The Idea of an Exact Number: Children's Understanding of Cardinality and Equinumerosity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sarnecka, Barbara W.; Wright, Charles E.

2013-01-01

Understanding what numbers are means knowing several things. It means knowing how counting relates to numbers (called "the cardinal principle" or "cardinality"); it means knowing that each number is generated by adding one to the previous number (called "the successor function' or "succession"), and it means…

21 CFR 20.47 - Situations in which confidentiality is uncertain.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... submitted or divulged the data or information or who would be affected by disclosure before determining whether or not such data or information is available for public disclosure. [42 FR 15616, Mar. 22, 1977... uncertain. In situations where the confidentiality of data or information is uncertain and there is a...

21 CFR 20.47 - Situations in which confidentiality is uncertain.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... submitted or divulged the data or information or who would be affected by disclosure before determining whether or not such data or information is available for public disclosure. [42 FR 15616, Mar. 22, 1977... uncertain. In situations where the confidentiality of data or information is uncertain and there is a...

21 CFR 20.47 - Situations in which confidentiality is uncertain.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... submitted or divulged the data or information or who would be affected by disclosure before determining whether or not such data or information is available for public disclosure. [42 FR 15616, Mar. 22, 1977... uncertain. In situations where the confidentiality of data or information is uncertain and there is a...

21 CFR 20.47 - Situations in which confidentiality is uncertain.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... submitted or divulged the data or information or who would be affected by disclosure before determining whether or not such data or information is available for public disclosure. [42 FR 15616, Mar. 22, 1977... uncertain. In situations where the confidentiality of data or information is uncertain and there is a...

21 CFR 20.47 - Situations in which confidentiality is uncertain.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... submitted or divulged the data or information or who would be affected by disclosure before determining whether or not such data or information is available for public disclosure. [42 FR 15616, Mar. 22, 1977... uncertain. In situations where the confidentiality of data or information is uncertain and there is a...

Logistical Analysis of the Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) Operating Independently in the Pacific

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-03-01

2 C. FOLLOWING THE CARDINAL RULES....................................................5 1...day patrol in the Western Pacific Ocean. During this scenario LCS is constrained by the Cardinal Rules described in Chapter I and the ROC/POE...in the Pacific will affect overall mission capability of LCS. C. FOLLOWING THE CARDINAL RULES Commander Naval Surface Forces created the

Development of the human infrahepatic inferior caval and azygos venous systems

PubMed Central

Hikspoors, Jill P J M; Soffers, Jelly H M; Mekonen, Hayelom K; Cornillie, Pieter; Köhler, S Eleonore; Lamers, Wouter H

2015-01-01

Differences in opinion regarding the development of the infrahepatic inferior caval and azygos venous systems in mammals centre on the contributions of ‘caudal cardinal’, ‘subcardinal’, ‘supracardinal’, ‘medial and lateral sympathetic line’ and ‘sacrocardinal’ veins. The disagreements appear to arise from the use of topographical position rather than developmental origin as criterion to define separate venous systems. We reinvestigated the issue in a closely spaced series of human embryos between 4 and 10 weeks of development. Structures were visualized with the Amira® reconstruction and Cinema4D® remodelling software. The vertebral level and neighbouring structures were used as topographic landmarks. The main results were that the caudal cardinal veins extended caudally from the common cardinal vein between CS11 and CS15, followed by the development of the subcardinal veins as a plexus sprouting ventrally from the caudal cardinal veins. The caudal cardinal veins adapted their course from lateral to medial relative to the laterally expanding lungs, adrenal glands, definitive kidneys, sympathetic trunk and umbilical arteries between CS15 and CS18, and then became interrupted in the part overlaying the regressing mesonephroi (Th12-L3). The caudal part of the left caudal cardinal vein then also regressed. The infrarenal part of the inferior caval vein originated from the right caudal cardinal vein, while the renal part originated from subcardinal veins. The azygos veins developed from the remaining cranial part of the caudal cardinal veins. Our data show that all parts of the inferior caval and azygos venous systems developed directly from the caudal cardinal veins or from a plexus sprouting from these veins. PMID:25496171

Adaptive route choice modeling in uncertain traffic networks with real-time information.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2013-03-01

The objective of the research is to study travelers' route choice behavior in uncertain traffic networks : with real-time information. The research is motivated by two observations of the traffic system: 1) : the system is inherently uncertain with r...

Exploring cardinality in the era of touchscreen-based technology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sedaghatjou, Mina; Campbell, Stephen R.

2017-11-01

This paper explores how a young child (56 m) builds an understanding of the cardinality principle through communicative, touchscreen-based activities involving talk, gesture and body engagement working via multimodal, touchscreen interface using contemporary mobile technology. Drawing upon Nemirovsky's perceptuomotor integration theoretical lens and other foundational aspects of Husserlian phenomenology, we present an in-depth case study of a preschool child developing mathematical expertise and tool fluency using an iPad application called TouchCounts to operate with cardinal numbers. Overall, this study demonstrates that the one-on-one multimodal touch, sight and auditory feedback via a touchscreen device can serve to assist in a child's development of cardinality.

Overstatement in happiness reporting with ordinal, bounded scale.

PubMed

Tanaka, Saori C; Yamada, Katsunori; Kitada, Ryo; Tanaka, Satoshi; Sugawara, Sho K; Ohtake, Fumio; Sadato, Norihiro

2016-02-18

There are various methods by which people can express subjective evaluations quantitatively. For example, happiness can be measured on a scale from 1 to 10, and has been suggested as a measure of economic policy. However, there is resistance to these types of measurement from economists, who often regard welfare to be a cardinal, unbounded quantity. It is unclear whether there are differences between subjective evaluation reported on ordinal, bounded scales and on cardinal, unbounded scales. To answer this question, we developed functional magnetic resonance imaging experimental tasks for reporting happiness from monetary gain and the perception of visual stimulus. Subjects tended to report higher values when they used ordinal scales instead of cardinal scales. There were differences in neural activation between ordinal and cardinal reporting scales. The posterior parietal area showed greater activation when subjects used an ordinal scale instead of a cardinal scale. Importantly, the striatum exhibited greater activation when asked to report happiness on an ordinal scale than when asked to report on a cardinal scale. The finding that ordinal (bounded) scales are associated with higher reported happiness and greater activation in the reward system shows that overstatement bias in happiness data must be considered.

On the relation between grammatical number and cardinal numbers in development.

PubMed

Sarnecka, Barbara W

2014-01-01

This mini-review focuses on the question of how the grammatical number system of a child's language may help the child learn the meanings of cardinal number words (e.g., "one" and "two"). Evidence from young children learning English, Russian, Japanese, Mandarin, Slovenian, or Saudi Arabic suggests that trajectories of number-word learning differ for children learning different languages. Children learning English, which distinguishes between singular and plural, seem to learn the meaning of the cardinal number "one" earlier than children learning Japanese or Mandarin, which have very little singular/plural marking. Similarly, children whose languages have a singular/dual/plural system (Slovenian and Saudi Arabic) learn the meaning of "two" earlier than English-speaking children. This relation between grammatical and cardinal number may shed light on how humans acquire cardinal-number concepts. There is an ongoing debate about whether mental symbols for small cardinalities (concepts for "oneness," "twoness," etc.) are innate or learned. Although an effect of grammatical number on number-word learning does not rule out nativist accounts, it seems more consistent with constructivist accounts, which portray the number-learning process as one that requires significant conceptual change.

Children acquire the later-greater principle after the cardinal principle

PubMed Central

Le Corre, Mathieu

2014-01-01

Many have proposed that the acquisition of the cardinal principle is a result of the discovery of the numerical significance of the order of the number words in the count list. However, this need not be the case. Indeed, the cardinal principle does not state anything about the numerical significance of the order of the number words. It only states that the last word of a correct count denotes the numerosity of the counted set. Here we test whether the acquisition of the cardinal principle involves the discovery of the later-greater principle – i.e., that the order of the number words corresponds to the relative size of the numerosities they denote. Specifically, we tested knowledge of verbal numerical comparisons (e.g., Is “ten” more than “six”?) in children who had recently learned the cardinal principle. We find that these children can compare number words between “six” and “ten” only if they have mapped them onto non-verbal representations of numerosity. We suggest that this means that the acquisition of the cardinal principle does not involve the discovery of the correspondence between the order of the number words and the relative size of the numerosities they denote. PMID:24372336

Students' Perceptions of an Independent College.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jonas, Peter M.; Popovics, Alexander J.

This study was conducted to determine the different perceptions that potential students have concerning Cardinal Stritch College (Wisconsin) and to determine the usefulness of various sources of information about the college. Students (n=76) accepted as entering freshmen were surveyed in order to determine their perceptions of sources of…

The Evolution of Hyperedge Cardinalities and Bose-Einstein Condensation in Hypernetworks.

PubMed

Guo, Jin-Li; Suo, Qi; Shen, Ai-Zhong; Forrest, Jeffrey

2016-09-27

To depict the complex relationship among nodes and the evolving process of a complex system, a Bose-Einstein hypernetwork is proposed in this paper. Based on two basic evolutionary mechanisms, growth and preference jumping, the distribution of hyperedge cardinalities is studied. The Poisson process theory is used to describe the arrival process of new node batches. And, by using the Poisson process theory and a continuity technique, the hypernetwork is analyzed and the characteristic equation of hyperedge cardinalities is obtained. Additionally, an analytical expression for the stationary average hyperedge cardinality distribution is derived by employing the characteristic equation, from which Bose-Einstein condensation in the hypernetwork is obtained. The theoretical analyses in this paper agree with the conducted numerical simulations. This is the first study on the hyperedge cardinality in hypernetworks, where Bose-Einstein condensation can be regarded as a special case of hypernetworks. Moreover, a condensation degree is also discussed with which Bose-Einstein condensation can be classified.

Independent sources of anisotropy in visual orientation representation: a visual and a cognitive oblique effect.

PubMed

Balikou, Panagiota; Gourtzelidis, Pavlos; Mantas, Asimakis; Moutoussis, Konstantinos; Evdokimidis, Ioannis; Smyrnis, Nikolaos

2015-11-01

The representation of visual orientation is more accurate for cardinal orientations compared to oblique, and this anisotropy has been hypothesized to reflect a low-level visual process (visual, "class 1" oblique effect). The reproduction of directional and orientation information also leads to a mean error away from cardinal orientations or directions. This anisotropy has been hypothesized to reflect a high-level cognitive process of space categorization (cognitive, "class 2," oblique effect). This space categorization process would be more prominent when the visual representation of orientation degrades such as in the case of working memory with increasing cognitive load, leading to increasing magnitude of the "class 2" oblique effect, while the "class 1" oblique effect would remain unchanged. Two experiments were performed in which an array of orientation stimuli (1-4 items) was presented and then subjects had to realign a probe stimulus within the previously presented array. In the first experiment, the delay between stimulus presentation and probe varied, while in the second experiment, the stimulus presentation time varied. The variable error was larger for oblique compared to cardinal orientations in both experiments reproducing the visual "class 1" oblique effect. The mean error also reproduced the tendency away from cardinal and toward the oblique orientations in both experiments (cognitive "class 2" oblique effect). The accuracy or the reproduced orientation degraded (increasing variable error) and the cognitive "class 2" oblique effect increased with increasing memory load (number of items) in both experiments and presentation time in the second experiment. In contrast, the visual "class 1" oblique effect was not significantly modulated by any one of these experimental factors. These results confirmed the theoretical predictions for the two anisotropies in visual orientation reproduction and provided support for models proposing the categorization of orientation in visual working memory.

Ordinality and the nature of symbolic numbers.

PubMed

Lyons, Ian M; Beilock, Sian L

2013-10-23

The view that representations of symbolic and nonsymbolic numbers are closely tied to one another is widespread. However, the link between symbolic and nonsymbolic numbers is almost always inferred from cardinal processing tasks. In the current work, we show that considering ordinality instead points to striking differences between symbolic and nonsymbolic numbers. Human behavioral and neural data show that ordinal processing of symbolic numbers (Are three Indo-Arabic numerals in numerical order?) is distinct from symbolic cardinal processing (Which of two numerals represents the greater quantity?) and nonsymbolic number processing (ordinal and cardinal judgments of dot-arrays). Behaviorally, distance-effects were reversed when assessing ordinality in symbolic numbers, but canonical distance-effects were observed for cardinal judgments of symbolic numbers and all nonsymbolic judgments. At the neural level, symbolic number-ordering was the only numerical task that did not show number-specific activity (greater than control) in the intraparietal sulcus. Only activity in left premotor cortex was specifically associated with symbolic number-ordering. For nonsymbolic numbers, activation in cognitive-control areas during ordinal processing and a high degree of overlap between ordinal and cardinal processing networks indicate that nonsymbolic ordinality is assessed via iterative cardinality judgments. This contrasts with a striking lack of neural overlap between ordinal and cardinal judgments anywhere in the brain for symbolic numbers, suggesting that symbolic number processing varies substantially with computational context. Ordinal processing sheds light on key differences between symbolic and nonsymbolic number processing both behaviorally and in the brain. Ordinality may prove important for understanding the power of representing numbers symbolically.

Optimizing the Router Configurations within a Nominal Air Force Base

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-09-01

cardinality of V, and the size of G is the cardinality of E. For the purposes of this thesis, the vertices represent individual pieces of...edges with cardinality smaller than k leaves a connected graph. Given a connected graph G, if there is an edge e in G such that its removal results in...CDR Michael Herrera Naval Postgraduate School Monterey, California 4. Ray Elliott Naval Postgraduate School Monterey, California 5. Craig

Early numerical foundations of young children's mathematical development.

PubMed

Chu, Felicia W; vanMarle, Kristy; Geary, David C

2015-04-01

This study focused on the relative contributions of the acuity of the approximate number system (ANS) and knowledge of quantitative symbols to young children's early mathematical learning. At the beginning of preschool, 191 children (Mage=46 months) were administered tasks that assessed ANS acuity and explicit knowledge of the cardinal values represented by number words, and their mathematics achievement was assessed at the end of the school year. Children's executive functions, intelligence, and preliteracy skills and their parents' educational levels were also assessed and served as covariates. Both the ANS and cardinality tasks were significant predictors of end-of-year mathematics achievement with and without control of the covariates. As simultaneous predictors and with control of the covariates, cardinality remained significantly related to mathematics achievement, but ANS acuity did not. Mediation analyses revealed that the relation between ANS acuity and mathematics achievement was fully mediated by cardinality, suggesting that the ANS may facilitate children's explicit understanding of cardinal value and in this way may indirectly influence early mathematical learning. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Breaking the Curse of Cardinality on Bitmap Indexes

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

Wu, Kesheng; Wu, Kesheng; Stockinger, Kurt

2008-04-04

Bitmap indexes are known to be efficient for ad-hoc range queries that are common in data warehousing and scientific applications. However, they suffer from the curse of cardinality, that is, their efficiency deteriorates as attribute cardinalities increase. A number of strategies have been proposed, but none of them addresses the problem adequately. In this paper, we propose a novel binned bitmap index that greatly reduces the cost to answer queries, and therefore breaks the curse of cardinality. The key idea is to augment the binned index with an Order-preserving Bin-based Clustering (OrBiC) structure. This data structure significantly reduces the I/Omore » operations needed to resolve records that cannot be resolved with the bitmaps. To further improve the proposed index structure, we also present a strategy to create single-valued bins for frequent values. This strategy reduces index sizes and improves query processing speed. Overall, the binned indexes with OrBiC great improves the query processing speed, and are 3 - 25 times faster than the best available indexes for high-cardinality data.« less

Game Theory, Decision Theory, and Social Choice Theory in the Context of a New Theory of Equity

DTIC Science & Technology

1978-12-01

Press of Harvard University. Sen , Amartya , 1977, "On Weights and Measures: Informational Constraints in Social Welfare Analysis," Econometrica, Vol...this requirement is a natural consequence of a setup that rules out cardinal utility, as Arrow (1978) and Sen (1977) have pointed out in different

Multiple point statistical simulation using uncertain (soft) conditional data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hansen, Thomas Mejer; Vu, Le Thanh; Mosegaard, Klaus; Cordua, Knud Skou

2018-05-01

Geostatistical simulation methods have been used to quantify spatial variability of reservoir models since the 80s. In the last two decades, state of the art simulation methods have changed from being based on covariance-based 2-point statistics to multiple-point statistics (MPS), that allow simulation of more realistic Earth-structures. In addition, increasing amounts of geo-information (geophysical, geological, etc.) from multiple sources are being collected. This pose the problem of integration of these different sources of information, such that decisions related to reservoir models can be taken on an as informed base as possible. In principle, though difficult in practice, this can be achieved using computationally expensive Monte Carlo methods. Here we investigate the use of sequential simulation based MPS simulation methods conditional to uncertain (soft) data, as a computational efficient alternative. First, it is demonstrated that current implementations of sequential simulation based on MPS (e.g. SNESIM, ENESIM and Direct Sampling) do not account properly for uncertain conditional information, due to a combination of using only co-located information, and a random simulation path. Then, we suggest two approaches that better account for the available uncertain information. The first make use of a preferential simulation path, where more informed model parameters are visited preferentially to less informed ones. The second approach involves using non co-located uncertain information. For different types of available data, these approaches are demonstrated to produce simulation results similar to those obtained by the general Monte Carlo based approach. These methods allow MPS simulation to condition properly to uncertain (soft) data, and hence provides a computationally attractive approach for integration of information about a reservoir model.

MAGDM linear-programming models with distinct uncertain preference structures.

PubMed

Xu, Zeshui S; Chen, Jian

2008-10-01

Group decision making with preference information on alternatives is an interesting and important research topic which has been receiving more and more attention in recent years. The purpose of this paper is to investigate multiple-attribute group decision-making (MAGDM) problems with distinct uncertain preference structures. We develop some linear-programming models for dealing with the MAGDM problems, where the information about attribute weights is incomplete, and the decision makers have their preferences on alternatives. The provided preference information can be represented in the following three distinct uncertain preference structures: 1) interval utility values; 2) interval fuzzy preference relations; and 3) interval multiplicative preference relations. We first establish some linear-programming models based on decision matrix and each of the distinct uncertain preference structures and, then, develop some linear-programming models to integrate all three structures of subjective uncertain preference information provided by the decision makers and the objective information depicted in the decision matrix. Furthermore, we propose a simple and straightforward approach in ranking and selecting the given alternatives. It is worth pointing out that the developed models can also be used to deal with the situations where the three distinct uncertain preference structures are reduced to the traditional ones, i.e., utility values, fuzzy preference relations, and multiplicative preference relations. Finally, we use a practical example to illustrate in detail the calculation process of the developed approach.

Cognitive access to numbers: the philosophical significance of empirical findings about basic number abilities.

PubMed

Giaquinto, Marcus

2017-02-19

How can we acquire a grasp of cardinal numbers, even the first very small positive cardinal numbers, given that they are abstract mathematical entities? That problem of cognitive access is the main focus of this paper. All the major rival views about the nature and existence of cardinal numbers face difficulties; and the view most consonant with our normal thought and talk about numbers, the view that cardinal numbers are sizes of sets, runs into the cognitive access problem. The source of the problem is the plausible assumption that cognitive access to something requires causal contact with it. It is argued that this assumption is in fact wrong, and that in this and similar cases, we should accept that a certain recognize-and-distinguish capacity is sufficient for cognitive access. We can then go on to solve the cognitive access problem, and thereby support the set-size view of cardinal numbers, by paying attention to empirical findings about basic number abilities. To this end, some selected studies of infants, pre-school children and a trained chimpanzee are briefly discussed.This article is part of a discussion meeting issue 'The origins of numerical abilities'. © 2017 The Author(s).

GSFC_20160930_2016-21327_010

NASA Image and Video Library

2016-09-30

Senator Ben Cardin visited NASA Goddard Space Flight Center on Sept. 30, 2016. Senator Cardin met with Center Director Chris Scolese and received updates from project managers on various Earth sciences, space science and technology development efforts.

A novel medical information management and decision model for uncertain demand optimization.

PubMed

Bi, Ya

2015-01-01

Accurately planning the procurement volume is an effective measure for controlling the medicine inventory cost. Due to uncertain demand it is difficult to make accurate decision on procurement volume. As to the biomedicine sensitive to time and season demand, the uncertain demand fitted by the fuzzy mathematics method is obviously better than general random distribution functions. To establish a novel medical information management and decision model for uncertain demand optimization. A novel optimal management and decision model under uncertain demand has been presented based on fuzzy mathematics and a new comprehensive improved particle swarm algorithm. The optimal management and decision model can effectively reduce the medicine inventory cost. The proposed improved particle swarm optimization is a simple and effective algorithm to improve the Fuzzy interference and hence effectively reduce the calculation complexity of the optimal management and decision model. Therefore the new model can be used for accurate decision on procurement volume under uncertain demand.

Statistical Analysis of Temple Orientation in Ancient India

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aller, Alba; Belmonte, Juan Antonio

2015-05-01

The great diversity of religions that have been followed in India for over 3000 years is the reason why there are hundreds of temples built to worship dozens of different divinities. In this work, more than one hundred temples geographically distributed over the whole Indian land have been analyzed, obtaining remarkable results. For this purpose, a deep analysis of the main deities who are worshipped in each of them, as well as of the different dynasties (or cultures) who built them has also been conducted. As a result, we have found that the main axes of the temples dedicated to Shiva seem to be oriented to the east cardinal point while those temples dedicated to Vishnu would be oriented to both the east and west cardinal points. To explain these cardinal directions we propose to look back to the origins of Hinduism. Besides these cardinal orientations, clear solar orientations have also been found, especially at the equinoctial declination.

Social influence of a religious hero: the late Cardinal Stephen Kim Sou-hwan's effect on cornea donation and volunteerism.

PubMed

Bae, Hyuhn-Suhck; Brown, William J; Kang, Seok

2011-01-01

This study examined the mediated influence of a celebrated religious hero in South Korea, Cardinal Stephen Kim, through two forms of involvement--parasocial interaction and identification--on intention toward cornea donation and volunteerism, and it investigated how the news media diffused of his death. A structural equation modeling analysis with a Web-based voluntary survey of more than 1,200 people in South Korea revealed a multistep social influence process, beginning with parasocial interaction with Cardinal Kim, leading to identification with him, which predicted intention toward cornea donation and volunteerism. Additional investigations found that news of Cardinal Kim's death diffused rapidly through media and interpersonal communication. Results of this study demonstrate that religious leaders who achieve a celebrity hero status can prompt public discussion of important issues rather quickly through extensive media coverage, enabling them to promote prosocial behavior and positively affect public health.

The role of historical and contemporary processes on phylogeographic structure and genetic diversity in the Northern Cardinal, Cardinalis cardinalis

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background Earth history events such as climate change are believed to have played a major role in shaping patterns of genetic structure and diversity in species. However, there is a lag between the time of historical events and the collection of present-day samples that are used to infer contemporary population structure. During this lag phase contemporary processes such as dispersal or non-random mating can erase or reinforce population differences generated by historical events. In this study we evaluate the role of both historical and contemporary processes on the phylogeography of a widespread North American songbird, the Northern Cardinal, Cardinalis cardinalis. Results Phylogenetic analysis revealed deep mtDNA structure with six lineages across the species' range. Ecological niche models supported the same geographic breaks revealed by the mtDNA. A paleoecological niche model for the Last Glacial Maximum indicated that cardinals underwent a dramatic range reduction in eastern North America, whereas their ranges were more stable in México. In eastern North America cardinals expanded out of glacial refugia, but we found no signature of decreased genetic diversity in areas colonized after the Last Glacial Maximum. Present-day demographic data suggested that population growth across the expansion cline is positively correlated with latitude. We propose that there was no loss of genetic diversity in areas colonized after the Last Glacial Maximum because recent high-levels of gene flow across the region have homogenized genetic diversity in eastern North America. Conclusion We show that both deep historical events as well as demographic processes that occurred following these events are critical in shaping genetic pattern and diversity in C. cardinalis. The general implication of our results is that patterns of genetic diversity are best understood when information on species history, ecology, and demography are considered simultaneously. PMID:21599972

Some types of parent number talk count more than others: relations between parents' input and children's cardinal-number knowledge.

PubMed

Gunderson, Elizabeth A; Levine, Susan C

2011-09-01

Before they enter preschool, children vary greatly in their numerical and mathematical knowledge, and this knowledge predicts their achievement throughout elementary school (e.g. Duncan et al., 2007; Ginsburg & Russell, 1981). Therefore, it is critical that we look to the home environment for parental inputs that may lead to these early variations. Recent work has shown that the amount of number talk that parents engage in with their children is robustly related to a critical aspect of mathematical development - cardinal-number knowledge (e.g. knowing that the word 'three' refers to sets of three entities; Levine, Suriyakham, Rowe, Huttenlocher & Gunderson, 2010). The present study characterizes the different types of number talk that parents produce and investigates which types are most predictive of children's later cardinal-number knowledge. We find that parents' number talk involving counting or labeling sets of present, visible objects is related to children's later cardinal-number knowledge, whereas other types of parent number talk are not. In addition, number talk that refers to large sets of present objects (i.e. sets of size 4 to 10 that fall outside children's ability to track individual objects) is more robustly predictive of children's later cardinal-number knowledge than talk about smaller sets. The relation between parents' number talk about large sets of present objects and children's cardinal-number knowledge remains significant even when controlling for factors such as parents' socioeconomic status and other measures of parents' number and non-number talk. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Learning accurate very fast decision trees from uncertain data streams

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liang, Chunquan; Zhang, Yang; Shi, Peng; Hu, Zhengguo

2015-12-01

Most existing works on data stream classification assume the streaming data is precise and definite. Such assumption, however, does not always hold in practice, since data uncertainty is ubiquitous in data stream applications due to imprecise measurement, missing values, privacy protection, etc. The goal of this paper is to learn accurate decision tree models from uncertain data streams for classification analysis. On the basis of very fast decision tree (VFDT) algorithms, we proposed an algorithm for constructing an uncertain VFDT tree with classifiers at tree leaves (uVFDTc). The uVFDTc algorithm can exploit uncertain information effectively and efficiently in both the learning and the classification phases. In the learning phase, it uses Hoeffding bound theory to learn from uncertain data streams and yield fast and reasonable decision trees. In the classification phase, at tree leaves it uses uncertain naive Bayes (UNB) classifiers to improve the classification performance. Experimental results on both synthetic and real-life datasets demonstrate the strong ability of uVFDTc to classify uncertain data streams. The use of UNB at tree leaves has improved the performance of uVFDTc, especially the any-time property, the benefit of exploiting uncertain information, and the robustness against uncertainty.

Designing Graphic Presentations from First Principles

DTIC Science & Technology

1998-01-01

Khanna, Rahul Asthana, Pascale Fung, and Joanna Sadowska. Others, once near but now far, included: Ivelina Zlateva, Robert Chang, Anna Herreras , John...For example, Roth & Mattis (1990) propose characterizing data in terms of cardinality , coverage and uniqueness. Cardinality allows data to be

Environmental Assessment of Installation Development at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-08-01

3-27  3-3. Unemployment Percentages, 2001 to 2011... bank system to service the proposed DISA facility and for future development at the former Cardinal Creek MFH neighborhood. Due to the sensitivity...of this information, the location of the communication duct banks is not shown on Figures 2-1 and 2-2. Floodplain, ERP, QD 221,760 No change

LITA National Forum 2004: Where Are We Going? Where Have We Been? Newsline Reports

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McCann, Steve; Meyer, Stephen

2005-01-01

The recent Library & Information Technology Association (LITA) National Forum was held in October in St. Louis, a city that was very focused on the present. The Cardinals were on their way to winning the National League Pennant, and across town, at Washington University, the presidential candidates were on stage with the second of their three…

Computing group cardinality constraint solutions for logistic regression problems.

PubMed

Zhang, Yong; Kwon, Dongjin; Pohl, Kilian M

2017-01-01

We derive an algorithm to directly solve logistic regression based on cardinality constraint, group sparsity and use it to classify intra-subject MRI sequences (e.g. cine MRIs) of healthy from diseased subjects. Group cardinality constraint models are often applied to medical images in order to avoid overfitting of the classifier to the training data. Solutions within these models are generally determined by relaxing the cardinality constraint to a weighted feature selection scheme. However, these solutions relate to the original sparse problem only under specific assumptions, which generally do not hold for medical image applications. In addition, inferring clinical meaning from features weighted by a classifier is an ongoing topic of discussion. Avoiding weighing features, we propose to directly solve the group cardinality constraint logistic regression problem by generalizing the Penalty Decomposition method. To do so, we assume that an intra-subject series of images represents repeated samples of the same disease patterns. We model this assumption by combining series of measurements created by a feature across time into a single group. Our algorithm then derives a solution within that model by decoupling the minimization of the logistic regression function from enforcing the group sparsity constraint. The minimum to the smooth and convex logistic regression problem is determined via gradient descent while we derive a closed form solution for finding a sparse approximation of that minimum. We apply our method to cine MRI of 38 healthy controls and 44 adult patients that received reconstructive surgery of Tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) during infancy. Our method correctly identifies regions impacted by TOF and generally obtains statistically significant higher classification accuracy than alternative solutions to this model, i.e., ones relaxing group cardinality constraints. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Exploring Cardinality in the Era of Touchscreen-Based Technology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sedaghatjou, Mina; Campbell, Stephen R.

2017-01-01

This paper explores how a young child (56 m) builds an understanding of the cardinality principle through communicative, touchscreen-based activities involving talk, gesture and body engagement working via multimodal, touchscreen interface using contemporary mobile technology. Drawing upon Nemirovsky's perceptuomotor integration theoretical lens…

Blueprint for the Diagnosis of Difficulties with Cardinality.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dunlap, William P.; Brennen, Alison H.

1981-01-01

The article describes a diagnostic procedure for assessing children's mental images and knowledge of cardinal numbers, 0 through 9. The diagnostic procedure includes the assessment of a child's visual memory, visual perception, symbol recognition, oral naming of numerals, and symbol-set linkage. (Author/SBH)

Expansion of direction space around the cardinal axes revealed by smooth pursuit eye movements.

PubMed

Krukowski, Anton E; Stone, Leland S

2005-01-20

It is well established that perceptual direction discrimination shows an oblique effect; thresholds are higher for motion along diagonal directions than for motion along cardinal directions. Here, we compare simultaneous direction judgments and pursuit responses for the same motion stimuli and find that both pursuit and perceptual thresholds show similar anisotropies. The pursuit oblique effect is robust under a wide range of experimental manipulations, being largely resistant to changes in trajectory (radial versus tangential motion), speed (10 versus 25 deg/s), directional uncertainty (blocked versus randomly interleaved), and cognitive state (tracking alone versus concurrent tracking and perceptual tasks). Our data show that the pursuit oblique effect is caused by an effective expansion of direction space surrounding the cardinal directions and the requisite compression of space for other directions. This expansion suggests that the directions around the cardinal directions are in some way overrepresented in the visual cortical pathways that drive both smooth pursuit and perception.

Expansion of direction space around the cardinal axes revealed by smooth pursuit eye movements

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Krukowski, Anton E.; Stone, Leland S.

2005-01-01

It is well established that perceptual direction discrimination shows an oblique effect; thresholds are higher for motion along diagonal directions than for motion along cardinal directions. Here, we compare simultaneous direction judgments and pursuit responses for the same motion stimuli and find that both pursuit and perceptual thresholds show similar anisotropies. The pursuit oblique effect is robust under a wide range of experimental manipulations, being largely resistant to changes in trajectory (radial versus tangential motion), speed (10 versus 25 deg/s), directional uncertainty (blocked versus randomly interleaved), and cognitive state (tracking alone versus concurrent tracking and perceptual tasks). Our data show that the pursuit oblique effect is caused by an effective expansion of direction space surrounding the cardinal directions and the requisite compression of space for other directions. This expansion suggests that the directions around the cardinal directions are in some way overrepresented in the visual cortical pathways that drive both smooth pursuit and perception.

Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) Intraspecific Variation and Thermotolerance Classification Using in Vitro Seed Germination Assay

DOE PAGES

Seepaul, Ramdeo; Macoon, Bisoondat; Reddy, K. Raja; ...

2011-01-01

Cardinal temperatures for plant processes have been used for thermotolerance screening of genotypes, geoclimatic adaptability determination and phenological prediction. Current simulation models for switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) utilize single cardinal temperatures across genotypes for both vegetative and reproductive processes although in-tra-specific variation exists among genotypes. An experiment was conducted to estimate the cardinal temperatures for seed germination of 14 diverse switchgrass genotypes and to classify genotypes for temperature tolerance. Stratified seeds of each genotype were germinated at eight constant temperatures from 10 °C to 45 °C under a constant light intensity of 35 μmol m -2s -1 for 12 hdmore » -1. Germination was recorded at 6-h intervals in all treatments. Maximum seed germination (MSG) and germination rate (GR), estimated by fitting Sigmoidal function to germination-time series data, varied among genotypes. Quadratic and bilinear models best described the MSG and GR responses to temperature, respectively. The mean cardinal temperatures, T min, T opt, and T max, were 8.1, 26.6, and 45.1 °C for MSG and 11.1, 33.1, and 46.0 °C for GR, respectively. Cardinal temperatures for MSG and GR; however, varied significantly among genotypes. Genotypes were classified as sensitive (Cave-in-Rock, Dacotah, Expresso, Forestburg, Kanlow, Sunburst, Trailblazer, and Tusca), intermediate (Alamo, Blackwell, Carthage, Shawnee, and Shelter) and tolerant (Summer) to high temperature based on cumulative temperature response index (CTRI) estimated by summing individual response indices estimated from the MSG and GR cardinal temperatures. Similarly, genotypes were also classified as sensitive (Alamo, Blackwell, Carthage, Dacotah, Shawnee, Shelter and Summer), moderately sensitive (Cave-in-rock, Forestburg, Kanlow, Sunburst, and Tusca), moderately tolerant (Trailblazer), and tolerant (Expresso) to low temperatures. The cardinal temperature estimates would be useful to improve switchgrass models for field applications. Additionally, the identified cold- and heat-tolerant genotypes can be selected for niche environments and in switchgrass breeding programs to develop new genotypes for low and high temperature environments.« less

75 FR 60371 - Requirements of a Statement Disclosing Uncertain Tax Positions; Correction

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-09-30

... Requirements of a Statement Disclosing Uncertain Tax Positions; Correction AGENCY: Internal Revenue Service... the IRS to require corporations to file a schedule disclosing uncertain tax positions related to the tax return as required by the IRS. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kathryn Zuba, (202) 622-3400 (not...

[THE BLADDER STONE OF CARDINAL PIETRO BASADONNA (1617-1684) IN THE WORDS OF HIS PHYSICIAN ROMOLO SPEZIOLI (1642-1723)].

PubMed

Santi, Raffaella; Franza, Annarita; Nesi, Gabriella

2014-01-01

At the death of Cardinal Pietro Basadonna in 1684, his personal physician Romolo Spezioli wrote a report describing the disease, circumstances of death and autopsy findings of the illustrious prelate. This document, kept in the Biblioteca Civica at Jesi, is a significant attestation of the medical terminology and diagnostic and therapeutic procedures of the time. Even with the constraints that interpretation of a clinical account dating back over 300 years inevitably imposes, perusal of this report suggests that Cardinal Basadonna's demise could have been due to septic shock, consequent to a urinary infection caused by a bulky bladder stone.

Neural basis of uncertain cue processing in trait anxiety.

PubMed

Zhang, Meng; Ma, Chao; Luo, Yanyan; Li, Ji; Li, Qingwei; Liu, Yijun; Ding, Cody; Qiu, Jiang

2016-02-19

Individuals with high trait anxiety form a non-clinical group with a predisposition for an anxiety-related bias in emotional and cognitive processing that is considered by some to be a prerequisite for psychiatric disorders. Anxious individuals tend to experience more worry under uncertainty, and processing uncertain information is an important, but often overlooked factor in anxiety. So, we decided to explore the brain correlates of processing uncertain information in individuals with high trait anxiety using the learn-test paradigm. Behaviorally, the percentages on memory test and the likelihood ratios of identifying novel stimuli under uncertainty were similar to the certain fear condition, but different from the certain neutral condition. The brain results showed that the visual cortex, bilateral fusiform gyrus, and right parahippocampal gyrus were active during the processing of uncertain cues. Moreover, we found that trait anxiety was positively correlated with the BOLD signal of the right parahippocampal gyrus during the processing of uncertain cues. No significant results were found in the amygdala during uncertain cue processing. These results suggest that memory retrieval is associated with uncertain cue processing, which is underpinned by over-activation of the right parahippocampal gyrus, in individuals with high trait anxiety.

Modeling Mental Spatial Reasoning about Cardinal Directions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schultheis, Holger; Bertel, Sven; Barkowsky, Thomas

2014-01-01

This article presents research into human mental spatial reasoning with orientation knowledge. In particular, we look at reasoning problems about cardinal directions that possess multiple valid solutions (i.e., are spatially underdetermined), at human preferences for some of these solutions, and at representational and procedural factors that lead…

Mourning dove ( Zenaida macroura) wing-whistles may contain threat-related information for con- and hetero-specifics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Coleman, Seth W.

2008-10-01

Distinct acoustic whistles are associated with the wing-beats of many doves, and are especially noticeable when doves ascend from the ground when startled. I thus hypothesized that these sounds may be used by flock-mates as cues of potential danger. To test this hypothesis, I compared the responses of mourning doves ( Zenaida macroura), northern cardinals ( Cardinalis cardinalis), and house sparrows ( Passer domesticus) to audio playbacks of dove ‘startle wing-whistles’, cardinal alarm calls, dove ‘nonstartle wing-whistles’, and sparrow ‘social chatter’. Following playbacks of startle wing-whistles and alarm calls, conspecifics and heterospecifics startled and increased vigilance more than after playbacks of other sounds. Also, the latency to return to feeding was greater following playbacks of startle wing-whistles and alarm calls than following playbacks of other sounds. These results suggest that both conspecifics and heterospecifics may attend to dove wing-whistles in decisions related to antipredator behaviors. Whether the sounds of dove wing-whistles are intentionally produced signals warrants further testing.

Cardinal Virtues of Academic Administration

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Curren, Randall

2008-01-01

The aim of this article is to articulate the basic elements of a comprehensive ethic of academic administration, organized around a set of three cardinal virtues: "commitment" to the good of the institution; good administrative "judgment"; and "conscientiousness" in discharging the duties of the office. In addition to explaining this framework and…

[Was Claude Bernard an atheist?].

PubMed

Donnet, V

1998-01-01

During his stay at Villefranche-sur-Saône College, Claude Bernard became acquainted with Ferdinand Donnet, appointed a short while ago, priest of the Parish. This priest became Cardinal and carried out his apostolate at Bordeaux for 47 years. 40 years after their meeting at Villefranche, Cardinal Donnet and Claude Bernard found again each other as "Sénateurs d'Empire" in Paris. In his writings, Claude Bernard never mentioned Religion: he rather gave impression, in many ways, of being anticlerical! Paul Bert and his colleagues looked upon Claude Bernard as a great priest of atheism. Shortly after his death, Cardinal Donnet wrote a letter where he entirely proved that Claude Bernard has been, on the contrary, a fervent catholic.

On Matrices, Automata, and Double Counting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beldiceanu, Nicolas; Carlsson, Mats; Flener, Pierre; Pearson, Justin

Matrix models are ubiquitous for constraint problems. Many such problems have a matrix of variables M, with the same constraint defined by a finite-state automaton A on each row of M and a global cardinality constraint gcc on each column of M. We give two methods for deriving, by double counting, necessary conditions on the cardinality variables of the gcc constraints from the automaton A. The first method yields linear necessary conditions and simple arithmetic constraints. The second method introduces the cardinality automaton, which abstracts the overall behaviour of all the row automata and can be encoded by a set of linear constraints. We evaluate the impact of our methods on a large set of nurse rostering problem instances.

A Program Evaluation of Cardinal Stritch University's Undergraduate Teacher Education Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Russell, Freda Renee

2009-01-01

The purpose of the research was to study the effectiveness of Cardinal Stritch University's Undergraduate Teacher Education Program in preparing its graduates to teach all children. The researcher framed the study around four areas of concern common to beginning teachers from the research and literature: (a) curriculum, instruction and assessment…

75 FR 6414 - Cardinal Growth, L.P.; Notice Seeking Exemption Under Section 312 of the Small Business...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-02-09

... SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION [License No. 05/75-0257] Cardinal Growth, L.P.; Notice Seeking Exemption Under Section 312 of the Small Business Investment Act, Conflicts of Interest Notice is hereby..., Financings which Constitute Conflicts of Interest of the Small Business Administration (``SBA'') Rules and...

Towards a Multidimensional Measure of Governance

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mitra, Shabana

2013-01-01

This paper proposes a new index of governance based on the Alkire-Foster methodology and compares it with the Mo Ibrahim Index of African Governance. The proposed new index improves on existing measures of governance in two ways. First, it is able to incorporate both cardinal and ordinal variables without having to assign cardinal meaning to…

78 FR 12358 - Cardinal Health, Financial Shared Services West, Including On-Site Leased Workers From Aerotek...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-02-22

... DEPARTMENT OF LABOR Employment and Training Administration [TA-W-82,253] Cardinal Health, Financial Shared Services West, Including On- Site Leased Workers From Aerotek, eXcel Staffing, Experis Finance (Manpower), Ricoh, USA, Dawson Creative, Mergis Group and Tailored Management, Albuquerque, NM; Amended Certification Regarding Eligibility To...

[The health of cardinal Gaston de Rohan. The sickness, the diplomat in the noble class of the 17th century?].

PubMed

Muller, Claude

2011-01-01

The few elements concerning health and medicine discovered during the exhaustive study of the numerous documents evoking the Rohan family are presented here. They concern essentially Gaston de Rohan (1674-1749). Born in Paris the 27th of June 1674, son of François de Rohan, Prince of Soubise, lieutenant-general of the French royal army, and of Anne Julienne de Rohan-Chabot, Gaston de Rohan was elected canon of the great-chapter in Strasbourg in 1690, then coadjutor of the Prince-bishop of Strasbourg in 1701. He became Prince-bishop of Strasbourg in 1704 and cardinal in 1712. He died in Paris the 19th of July 1749. The "gout" of the cardinal is omnipresent in the life of this man of the Church. Moreover, gout imposes upon the life of this statesman, preventing him from going to a given place which doesn't fill him with enthusiasm. His gout also allows to impose etiquette, since it obliges to go at the cardinal place, who receives. The illness becomes non diplomatic, but diplomacy.

Natural Language Processing Of Online Propaganda As A Means Of Passively Monitoring An Adversarial Ideology

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-03-01

Warfare. 14. SUBJECT TERMS data mining, natural language processing, machine learning, algorithm design , information warfare, propaganda 15. NUMBER OF...Speech Tags. Adapted from [12]. CC Coordinating conjunction PRP$ Possessive pronoun CD Cardinal number RB Adverb DT Determiner RBR Adverb, comparative ... comparative UH Interjection JJS Adjective, superlative VB Verb, base form LS List item marker VBD Verb, past tense MD Modal VBG Verb, gerund or

Orientation perception in rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta).

PubMed

Wakita, Masumi

2008-07-01

It was previously demonstrated that monkeys divide the orientation continuum into cardinal and oblique categories. However, it is still unclear how monkeys perceive within-category orientations. To better understand monkeys' perception of orientation, two experiments were conducted using five monkeys. In experiment 1, they were trained to identify either one cardinal or one oblique target orientation out of six orientations. The results showed that they readily identified the cardinal target whether it was oriented horizontally or vertically. However, a longer training period was needed to identify the oblique target orientation regardless of its degree and direction of tilt. In experiment 2, the same monkeys were trained to identify two-oblique target orientations out of six orientations. These orientations were paired, either sharing the degree of tilt, direction of tilt, or neither property. The results showed that the monkeys readily identified oblique orientations when they had either the same degree or direction of tilt. However, when the target orientations had neither the same degree nor direction of tilt, the animals had difficulty in identifying them. In summary, horizontal and vertical orientations are individually processed, indicating that monkeys do not have a category for cardinal orientation, but they may recognize cardinal orientations as non-obliques. In addition, monkeys efficiently abstract either the degree or the direction of tilt from oblique orientations, but they have difficulty combining these features to identify an oblique orientation. Thus, not all orientations within the oblique category are equally perceived.

Cardinal ligament surgical anatomy: cardinal points at hysterectomy.

PubMed

Samaan, Andrew; Vu, Dzung; Haylen, Bernard T; Tse, Kelly

2014-02-01

The cardinal ligament (CL) still requires more precise anatomical mapping. We aim to elucidate the anatomy of the CL and the roles it plays in gynecological surgery. Studies employed sharp dissection of 28 formalin-fixed cadaveric hemipelves and 10 unembalmed cadaveric hemipelves. The CL (total length averaging 10.0 cm) can be subdivided into three sections: a distal (cervical) section, on average 2.1 cm long, attached to the lateral aspect of the cervix (posteriorly, it was confluent with the attachment of the uterosacral [USL] ligament to form the cardinal-uterosacral confluence [CUSC]); an intermediate section, on average 3.4 cm long, running laterally (slightly posteriorly) from the cervix; a proximal (pelvic) section, relatively thick, triangular-shaped on cross-section, averaging 4.6 cm long, attached to the lateral pelvic sidewall, with its apex at the first branching of the internal iliac artery. Only the distal section is free of any significant neural or vascular component (ureter is in the intermediate section) and therefore safe for surgical use. The CUSC (first pedicle of a vaginal hysterectomy and later pedicle of an abdominal hysterectomy), if attached to the vaginal vault at hysterectomy has the potential for both lateral (CL) and supero-posterior (USL) surgical support. This pedicle would not be subsequently accessible for other surgeries. Suggested cardinal points at hysterectomy are: know the CL anatomy; the distal section (as part of the CUSC) can provide vaginal vault support; the intermediate and proximal sections are surgically dangerous.

Area vs. density: influence of visual variables and cardinality knowledge in early number comparison.

PubMed

Abreu-Mendoza, Roberto A; Soto-Alba, Elia E; Arias-Trejo, Natalia

2013-01-01

Current research in the number development field has focused in individual differences regarding the acuity of children's approximate number system (ANS). The most common task to evaluate children's acuity is through non-symbolic numerical comparison. Efforts have been made to prevent children from using perceptual cues by controlling the visual properties of the stimuli (e.g., density, contour length, and area); nevertheless, researchers have used these visual controls interchangeably. Studies have also tried to understand the relation between children's cardinality knowledge and their performance in a number comparison task; divergent results may in fact be rooted in the use of different visual controls. The main goal of the present study is to explore how the usage of different visual controls (density, total filled area, and correlated and anti-correlated area) affects children's performance in a number comparison task, and its relationship to children's cardinality knowledge. For that purpose, 77 preschoolers participated in three tasks: (1) counting list elicitation to test whether children could recite the counting list up to ten, (2) give a number to evaluate children's cardinality knowledge, and (3) number comparison to evaluate their ability to compare two quantities. During this last task, children were asked to point at the set with more geometric figures when two sets were displayed on a screen. Children were exposed only to one of the three visual controls. Results showed that overall, children performed above chance in the number comparison task; nonetheless, density was the easiest control, while correlated and anti-correlated area was the most difficult in most cases. Only total filled area was sensitive to discriminate cardinal principal knowers from non-cardinal principal knowers. How this finding helps to explain conflicting evidence from previous research, and how the present outcome relates to children's number word knowledge is discussed.

Area vs. density: influence of visual variables and cardinality knowledge in early number comparison

PubMed Central

Abreu-Mendoza, Roberto A.; Soto-Alba, Elia E.; Arias-Trejo, Natalia

2013-01-01

Current research in the number development field has focused in individual differences regarding the acuity of children's approximate number system (ANS). The most common task to evaluate children's acuity is through non-symbolic numerical comparison. Efforts have been made to prevent children from using perceptual cues by controlling the visual properties of the stimuli (e.g., density, contour length, and area); nevertheless, researchers have used these visual controls interchangeably. Studies have also tried to understand the relation between children's cardinality knowledge and their performance in a number comparison task; divergent results may in fact be rooted in the use of different visual controls. The main goal of the present study is to explore how the usage of different visual controls (density, total filled area, and correlated and anti-correlated area) affects children's performance in a number comparison task, and its relationship to children's cardinality knowledge. For that purpose, 77 preschoolers participated in three tasks: (1) counting list elicitation to test whether children could recite the counting list up to ten, (2) give a number to evaluate children's cardinality knowledge, and (3) number comparison to evaluate their ability to compare two quantities. During this last task, children were asked to point at the set with more geometric figures when two sets were displayed on a screen. Children were exposed only to one of the three visual controls. Results showed that overall, children performed above chance in the number comparison task; nonetheless, density was the easiest control, while correlated and anti-correlated area was the most difficult in most cases. Only total filled area was sensitive to discriminate cardinal principal knowers from non-cardinal principal knowers. How this finding helps to explain conflicting evidence from previous research, and how the present outcome relates to children's number word knowledge is discussed. PMID:24198803

Plan Debugging Using Approximate Domain Theories.

DTIC Science & Technology

1995-03-01

compelling suggestion that generative plan- ning systems solving large problems will need to exploit the control information implicit in uncertain...control information implicit in uncertain information may well lead the planner to expand one portion of a plan at one point, and a separate portion of...solutions that have been proposed are to abandon declarativism (as suggested in the work on situated automata theory and its variants [1, 16, 56, 72

Factors That Affect the Academic Success of Foreign Students at Cardinal Stritch University

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Annor, Peter

2010-01-01

There are limited studies in the literature on the factors that affect the academic success of foreign students in the United States. This ex post facto mixed method study investigated the factors that affect the academic success of foreign students at Cardinal Stitch University (CSU), a medium size, private university located in the Midwestern…

Cantor Groups

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mathes, Ben; Dow, Chris; Livshits, Leo

2011-01-01

The Cantor subset of the unit interval [0, 1) is "large" in cardinality and also "large" algebraically, that is, the smallest subgroup of [0, 1) generated by the Cantor set (using addition mod 1 as the group operation) is the whole of [0, 1). In this paper, we show how to construct Cantor-like sets which are "large" in cardinality but "small"…

Context in Generalized Conversational Implicatures: The Case of Some

PubMed Central

Dupuy, Ludivine E.; Van der Henst, Jean-Baptiste; Cheylus, Anne; Reboul, Anne C.

2016-01-01

There is now general agreement about the optionality of scalar implicatures: the pragmatic interpretation will be accessed depending on the context relative to which the utterance is interpreted. The question, then, is what makes a context upper- (vs. lower-) bounding. Neo-Gricean accounts should predict that contexts including factual information will enhance the rate of pragmatic interpretations. Post-Gricean accounts should predict that contexts including psychological attributions will enhance the rate of pragmatic interpretations. We tested two factors using the quantifier scale : (1) the existence of factual information that facilitates the computation of pragmatic interpretations in the context (here, the cardinality of the domain of quantification) and (2) the fact that the context makes the difference between the semantic and the pragmatic interpretations of the target sentence relevant, involving psychological attributions to the speaker (here a question using all). We did three experiments, all of which suggest that while cardinality information may be necessary to the computation of the pragmatic interpretation, it plays a minor role in triggering it; highlighting the contrast between the pragmatic and the semantic interpretations, while it is not necessary to the computation of the pragmatic interpretation, strongly mandates a pragmatic interpretation. These results favor Sperber and Wilson's (1995) post-Gricean account over Chierchia's (2013) neo-Gricean account. Overall, this suggests that highlighting the relevance of the pragmatic vs. semantic interpretations of the target sentence makes a context upper-bounding. Additionally, the results give a small advantage to the post-Gricean account. PMID:27047413

[Endometriosis. Potential mechanism of sterility. Management of patients with endometriosis. Review and reflections].

