Clever mothers balance time and effort in parental care: a study on free-ranging dogs.

Science.gov (United States)

Paul, Manabi; Sau, Shubhra; Nandi, Anjan K; Bhadra, Anindita

2017-01-01

Mammalian offspring require parental care, at least in the form of nursing during their early development. While mothers need to invest considerable time and energy in ensuring the survival of their current offspring, they also need to optimize their investment in one batch of offspring in order to ensure future reproduction and hence lifetime reproductive success. Free-ranging dogs live in small social groups, mate promiscuously and lack the cooperative breeding biology of other group-living canids. They face high early-life mortality, which in turn reduces fitness benefits of the mother from a batch of pups. We carried out a field-based study on free-ranging dogs in India to understand the nature of maternal care. Our analysis reveals that mothers reduce investment in energy-intensive active care and increase passive care as the pups grow older, thereby keeping overall levels of care more or less constant over pup age. Using the patterns of mother-pup interactions, we define the different phases of maternal care behaviour.

AN INDUCTION SENSOR FOR MEASURING CURRENTS OF NANOSECOND RANGE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. P. Shalamov

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Purpose. A current meter based on the principle of electromagnetic induction is designed to register the current flowing in the rod lightning. The aim of the article is to describe the way of increasing the sensitivity of the converter by means of their serial communication. Methodology. The recorded current is in the nanosecond range. If compared with other methods, meters based on the principle of electromagnetic induction have several advantages, such as simplicity of construction, reliability, low cost, no need in a power source, relatively high sensitivity. Creation of such a meter is necessary, because in some cases there is no possibility to use a shunt. Transient properties of a meter are determined by the number of turns and the constant of integration. Sensitivity is determined by measuring the number of turns, the coil sectional area, the core material and the integration constant. For measuring the magnetic field pulses with a rise time of 5 ns to 50 ns a meter has turns from 5 to 15. The sensitivity of such a meter is low. When the number of turns is increased, the output signal and the front increase. Earlier described dependencies were used to select the main parameters of the converter. It was based on generally accepted and widely known equivalent circuit. The experience of created earlier pulse magnetic field meters was considered both for measuring the magnetic fields, and large pulse current. Originality. Series connection of converters has the property of a long line. The level of the transient response of the meter is calculated. The influence of parasitic parameters on the type of meter transient response is examined. The shown construction was not previously described. Practical value. The results of meter implementation are given. The design peculiarities of the given measuring instruments are shown.

Prevention of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder: Current Canadian Efforts and Analysis of Gaps

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nancy Poole

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Effective prevention of risky alcohol use in pregnancy involves much more than providing information about the risk of potential birth defects and developmental disabilities in children. To categorize the breadth of possible initiatives, Canadian experts have identified a four-part framework for fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD prevention: Level 1, public awareness and broad health promotion; Level 2, conversations about alcohol with women of childbearing age and their partners; Level 3, specialized support for pregnant women; and Level 4, postpartum support for new mothers. In order to describe the level of services across Canada, 50 Canadian service providers, civil servants, and researchers working in the area of FASD prevention were involved in an online Delphi survey process to create a snapshot of current FASD prevention efforts, identify gaps, and provide ideas on how to close these gaps to improve FASD prevention. Promising Canadian practices and key areas for future action are described. Overall, Canadian FASD prevention programming reflects evidence-based practices; however, there are many opportunities to improve scope and availability of these initiatives.

Comparison of different current transducers used at JET within the range 5–100 kA for plasma control and monitoring

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Salmon, R., E-mail: robjsalmon@gmail.com; Smith, P.; West, A.; Shaw, S.R.; Rendell, D.

2015-10-15

Highlights: • Zero-flux current transducers with sensory windings, Hall-effect DCCTs, Rogowski coils, shunt resistors and Faraday effect current transducers are reviewed. • All technologies have displayed good performance over 30 years of operation. • Faraday-effect current transducers have improved accuracy of the toroidal magnets current measurement on JET to 0.1%. • The improvement in accuracy has improved resolution on JET plasma kinetic profiles. - Abstract: The JET machine uses a variety of current transducers for control and protection of the plasma, the coils and their associated power supplies. This paper reviews the various measuring technologies, within the range 5–100 kA, used on JET to assist with the selection of high-current transducers for future plasma control/tokamak applications; these include Rogowski coils, coaxial shunts, Hall-effect transducers, zero-flux CTs and a Faraday-effect optical transducer. The paper considers reliability, accuracy and usability based on up to 30 years of operational experience of the transducers. Accuracy of the magnet current measurements is important in the control of tokamak plasmas and there has been considerable effort to improve it. Recently a Faraday-effect optical current sensor has been used to measure up to 67 kA in the Toroidal Field (TF) coil circuit. This measurement system has been calibrated at JET to verify its 0.1% accuracy. In addition, the data acquisition system for this measurement is automatically calibrated at the start of each JET pulse. The improved accuracy has been shown to enhance the spatial consistency of kinetic profiles at JET [1]. Due to its portability the JET project intends to employ the same Faraday-effect current transducer to calibrate other high current transducers by temporarily fitting it to other busbars, such as those in the Ohmic Heating network.

Measuring Earth: Current status of the GRACE Follow-On Laser Ranging Interferometer

Science.gov (United States)

Schütze, Daniel; LRI Team

2016-05-01

The GRACE mission that was launched in 2002 has impressively proven the feasibility of low-orbit satellite-to-satellite tracking for Earth gravity observations. Especially mass transport related to Earth's hydrological system could be well resolved both spatially and temporally. This allows to study processes such as polar ice sheet decline and ground water depletion in great detail. Owing to GRACE's success, NASA and GFZ will launch the successor mission GRACE Follow-On in 2017. In addition to the microwave ranging system, GRACE Follow-On will be the first mission to use a Laser Ranging Interferometer as technology demonstrator to track intersatellite distance changes with unprecedented precision. This new ranging device inherits some of the technologies which have been developed for the future spaceborne gravitational wave detector LISA. I will present the architecture of the Laser Ranging Interferometer, point out similarities and differences to LISA, and conclude with the current status of the flight hardware production.

Current status of the MPEG-4 standardization effort

Science.gov (United States)

Anastassiou, Dimitris

1994-09-01

The Moving Pictures Experts Group (MPEG) of the International Standardization Organization has initiated a standardization effort, known as MPEG-4, addressing generic audiovisual coding at very low bit-rates (up to 64 kbits/s) with applications in videotelephony, mobile audiovisual communications, video database retrieval, computer games, video over Internet, remote sensing, etc. This paper gives a survey of the status of MPEG-4, including its planned schedule, and initial ideas about requirements and applications. A significant part of this paper is summarizing an incomplete draft version of a `requirements document' which presents specifications of desirable features on the video, audio, and system level of the forthcoming standard. Very low bit-rate coding algorithms are not described, because no endorsement of any particular algorithm, or class of algorithms, has yet been made by MPEG-4, and several seminars held concurrently with MPEG-4 meetings have not so far provided evidence that such high performance coding schemes are achievable.

A Serviced-based Approach to Connect Seismological Infrastructures: Current Efforts at the IRIS DMC

Science.gov (United States)

Ahern, Tim; Trabant, Chad

2014-05-01

As part of the COOPEUS initiative to build infrastructure that connects European and US research infrastructures, IRIS has advocated for the development of Federated services based upon internationally recognized standards using web services. By deploying International Federation of Digital Seismograph Networks (FDSN) endorsed web services at multiple data centers in the US and Europe, we have shown that integration within seismological domain can be realized. By deploying identical methods to invoke the web services at multiple centers this approach can significantly ease the methods through which a scientist can access seismic data (time series, metadata, and earthquake catalogs) from distributed federated centers. IRIS has developed an IRIS federator that helps a user identify where seismic data from global seismic networks can be accessed. The web services based federator can build the appropriate URLs and return them to client software running on the scientists own computer. These URLs are then used to directly pull data from the distributed center in a very peer-based fashion. IRIS is also involved in deploying web services across horizontal domains. As part of the US National Science Foundation's (NSF) EarthCube effort, an IRIS led EarthCube Building Block's project is underway. When completed this project will aid in the discovery, access, and usability of data across multiple geoscienece domains. This presentation will summarize current IRIS efforts in building vertical integration infrastructure within seismology working closely with 5 centers in Europe and 2 centers in the US, as well as how we are taking first steps toward horizontal integration of data from 14 different domains in the US, in Europe, and around the world.

Efforts Aimed To Reduce Attrition in Antimalarial Drug Discovery: A Systematic Evaluation of the Current Antimalarial Targets Portfolio.

Science.gov (United States)

Chaparro, María Jesús; Calderón, Félix; Castañeda, Pablo; Fernández-Alvaro, Elena; Gabarró, Raquel; Gamo, Francisco Javier; Gómez-Lorenzo, María G; Martín, Julio; Fernández, Esther

2018-04-13

Malaria remains a major global health problem. In 2015 alone, more than 200 million cases of malaria were reported, and more than 400,000 deaths occurred. Since 2010, emerging resistance to current front-line ACTs (artemisinin combination therapies) has been detected in endemic countries. Therefore, there is an urgency for new therapies based on novel modes of action, able to relieve symptoms as fast as the artemisinins and/or block malaria transmission. During the past few years, the antimalarial community has focused their efforts on phenotypic screening as a pragmatic approach to identify new hits. Optimization efforts on several chemical series have been successful, and clinical candidates have been identified. In addition, recent advances in genetics and proteomics have led to the target deconvolution of phenotypic clinical candidates. New mechanisms of action will also be critical to overcome resistance and reduce attrition. Therefore, a complementary strategy focused on identifying well-validated targets to start hit identification programs is essential to reinforce the clinical pipeline. Leveraging published data, we have assessed the status quo of the current antimalarial target portfolio with a focus on the blood stage clinical disease. From an extensive list of reported Plasmodium targets, we have defined triage criteria. These criteria consider genetic, pharmacological, and chemical validation, as well as tractability/doability, and safety implications. These criteria have provided a quantitative score that has led us to prioritize those targets with the highest probability to deliver successful and differentiated new drugs.

