately 50 x 50 mm(2), 1.5 mm thick, frame width = 3 mm) surrounded by air were positioned in the scanner perpendicular to the static field horizontally 20 cm off-center. During the execution of a sequence (three-dimensional [3D] true fast imaging with steady precession [True-FISP], TR = 6.4 msec) exploiting the gradient capabilities (maximum gradient = 40 mT/m, maximum slew rate = 200 T/m/second), heating was measured with an infrared camera. Radio frequency (RF) amplitude was set to zero volts. Heating of a copper frame with a narrowing to 1 mm over 20 mm at one side was examined in air and in addition surrounded by several liters of gelled saline using fiber-optic thermography. Further heating studies were performed using an artificial hip made of titanium, and an aluminum replica of the hip prosthesis with the same geometry. For the copper specimens, considerable heating (>10 degrees C) in air and in gelled saline (>1.2 degrees C) could be observed. Heating of the titanium specimens was markedly less ( approximately 1 degrees C in air). For the titanium artificial hip no heating could be detected, while the rise in temperature for the aluminum replica was approximately 2.2 degrees C. Heating of more than 10 degrees C solely due to gradient switching without any RF irradiation was demonstrated in isolated copper wire frames. Under specific conditions (high gradient duty cycle, metallic loop of sufficient inductance and low resistance, power matching) gradient switching-induced heating of conductive specimens must be considered.

Development of a video tampering dataset for forensic investigation.

PubMed

Ismael Al-Sanjary, Omar; Ahmed, Ahmed Abdullah; Sulong, Ghazali

2016-09-01

Forgery is an act of modifying a document, product, image or video, among other media. Video tampering detection research requires an inclusive database of video modification. This paper aims to discuss a comprehensive proposal to create a dataset composed of modified videos for forensic investigation, in order to standardize existing techniques for detecting video tampering. The primary purpose of developing and designing this new video library is for usage in video forensics, which can be consciously associated with reliable verification using dynamic and static camera recognition. To the best of the author's knowledge, there exists no similar library among the research community. Videos were sourced from YouTube and by exploring social networking sites extensively by observing posted videos and rating their feedback. The video tampering dataset (VTD) comprises a total of 33 videos, divided among three categories in video tampering: (1) copy-move, (2) splicing, and (3) swapping-frames. Compared to existing datasets, this is a higher number of tampered videos, and with longer durations. The duration of every video is 16s, with a 1280×720 resolution, and a frame rate of 30 frames per second. Moreover, all videos possess the same formatting quality (720p(HD).avi). Both temporal and spatial video features were considered carefully during selection of the videos, and there exists complete information related to the doctored regions in every modified video in the VTD dataset. This database has been made publically available for research on splicing, Swapping frames, and copy-move tampering, and, as such, various video tampering detection issues with ground truth. The database has been utilised by many international researchers and groups of researchers. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

The ITSG-Grace2014 Gravity Field Model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kvas, Andreas; Mayer-Gürr, Torsten; Zehenter, Norbert; Klinger, Beate

2015-04-01

The ITSG-Grace2014 GRACE-only gravity field model consists of a high resolution unconstrained static model (up to degree 200) with trend and annual signal, monthly unconstrained solutions with different spatial resolutions as well as daily snapshots derived by using a Kalman smoother. Apart from the estimated spherical harmonic coefficients, full variance-covariance matrices for the monthly solutions and the static gravity field component are provided. Compared to the previous release, multiple improvements in the processing chain are implemented: updated background models, better ionospheric modeling for GPS observations, an improved satellite attitude by combination of star camera and angular accelerations, estimation of K-band antenna center variations within the gravity field recovery process as well as error covariance function determination. Furthermore, daily gravity field variations have been modeled in the adjustment process to reduce errors caused by temporal leakage. This combined estimation of daily gravity variations field variations together with the static gravity field component represents a computational challenge due to the significantly increased parameter count. The modeling of daily variations up to a spherical harmonic degree of 40 for the whole GRACE observation period results in a system of linear equations with over 6 million unknown gravity field parameters. A least squares adjustment of this size is not solvable in a sensible time frame, therefore measures to reduce the problem size have to be taken. The ITSG-Grace2014 release is presented and selected parts of the processing chain and their effect on the estimated gravity field solutions are discussed.

An Overlooked Source of Auroral Arc Field-Aligned Current

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Knudsen, D. J.

2017-12-01

The search for the elusive generator of quiet auroral arcs often focuses on magnetospheric pressure gradients, based on the static terms in the so-called Vaslyiunas equation [Vasyliunas, in "Magneospheric Currents", Geophysical Monograph 28, 1984]. However, magnetospheric pressure gradient scale sizes are much larger than the width of individual auroral arcs. This discrepancy was noted by Atkinson [JGR, 27, p4746, 1970], who proposed that the auroral arcs are fed instead by steady-state polarization currents, in which large-scale convection across quasi-static electric field structures leads to an apparent time dependence in the frame co-moving with the plasma, and therefore to the generation of ion polarization currents. This mechanism has been adopted by a series of authors over several decades, relating to studies of the ionospheric feedback instability, or IFI. However, the steady-state polarization current mechanism does not require the IFI, nor even the ionsophere. Specifically, any quasi-static electric field structure that is stationary relative to large-scale plasma convection is subject to the generation this current. This talk demonstrates that assumed convection speeds of the order of a 100 m/s across typical arc fields structures can lead to the generation FAC magintudes of several μA/m2, typical of values observed at the ionospheric footpoint of auoral arcs. This current can be viewed as originating within the M-I coupling medium, along the entire field line connecting an auroral arc to its root in the magnetosphere.

Assessing risk of thyroid cancer using resonance-frequency based electrical impedance measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zheng, Bin; Tublin, Mitchell E.; Lederman, Dror; Klym, Amy H.; Brown, Erica D.; Gur, David

2011-03-01

The incidence of thyroid cancer has risen faster than many malignancies and has nearly doubled in the USA over the past 30 years. Palpable nodules and subclinical nodules detected by imaging are found in a large percentage of the USA population. Most of these (.>95%) are fortunately benign. This vast reservoir of nodules makes the detection and diagnosis of thyroid cancer a diagnostic dilemma. Ultrasound guided Fine Needle Aspiration Biopsy (FNAB) is excellent for triaging patients but up to 25% of FNABs are inconclusive. As a result, definitive diagnosis is often only possible with a diagnostic lobectomy; many thousands of these are performed in the USA annually for ultimately benign disease. It would be extremely beneficial if we could develop a non-invasive procedure that could assist the diagnostician in reliably predicting the likelihood of malignancy of otherwise indeterminate thyroid nodules, thereby reducing the number of these "exploratory/diagnostic" lobectomies performed under general anesthesia. Electrical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS) was considered as a possible approach to address this problem. However, the diagnostic accuracy of EIS is too low for routine clinical use to date. In our group, we developed a substantially modified technology termed Resonance-frequency Electrical Impedance Spectroscopy (REIS), which yields usable information for classifying risk of having breast abnormalities. We preliminarily applied REIS to measure signals on participants having thyroid nodules aiming to assess whether we can assist in improving diagnosis of indeterminate thyroid nodules. In this study we present a new multi-probe based REIS device specifically designed for the assessment of indeterminate thyroid nodules. Our preliminary assessment presented here demonstrates the feasibility of using this proposed REIS device in a busy tertiary care center.

Influence of Age and Nutritional Status on the Performance of the Tuberculin Skin Test and QuantiFERON-TB Gold In-Tube in Young Children Evaluated for Tuberculosis in Southern India

PubMed Central

Jenum, Synne; Selvam, Sumithra; Mahelai, Diana; Jesuraj, Nelson; Cárdenas, Vicky; Kenneth, John; Hesseling, Anneke C.; Doherty, Timothy Mark; Vaz, Mario

2014-01-01

Background: Reliable identification of Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection or tuberculosis (TB) disease in young children is vital to assure adequate preventive and curative treatment. The tuberculin skin test (TST) and IFNγ-release assays may supplement the diagnosis of pediatric TB as cases are typically bacteriologically unconfirmed. However, it is unclear to what extent the performance of TST and QuantiFERON-TB Gold In-Tube (QFT; Cellestis’ IFNγ-release assay test) depends on the demographic, clinical and nutritional characteristics of children in whom they are tested. Methods: During a 2-year prospective observational study of 4382 neonates in Southern India, children with suspected TB were investigated and classified by a standard TB diagnostic algorithm. Results: Clinical TB was diagnosed in 13 of 705 children referred for case verification with suspected TB. TST and QFT had a susceptibility for clinical TB of 31% and 23%, respectively, in this group. Children <2 years were more likely to test QFT indeterminate. A height-for-age Z score within the lowest quartile increased the odds ratio (OR) for a positive or indeterminate QFT result [OR 2.46 (1.19–5.06), OR 3.08 (1.10–8.58)], whereas the OR for a positive TST was reduced with a weight-for-height Z score within the lowest quartile [OR 0.17 (0.06–0.47)]. Conclusion: The sensitivities of the TST and QFT for clinical TB in children <3 years of age were equally poor in this population. Stunted children were more susceptible to Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection and more prone to indeterminate QFT results. TST was less reliable in children with wasting. PMID:24797993

Is integrated 18F-FDG PET/MRI superior to 18F-FDG PET/CT in the differentiation of incidental tracer uptake in the head and neck area?

PubMed

Schaarschmidt, Benedikt Michael; Gomez, Benedikt; Buchbender, Christian; Grueneisen, Johannes; Nensa, Felix; Sawicki, Lino Morris; Ruhlmann, Verena; Wetter, Axel; Antoch, Gerald; Heusch, Philipp

2017-01-01

We aimed to investigate the accuracy of 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/magnetic resonance imaging (18F-FDG PET/MRI) compared with contrast-enhanced 18F-FDG PET/computed tomography (PET/CT) for the characterization of incidental tracer uptake in examinations of the head and neck. A retrospective analysis of 81 oncologic patients who underwent contrast-enhanced 18F-FDG PET/CT and subsequent PET/MRI was performed by two readers for incidental tracer uptake. In a consensus reading, discrepancies were resolved. Each finding was either characterized as most likely benign, most likely malignant, or indeterminate. Using all available clinical information including results from histopathologic sampling and follow-up examinations, an expert reader classified each finding as benign or malignant. McNemar's test was used to compare the performance of both imaging modalities in characterizing incidental tracer uptake. Forty-six lesions were detected by both modalities. On PET/CT, 27 lesions were classified as most likely benign, one as most likely malignant, and 18 as indeterminate; on PET/MRI, 31 lesions were classified as most likely benign, one lesion as most likely malignant, and 14 as indeterminate. Forty-three lesions were benign and one lesion was malignant according to the reference standard. In two lesions, a definite diagnosis was not possible. McNemar's test detected no differences concerning the correct classification of incidental tracer uptake between PET/CT and PET/MRI (P = 0.125). In examinations of the head and neck area, incidental tracer uptake cannot be classified more accurately by PET/MRI than by PET/CT.

Strain ratio ultrasound elastography increases the accuracy of colour-Doppler ultrasound in the evaluation of Thy-3 nodules. A bi-centre university experience.

PubMed

Cantisani, Vito; Maceroni, Piero; D'Andrea, Vito; Patrizi, Gregorio; Di Segni, Mattia; De Vito, Corrado; Grazhdani, Hektor; Isidori, Andrea M; Giannetta, Elisa; Redler, Adriano; Frattaroli, Fabrizio; Giacomelli, Laura; Di Rocco, Giorgio; Catalano, Carlo; D'Ambrosio, Ferdinando

2016-05-01

To assess whether ultrasound elastography (USE) with strain ratio increases diagnostic accuracy of Doppler ultrasound in further characterisation of cytologically Thy3 thyroid nodules. In two different university diagnostic centres, 315 patients with indeterminate cytology (Thy3) in thyroid nodules aspirates were prospectively evaluated with Doppler ultrasound and strain ratio USE before surgery. Ultrasonographic features were analysed separately and together as ultrasound score, to assess sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves to identify optimal cut-off value of the strain ratio were also provided. Diagnosis on a surgical specimen was considered the standard of reference. Higher strain ratio values were found in malignant nodules, with an optimum strain ratio cut-off of 2.09 at ROC analysis. USE with strain ratio showed 90.6% sensitivity, 93% specificity, 82.8% PPV, 96.4% NPV, while US score yielded a sensitivity of 52.9%, specificity of 84.3%, PPV 55.6% and NPV 82.9%. The diagnostic gain with strain ratio was statistically significant as proved by ROC areas, which was 0.9182 for strain ratio and 0.6864 for US score. USE with strain ratio should be considered a useful additional tool to colour-Doppler US, since it improves characterisation of thyroid nodules with indeterminate cytology. • Strain ratio measurements improve differentiation of thyroid nodules with indeterminate cytology • Elastography with strain ratio is more reliable than ultrasound features and ultrasound score • Strain ratio may help to better select patients with Thy 3 nodules candidate for surgery.

Comparative analysis of diagnostic performance, feasibility and cost of different test-methods for thyroid nodules with indeterminate cytology

PubMed Central

Sciacchitano, Salvatore; Lavra, Luca; Ulivieri, Alessandra; Magi, Fiorenza; De Francesco, Gian Paolo; Bellotti, Carlo; Salehi, Leila B.; Trovato, Maria; Drago, Carlo; Bartolazzi, Armando

2017-01-01

Since it is impossible to recognize malignancy at fine needle aspiration (FNA) cytology in indeterminate thyroid nodules, surgery is recommended for all of them. However, cancer rate at final histology is <30%. Many different test-methods have been proposed to increase diagnostic accuracy in such lesions, including Galectin-3-ICC (GAL-3-ICC), BRAF mutation analysis (BRAF), Gene Expression Classifier (GEC) alone and GEC+BRAF, mutation/fusion (M/F) panel, alone, M/F panel+miRNA GEC, and M/F panel by next generation sequencing (NGS), FDG-PET/CT, MIBI-Scan and TSHR mRNA blood assay. We performed systematic reviews and meta-analyses to compare their features, feasibility, diagnostic performance and cost. GEC, GEC+BRAF, M/F panel+miRNA GEC and M/F panel by NGS were the best in ruling-out malignancy (sensitivity = 90%, 89%, 89% and 90% respectively). BRAF and M/F panel alone and by NGS were the best in ruling-in malignancy (specificity = 100%, 93% and 93%). The M/F by NGS showed the highest accuracy (92%) and BRAF the highest diagnostic odds ratio (DOR) (247). GAL-3-ICC performed well as rule-out (sensitivity = 83%) and rule-in test (specificity = 85%), with good accuracy (84%) and high DOR (27) and is one of the cheapest (113 USD) and easiest one to be performed in different clinical settings. In conclusion, the more accurate molecular-based test-methods are still expensive and restricted to few, highly specialized and centralized laboratories. GAL-3-ICC, although limited by some false negatives, represents the most suitable screening test-method to be applied on a large-scale basis in the diagnostic algorithm of indeterminate thyroid lesions. PMID:28472764

Monitoring of Cytomegalovirus (CMV)-Specific Cell-Mediated Immunity in Heart Transplant Recipients: Clinical Utility of the QuantiFERON-CMV Assay for Management of Posttransplant CMV Infection.

PubMed

Chiereghin, Angela; Potena, Luciano; Borgese, Laura; Gibertoni, Dino; Squarzoni, Diego; Turello, Gabriele; Petrisli, Evangelia; Piccirilli, Giulia; Gabrielli, Liliana; Grigioni, Francesco; Lazzarotto, Tiziana

2018-04-01

The clinical utility of the QuantiFERON-CMV (QFN-CMV) assay in heart transplant recipients was assessed. Forty-four cytomegalovirus (CMV)-seropositive patients were enrolled: 17 received antiviral prophylaxis, and 27 were managed preemptively. CMV-DNAemia monitoring was performed by the use of a quantitative real-time PCR assay. The QFN-CMV assay was retrospectively performed on blood samples collected at five posttransplant time points. A higher proportion of patients with an indeterminate QFN-CMV result after the suspension of prophylaxis than of patients who showed a global T-cell responsiveness developed CMV infection ( P = 0.036). Patients who reconstituted a CMV-specific response following the first CMV-DNAemia-positive result (42.9%) showed a median CMV-DNAemia peak 1 log of magnitude lower than that seen with patients with indeterminate results, and all controlled viral replication spontaneously. The 25% of patients with an indeterminate result developed CMV disease. In the preemptive strategy group, no differences in the development of subsequent infection, magnitude of viral load, and viral control were observed on the basis of QFN-CMV measurements performed before and after the first CMV-DNAemia-positive result. Considering both CMV prevention strategies, viral relapse was associated with the failure to reconstitute CMV-specific cell-mediated immunity (CMI) after the resolution of the first episode of CMV infection ( P = 0.032). QFN-CMV measurements can be a useful tool for identifying patients (i) at higher risk of developing infection after discontinuing antiviral prophylaxis, (ii) with late CMV infection who would benefit from appropriate antiviral interventions, and (iii) at higher risk of viral relapses. QFN-CMV measurements taken within 1 month posttransplantation (early period) are not revealing. Copyright © 2018 American Society for Microbiology.

Cytological Results of Ultrasound-Guided Fine-Needle Aspiration Cytology for Thyroid Nodules: Emphasis on Correlation with Sonographic Findings

PubMed Central

Lee, Mi-Jung; Hong, Soon Won; Chung, Woung Youn; Kwak, Jin Young; Kim, Min Jung

2011-01-01

Purpose To compare the cytological results of ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration (US-FNA) cytology of thyroid nodules to sonographic findings and determine whether US findings are helpful in the interpretation of cytological results. Materials and Methods Among the thyroid nodules that underwent US-FNA cytology, we included the 819 nodules which had a conclusive diagnosis. Final diagnosis was based on pathology from surgery, repeated FNA cytology or follow-up of more than one year. Cytological results were divided into five groups: benign, indeterminate (follicular or Hurthle cell neoplasm), suspicious for malignancy, malignant, and inadequate. US findings were categorized as benign or suspicious. Cytological results and US categories were analyzed. Results Final diagnosis was concluded upon in 819 nodules based on pathology (n=311), repeated FNA cytology (n=204) and follow-up (n=304), of which 634 were benign and 185 were malignant. There were 560 benign nodules, 141 malignant nodules, 49 nodules with inadequate results, 21 with indeterminate results, and 48 that were suspicious for malignancy. The positive and negative predictive values of the US categories were 59.1% and 97.0%, and those of the cytological results were 93.7% and 98.9%. The US categories were significantly correlated with final diagnosis in the benign (p=0.014) and suspicious for malignancy (p<0.001) cytological result groups, but not in the inadequate and indeterminate cytological results groups. The false positive and negative rates of cytological results were 1.9% and 3.2%. Conclusion Sonographic findings can be useful when used alongside cytological results, especially in nodules with cytological results that are benign or suspicious for malignancy. PMID:21786450

Early diagnosis of acute coronary syndrome.

PubMed

Katus, Hugo; Ziegler, André; Ekinci, Okan; Giannitsis, Evangelos; Stough, Wendy Gattis; Achenbach, Stephan; Blankenberg, Stefan; Brueckmann, Martina; Collinson, Paul; Comaniciu, Dorin; Crea, Filippo; Dinh, Wilfried; Ducrocq, Grégory; Flachskampf, Frank A; Fox, Keith A A; Friedrich, Matthias G; Hebert, Kathy A; Himmelmann, Anders; Hlatky, Mark; Lautsch, Dominik; Lindahl, Bertil; Lindholm, Daniel; Mills, Nicholas L; Minotti, Giorgio; Möckel, Martin; Omland, Torbjørn; Semjonow, Véronique

2017-11-01

The diagnostic evaluation of acute chest pain has been augmented in recent years by advances in the sensitivity and precision of cardiac troponin assays, new biomarkers, improvements in imaging modalities, and release of new clinical decision algorithms. This progress has enabled physicians to diagnose or rule-out acute myocardial infarction earlier after the initial patient presentation, usually in emergency department settings, which may facilitate prompt initiation of evidence-based treatments, investigation of alternative diagnoses for chest pain, or discharge, and permit better utilization of healthcare resources. A non-trivial proportion of patients fall in an indeterminate category according to rule-out algorithms, and minimal evidence-based guidance exists for the optimal evaluation, monitoring, and treatment of these patients. The Cardiovascular Round Table of the ESC proposes approaches for the optimal application of early strategies in clinical practice to improve patient care following the review of recent advances in the early diagnosis of acute coronary syndrome. The following specific 'indeterminate' patient categories were considered: (i) patients with symptoms and high-sensitivity cardiac troponin <99th percentile; (ii) patients with symptoms and high-sensitivity troponin <99th percentile but above the limit of detection; (iii) patients with symptoms and high-sensitivity troponin >99th percentile but without dynamic change; and (iv) patients with symptoms and high-sensitivity troponin >99th percentile and dynamic change but without coronary plaque rupture/erosion/dissection. Definitive evidence is currently lacking to manage these patients whose early diagnosis is 'indeterminate' and these areas of uncertainty should be assigned a high priority for research. Published on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology. All rights reserved. © The Author 2017. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Inflammatory Bowel Disease in South Limburg (the Netherlands) 1991-2002: Incidence, diagnostic delay, and seasonal variations in onset of symptoms.