PubMed

Gómez Arzapalo, E; Gorozpe Calvillo, J I

1999-02-01

Endometriosis is an ailment which has no exact etiology due to its uncertain genesis, its inception can develop unnoticed, its silent evolution makes it difficult to identify it until a cardinal symptom appears and its semeiology provides us facts to integrate a diagnosis, it is an entity that does not have relation while and/or with the reproductive stage, neither with the parity, but we are aware it occurs in its different stages, varying from 9% to 33% in the reproductive cycle, it can be recurring after being medically or surgically treated, appearing endometriomas in it or in the infundibulum stump in the latter case. It is characterized by a collagenosis, endometrio abnormal implant out of the uterus cavity, thereby generating and inflammatory process in the zone of implant, increasing the cytokines production (polypeptide secreted by the lymphocytes and macrophages playing an important role in the immunological response), involving a dysfunction in the hypothalamus-pituitary-ovarian, altering the endocrinos physiology; regarding the genetic aspect, alterations in the chromosomes 4.9 in the Endometriosis frames have been found. The human semen preparation with half Ham F 10 enriched with ascorbic acid is described. In cases of permeable tubes or FIVTE.

Genetically engineered mouse models and human osteosarcoma

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Osteosarcoma is the most common form of bone cancer. Pivotal insight into the genes involved in human osteosarcoma has been provided by the study of rare familial cancer predisposition syndromes. Three kindreds stand out as predisposing to the development of osteosarcoma: Li-Fraumeni syndrome, familial retinoblastoma and RecQ helicase disorders, which include Rothmund-Thomson Syndrome in particular. These disorders have highlighted the important roles of P53 and RB respectively, in the development of osteosarcoma. The association of OS with RECQL4 mutations is apparent but the relevance of this to OS is uncertain as mutations in RECQL4 are not found in sporadic OS. Application of the knowledge or mutations of P53 and RB in familial and sporadic OS has enabled the development of tractable, highly penetrant murine models of OS. These models share many of the cardinal features associated with human osteosarcoma including, importantly, a high incidence of spontaneous metastasis. The recent development of these models has been a significant advance for efforts to improve our understanding of the genetics of human OS and, more critically, to provide a high-throughput genetically modifiable platform for preclinical evaluation of new therapeutics. PMID:23036272

A Time-Space Domain Information Fusion Method for Specific Emitter Identification Based on Dempster-Shafer Evidence Theory.

PubMed

Jiang, Wen; Cao, Ying; Yang, Lin; He, Zichang

2017-08-28

Specific emitter identification plays an important role in contemporary military affairs. However, most of the existing specific emitter identification methods haven't taken into account the processing of uncertain information. Therefore, this paper proposes a time-space domain information fusion method based on Dempster-Shafer evidence theory, which has the ability to deal with uncertain information in the process of specific emitter identification. In this paper, radars will generate a group of evidence respectively based on the information they obtained, and our main task is to fuse the multiple groups of evidence to get a reasonable result. Within the framework of recursive centralized fusion model, the proposed method incorporates a correlation coefficient, which measures the relevance between evidence and a quantum mechanical approach, which is based on the parameters of radar itself. The simulation results of an illustrative example demonstrate that the proposed method can effectively deal with uncertain information and get a reasonable recognition result.

Corticosterone profiles in northern cardinals (Cardinalis cardinalis): Do levels vary through life history stages?

PubMed

Duckworth, Benjamin M; Jawor, Jodie M

2018-07-01

As animals move through life history stages, energy requirements for each stage will vary. Both daily and annual variation in the glucocoriticoid hormones (specifically corticosterone, or CORT, in birds) helps provide the variable energy needed through life history stages. In many bird species, CORT is higher in the breeding season when energy demands can be quite high and is often lower in the non-breeding season. Additionally, CORT has a role to play in the response to stressful stimuli and the level to which CORT is elevated following stressful events can vary through the annual cycle as well. Here we report on baseline and stress-induced CORT levels in both sexes of northern cardinals, Cardinalis cardinalis, a non-migrating, year-round territorial species across life history stages. Corticosterone is overall higher in the non-breeding season than the breeding season in both sexes. Males tend to have higher levels of stress-induced CORT than females, although the observed patterns are complex. Our findings differ from one of the more common profile reported in songbirds where breeding season CORT tends to be higher than non-breeding levels. A strong influence may be the prolonged breeding season seen in cardinals; lower levels of CORT during breeding may guard against adverse maternal effects, interruptions in breeding behaviors, or egg production. Additional investigation of species with similar ecologies to northern cardinals, and more populations of cardinals, may show that annual glucocorticoid profiles are more labile than previously appreciated. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The effect of short-term training on cardinal and oblique orientation discrimination: an ERP study.

PubMed

Song, Yan; Sun, Li; Wang, You; Zhang, Xuemin; Kang, Jing; Ma, Xiaoli; Yang, Bin; Guan, Yijie; Ding, Yulong

2010-03-01

The adult brain shows remarkable plasticity, as demonstrated by the improvement in most visual discrimination tasks after intensive practice. However, previous studies have demonstrated that practice improved the discrimination only around oblique orientations, while performance around cardinal orientations (vertical or horizontal orientations) remained stable despite extensive training. The two experiments described here used event-related potentials (ERPs) to investigate the neural substrates underlying different training effects in the two kinds of orientation. Event-related potentials were recorded from subjects when they were trained with a grating orientation discrimination task. Psychophysical threshold measurements were performed before and after the training. For oblique gratings, psychophysical thresholds decreased significantly across training sessions. ERPs showed larger P2 and P3 amplitudes and smaller N1 amplitudes over the parietal/occipital areas with more practice. In line with the psychophysical thresholds, the training effect on the P2 and P3 was specific to stimulus orientation. However, the N1 effect was generalized over differently oriented gratings stimuli. For cardinally oriented gratings, no significant changes were found in the psychophysical thresholds during the training. ERPs still showed similar generalized N1 effect as the oblique gratings. However, the amplitudes of P2 and P3 were unchanged during the whole training. Compared with cardinal orientations, more visual processing stages and later ERP components were involved in the training of oblique orientation discrimination. These results contribute to understanding the neural basis of the asymmetry between cardinal and oblique orientation training effects. Copyright 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Variants of uncertain significance in newborn screening disorders: implications for large-scale genomic sequencing.

PubMed

Narravula, Alekhya; Garber, Kathryn B; Askree, S Hussain; Hegde, Madhuri; Hall, Patricia L

2017-01-01

As exome and genome sequencing using high-throughput sequencing technologies move rapidly into the diagnostic process, laboratories and clinicians need to develop a strategy for dealing with uncertain findings. A commitment must be made to minimize these findings, and all parties may need to make adjustments to their processes. The information required to reclassify these variants is often available but not communicated to all relevant parties. To illustrate these issues, we focused on three well-characterized monogenic, metabolic disorders included in newborn screens: classic galactosemia, caused by GALT variants; phenylketonuria, caused by PAH variants; and medium-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase (MCAD) deficiency, caused by ACADM variants. In 10 years of clinical molecular testing, we have observed 134 unique GALT variants, 46 of which were variants of uncertain significance (VUS). In PAH, we observed 132 variants, including 17 VUS, and for ACADM, we observed 64 unique variants, of which 33 were uncertain. After this review, 17 VUS (37%; 7 in ACADM, 9 in GALT, and 1 in PAH) were reclassified from uncertain (6 to benign or likely benign and 11 to pathogenic or likely pathogenic). We identified common types of missing information that would have helped make a definitive classification and categorized this information by ease and cost to obtain.Genet Med 19 1, 77-82.

Cancel the Cardinals Home Opener?! Lessons in Melting and Evaporation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Market, Patrick S.

2005-01-01

The St. Louis Cardinals are scheduled to play their home opener the next day and Megan Riley, a young meteorologist who works for a private weather consulting firm, is responsible for developing the weather forecast. It's looking like she may need to change her prediction from rain to snow. In this interrupted case study, students work in small…

How Does the Representational Status of To-Be-Counted Objects Affect Children's Understanding of Cardinality?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Petersen, Lori A.

2013-01-01

When counting, the final word used to tag the final item in a set represents the cardinality, or total number, of the set. Understanding of this concept serves as a foundation for children's basic mathematical skills, such as arithmetic. However, little is known about how variations in the early learning environment affect children's understanding…

Cardinal Manufacturing: A Student-Run Manufacturing Shop

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McIntosh, Jamey

2012-01-01

The cardinal rule in career and technical education (CTE) is to train future workers so that they are career-ready when they jump into the working world. In theory, education is made for this; however, many a teacher has asked if they are helping students make the connection between what they are doing in the classroom and what is expected in a…

Place of Diversity in the Current Ethiopian Education and Training Policy: Analysis of Cardinal Dimensions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sime, Tariku; Latchanna, Gara

2016-01-01

The purpose of this paper was to investigate to what extent the diversity dimensions are addressed in the current Education and Training Policy. To that end, document analysis was employed. The major diversity dimensions were analyzed based on their cardinal features. The study demonstrated that there is an ambitious need to address issues of…

Polynomial-Time Approximation Algorithm for the Problem of Cardinality-Weighted Variance-Based 2-Clustering with a Given Center

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kel'manov, A. V.; Motkova, A. V.

2018-01-01

A strongly NP-hard problem of partitioning a finite set of points of Euclidean space into two clusters is considered. The solution criterion is the minimum of the sum (over both clusters) of weighted sums of squared distances from the elements of each cluster to its geometric center. The weights of the sums are equal to the cardinalities of the desired clusters. The center of one cluster is given as input, while the center of the other is unknown and is determined as the point of space equal to the mean of the cluster elements. A version of the problem is analyzed in which the cardinalities of the clusters are given as input. A polynomial-time 2-approximation algorithm for solving the problem is constructed.

Investigation of change in cardinal symptoms of chronic rhinosinusitis after surgical or ongoing medical management.

PubMed

DeConde, Adam S; Mace, Jess C; Alt, Jeremiah A; Soler, Zachary M; Orlandi, Richard R; Smith, Timothy L

2015-01-01

Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) has been defined as inflammation of the paranasal sinuses lasting at least 12 weeks with corresponding 2 or more "cardinal symptoms" that include: (1) nasal obstruction; (2) thick nasal discharge; (3) facial pain/pressure; and (4) reduction or loss of sense of smell. Although prior studies have investigated symptoms of CRS after sinus surgery, none have compared the outcomes of these specific symptoms to ongoing medical therapy. Patients with CRS were prospectively enrolled into a multi-institutional, comparative effectiveness, cohort study. Subjects elected either continued medical management or endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS). Baseline characteristics and objective clinical findings were collected. Cardinal symptoms of CRS were operationalized by 4 questions on the 22-item Sino-Nasal Outcome Test (SNOT-22). Symptom improvement was evaluated in subjects with at least 6-month follow-up. A total of 342 subjects were enrolled, with 69 (20.2%) electing continued medical management, whereas 273 (79.8%) elected ESS. Subjects electing surgical therapy were more likely to have a higher baseline aggregate SNOT-22 score (44.3 (18.9) vs 53.6 (18.8); p < 0.001). All subjects improved across all cardinal symptoms; however, subjects undergoing ESS were significantly more likely (p ≤ 0.013) to experience improvement in thick nasal discharge (odds ratio [OR] = 4.36), facial pain/pressure (OR = 3.56), and blockage/congestion of nose (OR = 2.76). Subjects with nasal polyposis were significantly more likely to report complete resolution of smell/taste following ESS compare to medical management (23.8% vs 4.0%; p = 0.026). Across a large population, surgical management is more effective at resolving the cardinal symptoms of CRS than ongoing medical management with the exception of sense of smell/taste. © 2014 ARS-AAOA, LLC.

Preschool children use space, rather than counting, to infer the numerical magnitude of digits: Evidence for a spatial mapping principle.

PubMed

Sella, Francesco; Berteletti, Ilaria; Lucangeli, Daniela; Zorzi, Marco

2017-01-01

A milestone in numerical development is the acquisition of counting principles which allow children to exactly determine the numerosity of a given set. Moreover, a canonical left-to-right spatial layout for representing numbers also emerges during preschool. These foundational aspects of numerical competence have been extensively studied, but there is sparse knowledge about the interplay between the acquisition of the cardinality principle and spatial mapping of numbers in early numerical development. The present study investigated how these skills concurrently develop before formal schooling. Preschool children were classified according to their performance in Give-a-Number and Number-to-position tasks. Experiment 1 revealed three qualitatively different groups: (i) children who did not master the cardinality principle and lacked any consistent spatial mapping for digits, (ii) children who mastered the cardinality principle and yet failed in spatial mapping, and (iii) children who mastered the cardinality principle and displayed consistent spatial mapping. This suggests that mastery of the cardinality principle does not entail the emergence of spatial mapping. Experiment 2 confirmed the presence of these three developmental stages and investigated their relation with a digit comparison task. Crucially, only children who displayed a consistent spatial mapping of numbers showed the ability to compare digits by numerical magnitude. A congruent (i.e., numerically ordered) positioning of numbers onto a visual line as well as the concept that moving rightwards (in Western cultures) conveys an increase in numerical magnitude mark the mastery of a spatial mapping principle. Children seem to rely on this spatial organization to achieve a full understanding of the magnitude relations between digits. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Distributed control systems with incomplete and uncertain information

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tang, Jingpeng

Scientific and engineering advances in wireless communication, sensors, propulsion, and other areas are rapidly making it possible to develop unmanned air vehicles (UAVs) with sophisticated capabilities. UAVs have come to the forefront as tools for airborne reconnaissance to search for, detect, and destroy enemy targets in relatively complex environments. They potentially reduce risk to human life, are cost effective, and are superior to manned aircraft for certain types of missions. It is desirable for UAVs to have a high level of intelligent autonomy to carry out mission tasks with little external supervision and control. This raises important issues involving tradeoffs between centralized control and the associated potential to optimize mission plans, and decentralized control with great robustness and the potential to adapt to changing conditions. UAV capabilities have been extended several ways through armament (e.g., Hellfire missiles on Predator UAVs), increased endurance and altitude (e.g., Global Hawk), and greater autonomy. Some known barriers to full-scale implementation of UAVs are increased communication and control requirements as well as increased platform and system complexity. One of the key problems is how UAV systems can handle incomplete and uncertain information in dynamic environments. Especially when the system is composed of heterogeneous and distributed UAVs, the overall system complexity is increased under such conditions. Presented through the use of published papers, this dissertation lays the groundwork for the study of methodologies for handling incomplete and uncertain information for distributed control systems. An agent-based simulation framework is built to investigate mathematical approaches (optimization) and emergent intelligence approaches. The first paper provides a mathematical approach for systems of UAVs to handle incomplete and uncertain information. The second paper describes an emergent intelligence approach for UAVs, again in handling incomplete and uncertain information. The third paper combines mathematical and emergent intelligence approaches.

Interpretation bias for uncertain threat: A replication and extension.

PubMed

Oglesby, Mary E; Raines, Amanda M; Short, Nicole A; Capron, Daniel W; Schmidt, Norman B

2016-06-01

Intolerance of uncertainty (IU) has been proposed as an important transdiagnostic variable within various anxiety-related disorders. Research has suggested that individuals high in IU may interpret ambiguous information in a more threatening manner, suggesting a negative interpretation bias for uncertain information. However, interpretation biases within IU have not been adequately tested in the literature. The current study evaluated negative interpretation biases for uncertain information by directly measuring an individual's interpretations of ambiguous information across two samples. Participants consisted of 76 (Study 1; 72.4% female) and 31 (Study 2; 81% female) undergraduate students. Results indicated that individuals high in IU interpret ambiguous scenarios as more threatening compared to negative and/or positive scenarios (β = .45, p = .02). In addition, individuals high in IU showed a negative interpretation bias for ambiguous information, but not benign information (Study 1: β = -.40, p < .001; Study 2: β = -.57, p = .002). Future research should attempt to replicate these findings within clinical populations. In addition, future work would benefit from the inclusion of behavioral assessments of IU. These findings are the first to detect the presence of a negative interpretation bias for uncertain information among individuals high in IU utilizing a task designed to directly measure an individual's interpretation of information. Given the efficacy and low economic burden associated with interpretation bias modification protocols, and the transdiagnostic nature of IU, targeting IU within these protocols could have a tremendous public health impact. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

An imprecise probability approach for squeal instability analysis based on evidence theory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lü, Hui; Shangguan, Wen-Bin; Yu, Dejie

2017-01-01

An imprecise probability approach based on evidence theory is proposed for squeal instability analysis of uncertain disc brakes in this paper. First, the squeal instability of the finite element (FE) model of a disc brake is investigated and its dominant unstable eigenvalue is detected by running two typical numerical simulations, i.e., complex eigenvalue analysis (CEA) and transient dynamical analysis. Next, the uncertainty mainly caused by contact and friction is taken into account and some key parameters of the brake are described as uncertain parameters. All these uncertain parameters are usually involved with imprecise data such as incomplete information and conflict information. Finally, a squeal instability analysis model considering imprecise uncertainty is established by integrating evidence theory, Taylor expansion, subinterval analysis and surrogate model. In the proposed analysis model, the uncertain parameters with imprecise data are treated as evidence variables, and the belief measure and plausibility measure are employed to evaluate system squeal instability. The effectiveness of the proposed approach is demonstrated by numerical examples and some interesting observations and conclusions are summarized from the analyses and discussions. The proposed approach is generally limited to the squeal problems without too many investigated parameters. It can be considered as a potential method for squeal instability analysis, which will act as the first step to reduce squeal noise of uncertain brakes with imprecise information.

Bridge Condition Assessment Using D Numbers

PubMed Central

Hu, Yong

2014-01-01

Bridge condition assessment is a complex problem influenced by many factors. The uncertain environment increases more its complexity. Due to the uncertainty in the process of assessment, one of the key problems is the representation of assessment results. Though there exists many methods that can deal with uncertain information, however, they have more or less deficiencies. In this paper, a new representation of uncertain information, called D numbers, is presented. It extends the Dempster-Shafer theory. By using D numbers, a new method is developed for the bridge condition assessment. Compared to these existing methods, the proposed method is simpler and more effective. An illustrative case is given to show the effectiveness of the new method. PMID:24696639

CALS Database Usage and Analysis Tool Study

DTIC Science & Technology

1991-09-01

inference aggregation and cardinality aggregation as two distinct aspects of the aggregation problem. The paper develops the concept of a semantic...aggregation, cardinality aggregation I " CALS Database Usage Analysis Tool Study * Bibliography * Page 7 i NIDX - An Expert System for Real-Time...1989 IEEE Symposium on Research in Security and Privacy, Oakland, CA, May 1989. [21 Baur, D.S.; Eichelman, F.R. 1I; Herrera , R.M.; Irgon, A.E

Effects of environmental conditions associated to the cardinal orientation on the reproductive phenology of the cerrado savanna tree Xylopia aromatica (Annonaceae).

PubMed

Camargo, Maria Gabriela G; Souza, Regina M; Reys, Paula; Morellato, Leonor P C

2011-09-01

The Brazilian cerrado has undergone an intense process of fragmentation, which leads to an increase in the number of remnants exposed to edge effects and associated changes on environmental conditions that may affect the phenology of plants. This study aimed to verify whether the reproductive phenology of Xylopia aromatica (Lam.) Mart. (Annonaceae) differs under different light conditions in a cerrado sensu stricto (a woody savanna) of southeastern Brazil. We compared the reproductive phenology of X. aromatica trees distributed on east and south cardinal faces of the cerrado during monthly observations, from January 2005 to December 2008. The east face had a higher light incidence, higher temperatures and canopy openness in relation to south face. X. aromatica showed seasonal reproduction at both faces of the cerrado, but the percentage of individuals, the synchrony and duration of phenophases were higher at the east face. The study demonstrated the influence of the environmental conditions associated to the cardinal orientation of the cerrado faces on the phenological pattern of X. aromatica. Similar responses may be observed for other species, ultimately affecting patterns of floral visitation and fruit production, which reinforces the importance of considering the cardinal direction in studies of edge effects and fragmentation.

Physicians’ Perspectives on the Uncertainties and Implications of Chromosomal Microarray Testing of Children and Families

PubMed Central

Reiff, Marian; Ross, Kathryn; Mulchandani, Surabhi; Propert, Kathleen Joy; Pyeritz, Reed E.; Spinner, Nancy B.; Bernhardt, Barbara A.

2012-01-01

Chromosomal microarray analysis (CMA) has improved the diagnostic rate of genomic disorders in pediatric populations, but can produce uncertain and unexpected findings. This paper explores clinicians’ perspectives and identifies challenges in effectively interpreting results and communicating with families about CMA. Responses to an online survey were obtained from 40 clinicians who had ordered CMA. Content included practice characteristics and perceptions, and queries about a hypothetical case involving uncertain and incidental findings. Data were analyzed using non-parametric statistical tests. Clinicians’ comfort levels differed significantly for explaining uncertain, abnormal, and normal CMA results, with lowest levels for uncertain results. Despite clinical guidelines recommending informed consent, many clinicians did not consider it pertinent to discuss the potential for CMA to reveal information concerning biological parentage or predisposition to late-onset disease, in a hypothetical case. Many non-genetics professionals ordering CMA did not feel equipped to interpret the results for patients, and articulated needs for education and access to genetics professionals. This exploratory study highlights key challenges in the practice of genomic medicine, and identifies needs for education, disseminated practice guidelines, and access to genetics professionals, especially when dealing with uncertain or unexpected findings. PMID:22989118

[Functional heartburn--update 2013].

PubMed

Storr, M

2013-12-16

Functional heartburn is a frequent disease which should be considered when heartburn does not respond to proton pump inhibitor (PPI) treatment. Functional heartburn is defined in the Rome-III-criteria. Differential diagnoses like gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), non erosive reflux disease (NERD) and hypertensive esophagus are diagnosed employing an endoscopy and a 24h-pH-study. Since clinical trials are lacking, treatment approaches are empirical. Successful treatment includes adequate information of the patient, identification of the cardinal symptom and setting of realistic goals.

The description of all four cardinal signs of Parkinson's disease in a Hungarian medical text published in 1690.

PubMed

Bereczki, Dániel

2010-05-01

One of the most prevalent neurological disorders is Parkinson's disease (PD), characterized by four cardinal signs: tremor, bradykinesia, rigor and postural instability. Although individual signs of Parkinson's disease - most frequently tremor - have been described since ancient times, the first systematic description of the disease is attributed to James Parkinson in 1817. Here we present evidence that not only individual signs, but the disease itself with all four cardinal signs were described in 1690 by Ferenc Pápai Páriz, in a Hungarian medical text over 120 years before the classical description of James Parkinson. In this article I draw the reader's attention to the descriptive chapter in Pápai's book that was published in Hungarian, which because it is understood by so few people, has resulted in this description of PD being ignored in the medical literature. Copyright 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Internationalization for an Uncertain Future: Tensions, Paradoxes, and Possibilities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stein, Sharon

2017-01-01

As higher education is increasingly called upon to play a central role in addressing the challenges and crises of today's complex, uncertain, and volatile world, internationalization efforts are intensifying. Emphasizing higher education as a space for critically-informed, socially accountable, and open-ended conversations about alternative…

An exploration of Intolerance of Uncertainty and memory bias.

PubMed

Francis, Kylie; Dugas, Michel J; Ricard, Nathalie C

2016-09-01

Research suggests that individuals high in Intolerance of Uncertainty (IU) have information processing biases, which may explain the close relationship between IU and worry. Specifically, high IU individuals show an attentional bias for uncertainty, and negatively interpret uncertain information. However, evidence of a memory bias for uncertainty among high IU individuals is limited. This study therefore explored the relationship between IU and memory for uncertainty. In two separate studies, explicit and implicit memory for uncertain compared to other types of words was assessed. Cognitive avoidance and other factors that could influence information processing were also examined. IUS Factor 1 was a significant positive predictor of explicit memory for positive words, and IUS Factor 2 a significant negative predictor of implicit memory for positive words. Stimulus relevance and vocabulary were significant predictors of implicit memory for uncertain words. Cognitive avoidance was a significant predictor of both explicit and implicit memory for threat words. Female gender was a significant predictor of implicit memory for uncertain and neutral words. Word stimuli such as those used in these studies may not be the optimal way of assessing information processing biases related to IU. In addition, the predominantly female, largely student sample may limit the generalizability of the findings. Future research focusing on IU factors, stimulus relevance, and both explicit and implicit memory, was recommended. The potential role of cognitive avoidance on memory, information processing, and worry was explored. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Multiple-attribute group decision making with different formats of preference information on attributes.

PubMed

Xu, Zeshui

2007-12-01

Interval utility values, interval fuzzy preference relations, and interval multiplicative preference relations are three common uncertain-preference formats used by decision-makers to provide their preference information in the process of decision making under fuzziness. This paper is devoted in investigating multiple-attribute group-decision-making problems where the attribute values are not precisely known but the value ranges can be obtained, and the decision-makers provide their preference information over attributes by three different uncertain-preference formats i.e., 1) interval utility values; 2) interval fuzzy preference relations; and 3) interval multiplicative preference relations. We first utilize some functions to normalize the uncertain decision matrix and then transform it into an expected decision matrix. We establish a goal-programming model to integrate the expected decision matrix and all three different uncertain-preference formats from which the attribute weights and the overall attribute values of alternatives can be obtained. Then, we use the derived overall attribute values to get the ranking of the given alternatives and to select the best one(s). The model not only can reflect both the subjective considerations of all decision-makers and the objective information but also can avoid losing and distorting the given objective and subjective decision information in the process of information integration. Furthermore, we establish some models to solve the multiple-attribute group-decision-making problems with three different preference formats: 1) utility values; 2) fuzzy preference relations; and 3) multiplicative preference relations. Finally, we illustrate the applicability and effectiveness of the developed models with two practical examples.

Individual Differences in Dynamic Functional Brain Connectivity across the Human Lifespan.

PubMed

Davison, Elizabeth N; Turner, Benjamin O; Schlesinger, Kimberly J; Miller, Michael B; Grafton, Scott T; Bassett, Danielle S; Carlson, Jean M

2016-11-01

Individual differences in brain functional networks may be related to complex personal identifiers, including health, age, and ability. Dynamic network theory has been used to identify properties of dynamic brain function from fMRI data, but the majority of analyses and findings remain at the level of the group. Here, we apply hypergraph analysis, a method from dynamic network theory, to quantify individual differences in brain functional dynamics. Using a summary metric derived from the hypergraph formalism-hypergraph cardinality-we investigate individual variations in two separate, complementary data sets. The first data set ("multi-task") consists of 77 individuals engaging in four consecutive cognitive tasks. We observe that hypergraph cardinality exhibits variation across individuals while remaining consistent within individuals between tasks; moreover, the analysis of one of the memory tasks revealed a marginally significant correspondence between hypergraph cardinality and age. This finding motivated a similar analysis of the second data set ("age-memory"), in which 95 individuals, aged 18-75, performed a memory task with a similar structure to the multi-task memory task. With the increased age range in the age-memory data set, the correlation between hypergraph cardinality and age correspondence becomes significant. We discuss these results in the context of the well-known finding linking age with network structure, and suggest that hypergraph analysis should serve as a useful tool in furthering our understanding of the dynamic network structure of the brain.

Relative effects of plumage coloration and vegetation density on nest success

USGS Publications Warehouse

Miller, M.W.

1999-01-01

Many passerine species are highly dichromatic with brightly-colored males and cryptically-colored females. Bright plumage in males is commonly thought to arise as a result of sexual selection by females such that males with bright coloration possess high fitness. However, bright plumage potentially could expose males to increased predation risk. Consistent with this idea, males of many highly dichromatic passerine species do not incubate. I tested whether brightly-colored males avoid incubation to reduce the probability of visual predators locating their nest. This hypothesis predicts greater hatching success for clutches incubated by cryptically-colored individuals than by brightly-colored individuals. The Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) is a common dichromatic species that breeds throughout the eastern U.S. I placed two button-quail (Turnix st).) eggs in each of 203 simulated cardinal nests. Dull brown cardboard, simulating a female cardinal, was placed over about half of all clutches. Bright red cardboard, simulating a male cardinal, was placed over the other clutches. Nest success was highest for well-concealed nests (87%) and lowest for nests in open habitat (54%). Nests containing red cardboard did not have significantly lower success than nests with brown cardboard, nor did I detect a significant color X vegetation-density interaction. My analysis may have had insufficient power to detect an effect of color on nest success; alternatively, brightly-colored males that do not incubate may achieve benefits unrelated to predation risk.

Reasoning in Young Children: Fantasy and Information Retrieval.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Markovits, Henry; And Others

1996-01-01

A model of conditional reasoning predicted that children under 12 would respond correctly to questions of uncertain logical form if premises and context enabled them to access counterexamples from memory, and that children's performance with uncertain logical forms would decrease when empirically true premises are presented in a fantasy context.…

Adrenocortical and adrenomedullary homologs in eight species of adult and developing teleosts: morphology, histology, and immunohistochemistry.

PubMed

Grassi Milano, E; Basari, F; Chimenti, C

1997-12-01

Morphology, histology, and immunohistochemistry of the adrenocortical and adrenomedullary homologs (adrenal glands) of the following developing and adult teleosts were examined: Salmoniformes-Oncorhynchus mykiss (rainbow trout), Salmo trutta fario (brown trout), Coregonus lavaretus (white fish); Cyprinodontiformes-Gambusia affinis (mosquito fish). Perciformes-Dicentrarchus labrax (sea bass), Sparus aurata (sea bream), Diplodus sargus (white bream), Oblada melanura (saddled bream). The anatomical relationships of the gland with the renal system and venous vessels were also noted. In adults of all species steroidogenic and catecholaminergic chromaffin cells were found in the head kidney, which is pronephric in origin and subsequently transformed into a hematopoietic lymphatic organ. In Perciformes, chromaffin cells are distributed around the anterior and posterior cardinal veins and ducts of Cuvier; in Salmoniformes, around the posterior cardinal veins and in the hematopoietic tissue; and in G. affinis, around the ducts of Cuvier and posterior cardinal veins, while a few are visible also around the sinus venosus. In Perciformes and Salmoniformes, numerous chromaffin cells are also present in the posterior kidney, derived from the opisthonephros, in contact with the caudal vein. Steroidogenic cells are always confined to the head kidney. During development chromaffin and steroidogenic cells appear early after hatching in the pronephric kidney, at the level of the ducts of Cuvier and of the cephalic part of the posterior cardinal veins. Later, chromaffin cells in Perciformes reach the anterior cardinal veins, and subsequently, in both Perciformes and Salmoniformes, they reach the developing posterior kidney. Their localization along the posterior kidney is still in progress about 4 months after hatching and is completed about a year after hatching. These findings support the concept that the structure of the adrenal gland in teleosts is intermediate between that of the other actinopterygians and that of tetrapods. The development differs from that of tetrapods in that it occurs mainly in the pronephros and only later do chromaffin cells reach the opisthonephric kidney. Copyright 1997 Academic Press.

Sources of variation in plasma corticosterone and dehydroepiandrosterone in the male northern cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis): II. Effects of urbanization, food supplementation and social stress.

PubMed

Wright, Sarah; Fokidis, H Bobby

2016-09-01

Perturbations in an organism's environment can induce significant shifts in hormone secretory patterns. In this context, the glucocorticoid (GC) steroids secreted by the adrenal cortex have received much attention from ecologists and behaviorists due to their role in the vertebrate stress response. Adrenal GCs, such as corticosterone (CORT), are highly responsive to instability in environmental and social conditions. However, little is understood about how adrenal dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) is influenced by changing conditions. We conducted field experiments to determine how circulating CORT and DHEA vary during restraint stress in the male northern cardinals (Cardinalis cardinalis). Specifically, we examined how four different changes in the physical (urbanization and food availability) and social (territorial conflict, distress of a mate) environment affect CORT and DHEA levels. The majority of cardinals responded to restraint stress by increasing and decreasing CORT and DHEA, respectively, however this depended on sampling context. Cardinals sampled from urban habitats had both lower initial and restraint stress CORT concentrations, but a comparable DHEA pattern to those sampled from a forest. Supplementing food to territorial males did not alter circulating initial DHEA or CORT concentrations nor did it change the response to restraint stress when compared to unsupplemented controls. Exposing cardinals to varying durations of song playback, which mimics a territorial intrusion, did not affect CORT levels, but did attenuate the DHEA response to restraint stress. Examining a larger dataset of males captured before, after or at the same time as their female mate, allowed us to address how the stress of a captured mate affected the male's CORT and DHEA response. Males showed elevated initial and restraint CORT and DHEA when their female mate was captured first. Taken together, these data demonstrate that both CORT and DHEA secretion patterns depends on environmental, and particularly current social conditions. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Overcoming Learning Aversion in Evaluating and Managing Uncertain Risks.

PubMed

Cox, Louis Anthony Tony

2015-10-01

Decision biases can distort cost-benefit evaluations of uncertain risks, leading to risk management policy decisions with predictably high retrospective regret. We argue that well-documented decision biases encourage learning aversion, or predictably suboptimal learning and premature decision making in the face of high uncertainty about the costs, risks, and benefits of proposed changes. Biases such as narrow framing, overconfidence, confirmation bias, optimism bias, ambiguity aversion, and hyperbolic discounting of the immediate costs and delayed benefits of learning, contribute to deficient individual and group learning, avoidance of information seeking, underestimation of the value of further information, and hence needlessly inaccurate risk-cost-benefit estimates and suboptimal risk management decisions. In practice, such biases can create predictable regret in selection of potential risk-reducing regulations. Low-regret learning strategies based on computational reinforcement learning models can potentially overcome some of these suboptimal decision processes by replacing aversion to uncertain probabilities with actions calculated to balance exploration (deliberate experimentation and uncertainty reduction) and exploitation (taking actions to maximize the sum of expected immediate reward, expected discounted future reward, and value of information). We discuss the proposed framework for understanding and overcoming learning aversion and for implementing low-regret learning strategies using regulation of air pollutants with uncertain health effects as an example. © 2015 Society for Risk Analysis.

A new hypervolume approach for assessing environmental risks

Treesearch

Denys Yemshanov; Frank H. Koch; Bo Lu; Ronald Fournier; Gericke Cook; Jean J. Turgeon

2017-01-01

Assessing risks of uncertain but potentially damaging events, such as environmental disturbances, disease outbreaks and pest invasions, is a key analytical step that informs subsequent decisions about how to respond to these events. We present a continuous risk measure that can be used to assess and prioritize environmental risks from uncertain data in a geographical...

Spontaneous Emergence of Legibility in Writing Systems: The Case of Orientation Anisotropy.

PubMed

Morin, Olivier

2018-03-01

Cultural forms are constrained by cognitive biases, and writing is thought to have evolved to fit basic visual preferences, but little is known about the history and mechanisms of that evolution. Cognitive constraints have been documented for the topology of script features, but not for their orientation. Orientation anisotropy in human vision, as revealed by the oblique effect, suggests that cardinal (vertical and horizontal) orientations, being easier to process, should be overrepresented in letters. As this study of 116 scripts shows, the orientation of strokes inside written characters massively favors cardinal directions, and it is organized in such a way as to make letter recognition easier: Cardinal and oblique strokes tend not to mix, and mirror symmetry is anisotropic, favoring vertical over horizontal symmetry. Phylogenetic analyses and recently invented scripts show that cultural evolution over the last three millennia cannot be the sole cause of these effects. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Cognitive Science published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of Cognitive Science Society.

Generalization of some hidden subgroup algorithms for input sets of arbitrary size

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Poslu, Damla; Say, A. C. Cem

2006-05-01

We consider the problem of generalizing some quantum algorithms so that they will work on input domains whose cardinalities are not necessarily powers of two. When analyzing the algorithms we assume that generating superpositions of arbitrary subsets of basis states whose cardinalities are not necessarily powers of two perfectly is possible. We have taken Ballhysa's model as a template and have extended it to Chi, Kim and Lee's generalizations of the Deutsch-Jozsa algorithm and to Simon's algorithm. With perfectly equal superpositions of input sets of arbitrary size, Chi, Kim and Lee's generalized Deutsch-Jozsa algorithms, both for evenly-distributed and evenly-balanced functions, worked with one-sided error property. For Simon's algorithm the success probability of the generalized algorithm is the same as that of the original for input sets of arbitrary cardinalities with equiprobable superpositions, since the property that the measured strings are all those which have dot product zero with the string we search, for the case where the function is 2-to-1, is not lost.

Rivals in the dark: how competition influences search in decisions under uncertainty.

PubMed

Phillips, Nathaniel D; Hertwig, Ralph; Kareev, Yaakov; Avrahami, Judith

2014-10-01

In choices between uncertain options, information search can increase the chances of distinguishing good from bad options. However, many choices are made in the presence of other choosers who may seize the better option while one is still engaged in search. How long do (and should) people search before choosing between uncertain options in the presence of such competition? To address this question, we introduce a new experimental paradigm called the competitive sampling game. We use both simulation and empirical data to compare search and choice between competitive and solitary environments. Simulation results show that minimal search is adaptive when one expects competitors to choose quickly or is uncertain about how long competitors will search. Descriptively, we observe that competition drastically reduces information search prior to choice. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Fuzzy Stochastic Petri Nets for Modeling Biological Systems with Uncertain Kinetic Parameters

PubMed Central

Liu, Fei; Heiner, Monika; Yang, Ming

2016-01-01

Stochastic Petri nets (SPNs) have been widely used to model randomness which is an inherent feature of biological systems. However, for many biological systems, some kinetic parameters may be uncertain due to incomplete, vague or missing kinetic data (often called fuzzy uncertainty), or naturally vary, e.g., between different individuals, experimental conditions, etc. (often called variability), which has prevented a wider application of SPNs that require accurate parameters. Considering the strength of fuzzy sets to deal with uncertain information, we apply a specific type of stochastic Petri nets, fuzzy stochastic Petri nets (FSPNs), to model and analyze biological systems with uncertain kinetic parameters. FSPNs combine SPNs and fuzzy sets, thereby taking into account both randomness and fuzziness of biological systems. For a biological system, SPNs model the randomness, while fuzzy sets model kinetic parameters with fuzzy uncertainty or variability by associating each parameter with a fuzzy number instead of a crisp real value. We introduce a simulation-based analysis method for FSPNs to explore the uncertainties of outputs resulting from the uncertainties associated with input parameters, which works equally well for bounded and unbounded models. We illustrate our approach using a yeast polarization model having an infinite state space, which shows the appropriateness of FSPNs in combination with simulation-based analysis for modeling and analyzing biological systems with uncertain information. PMID:26910830

Sensor Data Fusion with Z-Numbers and Its Application in Fault Diagnosis

PubMed Central

Jiang, Wen; Xie, Chunhe; Zhuang, Miaoyan; Shou, Yehang; Tang, Yongchuan

2016-01-01

Sensor data fusion technology is widely employed in fault diagnosis. The information in a sensor data fusion system is characterized by not only fuzziness, but also partial reliability. Uncertain information of sensors, including randomness, fuzziness, etc., has been extensively studied recently. However, the reliability of a sensor is often overlooked or cannot be analyzed adequately. A Z-number, Z = (A, B), can represent the fuzziness and the reliability of information simultaneously, where the first component A represents a fuzzy restriction on the values of uncertain variables and the second component B is a measure of the reliability of A. In order to model and process the uncertainties in a sensor data fusion system reasonably, in this paper, a novel method combining the Z-number and Dempster–Shafer (D-S) evidence theory is proposed, where the Z-number is used to model the fuzziness and reliability of the sensor data and the D-S evidence theory is used to fuse the uncertain information of Z-numbers. The main advantages of the proposed method are that it provides a more robust measure of reliability to the sensor data, and the complementary information of multi-sensors reduces the uncertainty of the fault recognition, thus enhancing the reliability of fault detection. PMID:27649193

The influence of carotenoid acquisition and utilization on the maintenance of species-typical plumage pigmentation in male American goldfinches (Carduelis tristis) and northern cardinals (Cardinalis cardinalis).

PubMed

McGraw, K J; Hill, G E; Stradi, R; Parker, R S

2001-01-01

Birds display a tremendous variety of carotenoid-based colors in their plumage, but the mechanisms underlying interspecific variability in carotenoid pigmentation remain poorly understood. Because vertebrates cannot synthesize carotenoids de novo, access to pigments in the diet is one proximate factor that may shape species differences in carotenoid-based plumage coloration. However, some birds metabolize ingested carotenoids and deposit pigments that differ in color from their dietary precursors, indicating that metabolic capabilities may also contribute to the diversity of plumage colors we see in nature. In this study, we investigated how the acquisition and utilization of carotenoids influence the maintenance of species-typical plumage pigmentation in male American goldfinches (Carduelis tristis) and northern cardinals (Cardinalis cardinalis). We supplemented the diet of captive goldfinches with red carotenoids to determine whether males, which are typically yellow in color, were capable of growing red plumage. We also deprived cardinals of red dietary pigments to determine whether they could manufacture red carotenoids from yellow precursors to grow species-typical red plumage. We found that American goldfinches were able to deposit novel pigments in their plumage and develop a striking orange appearance. Thus, dietary access to pigments plays a role in determining the degree to which goldfinches express carotenoid-based plumage coloration. We also found that northern cardinals grew pale red feathers in the absence of red dietary pigments, indicating that their ability to metabolize yellow carotenoids in the diet contributes to the bright red plumage that they display.

Evaluation of subset matching methods and forms of covariate balance.

PubMed

de Los Angeles Resa, María; Zubizarreta, José R

2016-11-30

This paper conducts a Monte Carlo simulation study to evaluate the performance of multivariate matching methods that select a subset of treatment and control observations. The matching methods studied are the widely used nearest neighbor matching with propensity score calipers and the more recently proposed methods, optimal matching of an optimally chosen subset and optimal cardinality matching. The main findings are: (i) covariate balance, as measured by differences in means, variance ratios, Kolmogorov-Smirnov distances, and cross-match test statistics, is better with cardinality matching because by construction it satisfies balance requirements; (ii) for given levels of covariate balance, the matched samples are larger with cardinality matching than with the other methods; (iii) in terms of covariate distances, optimal subset matching performs best; (iv) treatment effect estimates from cardinality matching have lower root-mean-square errors, provided strong requirements for balance, specifically, fine balance, or strength-k balance, plus close mean balance. In standard practice, a matched sample is considered to be balanced if the absolute differences in means of the covariates across treatment groups are smaller than 0.1 standard deviations. However, the simulation results suggest that stronger forms of balance should be pursued in order to remove systematic biases due to observed covariates when a difference in means treatment effect estimator is used. In particular, if the true outcome model is additive, then marginal distributions should be balanced, and if the true outcome model is additive with interactions, then low-dimensional joints should be balanced. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Approximate number word knowledge before the cardinal principle.

PubMed

Gunderson, Elizabeth A; Spaepen, Elizabet; Levine, Susan C

2015-02-01

Approximate number word knowledge-understanding the relation between the count words and the approximate magnitudes of sets-is a critical piece of knowledge that predicts later math achievement. However, researchers disagree about when children first show evidence of approximate number word knowledge-before, or only after, they have learned the cardinal principle. In two studies, children who had not yet learned the cardinal principle (subset-knowers) produced sets in response to number words (verbal comprehension task) and produced number words in response to set sizes (verbal production task). As evidence of approximate number word knowledge, we examined whether children's numerical responses increased with increasing numerosity of the stimulus. In Study 1, subset-knowers (ages 3.0-4.2 years) showed approximate number word knowledge above their knower-level on both tasks, but this effect did not extend to numbers above 4. In Study 2, we collected data from a broader age range of subset-knowers (ages 3.1-5.6 years). In this sample, children showed approximate number word knowledge on the verbal production task even when only examining set sizes above 4. Across studies, children's age predicted approximate number word knowledge (above 4) on the verbal production task when controlling for their knower-level, study (1 or 2), and parents' education, none of which predicted approximation ability. Thus, children can develop approximate knowledge of number words up to 10 before learning the cardinal principle. Furthermore, approximate number word knowledge increases with age and might not be closely related to the development of exact number word knowledge. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Induced and evoked neural correlates of orientation selectivity in human visual cortex.

PubMed

Koelewijn, Loes; Dumont, Julie R; Muthukumaraswamy, Suresh D; Rich, Anina N; Singh, Krish D

2011-02-14

Orientation discrimination is much better for patterns oriented along the horizontal or vertical (cardinal) axes than for patterns oriented obliquely, but the neural basis for this is not known. Previous animal neurophysiology and human neuroimaging studies have demonstrated only a moderate bias for cardinal versus oblique orientations, with fMRI showing a larger response to cardinals in primary visual cortex (V1) and EEG demonstrating both increased magnitudes and reduced latencies of transient evoked responses. Here, using MEG, we localised and characterised induced gamma and transient evoked responses to stationary circular grating patches of three orientations (0, 45, and 90° from vertical). Surprisingly, we found that the sustained gamma response was larger for oblique, compared to cardinal, stimuli. This "inverse oblique effect" was also observed in the earliest (80 ms) evoked response, whereas later responses (120 ms) showed a trend towards the reverse, "classic", oblique response. Source localisation demonstrated that the sustained gamma and early evoked responses were localised to medial visual cortex, whilst the later evoked responses came from both this early visual area and a source in a more inferolateral extrastriate region. These results suggest that (1) the early evoked and sustained gamma responses manifest the initial tuning of V1 neurons, with the stronger response to oblique stimuli possibly reflecting increased tuning widths for these orientations, and (2) the classic behavioural oblique effect is mediated by an extrastriate cortical area and may also implicate feedback from extrastriate to primary visual cortex. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Phylogenetic rooting using minimal ancestor deviation.

PubMed

Tria, Fernando Domingues Kümmel; Landan, Giddy; Dagan, Tal

2017-06-19

Ancestor-descendent relations play a cardinal role in evolutionary theory. Those relations are determined by rooting phylogenetic trees. Existing rooting methods are hampered by evolutionary rate heterogeneity or the unavailability of auxiliary phylogenetic information. Here we present a rooting approach, the minimal ancestor deviation (MAD) method, which accommodates heterotachy by using all pairwise topological and metric information in unrooted trees. We demonstrate the performance of the method, in comparison to existing rooting methods, by the analysis of phylogenies from eukaryotes and prokaryotes. MAD correctly recovers the known root of eukaryotes and uncovers evidence for the origin of cyanobacteria in the ocean. MAD is more robust and consistent than existing methods, provides measures of the root inference quality and is applicable to any tree with branch lengths.

An evaluation of exact methods for the multiple subset maximum cardinality selection problem.

PubMed

Brusco, Michael J; Köhn, Hans-Friedrich; Steinley, Douglas

2016-05-01

The maximum cardinality subset selection problem requires finding the largest possible subset from a set of objects, such that one or more conditions are satisfied. An important extension of this problem is to extract multiple subsets, where the addition of one more object to a larger subset would always be preferred to increases in the size of one or more smaller subsets. We refer to this as the multiple subset maximum cardinality selection problem (MSMCSP). A recently published branch-and-bound algorithm solves the MSMCSP as a partitioning problem. Unfortunately, the computational requirement associated with the algorithm is often enormous, thus rendering the method infeasible from a practical standpoint. In this paper, we present an alternative approach that successively solves a series of binary integer linear programs to obtain a globally optimal solution to the MSMCSP. Computational comparisons of the methods using published similarity data for 45 food items reveal that the proposed sequential method is computationally far more efficient than the branch-and-bound approach. © 2016 The British Psychological Society.

Kindergartners’ Fluent Processing of Symbolic Numerical Magnitude is Predicted by Their Cardinal Knowledge and Implicit Understanding of Arithmetic Two Years Earlier

PubMed Central

Moore, Alex M.; vanMarle, Kristy; Geary, David C.

2016-01-01

Fluency in first graders’ processing of the magnitudes associated with Arabic numerals, collections of objects, and mixtures of objects and numerals predicts current and future mathematics achievement. The quantitative competencies that support the development of fluent processing of magnitude are not fully understood, however. At the beginning and end of preschool (M = 3 years, 9 months at first assessment; range 3 years, 3 months to 4years, 3 months), 112 (51 boys) children completed tasks measuring numeral recognition and comparison, acuity of the approximate number system, and knowledge of counting principles, cardinality, and implicit arithmetic, and completed a magnitude processing task (number sets test) in kindergarten. Use of Bayesian and linear regression techniques revealed that two measures of preschoolers’ cardinal knowledge and their competence at implicit arithmetic predicted later fluency of magnitude processing, controlling domain general factors, preliteracy skills, and parental education. The results help to narrow the search for the early foundation of children’s emerging competence with symbolic mathematics and provide direction for early interventions. PMID:27236038

Kindergartners' fluent processing of symbolic numerical magnitude is predicted by their cardinal knowledge and implicit understanding of arithmetic 2years earlier.

PubMed

Moore, Alex M; vanMarle, Kristy; Geary, David C

2016-10-01

Fluency in first graders' processing of the magnitudes associated with Arabic numerals, collections of objects, and mixtures of objects and numerals predicts current and future mathematics achievement. The quantitative competencies that support the development of fluent processing of magnitude, however, are not fully understood. At the beginning and end of preschool (M=3years 9months at first assessment, range=3years 3months to 4years 3months), 112 children (51 boys) completed tasks measuring numeral recognition and comparison, acuity of the approximate number system, and knowledge of counting principles, cardinality, and implicit arithmetic and also completed a magnitude processing task (number sets test) in kindergarten. Use of Bayesian and linear regression techniques revealed that two measures of preschoolers' cardinal knowledge and their competence at implicit arithmetic predicted later fluency of magnitude processing, controlling domain-general factors, preliteracy skills, and parental education. The results help to narrow the search for the early foundation of children's emerging competence with symbolic mathematics and provide direction for early interventions. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Neural foundations and functional specificity of number representations.

PubMed

Piazza, Manuela; Eger, Evelyn

2016-03-01

Number is a complex category, as with the word "number" we may refer to different entities. First, it is a perceptual property that characterizes any set of individual items, namely its cardinality. The ability to extract the (approximate) cardinality of sets is almost universal in the animal domain and present in humans since birth. In primates, posterior parietal cortex seems to be a crucial site for this ability, even if the degree of selectivity of numerical representations in parietal cortex reported to date appears much lower compared to that of other semantic categories in the ventral stream. Number can also be intended as a mathematical object, which we humans use to count, measure, and order: a (verbal or visual) symbol that stands for the cardinality of a set, the intensity of a continuous quantity or the position of an item on a list. Evidence points to a convergence towards parietal cortex for the semantic coding of numerical symbols and to the bilateral occipitotemporal cortex for the shape coding of Arabic digits and other number symbols. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Strategies for Selecting Routes through Real-World Environments: Relative Topography, Initial Route Straightness, and Cardinal Direction

PubMed Central

Brunyé, Tad T.; Collier, Zachary A.; Cantelon, Julie; Holmes, Amanda; Wood, Matthew D.; Linkov, Igor; Taylor, Holly A.