Glass Property Models and Constraints for Estimating the Glass to be Produced at Hanford by Implementing Current Advanced Glass Formulation Efforts

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vienna, John D. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Kim, Dong-Sang [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Skorski, Daniel C. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Matyas, Josef [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)

2013-07-01

Recent glass formulation and melter testing data have suggested that significant increases in waste loading in HLW and LAW glasses are possible over current system planning estimates. The data (although limited in some cases) were evaluated to determine a set of constraints and models that could be used to estimate the maximum loading of specific waste compositions in glass. It is recommended that these models and constraints be used to estimate the likely HLW and LAW glass volumes that would result if the current glass formulation studies are successfully completed. It is recognized that some of the models are preliminary in nature and will change in the coming years. Plus the models do not currently address the prediction uncertainties that would be needed before they could be used in plant operations. The models and constraints are only meant to give an indication of rough glass volumes and are not intended to be used in plant operation or waste form qualification activities. A current research program is in place to develop the data, models, and uncertainty descriptions for that purpose. A fundamental tenet underlying the research reported in this document is to try to be less conservative than previous studies when developing constraints for estimating the glass to be produced by implementing current advanced glass formulation efforts. The less conservative approach documented herein should allow for the estimate of glass masses that may be realized if the current efforts in advanced glass formulations are completed over the coming years and are as successful as early indications suggest they may be. Because of this approach there is an unquantifiable uncertainty in the ultimate glass volume projections due to model prediction uncertainties that has to be considered along with other system uncertainties such as waste compositions and amounts to be immobilized, split factors between LAW and HLW, etc.

Effort-Based Decision-Making in Schizophrenia.

Science.gov (United States)

Culbreth, Adam J; Moran, Erin K; Barch, Deanna M

2018-08-01

Motivational impairment has long been associated with schizophrenia but the underlying mechanisms are not clearly understood. Recently, a small but growing literature has suggested that aberrant effort-based decision-making may be a potential contributory mechanism for motivational impairments in psychosis. Specifically, multiple reports have consistently demonstrated that individuals with schizophrenia are less willing than healthy controls to expend effort to obtain rewards. Further, this effort-based decision-making deficit has been shown to correlate with severity of negative symptoms and level of functioning, in many but not all studies. In the current review, we summarize this literature and discuss several factors that may underlie aberrant effort-based decision-making in schizophrenia.

Literality and Cognitive Effort

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lacruz, Isabel; Carl, Michael; Yamada, Masaru

2018-01-01

We introduce a notion of pause-word ratio computed using ranges of pause lengths rather than lower cutoffs for pause lengths. Standard pause-word ratios are indicators of cognitive effort during different translation modalities.The pause range version allows for the study of how different types...... remoteness. We use data from the CRITT TPR database, comparing translation and post-editing from English to Japanese and from English to Spanish, and study the interaction of pause-word ratio for short pauses ranging between 300 and 500ms with syntactic remoteness, measured by the CrossS feature, semantic...... remoteness, measured by HTra, and syntactic and semantic remoteness, measured by Literality....

Respiratory effort from the photoplethysmogram.

Science.gov (United States)

Addison, Paul S

2017-03-01

The potential for a simple, non-invasive measure of respiratory effort based on the pulse oximeter signal - the photoplethysmogram or 'pleth' - was investigated in a pilot study. Several parameters were developed based on a variety of manifestations of respiratory effort in the signal, including modulation changes in amplitude, baseline, frequency and pulse transit times, as well as distinct baseline signal shifts. Thirteen candidate parameters were investigated using data from healthy volunteers. Each volunteer underwent a series of controlled respiratory effort maneuvers at various set flow resistances and respiratory rates. Six oximeter probes were tested at various body sites. In all, over three thousand pleth-based effort-airway pressure (EP) curves were generated across the various airway constrictions, respiratory efforts, respiratory rates, subjects, probe sites, and the candidate parameters considered. Regression analysis was performed to determine the existence of positive monotonic relationships between the respiratory effort parameters and resulting airway pressures. Six of the candidate parameters investigated exhibited a distinct positive relationship (poximeter probe and an ECG (P2E-Effort) and the other using two pulse oximeter probes placed at different peripheral body sites (P2-Effort); and baseline shifts in heart rate, (BL-HR-Effort). In conclusion, a clear monotonic relationship was found between several pleth-based parameters and imposed respiratory loadings at the mouth across a range of respiratory rates and flow constrictions. The results suggest that the pleth may provide a measure of changing upper airway dynamics indicative of the effort to breathe. Copyright © 2017 The Author. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

The Missouri River Floodplain: History of Oak Forest & Current Restoration Efforts

Science.gov (United States)

Daniel C. Dey; Dirk Burhans; John Kabrick; Brain Root; Jennifer Grabner; Mike Gold

2000-01-01

Efforts to restore floodplains are complicated by our variable understanding of history and ecology; our lack of knowledge of past environmental and vegetative conditions; and our differing viewpoints of what natural, what the role of humans is in the ecosystem, and what the desirable restored state is. Managers are challenged to decide how to restore native vegetation...

The Effect of Age on Listening Effort

Science.gov (United States)

Degeest, Sofie; Keppler, Hannah; Corthals, Paul

2015-01-01

Purpose: The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of age on listening effort. Method: A dual-task paradigm was used to evaluate listening effort in different conditions of background noise. Sixty adults ranging in age from 20 to 77 years were included. A primary speech-recognition task and a secondary memory task were performed…

Current status of fertility control methods in India

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Use of the condom increased to 3.1% from 2.4%. ... Current efforts in India to develop a male contraceptive are mainly directed towards ... the existing range of contraceptive methods available in the National Family Planning Programme. ... long acting, relatively easily removed and fertility returns rapidly after their removal.

Quantifying motivation with effort-based decision-making paradigms in health and disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Chong, T T-J; Bonnelle, V; Husain, M

2016-01-01

Motivation can be characterized as a series of cost-benefit valuations, in which we weigh the amount of effort we are willing to expend (the cost of an action) in return for particular rewards (its benefits). Human motivation has traditionally been measured with self-report and questionnaire-based tools, but an inherent limitation of these methods is that they are unable to provide a mechanistic explanation of the processes underlying motivated behavior. A major goal of current research is to quantify motivation objectively with effort-based decision-making paradigms, by drawing on a rich literature from nonhuman animals. Here, we review this approach by considering the development of these paradigms in the laboratory setting over the last three decades, and their more recent translation to understanding choice behavior in humans. A strength of this effort-based approach to motivation is that it is capable of capturing the wide range of individual differences, and offers the potential to dissect motivation into its component elements, thus providing the basis for more accurate taxonomic classifications. Clinically, modeling approaches might provide greater sensitivity and specificity to diagnosing disorders of motivation, for example, in being able to detect subclinical disorders of motivation, or distinguish a disorder of motivation from related but separate syndromes, such as depression. Despite the great potential in applying effort-based paradigms to index human motivation, we discuss several caveats to interpreting current and future studies, and the challenges in translating these approaches to the clinical setting. © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Collaborative Efforts Driving Progress in Pediatric Acute Myeloid Leukemia

Science.gov (United States)

Zwaan, C. Michel; Kolb, Edward A.; Reinhardt, Dirk; Abrahamsson, Jonas; Adachi, Souichi; Aplenc, Richard; De Bont, Eveline S.J.M.; De Moerloose, Barbara; Dworzak, Michael; Gibson, Brenda E.S.; Hasle, Henrik; Leverger, Guy; Locatelli, Franco; Ragu, Christine; Ribeiro, Raul C.; Rizzari, Carmelo; Rubnitz, Jeffrey E.; Smith, Owen P.; Sung, Lillian; Tomizawa, Daisuke; van den Heuvel-Eibrink, Marry M.; Creutzig, Ursula; Kaspers, Gertjan J.L.

2015-01-01

Diagnosis, treatment, response monitoring, and outcome of pediatric acute myeloid leukemia (AML) have made enormous progress during the past decades. Because AML is a rare type of childhood cancer, with an incidence of approximately seven occurrences per 1 million children annually, national and international collaborative efforts have evolved. This overview describes these efforts and includes a summary of the history and contributions of each of the main collaborative pediatric AML groups worldwide. The focus is on translational and clinical research, which includes past, current, and future clinical trials. Separate sections concern acute promyelocytic leukemia, myeloid leukemia of Down syndrome, and relapsed AML. A plethora of novel antileukemic agents that have emerged, including new classes of drugs, are summarized as well. Finally, an important aspect of the treatment of pediatric AML—supportive care—and late effects are discussed. The future is bright, with a wide range of emerging innovative therapies and with more and more international collaboration that ultimately aim to cure all children with AML, with fewer adverse effects and without late effects. PMID:26304895

Integrating multiple distribution models to guide conservation efforts of an endangered toad

Science.gov (United States)

Treglia, Michael L.; Fisher, Robert N.; Fitzgerald, Lee A.