PubMed

Romberg-Camps, Mariëlle J L; Hesselink-van de Kruijs, Martine A M; Schouten, Leo J; Dagnelie, Pieter C; Limonard, Charles B; Kester, Arnold D M; Bos, Laurens P; Goedhard, Jelle; Hameeteman, Wim H A; Wolters, Frank L; Russel, Maurice G V M; Stockbrügger, Reinhold W

2009-06-01

Increasing incidence in Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) has been suggested. Recent data on population based incidence rates within Europe are however scarce. Primary aim was to investigate prospectively the incidence of IBD within a well-defined geographical and administrative area of the Netherlands, the South Limburg IBD registry. Secondary aims were to study the duration of symptoms before diagnosis (lag time) and seasonal influences on the incidence of IBD. The incidence was examined using standardized registration of all newly diagnosed IBD patients, between 1-1-1991 and 1-1-2003. Medical records were reviewed to verify the diagnosis. At inclusion, diagnostic lag time was registered in months. Age standardized incidence rates per 100,000 person-years (p-y) were: Crohn's Disease, male 4.84, female 7.58; Ulcerative Colitis, male 8.51, female 6.92; and Indeterminate Colitis, male 1.05, female 0.93. Incidence rates did not significantly changes over time in either Crohn's Disease, Ulcerative Colitis or Indeterminate Colitis. Lag time was 5 (0-360) months in Crohn's Disease, 3.0 (0-480) months in Ulcerative Colitis and 3.0 (0-180) months in Indeterminate Colitis. Lag time was not significantly different between the periods 1991-1993 and 2000-2002, and no statistical differences in the onset of symptoms per calendar month or season were found. Our results, from the South Limburg region (the Netherlands), show no significant change in incidence rates of IBD. The incidence found is relatively high compared to other European countries. Lag time did not change during the study period, and seasonal influence of incidence rates could not be confirmed.

Viral Surveillance in Serum Samples From Patients With Acute Liver Failure By Metagenomic Next-Generation Sequencing.

PubMed

Somasekar, Sneha; Lee, Deanna; Rule, Jody; Naccache, Samia N; Stone, Mars; Busch, Michael P; Sanders, Corron; Lee, William M; Chiu, Charles Y

2017-10-16

Twelve percent of all acute liver failure (ALF) cases are of unknown origin, often termed indeterminate. A previously unrecognized hepatotropic virus has been suspected as a potential etiologic agent. We compared the performance of metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) with confirmatory nucleic acid testing (NAT) to routine clinical diagnostic testing in detection of known or novel viruses associated with ALF. Serum samples from 204 adult ALF patients collected from 1998 to 2010 as part of a nationwide registry were analyzed. One hundred eighty-seven patients (92%) were classified as indeterminate, while the remaining 17 patients (8%) served as controls, with infections by either hepatitis A virus or hepatitis B virus (HBV), or a noninfectious cause for their ALF. Eight cases of infection from previously unrecognized viral pathogens were detected by mNGS (4 cases of herpes simplex virus type 1, including 1 case of coinfection with HBV, and 1 case each of HBV, parvovirus B19, cytomegalovirus, and human herpesvirus 7). Several missed dual or triple infections were also identified, and assembled viral genomes provided additional information on genotyping and drug resistance mutations. Importantly, no sequences corresponding to novel viruses were detected. These results suggest that ALF patients should be screened for the presence of uncommon viruses and coinfections, and that most cases of indeterminate ALF in the United States do not appear to be caused by novel viral pathogens. In the future, mNGS testing may be useful for comprehensive diagnosis of viruses associated with ALF, or to exclude infectious etiologies. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press for the Infectious Diseases Society of America.

Changes in the immune response after treatment with benznidazole versus no treatment in patients with chronic indeterminate Chagas disease.

PubMed

Vallejo, Alejandro; Monge-Maillo, Begoña; Gutiérrez, Carolina; Norman, Francesca F; López-Vélez, Rogelio; Pérez-Molina, José A

2016-12-01

Symptomatic chronic Chagas disease affects up to 40% of patients infected with Trypanosoma cruzi. The lack of reliable early markers of cure after therapy hinders disease management and clinical trials with new drugs. We performed a study with 18 months of follow-up to compare changes in immune parameters and T. cruzi-specific immune responses as surrogate markers of response to therapy between patients treated with benznidazole and untreated patients. This was a pilot, open-label, randomised clinical trial of treatment with benznidazole versus no treatment in patients with indeterminate chronic T. cruzi infection. In both groups we investigated changes in T-cell activation, T-cell subpopulations, regulatory T-cell counts, IL6, and sCD14 levels, and T. cruzi-specific immune responses (Th1, Th2, and Th17 responses). Fourteen patients were included in the study (seven in each group). Median age was 35 years (P 25-75 31-43), 57% were female, and 93% were Bolivian. Benznidazole was administered at 5mg/kg/day for 60days. Three patients discontinued benznidazole owing to adverse reactions and were not evaluated. At the end of the follow-up period, treated patients showed significantly less immune activation and lower regulatory T-cell counts, with an increased Th17 and Th1 response. This randomised pilot clinical trial administering benznidazole to patients with indeterminate chronic Chagas disease brings about changes in the adaptive immunity, leading to a general decrease in inflammatory status. This apparently beneficial response could act as the basis for monitoring new antiparasitic drugs. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Influence of age and nutritional status on the performance of the tuberculin skin test and QuantiFERON-TB gold in-tube in young children evaluated for tuberculosis in Southern India.

PubMed

Jenum, Synne; Selvam, Sumithra; Mahelai, Diana; Jesuraj, Nelson; Cárdenas, Vicky; Kenneth, John; Hesseling, Anneke C; Doherty, Timothy Mark; Vaz, Mario; Grewal, Harleen M S

2014-10-01

Reliable identification of Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection or tuberculosis (TB) disease in young children is vital to assure adequate preventive and curative treatment. The tuberculin skin test (TST) and IFNγ-release assays may supplement the diagnosis of pediatric TB as cases are typically bacteriologically unconfirmed. However, it is unclear to what extent the performance of TST and QuantiFERON-TB Gold In-Tube (QFT; Cellestis' IFNγ-release assay test) depends on the demographic, clinical and nutritional characteristics of children in whom they are tested. During a 2-year prospective observational study of 4382 neonates in Southern India, children with suspected TB were investigated and classified by a standard TB diagnostic algorithm. Clinical TB was diagnosed in 13 of 705 children referred for case verification with suspected TB. TST and QFT had a susceptibility for clinical TB of 31% and 23%, respectively, in this group. Children <2 years were more likely to test QFT indeterminate. A height-for-age Z score within the lowest quartile increased the odds ratio (OR) for a positive or indeterminate QFT result [OR 2.46 (1.19-5.06), OR 3.08 (1.10-8.58)], whereas the OR for a positive TST was reduced with a weight-for-height Z score within the lowest quartile [OR 0.17 (0.06-0.47)]. The sensitivities of the TST and QFT for clinical TB in children <3 years of age were equally poor in this population. Stunted children were more susceptible to Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection and more prone to indeterminate QFT results. TST was less reliable in children with wasting.

MRI in early prostate cancer detection: how to manage indeterminate or equivocal PI-RADS 3 lesions?

PubMed

Schoots, Ivo G

2018-02-01

This review focuses on indeterminate lesions on prostate magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), assigned as PI-RADS category 3. The prevalence of PI-RADS 3 index lesion in the diagnostic work-up is significant, varying between one in three (32%) to one in five (22%) men, depending on patient cohort of first biopsies, previously negative biopsies, and active surveillance biopsies. A management strategy must be developed for this group of men with an indeterminate suspicion of having clinically significant prostate cancer (csPCa). Currently available data show that the actual prevalence of csPCa after targeted biopsy in PI-RADS 3 lesions vary between patients groups from one in five (21%) to one in six (16%), depending on previous biopsy status. Although this prevalence is lower in comparison to PI-RADS 4 and PI-RADS 5 lesions, still a considerable proportion of men harbor significant disease. Men with such a PI-RADS 3 lesion should therefore be adequately managed. In general, the clinical approach of using a threshold of PI-RADS ≥4 instead of PI-RADS ≥3 to select MRI for targeted biopsies is not supported by data from our explorative literature search using current definitions of csPCa. A possible adaptation to the threshold of PI-RADS ≥4 in combination with other clinical markers could be considered within an active surveillance protocol, where the balance between the individual risk of missing csPCa and the constant process of repeating prostate biopsies is crucial. In the future, improvements in MR imaging and interpretation, combined with molecular biomarkers and multivariate risk models will all be employed in prostate cancer detection and monitoring. These combinations will aid decision-making in challenging circumstances, such as unclear and diagnostic equivocal results for csPCa at early detection.

A 10-Gene Classifier for Indeterminate Thyroid Nodules: Development and Multicenter Accuracy Study

PubMed Central

González, Hernán E.; Martínez, José R.; Vargas-Salas, Sergio; Solar, Antonieta; Veliz, Loreto; Cruz, Francisco; Arias, Tatiana; Loyola, Soledad; Horvath, Eleonora; Tala, Hernán; Traipe, Eufrosina; Meneses, Manuel; Marín, Luis; Wohllk, Nelson; Diaz, René E.; Véliz, Jesús; Pineda, Pedro; Arroyo, Patricia; Mena, Natalia; Bracamonte, Milagros; Miranda, Giovanna; Bruce, Elsa

2017-01-01

Background: In most of the world, diagnostic surgery remains the most frequent approach for indeterminate thyroid cytology. Although several molecular tests are available for testing in centralized commercial laboratories in the United States, there are no available kits for local laboratory testing. The aim of this study was to develop a prototype in vitro diagnostic (IVD) gene classifier for the further characterization of nodules with an indeterminate thyroid cytology. Methods: In a first stage, the expression of 18 genes was determined by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) in a broad histopathological spectrum of 114 fresh-tissue biopsies. Expression data were used to train several classifiers by supervised machine learning approaches. Classifiers were tested in an independent set of 139 samples. In a second stage, the best classifier was chosen as a model to develop a multiplexed-qPCR IVD prototype assay, which was tested in a prospective multicenter cohort of fine-needle aspiration biopsies. Results: In tissue biopsies, the best classifier, using only 10 genes, reached an optimal and consistent performance in the ninefold cross-validated testing set (sensitivity 93% and specificity 81%). In the multicenter cohort of fine-needle aspiration biopsy samples, the 10-gene signature, built into a multiplexed-qPCR IVD prototype, showed an area under the curve of 0.97, a positive predictive value of 78%, and a negative predictive value of 98%. By Bayes' theorem, the IVD prototype is expected to achieve a positive predictive value of 64–82% and a negative predictive value of 97–99% in patients with a cancer prevalence range of 20–40%. Conclusions: A new multiplexed-qPCR IVD prototype is reported that accurately classifies thyroid nodules and may provide a future solution suitable for local reference laboratory testing. PMID:28521616

The value of the repeated examination of BRAF V600E mutation status in diagnostics of papillary thyroid cancer.

PubMed

Beiša, Augustas; Beiša, Virgilijus; Stoškus, Mindaugas; Ostanevičiūtė, Elvyra; Griškevičius, Laimonas; Strupas, Kęstutis

2016-01-01

Nodular thyroid disease is one of the most frequently diagnosed pathologies of the adult population in iodine-deficient regions. Approximately 30% of thyroid aspirates are classified as nondiagnostic/unsatisfactory or indeterminate. However, patients with indeterminate cytology still undergo surgery. The object of this study was to determine the diagnostic value of re-examining the BRAF V600E mutation in papillary thyroid carcinoma patients. All patients underwent ultrasound guided fine-needle aspiration of a thyroid nodule. They were assigned to one of the four groups (indeterminate or positive for malignant cells) of the Bethesda System for Reporting Thyroid Cytopathology. Genetic investigation of the BRAF V600E mutation was performed for all of the fine-needle aspiration cytology specimens. All of the patients underwent surgery. Subsequently, histological investigation of the removed tissues was performed. Additional analysis of the BRAF V600E mutation from the histology specimen was then performed for the initially BRAF-negative cases. Two hundred and fourteen patients were involved in the study. One hundred and six (49.53%) patients were diagnosed with thyroid cancer. Of these 106 patients, 95 (89.62%) patients were diagnosed with papillary thyroid cancer. The BRAF V600E mutation was positive in 62 (65.26%) and negative in 33 (34.74%) histologically confirmed papillary thyroid cancer cases. After the genetic investigation, a total of 74 (77.89%) papillary thyroid cancer cases were positive for the BRAF V600E mutation and 21 (22.11%) were negative. Repeated examination of the BRAF V600E mutation status in the fine-needle aspiration may potentially increase the sensitivity of papillary thyroid cancer diagnostics.

Multi-institutional analysis of CT and MRI reports evaluating indeterminate renal masses: comparison to a national survey investigating desired report elements.

PubMed

Hu, Eric M; Zhang, Andrew; Silverman, Stuart G; Pedrosa, Ivan; Wang, Zhen J; Smith, Andrew D; Chandarana, Hersh; Doshi, Ankur; Shinagare, Atul B; Remer, Erick M; Kaffenberger, Samuel D; Miller, David C; Davenport, Matthew S

2018-04-17

To determine the need for a standardized renal mass reporting template by analyzing reports of indeterminate renal masses and comparing their contents to stated preferences of radiologists and urologists. The host IRB waived regulatory oversight for this multi-institutional HIPAA-compliant quality improvement effort. CT and MRI reports created to characterize an indeterminate renal mass were analyzed from 6 community (median: 17 reports/site) and 6 academic (median: 23 reports/site) United States practices. Report contents were compared to a published national survey of stated preferences by academic radiologists and urologists from 9 institutions. Descriptive statistics and Chi-square tests were calculated. Of 319 reports, 85% (271; 192 CT, 79 MRI) reported a possibly malignant mass (236 solid, 35 cystic). Some essential elements were commonly described: size (99% [269/271]), mass type (solid vs. cystic; 99% [268/271]), enhancement (presence vs. absence; 92% [248/271]). Other essential elements had incomplete penetrance: the presence or absence of fat in solid masses (14% [34/236]), size comparisons when available (79% [111/140]), Bosniak classification for cystic masses (54% [19/35]). Preferred but non-essential elements generally were described in less than half of reports. Nephrometry scores usually were not included for local therapy candidates (12% [30/257]). Academic practices were significantly more likely than community practices to include mass characterization details, probability of malignancy, and staging. Community practices were significantly more likely to include management recommendations. Renal mass reporting elements considered essential or preferred often are omitted in radiology reports. Variation exists across radiologists and practice settings. A standardized template may mitigate these inconsistencies.

The Reliability of a Standardized Reporting System for the Diagnosis of Appendicitis.

PubMed

Simianu, Vlad V; Shamitoff, Anna; Hippe, Daniel S; Godwin, Benjamin D; Shriki, Jabi E; Drake, Frederick T; O'Malley, Ryan B; Maximin, Suresh; Bastawrous, Sarah; Moshiri, Mariam; Lee, Jean H; Cuevas, Carlos; Dighe, Manjiri; Flum, David; Bhargava, Puneet

Computed tomography (CT) is a fast and ubiquitous tool to evaluate intra-abdominal organs and diagnose appendicitis. However, traditional CT reporting does not necessarily capture the degree of uncertainty and indeterminate findings are still common. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the reproducibility of a standardized CT reporting system for appendicitis across a large population and the system's impact on radiologists' certainty in diagnosing appendicitis. Using a previously described standardized reporting system, eight radiologists retrospectively evaluated CT scans, blinded to all clinical information, in a stratified random sample of 237 patients from a larger cohort of patients imaged for possible appendicitis (2010-2014). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves and the area under the ROC curve (AUC) were used to evaluate the diagnostic performance of readers for identifying appendicitis. Two-thirds of these scans were randomly selected to be independently read by a second reader, using the original CT reports to balance the number of positive, negative and indeterminate exams across all readers. Inter-reader agreement was evaluated. There were 113 patients with appendicitis (mean age 38, 67% male). Using the standardized report, radiologists were highly accurate at identifying appendicitis (AUC=0.968, 95%CI confidence interval: 0.95, 0.99. Inter-reader agreement was >80% for most objective findings, and certainty in diagnosing appendicitis was high and reproducible (AUC=0.955 and AUC=0.936 for the first and second readers, respectively). Using a standardized reporting system resulted in high reproducibility of objective CT findings for appendicitis and achieved high diagnostic accuracy in an at-risk population. Predictive tools based on this reporting system may further improve communication about certainty in diagnosis and guide patient management, especially when CT findings are indeterminate. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Indeterminate orbital masses: restricted diffusion at MR imaging with echo-planar diffusion-weighted imaging predicts malignancy.

PubMed

Sepahdari, Ali R; Aakalu, Vinay K; Setabutr, Pete; Shiehmorteza, Masoud; Naheedy, John H; Mafee, Mahmood F

2010-08-01

To determine whether magnetic resonance (MR) imaging with diffusion-weighted (DW) imaging can help discriminate between radiologically indeterminate benign and malignant orbital masses and to identify optimal apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) thresholds for such discrimination. Informed consent was waived for this HIPAA-compliant institutional review board-approved retrospective study. Forty-seven orbital masses imaged with echo-planar DW imaging were identified in 47 patients (25 female patients, 22 male patients; average age, 35 years). A fellowship-trained orbital surgeon determined reference-standard diagnoses on the basis of chart review, and a neuroradiology fellow and senior neuroradiologist who were blinded to the diagnoses selected a region of interest for each lesion by consensus. ADC was calculated from signal intensity on DW images obtained with b = 1000 and b = 0 sec/mm(2). Lesion ADC was also compared with that of normal-appearing white matter (ADC ratio). The Student t test was used to compare groups. Receiver operating characteristic analysis was performed. Intraobserver agreement was assessed with a repeat data collection. Malignant lesions had lower ADCs than benign lesions, irrespective of patient age (P < .02) and in adults specifically (P < .05). Lymphomas had lower ADCs than pseudotumors (P < .001). An ADC of less than 1.0 x 10(-3) mm(2)/sec and an ADC ratio of less than 1.2 were optimal for predicting malignancy (sensitivity, 63% for both; specificity, 84% and 90%, respectively; and accuracy, 77% and 81%, respectively). Lymphoma was differentiated from pseudotumor with 100% accuracy (in 16 of 16 cases) by using these values. Infiltrative lesions that were hypointense on T2-weighted images were better characterized with DW imaging than lesions that were hyperintense or well defined. Echo-planar DW MR imaging can help characterize indeterminate orbital masses.

Occult thyroid eye disease in patients with unexplained ocular misalignment identified by standardized orbital echography.

PubMed

Volpe, Nicholas J; Sbarbaro, James A; Gendron Livingston, Kym; Galetta, Steven L; Liu, Grant T; Balcer, Laura J

2006-07-01

To describe the clinical presentation, orbital echography (OE) findings, and neuroimaging results of patients with chronic unexplained ocular misalignment, which includes patients with clinically occult thyroid eye disease (TED) that is identifiable through a characteristic OE appearance. Retrospective observational case series. Seventy-eight patients with chronic ocular misalignment suspected of TED because of a history of systemic thyroid disease, proptosis, dysmotility, positive forced ductions, or eyelid retraction or lag were categorized as TED positive, negative, and indeterminate with the use of standardized OE. Demographic, clinical, OE, computed tomography, and magnetic resonance imaging information was collected. Analyses determined the prevalence of TED and differences between TED positive, negative, and indeterminate groups. Fifty-five percent of the findings were suspicious for and most consistent with TED (TED positive); 26% of the findings were TED negative, and 19% of the findings were TED indeterminate. Of 30 patients with newly diagnosed TED by OE, 70% had no lid retraction, and 20% had no other findings of TED. The inferior rectus followed by the superior rectus/levator complex, medial rectus, and lateral rectus muscles were the most frequently involved muscles. Neuroimaging that was performed in only 26 of 78 patients (33%) did not appear to yield additional diagnostic information. TED is a potential cause of chronic unexplained ocular misalignment in a substantial proportion of patients. These patients frequently present in an occult fashion without other clinical findings that are typical of TED. In these patients, a diagnosis of TED by OE can reduce further costly evaluation. OE appears to have significant clinical usefulness in the diagnosis of TED in patients with unexplained ocular misalignment.