2015-01-01

Previous research has demonstrated that route planners use several reliable strategies for selecting between alternate routes. Strategies include selecting straight rather than winding routes leaving an origin, selecting generally south- rather than north-going routes, and selecting routes that avoid traversal of complex topography. The contribution of this paper is characterizing the relative influence and potential interactions of these strategies. We also examine whether individual differences would predict any strategy reliance. Results showed evidence for independent and additive influences of all three strategies, with a strong influence of topography and initial segment straightness, and relatively weak influence of cardinal direction. Additively, routes were also disproportionately selected when they traversed relatively flat regions, had relatively straight initial segments, and went generally south rather than north. Two individual differences, extraversion and sense of direction, predicted the extent of some effects. Under real-world conditions navigators indeed consider a route’s initial straightness, cardinal direction, and topography, but these cues differ in relative influence and vary in their application across individuals. PMID:25992685

Adult Hippocampal Neurogenesis, Fear Generalization, and Stress

PubMed Central

Besnard, Antoine; Sahay, Amar

2016-01-01

The generalization of fear is an adaptive, behavioral, and physiological response to the likelihood of threat in the environment. In contrast, the overgeneralization of fear, a cardinal feature of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), manifests as inappropriate, uncontrollable expression of fear in neutral and safe environments. Overgeneralization of fear stems from impaired discrimination of safe from aversive environments or discernment of unlikely threats from those that are highly probable. In addition, the time-dependent erosion of episodic details of traumatic memories might contribute to their generalization. Understanding the neural mechanisms underlying the overgeneralization of fear will guide development of novel therapeutic strategies to combat PTSD. Here, we conceptualize generalization of fear in terms of resolution of interference between similar memories. We propose a role for a fundamental encoding mechanism, pattern separation, in the dentate gyrus (DG)–CA3 circuit in resolving interference between ambiguous or uncertain threats and in preserving episodic content of remote aversive memories in hippocampal–cortical networks. We invoke cellular-, circuit-, and systems-based mechanisms by which adult-born dentate granule cells (DGCs) modulate pattern separation to influence resolution of interference and maintain precision of remote aversive memories. We discuss evidence for how these mechanisms are affected by stress, a risk factor for PTSD, to increase memory interference and decrease precision. Using this scaffold we ideate strategies to curb overgeneralization of fear in PTSD. PMID:26068726

Estimating Health-State Utility for Economic Models in Clinical Studies: An ISPOR Good Research Practices Task Force Report.

PubMed

Wolowacz, Sorrel E; Briggs, Andrew; Belozeroff, Vasily; Clarke, Philip; Doward, Lynda; Goeree, Ron; Lloyd, Andrew; Norman, Richard

Cost-utility models are increasingly used in many countries to establish whether the cost of a new intervention can be justified in terms of health benefits. Health-state utility (HSU) estimates (the preference for a given state of health on a cardinal scale where 0 represents dead and 1 represents full health) are typically among the most important and uncertain data inputs in cost-utility models. Clinical trials represent an important opportunity for the collection of health-utility data. However, trials designed primarily to evaluate efficacy and safety often present challenges to the optimal collection of HSU estimates for economic models. Careful planning is needed to determine which of the HSU estimates may be measured in planned trials; to establish the optimal methodology; and to plan any additional studies needed. This report aimed to provide a framework for researchers to plan the collection of health-utility data in clinical studies to provide high-quality HSU estimates for economic modeling. Recommendations are made for early planning of health-utility data collection within a research and development program; design of health-utility data collection during protocol development for a planned clinical trial; design of prospective and cross-sectional observational studies and alternative study types; and statistical analyses and reporting. Copyright © 2016 International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research (ISPOR). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Imaging polarimetry in patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration

PubMed Central

Elsner, Ann E.; Weber, Anke; Cheney, Michael C.; VanNasdale, Dean A.; Miura, Masahiro

2007-01-01

Imaging polarimetry was used to examine different components of neovascular membranes in age-related macular degeneration. Retinal images were acquired with a scanning laser polarimeter. An innovative pseudo-color scale, based on cardinal directions of color, displayed two types of image information: relative phases and magnitudes of birefringence. Membranes had relative phase changes that did not correspond to anatomical structures in reflectance images. Further, membrane borders in depolarized light images had significantly higher contrasts than those in reflectance images. The retinal birefringence in neovascular membranes indicates optical activity consistent with molecular changes rather than merely geometrical changes. PMID:17429494

Feature reliability determines specificity and transfer of perceptual learning in orientation search.

PubMed

Yashar, Amit; Denison, Rachel N

2017-12-01

Training can modify the visual system to produce a substantial improvement on perceptual tasks and therefore has applications for treating visual deficits. Visual perceptual learning (VPL) is often specific to the trained feature, which gives insight into processes underlying brain plasticity, but limits VPL's effectiveness in rehabilitation. Under what circumstances VPL transfers to untrained stimuli is poorly understood. Here we report a qualitatively new phenomenon: intrinsic variation in the representation of features determines the transfer of VPL. Orientations around cardinal are represented more reliably than orientations around oblique in V1, which has been linked to behavioral consequences such as visual search asymmetries. We studied VPL for visual search of near-cardinal or oblique targets among distractors of the other orientation while controlling for other display and task attributes, including task precision, task difficulty, and stimulus exposure. Learning was the same in all training conditions; however, transfer depended on the orientation of the target, with full transfer of learning from near-cardinal to oblique targets but not the reverse. To evaluate the idea that representational reliability was the key difference between the orientations in determining VPL transfer, we created a model that combined orientation-dependent reliability, improvement of reliability with learning, and an optimal search strategy. Modeling suggested that not only search asymmetries but also the asymmetric transfer of VPL depended on preexisting differences between the reliability of near-cardinal and oblique representations. Transfer asymmetries in model behavior also depended on having different learning rates for targets and distractors, such that greater learning for low-reliability distractors facilitated transfer. These findings suggest that training on sensory features with intrinsically low reliability may maximize the generalizability of learning in complex visual environments.

Metabolizable energy in Chinese tallow fruit for Yellow-rumped Warblers, Northern Cardinals, and American Robins

USGS Publications Warehouse

Baldwin, M.J.; Barrow, W.C.; Jeske, C.; Rohwer, F.C.

2008-01-01

The invasive exotic Chinese tallow tree (Triadica sebifera) produces an abundant fruit crop, which is primarily bird-dispersed. The fruit pulp of tallow is lipid-rich, high in saturated fatty acids, and consumed by many bird species. Long-chained fatty acids can be difficult for many birds to digest and we investigated the ability of tallow consumers to assimilate energy in the pulp. We used the total collection method and compared apparent metabolizable energy (AME) of tallow fruit for three species of birds with differing fruit composition in their natural diets. All birds exhibited nitrogen deficits and lost body mass during the trials. Northern Cardinals (Cardinalis cardinalis) lost more mass (8.73%/day) than Yellow-rumped Warblers (Dendroica coronata) (5.29%/day) and American Robins (Turdus migratorius) (5.48%/day), and had larger nitrogen deficits (-120.1 mg N/g diet) than both species as well (-36.4 mg N/g diet and -68.9 mg N/g diet, respectively). Food intake relative to metabolic body mass was highest in Yellow-rumped Warblers (0.70 g-dry/g 0.75??day). Northern Cardinal and American Robin food intake was lower and did not differ from each other (both species: 0.13 g-dry/g 0.75??day). Nitrogen corrected values of AME were used to make species comparisons. Yellow-rumped-Warblers exhibited the highest values of AME (30.00 kJ/g), followed by American Robins (23.90 kJ/g), and Northern Cardinals (14.34 kJ/g). We suggest tallow may be an important winter food source for Yellow-rumped Warblers where their ranges overlap.

Progression of motor and nonmotor features of Parkinson's disease and their response to treatment

PubMed Central

Vu, Thuy C.; Nutt, John G.; Holford, Nicholas H. G.

2012-01-01

AIMS (i) To describe the progression of the cardinal features of Parkinson's disease (PD); (ii) to investigate whether baseline PD subtypes explain disease progression; and (iii) to quantify the symptomatic and disease-modifying effects of anti-parkinsonian treatments. METHODS Data were available for 795 PD subjects, initially untreated, followed for up to 8 years. Cardinal features [tremor, rigidity, bradykinesia, and postural instability and gait disorder (PIGD)] were derived from the total unified Parkinson's disease rating scale (total UPDRS), cognitive status from the mini-mental status exam score (MMSE) and depression status from the Hamilton depression scale (HAM-D). Analysis was performed using a nonlinear mixed effects approach with an asymptotic model for natural disease progression. Treatment effects (i.e. symptomatic and disease modifying) were evaluated by describing changes in the natural history model parameters. RESULTS Tremor progressed more slowly (half-time of 3.9 years) than all other motor features (half-time 2–3 years). The MMSE progression was negligible, while HAM-D progressed with a half-time of 5 years. Levodopa had marked symptomatic effects on all features, but low potency for effect on PIGD (ED50 of 1237 mg day−1 compared with 7–24 mg day−1 for other motor and nonmotor features). Other anti-parkinsonian treatments had much smaller symptomatic effects. All treatments had disease-modifying effects on the cardinal features of PD. Baseline PD subtypes only explained small differences in disease progression. CONCLUSIONS This analysis indicates that tremor progresses more slowly than other cardinal features and that PIGD is less treatment responsive in early PD patients. There was no evidence of baseline PD subtypes as a clinically useful predictor of disease progression rate. Anti-parkinsonian treatments have symptomatic and disease-modifying effects on all major features of PD. PMID:22283961

Feature reliability determines specificity and transfer of perceptual learning in orientation search

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

Training can modify the visual system to produce a substantial improvement on perceptual tasks and therefore has applications for treating visual deficits. Visual perceptual learning (VPL) is often specific to the trained feature, which gives insight into processes underlying brain plasticity, but limits VPL’s effectiveness in rehabilitation. Under what circumstances VPL transfers to untrained stimuli is poorly understood. Here we report a qualitatively new phenomenon: intrinsic variation in the representation of features determines the transfer of VPL. Orientations around cardinal are represented more reliably than orientations around oblique in V1, which has been linked to behavioral consequences such as visual search asymmetries. We studied VPL for visual search of near-cardinal or oblique targets among distractors of the other orientation while controlling for other display and task attributes, including task precision, task difficulty, and stimulus exposure. Learning was the same in all training conditions; however, transfer depended on the orientation of the target, with full transfer of learning from near-cardinal to oblique targets but not the reverse. To evaluate the idea that representational reliability was the key difference between the orientations in determining VPL transfer, we created a model that combined orientation-dependent reliability, improvement of reliability with learning, and an optimal search strategy. Modeling suggested that not only search asymmetries but also the asymmetric transfer of VPL depended on preexisting differences between the reliability of near-cardinal and oblique representations. Transfer asymmetries in model behavior also depended on having different learning rates for targets and distractors, such that greater learning for low-reliability distractors facilitated transfer. These findings suggest that training on sensory features with intrinsically low reliability may maximize the generalizability of learning in complex visual environments. PMID:29240813

Adaptive identifier for uncertain complex nonlinear systems based on continuous neural networks.

PubMed

Alfaro-Ponce, Mariel; Cruz, Amadeo Argüelles; Chairez, Isaac

2014-03-01

This paper presents the design of a complex-valued differential neural network identifier for uncertain nonlinear systems defined in the complex domain. This design includes the construction of an adaptive algorithm to adjust the parameters included in the identifier. The algorithm is obtained based on a special class of controlled Lyapunov functions. The quality of the identification process is characterized using the practical stability framework. Indeed, the region where the identification error converges is derived by the same Lyapunov method. This zone is defined by the power of uncertainties and perturbations affecting the complex-valued uncertain dynamics. Moreover, this convergence zone is reduced to its lowest possible value using ideas related to the so-called ellipsoid methodology. Two simple but informative numerical examples are developed to show how the identifier proposed in this paper can be used to approximate uncertain nonlinear systems valued in the complex domain.

Pigmentary retinopathy due to Bardet-Biedl syndrome: case report and literature review.

PubMed

Andrade, Luis Jesuino de Oliveira; Andrade, Rafael; França, Caroline Santos; Bittencourt, Alcina Vinhaes

2009-01-01

Bardet-Biedl syndrome (BBS) is a rare autosomal recessive disorder with clinical and genetic heterogeneity. This syndrome was first described by Laurence and Moon in 1866 and additional cases were described by Bardet and Biedl between 1920 and 1922. The main features are obesity, polydactyly, pigmentary retinopathy, learning disabilities, various degrees of intellectual impairment, hypogonadism, and renal abnormalities. Bardet-Biedl syndrome is both phenotypically and genetically heterogeneous. Clinical diagnosis is based on the presence of 4 of the 5 cardinal features. The authors present a typical case of pigmentary retinopathy due to Bardet-Biedl syndrome and made a brief commentary about the disease's cardinal manifestations.

Fast Boundary Element Method for acoustics with the Sparse Cardinal Sine Decomposition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alouges, François; Aussal, Matthieu; Parolin, Emile

2017-07-01

This paper presents the newly proposed method Sparse Cardinal Sine Decomposition that allows fast convolution on unstructured grids. We focus on its use when coupled with finite element techniques to solve acoustic problems with the (compressed) Boundary Element Method. In addition, we also compare the computational performances of two equivalent Matlab® and Python implementations of the method. We show validation test cases in order to assess the precision of the approach. Eventually, the performance of the method is illustrated by the computation of the acoustic target strength of a realistic submarine from the Benchmark Target Strength Simulation international workshop.

In-Network Processing of an Iceberg Join Query in Wireless Sensor Networks Based on 2-Way Fragment Semijoins

PubMed Central

Kang, Hyunchul

2015-01-01

We investigate the in-network processing of an iceberg join query in wireless sensor networks (WSNs). An iceberg join is a special type of join where only those joined tuples whose cardinality exceeds a certain threshold (called iceberg threshold) are qualified for the result. Processing such a join involves the value matching for the join predicate as well as the checking of the cardinality constraint for the iceberg threshold. In the previous scheme, the value matching is carried out as the main task for filtering non-joinable tuples while the iceberg threshold is treated as an additional constraint. We take an alternative approach, meeting the cardinality constraint first and matching values next. In this approach, with a logical fragmentation of the join operand relations on the aggregate counts of the joining attribute values, the optimal sequence of 2-way fragment semijoins is generated, where each fragment semijoin employs a Bloom filter as a synopsis of the joining attribute values. This sequence filters non-joinable tuples in an energy-efficient way in WSNs. Through implementation and a set of detailed experiments, we show that our alternative approach considerably outperforms the previous one. PMID:25774710

Organochlorine chemical residues in Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) eggs from Greater Washington, DC USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Schmitt, Christopher J.; Echols, Kathy R.; Peterman, Paul; Orazio, Carl; Grimm, Christiana; Tan, Shirlee; Diggs, Nora E.; Marra, Peter P.

2018-01-01

Northern Cardinal eggs from six neighborhoods near Washington DC were analyzed for organochlorine pesticides and PCBs. All compounds were detected more frequently and at higher concentrations in more heavily urbanized neighborhoods. DDT (mostly as p,pʹ-DDE) was detected in all neighborhoods. p,pʹ-DDT was typically 0.5‒16 ng/g (ww) in most suburban neighborhoods but was not detected (< 0.1 ng/g) in more rural areas; however, p,pʹ-DDT was 127‒1130 ng/g in eggs from two suburban Maryland nests and comprised 65.7% of total p,pʹ-DDT isomers in the most contaminated sample, indicating recent exposure to un-weathered DDT. Total chlordane (sum of 5 compounds) was 2‒70 ng/g; concentrations were greatest in older suburban neighborhoods. Total PCB (sum of detected congeners) was < 5‒21 ng/g. Congener patterns were similar in all neighborhoods and resembled those typical of weathered mixtures. Results indicate that wildlife remains exposed to low concentrations of legacy contaminants in suburban neighborhoods and that cardinal eggs can be used to monitor localized contamination.

Redundancy reduction explains the expansion of visual direction space around the cardinal axes.

PubMed

Perrone, John A; Liston, Dorion B

2015-06-01

Motion direction discrimination in humans is worse for oblique directions than for the cardinal directions (the oblique effect). For some unknown reason, the human visual system makes systematic errors in the estimation of particular motion directions; a direction displacement near a cardinal axis appears larger than it really is whereas the same displacement near an oblique axis appears to be smaller. Although the perceptual effects are robust and are clearly measurable in smooth pursuit eye movements, all attempts to identify the neural underpinnings for the oblique effect have failed. Here we show that a model of image velocity estimation based on the known properties of neurons in primary visual cortex (V1) and the middle temporal (MT) visual area of the primate brain produces the oblique effect. We also provide an explanation for the unusual asymmetric patterns of inhibition that have been found surrounding MT neurons. These patterns are consistent with a mechanism within the visual system that prevents redundant velocity signals from being passed onto the next motion-integration stage, (dorsal Medial superior temporal, MSTd). We show that model redundancy-reduction mechanisms within the MT-MSTd pathway produce the oblique effect. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Resilience in mathematics after early brain injury: The roles of parental input and early plasticity.

PubMed

Glenn, Dana E; Demir-Lira, Özlem Ece; Gibson, Dominic J; Congdon, Eliza L; Levine, Susan C

2018-04-01

Children with early focal unilateral brain injury show remarkable plasticity in language development. However, little is known about how early brain injury influences mathematical learning. Here, we examine early number understanding, comparing cardinal number knowledge of typically developing children (TD) and children with pre- and perinatal lesions (BI) between 42 and 50 months of age. We also examine how this knowledge relates to the number words children hear from their primary caregivers early in life. We find that children with BI, are, on average, slightly behind TD children in both cardinal number knowledge and later mathematical performance, and show slightly slower learning rates than TD children in cardinal number knowledge during the preschool years. We also find that parents' "number talk" to their toddlers predicts later mathematical ability for both TD children and children with BI. These findings suggest a relatively optimistic story in which neural plasticity is at play in children's mathematical development following early brain injury. Further, the effects of early number input suggest that intervening to enrich the number talk that children with BI hear during the preschool years could narrow the math achievement gap. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Three saints with deformed extremities in an Italian Renaissance altarpiece.

PubMed

Albury, W R; Weisz, G M

2017-03-01

A fifteenth-century Florentine altarpiece painted by the Pollaiuolo brothers, Antonio (1433-1498) and Piero (1443-1496), shows three saints with evident deformities of the hands and feet. The pathologies concerned are tentatively identified, and various rationales for their presence in the painting are discussed. Of particular importance is the location of the altarpiece in a chapel which houses the tomb of the Cardinal of Portugal, Prince James of Lusitania (1433-1459). It is argued that both the artistic style of the day and the religious symbolism of the Cardinal's funeral chapel contributed to the artists' decision to portray the saints with deformities. An unnatural curvature of the fifth finger was apparently considered elegant in fifteenth-century paintings, and the depiction of bare feet with hallux valgus gave them a shape which approximated and could have been caused by fashionable pointed shoes. But in addition, deformities in religious art could be symbolic of suffering and martyrdom, a theme which the Cardinal's chapel emphasised in a number of ways. It is suggested therefore that the Pollaiuolo altarpiece reconciles these two disparate factors, portraying genuine deformities in a way that was artistically stylish and symbolically meaningful.

A matrix-algebraic formulation of distributed-memory maximal cardinality matching algorithms in bipartite graphs

DOE PAGES

Azad, Ariful; Buluç, Aydın

2016-05-16

We describe parallel algorithms for computing maximal cardinality matching in a bipartite graph on distributed-memory systems. Unlike traditional algorithms that match one vertex at a time, our algorithms process many unmatched vertices simultaneously using a matrix-algebraic formulation of maximal matching. This generic matrix-algebraic framework is used to develop three efficient maximal matching algorithms with minimal changes. The newly developed algorithms have two benefits over existing graph-based algorithms. First, unlike existing parallel algorithms, cardinality of matching obtained by the new algorithms stays constant with increasing processor counts, which is important for predictable and reproducible performance. Second, relying on bulk-synchronous matrix operations,more » these algorithms expose a higher degree of parallelism on distributed-memory platforms than existing graph-based algorithms. We report high-performance implementations of three maximal matching algorithms using hybrid OpenMP-MPI and evaluate the performance of these algorithm using more than 35 real and randomly generated graphs. On real instances, our algorithms achieve up to 200 × speedup on 2048 cores of a Cray XC30 supercomputer. Even higher speedups are obtained on larger synthetically generated graphs where our algorithms show good scaling on up to 16,384 cores.« less

Philippines. Church vs. state: Fidel Ramos and family planning face "Catholic Power".

PubMed

1994-08-24

Catholic groups and individuals united in a public rally in Manila's Rizal Park to decry a "cultural dictatorship," which promotes abortion, homosexuality, lesbianism, sexual perversion, condoms, and artificial contraception. Government spokesmen responded that condoms and contraception were part of government policy to spread family planning knowledge and informed choices among the population. Cardinal Jaime Sin and former president Corazon Aquino joined forces to lead the movement against the national family planning program in the largest demonstration since the ouster of Ferdinand Marcos in 1986. Also criticized was the 85-page draft action plan for the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) scheduled for September 1994. Cardinal Sin accused President Clinton of using the action plan to promote worldwide abortion. Under the administration of President Fidel Ramos, family planning funding has quintupled and the number of family planning workers has increased from 200 to 8000. President Ramos has gone the farthest of any administration in opposing the Church's positions on contraception and abortion, although years ago Fidel Ramos and Cardinal Sin were allies in the effort to push out Ferdinand Marcos. The population of the Philippines is 85% Catholic, and laws reflect the Church's doctrine against divorce and abortion. The current growth rate is 2.3%, and the goal is to reduce growth to 2.0% by 1998, the end of Ramos's term in office. The population target is in accord with demographic goals proposed in the UN draft action plan. The Vatican has opposed the language in the plan and may have encouraged other religious leaders to join those opposed to the "war against our babies and children." Sin said that contraceptive distribution was "intrinsically evil" and should be stopped now. Ramos's administration stated that their policies and programs are not "in the hands of the devil" and there is support for the Church on family values and abortion. Health minister Flavier has indicated that illegal abortion has become very common, and control of abortion is through family planning. The Protestant president will oppose abortion at ICDP.

Possible world based consistency learning model for clustering and classifying uncertain data.

PubMed

Liu, Han; Zhang, Xianchao; Zhang, Xiaotong

2018-06-01

Possible world has shown to be effective for handling various types of data uncertainty in uncertain data management. However, few uncertain data clustering and classification algorithms are proposed based on possible world. Moreover, existing possible world based algorithms suffer from the following issues: (1) they deal with each possible world independently and ignore the consistency principle across different possible worlds; (2) they require the extra post-processing procedure to obtain the final result, which causes that the effectiveness highly relies on the post-processing method and the efficiency is also not very good. In this paper, we propose a novel possible world based consistency learning model for uncertain data, which can be extended both for clustering and classifying uncertain data. This model utilizes the consistency principle to learn a consensus affinity matrix for uncertain data, which can make full use of the information across different possible worlds and then improve the clustering and classification performance. Meanwhile, this model imposes a new rank constraint on the Laplacian matrix of the consensus affinity matrix, thereby ensuring that the number of connected components in the consensus affinity matrix is exactly equal to the number of classes. This also means that the clustering and classification results can be directly obtained without any post-processing procedure. Furthermore, for the clustering and classification tasks, we respectively derive the efficient optimization methods to solve the proposed model. Experimental results on real benchmark datasets and real world uncertain datasets show that the proposed model outperforms the state-of-the-art uncertain data clustering and classification algorithms in effectiveness and performs competitively in efficiency. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Value of Information for Optimal Adaptive Routing in Stochastic Time-Dependent Traffic Networks: Algorithms and Computational Tools

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2010-10-25

Real-time information is important for travelers' routing decisions in uncertain networks by enabling online adaptation to revealed traffic conditions. Usually there are spatial and/or temporal limitations in traveler information. In this research, a...

[Book review] Life histories of North American cardinals, grosbeaks, buntings, towhees, finches, sparrows, and allies

USGS Publications Warehouse

Banks, R.C.

1969-01-01

The completion of an ornithological series as important as the Bent Life Histories is an exciting event. Here is a series of 21 volumes, spanning a history of nearly 60 years from inception to completion, containing over 9,500 text pages of information about North American birds, largely the work of one man – who was not professionally an ornithologist. One cannot well review the final number of such a series without considering the series as a whole and that volume relative to the rest of the series, when the authorship of the last is different and varied.

Social information and economic decision-making in the ultimatum game.

PubMed

Gaertig, Celia; Moser, Anna; Alguacil, Sonia; Ruz, María

2012-01-01

The present study tested how social information about the proposer biases responders' choices of accepting or rejecting real monetary offers in a classic ultimatum game (UG) and whether this impact is heightened by the uncertainty of the context. Participants in our study conducted a one-shot UG in which their responses had direct consequences on how much money they earned. We used trait-valenced words to provide information about the proposers' personal characteristics. The results show higher acceptance rates for offers preceded by positive words than for those preceded by negative words. In addition, the impact of this information was higher in the uncertain than in the certain context. This suggests that when deciding whether or not to take money from someone, people take into account what they know about the person they are interacting with. Such non-rational bias is stronger in an uncertain context.

Brief research report: uncertainty-inducing and reassuring facts about HPV: a descriptive study of French Canadian women.

PubMed

Rosen, Natalie O; Knäuper, Bärbel; Pagé, Gabrielle; Di Dio, Pasqualina; Morrison, Eleshia; Mayrand, Marie-Hélène; Franco, Eduardo L; Rosberger, Zeev

2009-10-01

We sought to describe information that makes women feel (1) uncertain and (2) reassured about their human papillomavirus (HPV) status and the potential health implications of an HPV DNA test result and (3) to examine information seeking after receiving their result. Thirty women (previously tested HPV negative) read factual information on HPV and cervical cancer and were asked which facts were uncertainty inducing and which were reassuring. Twenty-four facts reassured women of their HPV negative status, 11 facts made women feel uncertain, and 10 facts made them feel both. The most common reason for seeking information in the future was receiving a positive test result. The authors outline what specific facts about HPV health providers can emphasize to alleviate anxiety and encourage women to feel reassured of their low cancer risk following a negative test result.

[Diagnosis of Hansen's disease].

PubMed

Yotsu, Rie Roselyne; Suzuki, Koichi; Mori, Shuichi; Ishii, Norihisa

2011-02-01

The Leprosy Mailing List (LML) is an e-mailing list open to whoever interested in the field from all over the world. It acts as a forum for exchanging information related to Hansen's disease. It was established in February 2001 in Italy, and the present moderator of the LML is Dr. Salvatore Noto. He and his colleague have recently introduced an atlas for diagnosing Hansen's disease which they brought together information and photos collected through the LML. The atlas is divided into three sections, (1) Introduction, (2) Cardinal signs, and (3) Diagnosis and the clinical spectrum of leprosy, and they are all accompanied with relevant photos. This time, Dr. Noto kindly permitted us to translate the atlas into Japanese to be published in the Japanese Journal of Leprosy and posted in the Japanese Leprosy Association homepage. This article includes the translation and some of the most informative photos. For more information, please refer to the homepage where you will find all photos in the atlas.

Formation Learning Control of Multiple Autonomous Underwater Vehicles With Heterogeneous Nonlinear Uncertain Dynamics.

PubMed

Yuan, Chengzhi; Licht, Stephen; He, Haibo

2017-09-26

In this paper, a new concept of formation learning control is introduced to the field of formation control of multiple autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs), which specifies a joint objective of distributed formation tracking control and learning/identification of nonlinear uncertain AUV dynamics. A novel two-layer distributed formation learning control scheme is proposed, which consists of an upper-layer distributed adaptive observer and a lower-layer decentralized deterministic learning controller. This new formation learning control scheme advances existing techniques in three important ways: 1) the multi-AUV system under consideration has heterogeneous nonlinear uncertain dynamics; 2) the formation learning control protocol can be designed and implemented by each local AUV agent in a fully distributed fashion without using any global information; and 3) in addition to the formation control performance, the distributed control protocol is also capable of accurately identifying the AUVs' heterogeneous nonlinear uncertain dynamics and utilizing experiences to improve formation control performance. Extensive simulations have been conducted to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed results.

Heat Exchnage in the Black Skipjack, and the Blood-Gas Relationship of Warm-Bodied Fishes

PubMed Central

Graham, Jeffrey B.

1973-01-01

The black skipjack, Euthynnus lineatus, uses a centrally located vascular heat exchanger to maintain core body temperatures warmer than ambient sea water. The heat exchanger is composed of the dorsal aorta, the posterior cardinal vein, and a large vertical rete. The dorsal aorta is embedded in the posterior cardinal vein and is completely bathed in venous blood. Skipjack hemoglobin appears similar to that of the bluefin tuna in that oxygen capacity is unaffected by changing temperature. Temperature-insensitive hemoglobin may function in warm-bodied fishes to prevent the premature dissociation of oxygen from hemoglobin as blood is warmed en route to the muscles. Images PMID:16592097

Spatial planning using probabilistic flood maps

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alfonso, Leonardo; Mukolwe, Micah; Di Baldassarre, Giuliano

2015-04-01

Probabilistic flood maps account for uncertainty in flood inundation modelling and convey a degree of certainty in the outputs. Major sources of uncertainty include input data, topographic data, model structure, observation data and parametric uncertainty. Decision makers prefer less ambiguous information from modellers; this implies that uncertainty is suppressed to yield binary flood maps. Though, suppressing information may potentially lead to either surprise or misleading decisions. Inclusion of uncertain information in the decision making process is therefore desirable and transparent. To this end, we utilise the Prospect theory and information from a probabilistic flood map to evaluate potential decisions. Consequences related to the decisions were evaluated using flood risk analysis. Prospect theory explains how choices are made given options for which probabilities of occurrence are known and accounts for decision makers' characteristics such as loss aversion and risk seeking. Our results show that decision making is pronounced when there are high gains and loss, implying higher payoffs and penalties, therefore a higher gamble. Thus the methodology may be appropriately considered when making decisions based on uncertain information.

General topology meets model theory, on and

PubMed Central

Malliaris, Maryanthe; Shelah, Saharon

2013-01-01

Cantor proved in 1874 [Cantor G (1874) J Reine Angew Math 77:258–262] that the continuum is uncountable, and Hilbert’s first problem asks whether it is the smallest uncountable cardinal. A program arose to study cardinal invariants of the continuum, which measure the size of the continuum in various ways. By Gödel [Gödel K (1939) Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 25(4):220–224] and Cohen [Cohen P (1963) Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 50(6):1143–1148], Hilbert’s first problem is independent of ZFC (Zermelo-Fraenkel set theory with the axiom of choice). Much work both before and since has been done on inequalities between these cardinal invariants, but some basic questions have remained open despite Cohen’s introduction of forcing. The oldest and perhaps most famous of these is whether “,” which was proved in a special case by Rothberger [Rothberger F (1948) Fund Math 35:29–46], building on Hausdorff [Hausdorff (1936) Fund Math 26:241–255]. In this paper we explain how our work on the structure of Keisler’s order, a large-scale classification problem in model theory, led to the solution of this problem in ZFC as well as of an a priori unrelated open question in model theory. PMID:23836659

Supersuppression: Reservoir Competency and Timing of Mosquito Host Shifts Combine to Reduce Spillover of West Nile Virus.

PubMed

Levine, Rebecca S; Mead, Daniel G; Hamer, Gabriel L; Brosi, Berry J; Hedeen, David L; Hedeen, Meghan W; McMillan, Joseph R; Bisanzio, Donal; Kitron, Uriel D

2016-11-02

In the eastern United States, human cases of West Nile virus (WNV) result from spillover from urban epizootic transmission between passerine birds and Culex mosquitoes. In Atlanta, GA, substantial WNV presence in hosts and vectors has not resulted in the human disease burden observed in cities with similar infection pressure. Our study goal was to investigate extrinsic ecological conditions that potentially contribute to these reduced transmission rates. We conducted WNV surveillance among hosts and vectors in urban Atlanta and recorded an overall avian seroprevalence of nearly 30%, which was significantly higher among northern cardinals, blue jays, and members of the mimid family, and notably low among American robins. Examination of temporal Culex feeding patterns showed a marked feeding shift from American robins in the early season to northern cardinals in the late season. We therefore rule out American robins as superspreaders in the Atlanta area and suggest instead that northern cardinals and mimids act as WNV "supersuppressor" species, which slow WNV transmission by drawing many infectious bites during the critical virus amplification period, yet failing to amplify transmission due to low host competencies. Of particular interest, urban forest patches provide spillover protection by increasing the WNV amplification fraction on supersuppressor species. © The American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene.

Learning-by-catching: uncertain invasive-species populations and the value of information.

PubMed

D'Evelyn, Sean T; Tarui, Nori; Burnett, Kimberly; Roumasset, James A

2008-12-01

This paper develops a model of invasive species control when the species' population size is unknown. In the face of an uncertain population size, a resource manager's species-control efforts provide two potential benefits: (1) a direct benefit of possibly reducing the population of invasive species, and (2) an indirect benefit of information acquisition (due to learning about the population size, which reduces uncertainty). We provide a methodology that takes into account both of these benefits, and show how optimal management decisions are altered in the presence of the indirect benefit of learning. We then apply this methodology to the case of controlling the Brown Treesnake (Boiga irregularis) on the island of Saipan. We find that the indirect benefit--the value of information to reduce uncertainty--is likely to be quite large.

Fusion of Imperfect Information in the Unified Framework of Random Sets Theory: Application to Target Identification

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-11-01

Florea, Anne-Laure Jousselme, Éloi Bossé ; DRDC Valcartier TR 2003-319 ; R & D pour la défense Canada – Valcartier ; novembre 2007. Contexte : Pour...12 3.3.2 Imprecise information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 3.3.3 Uncertain and imprecise information...information proposed by Philippe Smets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Figure 5: The process of information modelling

Waardenburg syndrome: clinical differentiation between types I and II.

PubMed

Pardono, Eliete; van Bever, Yolande; van den Ende, Jenneke; Havrenne, Poti C; Iughetti, Paula; Maestrelli, Sylvia R P; Costa F, Orozimbo; Richieri-Costa, Antonio; Frota-Pessoa, Oswaldo; Otto, Paulo A

2003-03-15

Here we present the results of a study performed on 59 patients affected by Waardenburg syndrome (WS), 30 with the I variant, 21 having the type II, and 8 of them being isolated cases without telecanthus. These patients belong to 37 families; the main contributions and conclusions are based on the detailed study of 25 of these families, examined using standard procedures. All patients were examined as to the presence of eight cardinal signs important for the diagnosis of the condition; from each patient, from many of his/her normal relatives, and from a control sample of 300 normal individuals stratified by age and sex, 23 different craniofacial measurements were obtained. We also estimated, using our own data as well those collected from the literature, the frequencies of the cardinal signs, based on a total sample of 461 affected individuals with WSI and 121 with WSII. In order to originate discriminant functions to separate individuals affected by one of the two variants, both metric (from craniofacial measurements) as well as categoric data (based on the frequencies of the cardinal signs or symptoms) were used. Discriminant analysis based on the frequency of the eight cardinal signs can improve the separation of WSI patients without telecanthus from those presenting the variant II. We present also a Table with the conditional probabilities favoring the diagnosis of WSI for suspect subjects without telecanthus and any combination of the other seven signs/symptoms. The discriminant function based on the four ocular measurements (inner and outer intercanthal, interpupillary, and inferior lacrymal distances), on the other side, perfectly classifies patients affected by one of the variants of WS, the same taking place when the average values of the W index of all affected individuals per family are used. The discriminant function based solely in the individual W index values of patients correctly classifies 93% of WSII subjects, but only 60% of the patients with the I variant of WS. Copyright 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Individual and age-related variation in chromatic contrast adaptation

PubMed Central

Elliott, Sarah L.; Werner, John S.; Webster, Michael A.

2012-01-01

Precortical color channels are tuned primarily to the LvsM (stimulation of L and M cones varied, but S cone stimulation held constant) or SvsLM (stimulation of S cones varied, but L and M cone stimulation held constant) cone-opponent (cardinal) axes, but appear elaborated in the cortex to form higher-order mechanisms tuned to both cardinal and intermediate directions. One source of evidence for these higher-order mechanisms has been the selectivity of color contrast adaptation for noncardinal directions, yet the degree of this selectivity has varied widely across the small sample of observers tested in previous studies. This study explored the possible bases for this variation, and in particular tested whether it reflected age-related changes in the distribution or tuning of color mechanisms. Observers included 15 younger (18–22 years of age) and 15 older individuals (66–82), who adapted to temporal modulations along one of four chromatic axes (two cardinal and two intermediate axes) and then matched the hue and contrast of test stimuli lying along eight different directions in the equiluminant plane. All observers exhibited aftereffects that were selective for both the cardinal and intermediate directions, although selectivity was weaker for the intermediate axes. The degree of selectivity increased with the magnitude of adaptation for all axes, and thus adaptation strength alone may account for much of the variance in selectivity among observers. Older observers showed a stronger magnitude of adaptation thus, surprisingly, more conspicuous evidence for higher-order mechanisms. For both age groups the aftereffects were well predicted by response changes in chromatic channels with linear spectral sensitivities, and there was no evidence for weakened channel tuning with aging. The results suggest that higher-order mechanisms may become more exposed in observers or conditions in which the strength of adaptation is greater, and that both chromatic contrast adaptation and the cortical color coding it reflects remain largely intact in the aging visual system. PMID:22904356

A normative study of cervical range of motion measures including the flexion-rotation test in asymptomatic children: side-to-side variability and pain provocation.

PubMed

Budelmann, Kim; von Piekartz, Harry; Hall, Toby

2016-09-01

Cervical movement impairment has been identified as a core component of cervicogenic headache evaluation. However, normal range of motion values in children has been investigated rarely and no study has reported such values for the flexion-rotation test (FRT). The purpose of this study was to identify normal values and side-to-side variation for cervical spine range of motion (ROM) and the FRT, in asymptomatic children aged 6-12 years. Another important purpose was to identify the presence of pain during the FRT. Thirty-four asymptomatic children without history of neck pain or headache (26 females and 8 males, mean age 125.38 months [SD 13.14]) were evaluated. Cervical spine cardinal plane ROM and the FRT were evaluated by a single examiner using a cervical ROM device. Values for cardinal plane ROM measures are presented. No significant gender difference was found for any ROM measure. Mean difference in ROM for rotation, side flexion, and the FRT were less than one degree. However, intra-individual variation was greater, with lower bound scores of 9.32° for rotation, 5.30° for side flexion, and 10.89° for the FRT. Multiple linear regression analysis indicates that movement in the cardinal planes only explains 19% of the variance in the FRT. Pain scores reported following the FRT were less than 2/10. Children have consistently greater cervical spine ROM than adults. In children, side-to-side variation in rotation and side flexion ROM and range recorded during the FRT indicates that the clinician should be cautious when using range in one direction to determine impairment in another. Range recorded during the FRT is independent of cardinal movement variables, which further adds to the importance of the FRT, as a test that mainly evaluates range of movement of the upper cervical spine.

Bill size variation in northern cardinals associated with anthropogenic drivers across North America.

PubMed

Miller, Colleen R; Latimer, Christopher E; Zuckerberg, Benjamin

2018-05-01

Allen's rule predicts that homeotherms inhabiting cooler climates will have smaller appendages, while those inhabiting warmer climates will have larger appendages relative to body size. Birds' bills tend to be larger at lower latitudes, but few studies have tested whether modern climate change and urbanization affect bill size. Our study explored whether bill size in a wide-ranging bird would be larger in warmer, drier regions and increase with rising temperatures. Furthermore, we predicted that bill size would be larger in densely populated areas, due to urban heat island effects and the higher concentration of supplementary foods. Using measurements from 605 museum specimens, we explored the effects of climate and housing density on northern cardinal bill size over an 85-year period across the Linnaean subspecies' range. We quantified the geographic relationships between bill surface area, housing density, and minimum temperature using linear mixed effect models and geographically weighted regression. We then tested whether bill surface area changed due to housing density and temperature in three subregions (Chicago, IL., Washington, D.C., and Ithaca, NY). Across North America, cardinals occupying drier regions had larger bills, a pattern strongest in males. This relationship was mediated by temperature such that birds in warm, dry areas had larger bills than those in cool, dry areas. Over time, female cardinals' bill size increased with warming temperatures in Washington, D.C., and Ithaca. Bill size was smaller in developed areas of Chicago, but larger in Washington, D.C., while there was no pattern in Ithaca, NY. We found that climate and urbanization were strongly associated with bill size for a wide-ranging bird. These biogeographic relationships were characterized by sex-specific differences, varying relationships with housing density, and geographic variability. It is likely that anthropogenic pressures will continue to influence species, potentially promoting microevolutionary changes over space and time.

Parameter Estimation for Thurstone Choice Models

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

Vojnovic, Milan; Yun, Seyoung

We consider the estimation accuracy of individual strength parameters of a Thurstone choice model when each input observation consists of a choice of one item from a set of two or more items (so called top-1 lists). This model accommodates the well-known choice models such as the Luce choice model for comparison sets of two or more items and the Bradley-Terry model for pair comparisons. We provide a tight characterization of the mean squared error of the maximum likelihood parameter estimator. We also provide similar characterizations for parameter estimators defined by a rank-breaking method, which amounts to deducing one ormore » more pair comparisons from a comparison of two or more items, assuming independence of these pair comparisons, and maximizing a likelihood function derived under these assumptions. We also consider a related binary classification problem where each individual parameter takes value from a set of two possible values and the goal is to correctly classify all items within a prescribed classification error. The results of this paper shed light on how the parameter estimation accuracy depends on given Thurstone choice model and the structure of comparison sets. In particular, we found that for unbiased input comparison sets of a given cardinality, when in expectation each comparison set of given cardinality occurs the same number of times, for a broad class of Thurstone choice models, the mean squared error decreases with the cardinality of comparison sets, but only marginally according to a diminishing returns relation. On the other hand, we found that there exist Thurstone choice models for which the mean squared error of the maximum likelihood parameter estimator can decrease much faster with the cardinality of comparison sets. We report empirical evaluation of some claims and key parameters revealed by theory using both synthetic and real-world input data from some popular sport competitions and online labor platforms.« less

Extricating Sex and Gender in Air Pollution Research: A Community-Based Study on Cardinal Symptoms of Exposure

PubMed Central

Oiamo, Tor H.; Luginaah, Isaac N.

2013-01-01

This study investigated sex and gender differences in cardinal symptoms of exposure to a mixture of ambient pollutants. A cross sectional population-based study design was utilized in Sarnia, ON, Canada. Stratified random sampling in census tracts of residents aged 18 and over recruited 804 respondents. Respondents completed a community health survey of chronic disease, general health, and socioeconomic indicators. Residential concentrations of NO2, SO2, benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and o/m/p-xylene were estimated by land use regression on data collected through environmental monitoring. Classification and Regression Tree (CART) analysis was used to identify variables that interacted with sex and cardinal symptoms of exposure, and a series of logistic regression models were built to predict the reporting of five or more cardinal symptoms (5+ CS). Without controlling for confounders, higher pollution ranks increased the odds ratio (OR) of reporting 5+ CS by 28% (p < 0.01; Confidence Interval (CI): 1.07–1.54). Females were 1.52 (p < 0.05; CI: 1.03–2.26) times more likely more likely to report 5+ CS after controlling for income, age and chronic diseases. The CART analysis showed that allergies and occupational exposure classified the sample into the most homogenous groups of males and females. The likelihood of reporting 5+ CS among females was higher after stratifying the sample based on occupational exposure. However, stratifying by allergic disease resulted in no significant sex difference in symptom reporting. The results confirmed previous research that found pre-existing health conditions to increase susceptibility to ambient air pollution, but additionally indicated that stronger effects on females is partly due to autoimmune disorders. Furthermore, gender differences in occupational exposure confound the effect size of exposure in studies based on residential levels of air pollution. PMID:23975108

Molecular characterization of locus of enterocyte effacement pathogenicity island in shigatoxic Escherichia coli isolated from human & cattle in West Bengal, India

PubMed Central

Das, Suresh Chandra; Ramamurthy, Thandavanaryanalu; Ghosh, Santanu; Pazhani, Gururaja Perumal; Sen, Tista; Singh, Raghubir

2017-01-01

Background & objectives: Shigatoxic Escherichia coli (STEC) recovered from dairy animals of Kolkata, India, harboured the putative virulence genes; however, the animals did not exhibit clinical symptoms. Similarly, human isolates in this locality also showed variations in degree of symptoms. Hence, this study was designed to know the presence of recognized gene(s) in the locus of enterocyte effacement (LEE) pathogenicity island in these STEC isolates and functional status of the cardinal gene (eae) related to pathogenicity. Methods: Genes were characterized using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays, and functional status of cardinal gene (eae) was evaluated by fluorescent actin staining (FAS) assay. Variation in eae gene was determined by intimin PCR. Results: Cattle STEC isolates carried 22 genes in LEE pathogenicity island in different frequencies ranging from 5.63 to 47.88 per cent of the isolates. In human isolates, the genes namely ler, escRSTU, orf2, escC, escV, orf3 and tir that are associated with secretory function, were found to be absent and rest of the genes were present in lower frequency. Further, the cardinal gene (eae) responsible for initiation of pathogenesis was in a very low frequency in human (n=2; 10.5%) and cattle (n=11; 15.5%) isolates. None of these eae+ STEC isolates from human and cattle revealed positivity in FAS assay. Interpretation & conclusions: Majority of human STEC isolates lacked the cardinal virulence gene (eae), and genes for secretory function that are essential for facilitating pathogenesis. This may partially be attributed to low occurrence of STEC in human clinical diarrhoea in this area. Although a few isolates (11 of 71) from cattle had eae gene, they did not express phenotypically. This could be one of the reasons for not appearing of clinical symptoms in the hosts. PMID:29205193

BI Project Success

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tracey, Graham; Riha, James

2009-01-01

Managing business intelligence (BI) projects in higher education is a formidable responsibility that challenges even the most experienced technical project managers. Data source dependencies, uncertain data quality, changing information requirements, and urgency for actionable information are but a few examples among the multitude of challenges.…

An efficient sampling algorithm for uncertain abnormal data detection in biomedical image processing and disease prediction.

PubMed

Liu, Fei; Zhang, Xi; Jia, Yan

2015-01-01

In this paper, we propose a computer information processing algorithm that can be used for biomedical image processing and disease prediction. A biomedical image is considered a data object in a multi-dimensional space. Each dimension is a feature that can be used for disease diagnosis. We introduce a new concept of the top (k1,k2) outlier. It can be used to detect abnormal data objects in the multi-dimensional space. This technique focuses on uncertain space, where each data object has several possible instances with distinct probabilities. We design an efficient sampling algorithm for the top (k1,k2) outlier in uncertain space. Some improvement techniques are used for acceleration. Experiments show our methods' high accuracy and high efficiency.

Intuitionistic uncertain linguistic partitioned Bonferroni means and their application to multiple attribute decision-making

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Zhengmin; Liu, Peide

2017-04-01

The Bonferroni mean (BM) was originally introduced by Bonferroni and generalised by many other researchers due to its capacity to capture the interrelationship between input arguments. Nevertheless, in many situations, interrelationships do not always exist between all of the attributes. Attributes can be partitioned into several different categories and members of intra-partition are interrelated while no interrelationship exists between attributes of different partitions. In this paper, as complements to the existing generalisations of BM, we investigate the partitioned Bonferroni mean (PBM) under intuitionistic uncertain linguistic environments and develop two linguistic aggregation operators: intuitionistic uncertain linguistic partitioned Bonferroni mean (IULPBM) and its weighted form (WIULPBM). Then, motivated by the ideal of geometric mean and PBM, we further present the partitioned geometric Bonferroni mean (PGBM) and develop two linguistic geometric aggregation operators: intuitionistic uncertain linguistic partitioned geometric Bonferroni mean (IULPGBM) and its weighted form (WIULPGBM). Some properties and special cases of these proposed operators are also investigated and discussed in detail. Based on these operators, an approach for multiple attribute decision-making problems with intuitionistic uncertain linguistic information is developed. Finally, a practical example is presented to illustrate the developed approach and comparison analyses are conducted with other representative methods to verify the effectiveness and feasibility of the developed approach.

st-Alphabets: On the Feasibility in the Explicit Use of Extended Relational Alphabets in Classifier Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Toledo-Suárez, Carlos D.

It is proposed a way of increasing the cardinality of an alphabet used to write rules in a learning classifier system that extends the idea of relational schemata. Theoretical justifications regarding the possible reduction in the amount of rules for the solution of problems such extended alphabets (st-alphabets) imply are shown. It is shown that when expressed as bipolar neural networks, the matching process of rules over st-alphabets strongly resembles a gene expression mechanism applied to a system over {0,1,#}. In spite of the apparent drawbacks the explicit use of such relational alphabets would imply, their successful implementation in an information gain based classifier system (IGCS) is presented.

The impact of uncertain threat on affective bias: Individual differences in response to ambiguity.

PubMed

Neta, Maital; Cantelon, Julie; Haga, Zachary; Mahoney, Caroline R; Taylor, Holly A; Davis, F Caroline

2017-12-01

Individuals who operate under highly stressful conditions (e.g., military personnel and first responders) are often faced with the challenge of quickly interpreting ambiguous information in uncertain and threatening environments. When faced with ambiguity, it is likely adaptive to view potentially dangerous stimuli as threatening until contextual information proves otherwise. One laboratory-based paradigm that can be used to simulate uncertain threat is known as threat of shock (TOS), in which participants are told that they might receive mild but unpredictable electric shocks while performing an unrelated task. The uncertainty associated with this potential threat induces a state of emotional arousal that is not overwhelmingly stressful, but has widespread-both adaptive and maladaptive-effects on cognitive and affective function. For example, TOS is thought to enhance aversive processing and abolish positivity bias. Importantly, in certain situations (e.g., when walking home alone at night), this anxiety can promote an adaptive state of heightened vigilance and defense mobilization. In the present study, we used TOS to examine the effects of uncertain threat on valence bias, or the tendency to interpret ambiguous social cues as positive or negative. As predicted, we found that heightened emotional arousal elicited by TOS was associated with an increased tendency to interpret ambiguous cues negatively. Such negative interpretations are likely adaptive in situations in which threat detection is critical for survival and should override an individual's tendency to interpret ambiguity positively in safe contexts. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

Active link selection for efficient semi-supervised community detection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Liang; Jin, Di; Wang, Xiao; Cao, Xiaochun

2015-03-01

Several semi-supervised community detection algorithms have been proposed recently to improve the performance of traditional topology-based methods. However, most of them focus on how to integrate supervised information with topology information; few of them pay attention to which information is critical for performance improvement. This leads to large amounts of demand for supervised information, which is expensive or difficult to obtain in most fields. For this problem we propose an active link selection framework, that is we actively select the most uncertain and informative links for human labeling for the efficient utilization of the supervised information. We also disconnect the most likely inter-community edges to further improve the efficiency. Our main idea is that, by connecting uncertain nodes to their community hubs and disconnecting the inter-community edges, one can sharpen the block structure of adjacency matrix more efficiently than randomly labeling links as the existing methods did. Experiments on both synthetic and real networks demonstrate that our new approach significantly outperforms the existing methods in terms of the efficiency of using supervised information. It needs ~13% of the supervised information to achieve a performance similar to that of the original semi-supervised approaches.