2015-01-01

Species distribution models are used for numerous purposes such as predicting changes in species’ ranges and identifying biodiversity hotspots. Although implications of distribution models for conservation are often implicit, few studies use these tools explicitly to inform conservation efforts. Herein, we illustrate how multiple distribution models developed using distinct sets of environmental variables can be integrated to aid in identification sites for use in conservation. We focus on the endangered arroyo toad (Anaxyrus californicus), which relies on open, sandy streams and surrounding floodplains in southern California, USA, and northern Baja California, Mexico. Declines of the species are largely attributed to habitat degradation associated with vegetation encroachment, invasive predators, and altered hydrologic regimes. We had three main goals: 1) develop a model of potential habitat for arroyo toads, based on long-term environmental variables and all available locality data; 2) develop a model of the species’ current habitat by incorporating recent remotely-sensed variables and only using recent locality data; and 3) integrate results of both models to identify sites that may be employed in conservation efforts. We used a machine learning technique, Random Forests, to develop the models, focused on riparian zones in southern California. We identified 14.37% and 10.50% of our study area as potential and current habitat for the arroyo toad, respectively. Generally, inclusion of remotely-sensed variables reduced modeled suitability of sites, thus many areas modeled as potential habitat were not modeled as current habitat. We propose such sites could be made suitable for arroyo toads through active management, increasing current habitat by up to 67.02%. Our general approach can be employed to guide conservation efforts of virtually any species with sufficient data necessary to develop appropriate distribution models.

Nd:YAG Laser-Based Dual-Line Detection Rayleigh Scattering and Current Efforts on UV, Filtered Rayleigh Scattering

Science.gov (United States)

Otugen, M. Volkan; Popovic, Svetozar

1996-01-01

Ongoing research in Rayleigh scattering diagnostics for variable density low speed flow applications and for supersonic flow measurements are described. During the past several years, the focus has been on the development and use of a Nd:YAG-based Rayleigh scattering system with improved signal-to-noise characteristics and with applicability to complex, confined flows. This activity serves other research projects in the Aerodynamics Laboratory which require the non-contact, accurate, time-frozen measurement of gas density, pressure, and temperature (each separately), in a fairly wide dynamic range of each parameter. Recently, with the acquisition of a new seed-injected Nd:YAG laser, effort also has been directed to the development of a high-speed velocity probe based on a spectrally resolved Rayleigh scattering technique.

2011 NASA Range Safety Annual Report

Science.gov (United States)

Dumont, Alan G.

2012-01-01

Welcome to the 2011 edition of the NASA Range Safety Annual Report. Funded by NASA Headquarters, this report provides a NASA Range Safety overview for current and potential range users. As is typical with odd year editions, this is an abbreviated Range Safety Annual Report providing updates and links to full articles from the previous year's report. It also provides more complete articles covering new subject areas, summaries of various NASA Range Safety Program activities conducted during the past year, and information on several projects that may have a profound impact on the way business will be done in the future. Specific topics discussed and updated in the 2011 NASA Range Safety Annual Report include a program overview and 2011 highlights; Range Safety Training; Range Safety Policy revision; Independent Assessments; Support to Program Operations at all ranges conducting NASA launch/flight operations; a continuing overview of emerging range safety-related technologies; and status reports from all of the NASA Centers that have Range Safety responsibilities. Every effort has been made to include the most current information available. We recommend this report be used only for guidance and that the validity and accuracy of all articles be verified for updates. Once again the web-based format was used to present the annual report. We continually receive positive feedback on the web-based edition and hope you enjoy this year's product as well. As is the case each year, contributors to this report are too numerous to mention, but we thank individuals from the NASA Centers, the Department of Defense, and civilian organizations for their contributions. In conclusion, it has been a busy and productive year. I'd like to extend a personal Thank You to everyone who contributed to make this year a successful one, and I look forward to working with all of you in the upcoming year.

The 50th Anniversary of the International Indian Ocean Expedition: An Update on Current Planning Efforts and Progress

Science.gov (United States)

Hood, Raleigh; D'Adamo, Nick; Burkill, Peter; Urban, Ed; Bhikajee, Mitrasen

2014-05-01

The International Indian Ocean Expedition (IIOE) was one of the greatest international, interdisciplinary oceanographic research efforts of all time. Planning for the IIOE began in 1959 and the project officially continued through 1965, with forty-six research vessels participating under fourteen different flags. The IIOE motivated an unprecedented number of hydrographic surveys (and repeat surveys) over the course of the expedition covering the entire Indian Ocean basin. And it was an interdisciplinary endeavor that embraced physical oceanography, chemical oceanography, meteorology, marine biology, marine geology and geophysics. The end of 2015 will mark the 50th Anniversary of the completion of the IIOE. In the 50 years since the IIOE three fundamental changes have taken place in ocean science. The first is the deployment of a broad suite of oceanographic sensors on satellites that have dramatically improved the characterization of both physical and biological oceanographic variability. The second is the emergence of new components of the ocean observing system, most notably remote sensing and Argo floats. And the third is the development of ocean modeling in all its facets from short-term forecasting to seasonal prediction to climate projections. These advances have revolutionized our understanding of the global oceans, including the Indian Ocean. Compared to the IIOE era, we now have the capacity to provide a much more integrated picture of the Indian Ocean, especially if these new technologies can be combined with targeted and well-coordinated in situ measurements. In this presentation we report on current efforts to motivate an IIOE 50th Anniversary Celebration (IIOE-2). We envision this IIOE-2 as a 5-year expedition and effort beginning in 2015 and continuing through to 2020. An important objective of our planning efforts is assessing ongoing and planned research activities in the Indian Ocean in the 2015 to 2020 time frame, with the goal of embracing and

Mapping telemedicine efforts

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kierkegaard, Patrick

2015-01-01

are being utilized? What medical disciplines are being addressed using telemedicine systems? Methods: All data was surveyed from the "Telemedicinsk Landkort", a newly created database designed to provide a comprehensive and systematic overview of all telemedicine technologies in Denmark. Results......Objectives: The aim of this study is to survey telemedicine services currently in operation across Denmark. The study specifically seeks to answer the following questions: What initiatives are deployed within the different regions? What are the motivations behind the projects? What technologies......: The results of this study suggest that a growing number of telemedicine initiatives are currently in operation across Denmark but that considerable variations existed in terms of regional efforts as the number of operational telemedicine projects varied from region to region. Conclusions: The results...

Quantifying commercial catch and effort of monkfish Lophius ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Catch-per-unit-effort (cpue) data of vessels targeting monkfish and sole (the two ... analysed using two different methods to construct indices of abundance. ... in Namibia to all tail-weight classes is not appropriate for the current fishery and needs ... Keywords: catch per unit effort, Generalized Linear Model, Lophius vaillanti, ...

Two-nucleon electromagnetic current in chiral effective field theory: One-pion exchange and short-range contributions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koelling, S.; Epelbaum, E.; Krebs, H.; Meissner, U.-G.

2011-01-01

We derive the leading one-loop contribution to the one-pion exchange and short-range two-nucleon electromagnetic current operator in the framework of chiral effective field theory. The derivation is carried out using the method of unitary transformation. Explicit results for the current and charge densities are given in momentum and coordinate space.

Dynamic range of low-voltage cascode current mirrors

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bruun, Erik; Shah, Peter Jivan

1995-01-01

Low-voltage cascode current mirrors are reviewed with respect to the design limitations imposed if all transistors in the mirror are required to operate in the saturation region. It is found that both a lower limit and an upper limit exist for the cascode transistor bias voltage. Further, the use....... The proposed configuration has the advantage of simplicity combined with a complete elimination of the need for fixed bias voltages or bias currents in the current mirror. A disadvantage is that it requires a higher input voltage to the current mirror...

A Wide-Range Tunable Level-Keeper Using Vertical Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Field-Effect Transistors for Current-Reuse Systems

Science.gov (United States)

Tanoi, Satoru; Endoh, Tetsuo

2012-04-01

A wide-range tunable level-keeper using vertical metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFETs) is proposed for current-reuse analog systems. The design keys for widening tunable range of the operation are a two-path feed-back and a vertical MOSFET with back-bias-effect free. The proposed circuit with the vertical MOSFETs shows the 1.23-V tunable-range of the input level with the 2.4-V internal-supply voltage (VDD) in the simulation. This tunable-range of the proposed circuit is 4.7 times wider than that of the conventional. The achieved current efficiency of the proposed level-keeper is 66% at the 1.2-V output with the 2.4-V VDD. This efficiency of the proposed circuit is twice higher than that of the traditional voltage down converter.

Decomposing the Current

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hansen, Tim

The field of molecular electronics have been shown to span a huge range of properties. In an effort to extract the parameters of the system that governs these properties, a number of methods that decomposes the current have been developed. These methods function not just as tools for data...... extraction, but also serves as the foundation upon which to gain insights into the physics that governs the molecular properties. As such, the understanding of the applicability and the development of new methods to decompose the current may be a goal in it self. In this thesis we will explore some...... of these methods, and use the insights from this study to develop new methods. First, we will compare two methods that decompose the current into the transmission from a single conducting level of the molecular device, by extracting level position and broadening. In general we see that the method that relies on I...