Endometrial vs. cervical cancer: development and pilot testing of a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scoring system for predicting tumor origin of uterine carcinomas of indeterminate histology.

PubMed

Bourgioti, Charis; Chatoupis, Konstantinos; Panourgias, Evangelia; Tzavara, Chara; Sarris, Kyrillos; Rodolakis, Alexandros; Moulopoulos, Lia Angela

2015-10-01

To report discriminant MRI features between cervical and endometrial carcinomas and to design an MRI- scoring system, with the potential to predict the origin of uterine cancer (cervix or endometrium) in histologically indeterminate cases. Dedicated pelvic MRIs of 77 patients with uterine tumors involving both cervix and corpus were retrospectively analyzed by two experts in female imaging. Seven MRI tumor characteristics were statistically tested for their discriminant ability for tumor origin compared to final histology: tumor location, perfusion pattern, rim enhancement, depth of myometrial invasion, cervical stromal integrity, intracavitary mass, and retained endometrial secretions. Kappa values were estimated to assess the levels of inter-rater reliability. On the basis of positive likelihood ratio values, an MRI-score was assigned. K value was excellent for most of the imaging criteria. Using ROC curve analysis, the estimated optimal cut-off for the MRI-scoring system was 4 with 96.6% sensitivity and 100% specificity. Using a ≥4 cut-off for cervical cancers and <4 for endometrial cancers, 97.4% of the patients were correctly classified. 2/58 patients with cervical cancer had MRI score <4 and none of the patients with endometrial cancer had MRI score >4. The area under curve of the MRI-scoring system was 0.99 (95% CI 0.98-1.00). When the MRI-score was applied to 20/77 patients with indeterminate initial biopsy and to 5/26 surgically treated patients with erroneous pre-op histology, all cases were correctly classified. The produced MRI-scoring system may be a reliable problem-solving tool for the differential diagnosis of cervical vs. endometrial cancer in cases of equivocal histology.

Association of CMV-Specific T Cell-Mediated Immunity with CMV DNAemia and Development of CMV Disease in HIV-1-Infected Individuals.

PubMed

Aichelburg, Maximilian C; Weseslindtner, Lukas; Mandorfer, Mattias; Strassl, Robert; Rieger, Armin; Reiberger, Thomas; Puchhammer-Stöckl, Elisabeth; Grabmeier-Pfistershammer, Katharina

2015-01-01

Among HIV-1-infected individuals, cytomegalovirus (CMV) reactivation and disease occur in the setting of advanced immunosuppression. The value of a standardized assessment of CMV-specific T-cell mediated immunity by the CMV QuantiFERON assay (CMV-QFT) has not yet been thoroughly investigated in HIV-1-infected subjects. Prospective, longitudinal study in 153 HIV-1-infected subjects with a CD4+ T cell count < 350/μL who simultaneously underwent CMV-QFT, CMV serology testing and CMV-DNA quantification. Factors associated with CMV-QFT were evaluated. Clinical screening for CMV manifestations was then performed every 3 months. Among the 141 CMV IgG-seropositive individuals the CMV-QFT assay yielded reactive results in 84% (118/141), negative results in 15% (21/141) and indeterminate (negative mitogen IFN-gamma response) results in 1% (2/141) of subjects. The mean actual CD4+ T cell count was significantly higher in CMV-QFT reactive subjects, when compared to CMV-QFT non-reactive individuals (183 ± 102 vs. 126 ± 104 cells/μL, P = 0.015). A significantly lower proportion of CMV-QFT reactive vs. non-reactive patients displayed CMV DNAemia > 100 copies/mL (23% (27/118) vs. 48% (11/23), P = 0.02). Furthermore, a statistically significant inverse association between mitogen IFN-gamma response and CMV-DNAemia > 1000 copies/mL was observed (P < 0.001). During the observational period, 5 CMV end-organ manifestations were observed. In three of the CMV cases the CMV-QFT yielded indeterminate results. While CMV-QFT reactivity indicates CMV-specific immunity, indeterminate results due to negative mitogen IFN-gamma response might reflect HIV-1-induced immunodeficiency. Thus, dependency upon CD4+ T cell count should be considered when interpreting CMV-QFT results.

Utilization of a DNA enzyme immunoassay for the detection of proviral DNA of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 by polymerase chain reaction.

PubMed

Zella, D; Cavicchini, A; Cattaneo, E; Cimarelli, A; Bertazzoni, U

1995-02-01

The detection of proviral DNA by Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) is regarded as an important tool in the diagnosis of HIV-1 infection, specially among adults at risk of AIDS and children born to seropositive mothers. However, application of PCR in routine testing is hampered by the need to use radioactive probes. In this study, a non-radioactive test based on a microtiter plate (DNA Enzyme ImmunoAssay, DEIA) was used for the detection of proviral sequences of HIV-1 in peripheral blood cells of different patients. The results of the PCR-DEIA assay were compared to those obtained by liquid hybridization (PCR-LH), virus isolation (VI) and Western blot (WB). The study population included 92 patients belonging to three different groups: seropositive subjects with a well-defined clinical status and WB profile; adults at risk of infection with negative or indeterminate WB; children born to seropositive mothers with still unestablished HIV-1 infection. In the seropositive subjects, both PCR-LH and PCR-DEIA confirmed infection and gave the same results as WB. In adults at risk of infection, PCR with both methods anticipated the seroconversion in one patient with indeterminate WB and confirmed the absence of infection among seronegative and other indeterminate patients. In children born to seropositive mothers, both PCR systems as well as VI permitted an early diagnosis of infection, as confirmed by the clinical follow-up. This study has shown that in subjects at risk of AIDS and in children born to seropositive mothers, the non-isotopic DEIA method presents the same sensitivity and specificity for the detection of HIV-1 infection as the radioactive procedure. The DEIA method appears to be particularly useful for the detection of PCR products in routine diagnostic analyses.

Semi-determinate growth habit adjusts the vegetative-to-reproductive balance and increases productivity and water-use efficiency in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum).

PubMed

Vicente, Mateus Henrique; Zsögön, Agustin; de Sá, Ariadne Felicio Lopo; Ribeiro, Rafael V; Peres, Lázaro E P

2015-04-01

Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) shows three growth habits: determinate, indeterminate and semi-determinate. These are controlled mainly by allelic variation in the self-pruning (SP) gene family, which also includes the "florigen" gene single flower TRUSS (SFT). Determinate cultivars have synchronized flower and fruit production, which allows mechanical harvesting in the tomato processing industry, whereas indeterminate ones have more vegetative growth with continuous flower and fruit formation, being thus preferred for fresh market tomato production. The semi-determinate growth habit is poorly understood, although there are indications that it combines advantages of determinate and indeterminate growth. Here, we used near-isogenic lines (NILs) in the cultivar Micro-Tom (MT) with different growth habit to characterize semi-determinate growth and to determine its impact on developmental and productivity traits. We show that semi-determinate genotypes are equivalent to determinate ones with extended vegetative growth, which in turn impacts shoot height, number of leaves and either stem diameter or internode length. Semi-determinate plants also tend to increase the highly relevant agronomic parameter Brix × ripe yield (BRY). Water-use efficiency (WUE), evaluated either directly as dry mass produced per amount of water transpired or indirectly through C isotope discrimination, was higher in semi-determinate genotypes. We also provide evidence that the increases in BRY in semi-determinate genotypes are a consequence of an improved balance between vegetative and reproductive growth, a mechanism analogous to the conversion of the overly vegetative tall cereal varieties into well-balanced semi-dwarf ones used in the Green Revolution. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Impact of phlebotomine sand flies on U.S. military operations at Tallil Air Base, Iraq: 4. Detection and identification of leishmania parasites in sand flies.

PubMed

Coleman, Russell E; Hochberg, Lisa P; Swanson, Katherine I; Lee, John S; McAvin, James C; Moulton, John K; Eddington, David O; Groebner, Jennifer L; O'Guinn, Monica L; Putnam, John L

2009-05-01

Sand flies collected between April 2003 and November 2004 at Tallil Air Base, Iraq, were evaluated for the presence of Leishmania parasites using a combination of a real-time Leishmania-generic polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay and sequencing of a 360-bp fragment of the glucose-6-phosphate-isomerase (GPI) gene. A total of 2,505 pools containing 26,574 sand flies were tested using the real-time PCR assay. Leishmania DNA was initially detected in 536 pools; however, after extensive retesting with the real-time PCR assay, a total of 456 pools were considered positive and 80 were considered indeterminate. A total of 532 samples were evaluated for Leishmania GPI by sequencing, to include 439 PCR-positive samples, 80 PCR-indeterminate samples, and 13 PCR-negative samples. Leishmania GPI was detected in 284 samples that were sequenced, to include 281 (64%) of the PCR-positive samples and 3 (4%) of the PCR-indeterminate samples. Of the 284 sequences identified as Leishmania, 261 (91.9%) were L. tarentolae, 18 (6.3%) were L. donovani-complex parasites, 3 (1.1%) were L. tropica, and 2 were similar to both L. major and L. tropica. Minimum field infection rates were 0.09% for L. donovani-complex parasites, 0.02% for L. tropica, and 0.01% for the L. major/tropica-like parasite. Subsequent sequencing of a 600-bp region of the "Hyper" gene of 12 of the L. donovani-complex parasites showed that all 12 parasites were L. infantum. These data suggest that L. infantum was the primary leishmanial threat to U.S. military personnel deployed to Tallil Air Base. The implications of these findings are discussed.

Diagnostic Limitation of Fine-Needle Aspiration (FNA) on Indeterminate Thyroid Nodules Can Be Partially Overcome by Preoperative Molecular Analysis: Assessment of RET/PTC1 Rearrangement in BRAF and RAS Wild-Type Routine Air-Dried FNA Specimens.

PubMed

Ko, Young Sin; Hwang, Tae Sook; Kim, Ja Yeon; Choi, Yoon-La; Lee, Seung Eun; Han, Hye Seung; Kim, Wan Seop; Kim, Suk Kyeong; Park, Kyoung Sik

2017-04-12

Molecular markers are helpful diagnostic tools, particularly for cytologically indeterminate thyroid nodules. Preoperative RET/PTC1 rearrangement analysis in BRAF and RAS wild-type indeterminate thyroid nodules would permit the formulation of an unambiguous surgical plan. Cycle threshold values according to the cell count for detection of the RET/PTC1 rearrangement by real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) using fresh and routine air-dried TPC1 cells were evaluated. The correlation of RET/PTC1 rearrangement between fine-needle aspiration (FNA) and paired formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) specimens was analyzed. RET/PTC1 rearrangements of 76 resected BRAF and RAS wild-type classical PTCs were also analyzed. Results of RT-PCR and the Nanostring were compared. When 100 fresh and air-dried TPC1 cells were used, expression of RET/PTC1 rearrangement was detectable after 35 and 33 PCR cycles, respectively. The results of RET/PTC1 rearrangement in 10 FNA and paired FFPE papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) specimens showed complete correlation. Twenty-nine (38.2%) of 76 BRAF and RAS wild-type classical PTCs had RET/PTC1 rearrangement. Comparison of RET/PTC1 rearrangement analysis between RT-PCR and the Nanostring showed moderate agreement with a κ value of 0.56 ( p = 0.002). The RET/PTC1 rearrangement analysis by RT-PCR using routine air-dried FNA specimen was confirmed to be technically applicable. A significant proportion (38.2%) of the BRAF and RAS wild-type PTCs harbored RET/PTC1 rearrangements.

Variables in Elementary Mathematics Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brizuela, Bárbara M.

2016-01-01

In this article, I analyze episodes from two third-grade classrooms drawn from a larger classroom teaching experiment to explore how these students began to incorporate nonnumerical symbols in their mathematical expressions when asked to represent indeterminate quantities. The article addresses two research questions: What understandings did these…

Chemical Interruption of Flowering to Improve Harvested Peanut Maturity

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Peanut (Arachis hypogaea) is a botanically indeterminate plant where flowering, fruit initiation, and pod maturity occurs over an extended time period during the growing season. As a result, the maturity and size of individual peanut pods varies considerably at harvest. Immature kernels that meet...

Hormone Metabolism During Potato Tuber Dormancy

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

At harvest and for an indeterminate period thereafter potato tubers will not sprout and are physiologically dormant. The length of tuber dormancy is dependent on cultivar and pre- and postharvest environmental conditions. Plant hormones have been shown to be involved in all phases of dormancy prog...

Cost-effectiveness of a modified two-step algorithm using a combined glutamate dehydrogenase/toxin enzyme immunoassay and real-time PCR for the diagnosis of Clostridium difficile infection.

PubMed

Vasoo, Shawn; Stevens, Jane; Portillo, Lena; Barza, Ruby; Schejbal, Debra; Wu, May May; Chancey, Christina; Singh, Kamaljit

2014-02-01

The analytical performance and cost-effectiveness of the Wampole Toxin A/B EIA, the C. Diff. Quik Chek Complete (CdQCC) (a combined glutamate dehydrogenase antigen/toxin enzyme immunoassay), two RT-PCR assays (Progastro Cd and BD GeneOhm) and a modified two-step algorithm using the CdQCC reflexed to RT-PCR for indeterminate results were compared. The sensitivity of the Wampole Toxin A/B EIA, CdQCC (GDH antigen), BD GeneOhm and Progastro Cd RT-PCR were 85.4%, 95.8%, 100% and 93.8%, respectively. The algorithm provided rapid results for 86% of specimens and the remaining indeterminate results were resolved by RT-PCR, offering the best balance of sensitivity and cost savings per test (algorithm ∼US$13.50/test versus upfront RT-PCR ∼US$26.00/test). Copyright © 2012. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Evaluation of segmental left ventricular wall motion by equilibrium gated radionuclide ventriculography.

PubMed

Van Nostrand, D; Janowitz, W R; Holmes, D R; Cohen, H A

1979-01-01

The ability of equilibrium gated radionuclide ventriculography to detect segmental left ventricular (LV) wall motion abnormalities was determined in 26 patients undergoing cardiac catheterization. Multiple gated studies obtained in 30 degrees right anterior oblique and 45 degrees left anterior oblique projections, played back in a movie format, were compared to the corresponding LV ventriculograms. The LV wall in the two projections was divided into eight segments. Each segment was graded as normal, hypokinetic, akinetic, dyskinetic, or indeterminate. Thirteen percent of the segments in the gated images were indeterminate; 24 out of 27 of these were proximal or distal inferior wall segments. There was exact agreement in 86% of the remaining segments. The sensitivity of the radionuclide technique for detecting normal versus any abnormal wall motion was 71%, with a specificity of 99%. Equilibrium gated ventriculography is an excellent noninvasive technique for evaluating segmental LV wall motion. It is least reliable in assessing the proximal inferior wall and interventricular septum.

Describing Technological Paradigm Transitions: A Methodological Exploration.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wallace, Danny P.; Van Fleet, Connie

1997-01-01

Presents a humorous treatment of the "sessio taurino" (or humanistic inquiry) technique for describing changes in technological models. The fundamental tool of "sessio taurino" is a loosely-structured event known as the session, which is of indeterminate length, involves a flexible number of participants, and utilizes a…

Modification of Poisson Distribution in Radioactive Particle Counting.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Drotter, Michael T.

This paper focuses on radioactive practicle counting statistics in laboratory and field applications, intended to aid the Health Physics technician's understanding of the effect of indeterminant errors on radioactive particle counting. It indicates that although the statistical analysis of radioactive disintegration is best described by a Poisson…

Meta-analyses of oil yield in Cuphea PSR23

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Oil content and composition of Cuphea seed are of special economic value as raw materials for industrial and food applications. The inherent unpredictability in determining and predicting Cuphea’s oil yield is attributed, in part, to the indeterminate growth habit and the persistence of the domestic...

Retrospective evaluation of ultrasound-indeterminate renal multilocular cystic masses by using neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio and computed tomography.

PubMed

Wang, Hanfeng; Gu, Liangyou; Jia, Rui; Zeng, Jing; Liu, Xiaoxia; Zhang, Dawei; Wu, Yongjie; Luo, Guangda; Zhang, Xu

2017-01-01

To evaluate the clinical usefulness of neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) in differentiating the ultrasound-indeterminate renal multilocular cystic masses (RMCM) in comparison with computed tomography (CT) and whether NLR has additional benefits to CT on sensitivity of detecting the malignant. Overall, 93 patients who underwent normal ultrasound with a conclusion of indeterminate RMCM were examined by NLR and CT within 30 days before surgery or follow-up from March to September 2014 at PLA General Hospital and enrolled in this retrospective study. Logistic regression model was performed to find independent predictors for differentiating true nature of RMCM; differences in the validity parameters and diagnostic power of CT, NLR, and their combination were compared using McNemar tests and AUC model, respectively. The final diagnoses of the 93 patients consisted of 36 patients with benign complex cysts, 16 with multilocular cystic renal cell carcinoma, 9 with multilocular cystic nephroma, and 32 with clear cell renal cell carcinoma. Higher NLR were strongly associated with malignant masses. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that NLR could be an independent predictor for differentiating true nature of these masses (OR = 3.617; 95% CI: 1.219-10.727; P = 0.020). For detecting the malignant masses, the sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy were 71.9%, 80.6%, and 75.3% for CT and 57.9%, 88.9%, and 69.9% for NLR under cutoff value of 2.31, respectively, whereas those of CT+NLR were 89.5%, 69.4%, and 81.7%. No significant difference was found between CT and NLR in sensitivity (P = 0.185), specificity (P = 0.549), and accuracy (P = 0.428). But the sensitivity of CT+NLR was significantly higher than those of CT (P = 0.002) and NLR (P<0.001), respectively; AUC model analysis indicated that CT+NLR got the largest area of 0.795 (P<0.001, 95% CI: 0.693-0.896) in comparison with those of CT (area = 0.795, P<0.001, 95% CI: 0.661-0.864) and NLR (area = 0.734, P<0.001, 95% CI: 0.631-0.836). Given that NLR, under cutoff value of 2.31, had no diagnostic difference with CT in evaluating the ultrasound-indeterminate RMCM. However, combination of CT and NLR could increase the sensitivity of detecting malignant masses and acquire the best diagnostic power. Prospectively larger cohort and multicenter studies are still necessary. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Tunable multiphoton Rabi oscillations in an electronic spin system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bertaina, S.; Groll, N.; Chen, L.; Chiorescu, I.

2011-10-01

We report on multiphoton Rabi oscillations and controlled tuning of a multilevel system at room temperature (S=5/2 for Mn2+:MgO) in and out of a quasiharmonic level configuration. The anisotropy is much smaller than the Zeeman splittings, e.g., the six-level scheme shows only a small deviation from an equidistant diagram. This allows us to tune the spin dynamics by compensating for the cubic anisotropy with either a precise static-field orientation or a microwave field intensity. Using the rotating-frame approximation, the experiments are explained very well by both an analytical model and a generalized numerical model. The calculated multiphoton Rabi frequencies are in excellent agreement with the experimental data.

A no-hair theorem for black holes in f(R) gravity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cañate, Pedro

2018-01-01

In this work we present a no-hair theorem which discards the existence of four-dimensional asymptotically flat, static and spherically symmetric or stationary axisymmetric, non-trivial black holes in the frame of f(R) gravity under metric formalism. Here we show that our no-hair theorem also can discard asymptotic de Sitter stationary and axisymmetric non-trivial black holes. The novelty is that this no-hair theorem is built without resorting to known mapping between f(R) gravity and scalar–tensor theory. Thus, an advantage will be that our no-hair theorem applies as well to metric f(R) models that cannot be mapped to scalar–tensor theory.

Correlation of finite-element structural dynamic analysis with measured free vibration characteristics for a full-scale helicopter fuselage

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kenigsberg, I. J.; Dean, M. W.; Malatino, R.

1974-01-01

The correlation achieved with each program provides the material for a discussion of modeling techniques developed for general application to finite-element dynamic analyses of helicopter airframes. Included are the selection of static and dynamic degrees of freedom, cockpit structural modeling, and the extent of flexible-frame modeling in the transmission support region and in the vicinity of large cut-outs. The sensitivity of predicted results to these modeling assumptions are discussed. Both the Sikorsky Finite-Element Airframe Vibration analysis Program (FRAN/Vibration Analysis) and the NASA Structural Analysis Program (NASTRAN) have been correlated with data taken in full-scale vibration tests of a modified CH-53A helicopter.