Active link selection for efficient semi-supervised community detection

PubMed Central

Yang, Liang; Jin, Di; Wang, Xiao; Cao, Xiaochun

2015-01-01

Several semi-supervised community detection algorithms have been proposed recently to improve the performance of traditional topology-based methods. However, most of them focus on how to integrate supervised information with topology information; few of them pay attention to which information is critical for performance improvement. This leads to large amounts of demand for supervised information, which is expensive or difficult to obtain in most fields. For this problem we propose an active link selection framework, that is we actively select the most uncertain and informative links for human labeling for the efficient utilization of the supervised information. We also disconnect the most likely inter-community edges to further improve the efficiency. Our main idea is that, by connecting uncertain nodes to their community hubs and disconnecting the inter-community edges, one can sharpen the block structure of adjacency matrix more efficiently than randomly labeling links as the existing methods did. Experiments on both synthetic and real networks demonstrate that our new approach significantly outperforms the existing methods in terms of the efficiency of using supervised information. It needs ~13% of the supervised information to achieve a performance similar to that of the original semi-supervised approaches. PMID:25761385

Online Searching: An Analysis of Marketing Issues.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dunn, Ronald G.; Boyle, Harry F.

1984-01-01

This essay addresses factors that influence a customer's perception of the value of online information delivery services: evident costs, uncertain return, long-term return, not directly productive, overhead expense, and differential use. Roles assumed in acquiring and using information services (purchasers, searchers, consumers), price, and…

Reconsidering the use of rankings in the valuation of health states: a model for estimating cardinal values from ordinal data

PubMed Central

Salomon, Joshua A

2003-01-01

Background In survey studies on health-state valuations, ordinal ranking exercises often are used as precursors to other elicitation methods such as the time trade-off (TTO) or standard gamble, but the ranking data have not been used in deriving cardinal valuations. This study reconsiders the role of ordinal ranks in valuing health and introduces a new approach to estimate interval-scaled valuations based on aggregate ranking data. Methods Analyses were undertaken on data from a previously published general population survey study in the United Kingdom that included rankings and TTO values for hypothetical states described using the EQ-5D classification system. The EQ-5D includes five domains (mobility, self-care, usual activities, pain/discomfort and anxiety/depression) with three possible levels on each. Rank data were analysed using a random utility model, operationalized through conditional logit regression. In the statistical model, probabilities of observed rankings were related to the latent utilities of different health states, modeled as a linear function of EQ-5D domain scores, as in previously reported EQ-5D valuation functions. Predicted valuations based on the conditional logit model were compared to observed TTO values for the 42 states in the study and to predictions based on a model estimated directly from the TTO values. Models were evaluated using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) between predictions and mean observations, and the root mean squared error of predictions at the individual level. Results Agreement between predicted valuations from the rank model and observed TTO values was very high, with an ICC of 0.97, only marginally lower than for predictions based on the model estimated directly from TTO values (ICC = 0.99). Individual-level errors were also comparable in the two models, with root mean squared errors of 0.503 and 0.496 for the rank-based and TTO-based predictions, respectively. Conclusions Modeling health-state valuations based on ordinal ranks can provide results that are similar to those obtained from more widely analyzed valuation techniques such as the TTO. The information content in aggregate ranking data is not currently exploited to full advantage. The possibility of estimating cardinal valuations from ordinal ranks could also simplify future data collection dramatically and facilitate wider empirical study of health-state valuations in diverse settings and population groups. PMID:14687419

Aircraft body-axis rotation measurement system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cowdin, K. T. (Inventor)

1983-01-01

A two gyro four gimbal attitude sensing system having gimbal lock avoidance is provided with continuous azimuth information, rather than roll information, relative to the magnetic cardinal headings while in near vertical attitudes to allow recovery from vertical on a desired heading. The system is comprised of a means for stabilizing an outer roll gimbal that is common to a vertical gyro and a directional gyro with respect to the aircraft platform which is being angularly displaced about an axis substantially parallel to the outer roll gyro axis. A means is also provided for producing a signal indicative of the magnitude of such displacement as an indication of aircraft heading. Additional means are provided to cause stabilization of the outer roll gimbal whenever the pitch angle of the aircraft passes through a threshold prior to entering vertical flight and destabilization of the outer roll gimbal upon passing through the threshold when departing vertical flight.

Sea-level projections representing the deeply uncertain contribution of the West Antarctic ice sheet.

PubMed

Bakker, Alexander M R; Wong, Tony E; Ruckert, Kelsey L; Keller, Klaus

2017-06-20

There is a growing awareness that uncertainties surrounding future sea-level projections may be much larger than typically perceived. Recently published projections appear widely divergent and highly sensitive to non-trivial model choices . Moreover, the West Antarctic ice sheet (WAIS) may be much less stable than previous believed, enabling a rapid disintegration. Here, we present a set of probabilistic sea-level projections that approximates the deeply uncertain WAIS contributions. The projections aim to inform robust decisions by clarifying the sensitivity to non-trivial or controversial assumptions. We show that the deeply uncertain WAIS contribution can dominate other uncertainties within decades. These deep uncertainties call for the development of robust adaptive strategies. These decision-making needs, in turn, require mission-oriented basic science, for example about potential signposts and the maximum rate of WAIS-induced sea-level changes.

Plumage brightness as an indicator of parental care in northern cardinals

PubMed

Linville; Breitwisch; Schilling

1998-01-01

Good parent and differential allocation models predict relationships between degree of sexual ornamentation and parental care, but relatively few studies have tested these models. The northern cardinal, Cardinalis cardinalis, is a sexually dichromatic species in which both sexes are ornamented. Males have red plumage, and females have tan plumage with limited areas of red feathering. Cardinals were used to address the two models and determine whether plumage brightness signals level of parental care by both sexes. Absolute effort in feeding nestlings by males was not correlated with male breast plumage colour, but effort by females was positively correlated with female underwing plumage colour. Absolute feeding effort by females was also inversely related to brightness of the mate's breast colour. As a consequence, the proportion of a pair's total feedings provided by the male was positively correlated with male breast colour. Proportion of total feedings provided by the female was positively correlated with female wing colour. Feeding efforts (both per nest and per nestling) were correlated between mates, but birds did not mate assortatively in relation to colour. These results support the good parent hypothesis, suggesting colour brightness is a signal of parental care. The results also indicate that ornamentation of both members of the pair may be important determinants of relative efforts in provisioning nestlings by parent birds. Copyright 1998 The Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour.

Distance comparisons in virtual reality: effects of path, context, and age

PubMed Central

van der Ham, Ineke J. M.; Baalbergen, Heleen; van der Heijden, Peter G. M.; Postma, Albert; Braspenning, Merel; van der Kuil, Milan N. A.

2015-01-01

In this large scale, individual differences study (N = 521), the effects of cardinal axes of an environment and the path taken between locations on distance comparisons were assessed. The main goal was to identify if and to what extent previous findings in simple 2D tasks can be generalized to a more dynamic, three-dimensional virtual reality environment. Moreover, effects of age and gender were assessed. After memorizing the locations of six objects in a circular environment, participants were asked to judge the distance between objects they encountered. Results indicate that categorization (based on the cardinal axes) was present, as distances within one quadrant were judged as being closer together, even when no visual indication of the cardinal axes was given. Moreover, strong effects of the path taken between object locations were found; objects that were near on the path taken were perceived as being closer together than objects that were further apart on this path, regardless of the metric distance between the objects. Males outperformed females in distance comparison, but did not differ in the extent of the categorization and path effects. Age also affected performance; the categorization and path effects were highly similar across the age range tested, but the general ability to estimate distances does show a clear pattern increase during development and decrease with aging. PMID:26321968

Effect of water activity and temperature on the growth of Eurotium species isolated from animal feeds.

PubMed

Greco, Mariana; Pardo, Alejandro; Pose, Graciela; Patriarca, Andrea

Xerophilic fungi represent a serious problem due to their ability to grow at low water activities causing the spoiling of low and intermediate moisture foods, stored goods and animal feeds, with the consequent economic losses. The combined effect of water activity and temperature of four Eurotium species isolated from animal feeds was investigated. Eurotium amstelodami, Eurotium chevalieri, Eurotium repens and Eurotium rubrum were grown at 5, 15, 25, 37 and 45°C on malt extract agar adjusted with glycerol in the range 0.710-0.993 of water activities. The cardinal model proposed by Rosso and Robinson (2001) was applied to fit growth data, with the variable water activity at fixed temperatures, obtaining three cardinal water activities (a wmin , a wmax , a wopt ) and the specific growth rate at the optimum a w (μ opt ). A probabilistic model was also applied to define the interface between growth and no-growth. The cardinal model provided an adequate estimation of the optimal a w to grow and the maximum growth rate. The probabilistic model showed a good performance to fit growth/no-growth cases in the predicted range. The results presented here could be applied to predict Eurotium species growth in animal feeds. Copyright © 2017 Asociación Española de Micología. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Developing and Fielding Information Dominance

DTIC Science & Technology

2002-01-01

Developing and Fielding Information Dominance Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command’s IT-21 Blocks 1 and 2 2002 Command and Control Research and...00-00-2002 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE Developing and Fielding Information Dominance 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER 5b. GRANT NUMBER 5c. PROGRAM ELEMENT NUMBER...force levels were uncertain, the necessary role of information dominance to maintaining strategic superiority was not. Platform Centric Warfare, with its

Arielle Cardinal | NREL

Science.gov Websites

, Arielle worked in the hospitality sector, developing her customer service and business management skills . Arielle is responsible for overseeing and coordinating the planning, management, execution, and reporting

7 CFR 51.888 - Maturity requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

..., Standardization Section, Room 2065-S, 14th and Independence Avenue, Washington, DC 20250 or at the National....5 Cardinal, Emperor, Perlette, Ribier, Olivette Blanche, Rish Baba, Red Malaga, and similar...

7 CFR 51.888 - Maturity requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

..., Standardization Section, Room 2065-S, 14th and Independence Avenue, Washington, DC 20250 or at the National....5 Cardinal, Emperor, Perlette, Ribier, Olivette Blanche, Rish Baba, Red Malaga, and similar...

Multiple model cardinalized probability hypothesis density filter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Georgescu, Ramona; Willett, Peter

2011-09-01

The Probability Hypothesis Density (PHD) filter propagates the first-moment approximation to the multi-target Bayesian posterior distribution while the Cardinalized PHD (CPHD) filter propagates both the posterior likelihood of (an unlabeled) target state and the posterior probability mass function of the number of targets. Extensions of the PHD filter to the multiple model (MM) framework have been published and were implemented either with a Sequential Monte Carlo or a Gaussian Mixture approach. In this work, we introduce the multiple model version of the more elaborate CPHD filter. We present the derivation of the prediction and update steps of the MMCPHD particularized for the case of two target motion models and proceed to show that in the case of a single model, the new MMCPHD equations reduce to the original CPHD equations.

Children's Causal Inferences from Conflicting Testimony and Observations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bridgers, Sophie; Buchsbaum, Daphna; Seiver, Elizabeth; Griffiths, Thomas L.; Gopnik, Alison

2016-01-01

Preschoolers use both direct observation of statistical data and informant testimony to learn causal relationships. Can children integrate information from these sources, especially when source reliability is uncertain? We investigate how children handle a conflict between what they hear and what they see. In Experiment 1, 4-year-olds were…

Imprecision and Uncertainty in the UFO Database Model.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Van Gyseghem, Nancy; De Caluwe, Rita

1998-01-01

Discusses how imprecision and uncertainty are dealt with in the UFO (Uncertainty and Fuzziness in an Object-oriented) database model. Such information is expressed by means of possibility distributions, and modeled by means of the proposed concept of "role objects." The role objects model uncertain, tentative information about objects,…

Eyetracking Reveals Multiple-Category Use in Induction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chen, Stephanie Y.; Ross, Brian H.; Murphy, Gregory L.

2016-01-01

Category information is used to predict properties of new category members. When categorization is uncertain, people often rely on only one, most likely category to make predictions. Yet studies of perception and action often conclude that people combine multiple sources of information near-optimally. We present a perception-action analog of…

Designing basin-customized combined drought indices via feature extraction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zaniolo, Marta; Giuliani, Matteo; Castelletti, Andrea

2017-04-01

The socio-economic costs of drought are progressively increasing worldwide due to the undergoing alteration of hydro-meteorological regimes induced by climate change. Although drought management is largely studied in the literature, most of the traditional drought indexes fail in detecting critical events in highly regulated systems, which generally rely on ad-hoc formulations and cannot be generalized to different context. In this study, we contribute a novel framework for the design of a basin-customized drought index. This index represents a surrogate of the state of the basin and is computed by combining the available information about the water available in the system to reproduce a representative target variable for the drought condition of the basin (e.g., water deficit). To select the relevant variables and how to combine them, we use an advanced feature extraction algorithm called Wrapper for Quasi Equally Informative Subset Selection (W-QEISS). The W-QEISS algorithm relies on a multi-objective evolutionary algorithm to find Pareto-efficient subsets of variables by maximizing the wrapper accuracy, minimizing the number of selected variables (cardinality) and optimizing relevance and redundancy of the subset. The accuracy objective is evaluated trough the calibration of a pre-defined model (i.e., an extreme learning machine) of the water deficit for each candidate subset of variables, with the index selected from the resulting solutions identifying a suitable compromise between accuracy, cardinality, relevance, and redundancy. The proposed methodology is tested in the case study of Lake Como in northern Italy, a regulated lake mainly operated for irrigation supply to four downstream agricultural districts. In the absence of an institutional drought monitoring system, we constructed the combined index using all the hydrological variables from the existing monitoring system as well as the most common drought indicators at multiple time aggregations. The soil moisture deficit in the root zone computed by a distributed-parameter water balance model of the agricultural districts is used as target variable. Numerical results show that our framework succeeds in constructing a combined drought index that reproduces the soil moisture deficit. Moreover, this index represents a valuable information for supporting appropriate drought management strategies, including the possibility of directly informing the lake operations about the drought conditions and improve the overall reliability of the irrigation supply system.

Your baby in the birth canal

MedlinePlus

... lie; Fetal attitude; Fetal descent; Fetal station; Cardinal movements; Labor-birth canal; Delivery-birth canal ... are used to describe your baby's position and movement through the birth canal. FETAL STATION Fetal station ...

NegBio: a high-performance tool for negation and uncertainty detection in radiology reports.

PubMed

Peng, Yifan; Wang, Xiaosong; Lu, Le; Bagheri, Mohammadhadi; Summers, Ronald; Lu, Zhiyong

2018-01-01

Negative and uncertain medical findings are frequent in radiology reports, but discriminating them from positive findings remains challenging for information extraction. Here, we propose a new algorithm, NegBio, to detect negative and uncertain findings in radiology reports. Unlike previous rule-based methods, NegBio utilizes patterns on universal dependencies to identify the scope of triggers that are indicative of negation or uncertainty. We evaluated NegBio on four datasets, including two public benchmarking corpora of radiology reports, a new radiology corpus that we annotated for this work, and a public corpus of general clinical texts. Evaluation on these datasets demonstrates that NegBio is highly accurate for detecting negative and uncertain findings and compares favorably to a widely-used state-of-the-art system NegEx (an average of 9.5% improvement in precision and 5.1% in F1-score). https://github.com/ncbi-nlp/NegBio.

Estimating Model Prediction Error: Should You Treat Predictions as Fixed or Random?

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wallach, Daniel; Thorburn, Peter; Asseng, Senthold; Challinor, Andrew J.; Ewert, Frank; Jones, James W.; Rotter, Reimund; Ruane, Alexander

2016-01-01

Crop models are important tools for impact assessment of climate change, as well as for exploring management options under current climate. It is essential to evaluate the uncertainty associated with predictions of these models. We compare two criteria of prediction error; MSEP fixed, which evaluates mean squared error of prediction for a model with fixed structure, parameters and inputs, and MSEP uncertain( X), which evaluates mean squared error averaged over the distributions of model structure, inputs and parameters. Comparison of model outputs with data can be used to estimate the former. The latter has a squared bias term, which can be estimated using hindcasts, and a model variance term, which can be estimated from a simulation experiment. The separate contributions to MSEP uncertain (X) can be estimated using a random effects ANOVA. It is argued that MSEP uncertain (X) is the more informative uncertainty criterion, because it is specific to each prediction situation.

Mutually unbiased phase states, phase uncertainties, and Gauss sums

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Planat, M.; Rosu, H.

2005-10-01

Mutually unbiased bases (MUBs), which are such that the inner product between two vectors in different orthogonal bases is a constant equal to 1/sqrt{d}, with d the dimension of the finite Hilbert space, are becoming more and more studied for applications such as quantum tomography and cryptography, and in relation to entangled states and to the Heisenberg-Weil group of quantum optics. Complete sets of MUBs of cardinality d+1 have been derived for prime power dimensions d=pm using the tools of abstract algebra. Presumably, for non prime dimensions the cardinality is much less. Here we reinterpret MUBs as quantum phase states, i.e. as eigenvectors of Hermitian phase operators generalizing those introduced by Pegg and Barnett in 1989. We relate MUB states to additive characters of Galois fields (in odd characteristic p) and to Galois rings (in characteristic 2). Quantum Fourier transforms of the components in vectors of the bases define a more general class of MUBs with multiplicative characters and additive ones altogether. We investigate the complementary properties of the above phase operator with respect to the number operator. We also study the phase probability distribution and variance for general pure quantum electromagnetic states and find them to be related to the Gauss sums, which are sums over all elements of the field (or of the ring) of the product of multiplicative and additive characters. Finally, we relate the concepts of mutual unbiasedness and maximal entanglement. This allows to use well studied algebraic concepts as efficient tools in the study of entanglement and its information aspects.

Updates in the genetic evaluation of the child with global developmental delay or intellectual disability.

PubMed

Flore, Leigh Anne; Milunsky, Jeff M

2012-12-01

Global developmental delay (GDD) and intellectual disability (ID) occur in up to 3% of the general population and are even more commonly encountered in the setting of the pediatric neurology clinic. New advances in technology and in the understanding of genetic disorders have led to changes in the diagnostic approach to a child with unexplained GDD or ID. Chromosomal microarray has become a first-line test for evaluation of patients in this population and has both significantly increased diagnostic yield and introduced new challenges in the interpretation of copy number variants of uncertain significance. The G-banded karyotype is now frequently utilized as an adjunct to the microarray rather than as a first-line test in individuals with GDD or ID. Fragile X DNA testing continues to be recommended in the initial evaluation of the child with GDD or ID. The presence or absence of certain cardinal features (such as microcephaly or macrocephaly, seizures, autism, abnormal neurologic examination, and facial dysmorphism) can be utilized to direct single-gene molecular testing. The availability of next-generation and massively parallel sequencing technologies has enabled the use of genetic testing panels, in which dozens of genes associated with GDD or ID may be rapidly analyzed. Most recently, the clinical availability of whole-genome and whole-exome sequencing has opened new possibilities for the evaluation of individuals with GDD or ID who have previously eluded a genetic diagnosis. Consultation with a medical geneticist is recommended when progressing beyond first-tier analyses to most efficiently prioritize testing. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Communicating uncertainty in hydrological forecasts: mission impossible?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ramos, Maria-Helena; Mathevet, Thibault; Thielen, Jutta; Pappenberger, Florian

2010-05-01

Cascading uncertainty in meteo-hydrological modelling chains for forecasting and integrated flood risk assessment is an essential step to improve the quality of hydrological forecasts. Although the best methodology to quantify the total predictive uncertainty in hydrology is still debated, there is a common agreement that one must avoid uncertainty misrepresentation and miscommunication, as well as misinterpretation of information by users. Several recent studies point out that uncertainty, when properly explained and defined, is no longer unwelcome among emergence response organizations, users of flood risk information and the general public. However, efficient communication of uncertain hydro-meteorological forecasts is far from being a resolved issue. This study focuses on the interpretation and communication of uncertain hydrological forecasts based on (uncertain) meteorological forecasts and (uncertain) rainfall-runoff modelling approaches to decision-makers such as operational hydrologists and water managers in charge of flood warning and scenario-based reservoir operation. An overview of the typical flow of uncertainties and risk-based decisions in hydrological forecasting systems is presented. The challenges related to the extraction of meaningful information from probabilistic forecasts and the test of its usefulness in assisting operational flood forecasting are illustrated with the help of two case-studies: 1) a study on the use and communication of probabilistic flood forecasting within the European Flood Alert System; 2) a case-study on the use of probabilistic forecasts by operational forecasters from the hydroelectricity company EDF in France. These examples show that attention must be paid to initiatives that promote or reinforce the active participation of expert forecasters in the forecasting chain. The practice of face-to-face forecast briefings, focusing on sharing how forecasters interpret, describe and perceive the model output forecasted scenarios, is essential. We believe that the efficient communication of uncertainty in hydro-meteorological forecasts is not a mission impossible. Questions remaining unanswered in probabilistic hydrological forecasting should not neutralize the goal of such a mission, and the suspense kept should instead act as a catalyst for overcoming the remaining challenges.

Novel density-based and hierarchical density-based clustering algorithms for uncertain data.

PubMed

Zhang, Xianchao; Liu, Han; Zhang, Xiaotong

2017-09-01

Uncertain data has posed a great challenge to traditional clustering algorithms. Recently, several algorithms have been proposed for clustering uncertain data, and among them density-based techniques seem promising for handling data uncertainty. However, some issues like losing uncertain information, high time complexity and nonadaptive threshold have not been addressed well in the previous density-based algorithm FDBSCAN and hierarchical density-based algorithm FOPTICS. In this paper, we firstly propose a novel density-based algorithm PDBSCAN, which improves the previous FDBSCAN from the following aspects: (1) it employs a more accurate method to compute the probability that the distance between two uncertain objects is less than or equal to a boundary value, instead of the sampling-based method in FDBSCAN; (2) it introduces new definitions of probability neighborhood, support degree, core object probability, direct reachability probability, thus reducing the complexity and solving the issue of nonadaptive threshold (for core object judgement) in FDBSCAN. Then, we modify the algorithm PDBSCAN to an improved version (PDBSCANi), by using a better cluster assignment strategy to ensure that every object will be assigned to the most appropriate cluster, thus solving the issue of nonadaptive threshold (for direct density reachability judgement) in FDBSCAN. Furthermore, as PDBSCAN and PDBSCANi have difficulties for clustering uncertain data with non-uniform cluster density, we propose a novel hierarchical density-based algorithm POPTICS by extending the definitions of PDBSCAN, adding new definitions of fuzzy core distance and fuzzy reachability distance, and employing a new clustering framework. POPTICS can reveal the cluster structures of the datasets with different local densities in different regions better than PDBSCAN and PDBSCANi, and it addresses the issues in FOPTICS. Experimental results demonstrate the superiority of our proposed algorithms over the existing algorithms in accuracy and efficiency. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Uncertainty visualisation in the Model Web

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gerharz, L. E.; Autermann, C.; Hopmann, H.; Stasch, C.; Pebesma, E.

2012-04-01

Visualisation of geospatial data as maps is a common way to communicate spatially distributed information. If temporal and furthermore uncertainty information are included in the data, efficient visualisation methods are required. For uncertain spatial and spatio-temporal data, numerous visualisation methods have been developed and proposed, but only few tools for visualisation of data in a standardised way exist. Furthermore, usually they are realised as thick clients, and lack functionality of handling data coming from web services as it is envisaged in the Model Web. We present an interactive web tool for visualisation of uncertain spatio-temporal data developed in the UncertWeb project. The client is based on the OpenLayers JavaScript library. OpenLayers provides standard map windows and navigation tools, i.e. pan, zoom in/out, to allow interactive control for the user. Further interactive methods are implemented using jStat, a JavaScript library for statistics plots developed in UncertWeb, and flot. To integrate the uncertainty information into existing standards for geospatial data, the Uncertainty Markup Language (UncertML) was applied in combination with OGC Observations&Measurements 2.0 and JavaScript Object Notation (JSON) encodings for vector and NetCDF for raster data. The client offers methods to visualise uncertain vector and raster data with temporal information. Uncertainty information considered for the tool are probabilistic and quantified attribute uncertainties which can be provided as realisations or samples, full probability distributions functions and statistics. Visualisation is supported for uncertain continuous and categorical data. In the client, the visualisation is realised using a combination of different methods. Based on previously conducted usability studies, a differentiation between expert (in statistics or mapping) and non-expert users has been indicated as useful. Therefore, two different modes are realised together in the tool: (i) adjacent maps showing data and uncertainty separately, and (ii) multidimensional mapping providing different visualisation methods in combination to explore the spatial, temporal and uncertainty distribution of the data. Adjacent maps allow a simpler visualisation by separating value and uncertainty maps for non-experts and a first overview. The multidimensional approach allows a more complex exploration of the data for experts by browsing through the different dimensions. It offers the visualisation of maps, statistic plots and time series in different windows and sliders to interactively move through time, space and uncertainty (thresholds).

Therapeutic Effects of Islamic Intercessory Prayer on Warts.

PubMed

Hoşrik, Evren M; Cüceloğlu, Aydın E; Erpolat, Seval

2017-12-01

The present study aimed to examine the therapeutic effects of Islamic intercessory prayer on warts. Forty-five participants who are mostly Muslims and infected with warts were randomized into three groups: Group-1 (uncertain, with intercessory prayer), Group-2 (uncertain, no intercessory prayer), and control group (informed, no intervention). Stress symptoms were also measured before and after prayer sessions for these three groups. The results revealed that there were no significant differences between the groups in terms of healing. Although participants believed in the therapeutic effects of prayer, when participants did not trust the intercessor, prayer had no effect on warts.

7 CFR 51.888 - Maturity requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... Section, Room 2065-S, 14th and Independence Avenue, Washington, DC 20250 or at the National Archives and... Cardinal, Emperor, Perlette, Ribier, Olivette Blanche, Rish Baba, Red Malaga, and similar varieties 15.5 (1...

7 CFR 51.888 - Maturity requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... Section, Room 2065-S, 14th and Independence Avenue, Washington, DC 20250 or at the National Archives and... Cardinal, Emperor, Perlette, Ribier, Olivette Blanche, Rish Baba, Red Malaga, and similar varieties 15.5 (1...

7 CFR 51.888 - Maturity requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... Section, Room 2065-S, 14th and Independence Avenue, Washington, DC 20250 or at the National Archives and... Cardinal, Emperor, Perlette, Ribier, Olivette Blanche, Rish Baba, Red Malaga, and similar varieties 15.5 (1...

The Public Understanding of Scientific Information: Communicating, Interpreting, and Applying the Science of Learning.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Norris, Stephen P.; Phillips, Linda M.

2003-01-01

Research is conducted in abstract contexts that inhibit practical application. In addition, research results are often uncertain and always circumscribed. Lay people have difficulty interpreting results for use in particular situations. The media could play a significant role in the public understanding of scientific information if it would report…

Conceptual Challenges in Coordinating Theoretical and Data-Centered Estimates of Probability

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Konold, Cliff; Madden, Sandra; Pollatsek, Alexander; Pfannkuch, Maxine; Wild, Chris; Ziedins, Ilze; Finzer, William; Horton, Nicholas J.; Kazak, Sibel

2011-01-01

A core component of informal statistical inference is the recognition that judgments based on sample data are inherently uncertain. This implies that instruction aimed at developing informal inference needs to foster basic probabilistic reasoning. In this article, we analyze and critique the now-common practice of introducing students to both…

Weighing conservation objectives: maximum expected coverage versus endangered species protection

Treesearch

Jeffrey L. Arthur; Jeffrey D. Camm; Robert G. Haight; Claire A. Montgomery; Stephen Polasky

2004-01-01

Decision makers involved in land acquisition and protection often have multiple conservation objectives and are uncertain about the occurrence of species or other features in candidate sites. Model informing decisions on selection of sites for reserves need to provide information about cost-efficient trade-offs between objectives and account for incidence uncertainty...

The person trade-off method and the transitivity principle: an example from preferences over age weighting.

PubMed

Dolan, Paul; Tsuchiya, Aki

2003-06-01

The person trade-off (PTO) is increasingly being used to elicit preferences in health. This paper explores the measurement properties of the PTO method in the context of a study about how members of the public prioritise between patients of different ages. In particular, it considers whether PTO responses satisfy the transitivity principle; that is, whether one PTO response can be inferred from two other PTO responses. The results suggest that very few responses to PTO questions satisfy cardinal transitivity condition. However, this study has produced results that suggest that cardinal transitivity will hold, on average, when respondents who fail to satisfy the ordinal transitivity condition have been excluded from the analysis. This suggests that future PTO studies should build in checks for ordinal transitivity. Copyright 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Humility and 12-Step Recovery: A Prolegomenon for the Empirical Investigation of a Cardinal Virtue in Alcoholics Anonymous.

PubMed

Post, Stephen G; Pagano, Maria E; Lee, Matthew T; Johnson, Byron R

Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) offers a live stage to study how humility is worn by thousands for another day of sobriety and more freedom from the bondage of self. It has been the coauthors' intent to emphasize the significance of humility as a cardinal virtue across the 12-Step program and as essential to all its key elements. The coauthors have placed this emphasis in the context of a wider theological history of thought as this converged on Bill W. and AA. In addition, the coauthors have offered a constructive developmental interpretation of the 12 Steps that relies on a model of four modulations of humility. Finally, the coauthors have reviewed in brief some approaches to the measurement of humility in this context, and suggest several aims for future research.

Humility and 12-Step Recovery: A Prolegomenon for the Empirical Investigation of a Cardinal Virtue in Alcoholics Anonymous

PubMed Central

Post, Stephen G.; Pagano, Maria E.; Lee, Matthew T.; Johnson, Byron R.

2016-01-01

Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) offers a live stage to study how humility is worn by thousands for another day of sobriety and more freedom from the bondage of self. It has been the coauthors’ intent to emphasize the significance of humility as a cardinal virtue across the 12-Step program and as essential to all its key elements. The coauthors have placed this emphasis in the context of a wider theological history of thought as this converged on Bill W. and AA. In addition, the coauthors have offered a constructive developmental interpretation of the 12 Steps that relies on a model of four modulations of humility. Finally, the coauthors have reviewed in brief some approaches to the measurement of humility in this context, and suggest several aims for future research. PMID:27429509

Anatomy and histology of apical support: a literature review concerning cardinal and uterosacral ligaments.

PubMed

Ramanah, Rajeev; Berger, Mitchell B; Parratte, Bernard M; DeLancey, John O L

2012-11-01

The objective of this work was to collect and summarize relevant literature on the anatomy, histology, and imaging of apical support of the upper vagina and the uterus provided by the cardinal (CL) and uterosacral (USL) ligaments. A literature search in English, French, and German languages was carried out with the keywords apical support, cardinal ligament, transverse cervical ligament, Mackenrodt ligament, parametrium, paracervix, retinaculum uteri, web, uterosacral ligament, and sacrouterine ligament in the PubMed database. Other relevant journal and textbook articles were sought by retrieving references cited in previous PubMed articles. Fifty references were examined in peer-reviewed journals and textbooks. The USL extends from the S2 to the S4 vertebra region to the dorsal margin of the uterine cervix and/or to the upper third of the posterior vaginal wall. It has a superficial and deep component. Autonomous nerve fibers are a major constituent of the deep USL. CL is defined as a perivascular sheath with a proximal insertion around the origin of the internal iliac artery and a distal insertion on the cervix and/or vagina. It is divided into a cranial (vascular) and a caudal (neural) portions. Histologically, it contains mainly vessels, with no distinct band of connective tissue. Both the deep USL and the caudal CL are closely related to the inferior hypogastric plexus. USL and CL are visceral ligaments, with mesentery-like structures containing vessels, nerves, connective tissue, and adipose tissue.

Speed and the coherence of superimposed chromatic gratings.

PubMed

Bosten, J M; Smith, L; Mollon, J D

2016-05-01

On the basis of measurements of the perceived coherence of superimposed drifting gratings, Krauskopf and Farell (1990) proposed that motion is analysed independently in different chromatic channels. They found that two gratings appeared to slip if each modulated one of the two 'cardinal' color mechanisms S/(L+M) and L/(L+M). If the gratings were defined along intermediate color directions, observers reported a plaid, moving coherently. We hypothesised that slippage might occur in chromatic gratings if the motion signal from the S/(L+M) channel is weak and equivalent to a lower speed. We asked observers to judge coherence in two conditions. In one, S/(L+M) and L/(L+M) gratings were physically the same speed. In the other, the two gratings had perceptually matched speeds. We found that the relative incoherence of cardinal gratings is the same whether gratings are physically or perceptually matched in speed. Thus our hypothesis was firmly contradicted. In a control condition, observers were asked to judge the coherence of stationary gratings. Interestingly, the difference in judged coherence between cardinal and intermediate gratings remained as strong as it was when the gratings moved. Our results suggest a possible alternative interpretation of Krauskopf and Farell's result: the processes of object segregation may precede the analysis of the motion of chromatic gratings, and the same grouping signals may prompt object segregation in the stationary and moving cases. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Role of temperature and free moisture in onion flower blight. [Botrytis squamosa; Botrytis cinerea; and Botrytis allii

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

Ramsey, G.R.; Lorbeer, J.W.

1986-06-01

The cardinal temperatures at which onion umbels were blighted (after inoculation when two-thirds of the florets were open) with Botrytis squamosa, B. cinerea, and B. allii (isolated from blighted onion florets) were near 9, 21, and 27 C for B. squamosa, near 12, 21, and 30 C for B. cinerea, and near 9, 24, and 30 C for B. allii. The cardinal temperatures for mycelial growth (potato-dextrose agar) of B. squamosa, B. cinerea, and B. allii were near 5, 22, and 30 C for each fungus. The cardinal temperatures for conidial germination (on purified water agar) were near 6, 15,more » and 30 C for B. squamosa; 3, 18, and 33 C for B. cinerea; and 6, 24, and 33 C for B. allii. When the duration of free moisture on umbels after inoculation with the three pathogens was increased from 0 to 96 hr. the percentages of unopened florets, open florets, and immature seed capsules blighted at 21 C were increased significantly. Free moisture durations of 12-24, 6-12, and 6-12 hr were necessary for blighting of unopen florets, open florets, and immature seed capsules, respectively, by each pathogen at 21 C. A positive correlation between the amount of July rainfall and the natural incidence of onion flower blight was observed in Orange County, New York, from 1976 to 1981. 10 references, 2 figures, 1 table.« less

Anatomy and histology of apical support: a literature review concerning cardinal and uterosacral ligaments

PubMed Central

Ramanah, Rajeev; Berger, Mitchell B.; Parratte, Bernard M.

2014-01-01

The objective of this work was to collect and summarize relevant literature on the anatomy, histology, and imaging of apical support of the upper vagina and the uterus provided by the cardinal (CL) and uterosacral (USL) ligaments. A literature search in English, French, and German languages was carried out with the keywords apical support, cardinal ligament, transverse cervical ligament, Mackenrodt ligament, parametrium, paracervix, retinaculum uteri, web, uterosacral ligament, and sacrouterine ligament in the PubMed database. Other relevant journal and textbook articles were sought by retrieving references cited in previous PubMed articles. Fifty references were examined in peer-reviewed journals and textbooks. The USL extends from the S2 to the S4 vertebra region to the dorsal margin of the uterine cervix and/or to the upper third of the posterior vaginal wall. It has a superficial and deep component. Autonomous nerve fibers are a major constituent of the deep USL. CL is defined as a perivascular sheath with a proximal insertion around the origin of the internal iliac artery and a distal insertion on the cervix and/or vagina. It is divided into a cranial (vascular) and a caudal (neural) portions. Histologically, it contains mainly vessels, with no distinct band of connective tissue. Both the deep USL and the caudal CL are closely related to the inferior hypogastric plexus. USL and CL are visceral ligaments, with mesentery-like structures containing vessels, nerves, connective tissue, and adipose tissue. PMID:22618209

Individual Differences in Dynamic Functional Brain Connectivity across the Human Lifespan

PubMed Central

Davison, Elizabeth N.; Turner, Benjamin O.; Miller, Michael B.; Carlson, Jean M.

2016-01-01

Individual differences in brain functional networks may be related to complex personal identifiers, including health, age, and ability. Dynamic network theory has been used to identify properties of dynamic brain function from fMRI data, but the majority of analyses and findings remain at the level of the group. Here, we apply hypergraph analysis, a method from dynamic network theory, to quantify individual differences in brain functional dynamics. Using a summary metric derived from the hypergraph formalism—hypergraph cardinality—we investigate individual variations in two separate, complementary data sets. The first data set (“multi-task”) consists of 77 individuals engaging in four consecutive cognitive tasks. We observe that hypergraph cardinality exhibits variation across individuals while remaining consistent within individuals between tasks; moreover, the analysis of one of the memory tasks revealed a marginally significant correspondence between hypergraph cardinality and age. This finding motivated a similar analysis of the second data set (“age-memory”), in which 95 individuals, aged 18–75, performed a memory task with a similar structure to the multi-task memory task. With the increased age range in the age-memory data set, the correlation between hypergraph cardinality and age correspondence becomes significant. We discuss these results in the context of the well-known finding linking age with network structure, and suggest that hypergraph analysis should serve as a useful tool in furthering our understanding of the dynamic network structure of the brain. PMID:27880785

"It wasn't a disaster or anything": Parents' experiences of their child's uncertain chromosomal microarray result.

PubMed

Wilkins, Ella J; Archibald, Alison D; Sahhar, Margaret A; White, Susan M

2016-11-01

Chromosomal microarray is an increasingly utilized diagnostic test, particularly in the pediatric setting. However, the clinical significance of copy number variants detected by this technology is not always understood, creating uncertainties in interpreting and communicating results. The aim of this study was to explore parents' experiences of an uncertain microarray result for their child. This research utilized a qualitative approach with a phenomenological methodology. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with nine parents of eight children who received an uncertain microarray result for their child, either a 16p11.2 microdeletion or 15q13.3 microdeletion. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and thematic analysis was used to identify themes within the data. Participants were unprepared for the abnormal test result. They had a complex perception of the extent of their child's condition and a mixed understanding of the clinical relevance of the result, but were accepting of the limitations of medical knowledge, and appeared to have adapted to the result. The test result was empowering for parents in terms of access to medical and educational services; however, they articulated significant unmet support needs. Participants expressed hope for the future, in particular that more information would become available over time. This research has demonstrated that parents of children who have an uncertain microarray result appeared to adapt to uncertainty and limited availability of information and valued honesty and empathic ongoing support from health professionals. Genetic health professionals are well positioned to provide such support and aid patients' and families' adaptation to their situation as well as promote empowerment. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Uncertainty-Sensitive Heterogeneous Information Fusion: Assessing Threat with Soft, Uncertain, and Conflicting Evidence

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-01-01

planning exercises and wargaming. Initial Experimentation Late in the research , the prototype platform and the various fusion methods came together. This...Chapter Four points to prior research 2 Uncertainty-Sensitive Heterogeneous Information Fusion in mind multimethod fusing of complex information...our research is assessing the threat of terrorism posed by individuals or groups under scrutiny. Broadly, the ultimate objec- tives, which go well

Incorporating linguistic, probabilistic, and possibilistic information in a risk-based approach for ranking contaminated sites.

PubMed

Zhang, Kejiang; Achari, Gopal; Pei, Yuansheng

2010-10-01

Different types of uncertain information-linguistic, probabilistic, and possibilistic-exist in site characterization. Their representation and propagation significantly influence the management of contaminated sites. In the absence of a framework with which to properly represent and integrate these quantitative and qualitative inputs together, decision makers cannot fully take advantage of the available and necessary information to identify all the plausible alternatives. A systematic methodology was developed in the present work to incorporate linguistic, probabilistic, and possibilistic information into the Preference Ranking Organization METHod for Enrichment Evaluation (PROMETHEE), a subgroup of Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) methods for ranking contaminated sites. The identification of criteria based on the paradigm of comparative risk assessment provides a rationale for risk-based prioritization. Uncertain linguistic, probabilistic, and possibilistic information identified in characterizing contaminated sites can be properly represented as numerical values, intervals, probability distributions, and fuzzy sets or possibility distributions, and linguistic variables according to their nature. These different kinds of representation are first transformed into a 2-tuple linguistic representation domain. The propagation of hybrid uncertainties is then carried out in the same domain. This methodology can use the original site information directly as much as possible. The case study shows that this systematic methodology provides more reasonable results. © 2010 SETAC.

Safety Policy and Procedure Manual (Electronic Version)

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1997-08-18

The state Secretary of Transportation has set a goal of zero accidents for the : North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT). To guide the NCDOT towards : that goal, this safety manual sets for philosophy, goals, cardinal rules : (grounds for...

A Multi-Year Study of Mosquito Feeding Patterns on Avian Hosts in a Southeastern Focus of Eastern Equine Encephalitis Virus

PubMed Central

Estep, Laura K.; McClure, Christopher J. W.; Burkett-Cadena, Nathan D.; Hassan, Hassan K.; Hicks, Tyler L.; Unnasch, Thomas R.; Hill, Geoffrey E.

2011-01-01

Eastern equine encephalitis virus (EEEV) is a mosquito-borne pathogen that cycles in birds but also causes severe disease in humans and horses. We examined patterns of avian host use by vectors of EEEV in Alabama from 2001 to 2009 using blood-meal analysis of field-collected mosquitoes and avian abundance surveys. The northern cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) was the only preferred host (fed on significantly more than expected based on abundance) of Culiseta melanura, the enzootic vector of EEEV. Preferred hosts of Culex erraticus, a putative bridge vector of EEEV, were American robin (Turdus migratorius), Carolina chickadee (Poecile carolinensis), barred owl (Strix varia), and northern mockingbird (Mimus polyglottis). Our results provide insight into the relationships between vectors of EEEV and their avian hosts in the Southeast and suggest that the northern cardinal may be important in the ecology of EEEV in this region. PMID:21540380

Associate editors' foreword: entrepreneurship in health education and health promotion: five cardinal rules.

PubMed

Cottrell, Randall R; Cooper, Hanna

2009-07-01

A career in health education or health promotion (HE/HP) can be developed in many ways. In past editions of this department, career development has been discussed in relation to distance (Balonna, 2001), consulting (Bookbinder, 2001), certifications (Hayden, 2005), graduate school (Cottrell & Hayden, 2007), and many other topics. This article looks at a less traditional means of career development-entrepreneurship. Health education is a field ripe with opportunities for consulting and for selling health-related products and services. Entrepreneurship can not only create financial rewards but can also provide high visibility and networking contacts that can advance one's career. This article combines both theory and practical applications to assist readers in developing entrepreneurial activities. The authors are experienced in entrepreneurial development and use that expertise to provide relevant examples and develop a framework using "five cardinal rules" for establishing an entrepreneurial enterprise in HE/HP.

Entrepreneurship in health education and health promotion: five cardinal rules.

PubMed

Eddy, James M; Stellefson, Michael L

2009-07-01

The nature of health education and health promotion (HE/HP) offers a fertile ground for entrepreneurial activity. As primary prevention of chronic diseases becomes a more central component of the health and/ or medical care continuum, entrepreneurial opportunities for health educators will continue to expand. The process used to design, implement, and evaluate health promotion and disease prevention has clear articulation with entrepreneurial, marketing management, and other business processes. Thus, entrepreneurs in HE/HP must be able to utilize business process to facilitate creative, new HE/HP business ideas. The purpose of this article is to weave theory and practical application into a primer on entrepreneurial applications in HE/HP. More specifically, the authors meld their prospective experiences and expertise to provide background thoughts on entrepreneurship in HE/HP and develop a framework for establishing an entrepreneurial venture in HE/HP. Five Cardinal Rules for Entrepreneurs in HE/HP are proposed.

Rasagiline in the pharmacotherapy of Parkinson's disease--a review.

PubMed

Rascol, Olivier

2005-10-01

Despite the current efficacious symptomatic approaches, the search is on for new therapies for Parkinson's disease that can control the cardinal symptoms of the disease (tremor, rigidity and bradykinesia), control/prevent motor complications induced by long-term levodopa, act on non-motor disease symptoms (dementia, dysautonomia, pain, insomnia, falls) and halt disease progression. Rasagiline is a monoamine oxidase-B inhibitor that has demonstrated efficacy against the cardinal symptoms of Parkinson's disease when used as monotherapy in early Parkinson's disease, and as an adjunct to levodopa in advanced disease stages. It reduces the duration and severity of poor symptom response episodes in fluctuating patients. Preliminary results allow discussion of putative effects of rasagiline on some non-motor signs and disease progression. This article outlines the evidence surrounding the efficacy and safety of rasagiline, and discusses its potential to address some of the currently unmet needs of Parkinson's disease therapy.

Confounding factors in diagnosing brain death: a case report.

PubMed

Burns, Jeffrey M; Login, Ivan S

2002-06-26

Brain death is strictly defined medically and legally. This diagnosis depends on three cardinal neurological features: coma, absent brainstem reflexes, and apnea. The diagnosis can only be made, however, in the absence of intoxication, hypothermia, or certain medical illnesses. A patient with severe hypoxic-ischemic brain injury met the three cardinal neurological features of brain death but concurrent profound hypothyroidism precluded the diagnosis. Our clinical and ethical decisions were further challenged by another facet of this complex case. Although her brain damage indicated a hopeless prognosis, we could not discontinue care based on futility because the only known surrogate was mentally retarded and unable to participate in medical planning. The presence of certain medical conditions prohibits a diagnosis of brain death, which is a medicolegal diagnosis of death, not a prediction or forecast of future outcome. While prognostication is important in deciding to withdraw care, it is not a component in diagnosing brain death.

Distributed neural network control for adaptive synchronization of uncertain dynamical multiagent systems.

PubMed

Peng, Zhouhua; Wang, Dan; Zhang, Hongwei; Sun, Gang

2014-08-01

This paper addresses the leader-follower synchronization problem of uncertain dynamical multiagent systems with nonlinear dynamics. Distributed adaptive synchronization controllers are proposed based on the state information of neighboring agents. The control design is developed for both undirected and directed communication topologies without requiring the accurate model of each agent. This result is further extended to the output feedback case where a neighborhood observer is proposed based on relative output information of neighboring agents. Then, distributed observer-based synchronization controllers are derived and a parameter-dependent Riccati inequality is employed to prove the stability. This design has a favorable decouple property between the observer and the controller designs for nonlinear multiagent systems. For both cases, the developed controllers guarantee that the state of each agent synchronizes to that of the leader with bounded residual errors. Two illustrative examples validate the efficacy of the proposed methods.

"The impact of uncertain threat on affective bias: Individual differences in response to ambiguity": Correction.

PubMed

2018-04-01

Reports an error in "The impact of uncertain threat on affective bias: Individual differences in response to ambiguity" by Maital Neta, Julie Cantelon, Zachary Haga, Caroline R. Mahoney, Holly A. Taylor and F. Caroline Davis ( Emotion , 2017[Dec], Vol 17[8], 1137-1143). In this article, the copyright attribution was incorrectly listed under the Creative Commons CC-BY license due to production-related error. The correct copyright should be "In the public domain." The online version of this article has been corrected. (The following abstract of the original article appeared in record 2017-40275-001.) Individuals who operate under highly stressful conditions (e.g., military personnel and first responders) are often faced with the challenge of quickly interpreting ambiguous information in uncertain and threatening environments. When faced with ambiguity, it is likely adaptive to view potentially dangerous stimuli as threatening until contextual information proves otherwise. One laboratory-based paradigm that can be used to simulate uncertain threat is known as threat of shock (TOS), in which participants are told that they might receive mild but unpredictable electric shocks while performing an unrelated task. The uncertainty associated with this potential threat induces a state of emotional arousal that is not overwhelmingly stressful, but has widespread-both adaptive and maladaptive-effects on cognitive and affective function. For example, TOS is thought to enhance aversive processing and abolish positivity bias. Importantly, in certain situations (e.g., when walking home alone at night), this anxiety can promote an adaptive state of heightened vigilance and defense mobilization. In the present study, we used TOS to examine the effects of uncertain threat on valence bias, or the tendency to interpret ambiguous social cues as positive or negative. As predicted, we found that heightened emotional arousal elicited by TOS was associated with an increased tendency to interpret ambiguous cues negatively. Such negative interpretations are likely adaptive in situations in which threat detection is critical for survival and should override an individual's tendency to interpret ambiguity positively in safe contexts. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

Regularity in an environment produces an internal torque pattern for biped balance control.

PubMed

Ito, Satoshi; Kawasaki, Haruhisa

2005-04-01

In this paper, we present a control method for achieving biped static balance under unknown periodic external forces whose periods are only known. In order to maintain static balance adaptively in an uncertain environment, it is essential to have information on the ground reaction forces. However, when the biped is exposed to a steady environment that provides an external force periodically, uncertain factors on the regularity with respect to a steady environment are gradually clarified using learning process, and finally a torque pattern for balancing motion is acquired. Consequently, static balance is maintained without feedback from ground reaction forces and achieved in a feedforward manner.

Selected Aspects Of The Risk In The Supply Chain In Context Of The Supplier Quality Management

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koblen, Ivan; Lestyánszka Škůrková, Katarína

2015-06-01

The introductory part of the paper underlines the importance of "Risk-based thinking" in the Quality Management System (QMS) and risk in the supply chain, as a principle part of the QMS. After introducing the key terms, the authors focused on the principle part of the article - explanation of the external and internal supply chain risks and the main factors concerning the supply risks, demand risks and environmental risks (as cardinal types of external supply chain risks) as well as the manufacturing and process risks, network/planning and control risks (as most important types of internal supply chain risks). The authors inform on the selected supply chain risk management tools, especially on those which are linked to the appropriate utilization of quality management tools.

A real-time LPC-based vocal tract area display for voice development.

PubMed

Rossiter, D; Howard, D M; Downes, M

1994-12-01

This article reports the design and implementation of a graphical display that presents an approximation to vocal tract area in real time for voiced vowel articulation. The acoustic signal is digitally sampled by the system. From these data a set of reflection coefficients is derived using linear predictive coding. A matrix of area coefficients is then determined that approximates the vocal tract area of the user. From this information a graphical display is then generated. The complete cycle of analysis and display is repeated at approximately 20 times/s. Synchronised audio and visual sequences can be recorded and used as dynamic targets for articulatory development. Use of the system is illustrated by diagrams of system output for spoken cardinal vowels and for vowels sung in a trained and untrained style.

Navigation of autonomous vehicles for oil spill cleaning in dynamic and uncertain environments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jin, Xin; Ray, Asok

2014-04-01

In the context of oil spill cleaning by autonomous vehicles in dynamic and uncertain environments, this paper presents a multi-resolution algorithm that seamlessly integrates the concepts of local navigation and global navigation based on the sensory information; the objective here is to enable adaptive decision making and online replanning of vehicle paths. The proposed algorithm provides a complete coverage of the search area for clean-up of the oil spills and does not suffer from the problem of having local minima, which is commonly encountered in potential-field-based methods. The efficacy of the algorithm is tested on a high-fidelity player/stage simulator for oil spill cleaning in a harbour, where the underlying oil weathering process is modelled as 2D random-walk particle tracking. A preliminary version of this paper was presented by X. Jin and A. Ray as 'Coverage Control of Autonomous Vehicles for Oil Spill Cleaning in Dynamic and Uncertain Environments', Proceedings of the American Control Conference, Washington, DC, June 2013, pp. 2600-2605.

Using Direct Policy Search to Identify Robust Strategies in Adapting to Uncertain Sea Level Rise and Storm Surge

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Garner, G. G.; Keller, K.

2017-12-01

Sea-level rise poses considerable risks to coastal communities, ecosystems, and infrastructure. Decision makers are faced with deeply uncertain sea-level projections when designing a strategy for coastal adaptation. The traditional methods have provided tremendous insight into this decision problem, but are often silent on tradeoffs as well as the effects of tail-area events and of potential future learning. Here we reformulate a simple sea-level rise adaptation model to address these concerns. We show that Direct Policy Search yields improved solution quality, with respect to Pareto-dominance in the objectives, over the traditional approach under uncertain sea-level rise projections and storm surge. Additionally, the new formulation produces high quality solutions with less computational demands than the traditional approach. Our results illustrate the utility of multi-objective adaptive formulations for the example of coastal adaptation, the value of information provided by observations, and point to wider-ranging application in climate change adaptation decision problems.