A current drive by using the fast wave in frequency range higher than two timeslower hybrid resonance frequency on tokamaks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kim Sun Ho

2017-01-01

Full Text Available An efficient current drive scheme in central or off-axis region is required for the steady state operation of tokamak fusion reactors. The current drive by using the fast wave in frequency range higher than two times lower hybrid resonance (w>2wlh could be such a scheme in high density, high temperature reactor-grade tokamak plasmas. First, it has relatively higher parallel electric field to the magnetic field favorable to the current generation, compared to fast waves in other frequency range. Second, it can deeply penetrate into high density plasmas compared to the slow wave in the same frequency range. Third, parasitic coupling to the slow wave can contribute also to the current drive avoiding parametric instability, thermal mode conversion and ion heating occured in the frequency range w<2wlh. In this study, the propagation boundary, accessibility, and the energy flow of the fast wave are given via cold dispersion relation and group velocity. The power absorption and current drive efficiency are discussed qualitatively through the hot dispersion relation and the polarization. Finally, those characteristics are confirmed with ray tracing code GENRAY for the KSTAR plasmas.

Acoustic correlate of vocal effort in spasmodic dysphonia.

Science.gov (United States)

Eadie, Tanya L; Stepp, Cara E

2013-03-01

This study characterized the relationship between relative fundamental frequency (RFF) and listeners' perceptions of vocal effort and overall spasmodic dysphonia severity in the voices of 19 individuals with adductor spasmodic dysphonia. Twenty inexperienced listeners evaluated the vocal effort and overall severity of voices using visual analog scales. The squared correlation coefficients (R2) between average vocal effort and overall severity and RFF measures were calculated as a function of the number of acoustic instances used for the RFF estimate (from 1 to 9, of a total of 9 voiced-voiceless-voiced instances). Increases in the number of acoustic instances used for the RFF average led to increases in the variance predicted by the RFF at the first cycle of voicing onset (onset RFF) in the perceptual measures; the use of 6 or more instances resulted in a stable estimate. The variance predicted by the onset RFF for vocal effort (R2 range, 0.06 to 0.43) was higher than that for overall severity (R2 range, 0.06 to 0.35). The offset RFF was not related to the perceptual measures, irrespective of the sample size. This study indicates that onset RFF measures are related to perceived vocal effort in patients with adductor spasmodic dysphonia. These results have implications for measuring outcomes in this population.

New insights from direct monitoring of turbidity currents; and a proposal for co-ordinating international efforts at a series of global "turbidity current test sites"

Science.gov (United States)

Talling, Peter

2015-04-01

Turbidity currents, and other types of submarine sediment density flow, arguably redistribute more sediment across the surface of the Earth than any other flow process. It is now over 60 years since the seminal publication of Kuenen and Migliorini (1950) in which they made the link between sequences of graded bedding and turbidity currents. The deposits of submarine sediment density flows have been described in numerous locations worldwide, and this might lead to the view that these flows are well understood. However, it is sobering to note quite how few direct measurements we have from these submarine flows in action. Sediment concentration is the critical parameter controlling such flows, yet it has never been measured directly for flows that reach and build submarine fans. How then do we know what type of flow to model in flume tanks, or which assumptions to use to formulate numerical simulations or analytical models? It is proposed here that international efforts are needed for an initiative to monitor active turbidity currents at a series of 'test sites' where flows occur frequently. The flows evolve significantly, such that source to sink data are needed. We also need to directly monitor flows in different settings with variable triggering factors and flow path morphologies because their character can vary significantly. Such work should integrate numerical and physical modelling with the collection of field observations in order to understand the significance of field observations. Such an international initiative also needs to include coring of deposits to link flow processes to deposit character, because in most global locations flow behaviour must be inferred from deposits alone. Collection of seismic datasets is also crucial for understanding the larger-scale evolution and resulting architecture of these systems, and to link with studies of subsurface reservoirs. Test site datasets should thus include a wide range of data types, not just from direct flow

The Effort Paradox: Effort Is Both Costly and Valued.

Science.gov (United States)

Inzlicht, Michael; Shenhav, Amitai; Olivola, Christopher Y

2018-04-01

According to prominent models in cognitive psychology, neuroscience, and economics, effort (be it physical or mental) is costly: when given a choice, humans and non-human animals alike tend to avoid effort. Here, we suggest that the opposite is also true and review extensive evidence that effort can also add value. Not only can the same outcomes be more rewarding if we apply more (not less) effort, sometimes we select options precisely because they require effort. Given the increasing recognition of effort's role in motivation, cognitive control, and value-based decision-making, considering this neglected side of effort will not only improve formal computational models, but also provide clues about how to promote sustained mental effort across time. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Workplace High Tech Spurs Retraining Efforts.

Science.gov (United States)

Davis, Dwight B.

1984-01-01

Discusses who should provide training for displaced workers who need new skills. Areas examined include: (1) the need for retraining; (2) current corporate efforts; (3) agreements in the automotive industry; (4) job quality; (5) the federal government's role; and (6) federal legislation related to the problem. (JN)

Hellsgate Big Game Winter Range Wildlife Mitigation Site Specific Management Plan for the Hellsgate Project.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Berger, Matthew T.; Judd, Steven L.

1999-01-01

This report contains a detailed site-specific management plan for the Hellsgate Winter Range Wildlife Mitigation Project. The report provides background information about the mitigation process, the review process, mitigation acquisitions, Habitat Evaluation Procedures (HEP) and mitigation crediting, current habitat conditions, desired future habitat conditions, restoration/enhancements efforts and maps.

Range of Possible Beam Current in Linac4

CERN Document Server

Lallement, J-B; CERN. Geneva. BE Department

2009-01-01

Linac4 is a new accelerator under construction at CERN. It is designed to accelerate H- ions to 160MeV, for injection into the existing Proton Synchrotron Booster (PSB). It is also the front-end of the SPL Linac, a high energy proton driver that will reach the energy of 5GeV. The Linac baseline design has been done for a nominal beam peak current of 70mA but it will certainly have to deal with different currents. 132 out of 155 quadrupoles in the Linac are permanent magnets, this choice of using PMQ having fixed gradient, mainly in the DTL and in the CCDTL may then entail issues concerning the beam transverse matching and quality from current different from the nominal one. In this paper, we present the beam dynamics performances in Linac4 obtained for different currents.

Analysis Efforts Supporting NSTX Upgrades

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, H.; Titus, P.; Rogoff, P.; Zolfaghari, A.; Mangra, D.; Smith, M.

2010-01-01

The National Spherical Torus Experiment (NSTX) is a low aspect ratio, spherical torus (ST) configuration device which is located at Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL) This device is presently being updated to enhance its physics by doubling the TF field to 1 Tesla and increasing the plasma current to 2 Mega-amperes. The upgrades include a replacement of the centerstack and addition of a second neutral beam. The upgrade analyses have two missions. The first is to support design of new components, principally the centerstack, the second is to qualify existing NSTX components for higher loads, which will increase by a factor of four. Cost efficiency was a design goal for new equipment qualification, and reanalysis of the existing components. Showing that older components can sustain the increased loads has been a challenging effort in which designs had to be developed that would limit loading on weaker components, and would minimize the extent of modifications needed. Two areas representing this effort have been chosen to describe in more details: analysis of the current distribution in the new TF inner legs, and, second, analysis of the out-of-plane support of the existing TF outer legs.

Testosterone and reproductive effort in male primates.

Science.gov (United States)

Muller, Martin N

2017-05-01

Considerable evidence suggests that the steroid hormone testosterone mediates major life-history trade-offs in vertebrates, promoting mating effort at the expense of parenting effort or survival. Observations from a range of wild primates support the "Challenge Hypothesis," which posits that variation in male testosterone is more closely associated with aggressive mating competition than with reproductive physiology. In both seasonally and non-seasonally breeding species, males increase testosterone production primarily when competing for fecund females. In species where males compete to maintain long-term access to females, testosterone increases when males are threatened with losing access to females, rather than during mating periods. And when male status is linked to mating success, and dependent on aggression, high-ranking males normally maintain higher testosterone levels than subordinates, particularly when dominance hierarchies are unstable. Trade-offs between parenting effort and mating effort appear to be weak in most primates, because direct investment in the form of infant transport and provisioning is rare. Instead, infant protection is the primary form of paternal investment in the order. Testosterone does not inhibit this form of investment, which relies on male aggression. Testosterone has a wide range of effects in primates that plausibly function to support male competitive behavior. These include psychological effects related to dominance striving, analgesic effects, and effects on the development and maintenance of the armaments and adornments that males employ in mating competition. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Order of current variance and diffusivity in the rate one totally asymmetric zero range process

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Balázs, M.; Komjáthy, J.

2008-01-01

We prove that the variance of the current across a characteristic is of order t 2/3 in a stationary constant rate totally asymmetric zero range process, and that the diffusivity has order t 1/3. This is a step towards proving universality of this scaling behavior in the class of one-dimensional

Comparison of three different concepts of high dynamic range and dependability optimised current measurement digitisers for beam loss systems

CERN Document Server

Viganò, W; Effinger, E; Venturini, G G; Zamantzas, C

2012-01-01

Three Different Concepts of High Dynamic Range and Dependability Optimised Current Measurement Digitisers for Beam Loss Systems will be compared on this paper. The first concept is based on Current to Frequency Conversion, enhanced with an ADC for extending the dynamic range and decreasing the response time. A summary of 3 years’ worth of operational experience with such a system for LHC beam loss monitoring will be given. The second principle is based on an Adaptive Current to Frequency Converter implemented in an ASIC. The basic parameters of the circuit are discussed and compared with measurements. Several measures are taken to harden both circuits against single event effects and to make them tolerant for operation in radioactive environments. The third circuit is based on a Fully Differential Integrator for enhanced dynamic range, where laboratory and test installation measurements will be presented. All circuits are designed to avoid any dead time in the acquisition and have reliability and fail safe...