Model Update of a Micro Air Vehicle (MAV) Flexible Wing Frame with Uncertainty Quantification

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Reaves, Mercedes C.; Horta, Lucas G.; Waszak, Martin R.; Morgan, Benjamin G.

2004-01-01

This paper describes a procedure to update parameters in the finite element model of a Micro Air Vehicle (MAV) to improve displacement predictions under aerodynamics loads. Because of fabrication, materials, and geometric uncertainties, a statistical approach combined with Multidisciplinary Design Optimization (MDO) is used to modify key model parameters. Static test data collected using photogrammetry are used to correlate with model predictions. Results show significant improvements in model predictions after parameters are updated; however, computed probabilities values indicate low confidence in updated values and/or model structure errors. Lessons learned in the areas of wing design, test procedures, modeling approaches with geometric nonlinearities, and uncertainties quantification are all documented.

High pressure and high temperature apparatus

DOEpatents

Voronov, Oleg A.

2005-09-13

A design for high pressure/high temperature apparatus and reaction cell to achieve .about.30 GPa pressure in .about.1 cm volume and .about.100 GPa pressure in .about.1 mm volumes and 20-5000.degree. C. temperatures in a static regime. The device includes profiled anvils (28) action on a reaction cell (14, 16) containing the material (26) to be processed. The reaction cell includes a heater (18) surrounded by insulating layers and screens. Surrounding the anvils are cylindrical inserts and supporting rings (30-48) whose hardness increases towards the reaction cell. These volumes may be increased considerably if applications require it, making use of presses that have larger loading force capability, larger frames and using larger anvils.

Implementing Health Policy: Lessons from the Scottish Well Men's Policy Initiative.

PubMed

Douglas, Flora; van Teijlingen, Edwin; Smith, Cairns; Moffat, Mandy

2015-01-01

Little is known about how health professionals translate national government health policy directives into action. This paper examines that process using the so-called Well Men's Services (WMS) policy initiative as a 'real world' case study. The WMS were launched by the Scottish Government to address men's health inequalities. Our analysis aimed to develop a deeper understanding of policy implementation as it naturally occurred, used an analytical framework that was developed to reflect the 'rational planning' principles health professionals are commonly encouraged to use for implementation purposes. A mixed-methods qualitative enquiry using a data archive generated during the WMS policy evaluation was used to critically analyze (post hoc) the perspectives of national policy makers, and local health and social care professionals about the: (a) 'policy problem', (b) interventions intended to address the problem, and (c) anticipated policy outcomes. This analysis revealed four key themes: (1) ambiguity regarding the policy problem and means of intervention; (2) behavioral framing of the policy problem and intervention; (3) uncertainty about the policy evidence base and outcomes, and; (4) a focus on intervention as outcome . This study found that mechanistic planning heuristics (as a means of supporting implementation) fails to grapple with the indeterminate nature of population health problems. A new approach to planning and implementing public health interventions is required that recognises the complex and political nature of health problems; the inevitability of imperfect and contested evidence regarding intervention, and, future associated uncertainties.

Damage identification of a reinforced concrete frame by finite element model updating using damage parameterization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fang, Sheng-En; Perera, Ricardo; De Roeck, Guido

2008-06-01

This paper develops a sensitivity-based updating method to identify the damage in a tested reinforced concrete (RC) frame modeled with a two-dimensional planar finite element (FE) by minimizing the discrepancies of modal frequencies and mode shapes. In order to reduce the number of unknown variables, a bidimensional damage (element) function is proposed, resulting in a considerable improvement of the optimization performance. For damage identification, a reference FE model of the undamaged frame divided into a few damage functions is firstly obtained and then a rough identification is carried out to detect possible damage locations, which are subsequently refined with new damage functions to accurately identify the damage. From a design point of view, it would be useful to evaluate, in a simplified way, the remaining bending stiffness of cracked beam sections or segments. Hence, an RC damage model based on a static mechanism is proposed to estimate the remnant stiffness of a cracked RC beam segment. The damage model is based on the assumption that the damage effect spreads over a region and the stiffness in the segment changes linearly. Furthermore, the stiffness reduction evaluated using this damage model is compared with the FE updating result. It is shown that the proposed bidimensional damage function is useful in producing a well-conditioned optimization problem and the aforementioned damage model can be used for an approximate stiffness estimation of a cracked beam segment.

Polarimetric Imaging using Two Photoelastic Modulators

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wang, Yu; Cunningham, Thomas; Diner, David; Davis, Edgar; Sun, Chao; Hancock, Bruce; Gutt, Gary; Zan, Jason; Raouf, Nasrat

2009-01-01

A method of polarimetric imaging, now undergoing development, involves the use of two photoelastic modulators in series, driven at equal amplitude but at different frequencies. The net effect on a beam of light is to cause (1) the direction of its polarization to rotate at the average of two excitation frequencies and (2) the amplitude of its polarization to be modulated at the beat frequency (the difference between the two excitation frequencies). The resulting modulated optical light beam is made to pass through a polarizing filter and is detected at the beat frequency, which can be chosen to equal the frame rate of an electronic camera or the rate of sampling the outputs of photodetectors in an array. The method was conceived to satisfy a need to perform highly accurate polarimetric imaging, without cross-talk between polarization channels, at frame rates of the order of tens of hertz. The use of electro-optical modulators is necessitated by a need to obtain accuracy greater than that attainable by use of static polarizing filters over separate fixed detectors. For imaging, photoelastic modulators are preferable to such other electrio-optical modulators as Kerr cells and Pockels cells in that photoelastic modulators operate at lower voltages, have greater angular acceptances, and are easier to use. Prior to the conception of the present method, polarimetric imaging at frame rates of tens of hertz using photoelastic modulators was not possible because the resonance frequencies of photoelastic modulators usually lie in the range from about 20 to about 100 kHz.

Item Banks for Substance Use from the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS®): Severity of Use and Positive Appeal of Use*

PubMed Central

Pilkonis, Paul A.; Yu, Lan; Dodds, Nathan E.; Johnston, Kelly L.; Lawrence, Suzanne; Hilton, Thomas F.; Daley, Dennis C.; Patkar, Ashwin A.; McCarty, Dennis

2015-01-01

Background Two item banks for substance use were developed as part of the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS®): severity of substance use and positive appeal of substance use. Methods Qualitative item analysis (including focus groups, cognitive interviewing, expert review, and item revision) reduced an initial pool of more than 5,300 items for substance use to 119 items included in field testing. Items were written in a first-person, past-tense format, with 5 response options reflecting frequency or severity. Both 30-day and 3-month time frames were tested. The calibration sample of 1,336 respondents included 875 individuals from the general population (ascertained through an internet panel) and 461patients from addiction treatment centers participating in the National Drug Abuse Treatment Clinical Trials Network. Results Final banks of 37 and 18 items were calibrated for severity of substance use and positive appeal of substance use, respectively, using the two-parameter graded response model from item response theory (IRT). Initial calibrations were similar for the 30-day and 3-month time frames, and final calibrations used data combined across the time frames, making the items applicable with either interval. Seven-item static short forms were also developed from each item bank. Conclusions Test information curves showed that the PROMIS item banks provided substantial information in a broad range of severity, making them suitable for treatment, observational, and epidemiological research in both clinical and community settings. PMID:26423364

A static predictor of seismic demand on frames based on a post-elastic deflected shape

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mori, Y.; Yamanaka, T.; Luco, N.; Cornell, C.A.

2006-01-01

Predictors of seismic structural demands (such as inter-storey drift angles) that are less time-consuming than nonlinear dynamic analysis have proven useful for structural performance assessment and for design. Luco and Cornell previously proposed a simple predictor that extends the idea of modal superposition (of the first two modes) with the square-root-of-sum-of-squares (SRSS) rule by taking a first-mode inelastic spectral displacement into account. This predictor achieved a significant improvement over simply using the response of an elastic oscillator; however, it cannot capture well large displacements caused by local yielding. A possible improvement of Luco's predictor is discussed in this paper, where it is proposed to consider three enhancements: (i) a post-elastic first-mode shape approximated by the deflected shape from a nonlinear static pushover analysis (NSPA) at the step corresponding to the maximum drift of an equivalent inelastic single-degree-of-freedom (SDOF) system, (ii) a trilinear backbone curve for the SDOF system, and (iii) the elastic third-mode response for long-period buildings. Numerical examples demonstrate that the proposed predictor is less biased and results in less dispersion than Luco's original predictor. Copyright ?? 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

A Saccade Based Framework for Real-Time Motion Segmentation Using Event Based Vision Sensors

PubMed Central

Mishra, Abhishek; Ghosh, Rohan; Principe, Jose C.; Thakor, Nitish V.; Kukreja, Sunil L.

2017-01-01

Motion segmentation is a critical pre-processing step for autonomous robotic systems to facilitate tracking of moving objects in cluttered environments. Event based sensors are low power analog devices that represent a scene by means of asynchronous information updates of only the dynamic details at high temporal resolution and, hence, require significantly less calculations. However, motion segmentation using spatiotemporal data is a challenging task due to data asynchrony. Prior approaches for object tracking using neuromorphic sensors perform well while the sensor is static or a known model of the object to be followed is available. To address these limitations, in this paper we develop a technique for generalized motion segmentation based on spatial statistics across time frames. First, we create micromotion on the platform to facilitate the separation of static and dynamic elements of a scene, inspired by human saccadic eye movements. Second, we introduce the concept of spike-groups as a methodology to partition spatio-temporal event groups, which facilitates computation of scene statistics and characterize objects in it. Experimental results show that our algorithm is able to classify dynamic objects with a moving camera with maximum accuracy of 92%. PMID:28316563

Modeling job sites in real time to improve safety during equipment operation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Caldas, Carlos H.; Haas, Carl T.; Liapi, Katherine A.; Teizer, Jochen

2006-03-01

Real-time three-dimensional (3D) modeling of work zones has received an increasing interest to perform equipment operation faster, safer and more precisely. In addition, hazardous job site environment like they exist on construction sites ask for new devices which can rapidly and actively model static and dynamic objects. Flash LADAR (Laser Detection and Ranging) cameras are one of the recent technology developments which allow rapid spatial data acquisition of scenes. Algorithms that can process and interpret the output of such enabling technologies into threedimensional models have the potential to significantly improve work processes. One particular important application is modeling the location and path of objects in the trajectory of heavy construction equipment navigation. Detecting and mapping people, materials and equipment into a three-dimensional computer model allows analyzing the location, path, and can limit or restrict access to hazardous areas. This paper presents experiments and results of a real-time three-dimensional modeling technique to detect static and moving objects within the field of view of a high-frame update rate laser range scanning device. Applications related to heavy equipment operations on transportation and construction job sites are specified.

The influence of ZrO2/20%Y2O3 and Al2O3 deposited coatings to the behavior of an aluminum alloy subjected to mechanical shock

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pintilei, G. L.; Crismaru, V. I.; Abrudeanu, M.; Munteanu, C.; Luca, D.; Istrate, B.

2015-10-01

Aluminum alloys are used in the aerospace industry due to their good mechanical properties and their low density compared with the density of steels. Usually the parts made of aluminum alloys contribute to the structural frame of aircrafts and they must withstand static and variable mechanical loads and also mechanical loads applied in a very short time which determine different phenomenon's in the material behavior then static or fatigue loads. This paper analysis the resilience of a 2024 aluminum alloy subjected to shock loads and the way how a coating can improve its behavior. For improving the behavior two coatings were considered: Al2O3 with 99.5% purity and ZrO2/20%Y2O3. The coatings were deposited on the base material by plasma spraying. The samples with and without coating were subject to mechanical shock to determine the resilience of the materials and the cracks propagation was investigated using SEM analysis. To highlight the physical phenomenon's that appear in the samples during the mechanical shock, explicit finite element analysis were done using Ansys 14.5 software.

Compression Strength of Composite Primary Structural Components

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Johnson, Eric R.

1998-01-01

Research conducted under NASA Grant NAG-1-537 focussed on the response and failure of advanced composite material structures for application to aircraft. Both experimental and analytical methods were utilized to study the fundamental mechanics of the response and failure of selected structural components subjected to quasi-static loads. Most of the structural components studied were thin-walled elements subject to compression, such that they exhibited buckling and postbuckling responses prior to catastrophic failure. Consequently, the analyses were geometrically nonlinear. Structural components studied were dropped-ply laminated plates, stiffener crippling, pressure pillowing of orthogonally stiffened cylindrical shells, axisymmetric response of pressure domes, and the static crush of semi-circular frames. Failure of these components motivated analytical studies on an interlaminar stress postprocessor for plate and shell finite element computer codes, and global/local modeling strategies in finite element modeling. These activities are summarized in the following section. References to literature published under the grant are listed on pages 5 to 10 by a letter followed by a number under the categories of journal publications, conference publications, presentations, and reports. These references are indicated in the text by their letter and number as a superscript.

Efficient FEM simulation of static and free vibration behavior of single walled boron nitride nanotubes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Giannopoulos, Georgios I.; Kontoni, Denise-Penelope N.; Georgantzinos, Stylianos K.

2016-08-01

This paper describes the static and free vibration behavior of single walled boron nitride nanotubes using a structural mechanics based finite element method. First, depending on the type of nanotube under investigation, its three dimensional nanostructure is developed according to the well-known corresponding positions of boron and nitride atoms as well as boron nitride bonds. Then, appropriate point masses are assigned to the atomic positions of the developed space frame. Next, these point masses are suitably interconnected with two-noded, linear, spring-like, finite elements. In order to simulate effectively the interactions observed between boron and nitride atoms within the nanotube, appropriate potential energy functions are introduced for these finite elements. In this manner, various atomistic models for both armchair and zigzag nanotubes with different aspect ratios are numerically analyzed and their effective elastic modulus as well as their natural frequencies and corresponding mode shapes are obtained. Regarding the free vibration analysis, the computed results reveal bending, breathing and axial modes of vibration depending on the nanotube size and chirality as well as the applied boundary support conditions. The longitudinal stiffness of the boron nitride nanotubes is found also sensitive to their geometric characteristics.

Characterization of Sphinx1 ASIC X-ray detector using photon counting and charge integration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Habib, A.; Arques, M.; Moro, J.-L.; Accensi, M.; Stanchina, S.; Dupont, B.; Rohr, P.; Sicard, G.; Tchagaspanian, M.; Verger, L.

2018-01-01

Sphinx1 is a novel pixel architecture adapted for X-ray imaging, it detects radiation by photon counting and charge integration. In photon counting mode, each photon is compensated by one or more counter-charges typically consisting of 100 electrons (e-) each. The number of counter-charges required gives a measure of the incoming photon energy, thus allowing spectrometric detection. Pixels can also detect radiation by integrating the charges deposited by all incoming photons during one image frame and converting this analog value into a digital response with a 100 electrons least significant bit (LSB), based on the counter-charge concept. A proof of concept test chip measuring 5 mm × 5 mm, with 200 μm × 200 μm pixels has been produced and characterized. This paper provides details on the architecture and the counter-charge design; it also describes the two modes of operation: photon counting and charge integration. The first performance measurements for this test chip are presented. Noise was found to be ~80 e-rms in photon counting mode with a power consumption of only 0.9 μW/pixel for the static analog part and 0.3 μW/pixel for the static digital part.

Electronic Literacy, Critical Pedagogy, and Collaboration: A Case for Cyborg Writing.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Winkelmann, Carol L.

1995-01-01

Argues that the combination of collaborative writing and electronic resources can produce a reaffirmation of literacy as a social process. Utilizes feminist theory to equate the postmodernist assumptions regarding the indeterminate nature of language with democratizing influences. Describes a class project where students produced a collaborative,…

The Influence of Three Mass Media Campaigns on Variables Related to Adolescent Cigarette Smoking: Results of a Field Experiment.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bauman, Karl E.; And Others

1991-01-01

Evaluates 3 1985-87 mass media campaigns designed to prevent smoking by adolescents, using data gathered by telephone contact with over 2,000 households. The campaigns had but a modest or indeterminate result. Radio proved as effective as television. (DM)

A bill to amend the National Flood Insurance Act of 1968 to include a system for indeterminate loss insurance claims, and for other purposes.

THOMAS, 112th Congress

Sen. Wicker, Roger F. [R-MS

2011-05-26

Senate - 05/26/2011 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status IntroducedHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

Validation of Molecular Biomarkers for the Early Detection of Lung Cancer in the setting of Indeterminate Pulmonary Nodules (Lung Team Project #2) — EDRN Public Portal

Cancer.gov

To characterize intra or within subject reproducibility and variability To characterize inter or across subject variability by adenoma phenotype (normal vs. adenoma) To evaluate biomarker expression in relation to long term adenoma recurrence

Reproductive allocation and nutrient relationships in Cuphea: A semi-domesticated oilseed crop

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

No information is available on allometric variations in C, N, and P in structural, reproductive and metabolic tissues and their ratios in Cuphea germplasm line PSR23, a semi-domesticated indeterminate and phenotypically plastic oilseed crop. The objectives of this study were to quantify the impact o...

Correction to: Multi-institutional analysis of CT and MRI reports evaluating indeterminate renal masses: comparison to a national survey investigating desired report elements.

PubMed

Hu, Eric M; Zhang, Andrew; Silverman, Stuart G; Pedrosa, Ivan; Wang, Zhen J; Smith, Andrew D; Chandarana, Hersh; Doshi, Ankur; Shinagare, Atul B; Remer, Erick M; Kaffenberger, Samuel D; Miller, David C; Davenport, Matthew S

2018-05-16

The original version of this article contained an error in author name. The co-author's name was published as Ivan M. Pedrosa, instead it should be Ivan Pedrosa. The original article has been corrected.

Chemical interruption of late season flowering to improve harvested peanut maturity

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Peanut (Arachis hypogaea) is a botanically indeterminate plant where flowering, fruit initiation, and pod maturity occurs over an extended time period during the growing season. As a result, the maturity and size of individual peanut pods varies considerably at harvest. Immature kernels that meet co...

Three-dimensional construction and omni-directional rolling analysis of a novel frame-like lattice modular robot

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ding, Wan; Wu, Jianxu; Yao, Yan'an

2015-07-01

Lattice modular robots possess diversity actuation methods, such as electric telescopic rod, gear rack, magnet, robot arm, etc. The researches on lattice modular robots mainly focus on their hardware descriptions and reconfiguration algorithms. Meanwhile, their design architectures and actuation methods perform slow telescopic and moving speeds, relative low actuation force verse weight ratio, and without internal space to carry objects. To improve the mechanical performance and reveal the locomotion and reconfiguration binary essences of the lattice modular robots, a novel cube-shaped, frame-like, pneumatic-based reconfigurable robot module called pneumatic expandable cube(PE-Cube) is proposed. The three-dimensional(3D) expanding construction and omni-directional rolling analysis of the constructed robots are the main focuses. The PE-Cube with three degrees of freedom(DoFs) is assembled by replacing the twelve edges of a cube with pneumatic cylinders. The proposed symmetric construction condition makes the constructed robots possess the same properties in each supporting state, and a binary control strategy cooperated with binary actuator(pneumatic cylinder) is directly adopted to control the PE-Cube. Taking an eight PE-Cube modules' construction as example, its dynamic rolling simulation, static rolling condition, and turning gait are illustrated and discussed. To testify telescopic synchronization, respond speed, locomotion feasibility, and repeatability and reliability of hardware system, an experimental pneumatic-based robotic system is built and the rolling and turning experiments of the eight PE-Cube modules' construction are carried out. As an extension, the locomotion feasibility of a thirty-two PE-Cube modules' construction is analyzed and proved, including dynamic rolling simulation, static rolling condition, and dynamic analysis in free tipping process. The proposed PE-Cube module, construction method, and locomotion analysis enrich the family of the lattice modular robot and provide the instruction to design the lattice modular robot.