Robust preview control for a class of uncertain discrete-time systems with time-varying delay.

PubMed

Li, Li; Liao, Fucheng

2018-02-01

This paper proposes a concept of robust preview tracking control for uncertain discrete-time systems with time-varying delay. Firstly, a model transformation is employed for an uncertain discrete system with time-varying delay. Then, the auxiliary variables related to the system state and input are introduced to derive an augmented error system that includes future information on the reference signal. This leads to the tracking problem being transformed into a regulator problem. Finally, for the augmented error system, a sufficient condition of asymptotic stability is derived and the preview controller design method is proposed based on the scaled small gain theorem and linear matrix inequality (LMI) technique. The method proposed in this paper not only solves the difficulty problem of applying the difference operator to the time-varying matrices but also simplifies the structure of the augmented error system. The numerical simulation example also illustrates the effectiveness of the results presented in the paper. Copyright © 2018 ISA. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Lectures based on cardinal symptoms in undergraduate medicine - effects of evaluation-based interventions on teaching large groups

PubMed Central

Kuhnigk, Olaf; Weidtmann, Katja; Anders, Sven; Hüneke, Bernd; Santer, René; Harendza, Sigrid

2011-01-01

Despite critical voices lectures are still an important teaching format in current medical curricula. With the curricular reform at Hamburg Medical Faculty in the year 2004, all subject specific lectures were replaced by cardinal symptom oriented lectures (LSV) in the new clinical curriculum. LSVs are taught throughout all six thematic blocks in years three to five. Since regular student evaluations after each thematic block seemed to demand improvement of the LSVs, this study was carried out using evaluations of individual LSVs by the participating students and by trained auditors (final year students and academic staff). Based on these evaluations feedback containing the individual evaluation data was given in written form to the lecturers combined with information material on planning an LSV using modern didactic techniques. In a second evaluation period, the effects of this intervention were studied. Only small improvements in the LSVs’ quality were noted regarding the level of marks achieved. When individual items were evaluated, especially the didactic quality, significant improvements were noticeable. Overall, on the basis of individual items students ranked the quality of the LSVs significantly higher than trained auditors during the first evaluation period. This effect was no longer seen after the second evaluation period. The inter rater reliability among the auditors was very good. This study shows that regular quality assurance is needed on the structural levels and for staff to accompany the process of embedding teaching formats into curricular concepts. Further investigation is needed to determine the adequate frequency of evaluation and the format of feedback to guarantee sustainable effects of the didactic quality of lectures. PMID:21818230

Field-based estimates of avian mortality from West Nile virus infection.

PubMed

Ward, Michael P; Beveroth, Tara A; Lampman, Richard; Raim, Arlo; Enstrom, David; Novak, Robert

2010-11-01

One of the unique characteristics of West Nile virus (WNV) in North America is the large number of bird species for which the virus can be fatal. WNV mortality has been documented through experimental infections of captive birds and necropsies of free-ranging birds. Investigations of WNV-related mortality in wild birds often focus on species with dramatic population declines (e.g., American Crow, Corvus brachyrhynchos); however, few studies have addressed WNV-related mortality in species not exhibiting marked population declines since the arrival of WNV. We conducted a mark-recapture study of 204 Northern Cardinals (Cardinalis cardinalis) in an area with endemic WNV activity to estimate WNV-related mortality. Previous research has shown that once a bird is infected and recovers from WNV it develops antibodies making it resistant to future infection. Assuming that mortality risks from non-WNV causes were the same for individuals with (had been exposed to WNV) and without antibodies (had not been exposed to WNV), we compared the survival rates of birds with and without WNV antibodies to estimate the impact of WNV on wild birds. An information theoretic approach was used, and the apparent survival was found to be 34.6% lower for individuals without antibodies during the period when WNV was most active (July-September). However, the apparent survival rate was 9.0% higher for individuals without antibodies over the rest of the year. These differences in apparent survival suggest that WNV increases mortality during the WNV season and that chronic effects of WNV infection may also be contributing to mortality. Although WNV appears to have increased mortality rates within the population, population trend data do not indicate declines, suggesting that some cardinal populations can compensate for WNV-related mortality.

Autopsy practice in forensic pathology - evidence-based or experience-based? a review of autopsies performed on victims of traumatic asphyxia in a mass disaster.

PubMed

Colville-Ebeling, Bonnie; Freeman, Michael; Banner, Jytte; Lynnerup, Niels

2014-02-01

Current autopsy practice in forensic pathology is to a large extent based on experience and individual customary practices as opposed to evidence and consensus based practices. As a result there is the potential for substantial variation in how knowledge is applied in each case. In the present case series, we describe the variation observed in autopsy reports by five different pathologists of eight victims who died simultaneously from traumatic asphyxia due to compression during a human stampede. We observed that there was no mention of the availability of medical charts in five of the reports, of potentially confounding resuscitation efforts in three reports, of cardinal signs in seven reports and of associated injuries to a various degree in all reports. Further, there was mention of supplemental histological examination in two reports and of pre-autopsy radiograph in six reports. We inferred that reliance on experience and individual customary practices led to disparities between the autopsy reports as well as omissions of important information such as cardinal signs, and conclude that such reliance increases the potential for error in autopsy practice. We suggest that pre-autopsy data-gathering and the use of check lists specific to certain injury causes are likely to result in less deviation from evidence-based practices in forensic pathology. Pre-autopsy data-gathering and check lists will help ensure a higher degree of standardization in autopsy reports thus enhancing the quality and accuracy of the report as a legal document as well as rendering it more useful for data-gathering efforts. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd and Faculty of Forensic and Legal Medicine. All rights reserved.

A Retroaortic Left Renal Vein in a Female Cadaver.

PubMed

Fujishima, Yoshiko; Watanabe, Koichi; Tabira, Yoko; Iwanaga, Joe; Odo, Yui; Saga, Tsuyoshi; Tubbs, R Shane; Yamaki, Koh-Ichi

2018-05-21

We encountered a case of retroaortic left renal vein (RLRV) during an anatomical dissection course at our medical school in 2017. The case was a female cadaver who was 88 years old at death. Six roots of the left renal vein (RV) arose from the hilus of the kidney and joined to form one left renal vein, crossed dorsal to the abdominal aorta (AA) at the level of the second lumbar vertebra, and then drained into the inferior vena cava (IVC). Two roots joined at the right renal hilus to become the right RV to then drain into the IVC at the level of the first lumbar vertebral body. The reported frequency of RLRV is approximately 2%. Embryologically, the normal anastomosis of the left and right sub-cardinal veins results in the left RV traveling on the ventral surface of the AA. However, in the case presented here, the left RV traveled on the dorsal side of the AA due to the anastomosis of the left and right supra-cardinal veins and regression of the anastomosis between the left and right sub-cardinal veins. If both the dorsal and ventral anastomoses remain, the left RV travels on the dorsal and ventral sides of the aorta. Some of the clinical problems reported in association with RLRV are hematuria and abdominal pain, and the risk of damaging the RLRV during surgery of the posterior abdominal wall. Venous variants as reported herein should be kept in mind when interpreting imaging of the posterior abdominal wall or performing surgery or other invasive procedures near the RLRV.

Psychophysical chromatic mechanisms in macaque monkey.

PubMed

Stoughton, Cleo M; Lafer-Sousa, Rosa; Gagin, Galina; Conway, Bevil R

2012-10-24

Chromatic mechanisms have been studied extensively with psychophysical techniques in humans, but the number and nature of the mechanisms are still controversial. Appeals to monkey neurophysiology are often used to sort out the competing claims and to test hypotheses arising from the experiments in humans, but psychophysical chromatic mechanisms have never been assessed in monkeys. Here we address this issue by measuring color-detection thresholds in monkeys before and after chromatic adaptation, employing a standard approach used to determine chromatic mechanisms in humans. We conducted separate experiments using adaptation configured as either flickering full-field colors or heterochromatic gratings. Full-field colors would favor activity within the visual system at or before the arrival of retinal signals to V1, before the spatial transformation of color signals by the cortex. Conversely, gratings would favor activity within the cortex where neurons are often sensitive to spatial chromatic structure. Detection thresholds were selectively elevated for the colors of full-field adaptation when it modulated along either of the two cardinal chromatic axes that define cone-opponent color space [L vs M or S vs (L + M)], providing evidence for two privileged cardinal chromatic mechanisms implemented early in the visual-processing hierarchy. Adaptation with gratings produced elevated thresholds for colors of the adaptation regardless of its chromatic makeup, suggesting a cortical representation comprised of multiple higher-order mechanisms each selective for a different direction in color space. The results suggest that color is represented by two cardinal channels early in the processing hierarchy and many chromatic channels in brain regions closer to perceptual readout.

Tinnitus complaint behaviour in long-standing Menière's disorder: its association with the other cardinal symptoms.

PubMed

Yoshida, T; Stephens, D; Kentala, E; Levo, H; Auramo, Y; Poe, D; Pyykkö, I

2011-10-01

To explore factors that determines tinnitus complaint behaviour in patients with chronic long-standing Menière's disorder. A questionnaire-based cross-sectional investigation. This included the Oto-neurological questionnaire, the Hearing Disability and Handicap Scale (HDHS), Hearing Measurement Scale (HMS) on sound localisation and the Dizziness Handicap Questionnaire (DHQ). Randomly selected 183 members of the Finnish Menière's Federation. Postal questionnaire. International Tinnitus Inventory and impact of tinnitus. The 183 patients,[36 men and 147 women; mean age, 63 years] had their Meniere's disorder-like symptoms, with a mean of 18 years [range, 1-43], 19% of patients ranked tinnitus as their most severe symptom, and 10% experienced tinnitus as causing a severe or very severe impact. Regression analysis indicated that 41% of International Tinnitus Inventory variance and 28% of tinnitus impact variance were explained by the cardinal symptoms of Menière's disorder. Furthermore, 40% of International Tinnitus Inventory and 25% of tinnitus impact variance were explained by symptom-related disabilities (HDHS, HMS and DHQ). Aural pressure, hearing loss and gait problems were the most important predictors of tinnitus complaint. Understanding what people say and limitation of activities because of vertigo were the most important related disabilities. Tinnitus shares a significant variance with the other cardinal symptoms in patients with long-standing Menière's disorder. As the impact is significantly related to activity limitations based on hearing disability and vertigo, the results suggest that therapeutic efforts to reduce tinnitus in Menière's disorder should include the alleviation of balance and hearing problems. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Treatment Options for the Cardinal Symptoms of Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder

PubMed Central

Tourian, Leon; LeBoeuf, Amélie; Breton, Jean-Jacques; Cohen, David; Gignac, Martin; Labelle, Réal; Guile, Jean-Marc; Renaud, Johanne

2015-01-01

Objective: DSM-5 has added a new developmentally appropriate child and adolescent mood disorder subtype called disruptive mood dysregulation disorder (DMDD). The core features of DMDD are temper outbursts (manifested by either verbal rages and/or physical aggression) and unrelenting irritability or anger. Currently, the literature is lacking a thorough review of the possible treatment options for the cardinal symptoms constituting DMDD. The objective of this article is to provide a thorough review of peer-reviewed studies on the subject of pharmacological treatment options for children and adolescents with the cardinal symptoms of DMDD. Methods: Relevant articles for this study were obtained through Pubmed, Medline, PsychINFO and PsychINDEXplus using the key words: “adolescents,” “children,” “paediatric,” “youth,” “irritability,” “temper outbursts,” “aggression,” “rage,” “disruptive behaviour,” “treatment,” “dysphoria,” “autism,” “mental retardation/intellectual disability,” “impulsivity,” “ADHD,” “oppositional defiant disorder,” and “conduct disorder.” A total of 823 studies were generated; only English studies focusing on pharmacological treatment were retained. Results: Currently there are no established guidelines or thorough reviews summarizing the treatment of DMDD. Pharmacotherapeutic treatment options of both aggression and chronic irritability include: antidepressants/selective norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors, mood stabilizers, psychostimulants, antipsychotics, and alpha-2 agonists. Conclusion: Treatment options of severe, persistent irritability in youth are numerous, and a consensual treatment algorithm has not yet emerged from the literature. Further studies and clinical trials are warranted to determine efficacious and safe treatment modalities. PMID:26336379

Modelling the effect of temperature, water activity and carbon dioxide on the growth of Aspergillus niger and Alternaria alternata isolated from fresh date fruit.

PubMed

Belbahi, A; Leguerinel, I; Méot, J-M; Loiseau, G; Madani, K; Bohuon, P

2016-12-01

To quantify and model the combined effects of temperature (T) (10-40°C), water activity (a w ) (0·993-0·818) and CO 2 concentration (9·4-55·1%, v/v) on the growth rate of Aspergillus niger and Alternaria alternata that cause spoilage during the storage and packaging of dates. The effects of environmental factors were studied using the γ-concept. Cardinal models were used to quantify the effect of studied environmental factors on the growth rates. Firstly, the cardinal parameters were estimated independently from experiments carried out on potato dextrose agar using a monofactorial design. Secondly, model performance evaluation was conducted on pasteurized date paste. The boundary between growth and no-growth was predicted using a deterministic approach. Aspergillus niger displayed a faster growth rate and higher tolerance to low a w than Al. alternata, which in turn proved more resistant to CO 2 concentration. Minimal cardinal parameters of T and a w were lower than those reported in the literature. The combination of the a w and CO 2 effects significantly affected As. niger and Al. alternata growth. The γ-concept model overestimated growth rates, however, it is optimistic and provides somewhat conservative predictions. The developed model provides a decision support tool for the choice of the date fruit conservation mode (refrigeration, drying, modified atmospheric packaging or their combination) using T, a w and CO 2 as environmental factors. © 2016 The Society for Applied Microbiology.

Decoding a Signature-Based Model of Transcription Cofactor Recruitment Dictated by Cardinal Cis-Regulatory Elements in Proximal Promoter Regions

PubMed Central

Benner, Christopher; Hutt, Kasey R.; Stunnenberg, Rieka; Garcia-Bassets, Ivan

2013-01-01

Genome-wide maps of DNase I hypersensitive sites (DHSs) reveal that most human promoters contain perpetually active cis-regulatory elements between −150 bp and +50 bp (−150/+50 bp) relative to the transcription start site (TSS). Transcription factors (TFs) recruit cofactors (chromatin remodelers, histone/protein-modifying enzymes, and scaffold proteins) to these elements in order to organize the local chromatin structure and coordinate the balance of post-translational modifications nearby, contributing to the overall regulation of transcription. However, the rules of TF-mediated cofactor recruitment to the −150/+50 bp promoter regions remain poorly understood. Here, we provide evidence for a general model in which a series of cis-regulatory elements (here termed ‘cardinal’ motifs) prefer acting individually, rather than in fixed combinations, within the −150/+50 bp regions to recruit TFs that dictate cofactor signatures distinctive of specific promoter subsets. Subsequently, human promoters can be subclassified based on the presence of cardinal elements and their associated cofactor signatures. In this study, furthermore, we have focused on promoters containing the nuclear respiratory factor 1 (NRF1) motif as the cardinal cis-regulatory element and have identified the pervasive association of NRF1 with the cofactor lysine-specific demethylase 1 (LSD1/KDM1A). This signature might be distinctive of promoters regulating nuclear-encoded mitochondrial and other particular genes in at least some cells. Together, we propose that decoding a signature-based, expanded model of control at proximal promoter regions should lead to a better understanding of coordinated regulation of gene transcription. PMID:24244184

Ordinal preference elicitation methods in health economics and health services research: using discrete choice experiments and ranking methods.

PubMed

Ali, Shehzad; Ronaldson, Sarah

2012-09-01

The predominant method of economic evaluation is cost-utility analysis, which uses cardinal preference elicitation methods, including the standard gamble and time trade-off. However, such approach is not suitable for understanding trade-offs between process attributes, non-health outcomes and health outcomes to evaluate current practices, develop new programmes and predict demand for services and products. Ordinal preference elicitation methods including discrete choice experiments and ranking methods are therefore commonly used in health economics and health service research. Cardinal methods have been criticized on the grounds of cognitive complexity, difficulty of administration, contamination by risk and preference attitudes, and potential violation of underlying assumptions. Ordinal methods have gained popularity because of reduced cognitive burden, lower degree of abstract reasoning, reduced measurement error, ease of administration and ability to use both health and non-health outcomes. The underlying assumptions of ordinal methods may be violated when respondents use cognitive shortcuts, or cannot comprehend the ordinal task or interpret attributes and levels, or use 'irrational' choice behaviour or refuse to trade-off certain attributes. CURRENT USE AND GROWING AREAS: Ordinal methods are commonly used to evaluate preference for attributes of health services, products, practices, interventions, policies and, more recently, to estimate utility weights. AREAS FOR ON-GOING RESEARCH: There is growing research on developing optimal designs, evaluating the rationalization process, using qualitative tools for developing ordinal methods, evaluating consistency with utility theory, appropriate statistical methods for analysis, generalizability of results and comparing ordinal methods against each other and with cardinal measures.

Applied estimation for hybrid dynamical systems using perceptional information

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Plotnik, Aaron M.

This dissertation uses the motivating example of robotic tracking of mobile deep ocean animals to present innovations in robotic perception and estimation for hybrid dynamical systems. An approach to estimation for hybrid systems is presented that utilizes uncertain perceptional information about the system's mode to improve tracking of its mode and continuous states. This results in significant improvements in situations where previously reported methods of estimation for hybrid systems perform poorly due to poor distinguishability of the modes. The specific application that motivates this research is an automatic underwater robotic observation system that follows and films individual deep ocean animals. A first version of such a system has been developed jointly by the Stanford Aerospace Robotics Laboratory and Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI). This robotic observation system is successfully fielded on MBARI's ROVs, but agile specimens often evade the system. When a human ROV pilot performs this task, one advantage that he has over the robotic observation system in these situations is the ability to use visual perceptional information about the target, immediately recognizing any changes in the specimen's behavior mode. With the approach of the human pilot in mind, a new version of the robotic observation system is proposed which is extended to (a) derive perceptional information (visual cues) about the behavior mode of the tracked specimen, and (b) merge this dissimilar, discrete and uncertain information with more traditional continuous noisy sensor data by extending existing algorithms for hybrid estimation. These performance enhancements are enabled by integrating techniques in hybrid estimation, computer vision and machine learning. First, real-time computer vision and classification algorithms extract a visual observation of the target's behavior mode. Existing hybrid estimation algorithms are extended to admit this uncertain but discrete observation, complementing the information available from more traditional sensors. State tracking is achieved using a new form of Rao-Blackwellized particle filter called the mode-observed Gaussian Particle Filter. Performance is demonstrated using data from simulation and data collected on actual specimens in the ocean. The framework for estimation using both traditional and perceptional information is easily extensible to other stochastic hybrid systems with mode-related perceptional observations available.

Approximate Reasoning: Past, Present, Future

DTIC Science & Technology

1990-06-27

This note presents a personal view of the state of the art in the representation and manipulation of imprecise and uncertain information by automated ... processing systems. To contrast their objectives and characteristics with the sound deductive procedures of classical logic, methodologies developed

Intelligent rover decision-making in response to exogenous events

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chouinard, C.; Estlin, T.; Gaines, D.; Fisher, F.

2005-01-01

This paper presents an introduction to the CLEAR system which performs rover command generation and re-planning, the challenges faced maintaining domain specific information in an uncertain environment, and the successes demonstrated with several methods of system testing.

Sensor trustworthiness in uncertain time varying stochastic environments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Verma, Ajay; Fernandes, Ronald; Vadakkeveedu, Kalyan

2011-06-01

Persistent surveillance applications require unattended sensors deployed in remote regions to track and monitor some physical stimulant of interest that can be modeled as output of time varying stochastic process. However, the accuracy or the trustworthiness of the information received through a remote and unattended sensor and sensor network cannot be readily assumed, since sensors may get disabled, corrupted, or even compromised, resulting in unreliable information. The aim of this paper is to develop information theory based metric to determine sensor trustworthiness from the sensor data in an uncertain and time varying stochastic environment. In this paper we show an information theory based determination of sensor data trustworthiness using an adaptive stochastic reference sensor model that tracks the sensor performance for the time varying physical feature, and provides a baseline model that is used to compare and analyze the observed sensor output. We present an approach in which relative entropy is used for reference model adaptation and determination of divergence of the sensor signal from the estimated reference baseline. We show that that KL-divergence is a useful metric that can be successfully used in determination of sensor failures or sensor malice of various types.

Intelligent diagnosis of jaundice with dynamic uncertain causality graph model.

PubMed

Hao, Shao-Rui; Geng, Shi-Chao; Fan, Lin-Xiao; Chen, Jia-Jia; Zhang, Qin; Li, Lan-Juan

2017-05-01

Jaundice is a common and complex clinical symptom potentially occurring in hepatology, general surgery, pediatrics, infectious diseases, gynecology, and obstetrics, and it is fairly difficult to distinguish the cause of jaundice in clinical practice, especially for general practitioners in less developed regions. With collaboration between physicians and artificial intelligence engineers, a comprehensive knowledge base relevant to jaundice was created based on demographic information, symptoms, physical signs, laboratory tests, imaging diagnosis, medical histories, and risk factors. Then a diagnostic modeling and reasoning system using the dynamic uncertain causality graph was proposed. A modularized modeling scheme was presented to reduce the complexity of model construction, providing multiple perspectives and arbitrary granularity for disease causality representations. A "chaining" inference algorithm and weighted logic operation mechanism were employed to guarantee the exactness and efficiency of diagnostic reasoning under situations of incomplete and uncertain information. Moreover, the causal interactions among diseases and symptoms intuitively demonstrated the reasoning process in a graphical manner. Verification was performed using 203 randomly pooled clinical cases, and the accuracy was 99.01% and 84.73%, respectively, with or without laboratory tests in the model. The solutions were more explicable and convincing than common methods such as Bayesian Networks, further increasing the objectivity of clinical decision-making. The promising results indicated that our model could be potentially used in intelligent diagnosis and help decrease public health expenditure.

Intelligent diagnosis of jaundice with dynamic uncertain causality graph model*

PubMed Central

Hao, Shao-rui; Geng, Shi-chao; Fan, Lin-xiao; Chen, Jia-jia; Zhang, Qin; Li, Lan-juan

2017-01-01

Jaundice is a common and complex clinical symptom potentially occurring in hepatology, general surgery, pediatrics, infectious diseases, gynecology, and obstetrics, and it is fairly difficult to distinguish the cause of jaundice in clinical practice, especially for general practitioners in less developed regions. With collaboration between physicians and artificial intelligence engineers, a comprehensive knowledge base relevant to jaundice was created based on demographic information, symptoms, physical signs, laboratory tests, imaging diagnosis, medical histories, and risk factors. Then a diagnostic modeling and reasoning system using the dynamic uncertain causality graph was proposed. A modularized modeling scheme was presented to reduce the complexity of model construction, providing multiple perspectives and arbitrary granularity for disease causality representations. A “chaining” inference algorithm and weighted logic operation mechanism were employed to guarantee the exactness and efficiency of diagnostic reasoning under situations of incomplete and uncertain information. Moreover, the causal interactions among diseases and symptoms intuitively demonstrated the reasoning process in a graphical manner. Verification was performed using 203 randomly pooled clinical cases, and the accuracy was 99.01% and 84.73%, respectively, with or without laboratory tests in the model. The solutions were more explicable and convincing than common methods such as Bayesian Networks, further increasing the objectivity of clinical decision-making. The promising results indicated that our model could be potentially used in intelligent diagnosis and help decrease public health expenditure. PMID:28471111

Bayesian focalization: quantifying source localization with environmental uncertainty.

PubMed

Dosso, Stan E; Wilmut, Michael J

2007-05-01

This paper applies a Bayesian formulation to study ocean acoustic source localization as a function of uncertainty in environmental properties (water column and seabed) and of data information content [signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and number of frequencies]. The approach follows that of the optimum uncertain field processor [A. M. Richardson and L. W. Nolte, J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 89, 2280-2284 (1991)], in that localization uncertainty is quantified by joint marginal probability distributions for source range and depth integrated over uncertain environmental properties. The integration is carried out here using Metropolis Gibbs' sampling for environmental parameters and heat-bath Gibbs' sampling for source location to provide efficient sampling over complicated parameter spaces. The approach is applied to acoustic data from a shallow-water site in the Mediterranean Sea where previous geoacoustic studies have been carried out. It is found that reliable localization requires a sufficient combination of prior (environmental) information and data information. For example, sources can be localized reliably for single-frequency data at low SNR (-3 dB) only with small environmental uncertainties, whereas successful localization with large environmental uncertainties requires higher SNR and/or multifrequency data.

The Role of Intelligence in Social Learning.

PubMed

Vostroknutov, Alexander; Polonio, Luca; Coricelli, Giorgio

2018-05-02

Studies in cultural evolution have uncovered many types of social learning strategies that are adaptive in certain environments. The efficiency of these strategies also depends on the individual characteristics of both the observer and the demonstrator. We investigate the relationship between intelligence and the ways social and individual information is utilised to make decisions in an uncertain environment. We measure fluid intelligence and study experimentally how individuals learn from observing the choices of a demonstrator in a 2-armed bandit problem with changing probabilities of a reward. Participants observe a demonstrator with high or low fluid intelligence. In some treatments they are aware of the intelligence score of the demonstrator and in others they are not. Low fluid intelligence individuals imitate the demonstrator more when her fluid intelligence is known than when it is not. Conversely, individuals with high fluid intelligence adjust their use of social information, as the observed behaviour changes, independently of the knowledge of the intelligence of the demonstrator. We provide evidence that intelligence determines how social and individual information is integrated in order to make choices in a changing uncertain environment.

Management of post-neurosurgical meningitis: narrative review.

PubMed

Hussein, K; Bitterman, R; Shofty, B; Paul, M; Neuberger, A

2017-09-01

Infections complicating neurosurgery pose unacceptable mortality and morbidity. To summarize what is known about the epidemiology, diagnosis and treatment of post-neurosurgical meningitis (PNM). PubMed, references of identified studies and reviews, and personal experience when evidence was lacking. The incidence and pathogen distribution of PNM is highly variable. A shift towards Gram-negative bacteria has been observed with use of antibiotic prophylaxis and antibiotic-coated devices directed mainly against Gram-positive bacteria. However, knowledge of the local epidemiology is necessary to treat PNM. The diagnosis of PNM is difficult because, unlike community-acquired meningitis, symptoms are less specific; patients are ill at baseline and many neurosurgical conditions mimic meningitis and cause cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) abnormalities. Pivotal CSF findings for diagnosis of PNM are the CSF glucose, CSF lactate and Gram stain. CSF leucocyte counts are not specific in PNM. Current diagnostic capabilities leave a non-negligible category of patients with microbiologically negative, uncertain diagnosis of PNM. There is no high-quality evidence on several cardinal issues in PNM management, including the effectiveness of intraventricular or intrathecal (IV/IT) antibiotics, effectiveness of dual antibiotic therapy for multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria; clinical benefit of routine therapeutic drug monitoring; and safest timing of shunt replacement. Some data point to a potential benefit of IV/IT antibiotic treatment, mainly for PNM caused by carbapenem-resistant Gram-negative bacteria. Carbapenem-colistin combination therapy is suggested for PNM caused by carbapenem-resistant Gram-negative bacteria with a carbapenem MIC ≤8 mg/L. Guiding the optimal management of PNM will necessitate collaborative multicentre efforts and unique study designs. Copyright © 2017 European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Spectrum of Achalasia: Lessons From Studies of Pathophysiology and High-Resolution Manometry

PubMed Central

Kahrilas, Peter J.; Boeckxstaens, Guy

2013-01-01

High-resolution manometry and recently described analysis algorithms, summarized in the Chicago Classification, have increased the recognition of achalasia. It has become apparent that the cardinal feature of achalasia, impaired lower esophageal sphincter relaxation, can occur in several disease phenotypes: without peristalsis, with premature (spastic) distal esophageal contractions, with panesophageal pressurization, or with peristalsis. Any of these phenotypes could indicate achalasia; however, without a disease-specific biomarker, no manometric pattern is absolutely specific. Laboratory studies indicate that achalasia is an autoimmune disease in which esophageal myenteric neurons are attacked in a cell-mediated and antibody-mediated immune response against an uncertain antigen. This autoimmune response could be related to infection of genetically predisposed subjects with herpes simplex virus 1, although there is substantial heterogeneity among patients. At one end of the spectrum is complete aganglionosis in patients with end-stage or fulminant disease. At the opposite extreme is type III (spastic) achalasia, which has no demonstrated neuronal loss but only impaired inhibitory postganglionic neuron function; it is often associated with accentuated contractility and could be mediated by cytokine-induced alterations in gene expression. Distinct from these extremes is progressive plexopathy, which likely arises from achalasia with preserved peristalsis and then develops into type II achalasia and then type I achalasia. Variations in its extent and rate of progression are likely related to the intensity of the cytotoxic T-cell assault on the myenteric plexus. Moving forward, we need to integrate the knowledge we have gained into treatment paradigms that are specific for individual phenotypes of achalasia and away from the one-size-fits-all approach. PMID:23973923

Necessity of introducing postencounter note describing history and physical examination at clinical performance examination in Korea.

PubMed

Kim, Jonghoon

2014-06-01

Information gathering ability had been evaluated mainly via checklists in clinical performance examinations (CPX). But, it is not proved yet if students write the information correctly in postencounter note (PN), although they asked questions or performed physical examinations (PE) about the information when they interacted with standardized patients in CPX. This study addressed the necessity of introducing PN to evaluate the ability in CPX. After patient encounters, students were instructed to write the findings of history taking and physical examination that they considered as important information in approaching the patient's problems in PN. PNs were scored using answer keys selected from checklist items, which were considered to be recorded in PN by CPX experts. PNs of six CPX cases from 54 students were analyzed. Correlation coefficients between the key-checklist scores and PN scores of six cases were moderate to high (0.52 to 0.79). However, students frequently neglected some cardinal features of chief complains, pertinent findings of past/social history and PE, and pertinent negative findings of associated symptoms in PNs, which were checked as 'done' in the keys of checklists. It is necessary to introduce PN in CPX to evaluate the students' ability of synthesis and integration of patient information.

Equivalence of partition properties and determinacy

PubMed Central

Kechris, Alexander S.; Woodin, W. Hugh

1983-01-01

It is shown that, within L(ℝ), the smallest inner model of set theory containing the reals, the axiom of determinacy is equivalent to the existence of arbitrarily large cardinals below Θ with the strong partition property κ → (κ)κ. PMID:16593299

32 CFR 1602.19 - Numbers.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 32 National Defense 6 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Numbers. 1602.19 Section 1602.19 National Defense Other Regulations Relating to National Defense SELECTIVE SERVICE SYSTEM DEFINITIONS § 1602.19 Numbers. Cardinal numbers may be expressed by Arabic or Roman symbols. ...

32 CFR 1602.19 - Numbers.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 32 National Defense 6 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Numbers. 1602.19 Section 1602.19 National Defense Other Regulations Relating to National Defense SELECTIVE SERVICE SYSTEM DEFINITIONS § 1602.19 Numbers. Cardinal numbers may be expressed by Arabic or Roman symbols. ...

32 CFR 1602.19 - Numbers.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 32 National Defense 6 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Numbers. 1602.19 Section 1602.19 National Defense Other Regulations Relating to National Defense SELECTIVE SERVICE SYSTEM DEFINITIONS § 1602.19 Numbers. Cardinal numbers may be expressed by Arabic or Roman symbols. ...

32 CFR 1602.19 - Numbers.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 32 National Defense 6 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Numbers. 1602.19 Section 1602.19 National Defense Other Regulations Relating to National Defense SELECTIVE SERVICE SYSTEM DEFINITIONS § 1602.19 Numbers. Cardinal numbers may be expressed by Arabic or Roman symbols. ...

32 CFR 1602.19 - Numbers.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 32 National Defense 6 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Numbers. 1602.19 Section 1602.19 National Defense Other Regulations Relating to National Defense SELECTIVE SERVICE SYSTEM DEFINITIONS § 1602.19 Numbers. Cardinal numbers may be expressed by Arabic or Roman symbols. ...

33 CFR 401.19 - Disposal and discharge systems.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

..., including overboard discharge pipes. (d) Burning of shipboard garbage is prohibited between CIP 2 & Cardinal and between CIP 15 and CIP 16. (68 Stat. 93-96, 33 U.S.C. 981-990, as amended and secs. 4, 5, 6, 7, 8...

33 CFR 401.19 - Disposal and discharge systems.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

..., including overboard discharge pipes. (d) Burning of shipboard garbage is prohibited between CIP 2 & Cardinal and between CIP 15 and CIP 16. (68 Stat. 93-96, 33 U.S.C. 981-990, as amended and secs. 4, 5, 6, 7, 8...

33 CFR 401.19 - Disposal and discharge systems.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

..., including overboard discharge pipes. (d) Burning of shipboard garbage is prohibited between CIP 2 & Cardinal and between CIP 15 and CIP 16. (68 Stat. 93-96, 33 U.S.C. 981-990, as amended and secs. 4, 5, 6, 7, 8...

33 CFR 401.19 - Disposal and discharge systems.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

..., including overboard discharge pipes. (d) Burning of shipboard garbage is prohibited between CIP 2 & Cardinal and between CIP 15 and CIP 16. (68 Stat. 93-96, 33 U.S.C. 981-990, as amended and secs. 4, 5, 6, 7, 8...

Fuzzy mobile-robot positioning in intelligent spaces using wireless sensor networks.

PubMed

Herrero, David; Martínez, Humberto

2011-01-01

This work presents the development and experimental evaluation of a method based on fuzzy logic to locate mobile robots in an Intelligent Space using wireless sensor networks (WSNs). The problem consists of locating a mobile node using only inter-node range measurements, which are estimated by radio frequency signal strength attenuation. The sensor model of these measurements is very noisy and unreliable. The proposed method makes use of fuzzy logic for modeling and dealing with such uncertain information. Besides, the proposed approach is compared with a probabilistic technique showing that the fuzzy approach is able to handle highly uncertain situations that are difficult to manage by well-known localization methods.

Physiological Response and Habituation of Endangered Species to Military Training Activities

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-11-01

Wasser. 2008. Long-term impacts of poaching on relatedness, stress physiology, and reproductive output of adult female African elephants . Conservation...Statistical analyses................................................................................................................ 19 Study 6: Impact of...Study 6: Impact of radio transmitters on northern cardinal parental investment and productivity

Senior Leadership: Succession Effects on Organizational Performance

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-12-10

Ricardo A. Herrera , Ph.D. , Seminar Leader John Paganini, COL , Director, School of Advanced Military Studies Hank Arnold, COL...periods. Team Number of Successions Average Team Standing (16 teams) 1921-41 1951-58 Both 1921-41 1951-58 Both Phillies Giants Cardinals Braves

Shock Waves and the Origin of Life

DTIC Science & Technology

1977-01-01

Augustine, St. Thomas Aquinas, Alexander Neckham, Cardinal Damien, Paracelsus, Goethe, Copernicus , Galileo, Harvey, Francis Bacon, Descartes, Hegel and... astronomy and geology. It became thus quite inevitable that the question of how life originated be reopened and examined again in view of the newly

Implementing Big History.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Welter, Mark

2000-01-01

Contends that world history should be taught as "Big History," a view that includes all space and time beginning with the Big Bang. Discusses five "Cardinal Questions" that serve as a course structure and address the following concepts: perspectives, diversity, change and continuity, interdependence, and causes. (CMK)

Facing an Uncertain Future.

DTIC Science & Technology

1982-01-01

apparent coincidence that the same normalization should do for time and uncertainty with Kenneth Arrow, Michael Boskin, Frank Hahn, Hugh Rose, Amartya ... Sen , and John Wise at various times, and the possible relationship between the structure of a criterion function and an information tree such as that

Neglected Issues and Possible Strategies for the Iraqi Economy After the 2003 Invasion

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-12-01

7 F . GENERAL FRAMEWORK...22 F . THREE NEGLECTED PROBLEMATIC ISSUES............................... 24 1. The Informal Economy...Ibid., 73. 11 F . GENERAL FRAMEWORK Today, the general situation in Iraq is uncertain in every facet of life, including the economic, social

Do Portuguese and UK health state values differ across valuation methods?

PubMed

Ferreira, Lara N; Ferreira, Pedro L; Rowen, Donna; Brazier, John E

2011-05-01

There has been an increasing interest in developing country-specific preference weights for widely used measures of health-related quality of life. The valuation of health states has usually been done using cardinal preference elicitation techniques of standard gamble (SG) or time trade-off (TTO). Yet there is increasing interest in the use of ordinal methods to elicit health state utility values as an alternative to the more conventional cardinal techniques.This raises the issue of firstly whether ordinal and cardinal methods of preference elicitation provide similar results and secondly whether this relationship is robust across different valuation studies and different populations. This study examines SG and rank preference weights for the SF-6D derived from samples of the UK and Portuguese general population. The preference weights for the Portuguese sample (n = 140) using rank data are estimated here with 810 health state valuations. The study further examines whether the use of these different preference weights has an impact when comparing the health of different age and severity groups in the Portuguese working population (n = 2,459). The rank model performed well across the majority of measures of goodness of fit used. The preference weights for the Portuguese sample using rank data are systematically lower than the UK weights for physical functioning and pain. Yet our results suggest higher similarity between preference weights derived using rank data than using standard gamble across the UK and Portuguese samples. Our results further suggest that the SF-6D values for a sample of the Portuguese working-age population and differences across groups are affected by the use of different preference weights. We suggest that the use of a Portuguese SF-6D weighting system is preferred for studies aiming to reflect the health state preferences of the Portuguese population.

Communicating about quantity without a language model: number devices in homesign grammar.

PubMed

Coppola, Marie; Spaepen, Elizabet; Goldin-Meadow, Susan

2013-01-01

All natural languages have formal devices for communicating about number, be they lexical (e.g., two, many) or grammatical (e.g., plural markings on nouns and/or verbs). Here we ask whether linguistic devices for number arise in communication systems that have not been handed down from generation to generation. We examined deaf individuals who had not been exposed to a usable model of conventional language (signed or spoken), but had nevertheless developed their own gestures, called homesigns, to communicate. Study 1 examined four adult homesigners and a hearing communication partner for each homesigner. The adult homesigners produced two main types of number gestures: gestures that enumerated sets (cardinal number marking), and gestures that signaled one vs. more than one (non-cardinal number marking). Both types of gestures resembled, in form and function, number signs in established sign languages and, as such, were fully integrated into each homesigner's gesture system and, in this sense, linguistic. The number gestures produced by the homesigners' hearing communication partners displayed some, but not all, of the homesigners' linguistic patterns. To better understand the origins of the patterns displayed by the adult homesigners, Study 2 examined a child homesigner and his hearing mother, and found that the child's number gestures displayed all of the properties found in the adult homesigners' gestures, but his mother's gestures did not. The findings suggest that number gestures and their linguistic use can appear relatively early in homesign development, and that hearing communication partners are not likely to be the source of homesigners' linguistic expressions of non-cardinal number. Linguistic devices for number thus appear to be so fundamental to language that they can arise in the absence of conventional linguistic input. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Communicating about quantity without a language model: Number devices in homesign grammar

PubMed Central

Coppola, Marie; Spaepen, Elizabet; Goldin-Meadow, Susan

2013-01-01

All natural languages have formal devices for communicating about number, be they lexical (e.g., two, many) or grammatical (e.g., plural markings on nouns and/or verbs). Here we ask whether linguistic devices for number arise in communication systems that have not been handed down from generation to generation. We examined deaf individuals who had not been exposed to a usable model of conventional language (signed or spoken), but had nevertheless developed their own gestures, called homesigns, to communicate. Study 1 examined four adult homesigners and a hearing communication partner for each homesigner. The adult homesigners produced two main types of number gestures: gestures that enumerated sets (cardinal number marking), and gestures that signaled one vs. more than one (non-cardinal number marking). Both types of gestures resembled, in form and function, number signs in established sign languages and, as such, were fully integrated into each homesigner's gesture system and, in this sense, linguistic. The number gestures produced by the homesigners’ hearing communication partners displayed some, but not all, of the homesigners’ linguistic patterns. To better understand the origins of the patterns displayed by the adult homesigners, Study 2 examined a child homesigner and his hearing mother, and found that the child's number gestures displayed all of the properties found in the adult homesigners’ gestures, but his mother's gestures did not. The findings suggest that number gestures and their linguistic use can appear relatively early in homesign development, and that hearing communication partners are not likely to be the source of homesigners’ linguistic expressions of non-cardinal number. Linguistic devices for number thus appear to be so fundamental to language that they can arise in the absence of conventional linguistic input. PMID:23872365

A global parallel model based design of experiments method to minimize model output uncertainty.

PubMed

Bazil, Jason N; Buzzard, Gregory T; Rundell, Ann E

2012-03-01

Model-based experiment design specifies the data to be collected that will most effectively characterize the biological system under study. Existing model-based design of experiment algorithms have primarily relied on Fisher Information Matrix-based methods to choose the best experiment in a sequential manner. However, these are largely local methods that require an initial estimate of the parameter values, which are often highly uncertain, particularly when data is limited. In this paper, we provide an approach to specify an informative sequence of multiple design points (parallel design) that will constrain the dynamical uncertainty of the biological system responses to within experimentally detectable limits as specified by the estimated experimental noise. The method is based upon computationally efficient sparse grids and requires only a bounded uncertain parameter space; it does not rely upon initial parameter estimates. The design sequence emerges through the use of scenario trees with experimental design points chosen to minimize the uncertainty in the predicted dynamics of the measurable responses of the system. The algorithm was illustrated herein using a T cell activation model for three problems that ranged in dimension from 2D to 19D. The results demonstrate that it is possible to extract useful information from a mathematical model where traditional model-based design of experiments approaches most certainly fail. The experiments designed via this method fully constrain the model output dynamics to within experimentally resolvable limits. The method is effective for highly uncertain biological systems characterized by deterministic mathematical models with limited data sets. Also, it is highly modular and can be modified to include a variety of methodologies such as input design and model discrimination.

Incidental findings of uncertain significance: To know or not to know--that is not the question.

PubMed

Hofmann, Bjørn

2016-02-13

Although the "right not to know" is well established in international regulations, it has been heavily debated. Ubiquitous results from extended exome and genome analysis have challenged the right not to know. American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG) Recommendations urge to inform about incidental findings that pretend to be accurate and actionable. However, ample clinical cases raise the question whether these criteria are met. Many incidental findings are of uncertain significance (IFUS). The eager to feedback information appears to enter the field of IFUS and thereby threaten the right not to know. This makes it imperative to investigate the arguments for and against a right not to know for IFUS. This article investigates how the various arguments for and against a right not to know hold for IFUS. The main investigated arguments are: hypothetical utilitarianism, the right-based argument, the feasibility argument, the value of knowledge argument, the argument from lost significance, the empirical argument, the duty to disclose argument, the avoiding harm argument; the argument from principle, from autonomy, from privacy, as well as the argument from the right to an open future. The analysis shows that both sides in the debate have exaggerated the importance of incidental findings. Opponents of a right not to know have exaggerated the importance of IFUS, while proponents have exaggerated the need to be protected from something that is not knowledge. Hence, to know or not to know is not the question. The question is whether we should be able to stay ignorant of incidental findings of uncertain significance, if we want to. The answer is yes: As long as the information is not accurate and/or actionable: ignorance is bliss. When answering questions that are not asked, we need to think twice.

Aureobasidium thailandensis, a new species isolated from leaves and wooden surfaces in Thailand

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Aureobasidium thailandense is described from material collected on leaves and wooden surfaces in Thailand. Phylogenetically it is distinct from other species of Aureobasidium. Phenotypically it is distinguished by its cardinal temperatures, salt tolerance, and production of reddish brown hyphal pigm...

Korean Affairs Report, Number 295

DTIC Science & Technology

1983-07-18

Third World was followed by a keynote report of Carlos Perez Herrera , foreign affairs advisor to the Panamanian president. The head of the Korean...first of all a vigorous struggle to estab- lish an ideological system of chuche in its organisations, regarding this as its cardinal task, thus

A Cognitive Complexity Metric Applied to Cognitive Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Andrews, Glenda; Halford, Graeme S.

2002-01-01

Two experiments tested predictions from a theory in which processing load depends on relational complexity (RC), the number of variables related in a single decision. Tasks from six domains (transitivity, hierarchical classification, class inclusion, cardinality, relative-clause sentence comprehension, and hypothesis testing) were administered to…

33 CFR 401.19 - Disposal and discharge systems.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... discharge pipes. (d) Burning of shipboard garbage is prohibited between CIP 2 & Cardinal and between CIP 15 and CIP 16. (68 Stat. 93-96, 33 U.S.C. 981-990, as amended and secs. 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 12 and 13 of sec...

Investigations in Mathematics Education, Vol. 10, No. 3.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Osborne, Alan R., Ed.

Eighteen research reports related to mathematics education are abstracted and analyzed in this publication. Three of the reports deal with aspects of learning theory, seven with topics in mathematics instruction (problem solving, weight, quadratic inequalities, probability and statistics, area and volume conservation, cardinality), five with…

Infinity: The Twilight Zone of Mathematics.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Love, William P.

1989-01-01

The theorems and proofs presented are designed to enhance student understanding of the theory of infinity as developed by Cantor and others. Three transfinite numbers are defined to express the cardinality of infinite algebraic sets, infinite sets of geometric points and infinite sets of functions. (DC)

Development of a Geometric Spatial Visualization Tool

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ganesh, Bibi; Wilhelm, Jennifer; Sherrod, Sonya

2009-01-01

This paper documents the development of the Geometric Spatial Assessment. We detail the development of this instrument which was designed to identify middle school students' strategies and advancement in understanding of four geometric concept domains (geometric spatial visualization, spatial projection, cardinal directions, and periodic patterns)…

The Developmental Psychopathology of Worry

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kertz, Sarah J.; Woodruff-Borden, Janet

2011-01-01

Although childhood generalized anxiety disorder is generally understudied, worry, the cardinal feature of GAD, appears to be relatively common in youth. Despite its prevalence, there are few conceptual models of the development of clinical worry in children. The current review provides a framework for integrating the developmental psychopathology…

Convergence of Cardinal Series.

DTIC Science & Technology

1985-06-01

2Supported by International Business Machines Corporation and National Science Foundation Grant No. DMS-8351187. 3Supported by NSERC Canada through Grant...S,, iff suppf C fl. (1) Sponsored by the United States Army under Contract No. DAAG29-80-C-0041. (2) Supported by International Business Machines

Prediction-error variance in Bayesian model updating: a comparative study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Asadollahi, Parisa; Li, Jian; Huang, Yong

2017-04-01

In Bayesian model updating, the likelihood function is commonly formulated by stochastic embedding in which the maximum information entropy probability model of prediction error variances plays an important role and it is Gaussian distribution subject to the first two moments as constraints. The selection of prediction error variances can be formulated as a model class selection problem, which automatically involves a trade-off between the average data-fit of the model class and the information it extracts from the data. Therefore, it is critical for the robustness in the updating of the structural model especially in the presence of modeling errors. To date, three ways of considering prediction error variances have been seem in the literature: 1) setting constant values empirically, 2) estimating them based on the goodness-of-fit of the measured data, and 3) updating them as uncertain parameters by applying Bayes' Theorem at the model class level. In this paper, the effect of different strategies to deal with the prediction error variances on the model updating performance is investigated explicitly. A six-story shear building model with six uncertain stiffness parameters is employed as an illustrative example. Transitional Markov Chain Monte Carlo is used to draw samples of the posterior probability density function of the structure model parameters as well as the uncertain prediction variances. The different levels of modeling uncertainty and complexity are modeled through three FE models, including a true model, a model with more complexity, and a model with modeling error. Bayesian updating is performed for the three FE models considering the three aforementioned treatments of the prediction error variances. The effect of number of measurements on the model updating performance is also examined in the study. The results are compared based on model class assessment and indicate that updating the prediction error variances as uncertain parameters at the model class level produces more robust results especially when the number of measurement is small.

Numerical cognition explains age-related changes in third-party fairness.

PubMed

Chernyak, Nadia; Sandham, Beth; Harris, Paul L; Cordes, Sara

2016-10-01

Young children share fairly and expect others to do the same. Yet little is known about the underlying cognitive mechanisms that support fairness. We investigated whether children's numerical competencies are linked with their sharing behavior. Preschoolers (aged 2.5-5.5) participated in third-party resource allocation tasks in which they split a set of resources between 2 puppets. Children's numerical competence was assessed using the Give-N task (Sarnecka & Carey, 2008; Wynn, 1990). Numerical competence-specifically knowledge of the cardinal principle-explained age-related changes in fair sharing. Although many subset-knowers (those without knowledge of the cardinal principle) were still able to share fairly, they invoked turn-taking strategies and did not remember the number of resources they shared. These results suggest that numerical cognition serves as an important mechanism for fair sharing behavior, and that children employ different sharing strategies (division or turn-taking) depending on their numerical competence. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

Confounding factors in diagnosing brain death: a case report

PubMed Central

Burns, Jeffrey M; Login, Ivan S

2002-01-01

Background Brain death is strictly defined medically and legally. This diagnosis depends on three cardinal neurological features: coma, absent brainstem reflexes, and apnea. The diagnosis can only be made, however, in the absence of intoxication, hypothermia, or certain medical illnesses. Case presentation A patient with severe hypoxic-ischemic brain injury met the three cardinal neurological features of brain death but concurrent profound hypothyroidism precluded the diagnosis. Our clinical and ethical decisions were further challenged by another facet of this complex case. Although her brain damage indicated a hopeless prognosis, we could not discontinue care based on futility because the only known surrogate was mentally retarded and unable to participate in medical planning. Conclusion The presence of certain medical conditions prohibits a diagnosis of brain death, which is a medicolegal diagnosis of death, not a prediction or forecast of future outcome. While prognostication is important in deciding to withdraw care, it is not a component in diagnosing brain death. PMID:12097152

The Map in Our Head Is Not Oriented North: Evidence from a Real-World Environment.

PubMed

Brunyé, Tad T; Burte, Heather; Houck, Lindsay A; Taylor, Holly A

2015-01-01

Like most physical maps, recent research has suggested that cognitive maps of familiar environments may have a north-up orientation. We demonstrate that north orientation is not a necessary feature of cognitive maps and instead may arise due to coincidental alignment between cardinal directions and the built and natural environment. Experiment 1 demonstrated that pedestrians have difficulty pointing north while navigating a familiar real-world environment with roads, buildings, and green spaces oriented oblique to cardinal axes. Instead, north estimates tended to be parallel or perpendicular to roads. In Experiment 2, participants did not demonstrate privileged memory access when oriented toward north while making relative direction judgments. Instead, retrieval was fastest and most accurate when orientations were aligned with roads. In sum, cognitive maps are not always oriented north. Rather, in some real-world environments they can be oriented with respect to environment-specific features, serving as convenient reference systems for organizing and using spatial memory.