Alternating current long range alpha particle detector

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

MacArthur, D.W.; McAtee, J.L.

1993-01-01

An alpha particle detector, utilizing alternating currents, which is capable of detecting alpha particles from distinct sources. The use of alternating currents allows use of simpler ac circuits which, in turn, are not susceptible to dc error components. It also allows the benefit of gas gain, if desired. In the invention, a voltage source creates an electric field between two conductive grids, and between the grids and a conductive enclosure. Air containing air ions created by collision with alpha particles is drawn into the enclosure and detected. In some embodiments, the air flow into the enclosure is interrupted, creating an alternating flow of ions. In another embodiment, a modulated voltage is applied to the grid, also modulating the detection of ions

Trust and Reciprocity: Are Effort and Money Equivalent?

Science.gov (United States)

Vilares, Iris; Dam, Gregory; Kording, Konrad

2011-01-01

Trust and reciprocity facilitate cooperation and are relevant to virtually all human interactions. They are typically studied using trust games: one subject gives (entrusts) money to another subject, which may return some of the proceeds (reciprocate). Currently, however, it is unclear whether trust and reciprocity in monetary transactions are similar in other settings, such as physical effort. Trust and reciprocity of physical effort are important as many everyday decisions imply an exchange of physical effort, and such exchange is central to labor relations. Here we studied a trust game based on physical effort and compared the results with those of a computationally equivalent monetary trust game. We found no significant difference between effort and money conditions in both the amount trusted and the quantity reciprocated. Moreover, there is a high positive correlation in subjects' behavior across conditions. This suggests that trust and reciprocity may be character traits: subjects that are trustful/trustworthy in monetary settings behave similarly during exchanges of physical effort. Our results validate the use of trust games to study exchanges in physical effort and to characterize inter-subject differences in trust and reciprocity, and also suggest a new behavioral paradigm to study these differences. PMID:21364931

Private Speech Moderates the Effects of Effortful Control on Emotionality

Science.gov (United States)

Day, Kimberly L.; Smith, Cynthia L.; Neal, Amy; Dunsmore, Julie C.

2018-01-01

Research Findings: In addition to being a regulatory strategy, children's private speech may enhance or interfere with their effortful control used to regulate emotion. The goal of the current study was to investigate whether children's private speech during a selective attention task moderated the relations of their effortful control to their…

Anticipated emotions and effort allocation in weight goal striving.

Science.gov (United States)

Nelissen, Rob M A; de Vet, Emely; Zeelenberg, Marcel

2011-02-01

This study aimed to investigate the influence of anticipated emotions on preventive health behaviour if specified at the level of behavioural outcomes. Consistent with predictions from a recently developed model of goal pursuit, we hypothesized that the impact of emotions on effort levels depended on the perceived proximity to the goal. Participants with weight-loss intentions were randomly selected from an Internet panel and completed questionnaires at three points in time, baseline (T1; N= 725), 2 weeks later at T2 (N= 582) and again 2 months later at T3 (N= 528). Questionnaires assessed anticipated emotions (at T1) and experienced emotions (at T2) towards goal attainment and non-attainment. Goal proximity, goal desirability, and effort levels in striving for weight loss were assessed at both T1 and T2. Current and target weights were reported at all three assessments. In line with predictions, we found that negative anticipated emotions towards goal non-attainment resulted in increased effort but only if people perceived themselves in close proximity to their goal. Effort, in turn, predicted weight loss and goal achievement. The current data bear important practical implications as they identify anticipated emotions as targets of behaviour change interventions aimed to stimulate effort in striving for broad, health-related goals like weight loss. ©2010 The British Psychological Society.

Inpo/industry job and task analysis efforts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wigley, W.W.

1985-01-01

One of the goals of INPO is to develop and coordinate industrywide programs to improve the education, training and qualification of nuclear utility personnel. To accomplish this goal, INPO's Training and Education Division: conducts periodic evaluations of industry training programs; provides assistance to the industry in developing training programs; manages the accreditation of utility training programs. These efforts are aimed at satisfying the need for training programs for nuclear utility personnel to be performance-based. Performance-based means that training programs provide an incumbent with the skills and knowledge required to safely perform the job. One of the ways that INPO has provided assistance to the industry is through the industrywide job and task analysis effort. I will discuss the job analysis and task analysis processes, the current status of JTA efforts, JTA products and JTA lessons learned

Wide-Range Probing of Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya Interaction

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Duck-Ho; Yoo, Sang-Cheol; Kim, Dae-Yun; Min, Byoung-Chul; Choe, Sug-Bong

2017-03-01

The Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction (DMI) in magnetic objects is of enormous interest, because it generates built-in chirality of magnetic domain walls (DWs) and topologically protected skyrmions, leading to efficient motion driven by spin-orbit torques. Because of its importance for both potential applications and fundamental research, many experimental efforts have been devoted to DMI investigation. However, current experimental probing techniques cover only limited ranges of the DMI strength and have specific sample requirements. Thus, there are no versatile methods to quantify DMI over a wide range of values. Here, we present such an experimental scheme, which is based on the angular dependence of asymmetric DW motion. This method can be used to determine values of DMI much larger than the maximum strength of the external magnetic field strength, which demonstrates that various DMI strengths can be quantified with a single measurement setup. This scheme may thus prove essential to DMI-related emerging fields in nanotechnology.

Efforts Towards The Development Of Recombinant Vaccines Against

African Journals Online (AJOL)

ABSTRACT. Hemorrhagic septicemia is caused by gram-negative bacterium of Pasteurella multocida (P. multocida) strains. Most of the current vaccines against P. multocida have shortcomings. Presently, there is increasing efforts towards construction of recombinant clone for vaccine development against P. multocida.

The ultrasonic ranging and data system for radiological surveys in the UMTRA [Uranium Mill Tailings Remedial Action] Project

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Little, C.A.; Berven, B.A.; Blair, M.S.; Dickerson, K.S.; Pickering, D.A.

1988-01-01

The Ultrasonic Ranging and Data System (USRADS) was developed to allow radiation exposure data and positional information to be collected, stored and analyzed in a more efficient manner than currently employed on the (Uranium Mill Tailings Remedial Action (UMTRA) project. USRADS is a portable unit which employs ultrasonics, radio frequency transmissions, and a personal computer. Operational experience indicates that the system results in increased information about the property with decreased data analysis and transcription effort and only slightly more field effort. 5 refs., 3 figs., 2 tabs

The influence of social identity on self-worth, commitment, and effort in school-based youth sport.

Science.gov (United States)

Martin, Luc J; Balderson, Danny; Hawkins, Michael; Wilson, Kathleen; Bruner, Mark W

2018-02-01

​​​The current study examined the influence of social identity for individual perceptions of self-worth, commitment, and effort in school-based youth athletes. Using a prospective research design, 303 athletes (M age  = 14.89, SD = 1.77; 133 female) from 27 sport teams completed questionnaires at 2 time points (T1 - demographics, social identity; T2 - self-worth, commitment, effort) during an athletic season. Multilevel analyses indicated that at the individual level, the social identity dimension of in-group ties (IGT) predicted commitment (b = 0.12, P = .006) and perceived effort (b = 0.14, P = .008), whereas in-group affect (IGA) predicted commitment (b = 0.25, P = .001) and self-worth (b = 2.62, P = .006). At the team level, means for IGT predicted commitment (b = 0.31, P < .001) and self-worth (b = 4.76, P = .024). Overall, social identity accounted for variance at both levels, ranging from 4% (self-worth) to 15% (commitment). Identifying with a group to a greater extent was found to predict athlete perceptions of self-worth, commitment, and effort. More specifically, at the individual level, IGT predicted commitment and effort, and IGA predicted commitment and self-worth. At the team level, IGT predicted commitment and self-worth.

Current and potential technologies for the detection of radionuclide signatures of proliferation (R and D efforts)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Perkins, R.W.; Wogman, N.A.

1993-03-01

A country with the goal of developing nuclear weapons could pursue their ambition in several ways. These could range from the purchase or theft of a weapon or of the principal weapons components to a basic development program which may independently produce all the materials and components which are necessary. If the latter approach were pursued, there would be many signatures of such an effort and the more definitive of these include the actual materials which would be produced in each phase of the fuel cycle/weapons production process. By identifying the more definitive signatures and employing appropriate environmental sampling and analysis techniques for their observation, including imaging procedures, it should be possible to detect nuclear proliferation processes. Possible proliferation processes include: uranium acquisition through fuel fabrication; uranium enrichment for weapons production; reactor operation for plutonium production; fuel reprocessing for plutonium extraction; weapons fabrication; and uranium 233 production. Each of these are briefly discussed. The technologies for the detection of proliferation signatures which are in concept or research and development phase are: whole air beta counter; radiokrypton/xenon separator/analyzer; I-129 detector; isotope analyzer; deuterium/tritium analysis by IR/Raman spectroscopy and scintillation counting; noble gas daughter analysis; and airborne radionuclide collector/analyzer

The influence of coarse-scale environmental features on current and predicted future distributions of narrow-range endemic crayfish populations

Science.gov (United States)

Dyer, Joseph J.; Brewer, Shannon K.; Worthington, Thomas A.; Bergey, Elizabeth A.