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

Cifter, G; Redler, G; Lee, C

Purpose: Compared to traditional radiotherapy techniques, stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) provides more favorable outcomes during the treatment of certain lung tumors. Despite advancements in image guidance, accurate target localization still remains a challenge. In this work, we expand our knowledge of a novel scatter imaging modality in order to develop a real-time tumor localization method using scattered photons from the patient during treatment. Methods: Images of the QUASAR™ Respiratory Motion Phantom were taken by irradiating it on a Varian TrueBeam accelerator. The scattered radiation was detected using a flat panel-based pinhole camera detection system. Two motion settings were investigated:more » static and dynamic. In the former, the lung tumor was manually shifted between imaging. In the latter, the lung tumor was set to move at a certain frequency and amplitude while the images were acquired continuously for one minute. The accuracy of tumor localization and the irradiation time required to distinguish the lung tumor were studied. Results: The comparison of measured and expected location of the lung tumor during static motion was shown to be under standard deviation (STD) of 0.064 with a mean STD of 0.031cm. The dynamic motion was taken at a rate of 1400 MU/min for one minute and the measured location of the lung tumor was then compared with the QUASAR phantom’s sinusoidal motion pattern and the agreement found to be at an average STD of 0.275cm. The location of the lung tumor was investigated using aggregate images consisting of 1 or 2 frames/image and the change was below STD of 0.30cm. The lung tumor also appeared to be blurrier in images consisting of two frames. Conclusion: Based on our preliminary results real-time image guidance using the scatter imaging modality to localize and track tumors during lung SBRT has the potential to become clinical reality.« less

Spin-locking of half-integer quadrupolar nuclei in nuclear magnetic resonance of solids: second-order quadrupolar and resonance offset effects.

PubMed

Ashbrook, Sharon E; Wimperis, Stephen

2009-11-21

Spin-locking of spin I=3/2 and I=5/2 nuclei in the presence of small resonance offset and second-order quadrupolar interactions has been investigated using both exact and approximate theoretical and experimental nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) approaches. In the presence of second-order quadrupolar interactions, we show that the initial rapid dephasing that arises from the noncommutation of the state prepared by the first pulse and the spin-locking Hamiltonian gives rise to tensor components of the spin density matrix that are antisymmetric with respect to inversion, in addition to those symmetric with respect to inversion that are found when only a first-order quadrupolar interaction is considered. We also find that spin-locking of multiple-quantum coherence in a static solid is much more sensitive to resonance offset than that of single-quantum coherence and show that good spin-locking of multiple-quantum coherence can still be achieved if the resonance offset matches the second-order shift of the multiple-quantum coherence in the appropriate reference frame. Under magic angle spinning (MAS) conditions, and in the "adiabatic" limit, we demonstrate that rotor-driven interconversion of central-transition single- and three-quantum coherences for a spin I=3/2 nucleus can be best achieved by performing the spin-locking on resonance with the three-quantum coherence in the three-quantum frame. Finally, in the "sudden" MAS limit, we show that spin I=3/2 spin-locking behavior is generally similar to that found in static solids, except when the central-transition nutation rate matches a multiple of the MAS rate and a variety of rotary resonance phenomena are observed depending on the internal spin interactions present. This investigation should aid in the application of spin-locking techniques to multiple-quantum NMR of quadrupolar nuclei and of cross-polarization and homonuclear dipolar recoupling experiments to quadrupolar nuclei such as (7)Li, (11)B, (17)O, (23)Na, and (27)Al.

SU-E-T-106: Development of a Collision Prediction Algorithm for Determining Problematic Geometry for SBRT Treatments Using a Stereotactic Body Frame

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

Wagar, M; Friesen, S; Mannarino, E

2014-06-01

Purpose: Collision between the gantry and the couch or patient during Radiotherapy is not a common concern for conventional RT (static fields or arc). With the increase in the application of stereotactic planning techniques to the body, collisions have become a greater concern. Non-coplanar beam geometry is desirable in stereotatic treatments in order to achieve sharp gradients and a high conformality. Non-coplanar geometry is less intuitive in the body and often requires an iterative process of planning and dry runs to guarantee deliverability. Methods: Purpose written software was developed in order to predict the likelihood of collision between the headmore » of the gantry and the couch, patient or stereotatic body frame. Using the DICOM plan and structures set, exported by the treatment planning system, this software is able to predict the possibility of a collision. Given the plan's isocenter, treatment geometry and exterior contours, the software is able to determine if a particular beam/arc is clinically deliverable or if collision is imminent. Results: The software was tested on real world treatment plans with untreatable beam geometry. Both static non-coplanar and VMAT plans were tested. Of these, the collision prediction software could identify all as having potentially problematic geometry. Re-plans of the same cases were also tested and validated as deliverable. Conclusion: This software is capable of giving good initial indication of deliverability for treatment plans that utilize complex geometry (SBRT) or have lateral isocenters. This software is not intended to replace the standard pre-treatment QA dry run. The effectiveness is limited to those portions of the patient and immobilization devices that have been included in the simulation CT and contoured in the planning system. It will however aid the planner in reducing the iterations required to create complex treatment geometries necessary to achieve ideal conformality and organ sparing.« less

Analyses on the Performance and Interaction Between the Impeller and Casing in a Small-Size Turbo-Compressor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Youn-Jea; Kim, Dong-Won

The effects of casing shapes on the performance and the interaction between an impeller and a casing in a small-size turbo-compressor are investigated. Numerical analysis is conducted for the turbo-compressor with circular and single volute casings from the inlet to a discharge nozzle. The optimum design for each element is important to develop the small-size turbo-compressor using alternative refrigerant as a working fluid. Typically, the rotating speed of the compressor is in the range of 40000-45000rpm because of the small size of an impeller diameter. A blade of an impeller has backswept two-dimensional shape due to tip clearance and a vane diffuser has wedge type. In order to predict the flow pattern inside the entire impeller, the vaneless diffuser and the casing, calculations with multiple frames of reference method between the rotating and stationery parts of the domain are carried out. For compressible turbulent flow fields, the continuity and time-averaged three-dimensional Navier-Stokes equations are employed. To evaluate the performance of two types of casings, the static pressure recovery and loss coefficients are obtained with various flow rates. Also, static pressure distributions around casings are studied for different casing shapes, which are very important to predict the distribution of radial load. To prove the accuracy of numerical results, measurements of static pressure around the casing and pressure difference between the inlet and the outlet of the compressor are performed for the circular casing. The comparison of experimental and numerical results is conducted, and reasonable agreement is obtained.

A bio-inspired system for spatio-temporal recognition in static and video imagery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khosla, Deepak; Moore, Christopher K.; Chelian, Suhas

2007-04-01

This paper presents a bio-inspired method for spatio-temporal recognition in static and video imagery. It builds upon and extends our previous work on a bio-inspired Visual Attention and object Recognition System (VARS). The VARS approach locates and recognizes objects in a single frame. This work presents two extensions of VARS. The first extension is a Scene Recognition Engine (SCE) that learns to recognize spatial relationships between objects that compose a particular scene category in static imagery. This could be used for recognizing the category of a scene, e.g., office vs. kitchen scene. The second extension is the Event Recognition Engine (ERE) that recognizes spatio-temporal sequences or events in sequences. This extension uses a working memory model to recognize events and behaviors in video imagery by maintaining and recognizing ordered spatio-temporal sequences. The working memory model is based on an ARTSTORE1 neural network that combines an ART-based neural network with a cascade of sustained temporal order recurrent (STORE)1 neural networks. A series of Default ARTMAP classifiers ascribes event labels to these sequences. Our preliminary studies have shown that this extension is robust to variations in an object's motion profile. We evaluated the performance of the SCE and ERE on real datasets. The SCE module was tested on a visual scene classification task using the LabelMe2 dataset. The ERE was tested on real world video footage of vehicles and pedestrians in a street scene. Our system is able to recognize the events in this footage involving vehicles and pedestrians.

A moving observer in a three-dimensional world

PubMed Central

2016-01-01

For many tasks such as retrieving a previously viewed object, an observer must form a representation of the world at one location and use it at another. A world-based three-dimensional reconstruction of the scene built up from visual information would fulfil this requirement, something computer vision now achieves with great speed and accuracy. However, I argue that it is neither easy nor necessary for the brain to do this. I discuss biologically plausible alternatives, including the possibility of avoiding three-dimensional coordinate frames such as ego-centric and world-based representations. For example, the distance, slant and local shape of surfaces dictate the propensity of visual features to move in the image with respect to one another as the observer's perspective changes (through movement or binocular viewing). Such propensities can be stored without the need for three-dimensional reference frames. The problem of representing a stable scene in the face of continual head and eye movements is an appropriate starting place for understanding the goal of three-dimensional vision, more so, I argue, than the case of a static binocular observer. This article is part of the themed issue ‘Vision in our three-dimensional world’. PMID:27269608

Algorithms for detection of objects in image sequences captured from an airborne imaging system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kasturi, Rangachar; Camps, Octavia; Tang, Yuan-Liang; Devadiga, Sadashiva; Gandhi, Tarak

1995-01-01

This research was initiated as a part of the effort at the NASA Ames Research Center to design a computer vision based system that can enhance the safety of navigation by aiding the pilots in detecting various obstacles on the runway during critical section of the flight such as a landing maneuver. The primary goal is the development of algorithms for detection of moving objects from a sequence of images obtained from an on-board video camera. Image regions corresponding to the independently moving objects are segmented from the background by applying constraint filtering on the optical flow computed from the initial few frames of the sequence. These detected regions are tracked over subsequent frames using a model based tracking algorithm. Position and velocity of the moving objects in the world coordinate is estimated using an extended Kalman filter. The algorithms are tested using the NASA line image sequence with six static trucks and a simulated moving truck and experimental results are described. Various limitations of the currently implemented version of the above algorithm are identified and possible solutions to build a practical working system are investigated.

Real-time range acquisition by adaptive structured light.

PubMed

Koninckx, Thomas P; Van Gool, Luc

2006-03-01

The goal of this paper is to provide a "self-adaptive" system for real-time range acquisition. Reconstructions are based on a single frame structured light illumination. Instead of using generic, static coding that is supposed to work under all circumstances, system adaptation is proposed. This occurs on-the-fly and renders the system more robust against instant scene variability and creates suitable patterns at startup. A continuous trade-off between speed and quality is made. A weighted combination of different coding cues--based upon pattern color, geometry, and tracking--yields a robust way to solve the correspondence problem. The individual coding cues are automatically adapted within a considered family of patterns. The weights to combine them are based on the average consistency with the result within a small time-window. The integration itself is done by reformulating the problem as a graph cut. Also, the camera-projector configuration is taken into account for generating the projection patterns. The correctness of the range maps is not guaranteed, but an estimation of the uncertainty is provided for each part of the reconstruction. Our prototype is implemented using unmodified consumer hardware only and, therefore, is cheap. Frame rates vary between 10 and 25 fps, dependent on scene complexity.

Credibility and advocacy in conservation science

PubMed Central

Horton, Cristi C.; Peterson, Tarla Rai; Banerjee, Paulami

2015-01-01

Abstract Conservation policy sits at the nexus of natural science and politics. On the one hand, conservation scientists strive to maintain scientific credibility by emphasizing that their research findings are the result of disinterested observations of reality. On the other hand, conservation scientists are committed to conservation even if they do not advocate a particular policy. The professional conservation literature offers guidance on negotiating the relationship between scientific objectivity and political advocacy without damaging conservation science's credibility. The value of this guidance, however, may be restricted by limited recognition of credibility's multidimensionality and emergent nature: it emerges through perceptions of expertise, goodwill, and trustworthiness. We used content analysis of the literature to determine how credibility is framed in conservation science as it relates to apparent contradictions between science and advocacy. Credibility typically was framed as a static entity lacking dimensionality. Authors identified expertise or trustworthiness as important, but rarely mentioned goodwill. They usually did not identify expertise, goodwill, or trustworthiness as dimensions of credibility or recognize interactions among these 3 dimensions of credibility. This oversimplification may limit the ability of conservation scientists to contribute to biodiversity conservation. Accounting for the emergent quality and multidimensionality of credibility should enable conservation scientists to advance biodiversity conservation more effectively. PMID:26041036

Computer measurement and representation of the heart in two and three dimensions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rasmussen, D.

1976-01-01

Methods for the measurement and display by minicomputer of cardiac images obtained from fluoroscopy to permit an accurate assessment of functional changes are discussed. Heart contours and discrete points can be digitized automatically or manually, with the recorded image in a video, cine, or print format. As each frame is digitized it is assigned a code name identifying the data source, experiment, run, view, and frame, and the images are filed for future reference in any sequence. Two views taken at the same point in the heart cycle are used to compute the spatial position of the ventricle apex and the midpoint of the aortic valve. The remainder of the points on the chamber border are corrected for the linear distortion of the X-rays by projection to a plane containing the chord between the apex and the aortic valve center and oriented so that lines perpendicular to the chord are parallel to the image intensifier face. The image of the chamber surface is obtained by generating circular cross sections with diameters perpendicular to the major chord. The transformed two- and three-dimensional imagery can be displayed in either static or animated form using a graphics terminal.

Numerical analysis of dynamic behavior of pre-stressed shape memory alloy concrete beam-column joints

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yan, S.; Xiao, Z. F.; Lin, M. Y.; Niu, J.

2018-04-01

Beam-column joints are important parts of a main frame structure. Mechanical properties of beam-column joints have a great influence on dynamic performances of the frame structure. Shape memory alloy (SMA) as a new type of intelligent metal materials has wide applications in civil engineering. The paper aims at proposing a novel beam-column joint reinforced with pre-stressed SMA tendons to increase its dynamic performance. Based on the finite element analysis (FEA) software ABAQUS, a numerical simulation for 6 beam-column scaled models considering different SMA reinforcement ratios and pre-stress levels was performed, focusing on bearing capacities, energy-dissipation and self-centering capacities, etc. These models were numerically tested under a pseudo-static load on the beam end, companying a constant vertical compressive load on the top of the column. The numerical results show that the proposed SMA-reinforced joint has a significantly increased bearing capacity and a good self-centering capability after unloading even though the energy-dissipation capacity becomes smaller due the less residual deformation. The concept and mechanism of the novel joint can be used as an important reference for civil engineering applications.

Multidirectional four-dimensional shape measurement system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lenar, Janusz; Sitnik, Robert; Witkowski, Marcin

2012-03-01

Currently, a lot of different scanning techniques are used for 3D imaging of human body. Most of existing systems are based on static registration of internal structures using MRI or CT techniques as well as 3D scanning of outer surface of human body by laser triangulation or structured light methods. On the other hand there is an existing mature 4D method based on tracking in time the position of retro-reflective markers attached to human body. There are two main drawbacks of this solution: markers are attached to skin (no real skeleton movement is registered) and it gives (x, y, z, t) coordinates only in those points (not for the whole surface). In this paper we present a novel multidirectional structured light measurement system that is capable of measuring 3D shape of human body surface with frequency reaching 60Hz. The developed system consists of two spectrally separated and hardware-synchronized 4D measurement heads. The principle of the measurement is based on single frame analysis. Projected frame is composed from sine-modulated intensity pattern and a special stripe allowing absolute phase measurement. Several different geometrical set-ups will be proposed depending on type of movements that are to be registered.

Increasing signal-to-noise ratio of reconstructed digital holograms by using light spatial noise portrait of camera's photosensor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cheremkhin, Pavel A.; Evtikhiev, Nikolay N.; Krasnov, Vitaly V.; Rodin, Vladislav G.; Starikov, Sergey N.

2015-01-01

Digital holography is technique which includes recording of interference pattern with digital photosensor, processing of obtained holographic data and reconstruction of object wavefront. Increase of signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of reconstructed digital holograms is especially important in such fields as image encryption, pattern recognition, static and dynamic display of 3D scenes, and etc. In this paper compensation of photosensor light spatial noise portrait (LSNP) for increase of SNR of reconstructed digital holograms is proposed. To verify the proposed method, numerical experiments with computer generated Fresnel holograms with resolution equal to 512×512 elements were performed. Simulation of shots registration with digital camera Canon EOS 400D was performed. It is shown that solo use of the averaging over frames method allows to increase SNR only up to 4 times, and further increase of SNR is limited by spatial noise. Application of the LSNP compensation method in conjunction with the averaging over frames method allows for 10 times SNR increase. This value was obtained for LSNP measured with 20 % error. In case of using more accurate LSNP, SNR can be increased up to 20 times.

The Effect of Global-Scale, Steady-State Convection and Elastic-Gravitational Asphericities on Helioseismic Oscillations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lavely, Eugene M.; Ritzwoller, Michael H.

1992-06-01

In this paper we derive a theory, based on quasi-degenerate perturbation theory, that governs the effect of global-scale, steady-state convection and associated static asphericities in the elastic-gravitational variables (adiabatic bulk modulus kappa , density ρ , and gravitational potential φ ) on helioseismic eigenfrequencies and eigenfunctions and present a formalism with which this theory can be applied computationally. The theory rests on three formal assumptions: (1) that convection is temporally steady in a frame corotating with the Sun, (2) that accurate eigenfrequencies and eigenfunctions can be determined by retaining terms in the seismically perturbed equations of motion only to first order in p-mode displacement, and (3) that we are justified in retaining terms only to first order in convective velocity (this is tantamount to assuming that the convective flow is anelastic). The most physically unrealistic assumption is (1), and we view the results of this paper as the first step toward a more general theory governing the seismic effects of time-varying fields. Although the theory does not govern the seismic effects of non-stationary flows, it can be used to approximate the effects of unsteady flows on the acoustic wavefield if the flow is varying smoothly in time. The theory does not attempt to model seismic modal amplitudes since these are governed, in part, by the exchange of energy between convection and acoustic motions which is not a part of this theory. However, we show how theoretical wavefields can be computed given a description of the stress field produced by a source process such as turbulent convection. The basic reference model that will be perturbed by rotation, convection, structural asphericities, and acoustic oscillations is a spherically symmetric, non-rotating, non-magnetic, isotropic, static solar model that, when subject to acoustic oscillations, oscillates adiabatically. We call this the SNRNMAIS model. An acoustic mode of the SNRNMAIS model is denoted by k = (n,l,m), where n is the radial order, l is the harmonic degree, and m is the azimuthal order of the mode. The main result of the paper is the general matrix element Hn'n,l'lm'm for steady-state convection satisfying the anelastic condition with static structural asphericities. It is written in terms of the radial, scalar eigenfunctions of the SNRNMAIS model, resulting in equations (90)-(110). We prove Rayleigh's principle in our derivation of quasi-degenerate perturbation theory which, as a by-product, yields the general matrix element. Within this perturbative method, modes need not be exactly degenerate in the SNRNMAIS solar model to couple, only nearly so. General matrix elements compose the hermitian supermatrix Z. The eigenvalues of the supermatrix are the eigenfrequency perturbations of the convecting, aspherical model and the eigenvector components of Z are the expansion coefficients in the linear combination forming the eigenfunctions in which the eigenfunctions of the SNRNMAIS solar model act as basis functions. The properties of the Wigner 3j symbols and the reduced matrix elements composing Hn'n,l'lm' produce selection rules governing the coupling of SNRNMAIS modes that hold even for time-varying flows. We state selection rules for both quasi-degenerate and degenerate perturbation theories. For example, within degenerate perturbation theory, only odd-degree s toroidal flows and even degree structural asphericities, both with s <= 2l, will couple and/or split acoustic modes with harmonic degree l. In addition, the frequency perturbations caused by a toroidal flow display odd symmetry with respect to the degenerate frequency when ordered from the minimum to the maximum frequency perturbation. We consider the special case of differential rotation, the odd-degree, axisymmetric, toroidal component of general convection, and present the general matrix element and selection rules under quasi-degenerate perturbation theory. We argue that due to the spacing of modes that satisfy the selection rules, quasi-degenerate coupling can, for all practical purposes, be neglected in modelling the effect of low-degree differential rotation on helioseismic data. In effect, modes that can couple through low-degree differential rotation are too far separated in frequency to couple strongly. This is not the case for non-axisymmetric flows and asphericities where near degeneracies will regularly occur, and couplings can be relatively strong especially among SNRNMAIS modes within the same multiplet. All derivations are performed and all solutions are presented in a frame corotating with the mean solar angular rotation rate. Equation (18) shows how to transform the eigenfrequencies and eigenfunctions in the corotating frame into an inertial frame. The transformation has the effect that each eigenfunction in the inertial frame is itself time varying. That is, a mode of oscillation, which is defined to have a single frequency in the corotating frame, becomes multiply periodic in the inertial frame.