Non-invasive intravital imaging of cellular differentiation with a bright red-excitable fluorescent protein

PubMed Central

Chu, Jun; Haynes, Russell D; Corbel, Stéphane Y; Li, Pengpeng; González-González, Emilio; Burg, John S; Ataie, Niloufar J; Lam, Amy J; Cranfill, Paula J; Baird, Michelle A; Davidson, Michael W; Ng, Ho-Leung; Garcia, K Christopher; Contag, Christopher H; Shen, Kang; Blau, Helen M; Lin, Michael Z

2014-01-01

A method for non-invasive visualization of genetically labelled cells in animal disease models with micron-level resolution would greatly facilitate development of cell-based therapies. Imaging of fluorescent proteins (FPs) using red excitation light in the “optical window” above 600 nm is one potential method for visualizing implanted cells. However, previous efforts to engineer FPs with peak excitation beyond 600 nm have resulted in undesirable reductions in brightness. Here we report three new red-excitable monomeric FPs obtained by structure-guided mutagenesis of mNeptune, previously the brightest monomeric FP when excited beyond 600 nm. Two of these, mNeptune2 and mNeptune2.5, demonstrate improved maturation and brighter fluorescence, while the third, mCardinal, has a red-shifted excitation spectrum without reduction in brightness. We show that mCardinal can be used to non-invasively and longitudinally visualize the differentiation of myoblasts and stem cells into myocytes in living mice with high anatomical detail. PMID:24633408

Cardinal and deep uterosacral ligament lines of action: MRI based 3D technique development and preliminary findings in normal women

PubMed Central

Ramanah, Rajeev; Hsu, Yvonne; Ashton-Miller, James A.; DeLancey, John O. L.

2014-01-01

Introduction and hypothesis The cardinal ligament (CL) and deep uterosacral ligament (US) play a critical role in utero-vaginal support. This study aims to quantify their geometrical relationships in living women using a MRI-based 3D technique. Methods The angles between ligaments, the ligaments length and curvature were assessed on 3D models constructed from twenty MRIs of volunteers with normal support. How angle variation theoretically affects ligament tension was investigated using a simplified biomechanical model. Results The CLs are 18.1 °±6.8 °(SD) from the cephalic-caudal body axis , and the USs are dorsally directed and 92.5 °±13.5 from the body axis. The CLs are longer and more curved than US. The theoretical calculated tension on CL is 52 % larger than that on US. Conclusions The CL is relatively parallel to the body axis while the US is dorsally directed. The tensions on these ligaments are affected by their orientations. PMID:22618207

Using Order of Magnitude Calculations to Extend Student Comprehension of Laboratory Data

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dean, Rob L.

2015-01-01

Author Rob Dean previously published an Illuminations article concerning "challenge" questions that encourage students to think imaginatively with approximate quantities, reasonable assumptions, and uncertain information. This article has promoted some interesting discussion, which has prompted him to present further examples. Examples…

Balancing research and funding using value of information and portfolio tools for nanomaterial risk classification

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bates, Matthew E.; Keisler, Jeffrey M.; Zussblatt, Niels P.; Plourde, Kenton J.; Wender, Ben A.; Linkov, Igor

2016-02-01

Risk research for nanomaterials is currently prioritized by means of expert workshops and other deliberative processes. However, analytical techniques that quantify and compare alternative research investments are increasingly recommended. Here, we apply value of information and portfolio decision analysis—methods commonly applied in financial and operations management—to prioritize risk research for multiwalled carbon nanotubes and nanoparticulate silver and titanium dioxide. We modify the widely accepted CB Nanotool hazard evaluation framework, which combines nano- and bulk-material properties into a hazard score, to operate probabilistically with uncertain inputs. Literature is reviewed to develop uncertain estimates for each input parameter, and a Monte Carlo simulation is applied to assess how different research strategies can improve hazard classification. The relative cost of each research experiment is elicited from experts, which enables identification of efficient research portfolios—combinations of experiments that lead to the greatest improvement in hazard classification at the lowest cost. Nanoparticle shape, diameter, solubility and surface reactivity were most frequently identified within efficient portfolios in our results.

Capacity planning for waste management systems: an interval fuzzy robust dynamic programming approach.

PubMed

Nie, Xianghui; Huang, Guo H; Li, Yongping

2009-11-01

This study integrates the concepts of interval numbers and fuzzy sets into optimization analysis by dynamic programming as a means of accounting for system uncertainty. The developed interval fuzzy robust dynamic programming (IFRDP) model improves upon previous interval dynamic programming methods. It allows highly uncertain information to be effectively communicated into the optimization process through introducing the concept of fuzzy boundary interval and providing an interval-parameter fuzzy robust programming method for an embedded linear programming problem. Consequently, robustness of the optimization process and solution can be enhanced. The modeling approach is applied to a hypothetical problem for the planning of waste-flow allocation and treatment/disposal facility expansion within a municipal solid waste (MSW) management system. Interval solutions for capacity expansion of waste management facilities and relevant waste-flow allocation are generated and interpreted to provide useful decision alternatives. The results indicate that robust and useful solutions can be obtained, and the proposed IFRDP approach is applicable to practical problems that are associated with highly complex and uncertain information.

Role of Advance Care Planning in Proxy Decision Making Among Individuals With Dementia and Their Family Caregivers.

PubMed

Kwak, Jung; De Larwelle, Jessica A; Valuch, Katharine O'Connell; Kesler, Toni

2016-01-01

Health care proxies make important end-of-life decisions for individuals with dementia. A cross-sectional survey was conducted to examine the role of advance care planning in proxy decision making for 141 individuals with cognitive impairment, Alzheimer's disease, or other types of dementia. Proxies who did not know the preferences of individuals with dementia for life support treatments reported greater understanding of their values. Proxies of individuals with dementia who did not want life support treatments anticipated receiving less support and were more uncertain in decision making. The greater knowledge proxies had about dementia trajectory, family support, and trust of physicians, the more informed, clearer, and less uncertain they were in decision making. In addition to advance care planning, multiple factors influence proxy decision making, which should be considered in developing interventions and future research to support informed decision making for individuals with dementia and their families. Copyright 2016, SLACK Incorporated.

Distributed adaptive asymptotically consensus tracking control of uncertain Euler-Lagrange systems under directed graph condition.

PubMed

Wang, Wei; Wen, Changyun; Huang, Jiangshuai; Fan, Huijin

2017-11-01

In this paper, a backstepping based distributed adaptive control scheme is proposed for multiple uncertain Euler-Lagrange systems under directed graph condition. The common desired trajectory is allowed totally unknown by part of the subsystems and the linearly parameterized trajectory model assumed in currently available results is no longer needed. To compensate the effects due to unknown trajectory information, a smooth function of consensus errors and certain positive integrable functions are introduced in designing virtual control inputs. Besides, to overcome the difficulty of completely counteracting the coupling terms of distributed consensus errors and parameter estimation errors in the presence of asymmetric Laplacian matrix, extra information transmission of local parameter estimates are introduced among linked subsystem and adaptive gain technique is adopted to generate distributed torque inputs. It is shown that with the proposed distributed adaptive control scheme, global uniform boundedness of all the closed-loop signals and asymptotically output consensus tracking can be achieved. Copyright © 2017 ISA. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Balancing research and funding using value of information and portfolio tools for nanomaterial risk classification.

PubMed

Bates, Matthew E; Keisler, Jeffrey M; Zussblatt, Niels P; Plourde, Kenton J; Wender, Ben A; Linkov, Igor

2016-02-01

Risk research for nanomaterials is currently prioritized by means of expert workshops and other deliberative processes. However, analytical techniques that quantify and compare alternative research investments are increasingly recommended. Here, we apply value of information and portfolio decision analysis-methods commonly applied in financial and operations management-to prioritize risk research for multiwalled carbon nanotubes and nanoparticulate silver and titanium dioxide. We modify the widely accepted CB Nanotool hazard evaluation framework, which combines nano- and bulk-material properties into a hazard score, to operate probabilistically with uncertain inputs. Literature is reviewed to develop uncertain estimates for each input parameter, and a Monte Carlo simulation is applied to assess how different research strategies can improve hazard classification. The relative cost of each research experiment is elicited from experts, which enables identification of efficient research portfolios-combinations of experiments that lead to the greatest improvement in hazard classification at the lowest cost. Nanoparticle shape, diameter, solubility and surface reactivity were most frequently identified within efficient portfolios in our results.

A Model for Generating Multi-hazard Scenarios

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lo Jacomo, A.; Han, D.; Champneys, A.

2017-12-01

Communities in mountain areas are often subject to risk from multiple hazards, such as earthquakes, landslides, and floods. Each hazard has its own different rate of onset, duration, and return period. Multiple hazards tend to complicate the combined risk due to their interactions. Prioritising interventions for minimising risk in this context is challenging. We developed a probabilistic multi-hazard model to help inform decision making in multi-hazard areas. The model is applied to a case study region in the Sichuan province in China, using information from satellite imagery and in-situ data. The model is not intended as a predictive model, but rather as a tool which takes stakeholder input and can be used to explore plausible hazard scenarios over time. By using a Monte Carlo framework and varrying uncertain parameters for each of the hazards, the model can be used to explore the effect of different mitigation interventions aimed at reducing the disaster risk within an uncertain hazard context.

Cognitive Processes in Decisions Under Risk are not the Same as in Decisions Under Uncertainty

PubMed Central

Volz, Kirsten G.; Gigerenzer, Gerd

2012-01-01

We deal with risk versus uncertainty, a distinction that is of fundamental importance for cognitive neuroscience yet largely neglected. In a world of risk (“small world”), all alternatives, consequences, and probabilities are known. In uncertain (“large”) worlds, some of this information is unknown or unknowable. Most of cognitive neuroscience studies exclusively study the neural correlates for decisions under risk (e.g., lotteries), with the tacit implication that understanding these would lead to an understanding of decision making in general. First, we show that normative strategies for decisions under risk do not generalize to uncertain worlds, where simple heuristics are often the more accurate strategies. Second, we argue that the cognitive processes for making decisions in a world of risk are not the same as those for dealing with uncertainty. Because situations with known risks are the exception rather than the rule in human evolution, it is unlikely that our brains are adapted to them. We therefore suggest a paradigm shift toward studying decision processes in uncertain worlds and provide first examples. PMID:22807893

Processing of chromatic information in a deep convolutional neural network.

PubMed

Flachot, Alban; Gegenfurtner, Karl R

2018-04-01

Deep convolutional neural networks are a class of machine-learning algorithms capable of solving non-trivial tasks, such as object recognition, with human-like performance. Little is known about the exact computations that deep neural networks learn, and to what extent these computations are similar to the ones performed by the primate brain. Here, we investigate how color information is processed in the different layers of the AlexNet deep neural network, originally trained on object classification of over 1.2M images of objects in their natural contexts. We found that the color-responsive units in the first layer of AlexNet learned linear features and were broadly tuned to two directions in color space, analogously to what is known of color responsive cells in the primate thalamus. Moreover, these directions are decorrelated and lead to statistically efficient representations, similar to the cardinal directions of the second-stage color mechanisms in primates. We also found, in analogy to the early stages of the primate visual system, that chromatic and achromatic information were segregated in the early layers of the network. Units in the higher layers of AlexNet exhibit on average a lower responsivity for color than units at earlier stages.

The Effects of the Previous Outcome on Probabilistic Choice in Rats

PubMed Central

Marshall, Andrew T.; Kirkpatrick, Kimberly

2014-01-01

This study examined the effects of previous outcomes on subsequent choices in a probabilistic-choice task. Twenty-four rats were trained to choose between a certain outcome (1 or 3 pellets) versus an uncertain outcome (3 or 9 pellets), delivered with a probability of .1, .33, .67, and .9 in different phases. Uncertain outcome choices increased with the probability of uncertain food. Additionally, uncertain choices increased with the probability of uncertain food following both certain-choice outcomes and unrewarded uncertain choices. However, following uncertain-choice food outcomes, there was a tendency to choose the uncertain outcome in all cases, indicating that the rats continued to “gamble” after successful uncertain choices, regardless of the overall probability or magnitude of food. A subsequent manipulation, in which the probability of uncertain food varied within each session as a function of the previous uncertain outcome, examined how the previous outcome and probability of uncertain food affected choice in a dynamic environment. Uncertain-choice behavior increased with the probability of uncertain food. The rats exhibited increased sensitivity to probability changes and a greater degree of win–stay/lose–shift behavior than in the static phase. Simulations of two sequential choice models were performed to explore the possible mechanisms of reward value computations. The simulation results supported an exponentially decaying value function that updated as a function of trial (rather than time). These results emphasize the importance of analyzing global and local factors in choice behavior and suggest avenues for the future development of sequential-choice models. PMID:23205915

Situation Awareness. Report of Break-Out Group 4.

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-10-01

abstraction of the objects and contents, which are displayed and analysed with a visualisation tool. To get a clear picture of the situation around you do...cities, villages etc.). It is possible for other types of information to be visualised /handled similarly for network and data analysis. A good example...interesting feature of a visualisation tool concerning reliability/uncertainty might be the possibility to show/hide uncertain information. This means that

Critical Code: Software Producibility for Defense

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-01-01

the hazard of a single system failing can often be associated with a much larger aggregate of systems, often spread across a wide geography. The...four words: fault, error, failure, and hazard . These are defined and illustrated in Box 4.2. Information Loss and Traceability As noted above, the...design information when payback is uncertain, diffuse , or most likely far in the future. A goal in formulating incentive models that motivate developer

MFIRE-2: A Multi Agent System for Flow-Based Intrusion Detection Using Stochastic Search

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-03-01

attacks that are distributed in nature , but may not protect individual systems effectively without incurring large bandwidth penalties while collecting...system-level information to help prepare for more significant attacks. The type of information potentially revealed by footprinting includes account...key areas where MAS may be appropriate: • The environment is open, highly dynamic, uncertain, or complex • Agents are a natural metaphor—Many

A resolution commending the St. Louis Cardinals on their hard-fought World Series victory.

THOMAS, 112th Congress

Sen. McCaskill, Claire [D-MO

2011-11-08

Senate - 11/08/2011 Submitted in the Senate, considered, and agreed to without amendment and with a preamble by Unanimous Consent. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status Agreed to in SenateHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

Reverence in Classroom Teaching

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Garrison, Jim; Rud, A. G.

2009-01-01

Background/Context: Our article develops insights from Paul Woodruff's book, Reverence: Renewing a Forgotten Virtue (Oxford University Press, 2001), to discuss reverence in teaching. We show how reverence is both a cardinal and a forgotten virtue by situating it within the philosophical tradition of virtue ethics, which involves traits of…

Implicit Social Scaling from an Institutional Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

D'Epifanio, Giulio

2009-01-01

The methodological question concerns constructing a cardinal social index, in order to assess performances of social agents, taking into account implicit political judgments. Based on the formal structure of a Choquet's expected utility, index construction demands quantification of levels of a meaningful ordinal indicator of overall performance.…

Melatonin, Light and Circadian Cycles

DTIC Science & Technology

1989-12-25

Neurosci Abstr 14:848. Fanget, F., Claustrat, B., Dalery, J., Brun, J., Terra , J-L, Marie-Cardine, M., and Guyotot, J. (1989) Nocturnal plasma melatonin...5- methoxytryptamine, a novel melatonin antagonist: effects on sexual matura - tion of the male and female rat and on uestrous cycles of the female rat

Phenotype analysis of male transgenic mice overexpressing mutant IGFBP-2 lacking the Cardin-Weintraub sequence motif: Reduced expression of synaptic markers and myelin basic protein in the brain and a lower degree of anxiety-like behaviour.

PubMed

Schindler, N; Mayer, J; Saenger, S; Gimsa, U; Walz, C; Brenmoehl, J; Ohde, D; Wirthgen, E; Tuchscherer, A; Russo, V C; Frank, M; Kirschstein, T; Metzger, F; Hoeflich, A

2017-04-01

Brain growth and function are regulated by insulin-like growth factors I and II (IGF-I and IGF-II) but also by IGF-binding proteins (IGFBPs), including IGFBP-2. In addition to modulating IGF activities, IGFBP-2 interacts with a number of components of the extracellular matrix and cell membrane via a Cardin-Weintraub sequence or heparin binding domain (HBD1). The nature and the signalling elicited by these interactions are not fully understood. Here, we examined transgenic mice (H1d-hBP2) overexpressing a mutant human IGFBP-2 that lacks a specific heparin binding domain (HBD1) known as the Cardin-Weintraub sequence. H1d-hBP2 transgenic mice have the genetic background of FVB mice and are characterized by severe deficits in brain growth throughout their lifetime (p<0.05). In tissue lysates from brain hemispheres of 12-21day old male mice, protein levels of the GTPase dynamin-I were significantly reduced (p<0.01). Weight reductions were also found in distinct brain regions in two different age groups (12 and 80weeks). In the younger group, impaired weights were observed in the hippocampus (-34%; p<0.001), cerebellum (-25%; p<0.0001), olfactory bulb (-31%; p<0.05) and prefrontal cortex (-29%; p<0.05). At an age of 12weeks expression of myelin basic protein was reduced (p<0.01) in H1d-BP-2 mice in the cerebellum but not in the hippocampus. At 80weeks of age, weight reductions were similarly present in the cerebellum (-28%; p<0.001) and hippocampus (-31; p<0.05). When mice were challenged in the elevated plus maze, aged but not younger H1d-hBP2 mice displayed significantly less anxiety-like behaviour, which was also observed in a second transgenic mouse model overexpressing mouse IGFBP-2 lacking HBD1 (H1d-mBP2). These in vivo studies provide, for the first time, evidence for a specific role of IGFBP-2 in brain functions associated with anxiety and risk behaviour. These activities of IGFBP-2 could be mediated by the Cardin-Weintraub/HBD1 sequence and are altered in mice expressing IGFBP-2 lacking the HBD1. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Correlates of vulnerability in Chiricahua fox squirrels

Treesearch

Bret S. Pasch; John L. Koprowski

2005-01-01

Chiricahua fox squirrels (Sciurus nayaritensis chiricahuae) are endemic to the Chiricahua Mountains of southeastern Arizona. A paucity of natural history information and uncertain conservation status served as impetus for us to initiate a descriptive ecological study of the species. We examined reproductive and population ecology of Chiricahua fox...

Coping with Uncertainty in an Agile Systems Development Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Taipalus, Toni; Seppänen, Ville; Pirhonen, Maritta

2018-01-01

Uncertain and ambiguous environments are commonplace in information systems development (ISD) projects, and while different Agile frameworks welcome changes in organizational, technical, and business environments, the incurred uncertainty is known to negatively affect the development process and the quality of the final product. The effects of…

A Study of The Effect of Demand Uncertainty for Low-Carbon Products Using a Newsvendor Model

PubMed Central

Qu, Shaojian; Zhou, Yongyi

2017-01-01

This paper studies the effect of uncertain demand on a low-carbon product by using a newsvendor model. With two different kinds of market scales, we examine a game whereby a manufacturer produces and delivers a single new low-carbon product to a single retailer. The retailer observes the demand information and gives an order before the selling season. We find in the game that if the retailer shares truthful (or in contrast unreal or even does not share) forecast information with the manufacturer, the manufacturer will give a low (high) wholesale price through the sequence of events. In addition, as a policy-maker, the government posts a subsidy by selling the low-carbon product per unit. The manufacturer creates a new contract with a rebate for the retailer. We also take the consumer aversion coefficient and truth coefficient as qualitative variables into our model to study the order, pricing, and expected profit for the members of supply chain. The research shows that uncertain demand causes a the major effect on the new low-carbon product. Thereby, we suggest the retailer should share more truthful information with the manufacturer. PMID:29068382

A Study of The Effect of Demand Uncertainty for Low-Carbon Products Using a Newsvendor Model.

PubMed

Qu, Shaojian; Zhou, Yongyi

2017-10-25

This paper studies the effect of uncertain demand on a low-carbon product by using a newsvendor model. With two different kinds of market scales, we examine a game whereby a manufacturer produces and delivers a single new low-carbon product to a single retailer. The retailer observes the demand information and gives an order before the selling season. We find in the game that if the retailer shares truthful (or in contrast unreal or even does not share) forecast information with the manufacturer, the manufacturer will give a low (high) wholesale price through the sequence of events. In addition, as a policy-maker, the government posts a subsidy by selling the low-carbon product per unit. The manufacturer creates a new contract with a rebate for the retailer. We also take the consumer aversion coefficient and truth coefficient as qualitative variables into our model to study the order, pricing, and expected profit for the members of supply chain. The research shows that uncertain demand causes a the major effect on the new low-carbon product. Thereby, we suggest the retailer should share more truthful information with the manufacturer.

Managed care for Medicare: some considerations in designing effective information provision programs.

PubMed

Jayanti, R K

2001-01-01

Consumer information-processing theory provides a useful framework for policy makers concerned with regulating information provided by managed care organizations. The assumption that consumers are rational information processors and providing more information is better is questioned in this paper. Consumer research demonstrates that when faced with an uncertain decision, consumers adopt simplifying strategies leading to sub-optimal choices. A discussion on how consumers process risk information and the effects of various informational formats on decision outcomes is provided. Categorization theory is used to propose guidelines with regard to providing effective information to consumers choosing among competing managed care plans. Public policy implications borne out of consumer information-processing theory conclude the article.

'It was hard but you did it': the co-production of 'work' in a clinical setting among spinal cord injured adults and their physical therapists.

PubMed

Papadimitriou, Christina

2008-01-01

This paper focuses on what takes place during the rehabilitation of spinal cord injured (SCI) adults. It analyses the cardinal rehabilitation task of transforming the compromised, limited and injured corporeal style of newly injured adults (best described phenomenologically as an 'I cannot do' or 'I no longer can') into a new style of embodiment, one in which 'I am newly abled'. This transformation is not a passive, surrendering experience. Rather, as informants repeatedly noted, 'rehabilitation is hard work'. This paper examines that 'work'. This paper draws from observational and interview data collected over an 18-month period in a metropolitan rehabilitation centre in the Midwestern United States. It presents an exemplar case of a clinical setting, that between a physical therapist and her SCI client. The interactional and meaning-making nature of clinical encounters are explicated, revealing the collaborative and situational constitution of rehabilitation work. Experience-near, phenomenologically informed, research is shown to be a valuable way of understanding rehabilitation practices and how they might affect inpatients and staff.

Dynamic ubiquitin signaling in cell cycle regulation

PubMed Central

Gilberto, Samuel

2017-01-01

The cell division cycle is driven by a collection of enzymes that coordinate DNA duplication and separation, ensuring that genomic information is faithfully and perpetually maintained. The activity of the effector proteins that perform and coordinate these biological processes oscillates by regulated expression and/or posttranslational modifications. Ubiquitylation is a cardinal cellular modification and is long known for driving cell cycle transitions. In this review, we emphasize emerging concepts of how ubiquitylation brings the necessary dynamicity and plasticity that underlie the processes of DNA replication and mitosis. New studies, often focusing on the regulation of chromosomal proteins like DNA polymerases or kinetochore kinases, are demonstrating that ubiquitylation is a versatile modification that can be used to fine-tune these cell cycle events, frequently through processes that do not involve proteasomal degradation. Understanding how the increasing variety of identified ubiquitin signals are transduced will allow us to develop a deeper mechanistic perception of how the multiple factors come together to faithfully propagate genomic information. Here, we discuss these and additional conceptual challenges that are currently under study toward understanding how ubiquitin governs cell cycle regulation. PMID:28684425

Dynamic ubiquitin signaling in cell cycle regulation.

PubMed

Gilberto, Samuel; Peter, Matthias

2017-08-07

The cell division cycle is driven by a collection of enzymes that coordinate DNA duplication and separation, ensuring that genomic information is faithfully and perpetually maintained. The activity of the effector proteins that perform and coordinate these biological processes oscillates by regulated expression and/or posttranslational modifications. Ubiquitylation is a cardinal cellular modification and is long known for driving cell cycle transitions. In this review, we emphasize emerging concepts of how ubiquitylation brings the necessary dynamicity and plasticity that underlie the processes of DNA replication and mitosis. New studies, often focusing on the regulation of chromosomal proteins like DNA polymerases or kinetochore kinases, are demonstrating that ubiquitylation is a versatile modification that can be used to fine-tune these cell cycle events, frequently through processes that do not involve proteasomal degradation. Understanding how the increasing variety of identified ubiquitin signals are transduced will allow us to develop a deeper mechanistic perception of how the multiple factors come together to faithfully propagate genomic information. Here, we discuss these and additional conceptual challenges that are currently under study toward understanding how ubiquitin governs cell cycle regulation. © 2017 Gilberto and Peter.

Essays and Explorations: Studies in Ideas, Language, and Literature.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bloomfield, Morton W.

Seventeen reprinted essays and an unpublished one are contained in this collection and organized under five headings: History of Ideas, Approaches to Medieval Literature, Chaucer and Fourteenth-Century English Literature, Language and Linguistics, and Essay-Reviews. Topics discussed include the origin of the concept of the Seven Cardinal Sins;…

Utilizing Business, University, and Community Resources to Target Adolescent Prescription Drug Abuse

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wade-Mdivanian, R.; Anderson-Butcher, D.; Hale, K.; Kwiek, N.; Smock, J.; Radigan, D.; Lineberger, J.

2012-01-01

"Generation Rx" is a prescription drug abuse prevention strategy which includes a "toolkit" designed to be used with youth. Developed by Cardinal Health Foundation and the Ohio State University, it provides health care providers (especially pharmacists), parents, teachers, youth workers, and other community leaders with…

The Infinite Hotel

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wanko, Jeffrey J.

2009-01-01

This article provides a historical context for the debate between Georg Cantor and Leopold Kronecker regarding the cardinality of different infinities and incorporates the short story "Welcome to the Hotel Infinity," which uses the analogy of a hotel with an infinite number of rooms to help explain this concept. Wanko makes use of this history and…

38 CFR 4.56 - Evaluation of muscle disabilities.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

..., the cardinal signs and symptoms of muscle disability are loss of power, weakness, lowered threshold of... signs or symptoms of muscle disability as defined in paragraph (c) of this section. (iii) Objective... injury. Through and through or deep penetrating wound of short track from a single bullet, small shell or...

38 CFR 4.56 - Evaluation of muscle disabilities.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

..., the cardinal signs and symptoms of muscle disability are loss of power, weakness, lowered threshold of... signs or symptoms of muscle disability as defined in paragraph (c) of this section. (iii) Objective... injury. Through and through or deep penetrating wound of short track from a single bullet, small shell or...

Speech-Language Evaluation and Rehabilitation Treatment in Floating-Harbor Syndrome: A Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Angelillo, Nicola; Di Costanzo, Brigida; Barillari, Umberto

2010-01-01

Floating-Harbor syndrome is a rare congenital disorder characterized by specific facial features, short stature associated with significantly delayed bone age and language impairment. Although language delay is a cardinal manifestation of this syndrome, few reports describe the specific language difficulties of these patients, particularly the…

Respect-Due and Respect-Earned: Negotiating Student-Teacher Relationships

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goodman, Joan F.

2009-01-01

Respect is a cardinal virtue in schools and foundational to our common ethical beliefs, yet its meaning is muddled. For philosophers Kant, Mill, and Rawls, whose influential theories span three centuries, respect includes appreciation of universal human dignity, equality, and autonomy. In their view children, possessors of human dignity, but…

Smoothing It: Some Aristotelian Misgivings about the "Phronesis-Praxis" Perspective on Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kristjansson, Kristjan

2005-01-01

A kind of "neo-Aristotelianism" that connects educational reasoning and reflection to "phronesis," and education itself to "praxis," has gained considerable following in recent educational discourse. The author identifies four cardinal claims of this "phronesis-praxis" perspective: that a) Aristotle's epistemology and methodology imply a stance…

Longleaf Pine Seed Dispersal

Treesearch

William D. Boyer

1963-01-01

Production and dispersal of longleaf pine (Pinus palustris Mill.) seeds were sampled in 1955, 1957, and 1958 on the Escambia Experimental Forest in southwest Alabama.Two transects of seed traps were established at right angles to each of four forest walls enclosing a rectangular 80-acre clearing. Walls were oriented in the cardinal...

75 FR 4072 - Notice of Receipt of Requests to Voluntarily Cancel Certain Pesticide Registrations

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-01-26

... SA-50 Brand 50% Malathion Malathion Wettable Spray 001543-00008 Absorbine SuperShield Resmethrin II... Pyrethrins Insecticide Piperonyl Butoxide 008536-00037 Cardinal Food Plant PBO Concentrate Fogging Pyrethrins... Super Plus Pyrethrins MGK 264 035138-00074 Aero Permethrin 25 Permethrin 040208-00005 Haymaker II...

Too Much to Count On: Impaired Very Small Numbers in Corticobasal Degeneration

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Halpern, Casey; Clark, Robin; Moore, Peachie; Cross, Katy; Grossman, Murray

2007-01-01

Patients with corticobasal degeneration (CBD) have calculation impairments. This study examined whether impaired number knowledge depends on verbal mediation. We focused particularly on knowledge of very small numbers, where there is a precise relationship between a cardinality and its number concept, but little hypothesized role for verbal…

Population Education in Mathematics: Some Sample Lessons.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization, Bangkok (Thailand). Regional Office for Education in Asia and Oceania.

This mathematics teacher's manual contains ten sample lessons on population growth and demography that were adapted from materials produced in several countries in Asia and Oceania. Among the mathematics concepts and skills students apply during these lessons are set theory, cardinal and ordinal numbers, frequency tallies, percentages, ratios,…

Motor Coordination in Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Synthesis and Meta-Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fournier, Kimberly A.; Hass, Chris J.; Naik, Sagar K.; Lodha, Neha; Cauraugh, James H.

2010-01-01

Are motor coordination deficits an underlying cardinal feature of Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD)? Database searches identified 83 ASD studies focused on motor coordination, arm movements, gait, or postural stability deficits. Data extraction involved between-group comparisons for ASD and typically developing controls (N = 51). Rigorous…

Draft Environmental Impact Statement: F-15E Beddown at Seymour Johnson AFB, North Carolina

DTIC Science & Technology

1988-03-01

destruction, stunted growth, necrosis ( killing of plant tissue), chlorosis (loss or reduction in plant chlorophyll), leaf abscission (dropping of leaves...occasionally run, fly, or crowd when exposed to sonic booms. In a field and laboratory study, Mourning Doves, Mockingbirds , Cardinals, Lark Sparrows, and

Hip1 and Hippi participate in a novel cell death-signaling pathway.

PubMed

Wanker, Erich E

2002-02-01

Neuronal apoptosis is a cardinal feature of late-onset neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's and Huntington's disease. Biochemical and cell biological studies point to a role for Hip1 and Hippi in caspase-8 activation and the initiation of apoptosis during the pathogenesis of Huntington's disease.

Biologic History and the Cardinal Rule of Life

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schopf, J. W.

2004-12-01

In broad perspective, the history of life is remarkably static -- once set, a system that has changed little over all of geological time. The basic chemistry of living systems (CHONSP, and the monomers and polymers they compose), the genetics and cellular structure of life, even the ecologic division of the biologic world into "eaters" (heterotrophs) and "eatees" (autotrophs), are innovations all dating from the Archean that have carried over to the present. Throughout Earth history, biology has followed the Cardinal Rule of Life -- avoid change, never evolve at all! Biology maintains the status quo, opportunistically responding only if conditions change. Life's credo might well be "if it ain't broken, don't fix it." Of course, biomolecules do get "broken," by mutations, but living systems have many biochemical repair mechanisms. Evolution is a result of small changes that slip through unfixed. We see the results of evolution in the fossil record only because of the vastness, the true enormity, of geological time. What events punctuated this static underpinning to produce the modern living world? Only three, each in its own way shaping the course of life's history. The earliest, photosynthesis, freed life from dependence on foodstuffs made by nonbiologic processes. The advent of the advanced form of this process, oxygenic ("green plant") photosynthesis -- also an Archean innovation -- pumped oxygen into the environment (markedly increasing energy yields), "rusted the Earth" (evidenced by banded iron-formations), and, by ˜2,300 Ma ago, led to establishment of an aerobic-anaerobic ecosystem like that today. Not surprisingly, given the Cardinal Rule of Life, the inventors of this innovation, microbial cyanobacteria, evolved little over billions of years. The second major innovation was sex. In the modern world, this reproductive process is exhibited only by nucleated (eukaryotic) cells, derived from non-sexual eukaryotic ancestors. Although eukaryotes date from ˜2,000 Ma ago, they first evolved slowly -- following the Cardinal Rule of Life -- until ˜1,000 Ma ago when sexual reproduction took over. This development markedly speeded the development of new species that could compete, and eventually dominate, in habitats previously owned by their non-sexual prokaryotic ancestors, as evidenced both in the fossil record and by molecular biology-based rRNA phylogenetic trees. The third innovation was cellular differentiation and multicelluarity. Although the "Cambrian Explosion" -- the great radiation of animal life during the Cambrian Period beginning ˜550 Ma ago -- is commonly viewed as reflecting this event, it seems more a continuum than a step-function change. Evolution speeded in the half-billion years between 1,000 Ma ago and the beginning of the Cambrian: phytoplankton gave rise to multicellular seaweeds by ˜850 Ma; and primitive protozoans, present as early as ˜950 Ma, had by ˜600 Ma given rise to soft-bodied multicelled animals. Soon thereafter, animals developed shelly protective armor -- marking the beginning of the Cambrian Period, and thus of the Phanerozoic Eon. The Phanerozoic history of life is familiar to all, from spore-producing to seed-producing to flowering plants, from animals without backbones to fish, land-dwelling vertebrates, then birds and mammals. Plants ("eatees") and animals ("eaters") co-evolved in sequence. Again, life followed the Cardinal Rule, changing little, then evolving rapidly, as new ecologic opportunities became available.

Epidemiology of chronic kidney disease, with special emphasis on chronic kidney disease of uncertain etiology, in the north central region of Sri Lanka.

PubMed

Jayasekara, Kithsiri Bandara; Dissanayake, Dhammika Menike; Sivakanesan, Ramiah; Ranasinghe, Asanga; Karunarathna, Ranawaka Hewage; Priyantha Kumara, Gardiye Waligamage Gamini

2015-01-01

The aim of the study was to identify the epidemiology of chronic kidney disease of uncertain etiology in Sri Lanka. A cross-sectional study was carried out by analyzing health statistics, and three cohort studies were conducted (n = 15 630, 3996, and 2809) to analyze the demographic information, age-specific prevalence, etiology, and stage of presentation. We screened 7604 individuals for chronic kidney disease of uncertain etiology. The results showed that the male:female ratio was 2.4:1, the mean age of patients was 54.7 ± 8 years, 92% of the patients were farmers, and 93% consumed water from shallow dug wells. Familial occurrence was common (36%). The prevalence of chronic kidney disease in different age groups was 3% in those aged 30-40 years; 7% in those aged 41-50 years, 20% in those aged 51-60 years, and 29% in those older than 60 years. Chronic kidney disease of uncertain etiology was diagnosed in 70.2% of patients, while 15.7% and 9.6% were due to hypertension and diabetic mellitus, respectively. The majority of patients were stage 4 (40%) at first presentation, while 31.8% were stage 3 and 24.5% were stage 5. Stage 1 and 2 presentation accounted for only 3.4%. Low prevalence of CKDU was noticed (1.5%) among those who consumed water from natural springs. Prevalence was highest among males, rice farming communities, and those presenting at later disease stages.

Moving Students to Deeper Learning in Leadership

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stover, Sheri; Seemiller, Corey

2017-01-01

The world is a volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous (VUCA) environment (Carvan, 2015) that calls for leaders who can effectively navigate the complexity of leadership today. Students of leadership studies must not only learn leadership information content, but also be able to effectively implement the content and process, requiring deep…

"World of Uncertainty" Game for Decision-Makers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kyzy, Jyldyz Tabyldy

2011-01-01

Decisions on both personal and public matters benefit significantly if uncertainties and risks are handled with more care and accuracy. It is crucial to refine and express degrees of confidence and subjective probabilities of various outcomes. Experience, intuition, and skills help make the most of uncertain information. This paper proposes a…

Distribution of Pacific Marten in Coastal Oregon

Treesearch

Katie M Moriarty; John D Bailey; Sharon E Smythe; Jake Verschuyl

2016-01-01

Information on the distribution of rare and little known species is critical for managers and biologists challenged with species conservation in an uncertain future. Pacific Martens (Martes caurina) historically resided throughout Oregon and northern California’s coastal forests, but were considered extinct until 1996 when a population in northern...

Decision Making and Confidence Given Uncertain Advice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, Michael D.; Dry, Matthew J.

2006-01-01

We study human decision making in a simple forced-choice task that manipulates the frequency and accuracy of available information. Empirically, we find that people make decisions consistent with the advice provided, but that their subjective confidence in their decisions shows 2 interesting properties. First, people's confidence does not depend…

A Review on Sensor, Signal, and Information Processing Algorithms (PREPRINT)

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-01-01

processing [214], ambi- guity surface averaging [215], optimum uncertain field tracking, and optimal minimum variance track - before - detect [216]. In [217, 218...2) (2001) 739–746. [216] S. L. Tantum, L. W. Nolte, J. L. Krolik, K. Harmanci, The performance of matched-field track - before - detect methods using

Getting Started

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sommers, Dixie

2012-01-01

In an uncertain economy, reliable information about tomorrow's labor market can be a valuable tool in career planning. Understanding the future workforce helps an individual prepare for his/her place in it. When choosing among careers--or assisting others who are making such choices--it helps to know a few basics: the types and number of jobs…

Operational Planning with Uncertain and Ambiguous Information: Command and Control and the Natural Environment

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-06-01

1974). In the present work, we do not modify the collaborative structure but instead examine the changes in media richness ( Daft & Lengel, 1986) for...Postgraduate School) and Dr. Jim Hansen (Naval Research Laboratory) regarding weather forecasting, risk and uncertainty. References Daft , R.L. and

Interpreting energy scenarios

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Iyer, Gokul; Edmonds, James

2018-05-01

Quantitative scenarios from energy-economic models inform decision-making about uncertain futures. Now, research shows the different ways these scenarios are subsequently used by users not involved in their initial development. In the absence of clear guidance from modellers, users may place too much or too little confidence in scenario assumptions and results.

The Uncertain Future of the Central City.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sternlieb, George; Hughes, James W.

This paper describes the decline and polarization of American cities into two separate and coterminous systems: the city of the poor, characterized by the function of redistribution (i.e., public welfare benefits); and the city of the elite, a city of information processing, economic facilitation, and consumption. Demographic trends and social and…

Information Fusion for Hypothesis Generation under Uncertain and Partial Information Access Situation

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-07-21

This fundermental architecture can be illustrated as bow-tie architeture , that is claimed to be the fundermenal architecture of robust systems (Fig...sequenced genomes86,87. The Gene Ontology’s biological process hierarchy88 was used to annotate functional categories to each gene, and proportions of... proportions in the early Drosophila embryo. Nature 415, 798-802 (2002). 14. Kitano, H. Cancer robustness: tumour tactics. Nature 426, 125 (2003). 15

Information Fusion for Hypothesis Generation under Uncertain and Partial Information Access Situation

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-07-21

size. This fundermental architecture can be illustrated as bow-tie architeture , that is claimed to be the fundermenal architecture of robust systems...sequenced genomes86,87. The Gene Ontology’s biological process hierarchy88 was used to annotate functional categories to each gene, and proportions ...and proportions in the early Drosophila embryo. Nature 415, 798-802 (2002). 14. Kitano, H. Cancer robustness: tumour tactics. Nature 426, 125 (2003

[Multidisciplinary practice guideline 'Marfan syndrome'].

PubMed

Hilhorst-Hofstee, Yvonne

2013-01-01

Marfan syndrome is a multi-system disorder of dominant inheritance in which the cardiovasculature, in particular the aorta, the eyes and the skeleton are affected. Diagnostic assessment and treatment of patients who are suspected of or have Marfan syndrome should preferably be done by multidisciplinary teams such as those found in specialised Marfan syndrome centres. The practice guideline is intended for all care givers involved with the recognition, diagnosis, consultations and the medicinal and surgical treatment of Marfan patients; it includes referral criteria and information on the referral process. A diagnosis of Marfan syndrome is based on international criteria in which aortic root dilatation and dissection, ectopia lentis, an affected first-degree family member and a pathogenic FBN1 mutation are the cardinal features. Alternative diagnoses are also included in the practice guideline. Recommendations are given for the monitoring and treatment of Marfan patients during pregnancy and delivery. Advice on lifestyle is mainly focussed on sports activities.

Closed-Form Jensen-Renyi Divergence for Mixture of Gaussians and Applications to Group-Wise Shape Registration*

PubMed Central

Wang, Fei; Syeda-Mahmood, Tanveer; Vemuri, Baba C.; Beymer, David; Rangarajan, Anand

2010-01-01

In this paper, we propose a generalized group-wise non-rigid registration strategy for multiple unlabeled point-sets of unequal cardinality, with no bias toward any of the given point-sets. To quantify the divergence between the probability distributions – specifically Mixture of Gaussians – estimated from the given point sets, we use a recently developed information-theoretic measure called Jensen-Renyi (JR) divergence. We evaluate a closed-form JR divergence between multiple probabilistic representations for the general case where the mixture models differ in variance and the number of components. We derive the analytic gradient of the divergence measure with respect to the non-rigid registration parameters, and apply it to numerical optimization of the group-wise registration, leading to a computationally efficient and accurate algorithm. We validate our approach on synthetic data, and evaluate it on 3D cardiac shapes. PMID:20426043

Closed-form Jensen-Renyi divergence for mixture of Gaussians and applications to group-wise shape registration.

PubMed

Wang, Fei; Syeda-Mahmood, Tanveer; Vemuri, Baba C; Beymer, David; Rangarajan, Anand

2009-01-01

In this paper, we propose a generalized group-wise non-rigid registration strategy for multiple unlabeled point-sets of unequal cardinality, with no bias toward any of the given point-sets. To quantify the divergence between the probability distributions--specifically Mixture of Gaussians--estimated from the given point sets, we use a recently developed information-theoretic measure called Jensen-Renyi (JR) divergence. We evaluate a closed-form JR divergence between multiple probabilistic representations for the general case where the mixture models differ in variance and the number of components. We derive the analytic gradient of the divergence measure with respect to the non-rigid registration parameters, and apply it to numerical optimization of the group-wise registration, leading to a computationally efficient and accurate algorithm. We validate our approach on synthetic data, and evaluate it on 3D cardiac shapes.

Sunspot Positions and Areas from Observations by Galileo Galilei

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vokhmyanin, M. V.; Zolotova, N. V.

2018-02-01

Sunspot records in the seventeenth century provide important information on the solar activity before the Maunder minimum, yielding reliable sunspot indices and the solar butterfly diagram. Galilei's letters to Cardinal Francesco Barberini and Marcus Welser contain daily solar observations on 3 - 11 May, 2 June - 8 July, and 19 - 21 August 1612. These historical archives do not provide the time of observation, which results in uncertainty in the sunspot coordinates. To obtain them, we present a method that minimizes the discrepancy between the sunspot latitudes. We provide areas and heliographic coordinates of 82 sunspot groups. In contrast to Sheiner's butterfly diagram, we found only one sunspot group near the Equator. This provides a higher reliability of Galilei's drawings. Large sunspot groups are found to emerge at the same longitude in the northern hemisphere from 3 May to 21 August, which indicates an active longitude.

A Review of Donnai-Barrow and Facio-oculo-acoustico-renal (DB/FOAR) Syndrome: Clinical Features and Differential Diagnosis

PubMed Central

Pober, Barbara R.; Longoni, Mauro; Noonan, Kristin M.

2010-01-01

Mutations in the gene LRP2 have recently been identified as the cause of Donnai-Barrow and Facio-oculo-acoustico-renal (DB/FOAR) syndrome. More than two dozen cases, the first reported more than 30 years ago by Holmes, have been published. Summarizing available information, we highlight the cardinal features of the disorder found in ≥90% of published cases. These features include: agenesis of the corpus callosum, developmental delay, enlarged anterior fontanelle, high myopia, hypertelorism, proteinuria, and sensorineural hearing loss. Congenital diaphragmatic hernia and omphalocele are reported in only half of the patients. There is no evidence for genotype-phenotype correlation, though the sample size is too small to preclude this with certainty. Although several conditions to consider in the differential diagnosis are highlighted, the diagnosis of DB/FOAR syndrome should not be difficult to establish as its constellation of findings is strikingly characteristic. PMID:19089858

Travel itinerary uncertainty and the pre-travel consultation--a pilot study.

PubMed

Flaherty, Gerard; Md Nor, Muhammad Najmi

2016-01-01

Risk assessment relies on the accuracy of the information provided by the traveller. A questionnaire was administered to 83 consecutive travellers attending a travel medicine clinic. The majority of travellers was uncertain about destinations within countries, transportation or type of accommodation. Most travellers were uncertain if they would be visiting malaria regions. The degree of uncertainty about itinerary potentially impacts on the ability of the travel medicine specialist to perform an adequate risk assessment, select appropriate vaccinations and prescribe malaria prophylaxis. This study reveals high levels of traveller uncertainty about their itinerary which may potentially reduce the effectiveness of their pre-travel consultation. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of International society of travel medicine. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Cooperatively surrounding control for multiple Euler-Lagrange systems subjected to uncertain dynamics and input constraints

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Liang-Ming; Lv, Yue-Yong; Li, Chuan-Jiang; Ma, Guang-Fu

2016-12-01

In this paper, we investigate cooperatively surrounding control (CSC) of multi-agent systems modeled by Euler-Lagrange (EL) equations under a directed graph. With the consideration of the uncertain dynamics in an EL system, a backstepping CSC algorithm combined with neural-networks is proposed first such that the agents can move cooperatively to surround the stationary target. Then, a command filtered backstepping CSC algorithm is further proposed to deal with the constraints on control input and the absence of neighbors’ velocity information. Numerical examples of eight satellites surrounding one space target illustrate the effectiveness of the theoretical results. Project supported by the National Basic Research Program of China (Grant No. 2012CB720000) and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 61304005 and 61403103).

fMRI orientation decoding in V1 does not require global maps or globally coherent orientation stimuli.

PubMed

Alink, Arjen; Krugliak, Alexandra; Walther, Alexander; Kriegeskorte, Nikolaus

2013-01-01

The orientation of a large grating can be decoded from V1 functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data, even at low resolution (3-mm isotropic voxels). This finding has suggested that columnar-level neuronal information might be accessible to fMRI at 3T. However, orientation decodability might alternatively arise from global orientation-preference maps. Such global maps across V1 could result from bottom-up processing, if the preferences of V1 neurons were biased toward particular orientations (e.g., radial from fixation, or cardinal, i.e., vertical or horizontal). Global maps could also arise from local recurrent or top-down processing, reflecting pre-attentive perceptual grouping, attention spreading, or predictive coding of global form. Here we investigate whether fMRI orientation decoding with 2-mm voxels requires (a) globally coherent orientation stimuli and/or (b) global-scale patterns of V1 activity. We used opposite-orientation gratings (balanced about the cardinal orientations) and spirals (balanced about the radial orientation), along with novel patch-swapped variants of these stimuli. The two stimuli of a patch-swapped pair have opposite orientations everywhere (like their globally coherent parent stimuli). However, the two stimuli appear globally similar, a patchwork of opposite orientations. We find that all stimulus pairs are robustly decodable, demonstrating that fMRI orientation decoding does not require globally coherent orientation stimuli. Furthermore, decoding remained robust after spatial high-pass filtering for all stimuli, showing that fine-grained components of the fMRI patterns reflect visual orientations. Consistent with previous studies, we found evidence for global radial and vertical preference maps in V1. However, these were weak or absent for patch-swapped stimuli, suggesting that global preference maps depend on globally coherent orientations and might arise through recurrent or top-down processes related to the perception of global form.

Signal Detection Theory-Based Information Processing for the Detection of Breast Cancer at Microwave Frequencies

DTIC Science & Technology

2002-08-01

the measurement noise, as well as the physical model of the forward scattered electric field. The Bayesian algorithms for the Uncertain Permittivity...received at multiple sensors. In this research project a tissue- model -based signal-detection theory approach for the detection of mammary tumors in the...oriented information processors. In this research project a tissue- model - based signal detection theory approach for the detection of mammary tumors in the

The option value of delay in health technology assessment.

PubMed

Eckermann, Simon; Willan, Andrew R

2008-01-01

Processes of health technology assessment (HTA) inform decisions under uncertainty about whether to invest in new technologies based on evidence of incremental effects, incremental cost, and incremental net benefit monetary (INMB). An option value to delaying such decisions to wait for further evidence is suggested in the usual case of interest, in which the prior distribution of INMB is positive but uncertain. of estimating the option value of delaying decisions to invest have previously been developed when investments are irreversible with an uncertain payoff over time and information is assumed fixed. However, in HTA decision uncertainty relates to information (evidence) on the distribution of INMB. This article demonstrates that the option value of delaying decisions to allow collection of further evidence can be estimated as the expected value of sample of information (EVSI). For irreversible decisions, delay and trial (DT) is demonstrated to be preferred to adopt and no trial (AN) when the EVSI exceeds expected costs of information, including expected opportunity costs of not treating patients with the new therapy. For reversible decisions, adopt and trial (AT) becomes a potentially optimal strategy, but costs of reversal are shown to reduce the EVSI of this strategy due to both a lower probability of reversal being optimal and lower payoffs when reversal is optimal. Hence, decision makers are generally shown to face joint research and reimbursement decisions (AN, DT and AT), with the optimal choice dependent on costs of reversal as well as opportunity costs of delay and the distribution of prior INMB.

76 FR 29238 - Methyl Bromide; Cancellation Order for Registration Amendments To Terminate Certain Soil Uses

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-05-20

... Order for Registration Amendments To Terminate Certain Soil Uses AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). ACTION: Notice. SUMMARY: This notice announces EPA's order for the amendments to terminate soil... Corporation. 8536-05 Pic-Brom 33 Soil Chemicals Corporation d/b/a Cardinal Professional Products. [[Page 29239...

Nurturing "Critical Hope" in Teaching Feminist Social Work Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Anderson-Nathe, Ben; Gringeri, Christina; Wahab, Stephanie

2013-01-01

Despite the congruence between critical feminist values and the cardinal values of the social work profession, feminist research in social work has lagged behind its feminist cousins in the social sciences, particularly in terms of critical uses of theory, reflexivity, and the troubling of binaries. This article presents as praxis our reflections…

Dissociation in Response to Methylphenidate on Response Variability in a Group of Medication Naive Children with ADHD

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Johnson, Katherine A.; Barry, Edwina; Bellgrove, Mark A.; Cox, Marie; Kelly, Simon P.; Daibhis, Aoife; Daly, Michael; Keavey, Michelle; Watchorn, Amy; Fitzgerald, Michael; McNicholas, Fiona; Kirley, Aiveen; Robertson, Ian H.; Gill, Michael

2008-01-01

Increased variability in reaction time (RT) has been proposed as a cardinal feature of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Increased variability during sustained attention tasks may reflect inefficient fronto-striatal and fronto-parietal circuitry; activity within these circuits is modulated by the catecholamines. A disruption to…

Testing the Immediate and Long-Term Efficacy of a Tier 2 Kindergarten Mathematics Intervention

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clarke, Ben; Doabler, Christian T.; Smolkowski, Keith; Kurtz-Nelson, Evangeline; Fien, Hank; Baker, Scott K.; Kosty, Derek

2016-01-01

This study examined the efficacy of a kindergarten mathematics intervention program, ROOTS, focused on developing whole-number understanding in the areas of counting and cardinality and operations and algebraic thinking for students at risk in mathematics. The study utilized a randomized block design with students within classrooms randomly…

Feeding habits of songbirds in East Texas clearcuts during winter

Treesearch

Donald W. Worthington; R. Montague Jr. Whiting; James G. Dickson

2004-01-01

This east Texas study was undertaken to determine the importance of seeds of forbs, grasses, and woody shrubs to songbirds wintering in young pine plantations which had been established utilizing the clearcut regeneration system. The feeding habits and preferences of four species of songbirds, northern cardinals (Cardinalis cardinalis), song sparrows...