2013-01-01

1.A major limitation to effective management of narrow-range crayfish populations is the paucity of information on the spatial distribution of crayfish species and a general understanding of the interacting environmental variables that drive current and future potential distributional patterns. 2.Maximum Entropy Species Distribution Modeling Software (MaxEnt) was used to predict the current and future potential distributions of four endemic crayfish species in the Ouachita Mountains. Current distributions were modelled using climate, geology, soils, land use, landform and flow variables thought to be important to lotic crayfish. Potential changes in the distribution were forecast by using models trained on current conditions and projecting onto the landscape predicted under climate-change scenarios. 3.The modelled distribution of the four species closely resembled the perceived distribution of each species but also predicted populations in streams and catchments where they had not previously been collected. Soils, elevation and winter precipitation and temperature most strongly related to current distributions and represented 6587% of the predictive power of the models. Model accuracy was high for all models, and model predictions of new populations were verified through additional field sampling. 4.Current models created using two spatial resolutions (1 and 4.5km2) showed that fine-resolution data more accurately represented current distributions. For three of the four species, the 1-km2 resolution models resulted in more conservative predictions. However, the modelled distributional extent of Orconectes leptogonopodus was similar regardless of data resolution. Field validations indicated 1-km2 resolution models were more accurate than 4.5-km2 resolution models. 5.Future projected (4.5-km2 resolution models) model distributions indicated three of the four endemic species would have truncated ranges with low occurrence probabilities under the low-emission scenario

Conditioning of BPM pickup signals for operations of the Duke storage ring with a wide range of single-bunch current

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Wei; Li, Jing-Yi; Huang, Sen-Lin; Z. Wu, W.; Hao, H.; P., Wang; K. Wu, Y.

2014-10-01

The Duke storage ring is a dedicated driver for the storage ring based oscillator free-electron lasers (FELs), and the High Intensity Gamma-ray Source (HIGS). It is operated with a beam current ranging from about 1 mA to 100 mA per bunch for various operations and accelerator physics studies. High performance operations of the FEL and γ-ray source require a stable electron beam orbit, which has been realized by the global orbit feedback system. As a critical part of the orbit feedback system, the electron beam position monitors (BPMs) are required to be able to precisely measure the electron beam orbit in a wide range of the single-bunch current. However, the high peak voltage of the BPM pickups associated with high single-bunch current degrades the performance of the BPM electronics, and can potentially damage the BPM electronics. A signal conditioning method using low pass filters is developed to reduce the peak voltage to protect the BPM electronics, and to make the BPMs capable of working with a wide range of single-bunch current. Simulations and electron beam based tests are performed. The results show that the Duke storage ring BPM system is capable of providing precise orbit measurements to ensure highly stable FEL and HIGS operations.

Development of a multiple HTS current lead assembly for corrector magnets application

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wu, J.L.; Dederer, J.T.; Singh, S.K.

1994-01-01

Vapor-cooled current leads used for transmitting power to superconducting power equipment such as the corrector magnets in the SSC spools can introduce a significant heat leak into the cryostat which results in cryogen boil-off. Replenishing the boil-off or refrigerating and liquefying the vapors associated with the cooling of these leads may constitute a significant portion of the operating cost and/or the capital investment of the power equipment. Theoretical studies and experiments have demonstrated that the heat leak introduced by a current lead can be significantly reduced by using ceramic high temperature superconductor (HTSC) as part of the conductor in the current leads. A HTSC reduces heat leak in a current lead by being superconducting in the temperature range below its critical temperature and by having a low temperature thermal conductivity which is generally orders of magnitude lower than the copper alloys commonly used as the current lead conductors. This combination reduces Joule heating and heat conduction, resulting in lower heat leak to the cryostat. To demonstrate the advantages and large scale application of this technology, Westinghouse Science ampersand Technology Center has continued its efforts in High Temperature Superconducting (HTS) current lead development. The efforts include qualification testing and selection of commercial sources of HTSC for current leads and the successful development of a 12 x 100 A multiple HTS current lead assembly prototype for SSC Corrector Element Power Lead application. The efforts on the design, fabrication and testing of the multiple HTS lead assembly is reported below

Overview of NASA/OAST efforts related to manufacturing technology

Science.gov (United States)

Saunders, N. T.

1976-01-01

An overview of some of NASA's current efforts related to manufacturing technology and some possible directions for the future are presented. The topics discussed are: computer-aided design, composite structures, and turbine engine components.

Efforts towards the development of recombinant Vaccines against ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Hemorrhagic septicemia is caused by gram-negative bacterium of Pasteurella multocida (P. multocida) strains. Most of the current vaccines against P. multocida have shortcomings. Presently, there is increasing efforts towards construction of recombinant clone for vaccine development against P. multocida. In this review an ...

Sweet resin bush on the Santa Rita Experimental Range: An eradication effort

Science.gov (United States)

Larry D. Howery; Bruce D. Munda; Dan G. Robinett; Harry H. Buck

2003-01-01

Sweet resin bush (Euryops subcarnosus DC ssp. vulgaris B. Nord; or, Euryops multifidis (L. f.) DC.), a South African shrub introduced to Arizona in the 1930s, was discovered on the Santa Rita Experimental Range (SRER) in 1998. Due to the threat of spread of this invasive plant and its potential to cause adverse environmental and economic effects, and because it posed a...

Current Efforts in European Projects to Facilitate the Sharing of Scientific Observation Data

Science.gov (United States)

Bredel, Henning; Rieke, Matthes; Maso, Joan; Jirka, Simon; Stasch, Christoph

2017-04-01

This presentation is intended to provide an overview of currently ongoing efforts in European projects to facilitate and promote the interoperable sharing of scientific observation data. This will be illustrated through two examples: a prototypical portal developed in the ConnectinGEO project for matching available (in-situ) data sources to the needs of users and a joint activity of several research projects to harmonise the usage of the OGC Sensor Web Enablement standards for providing access to marine observation data. ENEON is an activity initiated by the European ConnectinGEO project to coordinate in-situ Earth observation networks with the aim to harmonise the access to observations, improve discoverability, and identify/close gaps in European earth observation data resources. In this context, ENEON commons has been developed as a supporting Web portal for facilitating discovery, access, re-use and creation of knowledge about observations, networks, and related activities (e.g. projects). The portal is based on developments resulting from the European WaterInnEU project and has been extended to cover the requirements for handling knowledge about in-situ earth observation networks. A first prototype of the portal was completed in January 2017 which offers functionality for interactive discussion, information exchange and querying information about data delivered by different observation networks. Within this presentation, we will introduce the presented prototype and initiate a discussion about potential future work directions. The second example concerns the harmonisation of data exchange in the marine domain. There are many organisation who operate ocean observatories or data archives. In recent years, the application of the OGC Sensor Web Enablement (SWE) technology has become more and more popular to increase the interoperability between marine observation networks. However, as the SWE standards were intentionally designed in a domain independent manner

ORNL long-range environmental and waste management plan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baldwin, J.S.; Bates, L.D.; Brown, C.H.; Easterday, C.A.; Hill, L.G.; Kendrick, C.M.; McNeese, L.E.; Myrick, T.E.; Payne, T.L.; Pepper, C.E.; Robinson, S.M.; Rohwer, P.S.; Scanlan, T.F.; Smith, M.A.; Stratton, L.E.; Trabalka, J.R.

1989-09-01

This report, the ORNL Long-Range Environmental and Waste Management Plan, is the annual update in a series begun in fiscal year 1985. Its primary purpose is to provide a thorough and systematic planning document to reflect the continuing process of site assessment, strategy development, and planning for the current and long-term control of environmental issues, waste management practices, and remedial action requirements. The document also provides an estimate of the resources required to implement the current plan. This document is not intended to be a budget document; it is, however, intended to provide guidance to both Martin Marietta Energy Systems, Inc., and the US Department of Energy (DOE) management as to the near order of magnitude of the resources (primarily funding requirements) and the time frame required to execute the strategy in the present revision of the plan. As with any document of this nature, the near-term (one to three years) part of the plan is a pragmatic assessment of the current program and ongoing capital projects and reflects the efforts perceived to be necessary to comply with all current state and federal regulations and DOE orders. It also should be in general agreement with current budget (funding) requests and obligations for these immediate years. 55 figs., 72 tabs

ORNL long-range environmental and waste management plan

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Baldwin, J.S.; Bates, L.D.; Brown, C.H.; Easterday, C.A.; Hill, L.G.; Kendrick, C.M.; McNeese, L.E.; Myrick, T.E.; Payne, T.L.; Pepper, C.E.; Robinson, S.M.; Rohwer, P.S.; Scanlan, T.F.; Smith, M.A.; Stratton, L.E.; Trabalka, J.R.

1989-09-01

This report, the ORNL Long-Range Environmental and Waste Management Plan, is the annual update in a series begun in fiscal year 1985. Its primary purpose is to provide a thorough and systematic planning document to reflect the continuing process of site assessment, strategy development, and planning for the current and long-term control of environmental issues, waste management practices, and remedial action requirements. The document also provides an estimate of the resources required to implement the current plan. This document is not intended to be a budget document; it is, however, intended to provide guidance to both Martin Marietta Energy Systems, Inc., and the US Department of Energy (DOE) management as to the near order of magnitude of the resources (primarily funding requirements) and the time frame required to execute the strategy in the present revision of the plan. As with any document of this nature, the near-term (one to three years) part of the plan is a pragmatic assessment of the current program and ongoing capital projects and reflects the efforts perceived to be necessary to comply with all current state and federal regulations and DOE orders. It also should be in general agreement with current budget (funding) requests and obligations for these immediate years. 55 figs., 72 tabs.