Dynamic heart model for the mathematical cardiac torso (MCAT) phantom to represent the invariant total heart volume

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pretorius, P. H.; King, Michael A.; Tsui, Benjamin M.; LaCroix, Karen; Xia, Weishi

1998-07-01

This manuscript documents the alteration of the heart model of the MCAT phantom to better represent cardiac motion. The objective of the inclusion of motion was to develop a digital simulation of the heart such that the impact of cardiac motion on single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) imaging could be assessed and methods of quantitating cardiac function could be investigated. The motion of the dynamic MCAT's heart is modeled by a 128 time frame volume curve. Eight time frames are averaged together to obtain a gated perfusion acquisition of 16 time frames and ensure motion within every time frame. The position of the MCAT heart was changed during contraction to rotate back and forth around the long axis through the center of the left ventricle (LV) using the end systolic time frame as turning point. Simple respiratory motion was also introduced by changing the orientation of the heart model in a 2 dimensional (2D) plane with every time frame. The averaging effect of respiratory motion in a specific time frame was modeled by randomly selecting multiple heart locations between two extreme orientations. Non-gated perfusion phantoms were also generated by averaging over all time frames. Maximal chamber volumes were selected to fit a profile of a normal healthy person. These volumes were changed during contraction of the ventricles such that the increase in volume in the atria compensated for the decrease in volume in the ventricles. The myocardium were modeled to represent shortening of muscle fibers during contraction with the base of the ventricles moving towards a static apex. The apical region was modeled with moderate wall thinning present while myocardial mass was conserved. To test the applicability of the dynamic heart model, myocardial wall thickening was measured using maximum counts and full width half maximum measurements, and compared with published trends. An analytical 3D projector, with attenuation and detector response included, was used to generate radionuclide projection data sets. After reconstruction a linear relationship was obtained between maximum myocardial counts and myocardium thickness, similar to published results. A numeric difference in values from different locations exist due to different amounts of attenuation present. Similar results were obtained for FWHM measurements. Also, a hot apical region on the polar maps without attenuation compensation turns into an apical defect with attenuation compensation. The apical decrease was more prominent in ED than ES due to the change in the partial volume effect. Both of these agree with clinical trends. It is concluded that the dynamic MCAT (dMCAT) phantom can be used to study the influence of various physical parameters on radionuclide perfusion imaging.

Towards a Rhythmic Account of Working Together and Taking Part

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Springgay, Stephanie

2016-01-01

The idea that the world is composed of moving and constantly transforming materialities that are vibrant, quivering, and indeterminate has shifted how we think about human and non-human relations. Matter is not a stable entity, but one that is continuously vibrating and differentiating. This materialism is crucial for thinking about possible…

The Contribution of Pragmatism to Understanding Educational Action Research: Value and Consequences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hammond, Michael

2013-01-01

This paper argues that action research finds a rationale in the pragmatic position that knowledge is provisional and generated through a transaction between agent and environment. Action research finds a further methodological rationale in the pragmatic view that knowledge is generated within indeterminate situations, requires habits of reflection…

Advanced Technology and Worker Alienation. Comments on the Blauner/Marxism Debate.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vallas, Steven Peter; Yarrow, Michael

1987-01-01

The authors critically examine the analysis by Hull, Friedman, and Roger finding that deskilling and heightened alienation are not necessarily the outcomes of increased technology. The authors suggest that the outcome of technological change be approached as an indeterminate process shaped by prevailing relations between workers and management.…

Processes of Discourse Integration: Evidence from Event-Related Brain Potentials

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ferretti, Todd R.; Singer, Murray; Harwood, Jenna

2013-01-01

We used ERP methodology to investigate how readers validate discourse concepts and update situation models when those concepts followed factive (e.g., knew) and nonfactive (e.g., "guessed") verbs, and also when they were true, false, or indeterminate with reference to previous discourse. Following factive verbs, early (P2) and later brain…

Nutrient homeostasis, C:N:S ratios, protein, and oil content in Cuphea seed

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Macro- and micro-nutrient densities, carbon:nitrogen (C:N), nitrogen:sulphur (N:S), protein, and oil contents and interrelationships were assessed during a 3-year study in seeds of the indeterminate Cuphea germplasm line PSR23 selected from an inter-specific cross between two species of the Lythrace...

77 FR 59646 - Notice of Inventory Completion: U.S. Department of Defense, Army Garrison, Redstone Arsenal...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-09-28

... Indians in Oklahoma. History and Description of the Remains In March 1978, human remains representing, at... minimum, one individual were removed by New World Research, Inc. during a reconnaissance level cultural..., 18 fragmentary pieces of human bone representing one adult of indeterminate sex were recovered from a...

La forme en -l en macedonien (The Form Suffixed -1 in Macedonian).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hristova, Doreana

The Macedonian verb form corresponding to the form ending in "-l" in French is examined, focusing on the active past participle, which represents the past indeterminate or non-testimonial tense. Special attention is paid to aspectual, modal, temporal, and prosodic values, and all examples are drawn from the two languages. (MSE)

Cultural Resources of the Ohio River Valley in Indiana,

DTIC Science & Technology

1977-07-01

Middle Mississippian vessel shapes "Angel Phase" Angel effigy bowls, incised plates, and negative painted decoration (Kellar 1967) "Caborn-Welhorn Phase... Plano 7 Multiple EA Early Archaic 1 Indeterminate or other 3 Palmer-Kirk 4 Thebes 5 HacCorckle-SL. Albanq 6 Kanawha-LeCroy 7 Multiple !1A Middle Archaic

Finding a Place To Stand: Negotiating the Spatial Configuration of the Networked Computer Classroom.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kent-Drury, Roxanne

1998-01-01

Theorizes the spatial dynamics of both traditional and Internet-networked classrooms to reveal that both exhibit indeterminate spatial characteristics, but that network connectivity renders this indeterminacy visible. Argues that networked classrooms need not be disorienting, if students recreate a center by designing a class Web site, creating…

The excitation of long period seismic waves by a source spanning a structural discontinuity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Woodhouse, J. H.

Simple theoretical results are obtained for the excitation of seismic waves by an indigenous seismic source in the case that the source volume is intersected by a structural discontinuity. In the long wavelength approximation the seismic radiation is identical to that of a point source placed on one side of the discontinuity or of a different point source placed on the other side. The moment tensors of these two equivalent sources are related by a specific linear transformation and may differ appreciably both in magnitude and geometry. Either of these sources could be obtained by linear inversion of seismic data but the physical interpretation is more complicated than in the usual case. A source which involved no volume change would, for example, yield an isotropic component if, during inversion, it were assumed to lie on the wrong side of the discontinuity. The problem of determining the true moment tensor of the source is indeterminate unless further assumptions are made about the stress glut distribution; one way to resolve this indeterminancy is to assume proportionality between the integrated stress glut on each side of the discontinuity.

The Contribution of Qualitative CEUS to the Determination of Malignancy in Adnexal Masses, Indeterminate on Conventional US – A Multicenter Study

PubMed Central

Zhang, Xinling; Mao, Yongjiang; Zheng, Rongqin; Zheng, Zhijuan; Huang, Zeping; Huang, Dongmei; Zhang, Jing; Dai, Qing; Zhou, Xiaodong; Wen, Yanling

2014-01-01

The aim of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of qualitative analysis of contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) in discrimination of adnexal masses which were undetermined by conventional ultrasound (US). A total of 120 patients underwent transabdominal CEUS. The initial enhancement time and intensity compared with the uterine myometrium, contrast agent distribution patterns and dynamic changes of enhancement were assessed. The sensitivity (Sen), specificity (Spe), positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV), accuracy (ACC) and Youden’s index were calculated for contrast variables. The gold standard was the histological diagnosis. There were 48 malignant tumors and 72 benign tumors. The enhancement features of malignant masses were different from benign ones. Earlier or simultaneous enhancement with inhomogeneous enhancement yielded the highest capability in differential diagnosis, and Sen, Spe, PPV, NPV, ACC, Youden’s index was 89.6%, 97.2%, 93.2%, 95.6%, 93.3%, and 0.88, respectively. The qualitative evaluation of CEUS is useful in the differential diagnosis of adnexal masses where conventional US is indeterminate. PMID:24736589

The contribution of qualitative CEUS to the determination of malignancy in adnexal masses, indeterminate on conventional US - a multicenter study.

PubMed

Zhang, Xinling; Mao, Yongjiang; Zheng, Rongqin; Zheng, Zhijuan; Huang, Zeping; Huang, Dongmei; Zhang, Jing; Dai, Qing; Zhou, Xiaodong; Wen, Yanling

2014-01-01

The aim of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of qualitative analysis of contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) in discrimination of adnexal masses which were undetermined by conventional ultrasound (US). A total of 120 patients underwent transabdominal CEUS. The initial enhancement time and intensity compared with the uterine myometrium, contrast agent distribution patterns and dynamic changes of enhancement were assessed. The sensitivity (Sen), specificity (Spe), positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV), accuracy (ACC) and Youden's index were calculated for contrast variables. The gold standard was the histological diagnosis. There were 48 malignant tumors and 72 benign tumors. The enhancement features of malignant masses were different from benign ones. Earlier or simultaneous enhancement with inhomogeneous enhancement yielded the highest capability in differential diagnosis, and Sen, Spe, PPV, NPV, ACC, Youden's index was 89.6%, 97.2%, 93.2%, 95.6%, 93.3%, and 0.88, respectively. The qualitative evaluation of CEUS is useful in the differential diagnosis of adnexal masses where conventional US is indeterminate.

Acute Liver Failure in Children: The First 348 Patients in The Pediatric Acute Liver Failure Study Group

PubMed Central

Squires, Robert H.; Shneider, Benjamin L.; Bucuvalas, John; Alonso, Estella; Sokol, Ronald J.; Narkewicz, Michael R.; Dhawan, Anil; Rosenthal, Philip; Rodriguez-Baez, Norberto; Murray, Karen F.; Horslen, Simon; Martin, Martin G.; Lopez, M. James; Soriano, Humberto; McGuire, Brendan M.; Jonas, Maureen M.; Yazigi, Nada; Shepherd, Ross W.; Schwarz, Kathleen; Lobritto, Steven; Thomas, Daniel W.; Lavine, Joel E.; Karpen, Saul; Ng, Vicky; Kelly, Deirdre; Simonds, Nancy; Hynan, Linda S.

2008-01-01

Objectives To determine short-term outcome for children with acute liver failure (ALF) as it relates to etiology, clinical status, patient demographics and to determine prognostic factors. Study design A prospective, multi-center case study collecting demographic, clinical, laboratory and short-term outcome data on children from birth to 18 years with ALF. Patients without encephalopathy were included if the prothrombin time and INR remained ≥ 20 seconds and/or >2, respectively, despite vitamin K. Primary outcome measures three weeks after study entry were death, death after transplant, alive with native liver, alive with transplanted organ. Results The etiology of ALF in 348 children included acute acetaminophen toxicity (14%), metabolic disease (10%), autoimmune liver disease (6%), non-APAP drug-related hepatotoxicity (5%), infections (6%), other diagnosed conditions (10%); 49% were indeterminate. Outcome varied between patient sub-groups; 20% with non-acetaminophen ALF died or underwent liver transplantation and never developed clinical encephalopathy. Conclusions Etiologies of ALF in children differ from adults. Clinical encephalopathy may not be present in children. The high percentage of indeterminate cases provides an opportunity for investigation. PMID:16737880

Strain Measurement System Developed for Biaxially Loaded Cruciform Specimens

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Krause, David L.

2000-01-01

A new extensometer system developed at the NASA Glenn Research Center at Lewis Field measures test area strains along two orthogonal axes in flat cruciform specimens. This system incorporates standard axial contact extensometers to provide a cost-effective high-precision instrument. The device was validated for use by extensive testing of a stainless steel specimen, with specimen temperatures ranging from room temperature to 1100 F. In-plane loading conditions included several static biaxial load ratios, plus cyclic loadings of various waveform shapes, frequencies, magnitudes, and durations. The extensometer system measurements were compared with strain gauge data at room temperature and with calculated strain values for elevated-temperature measurements. All testing was performed in house in Glenn's Benchmark Test Facility in-plane biaxial load frame.

Role of damping in spin Seebeck effect in yttrium iron garnet thin films

PubMed Central

Chang, Houchen; Praveen Janantha, P. A.; Ding, Jinjun; Liu, Tao; Cline, Kevin; Gelfand, Joseph N.; Li, Wei; Marconi, Mario C.; Wu, Mingzhong

2017-01-01

The role of damping in the spin Seebeck effect (SSE) was studied experimentally for the first time. The experiments used Y3Fe5O12 (YIG)/Pt bilayered structures where the YIG films exhibit very similar structural and static magnetic properties but very different damping. The data show that a decrease in the damping gives rise to an increase in the SSE coefficient, which is qualitatively consistent with some of the theoretical models. This response also shows quasi-linear behavior, which was not predicted explicitly by previous studies. The data also indicate that the SSE coefficient shows no notable correlations with the enhanced damping due to spin pumping, which can be understood in the frame of two existing models. PMID:28435873

[Calculi formation and biliary hydrodynamics].

PubMed

Zou, S Q

1990-09-01

In this study, 167 white rabbits were divided into 5 groups to observe the effects of biliary stricture and infection on the formation of bile duct stones and the pathophysiological changes of the biliary tract. It was found that there was a gradient of static hydraulic pressure along biliary tract and the pressure was directly proportional to hepatic blood flow. In the rabbits with bile duct stone formation, the activity of SDH, ATP ase and glycogen (PAS) in the mucosa of biliary tract was low and that of LDH was high. In the biliary tract wall damaged by infection and choledocholithiasis, a frame work consisting of polysaccharide protein, mucin, and mucoid polymer was observed and the authors considered it as one of causing factors in the formation of the stones.

Improvement of Wearable Power Assist Wear for Low Back Support using Pneumatic Actuator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cho, Feifei; Sugimoto, Riku; Noritsugu, Toshiro; Li, Xiangpan

2017-10-01

This study focuses on developing a safe, lightweight, power assist device that can be worn by people who like caregivers during lifting or static holding tasks to prevent low back pain (LBP). Therefore in consideration of their flexibility, light weight, and large force to weight ratio we have developed a Wearable Power Assist Wear for caregivers, two types of pneumatic actuators are employed in assisting low back movement for their safety and comfort. The device can be worn directly on the body like normal clothing. Because there is no rigid exoskeleton frame structure, it is lightweight and user friendly. In this paper, we proposed the new type of the wearable power assist wear and improved the controller of control system.

Composite Structure Optimization with Genetic Algorithm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deslandes, Olivier

2014-06-01

In the frame of optimization studies in CNES launcher directorate structure, thermic and material department, the need of an optimization tool based on metaheuristic and finite element models for composite structural dimensioning was underlined.Indeed, composite structures need complex optimization methodologies in order to be really compared to metallic structures with regard to mass, static strength and stiffness constraints (metallic structures using optimization methods better known).After some bibliography research, the use of a genetic algorithm coupled with design of experiment to generate the initial population was chosen. Academic functions were used to validate the optimization process and then it was applied to an industrial study aiming to optimize an interstage skirt with regard to its mass, stiffness and stability (global buckling).

The Development of a Conical Composite Energy Absorber for Use in the Attenuation of Crash/Impact Loads

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Littell, Justin D.

2014-01-01

A design for a novel light-weight conical shaped energy absorbing (EA) composite subfloor structure is proposed. This composite EA is fabricated using repeated alternating patterns of a conical geometry to form long beam structures which can be implemented as aircraft subfloor keel beams or frame sections. The geometrical features of this conical design, along with the hybrid composite materials used in the manufacturing process give a strength tailored to achieve a constant 25-40 g sustained crush load, small peak crush loads and long stroke limits. This report will discuss the geometrical design and fabrication methods, along with results from static and dynamic crush testing of 12-in. long subcomponents.

Realistic facial animation generation based on facial expression mapping

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yu, Hui; Garrod, Oliver; Jack, Rachael; Schyns, Philippe

2014-01-01

Facial expressions reflect internal emotional states of a character or in response to social communications. Though much effort has been taken to generate realistic facial expressions, it still remains a challenging topic due to human being's sensitivity to subtle facial movements. In this paper, we present a method for facial animation generation, which reflects true facial muscle movements with high fidelity. An intermediate model space is introduced to transfer captured static AU peak frames based on FACS to the conformed target face. And then dynamic parameters derived using a psychophysics method is integrated to generate facial animation, which is assumed to represent natural correlation of multiple AUs. Finally, the animation sequence in the intermediate model space is mapped to the target face to produce final animation.

Determinate primary root growth as an adaptation to aridity in Cactaceae: towards an understanding of the evolution and genetic control of the trait

PubMed Central

Shishkova, Svetlana; Las Peñas, María Laura; Napsucialy-Mendivil, Selene; Matvienko, Marta; Kozik, Alex; Montiel, Jesús; Patiño, Anallely; Dubrovsky, Joseph G.

2013-01-01

Background and Aims Species of Cactaceae are well adapted to arid habitats. Determinate growth of the primary root, which involves early and complete root apical meristem (RAM) exhaustion and differentiation of cells at the root tip, has been reported for some Cactoideae species as a root adaptation to aridity. In this study, the primary root growth patterns of Cactaceae taxa from diverse habitats are classified as being determinate or indeterminate, and the molecular mechanisms underlying RAM maintenance in Cactaceae are explored. Genes that were induced in the primary root of Stenocereus gummosus before RAM exhaustion are identified. Methods Primary root growth was analysed in Cactaceae seedlings cultivated in vertically oriented Petri dishes. Differentially expressed transcripts were identified after reverse northern blots of clones from a suppression subtractive hybridization cDNA library. Key Results All species analysed from six tribes of the Cactoideae subfamily that inhabit arid and semi-arid regions exhibited determinate primary root growth. However, species from the Hylocereeae tribe, which inhabit mesic regions, exhibited mostly indeterminate primary root growth. Preliminary results suggest that seedlings of members of the Opuntioideae subfamily have mostly determinate primary root growth, whereas those of the Maihuenioideae and Pereskioideae subfamilies have mostly indeterminate primary root growth. Seven selected transcripts encoding homologues of heat stress transcription factor B4, histone deacetylase, fibrillarin, phosphoethanolamine methyltransferase, cytochrome P450 and gibberellin-regulated protein were upregulated in S. gummosus root tips during the initial growth phase. Conclusions Primary root growth in Cactoideae species matches their environment. The data imply that determinate growth of the primary root became fixed after separation of the Cactiodeae/Opuntioideae and Maihuenioideae/Pereskioideae lineages, and that the genetic regulation of RAM maintenance and its loss in Cactaceae is orchestrated by genes involved in the regulation of gene expression, signalling, and redox and hormonal responses. PMID:23666887

Ministerial Ordinance No. 530/166 of 10 July 1989, establishing measures to execute Decree-Law No. 1/007 of 20 March 1989 setting forth regulations on the entry, stay, and establishment of foreigners in Burundi and their departure.

PubMed

1989-01-01

This Ordinance sets forth rules on visas, identity cards, and monetary guarantees as established in Decree-Law No. 1/007 of 20 March 1989. Visas can be granted for the purposes of transit, entry, stay, departure and return, and establishment of both determined and indeterminate length. A transit visa permits a foreigner to enter Burundi for not more than seventy-two hours; an entry visa allows a foreigner to make one or more entries into Burundi and stay there for a period of not more than three months; a visa of stay is given to a foreigner who already has a transit or entry visa and allows that person to lengthen his visit for up to six months; a visa of departure and return is granted to foreigners residing in Burundi who wish to return to Burundi after travelling abroad and is good for up to seven months; a visa of establishment of determinate length is granted to a person who wishes to become established in Burundi and whose proposed activity has already been approved; a visa of establishment of indeterminate length is granted to a foreigner who has resided in Burundi for the uninterrupted period of the preceding twenty years, although exceptions are possible, as in the case of persons who marry Burundi citizens. In order to receive an identity card, a foreigner must be registered in the community of his residence within fifteen days of obtaining a visa of establishment or permission to change his residence. Identity cards are given to six groups of foreigners: permanent residents, persons who hold visas of establishment of either determinate or indeterminate nature, diplomats, refugees, and the stateless. All persons authorized to establish themselves in Burundi are required to deposit a monetary guarantee in the amount of $1,250 US.