Learning from a Bike Trip

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Koren, Mike

2009-01-01

In this article, the author describes a bike trip which marks the culmination of a unit reviewing map-reading capabilities. In seventh grade, students develop various map skills, including cardinal and intermediate directions, how to measure distance on a map using a scale of miles, how to interpret the legend of a map, and how to locate places…

Self-Concept and Social Integration: The Dutch Case as an Example

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Spiecker, Ben; Steutel, Jan; de Ruyter, Doret

2004-01-01

This article evaluates the credo "integration while maintaining one's identity" with the help of psychological arguments. First, it explores the requirements of being a good citizen in a liberal democracy. Following Rawls, we state that justice is the cardinal liberal virtue and that this virtue includes having the disposition to respect…

7 CFR 51.892 - Color terms.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... characteristic color means at least two-thirds of the surface of the berry is light red through dark red color... dark red and for the Cardinal variety light pink through purple color shall be permitted. [36 FR 9126... 7 Agriculture 2 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Color terms. 51.892 Section 51.892 Agriculture...

7 CFR 51.892 - Color terms.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... characteristic color means at least two-thirds of the surface of the berry is light red through dark red color... dark red and for the Cardinal variety light pink through purple color shall be permitted. [36 FR 9126... 7 Agriculture 2 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Color terms. 51.892 Section 51.892 Agriculture...

7 CFR 51.892 - Color terms.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... color means at least two-thirds of the surface of the berry is light red through dark red color; except... for the Cardinal variety light pink through purple color shall be permitted. [36 FR 9126, May 20, 1971... 7 Agriculture 2 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Color terms. 51.892 Section 51.892 Agriculture...

7 CFR 51.892 - Color terms.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... color means at least two-thirds of the surface of the berry is light red through dark red color; except... for the Cardinal variety light pink through purple color shall be permitted. [36 FR 9126, May 20, 1971... 7 Agriculture 2 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Color terms. 51.892 Section 51.892 Agriculture...

Fulminant sepsis is a cardinal sign of HP-PRRSV in pigs

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

In 2006 a unique syndrome with high morbidity and mortality was recognized in growing pigs in China that became known as porcine high fever disease (PHFD). One consistent finding in affected pigs was the detection of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) that had unique nsp2 ge...

An Articulated English Program: A Hypothesis to Test.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Publications of the Modern Language Association of America, 1959

1959-01-01

This report is the result of discussion of some 35 interrelated issues which have contributed to a loss of definition of "English" programs at all educational levels. Fearing further fragmentation of the curriculum would take place without reform, the conferees propose an articulated English program based on four cardinal principles. They seek to:…

Impulsivity in College Students with and without ADHD

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Miller, Jessica A.

2010-01-01

Impulsivity is the cardinal symptom of ADHD. It is estimated that ADHD is present in eighteen percent of children and in four percent of adults. The present study repeats and extends a previous study (Gray, Breier, Foorman, & Fletcher, 2002) that measured impulsivity in adolescents with and without ADHD, which found higher false alarm rates…

Do Indonesian Children's Experiences with Large Currency Units Facilitate Magnitude Estimation of Long Temporal Periods?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cheek, Kim A.

2017-01-01

Ideas about temporal (and spatial) scale impact students' understanding across science disciplines. Learners have difficulty comprehending the long time periods associated with natural processes because they have no referent for the magnitudes involved. When people have a good "feel" for quantity, they estimate cardinal number magnitude…

Can We Have a "Second Spring" of Catholic Higher Education?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Franchi, Leonard

2011-01-01

The challenges facing Catholic higher education today offer the Church an opportunity to rethink the conceptual framework within which it operates. The educational vision found in the relevant writings of Blessed John Henry Cardinal Newman, Pope John Paul II, and Pope Benedict XVI offer possibilities for an educational project centered on the role…

Matching Extension and the Genus of a Graph,

DTIC Science & Technology

1986-03-01

relationship between the genus and the cardinality of the maximum matchings of a graph, Discrete Math . 25, 1979, 149-156. O.ORE " 1967. The Four-Color...Ed.: W. T. Tutte, Academic Press, New York, 1969, 287-293. M.D. PLUMMER 1980. On n-extendable graph9, Discrete Math . 31, 1980, 201-210. 1985. A

Matching Extension and the Genus of a Graph,

DTIC Science & Technology

1986-04-01

genus and the cardinality of the maximum matchings of a graph, Discrete Math . 25, 1979, 149-156. oQORE 1967. The Four-Color Problem, Academic Press...Press, New York, 1969, 287-293. M D PLUMMER 1980. On n-extendable graphs, Discrete Math . 31, 1980, 201-210. 1985. A theorem on matchings in the plane

This Path We Travel: Celebrations of Contemporary Native American Creativity.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

La Pena, Frank

1994-01-01

An exhibition at the opening of the George Gustav Heye Center in New York City presents the talents of 15 contemporary Native American artists who during the past several years met at four different locations representing the cardinal directions. The exhibit combines sculpture, performance, poetry, music, and video to portray Indian world views…

Reverence and Teaching: The Forgotten Virtue

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Garrison, Jim; Rud, A. G.

2013-01-01

The purpose of this chapter is to understand the spiritual dimensions of teaching by elucidating the cardinal and forgotten virtue of reverence. Reverence has a power beyond a typical understanding of it as something religious. Reverence involves a sense of wonder and awe for something or someone that meets at least one of the following…

Some Combinatorics of Multisets

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Singh, D.; Singh, J. N.

2003-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to delineate some insights into the concept of multisets along with a couple of combinatorial results related to multisets. The paper indicates that a general formula needs to be worked out for determining the cardinality of the "Set" (whose elements may be multisets but do not repeat) of all multisubsets of a finite…

Translations on Eastern Europe, Political, sociological, and Military Affairs. Number 1314.

DTIC Science & Technology

1976-11-02

8217 as Determinant of Democracy, Patriotism (Andrzej Burda; IDEOLOGIA I POLITYKA, Sep 76) 32 Cardinal Wyszyniski’s Trip to Rome Noted (SLOWO...CSO: 2600 31 POLAND ’STATE CONSCIOUSNESS’ AS DETERMINANT OF DEMOCRACY, PATRIOTISM Warsaw IDEOLOGIA I POLITYKA in Polish No 9, Sep 76 pp 7-15

Ethical Parenting of Sexually Active Youth: Ensuring Safety While Enabling Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bay-Cheng, Laina Y.

2013-01-01

The protection of children from harm is commonly accepted as the cardinal duty of parents. In the USA, where young people's sexuality is often regarded with anxiety, attempts to restrict adolescent sexual behaviour are seen as ethically justified and even required of "good" parents. Running counter to popular anxiety surrounding young…

Birthday Cake Activity Structured Arrangement for Helping Children Determining Quantities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mariana, Neni

2010-01-01

Few researches have been concerned about relation between children's spatial thinking and number sense. Narrowing for this small research, we focused on one component of spatial thinking, that is structuring objects, and one component of number senses, that is cardinality by determining quantities. This study focused on a design research that was…

Whither Does the Sun Rove?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gangui, Alejandro

2011-01-01

If one asked some friends where on the horizon they should expect to see the sunrise, half of the answers would be in the east. Of course, something analogous would happen with the sunset and the west. However, sunrise and sunset virtually never occur at these cardinal points. In fact, those answers correctly describe observations only during the…

Supervision of Applied Sport Psychology in Graduate Programs in the USA

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Meir, Gily

2018-01-01

Supervision is a hierarchical and evaluative relationship extending over time between a supervisor and a supervisee that permits quality control of service delivery of neophyte practitioners (Bernard & Goodyear, 2009; Watson, Zizzi, Etzel, & Lubker, 2004). It is a cardinal part of the training and a requirement to become a certified…

Vision: Essential Scaffolding

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Murphy, Joseph; Torre, Daniela

2015-01-01

Few concepts are more noted in the leadership effects research than vision. It is a cardinal element in the school improvement equation as well. Yet, it remains one of the least well-specified components of that algorithm. Based on a comprehensive review of the research on effective leadership and school improvement from 1995 to 2012, we bring…

Can Professional Studies Be Included in the Liberal Arts Curriculum?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stewart, Ian

2004-01-01

This article discusses a business school professor's approach to teaching a University Seminar, the first course in the freshman year component of the liberal arts requirements at Seattle Pacific University. Drawing on Cardinal Newman's "The Idea of a University" (1873/1947), three theses shaped the design of the seminar. First, the…

The Clock Is Ticking: Library Orientation as Puzzle Room

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reade, Tripp

2017-01-01

Tripp Reade is the school librarian at Cardinal Gibbons High School in Raleigh, North Carolina. This article describes how he redesigned his school's library orientation program after learning about escape rooms and a variant known as puzzle rooms. Puzzle rooms present players with a set of challenges to solve; they require "teamwork,…

On the chromatic number of a space with forbidden equilateral triangle

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

Zvonarev, A E; Raigorodskii, A M; Kharlamova, A A

2014-09-30

We improve the Frankl-Rödl estimate for the product of the numbers of edges in uniform hypergraphs with forbidden cardinalities of the intersection of edges. By using this estimate, we obtain explicit bounds for the chromatic number of a space with forbidden monochromatic equilateral triangles. Bibliography: 31 titles.

A Biobehavioral Approach to the Treatment of Functional Encopresis in Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Friman, Patrick C.; Hofstadter, Kristi L.; Jones, Kevin M.

2006-01-01

Functional encopresis (FE) refers to the repeated passage of feces into inappropriate places at least once per month for at least 3 months. Treatment of FE targets the processes that cause or exacerbate the condition, including reduced colonic motility, constipation, and fecal impaction. The cardinal elements of successful treatment include…

School Heads and Mentors in Cahoots? Challenges to Teaching Practice in Zimbabwean Teacher Education Programmes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Makura, Alfred Henry; Zireva, Davison

2013-01-01

Mentors and school heads play cardinal roles in teacher education programmes in most countries, including Zimbabwe. The side-effects of such symbiosis have not yet been investigated fully. This article used a qualitative methodological approach to investigate the perceptions of some Zimbabwean student teachers regarding their teaching practice…

Verbal Counting Moderates Perceptual Biases Found in Children's Cardinality Judgments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Posid, Tasha; Cordes, Sara

2015-01-01

A crucial component of numerical understanding is one's ability to abstract numerical properties regardless of varying perceptual attributes. Evidence from numerical match-to-sample tasks suggests that children find it difficult to match sets based on number in the face of varying perceptual attributes, yet it is unclear whether these findings are…

The Hyperbolic Sine Cardinal and the Catenary

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sanchez-Reyes, Javier

2012-01-01

The hyperbolic function sinh(x)/x receives scant attention in the literature. We show that it admits a clear geometric interpretation as the ratio between length and chord of a symmetric catenary segment. The inverse, together with the use of dimensionless parameters, furnishes a compact, explicit construction of a general catenary segment of…

Structures-of-the-Whole: Is There Any Glue to Hold the Concrete-Operational "Stage" Together?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brainerd, Charles J.

Studies concerned with the synchronous emergence prediction of Piaget's structures-of-the-whole principle are discussed in conjunction with three groups of concrete-operational skills: (1) transitivity/conservation/class inclusion; (2) double classification/double seriation; and (3) ordinal, cardinal, and natural number concepts. Findings show…

The Papal Commission on Birth Control-revisited.

PubMed

Norris, Charles W

2013-02-01

The Papal Commission on Population, the Family, and Birth-rate met in Rome from 1963 to 1966. After these years of deliberation a Majority Report, written by Rev. Henri de Riedmatten, O.P., Chairman of the commission, counseled that the received Catholic and magisterial teaching of Casti connubii on the immorality of contraception be changed. Dr. Germain Grisez and Fr. John C. Ford opposed this decision and issued a Minority Report which basically was ignored by the secular press. In 1968, Pope Paul VI issued his most famous encyclical Humanae vitae, reaffirming the traditional magisterial teaching. In 2011, 44 years later, Dr. Grisez released several documents relating to these events. Following an Introduction, the author divides the work into four sections. First, the paper addresses the four part "materials prepared for Cardinal Ottaviani." Next he develops the contribution of Karol Cardinal Wojytla et al. Concerning the principles of conjugal life in 1966. Finally he provides a conclusion as to how the above topics promote natural family planning (NFP) and the constant teaching of the Catholic Church; then an addendum.

Multi-Target Tracking Using an Improved Gaussian Mixture CPHD Filter.

PubMed

Si, Weijian; Wang, Liwei; Qu, Zhiyu

2016-11-23

The cardinalized probability hypothesis density (CPHD) filter is an alternative approximation to the full multi-target Bayesian filter for tracking multiple targets. However, although the joint propagation of the posterior intensity and cardinality distribution in its recursion allows more reliable estimates of the target number than the PHD filter, the CPHD filter suffers from the spooky effect where there exists arbitrary PHD mass shifting in the presence of missed detections. To address this issue in the Gaussian mixture (GM) implementation of the CPHD filter, this paper presents an improved GM-CPHD filter, which incorporates a weight redistribution scheme into the filtering process to modify the updated weights of the Gaussian components when missed detections occur. In addition, an efficient gating strategy that can adaptively adjust the gate sizes according to the number of missed detections of each Gaussian component is also presented to further improve the computational efficiency of the proposed filter. Simulation results demonstrate that the proposed method offers favorable performance in terms of both estimation accuracy and robustness to clutter and detection uncertainty over the existing methods.

Firefly algorithm for cardinality constrained mean-variance portfolio optimization problem with entropy diversity constraint.

PubMed

Bacanin, Nebojsa; Tuba, Milan

2014-01-01

Portfolio optimization (selection) problem is an important and hard optimization problem that, with the addition of necessary realistic constraints, becomes computationally intractable. Nature-inspired metaheuristics are appropriate for solving such problems; however, literature review shows that there are very few applications of nature-inspired metaheuristics to portfolio optimization problem. This is especially true for swarm intelligence algorithms which represent the newer branch of nature-inspired algorithms. No application of any swarm intelligence metaheuristics to cardinality constrained mean-variance (CCMV) portfolio problem with entropy constraint was found in the literature. This paper introduces modified firefly algorithm (FA) for the CCMV portfolio model with entropy constraint. Firefly algorithm is one of the latest, very successful swarm intelligence algorithm; however, it exhibits some deficiencies when applied to constrained problems. To overcome lack of exploration power during early iterations, we modified the algorithm and tested it on standard portfolio benchmark data sets used in the literature. Our proposed modified firefly algorithm proved to be better than other state-of-the-art algorithms, while introduction of entropy diversity constraint further improved results.

On the complexity of some quadratic Euclidean 2-clustering problems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kel'manov, A. V.; Pyatkin, A. V.

2016-03-01

Some problems of partitioning a finite set of points of Euclidean space into two clusters are considered. In these problems, the following criteria are minimized: (1) the sum over both clusters of the sums of squared pairwise distances between the elements of the cluster and (2) the sum of the (multiplied by the cardinalities of the clusters) sums of squared distances from the elements of the cluster to its geometric center, where the geometric center (or centroid) of a cluster is defined as the mean value of the elements in that cluster. Additionally, another problem close to (2) is considered, where the desired center of one of the clusters is given as input, while the center of the other cluster is unknown (is the variable to be optimized) as in problem (2). Two variants of the problems are analyzed, in which the cardinalities of the clusters are (1) parts of the input or (2) optimization variables. It is proved that all the considered problems are strongly NP-hard and that, in general, there is no fully polynomial-time approximation scheme for them (unless P = NP).

Firefly Algorithm for Cardinality Constrained Mean-Variance Portfolio Optimization Problem with Entropy Diversity Constraint

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Portfolio optimization (selection) problem is an important and hard optimization problem that, with the addition of necessary realistic constraints, becomes computationally intractable. Nature-inspired metaheuristics are appropriate for solving such problems; however, literature review shows that there are very few applications of nature-inspired metaheuristics to portfolio optimization problem. This is especially true for swarm intelligence algorithms which represent the newer branch of nature-inspired algorithms. No application of any swarm intelligence metaheuristics to cardinality constrained mean-variance (CCMV) portfolio problem with entropy constraint was found in the literature. This paper introduces modified firefly algorithm (FA) for the CCMV portfolio model with entropy constraint. Firefly algorithm is one of the latest, very successful swarm intelligence algorithm; however, it exhibits some deficiencies when applied to constrained problems. To overcome lack of exploration power during early iterations, we modified the algorithm and tested it on standard portfolio benchmark data sets used in the literature. Our proposed modified firefly algorithm proved to be better than other state-of-the-art algorithms, while introduction of entropy diversity constraint further improved results. PMID:24991645

Hohokam Archaeoastronomy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bostwick, Todd W.

The Hohokam culture, one of the major pre-Columbian cultural groups in the American Southwest, is well known for their extensive irrigation systems, the largest in the New World. Choreographing the movement of people and scheduling the cleaning and repair of their canals during low water periods, as well as harvesting their bountiful crops during two growing seasons, would have required a calendar system that reflected the natural cycles of the Sonoran Desert. In addition, orienting their ritual architecture and public spaces such as ball courts, platform mounds, and plazas according to the cardinal directions would have required knowledge of the sun's daily and annual movement through the sky. This chapter describes archaeological evidence at Hohokam sites for marking of the sun's cycles, especially during the solstices and equinoxes, with rock art and adobe architecture. Several locations are identified in the Phoenix region of Arizona, including mountains and prominent rock formations, where the solstices and equinoxes could be tracked through horizon alignments during sunrise and sunset and by light-and-shadow patterns during midday on those solar events. Several Hohokam villages also are described where ritual space was oriented according to basic cardinal directions.

Validation of a predictive model for the growth of chalk yeasts on bread.

PubMed

Burgain, Anaïs; Bensoussan, Maurice; Dantigny, Philippe

2015-07-02

The present study focused on the effects of temperature, T, and water activity, aw, on the growth of Hyphopichia burtonii, Pichia anomala, and Saccharomycopsis fibuligera on Sabouraud Agar Medium. Cardinal values were estimated by means of cardinal models with inflection. All the yeasts were xerophilic, and they exhibited growth at 0.85 aw. The combined effects of T, aw, and pH on the growth of these species were described by the gamma-concept and validated on bread in the range of 15-25 °C, 0.91-0.97 aw, and pH 4.6-6.8. The optimum growth rates on bread were 2.88, 0.259, and 1.06 mm/day for H. burtonii, P. anomala, and S. fibuligera, respectively. The optimal growth rate of S. fibuligera on bread was about 2 fold that obtained on Sabouraud. Due to reproduction by budding, P. anomala exhibited low growth on Sabouraud and bread. However, this species is of major concern in the baker's industry because of the production of ethyl acetate in bread. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The Development of Adaptive Conformity in Young Children: Effects of Uncertainty and Consensus

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Morgan, Thomas J. H.; Laland, Kevin N.; Harris, Paul L.

2015-01-01

Human culture relies on extensive use of social transmission, which must be integrated with independently acquired (i.e. asocial) information for effective decision-making. Formal evolutionary theory predicts that natural selection should favor adaptive learning strategies, including a bias to copy when uncertain, and a bias to disproportionately…

Lean vs Agile in the Context of Complexity Management in Organizations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Putnik, Goran D.; Putnik, Zlata

2012-01-01

Purpose: The objective of this paper is to provide a deeper insight into the relationship of the issue "lean vs agile" in order to inform managers towards more coherent decisions especially in a dynamic, unpredictable, uncertain, non-linear environment. Design/methodology/approach: The methodology is an exploratory study based on secondary data…

Satisficing in Split-Second Decision Making Is Characterized by Strategic Cue Discounting

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Oh, Hanna; Beck, Jeffrey M.; Zhu, Pingping; Sommer, Marc A.; Ferrari, Silvia; Egner, Tobias

2016-01-01

Much of our real-life decision making is bounded by uncertain information, limitations in cognitive resources, and a lack of time to allocate to the decision process. It is thought that humans overcome these limitations through "satisficing," fast but "good-enough" heuristic decision making that prioritizes some sources of…

A quantitative risk model for early lifecycle decision making

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Feather, M. S.; Cornford, S. L.; Dunphy, J.; Hicks, K.

2002-01-01

Decisions made in the earliest phases of system development have the most leverage to influence the success of the entire development effort, and yet must be made when information is incomplete and uncertain. We have developed a scalable cost-benefit model to support this critical phase of early-lifecycle decision-making.

Intricate Valley Glaciers on Pluto

NASA Image and Video Library

2015-09-17

The backlighting highlights the intricate flow lines on the glaciers. The flow front of the ice is moving into the informally named Sputnik Planum. The origin of the ridges and pits on the right side of the image remains uncertain. This image is 390 miles (630 kilometers) across. http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA19943

Rapid Decisions From Experience

PubMed Central

Zeigenfuse, Matthew D.; Pleskac, Timothy J.; Liu, Taosheng

2014-01-01

In many everyday decisions, people quickly integrate noisy samples of information to form a preference among alternatives that offer uncertain rewards. Here, we investigated this decision process using the Flash Gambling Task (FGT), in which participants made a series of choices between a certain payoff and an uncertain alternative that produced a normal distribution of payoffs. For each choice, participants experienced the distribution of payoffs via rapid samples updated every 50 ms. We show that people can make these rapid decisions from experience and that the decision process is consistent with a sequential sampling process. Results also reveal a dissociation between these preferential decisions and equivalent perceptual decisions where participants had to determine which alternatives contained more dots on average. To account for this dissociation, we developed a sequential sampling rank-dependent utility model, which showed that participants in the FGT attended more to larger potential payoffs than participants in the perceptual task despite being given equivalent information. We discuss the implications of these findings in terms of computational models of preferential choice and a more complete understanding of experience-based decision making. PMID:24549141

Resolution of an uncertain closed-loop logistics model: an application to fuzzy linear programs with risk analysis.

PubMed

Wang, Hsiao-Fan; Hsu, Hsin-Wei

2010-11-01

With the urgency of global warming, green supply chain management, logistics in particular, has drawn the attention of researchers. Although there are closed-loop green logistics models in the literature, most of them do not consider the uncertain environment in general terms. In this study, a generalized model is proposed where the uncertainty is expressed by fuzzy numbers. An interval programming model is proposed by the defined means and mean square imprecision index obtained from the integrated information of all the level cuts of fuzzy numbers. The resolution for interval programming is based on the decision maker (DM)'s preference. The resulting solution provides useful information on the expected solutions under a confidence level containing a degree of risk. The results suggest that the more optimistic the DM is, the better is the resulting solution. However, a higher risk of violation of the resource constraints is also present. By defining this probable risk, a solution procedure was developed with numerical illustrations. This provides a DM trade-off mechanism between logistic cost and the risk. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Probabilistic Parameter Uncertainty Analysis of Single Input Single Output Control Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smith, Brett A.; Kenny, Sean P.; Crespo, Luis G.

2005-01-01

The current standards for handling uncertainty in control systems use interval bounds for definition of the uncertain parameters. This approach gives no information about the likelihood of system performance, but simply gives the response bounds. When used in design, current methods of m-analysis and can lead to overly conservative controller design. With these methods, worst case conditions are weighted equally with the most likely conditions. This research explores a unique approach for probabilistic analysis of control systems. Current reliability methods are examined showing the strong areas of each in handling probability. A hybrid method is developed using these reliability tools for efficiently propagating probabilistic uncertainty through classical control analysis problems. The method developed is applied to classical response analysis as well as analysis methods that explore the effects of the uncertain parameters on stability and performance metrics. The benefits of using this hybrid approach for calculating the mean and variance of responses cumulative distribution functions are shown. Results of the probabilistic analysis of a missile pitch control system, and a non-collocated mass spring system, show the added information provided by this hybrid analysis.

Does intolerance of uncertainty predict anticipatory startle responses to uncertain threat?

PubMed

Nelson, Brady D; Shankman, Stewart A

2011-08-01

Intolerance of uncertainty (IU) has been proposed to be an important maintaining factor in several anxiety disorders, including generalized anxiety disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and social phobia. While IU has been shown to predict subjective ratings and decision-making during uncertain/ambiguous situations, few studies have examined whether IU also predicts emotional responding to uncertain threat. The present study examined whether IU predicted aversive responding (startle and subjective ratings) during the anticipation of temporally uncertain shocks. Sixty-nine participants completed three experimental conditions during which they received: no shocks, temporally certain/predictable shocks, and temporally uncertain shocks. Results indicated that IU was negatively associated with startle during the uncertain threat condition in that those with higher IU had a smaller startle response. IU was also only related to startle during the uncertain (and not the certain/predictable) threat condition, suggesting that it was not predictive of general aversive responding, but specific to responses to uncertain aversiveness. Perceived control over anxiety-related events mediated the relation between IU and startle to uncertain threat, such that high IU led to lowered perceived control, which in turn led to a smaller startle response. We discuss several potential explanations for these findings, including the inhibitory qualities of IU. Overall, our results suggest that IU is associated with attenuated aversive responding to uncertain threat. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Safinamide as Add-On Therapy to Levodopa in Mid- to Late-Stage Parkinson's Disease Fluctuating Patients: Post hoc Analyses of Studies 016 and SETTLE.

PubMed

Cattaneo, Carlo; Sardina, Marco; Bonizzoni, Ermino

2016-01-01

Studies 016 and SETTLE showed that safinamide was safe and effective as adjunct therapy in patients with advanced Parkinson's disease (PD) and motor fluctuations. The addition of safinamide to a stable dose of levodopa alone or with other antiparkinsonian medications significantly increased ON time with no/non-troublesome dyskinesia, decreased OFF time and improved Parkinson's symptoms. To evaluate the clinical effects of safinamide 100 mg/day on motor fluctuations and cardinal Parkinson's symptoms in specific patient subgroups using pooled data from Studies 016 and SETTLE. Both studies were double blind, placebo-controlled, randomized, phase 3 trials which enrolled patients with mid- to late-stage PD experiencing motor fluctuations while receiving optimized and stable doses of levodopa, alone or with other dopaminergic treatments. The present post-hoc analyses assessed the change from baseline in ON time (with no or non-troublesome dyskinesia) and OFF time in subgroups of patients who were receiving only levodopa at baseline, who were classified as "mild fluctuators" (daily OFF time ≤4 h), and who were receiving concomitant dopaminergic therapy, with or without amantadine, and the effects of safinamide versus placebo on individual cardinal PD symptoms during ON time. Safinamide significantly increased mean ON time (with no or non-troublesome dyskinesia) and reduced mean OFF time when used as first adjunct therapy in levodopa-treated patients and patients with mild motor fluctuations. Mean daily ON time (with no or non-troublesome dyskinesia) and OFF time were favorably changed, compared with placebo, to similar extents regardless of whether patients were receiving concomitant dopamine agonists, catechol-O-methyltransferase inhibitors and amantadine. Additionally, safinamide improved bradykinesia, rigidity, tremor and gait. Safinamide was a safe and effective first adjunct therapy in levodopa-treated patients and improved 4/5 cardinal symptoms of PD while providing benefits to mild and non-mild fluctuators and patients receiving other concomitant dopaminergic therapies.

Epidemiology of Chronic Kidney Disease, With Special Emphasis on Chronic Kidney Disease of Uncertain Etiology, in the North Central Region of Sri Lanka

PubMed Central

Jayasekara, Kithsiri Bandara; Dissanayake, Dhammika Menike; Sivakanesan, Ramiah; Ranasinghe, Asanga; Karunarathna, Ranawaka Hewage; Priyantha Kumara, Gardiye Waligamage Gamini

2015-01-01

Background The aim of the study was to identify the epidemiology of chronic kidney disease of uncertain etiology in Sri Lanka. Methods A cross-sectional study was carried out by analyzing health statistics, and three cohort studies were conducted (n = 15 630, 3996, and 2809) to analyze the demographic information, age-specific prevalence, etiology, and stage of presentation. We screened 7604 individuals for chronic kidney disease of uncertain etiology. Results The results showed that the male:female ratio was 2.4:1, the mean age of patients was 54.7 ± 8 years, 92% of the patients were farmers, and 93% consumed water from shallow dug wells. Familial occurrence was common (36%). The prevalence of chronic kidney disease in different age groups was 3% in those aged 30–40 years; 7% in those aged 41–50 years, 20% in those aged 51–60 years, and 29% in those older than 60 years. Chronic kidney disease of uncertain etiology was diagnosed in 70.2% of patients, while 15.7% and 9.6% were due to hypertension and diabetic mellitus, respectively. The majority of patients were stage 4 (40%) at first presentation, while 31.8% were stage 3 and 24.5% were stage 5. Stage 1 and 2 presentation accounted for only 3.4%. Conclusions Low prevalence of CKDU was noticed (1.5%) among those who consumed water from natural springs. Prevalence was highest among males, rice farming communities, and those presenting at later disease stages. PMID:25787679

Cerulean Warbler Occurrence Atlas for Military Installations

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-04-01

Army Ammuniton Plant (Closed) IN NO 2009 Army IOWA ARMY AMMUNITION PLANT IA UNCERTAIN 2009 USACE J. Percy Priest Lake TN UNCERTAIN 2009 USACE J...Stonewall Jackson Lake WV UNCERTAIN 2009 USACE Summersville Lake WV no POC Army Sunflower Army Ammunition Plant KS no POC USACE Sutton Lake WV UNCERTAIN

A severe capacity limit in the consolidation of orientation information into visual short-term memory.

PubMed

Becker, Mark W; Miller, James R; Liu, Taosheng

2013-04-01

Previous research has suggested that two color patches can be consolidated into visual short-term memory (VSTM) via an unlimited parallel process. Here we examined whether the same unlimited-capacity parallel process occurs for two oriented grating patches. Participants viewed two gratings that were presented briefly and masked. In blocks of trials, the gratings were presented either simultaneously or sequentially. In Experiments 1 and 2, the presentation of the stimuli was followed by a location cue that indicated the grating on which to base one's response. In Experiment 1, participants responded whether the target grating was oriented clockwise or counterclockwise with respect to vertical. In Experiment 2, participants indicated whether the target grating was oriented along one of the cardinal directions (vertical or horizontal) or was obliquely oriented. Finally, in Experiment 3, the location cue was replaced with a third grating that appeared at fixation, and participants indicated whether either of the two test gratings matched this probe. Despite the fact that these responses required fairly coarse coding of the orientation information, across all methods of responding we found superior performance for sequential over simultaneous presentations. These findings suggest that the consolidation of oriented gratings into VSTM is severely limited in capacity and differs from the consolidation of color information.

Validating EHR clinical models using ontology patterns.

PubMed

Martínez-Costa, Catalina; Schulz, Stefan

2017-12-01

Clinical models are artefacts that specify how information is structured in electronic health records (EHRs). However, the makeup of clinical models is not guided by any formal constraint beyond a semantically vague information model. We address this gap by advocating ontology design patterns as a mechanism that makes the semantics of clinical models explicit. This paper demonstrates how ontology design patterns can validate existing clinical models using SHACL. Based on the Clinical Information Modelling Initiative (CIMI), we show how ontology patterns detect both modeling and terminology binding errors in CIMI models. SHACL, a W3C constraint language for the validation of RDF graphs, builds on the concept of "Shape", a description of data in terms of expected cardinalities, datatypes and other restrictions. SHACL, as opposed to OWL, subscribes to the Closed World Assumption (CWA) and is therefore more suitable for the validation of clinical models. We have demonstrated the feasibility of the approach by manually describing the correspondences between six CIMI clinical models represented in RDF and two SHACL ontology design patterns. Using a Java-based SHACL implementation, we found at least eleven modeling and binding errors within these CIMI models. This demonstrates the usefulness of ontology design patterns not only as a modeling tool but also as a tool for validation. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Protective truthfulness: the Chinese way of safeguarding patients in informed treatment decisions.

PubMed Central

Pang, M C

1999-01-01

The first part of this paper examines the practice of informed treatment decisions in the protective medical system in China today. The second part examines how health care professionals in China perceive and carry out their responsibilities when relaying information to vulnerable patients, based on the findings of an empirical study that I had undertaken to examine the moral experience of nurses in practice situations. In the Chinese medical ethics tradition, refinement [jing] in skills and sincerity [cheng] in relating to patients are two cardinal virtues that health care professionals are required to possess. This notion of absolute sincerity carries a strong sense of parental protectiveness. The empirical findings reveal that most nurses are ambivalent about telling the truth to patients. Truth-telling would become an insincere act if a patient were to lose hope and confidence in life after learning of his or her disease. In this system of protective medical care, it is arguable as to whose interests are being protected: the patient, the family or the hospital. I would suggest that the interests of the hospital and the family members who legitimately represent the patient's interests are being honoured, but at the expense of the patient's right to know. PMID:10390681

Performance of a New Model for Predicting End of Flowering Date (bbch 69) of Grapevine (Vitis Vinifera L.)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gentilucci, Matteo

2017-04-01

The end of flowering date (BBCH 69) is an important phenological stage for grapevine (Vitis Vinifera L.), in fact up to this date the growth is focused on the plant and gradually passes on the berries through fruit set. The aim of this study is to perform a model to predict the date of the end of flowering (BBCH69) for some grapevine varieties. This research carried out using three cultivars of grapevine (Maceratino, Montepulciano, Sangiovese) in three different locations (Macerata, Morrovalle and Potenza Picena), places of an equal number of wine farms for the time interval between 2006 and 2013. In order to have reliable temperatures for each location, the data of 6 weather stations near these farms have been interpolated using cokriging methods with elevation as independent variable. The procedure to predict the end of flowering date starts with an investigation of cardinal temperatures typical of each grapevine cultivar. In fact the analysis is characterized by four temperature thresholds (cardinals): minimum activity temperature (TCmin = below this temperature there is no growth for the plant), lower optimal temperature (TLopt = above this temperature there is maximum growth), upper optimal temperature (TUopt = below this temperature there is maximum growth) and maximum activity temperature (TC max = above this temperature there is no growth). Thus this model take into consideration maximum, mean and minimum daily temperatures of each location, relating them with the four above mentioned cultivar temperature thresholds. In this way it has been obtained some possible cases (32) corresponding to as many equations, depending on the position of temperatures compared with the thresholds, in order to calculate the amount of growing degree units (GDU) for each day. Several iterative tests (about 1000 for each cultivar) have been performed, changing the values of temperature thresholds and GDU in order to find the best possible combination which minimizes error between observed and predicted days from budburst to end of flowering. It has been assessed the minimization of error for the predicted dates compared with real ones, calculating some statistical indexes as root mean square error, mean absolute error and coefficient of variation. The procedure led to the identification of four cardinal temperatures and the amount of GDU for each cultivar between BBCH01 (budburst) and BBCH69 (end of flowering). In conclusion, this research has achieved some goals such as the plant response to temperature (same cardinal temperatures for Maceratino and Sangiovese but higher ones for Montepulciano), the interval ranging of growing degree units (from 35 to 38) and the differences between observed and predicted days (ranged from 2 to 3.5), for each grape varieties.

A Parallel and Distributed Processing Model of Joint Attention, Social-Cognition and Autism

PubMed Central

Mundy, Peter; Sullivan, Lisa; Mastergeorge, Ann M.

2009-01-01

Scientific Abstract The impaired development of joint attention is a cardinal feature of autism. Therefore, understanding the nature of joint attention is a central to research on this disorder. Joint attention may be best defined in terms of an information processing system that begins to develop by 4–6 months of age. This system integrates the parallel processing of internal information about one’s own visual attention with external information about the visual attention of other people. This type of joint encoding of information about self and other attention requires the activation of a distributed anterior and posterior cortical attention network. Genetic regulation, in conjunction with self-organizing behavioral activity guides the development of functional connectivity in this network. With practice in infancy the joint processing of self-other attention becomes automatically engaged as an executive function. It can be argued that this executive joint-attention is fundamental to human learning, as well as the development of symbolic thought, social-cognition and social-competence throughout the life span. One advantage of this parallel and distributed processing model of joint attention (PDPM) is that it directly connects theory on social pathology to a range of phenomenon in autism associated with neural connectivity, constructivist and connectionist models of cognitive development, early intervention, activity-dependent gene expression, and atypical ocular motor control. PMID:19358304

Decentralized stochastic control

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Speyer, J. L.

1980-01-01

Decentralized stochastic control is characterized by being decentralized in that the information to one controller is not the same as information to another controller. The system including the information has a stochastic or uncertain component. This complicates the development of decision rules which one determines under the assumption that the system is deterministic. The system is dynamic which means the present decisions affect future system responses and the information in the system. This circumstance presents a complex problem where tools like dynamic programming are no longer applicable. These difficulties are discussed from an intuitive viewpoint. Particular assumptions are introduced which allow a limited theory which produces mechanizable affine decision rules.

2 Dailies Battle for Readers and Advertisers in U. of Wisconsin Student-Newspaper War.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hirschorn, Michael W.

1987-01-01

Two student newspapers at the University of Wisconsin at Madison are in fierce competition for readers and advertisers. A proposal of the Badger Herald, an 18-year-old conservative weekly, that the two merge their financial operations was rejected by the liberal Daily Cardinal and the newspaper war was on. (MLW)

Counter Conjectures: Using Manipulatives to Scaffold the Development of Number Sense and Algebra

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

West, John

2016-01-01

This article takes the position that teachers can use simple manipulative materials to model relatively complex situations and in doing so scaffold the development of students' number sense and early algebra skills. While students' early experiences are usually dominated by the cardinal aspect of number (i.e., counting the number of items in a…

Diphosphoglycerate and Inosine Hexaphosphate Control of Oxygen Binding by Hemoglobin: A Theoretical Interpretation of Experimental Data*

PubMed Central

Ling, Gilbert N.

1970-01-01

A theoretical equation is presented for the control of cooperative adsorption on proteins and other linear macromolecules by hormones, drugs, ATP, and other „cardinal adsorbents.” With reasonable accuracy, this equation describes quantitatively the control of oxygen binding to hemoglobin by 2,3-diphosphoglycerate and by inosine hexaphosphate. PMID:5272319

Mosoms and Moccasins . . . Literacy in an Indigenous Context

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cardinal, Trudy

2015-01-01

In this paper Dr. Trudy Cardinal shares stories of her experiences teaching literacy for 13 years in an Elementary classroom and the shifts that she made in her thinking about literacy in an Indigenous context. She draws on work she was engaged in as a professor in Elementary education where she came alongside undergraduate students to create…

Universal Priors for Sparse Modeling(PREPRINT)

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-08-01

Ingenierı́a Eléctrica, Universidad de la República J. Herrera y Reissig 565, Montevideo 11300, Uruguay 2fefo@fing.edu.uy Abstract—Sparse data models, where...Aj‖0 = |Aj | as its cardinality . The goal of sparse modeling is to design a dictionary D such that X = DA with ‖Aj‖0 sufficiently small (usually below

Murine Models of Breast Cancer: Assessment of the Role of c-Src in Mammary Tumorigenesis

DTIC Science & Technology

2004-10-01

Immunol. Today 16:159. S. H. Cheng. 1987. Tyrosine phosphorylation regulates the biochemical and bi- 49. Schraven, B., A. Marie- Cardine , C. Hubener, E...function 38. Thien CB, Langdon WY. Cbl: many 52. Law SF, Estojak J, Wang B, Mysliwiec T, 63. Petruzzelli L, Takami M, Herrera R. Adhesion adaptations to

English Teaching and the Educationalisation of Social Problems in the United States, 1894-1918

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brass, Jory

2016-01-01

This study draws from histories of "educationalisation" and neo-Foucaultian histories of English teaching in an archival analysis that revisits landmark pedagogical texts that coincided with the rapid expansion of the school subject English in between the 1894 Report of the Committee of Ten and 1918 Cardinal Principles of Secondary…

76 FR 75560 - National Register of Historic Places; Notification of Pending Nominations and Related Actions

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-12-02

... Auburn City Hall and Fire House, (Auburn, CA MPS) 1103 High St., Auburn, 11000935 Auburn Fire House No. 1, (Auburn, CA MPS) El Dorado St. & Lincoln Way, Auburn, 11000936 Auburn Fire House No. 2, (Auburn, CA MPS... St., San Francisco, 11000944 COLORADO Boulder County Cardinal Mill, (Metal Mining and Tourist Era...

Cognitive Processes Related to Counting in Students with Special Educational Needs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carrasumada, S.; Vendrell, R.; Ribera, G.; Montserrat, M.

2006-01-01

This study is aimed at the mechanisms used by students with an intellectual disability in the counting process. The assessment of the counting process is carried out through experimental tests inspired by the basic principles of Gelman and Gallistel, namely one-to-one, stable order, cardinality, abstraction and order irrelevance. This is a…

Catholic Education for Mexican Americans in Los Angeles: A Brief Historical Overview

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lopez, Eduardo F.

2016-01-01

This article explores the historical development of Catholic schools for Mexican Americans in Los Angeles, California. It provides a brief overview of events spanning the 1700s to the 1970s, with particular attention placed on examining the administration of Cardinal James Francis Aloysius McIntyre from 1948-1969. While his predecessor, Archbishop…

Facing the Sunrise: Cultural Worldview Underlying Intrinsic-Based Encoding of Absolute Frames of Reference in Aymara

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nunez, Rafael E.; Cornejo, Carlos

2012-01-01

The Aymara of the Andes use absolute (cardinal) frames of reference for describing the relative position of ordinary objects. However, rather than encoding them in available absolute lexemes, they do it in lexemes that are intrinsic to the body: "nayra" ("front") and "qhipa" ("back"), denoting east and west,…

The Peter Effect in Early Experimental Education Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Little, Joseph

2003-01-01

One of the signatures of scientific writing is its ability to present the claims of science as if they were "untouched by human hands." In the early years of experimental education, researchers achieved this by adopting a citational practice that led to the sedimentation of their cardinal method, the analysis of variance, and their standard for…

The Holy See and the Middle East: The Public Diplomacy of Pope John Paul II

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-03-01

August von Galen, the bishop of Munster.69 However, this was too late to effectively challenge Hitler. Neither the encyclical nor...Hitler’s Nazis, and this colored the Church’s 69 Created Cardinal after the war in 1946, Bishop von Galen died a month later in Munster. He was

A Declaration of Interdependence: Education for a Global Community. A Summary Report of the NEA Bicentennial Program.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Education Association, Washington, DC.

This report summarizes the projects undertaken by the National Education Association (NEA) in their efforts to help teachers commemorate the Bicentennial. The report begins with a copy of the NEA Declaration of Interdependence and a listing of the Cardinal Principles of Education. Various project descriptions follow. NEA's Pan-Pacific Bicentennial…

Does Learning to Count Involve a Semantic Induction?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Davidson, Kathryn; Eng, Kortney; Barner, David

2012-01-01

We tested the hypothesis that, when children learn to correctly count sets, they make a semantic induction about the meanings of their number words. We tested the logical understanding of number words in 84 children that were classified as "cardinal-principle knowers" by the criteria set forth by Wynn (1992). Results show that these children often…

Catholicism on Campus: Stability and Change in Catholic Student Faith by College Type

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gray, Mark M.; Cidade, Melissa A.

2010-01-01

Are Catholic colleges and universities failing in their mission of educating their Catholic students in the faith? Many believe these institutions are in one key way: A 2003 study commissioned by the Cardinal Newman Society concluded that "a survey of students at 38 Catholic colleges...reveals that graduating seniors are predominantly…

Asynchronous Training in Pharmaceutical Manufacturing: A Model for University and Industrial Collaboration

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Elliot, Norbert; Haggerty, Blake; Foster, Mary; Spak, Gale

2008-01-01

The present study documents the results of a 17-month program to train Cardinal Health Pharmaceutical Technology Services (PTS) employees in an innovative model that combines investigative and writing techniques. Designed to address the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) for the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the program is a…

A Method for Scheduling Air Traffic with Uncertain En Route Capacity Constraints

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Arneson, Heather; Bloem, Michael

2009-01-01

A method for scheduling ground delay and airborne holding for flights scheduled to fly through airspace with uncertain capacity constraints is presented. The method iteratively solves linear programs for departure rates and airborne holding as new probabilistic information about future airspace constraints becomes available. The objective function is the expected value of the weighted sum of ground and airborne delay. In order to limit operationally costly changes to departure rates, they are updated only when such an update would lead to a significant cost reduction. Simulation results show a 13% cost reduction over a rough approximation of current practices. Comparison between the proposed as needed replanning method and a similar method that uses fixed frequency replanning shows a typical cost reduction of 1% to 2%, and even up to a 20% cost reduction in some cases.

Connectivity-Preserving Approach for Distributed Adaptive Synchronized Tracking of Networked Uncertain Nonholonomic Mobile Robots.

PubMed

Yoo, Sung Jin; Park, Bong Seok

2017-09-06

This paper addresses a distributed connectivity-preserving synchronized tracking problem of multiple uncertain nonholonomic mobile robots with limited communication ranges. The information of the time-varying leader robot is assumed to be accessible to only a small fraction of follower robots. The main contribution of this paper is to introduce a new distributed nonlinear error surface for dealing with both the synchronized tracking and the preservation of the initial connectivity patterns among nonholonomic robots. Based on this nonlinear error surface, the recursive design methodology is presented to construct the approximation-based local adaptive tracking scheme at the robot dynamic level. Furthermore, a technical lemma is established to analyze the stability and the connectivity preservation of the total closed-loop control system in the Lyapunov sense. An example is provided to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed methodology.

"(Un)informed College and Major Choice": Verification in an Alternate Setting. CEDR Working Paper. WP #2015-11

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Huntington-Klein, Nick

2015-01-01

The decision to pursue formal education has significant labor market implications. To approach the decision rationally, a student must consider the costs and benefits of each available option. However, mounting empirical evidence suggests that reported expectations of costs and benefits are uncertain and vary across students. Hastings et al.…

Truth in Spending: The Cost of Not Educating Our Kids.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

DeSchryver, David A.

Statistical information is given on the inadequacy of U.S. schools, including the cost of remedial classes in colleges and businesses. The relationship between money spent, including on such items as salaries and class size, and high achievement scores is shown to be uncertain. Low performance often leads to requests for more money, rather than a…

Responding to Requests of Families for Unproven Interventions in Neurodevelopmental Disorders: Hyperbaric Oxygen "Treatment" and Stem Cell "Therapy" in Cerebral Palsy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bell, Emily; Wallace, Tessa; Chouinard, Isabelle; Shevell, Michael; Racine, Eric

2011-01-01

Faced with the limitations of currently available mainstream medical treatments and interventions, parents of children with neurodevelopmental disorders often seek information about unproven interventions. These interventions frequently have undetermined efficacy and uncertain safety profiles. In this article, we present a general background and…

Schools with Special Needs Students Connect with Parents in a Crisis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cancro, Lorraine

2009-01-01

Long gone are the days of parent phone chains. Today, faster communications and instant alerts for any situation can empower school administrators to handle difficult events and put parent concerns at ease with better prepared school safety management. Keeping students safe and families informed in an increasingly uncertain world is a top priority…

"Youth in a Void": Sexuality, HIV/AIDS and Communication in Kenyan Public Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Njue, Carolyne; Voeten, Helene; Ahlberg, Beth Maina

2011-01-01

The disappearance of traditional sex education during rites of passage in African societies has left many youth uncertain of where to look for information. Against this backcloth, the objectives of this study were to identify knowledge gaps amongst adolescents in Kenya regarding sexuality, HIV/AIDS and reproductive health. A thematic analysis was…

Echolalic Responses by a Child with Autism to Four Experimental Conditions of Sociolinguistic Input.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Violette, Joseph; Swisher, Linda

1992-01-01

The immediate verbal imitations (IVIs) of a boy (age five) with autism and echolalia were studied, with variables of linguistic familiarity and instructor's style of directiveness being manipulated. The occurrence of IVIs was related to uncertain or informative events, and was significantly greater when lexical stimuli were unknown and presented…

Developing a Software for Fuzzy Group Decision Support System: A Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baba, A. Fevzi; Kuscu, Dincer; Han, Kerem

2009-01-01

The complex nature and uncertain information in social problems required the emergence of fuzzy decision support systems in social areas. In this paper, we developed user-friendly Fuzzy Group Decision Support Systems (FGDSS) software. The software can be used for multi-purpose decision making processes. It helps the users determine the main and…

"Let's Spend More Time Together Like This!": Fussy Baby Network® Infusion in a Baltimore Homeless Nursery Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cosgrove, Kim; Norris-Shortle, Carole

2015-01-01

The development of babies whose families are homeless can easily be affected by their uncertain living arrangements. The PACT Therapeutic Nursery's attachment-based, trauma-informed, mindfully focused family interventions help these children and families move beyond the trauma of shelter living. In the past year, Nursery clinicians have infused…

The role of place-based social learning [Chapter 7

Treesearch

Daniel R. Williams

2017-01-01

Hummel's observations on the limits of science to inform practice provides a useful starting point for a book chapter devoted to examining post-normal environmental policy where the "facts are uncertain, values in dispute, stakes high, and decisions urgent" (Funtowicz and Ravetz 1993, 739, 744). Central to the argument here is that the integration of...

Canadian Post-Secondary Education: A Positive Record--An Uncertain Future. Report on Learning in Canada 2006

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Canadian Council on Learning, 2006

2006-01-01

This report aims to inform Canadians on the extent to which Canada's post-secondary education sector is contributing to Canadians' social and economic objectives, its ability to respond to a fast-changing global environment, and how Canada's approach to higher education compares with other leading developed countries. Analysis of currently…

Intelligent Control of Flexible-Joint Robotic Manipulators

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Colbaugh, R.; Gallegos, G.

1997-01-01

This paper considers the trajectory tracking problem for uncertain rigid-link. flexible.joint manipulators, and presents a new intelligent controller as a solution to this problem. The proposed control strategy is simple and computationally efficient, requires little information concerning either the manipulator or actuator/transmission models and ensures uniform boundedness of all signals and arbitrarily accurate task-space trajectory tracking.

Comment on "Information Processing in the Cerebral Hemispheres: Selective Activation and Capacity Limitations" by Hellige, Cox, and Litvac.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cohen, Gillian

1979-01-01

Kinsbourne's attentional model of hemisphere differences is reviewed, and some difficulties inherent in this model are described. Although others have succeeded in identifying some factors that govern effects of selective activation, effects of general activation are uncertain, so the overall outcome of concurrent memory loading is still difficult…

What Are the Capabilities of Graduates Who Study Outdoor Education in Australian Universities? The Case for a Threshold Concepts Framework

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Polley, Scott; Thomas, Glyn J.

2017-01-01

Research has indicated that some stakeholders in the Australian outdoor education profession are uncertain about the capabilities of students graduating from university outdoor education programmes. Unfortunately, there is currently no formal or informal agreement amongst university programmes regarding the knowledge, skills, and experience that…

Developing GIS-based eastern equine encephalitis vector-host models in Tuskegee, Alabama.