Reviewing efforts in global forest conservation for sustainable forest ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Reviewing efforts in global forest conservation for sustainable forest management: The World Wide Fund (WWF) case study. ... Global Journal of Pure and Applied Sciences. Journal Home · ABOUT THIS JOURNAL · Advanced Search · Current ...

Fast current ramp experiments on TFTR

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fredrickson, E.D.; McGuire, K.; Goldston, R.J.

1987-05-01

Electron heat transport on TFTR and other tokamaks is several orders of magnitude larger than neoclassical calculations would predict. Despite considerable effort, there is still no clear theoretical understanding of this anomalous transport. The electron temperature profile T/sub e/(r), shape has shown a marked consistency on many machines, including TFTR, for a wide range of plasma parameters and heating profiles. This could be an important clue as to the process responsible for this enhanced thermal transport. In this paper 'profile consistency' in TFTR is described and an experiment which uses a fast current ramp to transiently decouple the current density profile J(r), and the T/sub e/(r) profiles is discussed. From this experiment the influence of J(r) on electron temperature profile consistency can be determined

Detection of suboptimal effort with symbol span: development of a new embedded index.

Science.gov (United States)

Young, J Christopher; Caron, Joshua E; Baughman, Brandon C; Sawyer, R John

2012-03-01

Developing embedded indicators of suboptimal effort on objective neurocognitive testing is essential for detecting increasingly sophisticated forms of symptom feigning. The current study explored whether Symbol Span, a novel Wechsler Memory Scale-fourth edition measure of supraspan visual attention, could be used to discriminate adequate effort from suboptimal effort. Archival data were collected from 136 veterans classified into Poor Effort (n = 42) and Good Effort (n = 94) groups based on symptom validity test (SVT) performance. The Poor Effort group had significantly lower raw scores (p Span test. A raw score cutoff of Span can effectively differentiate veterans with multiple failures on established free-standing and embedded SVTs.

A simple method to increase the current range of the TERA chip in charged particle therapy applications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cirio, R. [Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, sez. di Torino, via P. Giuria,1, 10125 Torino (Italy); Dipartimento di Fisica dell' Università di Torino, via P. Giuria,1, 10125 Torino (Italy); Fausti, F. [Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, sez. di Torino, via P. Giuria,1, 10125 Torino (Italy); Dipartimento di Elettronica e Telecomunicazioni del Politecnico di Torino, Corso Duca degli Abruzzi, 24, 10129 Torino (Italy); Fanola Guarachi, L. [Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, sez. di Torino, via P. Giuria,1, 10125 Torino (Italy); Dipartimento di Fisica dell' Università di Torino, via P. Giuria,1, 10125 Torino (Italy); Giordanengo, S., E-mail: Simona.Giordanengo@to.infn.it [Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, sez. di Torino, via P. Giuria,1, 10125 Torino (Italy); Marchetto, F.; Mazza, G. [Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, sez. di Torino, via P. Giuria,1, 10125 Torino (Italy); Monaco, V.; Sacchi, R. [Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, sez. di Torino, via P. Giuria,1, 10125 Torino (Italy); Dipartimento di Fisica dell' Università di Torino, via P. Giuria,1, 10125 Torino (Italy); Talpacci, E. [Dipartimento di Fisica dell' Università di Torino, via P. Giuria,1, 10125 Torino (Italy); Varasteh Anvar, M. [Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, sez. di Torino, via P. Giuria,1, 10125 Torino (Italy); Dipartimento di Fisica dell' Università di Torino, via P. Giuria,1, 10125 Torino (Italy); Vignati, A. [Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, sez. di Torino, via P. Giuria,1, 10125 Torino (Italy)

2015-10-21

The development of the next generation of accelerators for charged particle radiotherapy aims to reduce dimensions and operational complexity of the machines by engineering pulsed beams accelerators. The drawback is the increased difficulty to monitor the beam delivery. Within each pulse, instantaneous currents larger by two to three orders of magnitude than present applications are expected, which would saturate the readout of the monitor chambers. In this paper, we report of a simple method to increase by almost two orders of magnitude the current range of an Application Specific Integrated Circuit chip previously developed by our group to read out monitor ionization chambers.

Innovation Efforts in Education and School Administration: Views of Turkish School Administrators

Science.gov (United States)

Akin, Ugur

2016-01-01

Problem Statement: In the current information era, nearly all organizations make efforts to make innovations in the fields of information, communication, technology, etc. Educational organizations are no exception to this trend. Moreover, it can be argued that educational institutions make a particular effort to rapidly keep pace with change. In…

Physics Education Research efforts to promote diversity: Challenges and opportunities

Science.gov (United States)

Brahmia, Suzanne

2015-04-01

We begin this talk with a brief description of the gender and ethnic diversity of the physics community. We then discuss several current efforts within Physics Education Research that have the potential to further our understanding of issues surrounding underrepresentation. These efforts include research into (1) the role of community and strategies for developing effective communities; (2) physics identity and self-efficacy; (3) the affordances that students from underrepresented groups bring to physics learning; (4) socioeconomics and its impact on mathematization. One of the challenges to conducting this research is the relatively small proportion of underrepresented minority students in current physics classes, and the small number of women in physics and engineering majors. In collaboration with Stephen Kanim, New Mexico State University.

Efforts in Public Relations on Fusion in Europe

Science.gov (United States)

Ongena, J.; van Oost, G.

2001-10-01

An overview will be given of different published materials currently in use in Europe for public relations on fusion. We will also present a CD-ROM for individual and classroom use, containing (i) a general background on different energy forms, (ii) general principles of fusion, (iii) current research efforts and (iv) future prospects of fusion. This CD-ROM is currently in English, German, French, Spanish, Portuguese and Italian. Fusion posters developed in collaboration with CPEP in Dutch, French, German, Italian, Spanish and Portuguese will be shown. Several new brochures and leaflets intended to increase the public awareness on fusion in Europe will be on display.

Effort reward imbalance is associated with vagal withdrawal in Danish public sector employees

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Eller, Nanna Hurwitz; Blønd, Morten; Nielsen, Martin

2011-01-01

The current study analyzed the relationship between psychosocial work environment assessed by the Effort Reward Imbalance Model (ERI-model) and heart rate variability (HRV) measured at baseline and again, two years later, as this relationship is scarcely covered by the literature.......The current study analyzed the relationship between psychosocial work environment assessed by the Effort Reward Imbalance Model (ERI-model) and heart rate variability (HRV) measured at baseline and again, two years later, as this relationship is scarcely covered by the literature....

Current design efforts for the gas-cooled fast reactor (GFR)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Weaver, K.D.

2005-01-01

Current research and development on the Gas-Cooled Fast Reactor (GCFR) has focused on the design of safety systems that will remove the decay heat during accident conditions, ion irradiations of candidate ceramic materials, joining studies of oxide dispersion strengthened alloys; and within the Advanced Fuel Cycle Initiative (AFC I) the fabrication of carbide fuels and ceramic fuel matrix materials, development of non-halide precursor low density and high density ceramic coatings, and neutron irradiation of candidate ceramic fuel matrix and metallic materials. The vast majority of this work has focused on the reference design for the GCFR: a helium-cooled, direct Brayton cycle power conversion system that will operate with an outlet temperature of 850 C at 7 MPa. In addition to the work being performed in the United States, seven international partners under the Generation IV International Forum (GIF) have identified their interest in participating in research related to the development of the GCFR. These are EURATOM (European Commission), France, Japan, South Africa, South Korea, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. Of these, EURATOM (including the United Kingdom), France, Japan, and Switzerland have active research activities with respect to the GCFR. The research includes GCFR design and safety, and fuels/in-core materials/fuel cycle projects. This paper outlines the current design status of the GCFR, and includes work done in the areas mentioned above. (Author)

Spacecraft intercept guidance using zero effort miss steering

Science.gov (United States)

Newman, Brett

The suitability of proportional navigation, or an equivalent zero effort miss formulation, for spacecraft intercepts during midcourse guidance, followed by a ballistic coast to the endgame, is addressed. The problem is formulated in terms of relative motion in a general 3D framework. The proposed guidance law for the commanded thrust vector orientation consists of the sum of two terms: (1) along the line of sight unit direction and (2) along the zero effort miss component perpendicular to the line of sight and proportional to the miss itself and a guidance gain. If the guidance law is to be suitable for longer range targeting applications with significant ballistic coasting after burnout, determination of the zero effort miss must account for the different gravitational accelerations experienced by each vehicle. The proposed miss determination techniques employ approximations for the true differential gravity effect. Theoretical results are applied to a numerical engagement scenario and the resulting performance is evaluated in terms of the miss distances determined from nonlinear simulation.

Current practice and developmental efforts for leak detection in US reactor primary systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kupperman, D.S.; Claytor, T.N.