Association of CMV-Specific T Cell-Mediated Immunity with CMV DNAemia and Development of CMV Disease in HIV-1–Infected Individuals

PubMed Central

Aichelburg, Maximilian C.; Weseslindtner, Lukas; Mandorfer, Mattias; Strassl, Robert; Rieger, Armin; Reiberger, Thomas; Puchhammer-Stöckl, Elisabeth; Grabmeier-Pfistershammer, Katharina

2015-01-01

Background Among HIV-1–infected individuals, cytomegalovirus (CMV) reactivation and disease occur in the setting of advanced immunosuppression. The value of a standardized assessment of CMV-specific T-cell mediated immunity by the CMV QuantiFERON assay (CMV-QFT) has not yet been thoroughly investigated in HIV-1–infected subjects. Methods Prospective, longitudinal study in 153 HIV-1–infected subjects with a CD4+ T cell count < 350/μL who simultaneously underwent CMV-QFT, CMV serology testing and CMV-DNA quantification. Factors associated with CMV-QFT were evaluated. Clinical screening for CMV manifestations was then performed every 3 months. Results Among the 141 CMV IgG-seropositive individuals the CMV-QFT assay yielded reactive results in 84% (118/141), negative results in 15% (21/141) and indeterminate (negative mitogen IFN-gamma response) results in 1% (2/141) of subjects. The mean actual CD4+ T cell count was significantly higher in CMV-QFT reactive subjects, when compared to CMV-QFT non-reactive individuals (183 ± 102 vs. 126 ± 104 cells/μL, P = 0.015). A significantly lower proportion of CMV-QFT reactive vs. non-reactive patients displayed CMV DNAemia > 100 copies/mL (23% (27/118) vs. 48% (11/23), P = 0.02). Furthermore, a statistically significant inverse association between mitogen IFN-gamma response and CMV-DNAemia > 1000 copies/mL was observed (P < 0.001). During the observational period, 5 CMV end-organ manifestations were observed. In three of the CMV cases the CMV-QFT yielded indeterminate results. Conclusions While CMV-QFT reactivity indicates CMV-specific immunity, indeterminate results due to negative mitogen IFN-gamma response might reflect HIV-1-induced immunodeficiency. Thus, dependency upon CD4+ T cell count should be considered when interpreting CMV-QFT results. PMID:26322514

Determinate primary root growth as an adaptation to aridity in Cactaceae: towards an understanding of the evolution and genetic control of the trait.

PubMed

Shishkova, Svetlana; Las Peñas, María Laura; Napsucialy-Mendivil, Selene; Matvienko, Marta; Kozik, Alex; Montiel, Jesús; Patiño, Anallely; Dubrovsky, Joseph G

2013-07-01

Species of Cactaceae are well adapted to arid habitats. Determinate growth of the primary root, which involves early and complete root apical meristem (RAM) exhaustion and differentiation of cells at the root tip, has been reported for some Cactoideae species as a root adaptation to aridity. In this study, the primary root growth patterns of Cactaceae taxa from diverse habitats are classified as being determinate or indeterminate, and the molecular mechanisms underlying RAM maintenance in Cactaceae are explored. Genes that were induced in the primary root of Stenocereus gummosus before RAM exhaustion are identified. Primary root growth was analysed in Cactaceae seedlings cultivated in vertically oriented Petri dishes. Differentially expressed transcripts were identified after reverse northern blots of clones from a suppression subtractive hybridization cDNA library. All species analysed from six tribes of the Cactoideae subfamily that inhabit arid and semi-arid regions exhibited determinate primary root growth. However, species from the Hylocereeae tribe, which inhabit mesic regions, exhibited mostly indeterminate primary root growth. Preliminary results suggest that seedlings of members of the Opuntioideae subfamily have mostly determinate primary root growth, whereas those of the Maihuenioideae and Pereskioideae subfamilies have mostly indeterminate primary root growth. Seven selected transcripts encoding homologues of heat stress transcription factor B4, histone deacetylase, fibrillarin, phosphoethanolamine methyltransferase, cytochrome P450 and gibberellin-regulated protein were upregulated in S. gummosus root tips during the initial growth phase. Primary root growth in Cactoideae species matches their environment. The data imply that determinate growth of the primary root became fixed after separation of the Cactiodeae/Opuntioideae and Maihuenioideae/Pereskioideae lineages, and that the genetic regulation of RAM maintenance and its loss in Cactaceae is orchestrated by genes involved in the regulation of gene expression, signalling, and redox and hormonal responses.

Pyrosequencing analysis for detection of a BRAFV600E mutation in an FNAB specimen of thyroid nodules.

PubMed

Kim, Suk Kyeong; Kim, Dong-Lim; Han, Hye Seung; Kim, Wan Seop; Kim, Seung Ja; Moon, Won Jin; Oh, Seo Young; Hwang, Tae Sook

2008-06-01

Fine-needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) is the primary means of distinguishing benign from malignant and of guiding therapeutic intervention in thyroid nodules. However, 10% to 30% of cases with indeterminate cytology in FNAB need other diagnostic tools to refine diagnosis. We compared the pyrosequencing method with the conventional direct DNA sequencing analysis and investigated the usefulness of preoperative BRAF mutation analysis as an adjunct diagnostic tool with routine FNAB. A total of 103 surgically confirmed patients' FNA slides were recruited and DNA was extracted after atypical cells were scraped from the slides. BRAF mutation was analyzed by pyrosequencing and direct DNA sequencing. Sixty-three (77.8%) of 81 histopathologically diagnosed malignant nodules revealed positive BRAF mutation on pyrosequencing analysis. In detail, 63 (84.0%) of 75 papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) samples showed positive BRAF mutation, whereas 3 follicular thyroid carcinomas, 1 anaplastic carcinoma, 1 medullary thyroid carcinoma, and 1 metastatic lung carcinoma did not show BRAF mutation. None of 22 benign nodules had BRAF mutation in both pyrosequencing and direct DNA sequencing. Out of 27 thyroid nodules classified as 'indeterminate' on cytologic examination preoperatively, 21 (77.8%) cases turned out to be malignant: 18 PTCs (including 2 follicular variant types) and 3 follicular thyroid carcinomas. Among these, 13 (61.9%) classic PTCs had BRAF mutation. None of 6 benign nodules, including 3 follicular adenomas and 3 nodular hyperplasias, had BRAF mutation. Among 63 PTCs with positive BRAF mutation detected by pyrosequencing analysis, 3 cases did not show BRAF mutation by direct DNA sequencing. Although it was not statistically significant, pyrosequencing was superior to direct DNA sequencing in detecting the BRAF mutation of thyroid nodules (P=0.25). Detecting BRAF mutation by pyrosequencing is more sensitive, faster, and less expensive than direct DNA sequencing and is proposed as an adjunct diagnostic tool in evaluating thyroid nodules of indeterminate cytology.

Digital, single-operator cholangiopancreatoscopy in the diagnosis and management of pancreatobiliary disorders: a multicenter clinical experience (with video).

PubMed

Navaneethan, Udayakumar; Hasan, Muhammad K; Kommaraju, Kiran; Zhu, Xiang; Hebert-Magee, Shantel; Hawes, Robert H; Vargo, John J; Varadarajulu, Shyam; Parsi, Mansour A

2016-10-01

Digital cholangioscopes provide higher-resolution imaging of the pancreatobiliary tract compared with fiberoptic instruments. The role of a new, digital, single-operator cholangiopancreatoscopy (SOC) system for diagnosis and treatment of pancreatobiliary disorders in clinical practice is not known. We performed a multicenter, observational study of 105 consecutive patients with suspected pancreatobiliary disorders. The main outcome measures were (1) sensitivity and specificity of SOC visual appearance and biopsies in the diagnosis of indeterminate biliary strictures and (2) achieving complete duct clearance in patients with biliary or pancreatic duct stones. A total of 98 cholangioscopy and 7 pancreatoscopy procedures were performed in 105 patients. Superior views of the ductal lumen and mucosa were obtained in all 44 patients with indeterminate biliary strictures. Among the 44 patients who underwent SOC-guided biopsies, the specimen was adequate for histologic evaluation in 43 patients (97.7%). The sensitivity and specificity of SOC visual impression for diagnosis of malignancy was 90% (95% confidence interval [CI], 69.9%-97.2%) and 95.8% (95% CI, 79.8%-99.3%), respectively. The sensitivity and specificity of SOC-guided biopsies for diagnosis of malignancy was 85% (95% CI, 64.0%-94.8%) and 100% (95% CI, 86.2%-100%). In patients with biliary or pancreatic duct stones (N = 36), complete duct clearance with stone removal in 1 session was accomplished in 86.1% of patients (31/36). Three patients (2.9%) experienced SOC-related adverse events that included cholangitis in 2 patients and postprocedure pancreatitis in 1 patient. SOC has become an integral part of the ERCP armamentarium and has high accuracy in the evaluation of indeterminate biliary strictures. Complete stone clearance was achieved in all but 1 patient with challenging biliary or pancreatic duct stones. ( NCT01815619.). Copyright © 2016 American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Archosauriform remains from the Late Triassic of San Luis province, Argentina, Quebrada del Barro Formation, Marayes-El Carrizal Basin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gianechini, Federico A.; Codorniú, Laura; Arcucci, Andrea B.; Castillo Elías, Gabriela; Rivarola, David

2016-03-01

Here we present archosauriform remains from 'Abra de los Colorados', a fossiliferous locality at Sierra de Guayaguas, NW San Luis Province. Two fossiliferous levels were identified in outcrops of the Quebrada del Barro Formation (Norian), which represent the southernmost outcrops of the Marayes-El Carrizal Basin. These levels are composed by massive muddy lithofacies, interpreted as floodplain deposits. The specimens consist of one incomplete maxilla (MIC-V718), one caudal vertebra (MIC-V719), one metatarsal (MIC-V720) and one indeterminate appendicular bone (MIC-V721). The materials can be assigned to Archosauriformes but the fragmentary nature and lack of unambiguous synapomorphies preclude a more precise taxomic assignment. The maxilla is remarkably large and robust and represents the posterior process. It preserved one partially erupted tooth with ziphodont morphology. This bone shows some anatomical traits and size match with 'rauisuchians' and theropods. MIC-V719 corresponds to a proximal caudal vertebra. It has a high centrum, a ventral longitudinal furrow, expanded articular processes for the chevrons, a posteriorly displaced diapophysis located below the level of the prezygapophyses, and short prezygapophyses. This vertebra would be from an indeterminate archosauriform. MIC-V720 presents a cylindrical diaphysis, with a well-developed distal trochlea, which present resemblances with metatarsals of theropods, pseudosuchians, and silesaurids, although the size matches better with theropods. MIC-V721 has a slender diaphysis and a convex triangular articular surface, and corresponds to an indeterminate archosauriform. Despite being fragmentary, these materials indicate the presence of a diverse archosauriforms association from Late Triassic beds of San Luis. Thus, they add to the faunal assemblage recently reported from this basin at San Juan Province, which is much rich and diverse than the coeval paleofauna well known from Los Colorados Formation in the Ischigualasto-Villa Union Basin.

Suggesting the cytologic diagnosis of noninvasive follicular thyroid neoplasm with papillary-like nuclear features (NIFTP): A retrospective analysis of atypical and suspicious nodules.

PubMed

Strickland, Kyle C; Howitt, Brooke E; Barletta, Justine A; Cibas, Edmund S; Krane, Jeffrey F

2018-02-01

The term "noninvasive follicular thyroid neoplasm with papillary-like nuclear features" (NIFTP) has replaced a subset of follicular variant of papillary thyroid carcinoma due to the indolent behavior of such tumors. NIFTPs are most often classified in an "indeterminate" diagnostic category. In the current study, the authors sought to identify cytologic features helpful in distinguishing NIFTP from other entities in these categories, particularly benign nodules. The authors retrospectively evaluated a consecutive cohort of 130 thyroid fine-needle aspiration (FNA) specimens with an indeterminate diagnosis and available histopathologic follow-up. All FNA specimens were evaluated using the ThinPrep method. Each FNA was blindly reviewed by 2 board-certified cytopathologists, who assessed overall cellularity; architectural parameters; and nuclear features, including nuclear pallor and fine chromatin, distinct nucleoli, and irregular nuclear membranes. Each case received a score of 0 to 3, based on the presence or absence of these 3 nuclear features. Nuclear but not architectural features appeared to distinguish NIFTP from benign nodules. Ninety-one percent of the NIFTPs (32 of 35 NIFTPs) received a score of ≥2, compared with 35% of benign nodules (23 of 66 benign nodules) (P<.0001). In contrast, NIFTP could not be differentiated from the invasive/infiltrative follicular variant of papillary thyroid carcinoma using these criteria (P = 1.000). Nuclear scoring was found to be especially useful in atypia of undetermined significance/follicular lesion of undetermined significance (AUS); a score ≥2 enriched for NIFTP (39% vs 3% of AUS cases with a score <2), whereas a score <2 was more likely benign (85% vs 50% of AUS cases with a score ≥2). In indeterminate FNA specimens, the distinction of a possible NIFTP from a benign thyroid nodule can be suggested using a simple nuclear scoring system that is most valuable in AUS aspirates. Cancer Cytopathol 2018;126:86-93. © 2017 American Cancer Society. © 2017 American Cancer Society.

Knowledge Claims, Jurisdictional Control and Professional Status: The Case of Nurse Prescribing

PubMed Central

Kroezen, Marieke; van Dijk, Liset; Groenewegen, Peter P.; Francke, Anneke L.

2013-01-01

Over the past decades, professional boundaries in health care have come under pressure, and the expansion of prescriptive authority to include nurses touches on issues of professional domains and interprofessional competition. Knowledge claims play an important role in achieving jurisdictional control. Knowledge can take on multiple forms, ranging from indeterminate to technical (I/T ratio) and from everyday to exclusive knowledge. To investigate the interrelatedness of jurisdiction, knowledge claims and professional status, we examine which knowledge claims were made by the medical and nursing professions in the Netherlands to secure or obtain, respectively, jurisdictional control over prescribing, and which form this knowledge took. The study is based on thirteen semi-structured stakeholder interviews and an extensive document analysis. We found that the nursing profession in its knowledge claims strongly emphasized the technicality and everyday knowledge character of the prescribing task, by asserting that nurses were already prescribing medicines, albeit on an illegal basis. Their second claim focused on the indeterminate knowledge skills of nurses and stated that nurse prescribing would do justice to nurses’ skills and expertise. This is a strong claim in a quest for (higher) professional status. Results showed that the medical profession initially proclaimed that prescribing should be reserved for doctors as it is a task requiring medical knowledge, i.e. indeterminate knowledge. Gradually, however, the medical profession adjusted its claims and tried to reduce nurse prescribing to a task almost exclusively based on technicality knowledge, among others by stating that nurses could prescribe in routine cases, which would generate little professional status. By investigating the form that professional knowledge claims took, this study was able to show the interconnectedness of jurisdictional control, knowledge claims and professional status. Knowledge claims are not mere rhetoric, but actively influence the everyday realities of professional status, interprofessional competition and jurisdictional division between professions. PMID:24124613

The General Medical Council: frame of reference or arbiter of morals?

PubMed Central

Hill, D

1977-01-01

Many members of the public think of the General Medical Council (GMC) as the body which tries doctors: the doctors' law courts, as it were. And, except in the more sober of newspapers and news reports, the 'offences ' which receive the most publicity are those concerning alleged improper relations between doctors and patients. Professor Sir Denis Hill, in the following paper, which he read in the spring of this year to the annual conference of the London Medical Group devoted to a discussion of human sexuality, chose to examine the whole function of the General Medical Council as a frame of moral reference for doctors. Judging allegations of professional misconduct by doctors is the function of the Council's Disciplinary Committee. Judging sexual misconduct forms only a small part of their work. The GMC's responsibility covers the whole notion of morals and morality as it concerns doctors in their professional work. Sir Denis Hill stresses the modern thinking that morality must be learned and that attitudes are always shifting as society alters its norms of what is moral conduct. That is not to say that all that was previously considered not to be moral has now become acceptable but rather that other concepts have entered the field of moral debate. Therefore the GMC must constantly review the frame of reference it offers to doctors and the public may be surprised to learn that that process is never static. Sir Denis Hill in this paper is speaking personally and not as a member of the General Medical Council or of any of that body's special committees. PMID:926129

Proposed Assessment of Dynamic Resistance of the Existing Industrial Portal Frame Building Structures to the Impact of Mining Tremors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rusek, Janusz; Kocot, Wojciech

2017-10-01

The article presents the method for assessing dynamic resistance of the existing industrial portal frame building structures subjected to mining tremors. The study was performed on two industrial halls of a reinforced concrete structure and a steel structure. In order to determine the dynamic resistances of these objects, static and dynamic numerical analysis in the FEA environment was carried out. The scope of numerical calculations was adapted to the guidelines contained in the former and current design standards. This allowed to formulate the criteria, on the basis of which the maximum permissible value of the horizontal ground acceleration was obtained, constituting resistance of the analyzed objects. The permissible range of structural behaviour was determined by comparing the effects of load combinations adopted at the design stage with a seismic combination recognized in Eurocode 8. The response spectrum method was used in the field of dynamic analysis, taking into account the guidelines contained in Eurocode 8 and the guidelines of National. Finally, in accordance with the established procedure, calculations were carried out and the results for the two model portal frame buildings of reinforced concrete and steel structures were presented. The results allowed for the comparison of the dynamic resistance of two different types of material and design, and a sensitivity analysis with respect to their constituent bearing elements. The conclusions drawn from these analyses helped to formulate the thesis for the next stage of the research, in which it is expected to analyze a greater number of objects using a parametric approach, in relation to the geometry and material properties.

In-duct identification of a rotating sound source with high spatial resolution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heo, Yong-Ho; Ih, Jeong-Guon; Bodén, Hans

2015-11-01

To understand and reduce the flow noise generation from in-duct fluid machines, it is necessary to identify the acoustic source characteristics precisely. In this work, a source identification technique, which can identify the strengths and positions of the major sound radiators in the source plane, is studied for an in-duct rotating source. A linear acoustic theory including the effects of evanescent modes and source rotation is formulated based on the modal summation method, which is the underlying theory for the inverse source reconstruction. A validation experiment is conducted on a duct system excited by a loudspeaker in static and rotating conditions, with two different speeds, in the absence of flow. Due to the source rotation, the measured pressure spectra reveal the Doppler effect, and the amount of frequency shift corresponds to the multiplication of the circumferential mode order and the rotation speed. Amplitudes of participating modes are estimated at the shifted frequencies in the stationary reference frame, and the modal amplitude set including the effect of source rotation is collected to investigate the source behavior in the rotating reference frame. By using the estimated modal amplitudes, the near-field pressure is re-calculated and compared with the measured pressure. The obtained maximum relative error is about -25 and -10 dB for rotation speeds at 300 and 600 rev/min, respectively. The spatial distribution of acoustic source parameters is restored from the estimated modal amplitude set. The result clearly shows that the position and magnitude of the main sound source can be identified with high spatial resolution in the rotating reference frame.

Effects of head orientation and lateral body tilt on egocentric coding: cognitive and sensory-motor accuracy.

PubMed

Prieur, J-M; Bourdin, C; Sarès, F; Vercher, J-L

2006-01-01

A major issue in motor control studies is to determine whether and how we use spatial frames of reference to organize our spatially oriented behaviors. In previous experiments we showed that simulated body tilt during off-axis rotation affected the performance in verbal localization and manual pointing tasks. It was hypothesized that the observed alterations were at least partly due to a change in the orientation of the egocentric frame of reference, which was indeed centered on the body but aligned with the gravitational vector. The present experiments were designed to test this hypothesis in a situation where no inertial constraints (except the usual gravitational one) exist and where the orientation of the body longitudinal z-axis was not aligned with the direction of the gravity. Eleven subjects were exposed to real static body tilt and were required to verbally localize (experiment 1) and to point as accurately as possible towards (experiment 2) memorized visual targets, in two conditions, Head-Free and Head-Fixed conditions. Results show that the performance was only affected by real body tilt in the localization task performed when the subject's head was tilted relative to the body. Thus, dissociation between gravity and body longitudinal z-axis alone is not responsible for localization nor for pointing errors. Therefore, the egocentric frame of reference seems independent from the orientation of the gravity with regard to body z-axis as expected from our previous studies. Moreover, the use of spatial referentials appears to be less mandatory than expected for pointing movements (motor task) than for localization task (cognitive task).

Low-Latency Line Tracking Using Event-Based Dynamic Vision Sensors

PubMed Central

Everding, Lukas; Conradt, Jörg

2018-01-01

In order to safely navigate and orient in their local surroundings autonomous systems need to rapidly extract and persistently track visual features from the environment. While there are many algorithms tackling those tasks for traditional frame-based cameras, these have to deal with the fact that conventional cameras sample their environment with a fixed frequency. Most prominently, the same features have to be found in consecutive frames and corresponding features then need to be matched using elaborate techniques as any information between the two frames is lost. We introduce a novel method to detect and track line structures in data streams of event-based silicon retinae [also known as dynamic vision sensors (DVS)]. In contrast to conventional cameras, these biologically inspired sensors generate a quasicontinuous stream of vision information analogous to the information stream created by the ganglion cells in mammal retinae. All pixels of DVS operate asynchronously without a periodic sampling rate and emit a so-called DVS address event as soon as they perceive a luminance change exceeding an adjustable threshold. We use the high temporal resolution achieved by the DVS to track features continuously through time instead of only at fixed points in time. The focus of this work lies on tracking lines in a mostly static environment which is observed by a moving camera, a typical setting in mobile robotics. Since DVS events are mostly generated at object boundaries and edges which in man-made environments often form lines they were chosen as feature to track. Our method is based on detecting planes of DVS address events in x-y-t-space and tracing these planes through time. It is robust against noise and runs in real time on a standard computer, hence it is suitable for low latency robotics. The efficacy and performance are evaluated on real-world data sets which show artificial structures in an office-building using event data for tracking and frame data for ground-truth estimation from a DAVIS240C sensor. PMID:29515386

A high-speed scintillation-based electronic portal imaging device to quantitatively characterize IMRT delivery.