PubMed

Jacob, Benjamin G; Burkett-Cadena, Nathan D; Luvall, Jeffrey C; Parcak, Sarah H; McClure, Christopher J W; Estep, Laura K; Hill, Geoffrey E; Cupp, Eddie W; Novak, Robert J; Unnasch, Thomas R

2010-02-24

A site near Tuskegee, Alabama was examined for vector-host activities of eastern equine encephalomyelitis virus (EEEV). Land cover maps of the study site were created in ArcInfo 9.2 from QuickBird data encompassing visible and near-infrared (NIR) band information (0.45 to 0.72 microm) acquired July 15, 2008. Georeferenced mosquito and bird sampling sites, and their associated land cover attributes from the study site, were overlaid onto the satellite data. SAS 9.1.4 was used to explore univariate statistics and to generate regression models using the field and remote-sampled mosquito and bird data. Regression models indicated that Culex erracticus and Northern Cardinals were the most abundant mosquito and bird species, respectively. Spatial linear prediction models were then generated in Geostatistical Analyst Extension of ArcGIS 9.2. Additionally, a model of the study site was generated, based on a Digital Elevation Model (DEM), using ArcScene extension of ArcGIS 9.2. For total mosquito count data, a first-order trend ordinary kriging process was fitted to the semivariogram at a partial sill of 5.041 km, nugget of 6.325 km, lag size of 7.076 km, and range of 31.43 km, using 12 lags. For total adult Cx. erracticus count, a first-order trend ordinary kriging process was fitted to the semivariogram at a partial sill of 5.764 km, nugget of 6.114 km, lag size of 7.472 km, and range of 32.62 km, using 12 lags. For the total bird count data, a first-order trend ordinary kriging process was fitted to the semivariogram at a partial sill of 4.998 km, nugget of 5.413 km, lag size of 7.549 km and range of 35.27 km, using 12 lags. For the Northern Cardinal count data, a first-order trend ordinary kriging process was fitted to the semivariogram at a partial sill of 6.387 km, nugget of 5.935 km, lag size of 8.549 km and a range of 41.38 km, using 12 lags. Results of the DEM analyses indicated a statistically significant inverse linear relationship between total sampled mosquito data and elevation (R2 = -.4262; p < .0001), with a standard deviation (SD) of 10.46, and total sampled bird data and elevation (R2 = -.5111; p < .0001), with a SD of 22.97. DEM statistics also indicated a significant inverse linear relationship between total sampled Cx. erracticus data and elevation (R2 = -.4711; p < .0001), with a SD of 11.16, and the total sampled Northern Cardinal data and elevation (R2 = -.5831; p < .0001), SD of 11.42. These data demonstrate that GIS/remote sensing models and spatial statistics can capture space-varying functional relationships between field-sampled mosquito and bird parameters for determining risk for EEEV transmission.

An Information-Theoretic-Cluster Visualization for Self-Organizing Maps.

PubMed

Brito da Silva, Leonardo Enzo; Wunsch, Donald C

2018-06-01

Improved data visualization will be a significant tool to enhance cluster analysis. In this paper, an information-theoretic-based method for cluster visualization using self-organizing maps (SOMs) is presented. The information-theoretic visualization (IT-vis) has the same structure as the unified distance matrix, but instead of depicting Euclidean distances between adjacent neurons, it displays the similarity between the distributions associated with adjacent neurons. Each SOM neuron has an associated subset of the data set whose cardinality controls the granularity of the IT-vis and with which the first- and second-order statistics are computed and used to estimate their probability density functions. These are used to calculate the similarity measure, based on Renyi's quadratic cross entropy and cross information potential (CIP). The introduced visualizations combine the low computational cost and kernel estimation properties of the representative CIP and the data structure representation of a single-linkage-based grouping algorithm to generate an enhanced SOM-based visualization. The visual quality of the IT-vis is assessed by comparing it with other visualization methods for several real-world and synthetic benchmark data sets. Thus, this paper also contains a significant literature survey. The experiments demonstrate the IT-vis cluster revealing capabilities, in which cluster boundaries are sharply captured. Additionally, the information-theoretic visualizations are used to perform clustering of the SOM. Compared with other methods, IT-vis of large SOMs yielded the best results in this paper, for which the quality of the final partitions was evaluated using external validity indices.

Optimal design of gene knockout experiments for gene regulatory network inference

PubMed Central

Ud-Dean, S. M. Minhaz; Gunawan, Rudiyanto

2016-01-01

Motivation: We addressed the problem of inferring gene regulatory network (GRN) from gene expression data of knockout (KO) experiments. This inference is known to be underdetermined and the GRN is not identifiable from data. Past studies have shown that suboptimal design of experiments (DOE) contributes significantly to the identifiability issue of biological networks, including GRNs. However, optimizing DOE has received much less attention than developing methods for GRN inference. Results: We developed REDuction of UnCertain Edges (REDUCE) algorithm for finding the optimal gene KO experiment for inferring directed graphs (digraphs) of GRNs. REDUCE employed ensemble inference to define uncertain gene interactions that could not be verified by prior data. The optimal experiment corresponds to the maximum number of uncertain interactions that could be verified by the resulting data. For this purpose, we introduced the concept of edge separatoid which gave a list of nodes (genes) that upon their removal would allow the verification of a particular gene interaction. Finally, we proposed a procedure that iterates over performing KO experiments, ensemble update and optimal DOE. The case studies including the inference of Escherichia coli GRN and DREAM 4 100-gene GRNs, demonstrated the efficacy of the iterative GRN inference. In comparison to systematic KOs, REDUCE could provide much higher information return per gene KO experiment and consequently more accurate GRN estimates. Conclusions: REDUCE represents an enabling tool for tackling the underdetermined GRN inference. Along with advances in gene deletion and automation technology, the iterative procedure brings an efficient and fully automated GRN inference closer to reality. Availability and implementation: MATLAB and Python scripts of REDUCE are available on www.cabsel.ethz.ch/tools/REDUCE. Contact: rudi.gunawan@chem.ethz.ch Supplementary information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online. PMID:26568633

Use of the Coronary Artery Calcium Score in Discussion of Initiation of Statin Therapy in Primary Prevention.

PubMed

Michos, Erin D; Blaha, Michael J; Blumenthal, Roger S

2017-12-01

Clinical guidelines for instituting pharmacotherapy for the primary prevention of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD), specifically lipid management and aspirin, have long been based on absolute risk. However, lipid management in the current era remains challenging to both patients and clinicians in the setting of somewhat discordant recommendations from various organizations. All guidelines endorse the use of statins for primary prevention for those at sufficient absolute risk, and treatment recommendations are generally "risk-based" rather than exclusively targeting specific low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels. Nonetheless, guidelines differ in relation to the risk threshold for initiation and the intensity of statin treatment. The key concept of the clinician-patient risk discussion introduced in the 2013 American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association cholesterol guidelines is a process that addresses the potential for ASCVD risk reduction with statin treatment, potential for adverse treatment effects, patient preferences, encouragement of heart-healthy lifestyle, and management of other risk factors. However, operationalizing the clinician-patient risk discussion requires effective communication of the most accurate and personalized risk information. In this article, we review our treatment approach for the appropriate use of coronary artery calcium testing in the intermediate-risk patient to guide shared decision making. The decision to initiate or intensify statin therapy may be uncertain across a broad range of estimated 10-year ASCVD risk of 5% to 20%, and coronary artery calcium testing can reclassify risk upward or downward in approximately 50% of this group to inform the risk discussion. We conclude with 2 case-based examples of uncertain risk and uncertain statin therapeutic benefit to illustrate execution of the clinician-patient risk discussion. Copyright © 2017 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Using an ensemble smoother to evaluate parameter uncertainty of an integrated hydrological model of Yanqi basin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Ning; McLaughlin, Dennis; Kinzelbach, Wolfgang; Li, WenPeng; Dong, XinGuang

2015-10-01

Model uncertainty needs to be quantified to provide objective assessments of the reliability of model predictions and of the risk associated with management decisions that rely on these predictions. This is particularly true in water resource studies that depend on model-based assessments of alternative management strategies. In recent decades, Bayesian data assimilation methods have been widely used in hydrology to assess uncertain model parameters and predictions. In this case study, a particular data assimilation algorithm, the Ensemble Smoother with Multiple Data Assimilation (ESMDA) (Emerick and Reynolds, 2012), is used to derive posterior samples of uncertain model parameters and forecasts for a distributed hydrological model of Yanqi basin, China. This model is constructed using MIKESHE/MIKE11software, which provides for coupling between surface and subsurface processes (DHI, 2011a-d). The random samples in the posterior parameter ensemble are obtained by using measurements to update 50 prior parameter samples generated with a Latin Hypercube Sampling (LHS) procedure. The posterior forecast samples are obtained from model runs that use the corresponding posterior parameter samples. Two iterative sample update methods are considered: one based on an a perturbed observation Kalman filter update and one based on a square root Kalman filter update. These alternatives give nearly the same results and converge in only two iterations. The uncertain parameters considered include hydraulic conductivities, drainage and river leakage factors, van Genuchten soil property parameters, and dispersion coefficients. The results show that the uncertainty in many of the parameters is reduced during the smoother updating process, reflecting information obtained from the observations. Some of the parameters are insensitive and do not benefit from measurement information. The correlation coefficients among certain parameters increase in each iteration, although they generally stay below 0.50.

"She came out of mum's tummy the wrong way". (Mis)conceptions among siblings of children with rare disorders.

PubMed

Vatne, Torun M; Helmen, Ingerid Østborg; Bahr, David; Kanavin, Øivind; Nyhus, Livø

2015-04-01

Misconceptions or uncertainty about the rare disorder of a sibling may cause adjustment problems among children. New knowledge about their misconceptions may enable genetic counselors to provide targeted information and increase siblings' knowledge. This study aims to describe misconceptions and uncertainties of siblings of children with rare disorders. Content analysis was applied to videotapes of 11 support group sessions with 56 children aged 6 to 17. First, children's statements about the disorder (turns) were categorized into the categories "identity," "cause," "cure," "timeline," and "consequences" and then coded as medically "correct," "misunderstood," or "uncertain." Next, turns categorized as "misunderstood" or "uncertain" were analyzed to explore prominent trends. Associations between sibling age, type of disorder, and frequency of misconceptions or uncertainties were analyzed statistically. Approximately 16 % of the children's turns were found to involve misconceptions or uncertainty about the disorder, most commonly about the identity or cause of the disorder. Misconceptions seemed to originate from information available in everyday family life, generalization of lay beliefs, or through difficulties understanding abstract medical concepts. Children expressed uncertainty about the reasons for everyday experiences (e.g. the abnormal behavior they observed). A lack of available information was described as causing uncertainty. Misconceptions and uncertainties were unrelated to child age or type of disorder. The information needs of siblings should always be addressed during genetic counseling, and advice and support offered to parents when needed. Information provided to siblings should be based on an exploration of their daily experiences and thoughts about the rare disorder.

Privacy-preserving techniques of genomic data-a survey.

PubMed

Aziz, Md Momin Al; Sadat, Md Nazmus; Alhadidi, Dima; Wang, Shuang; Jiang, Xiaoqian; Brown, Cheryl L; Mohammed, Noman

2017-11-07

Genomic data hold salient information about the characteristics of a living organism. Throughout the past decade, pinnacle developments have given us more accurate and inexpensive methods to retrieve genome sequences of humans. However, with the advancement of genomic research, there is a growing privacy concern regarding the collection, storage and analysis of such sensitive human data. Recent results show that given some background information, it is possible for an adversary to reidentify an individual from a specific genomic data set. This can reveal the current association or future susceptibility of some diseases for that individual (and sometimes the kinship between individuals) resulting in a privacy violation. Regardless of these risks, our genomic data hold much importance in analyzing the well-being of us and the future generation. Thus, in this article, we discuss the different privacy and security-related problems revolving around human genomic data. In addition, we will explore some of the cardinal cryptographic concepts, which can bring efficacy in secure and private genomic data computation. This article will relate the gaps between these two research areas-Cryptography and Genomics. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Ethical issues in research.

PubMed

Artal, Raul; Rubenfeld, Sheldon

2017-08-01

Biomedical research is currently guided by ethical standards that have evolved over many centuries. Historical and political events, social and legal considerations, and continuous medical and technological advances have led to the prevailing research ethics and practice. Currently, patients and research subjects have complete autonomy while under medical care or when volunteering as research subjects. Enrolling volunteers in human subjects research includes a detailed and meaningful informed consent process that follows the cardinal principles of ethics: autonomy, beneficence, nonmaleficence, and justice. These principles were gradually adopted after World War II, primarily in response to the unethical behavior of German physicians and scientists during the Third Reich. This review emphasizes the importance of historical milestones and the essential role that ethics has in contemporary medical research. Research protocols should achieve maximum benefits for the society, have clinical and scientific value, be subject to independent review, respect human dignity, and follow the principles of informed consent, and most importantly, subjects should have complete autonomy. However, current principles and regulations cannot cover every conceivable situation, particularly in view of the new advances in science and technology. New and evolving medical technology, genetic research, therapeutic interventions, and innovations challenge society to maintain the highest moral and ethical principles. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Segregating animals in naturalistic surroundings: interaction of color distributions and mechanisms.

PubMed

Jansen, Michael; Giesel, Martin; Zaidi, Qasim

2016-03-01

Humans have been shown to rapidly detect animals in naturalistic scenes, but the role of color in this task is unclear. We first analyze the color information contained in a large number of images of salient and camouflaged animals in generic backgrounds. We found that color distributions of most animals and of their immediate backgrounds were oriented along other than the cardinal directions of color space. In addition, the maximum distances between animals and background distributions also tended to be along noncardinal directions, suggesting a role for higher-order cortical color mechanisms whose preferred axes are distributed widely in color space. We measured temporal thresholds for segmenting animal color distributions from background distributions in the absence of spatial cues. Combined over all observers and all images in our sample, thresholds for segmenting isoluminant projections of these distributions were lower than for segmenting the original distributions and considerably lower than for segmenting achromatic projections. Color information is thus likely to be useful in segregating animals in generic views, i.e., views not purposely chosen by the photographer to enhance the visibility of the animal. However, a comparison of thresholds with distances between distributions failed to reveal any advantage conferred by higher-order color mechanisms.

TMA Navigator: network inference, patient stratification and survival analysis with tissue microarray data

PubMed Central

Lubbock, Alexander L. R.; Katz, Elad; Harrison, David J.; Overton, Ian M.

2013-01-01

Tissue microarrays (TMAs) allow multiplexed analysis of tissue samples and are frequently used to estimate biomarker protein expression in tumour biopsies. TMA Navigator (www.tmanavigator.org) is an open access web application for analysis of TMA data and related information, accommodating categorical, semi-continuous and continuous expression scores. Non-biological variation, or batch effects, can hinder data analysis and may be mitigated using the ComBat algorithm, which is incorporated with enhancements for automated application to TMA data. Unsupervised grouping of samples (patients) is provided according to Gaussian mixture modelling of marker scores, with cardinality selected by Bayesian information criterion regularization. Kaplan–Meier survival analysis is available, including comparison of groups identified by mixture modelling using the Mantel-Cox log-rank test. TMA Navigator also supports network inference approaches useful for TMA datasets, which often constitute comparatively few markers. Tissue and cell-type specific networks derived from TMA expression data offer insights into the molecular logic underlying pathophenotypes, towards more effective and personalized medicine. Output is interactive, and results may be exported for use with external programs. Private anonymous access is available, and user accounts may be generated for easier data management. PMID:23761446

Species composition of by-catch from milkfish (Chanos chanos) fry fishery in selected sites in the Philippines as determined by DNA barcodes.

PubMed

Asis, Angelli Marie Jacynth M; Destura, Irma; Santos, Mudjekeewis D

2016-05-01

Milkfish fry fishery, an important industry in the Philippines, uses non-selective fishing gears and push nets in coastal areas which lead to the capture of other non-targeted juvenile aquatic species. Unfortunately, information on the amount and the identity of by-catch species is lacking thus the extent of impact of the fry fishery is not known. In this study, the species composition of milkfish fry fishery by-catch sampled from selected coastal areas that are known to be fry collection sites in the country were identified and assessed through the use of DNA barcoding. Analyses revealed that by-catch fish species of the milkfish fry industry included Black Tiger shrimp (Peneaus monodon), Tarpon (Megalops cyprinoides), Glass perchlets (Ambasis gymnocephalus and Ambasis buruensis), Ladyfish (Elops hawaiensis), Snapper (Lutjanus fulviflamma), Cardinal fishes (Apogon hyalosoma and Sphaeramia orbicularis), Whipfin siver biddy (Gerres filamentosus), Mullet (Liza sp.), Anchovy (Encrasicholina heteroloba), and Tiger perch (Terapon jarbua), almost all of which are potential marketable food fish and culture species. The results of the study provide preliminary information, as well as awareness, on the species composition of milkfish fry by-catch.

A method for approximating acoustic-field-amplitude uncertainty caused by environmental uncertainties.

PubMed

James, Kevin R; Dowling, David R

2008-09-01

In underwater acoustics, the accuracy of computational field predictions is commonly limited by uncertainty in environmental parameters. An approximate technique for determining the probability density function (PDF) of computed field amplitude, A, from known environmental uncertainties is presented here. The technique can be applied to several, N, uncertain parameters simultaneously, requires N+1 field calculations, and can be used with any acoustic field model. The technique implicitly assumes independent input parameters and is based on finding the optimum spatial shift between field calculations completed at two different values of each uncertain parameter. This shift information is used to convert uncertain-environmental-parameter distributions into PDF(A). The technique's accuracy is good when the shifted fields match well. Its accuracy is evaluated in range-independent underwater sound channels via an L(1) error-norm defined between approximate and numerically converged results for PDF(A). In 50-m- and 100-m-deep sound channels with 0.5% uncertainty in depth (N=1) at frequencies between 100 and 800 Hz, and for ranges from 1 to 8 km, 95% of the approximate field-amplitude distributions generated L(1) values less than 0.52 using only two field calculations. Obtaining comparable accuracy from traditional methods requires of order 10 field calculations and up to 10(N) when N>1.

The Importance of Studying Past Extreme Floods to Prepare for Uncertain Future Extremes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Burges, S. J.

2016-12-01

Hoyt and Langbein, 1955 in their book `Floods' wrote: " ..meteorologic and hydrologic conditions will combine to produce superfloods of unprecedented magnitude. We have every reason to believe that in most rivers past floods may not be an accurate measure of ultimate flood potentialities. It is this superflood with which we are always most concerned". I provide several examples to offer some historical perspective on assessing extreme floods. In one example, flooding in the Miami Valley, OH in 1913 claimed 350 lives. The engineering and socio-economic challenges facing the Morgan Engineering Co in how to mitigate against future flood damage and loss of life when limited information was available provide guidance about ways to face an uncertain hydroclimate future, particularly one of a changed climate. A second example forces us to examine mixed flood populations and illustrates the huge uncertainty in assigning flood magnitude and exceedance probability to extreme floods in such cases. There is large uncertainty in flood frequency estimates; knowledge of the total flood hydrograph, not the peak flood flow rate alone, is what is needed for hazard mitigation assessment or design. Some challenges in estimating the complete flood hydrograph in an uncertain future climate, including demands on hydrologic models and their inputs, are addressed.

Exploring Representativeness and Informativeness for Active Learning.

PubMed

Du, Bo; Wang, Zengmao; Zhang, Lefei; Zhang, Liangpei; Liu, Wei; Shen, Jialie; Tao, Dacheng

2017-01-01

How can we find a general way to choose the most suitable samples for training a classifier? Even with very limited prior information? Active learning, which can be regarded as an iterative optimization procedure, plays a key role to construct a refined training set to improve the classification performance in a variety of applications, such as text analysis, image recognition, social network modeling, etc. Although combining representativeness and informativeness of samples has been proven promising for active sampling, state-of-the-art methods perform well under certain data structures. Then can we find a way to fuse the two active sampling criteria without any assumption on data? This paper proposes a general active learning framework that effectively fuses the two criteria. Inspired by a two-sample discrepancy problem, triple measures are elaborately designed to guarantee that the query samples not only possess the representativeness of the unlabeled data but also reveal the diversity of the labeled data. Any appropriate similarity measure can be employed to construct the triple measures. Meanwhile, an uncertain measure is leveraged to generate the informativeness criterion, which can be carried out in different ways. Rooted in this framework, a practical active learning algorithm is proposed, which exploits a radial basis function together with the estimated probabilities to construct the triple measures and a modified best-versus-second-best strategy to construct the uncertain measure, respectively. Experimental results on benchmark datasets demonstrate that our algorithm consistently achieves superior performance over the state-of-the-art active learning algorithms.

Cluster synchronization transmission of different external signals in discrete uncertain network

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Chengren; Lü, Ling; Chen, Liansong; Hong, Yixuan; Zhou, Shuang; Yang, Yiming

2018-07-01

We research cluster synchronization transmissions of different external signals in discrete uncertain network. Based on the Lyapunov theorem, the network controller and the identification law of uncertain adjustment parameter are designed, and they are efficiently used to achieve the cluster synchronization and the identification of uncertain adjustment parameter. In our technical scheme, the network nodes in each cluster and the transmitted external signal can be different, and they allow the presence of uncertain parameters in the network. Especially, we are free to choose the clustering topologies, the cluster number and the node number in each cluster.

Breast lesions of uncertain malignant nature and limited metastatic potential: Proposals to improve their recognition and clinical management

PubMed Central

Rakha, Emad A.; Badve, Sunil; Eusebi, Vincenzo; Reis-Filho, Jorge S.; Fox, Stephen B.; Dabbs, David J.; Decker, Thomas; Hodi, Zsolt; Ichihara, Shu; Lee, Andrew HS.; Palacios, José; Richardson, Andrea L.; Vincent-Salomon, Anne; Schmitt, Fernando C.; Tan, Puay-Hoon; Tse, Gary M.; Ellis, Ian O.

2016-01-01

Breast lesions comprise a family of heterogeneous entities with variable patterns of presentation, morphology and clinical behaviour. The majority of breast lesions are traditionally classified into benign and malignant conditions and their behaviour can, in the vast majority of cases, be predicted with a reasonable degree of accuracy. However, there remain lesions which show borderline features and lie in a grey-zone between benign and malignant as their behaviour cannot be predicted reliably. Defined pathological categorisation of such lesions is challenging and for some entities is recognised to be subjective and include a range of diagnoses, and forms of terminology, which may trigger over-treatment or under-treatment. The rarity of these lesions makes acquisition of clinical evidence problematic and limits the development of a sufficient evidence base to support informed decision making by clinicians and patients. Emerging molecular evidence is providing a greater understanding of the biology of these lesions, but this may or may not be reflected in their clinical behaviour. Herein we discuss some breast lesions that are associated with uncertainty regarding classification, behaviour and hence management. These include biologically invasive malignant lesions associated with uncertain metastatic potential such as low-grade adenosquamous carcinoma, low-grade fibromatosis-like spindle cell carcinoma and encapsulated papillary carcinoma. Other lesions remain of uncertain malignant nature such as mammary cylindroma, atypical microglandular adenosis, mammary pleomorphic adenoma and infiltrating epitheliosis. The concept of categories of 1) breast lesions of uncertain malignant nature and 2) breast lesions of limited metastatic potential, are proposed with details of which histological entities could be included in each category, and their management implications are discussed. PMID:26348644

Effect of landscape matrix type on nesting ecology of the Northern Cardinal

Treesearch

R.A. Sargent; J.C. Kilgo; B.R. Chapman; K.V. Miller

2015-01-01

Spatial distribution of forests relative to other habitats in a landscape may influence nest success of songbirds. For example, nest predation in mature forests increases as the percentage of clear-cut land in the surrounding matrix increases (Yahner and Scott 1988). Blake and Karr (1987) noted that birds breeding in forest fragments may incorporate adjacent habitats,...

Catholic Ethos, Public Education: How the Christian Brothers Came to Start Two Charter Schools in Chicago

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Meyer, Peter

2011-01-01

The idea that one of the Catholic Church's most respected religious orders might run a public school sounded odd, maybe even, as Francis Cardinal George, head of the Archdiocese of Chicago, conjectured, illegal. But a decade ago several trends in American education, and in the Catholic Church, made a Catholic-operated public school seem…

Marching toward Justice: Lessons Learned from the Shaw High School Mighty Cardinals Marching Band in East Cleveland

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Luminais, Misty; Williams, Rhonda Y.

2016-01-01

The Shaw High School marching band has emerged as a collective site of individual and group pride and empowerment in the stories gathered through the community-based "Voicing & Action Project", which the Social Justice Institute debuted in East Cleveland. At first glance, a high school marching band might not have much in common with…

Expanding Applications of SERS through Versatile Nanomaterials Engineering (Postprint)

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-06-22

AFRL-RX-WP-JA-2017-0341 EXPANDING APPLICATIONS OF SERS THROUGH VERSATILE NANOMATERIALS ENGINEERING (POSTPRINT) M. Fernanda...AND SUBTITLE EXPANDING APPLICATIONS OF SERS THROUGH VERSATILE NANOMATERIALS ENGINEERING (POSTPRINT) 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER FA8650-15-2-5518 5b...Expanding applications of SERS through versatile nanomaterials engineering M. Fernanda Cardinal, Emma Vander Ende, Ryan A. Hackler, Michael O. McAnally

Height of Tallest Saplings in 10-year-old Appalachian Hardwood Clearcuts

Treesearch

H. Clay Smith

1977-01-01

Stem characteristics, mainly height, of the tallest hardwood saplings in 10-year-old circular clearcut openings were evaluated for several Appalachian hardwoods in West Virginia. Heights of the tallest saplings were not influenced by cardinal directions on two oak sites. Saplings were taller near the center of 150-, 2OO-, and 250-foot openings than saplings in the...

Spatial and temporal genetic analyses reveal high gene flow among European corn borer (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) populations across the central U.S. cornbelt

EPA Science Inventory

European corn borer, Ostrinia nubilalis (Hubner), adults were sampled at 13 sites along two perpendicular 720-km transects intersecting in central Iowa, and for the following two generations at four of the same sites separated by 240-km in the cardinal directions. More than 50 mo...

The Role of Prothrombotic Factors in the Ocular Manifestations of Abusive and Non-Abusive Head Trauma: A Feasibility Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yu, Anna; Stephens, Derek; Feldman, Brian M.; Parkin, Patricia C.; Kahr, Walter H. A.; Brandao, Leonardo R.; Shouldice, Michelle; Levin, Alex V.

2012-01-01

Objectives: Retinal hemorrhage is a cardinal manifestation of abusive head injury. Thrombophilia is relatively common in the general population and in adults can be associated with retinal hemorrhage. The specificity of retinal hemorrhage for abusive head trauma in the presence of prothrombotic factors, in particular following non-abusive head…

A Cook, A Cardinal, His Priests, and the Press: Deviance as a Trigger for Intermedia Agenda Setting.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Breen, Michael J.

1997-01-01

Uses content analysis to examine the changes in trends in the aftermath of deviant acts by individual members of the clergy, given that such acts are "triggering events" for further negative stories. Finds strong media agenda-setting effects of the negative triggering events on subsequent coverage of the clergy in general. (SR)

The Next Revolution Will Be In Education: A New Marketing Approach for Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Suss, Gavin

2013-01-01

The past 15 years have been a dramatic and unique period for education systems all over the world. The challenges have become more complex and the need for schools to promote their agenda has become cardinal and, in some cases, even critical. Today, parents, children, pupils and teachers are motivated by their senses and the positioning of leading…

For Man and Country: Atheist Chaplains in the U.S. Army

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-06-13

cardinal sin’. This is a good point to note that, for example, it would be anti-humanist to tell the grieving Newtown mother that their child was...Army could not support of group of SM’s who wanted to form, organize and gather as a “ Porn Group.” There are limitless ways human beings can assemble

The Universal Parser and Interlanguage: Domain-Specific Mental Organization in the Comprehension of "Combien" Interrogatives in English-French Interlanguage.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dekydtspotter, Laurent

2001-01-01

From the perspective of Fodor's (1983) theory of mental organization and Chomsky's (1995) Minimalist theory of grammar, considers constraints on the interpretation of French-type and English-type cardinality interrogatives in the task of sentence comprehension, as a function of a universal parsing algorithm and hypotheses embodied in a French-type…

Ordinal Expressions in Japanese. Papers in Japanese Linguistics, Vol. 2, No. 1.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Backus, Robert L.

The varied forms and semantic factors of Japanese ordinal expressions are related to one another in a coherent system. In Japanese, the cardinal number form is a numeral compound in construction with a referent. The numeral compound consists of a number and a numeral adjunct. Numeral adjuncts are derived from bound forms, or numeral suffixes, and…

Does the chromatic Mach bands effect exist?

PubMed

Tsofe, Avital; Spitzer, Hedva; Einav, Shmuel

2009-06-30

The achromatic Mach bands effect is a well-known visual illusion, discovered over a hundred years ago. This effect has been investigated thoroughly, mainly for its brightness aspect. The existence of Chromatic Mach bands, however, has been disputed. In recent years it has been reported that Chromatic Mach bands are not perceived under controlled iso-luminance conditions. However, here we show that a variety of Chromatic Mach bands, consisting of chromatic and achromatic regions, separated by a saturation ramp, can be clearly perceived under iso-luminance and iso-brightness conditions. In this study, observers' eye movements were recorded under iso-brightness conditions. Several observers were tested for their ability to perceive the Chromatic Mach bands effect and its magnitude, across different cardinal and non-cardinal Chromatic Mach bands stimuli. A computational model of color adaptation, which predicted color induction and color constancy, successfully predicts this variation of Chromatic Mach bands. This has been tested by measuring the distance of the data points from the "achromatic point" and by calculating the shift of the data points from predicted complementary lines. The results suggest that the Chromatic Mach bands effect is a specific chromatic induction effect.

Delivery and application of precise timing for a traveling wave powerline fault locator system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Street, Michael A.

1990-01-01

The Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) has successfully operated an in-house developed powerline fault locator system since 1986. The BPA fault locator system consists of remotes installed at cardinal power transmission line system nodes and a central master which polls the remotes for traveling wave time-of-arrival data. A power line fault produces a fast rise-time traveling wave which emanates from the fault point and propagates throughout the power grid. The remotes time-tag the traveling wave leading edge as it passes through the power system cardinal substation nodes. A synchronizing pulse transmitted via the BPA analog microwave system on a wideband channel sychronizes the time-tagging counters in the remote units to a different accuracy of better than one microsecond. The remote units correct the raw time tags for synchronizing pulse propagation delay and return these corrected values to the fault locator master. The master then calculates the power system disturbance source using the collected time tags. The system design objective is a fault location accuracy of 300 meters. BPA's fault locator system operation, error producing phenomena, and method of distributing precise timing are described.

Non-isolated Resolving Sets of certain Graphs Cartesian Product with a Path

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hasibuan, I. M.; Salman, A. N. M.; Saputro, S. W.

2018-04-01

Let G be a connected, simple, and finite graph. For an ordered subset W = {w 1 , w 2 , · · ·, wk } of vertices in a graph G and a vertex v of G, the metric representation of v with respect to W is the k-vector r(v|W ) = (d(v, w 1), d(v, w 2), · · ·, d(v, wk )). The set W is called a resolving set for G if every vertex of G has a distinct representation. The minimum cardinality of W is called the metric dimension of G, denoted by dim(G). If the induced subgraph < W> has no isolated vertices, then W is called a non-isolated resolving set. The minimum cardinality of non-isolated resolving set of G is called the non-isolated resolving number of G, denoted by nr(G). In this paper, we consider H\\square {P}n that is a graph obtained from Cartesian product between a connected graph H and a path Pn . We determine nr(H\\square {P}n), for some classes of H, including cycles, complete graphs, complete bipartite graphs, and friendship graphs.

Children acquire the later-greater principle after the cardinal principle.

PubMed

Le Corre, Mathieu

2014-06-01

Many have proposed that the acquisition of the cardinal principle (CP) is a result of the discovery of the numerical significance of the order of the number words in the count list. However, this need not be the case. Indeed, the CP does not state anything about the numerical significance of the order of the number words. It only states that the last word of a correct count denotes the numerosity of the counted set. Here, we test whether the acquisition of the CP involves the discovery of the later-greater principle - that is, that the order of the number words corresponds to the relative size of the numerosities they denote. Specifically, we tested knowledge of verbal numerical comparisons (e.g., Is 'ten' more than 'six'?) in children who had recently learned the CP. We find that these children can compare number words between 'six' and 'ten' only if they have mapped them onto non-verbal representations of numerosity. We suggest that this means that the acquisition of the CP does not involve the discovery of the correspondence between the order of the number words and the relative size of the numerosities they denote. © 2013 The British Psychological Society.

Local metric dimension of circulant graph c i r c (n :1 ,2 ,…,n/+1 2 )

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rimadhany, Ruzika; Darmaji

2017-08-01

Let G be a connected graph with two vertices u and v. The distance between u and v, denoted by d(u, v), is defined as length of the shortest path from u to v in G. For an ordered set W = {w1, w2, w3, … , wk} of k distinct vertices in a nontrivial connected graph G, the representation of a vertex v of V(G) respect to W is r(v|W) = (d(v, w1), d(v, w2), … , d(v, wk)). The set W is a resolving set of G if r(v|W) for each vertex v ∈ V(G) is distinct. A resolving set of minimum cardinality is a metric dimension and denoted by dim(G). The set W is a local resolving set of G if r(v|W) for every two adjacent vertices of V(G) is distinct. The minimum cardinality of local resolving set of G is a local metric dimension and denoted by ldim(G). In this research, we determine local metric dimension of circulant graph c i r c (n :1 ,2 ,3 ,…,n/+1 2 ) .

The IT Advantage Assessment Model: Applying an Expanded Value Chain Model to Academia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Turner, Walter L.; Stylianou, Antonis C.

2004-01-01

Academia faces an uncertain future as the 21st century unfolds. New demands, discerning students, increased competition from non-traditional competitors are just a few of the forces demanding a response. The use of information technology (IT) in academia has not kept pace with its use in industry. What has been lacking is a model for the strategic…

Academic Care, Classroom Pedagogy and the House Group Teacher: "Making Hope Practical" in Uncertain Times

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Addison, Bruce Vincent

2012-01-01

The development of an ethos of academic care is about creating the structures, both formal and informal, that cater for the developmental learning needs of students. Such an approach celebrates individual difference in the belief that academic care will not only underpin improved academic performance but will also build confidence in the ability…

Health Education Efforts in Uncertain Times: Helping to Ensure Healthy Pregnancies in a Time of Crisis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Flores, Alina L.; Weber, Mary Kate; Kilker, Katie P.; Dang, Elizabeth P.; Lindsey, Lisa L. Massi

2007-01-01

Hurricane Katrina caused immense upheaval and disrupted many lives. Among those affected were pregnant women. A public service announcement, website content, and a fact sheet were developed to inform pregnant women about the issues that could potentially affect their health and that of their babies. The aim of these products was to provide health…

Recruitment Survey, 1968; An Institute Research Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Erie County Technical Inst., Buffalo, NY.

This third report in a series was designed to inform the faculty of certain student attitudes. Of the 2409 students registered in September 1968, 1982 responded to a questionnaire. They were asked to say if they were in the program of most interest to them, if they had been uncertain of their career plans when they enrolled, and who or what…

Modeling uncertainty in requirements engineering decision support

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Feather, Martin S.; Maynard-Zhang, Pedrito; Kiper, James D.

2005-01-01

One inherent characteristic of requrements engineering is a lack of certainty during this early phase of a project. Nevertheless, decisions about requirements must be made in spite of this uncertainty. Here we describe the context in which we are exploring this, and some initial work to support elicitation of uncertain requirements, and to deal with the combination of such information from multiple stakeholders.

Dopaminergic and Prefrontal Contributions to Reward-Based Learning and Outcome Monitoring during Child Development and Aging

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hammerer, Dorothea; Eppinger, Ben

2012-01-01

In many instances, children and older adults show similar difficulties in reward-based learning and outcome monitoring. These impairments are most pronounced in situations in which reward is uncertain (e.g., probabilistic reward schedules) and if outcome information is ambiguous (e.g., the relative value of outcomes has to be learned).…

The President’s Identity Theft Task Force: Combating Identity Theft a Strategic Plan

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-04-11

27 a. Safeguarding of Information in the Public Sector ............... 27 b. Responding to Data Breaches in the Public...72 APPENDICES Appendix A: Identity Theft Task Force’s Guidance Memorandum on Data Breach Protocol...government, and the private sector. Consumers, overwhelmed with weekly media reports of data breaches , feel vulnerable and uncertain of how to protect

Deterministic physical systems under uncertain initial conditions: the case of maximum entropy applied to projectile motion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Montecinos, Alejandra; Davis, Sergio; Peralta, Joaquín

2018-07-01

The kinematics and dynamics of deterministic physical systems have been a foundation of our understanding of the world since Galileo and Newton. For real systems, however, uncertainty is largely present via external forces such as friction or lack of precise knowledge about the initial conditions of the system. In this work we focus on the latter case and describe the use of inference methodologies in solving the statistical properties of classical systems subject to uncertain initial conditions. In particular we describe the application of the formalism of maximum entropy (MaxEnt) inference to the problem of projectile motion, given information about the average horizontal range over many realizations. By using MaxEnt we can invert the problem and use the provided information on the average range to reduce the original uncertainty in the initial conditions. Also, additional insight into the initial condition's probabilities, and the projectile path distribution itself, can be achieved based on the value of the average horizontal range. The wide applicability of this procedure, as well as its ease of use, reveals a useful tool with which to revisit a large number of physics problems, from classrooms to frontier research.

Bayesian source tracking via focalization and marginalization in an uncertain Mediterranean Sea environment.

PubMed

Dosso, Stan E; Wilmut, Michael J; Nielsen, Peter L

2010-07-01

This paper applies Bayesian source tracking in an uncertain environment to Mediterranean Sea data, and investigates the resulting tracks and track uncertainties as a function of data information content (number of data time-segments, number of frequencies, and signal-to-noise ratio) and of prior information (environmental uncertainties and source-velocity constraints). To track low-level sources, acoustic data recorded for multiple time segments (corresponding to multiple source positions along the track) are inverted simultaneously. Environmental uncertainty is addressed by including unknown water-column and seabed properties as nuisance parameters in an augmented inversion. Two approaches are considered: Focalization-tracking maximizes the posterior probability density (PPD) over the unknown source and environmental parameters. Marginalization-tracking integrates the PPD over environmental parameters to obtain a sequence of joint marginal probability distributions over source coordinates, from which the most-probable track and track uncertainties can be extracted. Both approaches apply track constraints on the maximum allowable vertical and radial source velocity. The two approaches are applied for towed-source acoustic data recorded at a vertical line array at a shallow-water test site in the Mediterranean Sea where previous geoacoustic studies have been carried out.

Challenges of Developing Design Discharge Estimates with Uncertain Data and Information

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Senarath, S. U. S.

2016-12-01

This study focuses on design discharge estimates obtained for gauged basins through flood flow frequency analysis. Bulletin 17B (B17B) guidelines are widely used in the USA for developing these design estimates, which are required for many water resources engineering design applications. A set of outlier and historical data, and distribution parameter selection options is included in these guidelines. These options are provided in the guidelines as a means of accounting for uncertain data and information, primarily in the flow record. The individual as well as the cumulative effects of each of these preferences on design discharge estimates are evaluated in this study by using data from several gauges that are part of the United States Geological Survey's Hydro-Climatic Data Network. The results of this study show that despite the availability of rigorous and detailed guidelines for flood frequency analysis, the design discharge estimates can still vary substantially, from user to user, based on data and model parameter selection options chosen by each user. Thus, the findings of this study have strong implications for water resources engineers and other professionals who use B17B-based design discharge estimates in their work.

Sequential Auctions in Uncertain Information Settings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fatima, Shaheen; Wooldridge, Michael; Jennings, Nicholas R.

This paper analyzes sequential auctions for private value objects using second-price sealed-bid rules. Now, the equilibrium bids for such auctions depend on the information uncertainty of the bidders. Specifically, there are three key auction parameters that the bidders could be uncertain about: the valuations of the objects for sale, the number of objects for sale, and the number of participating bidders. We analyse the bidding behaviour for each of these three sources of uncertainty. For each setting, we first find the equilibrium bidding strategies for the individual auctions that comprise a series. Then we analyze the effect of these uncertainties on the computational and economic properties of the equilibrium solution. The former analysis is essential if we want to use software agents to bid on our behalf. The latter is essential because both the auctioneer and the bidders want to know how these uncertainties affect their profits. Thus we compare the outcomes for these settings from the perspective of the bidders (i.e., in terms of their profits), from the perspective of the auctioneer (i.e., in terms of his revenue), and from a global perspective (i.e., in terms of auction efficiency).

Moving the science data quality dialogue forward

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Robinson, Erin; Meyer, Carol B.; Lenhardt, W. Christopher

2012-05-01

Federation of Earth Science Information Partners Summer 2011 Meeting; Santa Fe, New Mexico, 12-15 July 2011 Scientific data quality is important to scientists, archivists, decision makers, and the public. Uncertain quality costs valuable research dollars and has impacts beyond the initial science. The Federation of Earth Science Information Partners (ESIP) is a consortium of Earth science data and technology professionals spanning the government (NASA, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), National Science Foundation), academia, and private sectors (both commercial and nonprofit). The organization is dedicated to transforming research data and information into useful and usable data and information products for decision makers, policy makers, and the public.

Analysis of semantic search within the domains of uncertainty: using Keyword Effectiveness Indexing as an evaluation tool.

PubMed

Lorence, Daniel; Abraham, Joanna

2006-01-01

Medical and health-related searches pose a special case of risk when using the web as an information resource. Uninsured consumers, lacking access to a trained provider, will often rely on information from the internet for self-diagnosis and treatment. In areas where treatments are uncertain or controversial, most consumers lack the knowledge to make an informed decision. This exploratory technology assessment examines the use of Keyword Effectiveness Indexing (KEI) analysis as a potential tool for profiling information search and keyword retrieval patterns. Results demonstrate that the KEI methodology can be useful in identifying e-health search patterns, but is limited by semantic or text-based web environments.

Brain CT image similarity retrieval method based on uncertain location graph.

PubMed

Pan, Haiwei; Li, Pengyuan; Li, Qing; Han, Qilong; Feng, Xiaoning; Gao, Linlin

2014-03-01

A number of brain computed tomography (CT) images stored in hospitals that contain valuable information should be shared to support computer-aided diagnosis systems. Finding the similar brain CT images from the brain CT image database can effectively help doctors diagnose based on the earlier cases. However, the similarity retrieval for brain CT images requires much higher accuracy than the general images. In this paper, a new model of uncertain location graph (ULG) is presented for brain CT image modeling and similarity retrieval. According to the characteristics of brain CT image, we propose a novel method to model brain CT image to ULG based on brain CT image texture. Then, a scheme for ULG similarity retrieval is introduced. Furthermore, an effective index structure is applied to reduce the searching time. Experimental results reveal that our method functions well on brain CT images similarity retrieval with higher accuracy and efficiency.

Decisions with Uncertain Consequences—A Total Ordering on Loss-Distributions

PubMed Central

König, Sandra; Schauer, Stefan

2016-01-01

Decisions are often based on imprecise, uncertain or vague information. Likewise, the consequences of an action are often equally unpredictable, thus putting the decision maker into a twofold jeopardy. Assuming that the effects of an action can be modeled by a random variable, then the decision problem boils down to comparing different effects (random variables) by comparing their distribution functions. Although the full space of probability distributions cannot be ordered, a properly restricted subset of distributions can be totally ordered in a practically meaningful way. We call these loss-distributions, since they provide a substitute for the concept of loss-functions in decision theory. This article introduces the theory behind the necessary restrictions and the hereby constructible total ordering on random loss variables, which enables decisions under uncertainty of consequences. Using data obtained from simulations, we demonstrate the practical applicability of our approach. PMID:28030572

Probabilistic confidence for decisions based on uncertain reliability estimates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reid, Stuart G.

2013-05-01

Reliability assessments are commonly carried out to provide a rational basis for risk-informed decisions concerning the design or maintenance of engineering systems and structures. However, calculated reliabilities and associated probabilities of failure often have significant uncertainties associated with the possible estimation errors relative to the 'true' failure probabilities. For uncertain probabilities of failure, a measure of 'probabilistic confidence' has been proposed to reflect the concern that uncertainty about the true probability of failure could result in a system or structure that is unsafe and could subsequently fail. The paper describes how the concept of probabilistic confidence can be applied to evaluate and appropriately limit the probabilities of failure attributable to particular uncertainties such as design errors that may critically affect the dependability of risk-acceptance decisions. This approach is illustrated with regard to the dependability of structural design processes based on prototype testing with uncertainties attributable to sampling variability.

Anticipatory Emotions in Decision Tasks: Covert Markers of Value or Attentional Processes?

PubMed Central

Davis, Tyler; Love, Bradley C.; Maddox, Todd

2009-01-01

Anticipatory emotions precede behavioral outcomes and provide a means to infer interactions between emotional and cognitive processes. A number of theories hold that anticipatory emotions serve as inputs to the decision process and code the value or risk associated with a stimulus. We argue that current data do not unequivocally support this theory. We present an alternative theory whereby anticipatory emotions reflect the outcome of a decision process and serve to ready the subject for new information when making an uncertain response. We test these two accounts, which we refer to as emotions-as-input and emotions-as-outcome, in a task that allows risky stimuli to be dissociated from uncertain responses. We find that emotions are associated with responses as opposed to stimuli. This finding is contrary to the emotions-as-input perspective as it shows that emotions arise from decision processes. PMID:19428002

A Dual Hesitant Fuzzy Multigranulation Rough Set over Two-Universe Model for Medical Diagnoses

PubMed Central

Zhang, Chao; Li, Deyu; Yan, Yan

2015-01-01

In medical science, disease diagnosis is one of the difficult tasks for medical experts who are confronted with challenges in dealing with a lot of uncertain medical information. And different medical experts might express their own thought about the medical knowledge base which slightly differs from other medical experts. Thus, to solve the problems of uncertain data analysis and group decision making in disease diagnoses, we propose a new rough set model called dual hesitant fuzzy multigranulation rough set over two universes by combining the dual hesitant fuzzy set and multigranulation rough set theories. In the framework of our study, both the definition and some basic properties of the proposed model are presented. Finally, we give a general approach which is applied to a decision making problem in disease diagnoses, and the effectiveness of the approach is demonstrated by a numerical example. PMID:26858772

Integral Sliding Mode Fault-Tolerant Control for Uncertain Linear Systems Over Networks With Signals Quantization.

PubMed

Hao, Li-Ying; Park, Ju H; Ye, Dan

2017-09-01

In this paper, a new robust fault-tolerant compensation control method for uncertain linear systems over networks is proposed, where only quantized signals are assumed to be available. This approach is based on the integral sliding mode (ISM) method where two kinds of integral sliding surfaces are constructed. One is the continuous-state-dependent surface with the aim of sliding mode stability analysis and the other is the quantization-state-dependent surface, which is used for ISM controller design. A scheme that combines the adaptive ISM controller and quantization parameter adjustment strategy is then proposed. Through utilizing H ∞ control analytical technique, once the system is in the sliding mode, the nature of performing disturbance attenuation and fault tolerance from the initial time can be found without requiring any fault information. Finally, the effectiveness of our proposed ISM control fault-tolerant schemes against quantization errors is demonstrated in the simulation.

Optimal experimental designs for fMRI when the model matrix is uncertain.

PubMed

Kao, Ming-Hung; Zhou, Lin

2017-07-15

This study concerns optimal designs for functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) experiments when the model matrix of the statistical model depends on both the selected stimulus sequence (fMRI design), and the subject's uncertain feedback (e.g. answer) to each mental stimulus (e.g. question) presented to her/him. While practically important, this design issue is challenging. This mainly is because that the information matrix cannot be fully determined at the design stage, making it difficult to evaluate the quality of the selected designs. To tackle this challenging issue, we propose an easy-to-use optimality criterion for evaluating the quality of designs, and an efficient approach for obtaining designs optimizing this criterion. Compared with a previously proposed method, our approach requires a much less computing time to achieve designs with high statistical efficiencies. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Analysis of torque transmitting behavior and wheel slip prevention control during regenerative braking for high speed EMU trains

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Kun; Xu, Guo-Qing; Zheng, Chun-Hua

2016-04-01

The wheel-rail adhesion control for regenerative braking systems of high speed electric multiple unit trains is crucial to maintaining the stability, improving the adhesion utilization, and achieving deep energy recovery. There remain technical challenges mainly because of the nonlinear, uncertain, and varying features of wheel-rail contact conditions. This research analyzes the torque transmitting behavior during regenerative braking, and proposes a novel methodology to detect the wheel-rail adhesion stability. Then, applications to the wheel slip prevention during braking are investigated, and the optimal slip ratio control scheme is proposed, which is based on a novel optimal reference generation of the slip ratio and a robust sliding mode control. The proposed methodology achieves the optimal braking performance without the wheel-rail contact information. Numerical simulation results for uncertain slippery rails verify the effectiveness of the proposed methodology.

Conflict management based on belief function entropy in sensor fusion.

PubMed

Yuan, Kaijuan; Xiao, Fuyuan; Fei, Liguo; Kang, Bingyi; Deng, Yong

2016-01-01

Wireless sensor network plays an important role in intelligent navigation. It incorporates a group of sensors to overcome the limitation of single detection system. Dempster-Shafer evidence theory can combine the sensor data of the wireless sensor network by data fusion, which contributes to the improvement of accuracy and reliability of the detection system. However, due to different sources of sensors, there may be conflict among the sensor data under uncertain environment. Thus, this paper proposes a new method combining Deng entropy and evidence distance to address the issue. First, Deng entropy is adopted to measure the uncertain information. Then, evidence distance is applied to measure the conflict degree. The new method can cope with conflict effectually and improve the accuracy and reliability of the detection system. An example is illustrated to show the efficiency of the new method and the result is compared with that of the existing methods.

Rational selection of experimental readout and intervention sites for reducing uncertainties in computational model predictions.

PubMed

Flassig, Robert J; Migal, Iryna; der Zalm, Esther van; Rihko-Struckmann, Liisa; Sundmacher, Kai

2015-01-16

Understanding the dynamics of biological processes can substantially be supported by computational models in the form of nonlinear ordinary differential equations (ODE). Typically, this model class contains many unknown parameters, which are estimated from inadequate and noisy data. Depending on the ODE structure, predictions based on unmeasured states and associated parameters are highly uncertain, even undetermined. For given data, profile likelihood analysis has been proven to be one of the most practically relevant approaches for analyzing the identifiability of an ODE structure, and thus model predictions. In case of highly uncertain or non-identifiable parameters, rational experimental design based on various approaches has shown to significantly reduce parameter uncertainties with minimal amount of effort. In this work we illustrate how to use profile likelihood samples for quantifying the individual contribution of parameter uncertainty to prediction uncertainty. For the uncertainty quantification we introduce the profile likelihood sensitivity (PLS) index. Additionally, for the case of several uncertain parameters, we introduce the PLS entropy to quantify individual contributions to the overall prediction uncertainty. We show how to use these two criteria as an experimental design objective for selecting new, informative readouts in combination with intervention site identification. The characteristics of the proposed multi-criterion objective are illustrated with an in silico example. We further illustrate how an existing practically non-identifiable model for the chlorophyll fluorescence induction in a photosynthetic organism, D. salina, can be rendered identifiable by additional experiments with new readouts. Having data and profile likelihood samples at hand, the here proposed uncertainty quantification based on prediction samples from the profile likelihood provides a simple way for determining individual contributions of parameter uncertainties to uncertainties in model predictions. The uncertainty quantification of specific model predictions allows identifying regions, where model predictions have to be considered with care. Such uncertain regions can be used for a rational experimental design to render initially highly uncertain model predictions into certainty. Finally, our uncertainty quantification directly accounts for parameter interdependencies and parameter sensitivities of the specific prediction.

Characterizing traffic under uncertain disruptions : an experimental approach.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2013-03-01

The objective of the research is to study long-term traffic patterns under uncertain disruptions using : data collected from human subjects who simultaneously make route choices in controlled PC-based : laboratory experiments. Uncertain disruptions t...