PubMed

Ranade, Manisha K; Lynch, Bart D; Li, Jonathan G; Dempsey, James F

2006-01-01

We have developed an electronic portal imaging device (EPID) employing a fast scintillator and a high-speed camera. The device is designed to accurately and independently characterize the fluence delivered by a linear accelerator during intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) with either step-and-shoot or dynamic multileaf collimator (MLC) delivery. Our aim is to accurately obtain the beam shape and fluence of all segments delivered during IMRT, in order to study the nature of discrepancies between the plan and the delivered doses. A commercial high-speed camera was combined with a terbium-doped gadolinium-oxy-sulfide (Gd2O2S:Tb) scintillator to form an EPID for the unaliased capture of two-dimensional fluence distributions of each beam in an IMRT delivery. The high speed EPID was synchronized to the accelerator pulse-forming network and gated to capture every possible pulse emitted from the accelerator, with an approximate frame rate of 360 frames-per-second (fps). A 62-segment beam from a head-and-neck IMRT treatment plan requiring 68 s to deliver was recorded with our high speed EPID producing approximately 6 Gbytes of imaging data. The EPID data were compared with the MLC instruction files and the MLC controller log files. The frames were binned to provide a frame rate of 72 fps with a signal-to-noise ratio that was sufficient to resolve leaf positions and segment fluence. The fractional fluence from the log files and EPID data agreed well. An ambiguity in the motion of the MLC during beam on was resolved. The log files reported leaf motions at the end of 33 of the 42 segments, while the EPID observed leaf motions in only 7 of the 42 segments. The static IMRT segment shapes observed by the high speed EPID were in good agreement with the shapes reported in the log files. The leaf motions observed during beam-on for step-and-shoot delivery were not temporally resolved by the log files.

FPGA-based voltage and current dual drive system for high frame rate electrical impedance tomography.

PubMed

Khan, Shadab; Manwaring, Preston; Borsic, Andrea; Halter, Ryan

2015-04-01

Electrical impedance tomography (EIT) is used to image the electrical property distribution of a tissue under test. An EIT system comprises complex hardware and software modules, which are typically designed for a specific application. Upgrading these modules is a time-consuming process, and requires rigorous testing to ensure proper functioning of new modules with the existing ones. To this end, we developed a modular and reconfigurable data acquisition (DAQ) system using National Instruments' (NI) hardware and software modules, which offer inherent compatibility over generations of hardware and software revisions. The system can be configured to use up to 32-channels. This EIT system can be used to interchangeably apply current or voltage signal, and measure the tissue response in a semi-parallel fashion. A novel signal averaging algorithm, and 512-point fast Fourier transform (FFT) computation block was implemented on the FPGA. FFT output bins were classified as signal or noise. Signal bins constitute a tissue's response to a pure or mixed tone signal. Signal bins' data can be used for traditional applications, as well as synchronous frequency-difference imaging. Noise bins were used to compute noise power on the FPGA. Noise power represents a metric of signal quality, and can be used to ensure proper tissue-electrode contact. Allocation of these computationally expensive tasks to the FPGA reduced the required bandwidth between PC, and the FPGA for high frame rate EIT. In 16-channel configuration, with a signal-averaging factor of 8, the DAQ frame rate at 100 kHz exceeded 110 frames s (-1), and signal-to-noise ratio exceeded 90 dB across the spectrum. Reciprocity error was found to be for frequencies up to 1 MHz. Static imaging experiments were performed on a high-conductivity inclusion placed in a saline filled tank; the inclusion was clearly localized in the reconstructions obtained for both absolute current and voltage mode data.

Diophantine Equations as a Context for Technology-Enhanced Training in Conjecturing and Proving

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Abramovich, Sergei; Sugden, Stephen J.

2008-01-01

Solving indeterminate algebraic equations in integers is a classic topic in the mathematics curricula across grades. At the undergraduate level, the study of solutions of non-linear equations of this kind can be motivated by the use of technology. This article shows how the unity of geometric contextualization and spreadsheet-based amplification…

The Perspectives of Graduate Students with Visual Disabilities: A Heuristic Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Perez, Luis F.

2013-01-01

The concept of liminality describes the experiences of individuals who live "between and betwixt" as a result of their indeterminate status in society. This concept seems appropriate to describe the experiences of people who live with vision loss, because we simultaneously belong to two social or cultural groups. On the one hand we must…

Expression of almond KNOTTED1 homologue (PdKn1) anticipates adventitious shoot initiation

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Background and Aims: The transcription factor encoded by the gene Knotted1 is a nuclear homeodomain protein, regulating meristematic cells at the shoot apical meristem. It has been proven that Knotted1 (KN1) has a role in the switch from an indeterminate to determinate cell fate and as such this gen...

The "Emerging" and "Emergent" Present: A View on the Indeterminate Nature of Mathematics Lessons

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roth, Wolff-Michael; Maheux, Jean-François

2014-01-01

The notion of emergence has considerable currency in mathematics education. However, the notion tends to be used in a descriptive way rather than being theorized and developed as a phenomenon sui generis. The purpose of this article is to contribute to building a theory of "emergence." After providing an exemplifying description and…

The Haunting of Communication Research by Dead Metaphors: For Reflexive Analyses of the Communication Research Literature.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nelson, Christian K.

2001-01-01

Explicates two closely related metaphors about communication in everyday discourse that lead to a picture of communication as an indeterminate process for sharing subjective meanings. Demonstrates the tacit utilization of these metaphors by the Michigan State tradition of compliance-gaining research through examination of both their theory and…

Kairos as Indeterminate Risk Management: The Pharmaceutical Industry's Response to Bioterrorism

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Scott, J. Blake

2006-01-01

The pharmaceutical industry's response to the threat of bioterrorism following 9-11 invoked the rhetorical notion of kairos as an urgent and ongoing opportunity not only to protect the nation but also to improve the industry's reputation and fortify its political power. Yet the notion of kairos as seizing an advantage--grounded in modernist…

State as Variable, as Obstacle and as Mediator of Stimulation in Infant Research.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Korner, Anneliese F.

This paper is a discussion of the different contexts in which the concept of the infant's state is used in infant research. The infant states discussed are: regular sleep, irregular sleep, drowsiness, alert inactivity, waking activity, and crying. Also included are hunger periods and indeterminate states, those instances in which an infant's state…

76 FR 14059 - Notice of Inventory Completion: Bureau of Land Management, Casper Field Office, Casper, WY, and...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-03-15

... adult males, one indeterminate adult, and one child. Subsequently in 1963, a skull from an adult male... skull, were found and collected by Grant Willson of Cheyenne, WY, while hiking in the vicinity of the Huntley-Table Mountain burial site. Willson gave the skull to Dr. George Gill, [[Page 14060

The unique case of foot drop secondary to a large ovarian cyst.

PubMed

Ahmad, Maleeha; Kumar, Aditaya; Thomson, Simon

2014-08-01

We describe the unique case of a 58-year-old woman who presented with right leg radiculopathy caused by an ovarian cyst mimicking lumbar pathology. A review of the literature shows that this is a rare case where a histologically confirmed benign ovarian cystadenoma (of indeterminate type) is shown to cause foot drop and radiculopathy.

A Dynamic Framework for Water Security

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Srinivasan, Veena; Konar, Megan; Sivapalan, Murugesu

2017-04-01

Water security is a multi-faceted problem, going beyond mere balancing of supply and demand. Conventional attempts to quantify water security starting rely on static indices at a particular place and point in time. While these are simple and scalable, they lack predictive or explanatory power. 1) Most static indices focus on specific spatial scales and largely ignore cross-scale feedbacks between human and water systems. 2) They fail to account for the increasing spatial specialization in the modern world - some regions are cities others are agricultural breadbaskets; so water security means different things in different places. Human adaptation to environmental change necessitates a dynamic view of water security. We present a framework that defines water security as an emergent outcome of a coupled socio-hydrologic system. Over the medium term (5-25 years), water security models might hold governance, culture and infrastructure constant, but allow humans to respond to changes and thus predict how water security would evolve. But over very long time-frames (25-100 years), a society's values, norms and beliefs themselves may themselves evolve; these in turn may prompt changes in policy, governance and infrastructure. Predictions of water security in the long term involve accounting for such regime shifts in the cultural and political context of a watershed by allowing the governing equations of the models to change.

Mass transport properties of the tetrahydronaphthalene/n-dodecane mixture measured by investigating non-equilibrium fluctuations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Croccolo, Fabrizio; Scheffold, Frank; Bataller, Henri

2013-04-01

We present preliminary near-field light scattering (NFS) data concerning the analysis of the static power spectrum and of the relaxation time constant as a function of the wave vector for non-equilibrium fluctuations (NEFs). The goal of these measurements is to obtain information about the Soret and the mass diffusion coefficients of a binary mixture undergoing thermodiffusion. In particular, we show how the interaction between NEFs and the gravity force gives rise to a critical wavelength that provides additional information about the Soret coefficient. We suggest that a quantitative analysis can be performed by means of this non-invasive optical technique. In our setup, the sample is monitored parallel to the imposed temperature gradient, thus being insensitive to the refractive index profile along the vertical axis, while at the same time we are able to detect the light scattered by the refractive index fluctuations in horizontal planes. We select a shadowgraph layout for the NFS setup due to the extremely small wave vectors we aim to analyze. From a double-frame differential analysis of the acquired images, we obtain both the static power spectrum and the dynamics of NEFs. As a proof-of-principle experiment, we present Soret and diffusion coefficient data on a liquid mixture of tetrahydronaphthalene/n-dodecane.

Study of the ferroelastic phase transition in the tetraethylammonium compound [N(C{sub 2}H{sub 5}){sub 4}]{sub 2}ZnBr{sub 4} by magic-angle spinning and static NMR

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

Lim, Ae Ran, E-mail: aeranlim@hanmail.net, E-mail: arlim@jj.ac.kr

The ferroelastic phase transition of tetraethylammonium compound [N(C{sub 2}H{sub 5}){sub 4}]{sub 2}ZnBr{sub 4} at the phase transition temperature (T{sub C}) = 283 K was characterized by magic-angle spinning (MAS) and static nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and confirmed by optical polarizing spectroscopy. The structural geometry near T{sub C} was studied in terms of the chemical shifts and the spin-lattice relaxation times T{sub 1ρ} in the rotating frame for {sup 1}H MAS NMR and {sup 13}C cross-polarization (CP)/MAS NMR. The two inequivalent ethyl groups were distinguishable in the {sup 13}C NMR spectrum, and the T{sub 1ρ} results indicate that they undergo tumblingmore » motion above T{sub C} in a coupled manner. From the {sup 14}N NMR results, the two nitrogen nuclei in the N(C{sub 2}H{sub 5}){sub 4}{sup +} ions were distinguishable above T{sub C}, and the splitting in the spectra below T{sub C} was related to the ferroelastic domains with different orientations.« less

Mechanical characterization of 2D, 2D stitched, and 3D braided/RTM materials

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Deaton, Jerry W.; Kullerd, Susan M.; Portanova, Marc A.

1993-01-01

Braided composite materials have potential for application in aircraft structures. Fuselage frames, floor beams, wing spars, and stiffeners are examples where braided composites could find application if cost effective processing and damage tolerance requirements are met. Another important consideration for braided composites relates to their mechanical properties and how they compare to the properties of composites produced by other textile composite processes being proposed for these applications. Unfortunately, mechanical property data for braided composites do not appear extensively in the literature. Data are presented in this paper on the mechanical characterization of 2D triaxial braid, 2D triaxial braid plus stitching, and 3D (through-the-thickness) braid composite materials. The braided preforms all had the same graphite tow size and the same nominal braid architectures, (+/- 30 deg/0 deg), and were resin transfer molded (RTM) using the same mold for each of two different resin systems. Static data are presented for notched and unnotched tension, notched and unnotched compression, and compression after impact strengths at room temperature. In addition, some static results, after environmental conditioning, are included. Baseline tension and compression fatigue results are also presented, but only for the 3D braided composite material with one of the resin systems.

Driver hand activity analysis in naturalistic driving studies: challenges, algorithms, and experimental studies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ohn-Bar, Eshed; Martin, Sujitha; Trivedi, Mohan Manubhai

2013-10-01

We focus on vision-based hand activity analysis in the vehicular domain. The study is motivated by the overarching goal of understanding driver behavior, in particular as it relates to attentiveness and risk. First, the unique advantages and challenges for a nonintrusive, vision-based solution are reviewed. Next, two approaches for hand activity analysis, one relying on static (appearance only) cues and another on dynamic (motion) cues, are compared. The motion-cue-based hand detection uses temporally accumulated edges in order to maintain the most reliable and relevant motion information. The accumulated image is fitted with ellipses in order to produce the location of the hands. The method is used to identify three hand activity classes: (1) two hands on the wheel, (2) hand on the instrument panel, (3) hand on the gear shift. The static-cue-based method extracts features in each frame in order to learn a hand presence model for each of the three regions. A second-stage classifier (linear support vector machine) produces the final activity classification. Experimental evaluation with different users and environmental variations under real-world driving shows the promise of applying the proposed systems for both postanalysis of captured driving data as well as for real-time driver assistance.

The effect of static and cyclic axial strain on I sub c of cable in conduit net subcables

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

Specking, W.; Klemm, M.; Flukiger, R.

1991-03-01

This paper reports on the effect of static and cyclic axial strain, {epsilon}{sub a}, on the critical current, l{sub c}, of Nb{sub 3}Sn Cable in Conduit (CIC) subconductors measured at l{sub c} {le} 10 kA and magnetic fields of B {le} 12.5 T. The conductors exhibit a maximum of l{sub c} at {epsilon}{sub a} {approx} 0.7% and a degradation of l{sub c} being about 50% at {epsilon}{sub a} = 0 and B = 12.5 T. As a major result, the l{sub c} vs {epsilon}{sub a} characteristic is unaffected up to 10{sup 3} strain cycles at {epsilon}{sub a} {le} 1%. Themore » subcables were fabricated by ABB within the frame of the European Fusion Technology Program designing a 40 kA/12.5 T CIC conductor for the NET OH coils following the wind and react technique. Two different types of cable were developed, based either on a braid or on a triplet cable, inserted in a stainless steel jacket with 44% void fraction. For both cables a modified jelly roll (MJR) processed basic Nb{sub 3}Sn wire was used.« less

Dynamic 3D shape of the plantar surface of the foot using coded structured light: a technical report

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background The foot provides a crucial contribution to the balance and stability of the musculoskeletal system, and accurate foot measurements are important in applications such as designing custom insoles/footwear. With better understanding of the dynamic behavior of the foot, dynamic foot reconstruction techniques are surfacing as useful ways to properly measure the shape of the foot. This paper presents a novel design and implementation of a structured-light prototype system providing dense three dimensional (3D) measurements of the foot in motion. The input to the system is a video sequence of a foot during a single step; the output is a 3D reconstruction of the plantar surface of the foot for each frame of the input. Methods Engineering and clinical tests were carried out to test the accuracy and repeatability of the system. Accuracy experiments involved imaging a planar surface from different orientations and elevations and measuring the fitting errors of the data to a plane. Repeatability experiments were done using reconstructions from 27 different subjects, where for each one both right and left feet were reconstructed in static and dynamic conditions over two different days. Results The static accuracy of the system was found to be 0.3 mm with planar test objects. In tests with real feet, the system proved repeatable, with reconstruction differences between trials one week apart averaging 2.4 mm (static case) and 2.8 mm (dynamic case). Conclusion The results obtained in the experiments show positive accuracy and repeatability results when compared to current literature. The design also shows to be superior to the systems available in the literature in several factors. Further studies need to be done to quantify the reliability of the system in clinical environments. PMID:24456711

Dynamic 3D shape of the plantar surface of the foot using coded structured light: a technical report.

PubMed

Thabet, Ali K; Trucco, Emanuele; Salvi, Joaquim; Wang, Weijie; Abboud, Rami J

2014-01-23

The foot provides a crucial contribution to the balance and stability of the musculoskeletal system, and accurate foot measurements are important in applications such as designing custom insoles/footwear. With better understanding of the dynamic behavior of the foot, dynamic foot reconstruction techniques are surfacing as useful ways to properly measure the shape of the foot. This paper presents a novel design and implementation of a structured-light prototype system providing dense three dimensional (3D) measurements of the foot in motion. The input to the system is a video sequence of a foot during a single step; the output is a 3D reconstruction of the plantar surface of the foot for each frame of the input. Engineering and clinical tests were carried out to test the accuracy and repeatability of the system. Accuracy experiments involved imaging a planar surface from different orientations and elevations and measuring the fitting errors of the data to a plane. Repeatability experiments were done using reconstructions from 27 different subjects, where for each one both right and left feet were reconstructed in static and dynamic conditions over two different days. The static accuracy of the system was found to be 0.3 mm with planar test objects. In tests with real feet, the system proved repeatable, with reconstruction differences between trials one week apart averaging 2.4 mm (static case) and 2.8 mm (dynamic case). The results obtained in the experiments show positive accuracy and repeatability results when compared to current literature. The design also shows to be superior to the systems available in the literature in several factors. Further studies need to be done to quantify the reliability of the system in clinical environments.

Dynamic Characterization of Galfenol (Fe81.6Ga18.4)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Scheidler, Justin J.; Asnani, Vivake M.; Dapino, Marcelo J.

2016-01-01

Galfenol has the potential to transform the smart materials industry by allowing for the development of multifunctional, load-bearing devices. One of the primary technical challenges faced by this development is the very limited experimental data on Galfenol's frequency-dependent response to dynamic stress, which is critically important for the design of such devices. This report details a novel and precise characterization of the constitutive behavior of polycrystalline Galfenol (Fe81.6Ga18.4) under quasi-static (1 Hz) and dynamic (4 to 1000 Hz) stress loadings. Mechanical loads are applied using a high-frequency load frame. Quasi-static minor and major hysteresis loop measurements of magnetic flux density and strain are presented for constant electromagnet currents (0 to 1.1 A) and constant magnetic fields 0 to 14 kA/m (0 to 180 Oe). The dynamic stress amplitude for minor and major loops is 2.88 and 31.4 MPa (418 and 4550 psi), respectively. Quasi-static material properties closely match published values for similar Galfenol materials. Quasi-static actuation responses are also measured and compared to quasi-static sensing responses; the high degree of reversibility seen in the comparison is consistent with published measurements and modeling results. Dynamic major and minor loops are measured for dynamic stresses up to 31 MPa (4496 psi) and 1 kHz, and the bias condition resulting in maximum, quasi-static sensitivity. Eddy current effects are quantified by considering solid and laminated Galfenol rods. Three key sources of error in the dynamic measurements are accounted for: (1) electromagnetic noise in strain signals due to Galfenol's magnetic response, (2) error in load signals due to the inertial force of fixturing, and (3) phase misalignment between signals due to conditioning electronics. For dynamic characterization, strain error is kept below 1.2 percent of full scale by wiring two collocated gauges in series (noise cancellation) and through leadwire weaving. Inertial force error is kept below 0.41 percent by measuring the dynamic force in the specimen using a nearly collocated piezoelectric load washer. The phase response of all conditioning electronics is explicitly measured and corrected for. In general, as frequency is increased, the sensing response becomes more linear because of an increase in eddy currents. As frequency increases above approximately 100 Hz, the elbow in the strain-versus-stress response disappears as the active (soft) regime stiffens toward the passive (hard) regime. Under constant-field conditions, the loss factors of the solid rod peak between 200 and 600 Hz, rather than exhibiting a monotonic increase. Compared to the solid rod, the laminated rod exhibits much slower increases in hysteresis with frequency, and its quasi-static behavior extends to higher frequencies. The elastic modulus of the laminated rod decreases between 100 and 300 Hz; this trend is currently unexplained.