1985-07-01

Current leak detection practices in 74 operating nuclear reactors have been reviewed. Existing leak detection systems are adequate to ensure a leak-before-break scenario in most situations, but no currently available, single method combines optimal leakage detection sensitivity, leak-locating ability, and leakage measurement accuracy. Simply tightening current leakage limits may produce an unacceptably large number of unnecessary shutdowns. The use of commercially available acoustic monitoring systems or moisture-sensitive tape may improve leak detection capability at specific sites. However, neither of these methods currently provides source discrimination (e.g., to distinguish between leaks from pipe cracks and valves) or leak-rate information (a small leak may saturate the system). A field-implementable acoustic leak detection system is being developed to address these limitations. 5 refs., 3 figs

Pathogen-Host Associations and Predicted Range Shifts of Human Monkeypox in Response to Climate Change in Central Africa

Science.gov (United States)

Thomassen, Henri A.; Fuller, Trevon; Asefi-Najafabady, Salvi; Shiplacoff, Julia A. G.; Mulembakani, Prime M.; Blumberg, Seth; Johnston, Sara C.; Kisalu, Neville K.; Kinkela, Timothée L.; Fair, Joseph N.; Wolfe, Nathan D.; Shongo, Robert L.; LeBreton, Matthew; Meyer, Hermann; Wright, Linda L.; Muyembe, Jean-Jacques; Buermann, Wolfgang; Okitolonda, Emile; Hensley, Lisa E.; Lloyd-Smith, James O.; Smith, Thomas B.; Rimoin, Anne W.

2013-01-01

Climate change is predicted to result in changes in the geographic ranges and local prevalence of infectious diseases, either through direct effects on the pathogen, or indirectly through range shifts in vector and reservoir species. To better understand the occurrence of monkeypox virus (MPXV), an emerging Orthopoxvirus in humans, under contemporary and future climate conditions, we used ecological niche modeling techniques in conjunction with climate and remote-sensing variables. We first created spatially explicit probability distributions of its candidate reservoir species in Africa's Congo Basin. Reservoir species distributions were subsequently used to model current and projected future distributions of human monkeypox (MPX). Results indicate that forest clearing and climate are significant driving factors of the transmission of MPX from wildlife to humans under current climate conditions. Models under contemporary climate conditions performed well, as indicated by high values for the area under the receiver operator curve (AUC), and tests on spatially randomly and non-randomly omitted test data. Future projections were made on IPCC 4th Assessment climate change scenarios for 2050 and 2080, ranging from more conservative to more aggressive, and representing the potential variation within which range shifts can be expected to occur. Future projections showed range shifts into regions where MPX has not been recorded previously. Increased suitability for MPX was predicted in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. Models developed here are useful for identifying areas where environmental conditions may become more suitable for human MPX; targeting candidate reservoir species for future screening efforts; and prioritizing regions for future MPX surveillance efforts. PMID:23935820

Duke Power's liquid radwaste processing improvement efforts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baker, R.E. Jr.; Bramblett, J.W.

1995-01-01

The rising cost of processing liquid radwaste and industry efforts to reduce offsite isotopic contributions has drawn greater attention to the liquid radwaste area. Because of economic pressures to reduce cost and simultaneously improve performance, Duke Power has undertaken a wide ranging effort to cost effectively achieve improvements in the liquid radwaste processing area. Duke Power has achieved significant reductions over recent years in the release of curies to the environment from the Liquid Radwaste Treatmentt systems at its Catawba, McGuire, and Oconee stations. System wide site curie reductions of 78% have been achieved in a 3 year period. These curie reductions have been achieved while simultaneously reducing the amount of media used to accomplish treatment. The curie and media usage reductions have been achieved at low capital cost expenditures. A large number of approaches and projects have been used to achieve these curie and media usage reductions. This paper will describe the various projects and the associated results for Duke Power's processing improvement efforts. The subjects/projects which will be described include: (1) Cooperative philosophy between stations (2) Source Control (3) Processing Improvements (4) Technology Testing

Long-range goal setting in the nuclear utility industry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Beard, P.M.

1986-01-01

The Institute of Nuclear Power Operation's (INPO's) programs support the industry's efforts to improve performance in nuclear plant safety and reliability. The success of these programs can best be measured by the progress of the industry. As utilities focused their attention on nuclear plant performance, the Institute's goal was to make sure its programs and activities provided the best possible support for these efforts. INPO continues to coordinate an industry-wide plant performance indicator program to assist member utilities in assessing station performance. Closely related to this effort is the nuclear industry's establishment of long-range plant performance goals. The US nuclear utility industry currently sends INPO quarterly data on 28 key performance indicators. INPO analyzes these data and provides periodic reports to its members and participants. Selected highlights of INPO's Performance Indicators for the US Nuclear Utility, dated June 1986, are discussed. Throughout 1985, INPO interacted with members, participants, and three external ad hoc review groups to refine the overall performance indicators and to develop background for each unit. By April 1986, each utility had developed long-term goals for each unit. By April 1986, each utility had developed long-term goals for most of the overall indicators. These goals represent a commitment to achievement of excellence when applied to the day-to-day conduct of plant operations, and provide a framework for action

Self-regulating the effortful "social dos".

Science.gov (United States)

Cortes, Kassandra; Kammrath, Lara K; Scholer, Abigail A; Peetz, Johanna

2014-03-01

In the current research, we explored differences in the self-regulation of the personal dos (i.e., engaging in active and effortful behaviors that benefit the self) and in the self-regulation of the social dos (engaging in those same effortful behaviors to benefit someone else). In 6 studies, we examined whether the same trait self-control abilities that predict task persistence on personal dos would also predict task persistence on social dos. That is, would the same behavior, such as persisting through a tedious and attentionally demanding task, show different associations with trait self-control when it is framed as benefitting the self versus someone else? In Studies 1-3, we directly compared the personal and social dos and found that trait self-control predicted self-reported and behavioral personal dos but not social dos, even when the behaviors were identical and when the incentives were matched. Instead, trait agreeableness--a trait linked to successful self-regulation within the social domain--predicted the social dos. Trait self-control did not predict the social dos even when task difficulty increased (Study 4), but it did predict the social don'ts, consistent with past research (Studies 5-6). The current studies provide support for the importance of distinguishing different domains of self-regulated behaviors and suggest that social dos can be successfully performed through routes other than traditional self-control abilities. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2014 APA, all rights reserved).

Effort sharing in ambitious, global climate change mitigation scenarios

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ekholm, Tommi; Soimakallio, Sampo; Moltmann, Sara; Hoehne, Niklas; Syri, Sanna; Savolainen, Ilkka

2010-01-01

The post-2012 climate policy framework needs a global commitment to deep greenhouse gas emission cuts. This paper analyzes reaching ambitious emission targets up to 2050, either -10% or -50% from 1990 levels, and how the economic burden from mitigation efforts could be equitably shared between countries. The scenarios indicate a large low-cost mitigation potential in electricity and industry, while reaching low emission levels in international transportation and agricultural emissions might prove difficult. The two effort sharing approaches, Triptych and Multistage, were compared in terms of equitability and coherence. Both approaches produced an equitable cost distribution between countries, with least developed countries having negative or low costs and more developed countries having higher costs. There is, however, no definitive solution on how the costs should be balanced equitably between countries. Triptych seems to be yet more coherent than other approaches, as it can better accommodate national circumstances. Last, challenges and possible hindrances to effective mitigation and equitable effort sharing are presented. The findings underline the significance of assumptions behind effort sharing on mitigation potentials and current emissions, the challenge of sharing the effort with uncertain future allowance prices and how inefficient markets might undermine the efficiency of a cap-and-trade system.

Effort sharing in ambitious, global climate change mitigation scenarios

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ekholm, Tommi [TKK Helsinki University of Technology, Espoo (Finland); Soimakallio, Sampo; Syri, Sanna; Savolainen, Ilkka [VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, P.O. Box 1000, FIN-02044 VTT (Finland); Moltmann, Sara; Hoehne, Niklas [Ecofys Germany GmbH, Cologne (Germany)

2010-04-15

The post-2012 climate policy framework needs a global commitment to deep greenhouse gas emission cuts. This paper analyzes reaching ambitious emission targets up to 2050, either or from 1990 levels, and how the economic burden from mitigation efforts could be equitably shared between countries. The scenarios indicate a large low-cost mitigation potential in electricity and industry, while reaching low emission levels in international transportation and agricultural emissions might prove difficult. The two effort sharing approaches, Triptych and Multistage, were compared in terms of equitability and coherence. Both approaches produced an equitable cost distribution between countries, with least developed countries having negative or low costs and more developed countries having higher costs. There is, however, no definitive solution on how the costs should be balanced equitably between countries. Triptych seems to be yet more coherent than other approaches, as it can better accommodate national circumstances. Last, challenges and possible hindrances to effective mitigation and equitable effort sharing are presented. The findings underline the significance of assumptions behind effort sharing on mitigation potentials and current emissions, the challenge of sharing the effort with uncertain future allowance prices and how inefficient markets might undermine the efficiency of a cap-and-trade system. (author)

Using posts to an online social network to assess fishing effort

Science.gov (United States)

Martin, Dustin R.; Chizinski, Christopher J.; Eskridge, Kent M.; Pope, Kevin L

2014-01-01

Fisheries management has evolved from reservoir to watershed management, creating a need to simultaneously gather information within and across interacting reservoirs. However, costs to gather information on the fishing effort on multiple reservoirs using traditional creel methodology are often prohibitive. Angler posts about reservoirs online provide a unique medium to test hypotheses on the distribution of fishing pressure. We show that the activity on an online fishing social network is related to fishing effort and can be used to facilitate management goals. We searched the Nebraska Fish and Game Association Fishing Forum for all references from April 2009 to December 2010 to 19 reservoirs that comprise the Salt Valley regional fishery in southeastern Nebraska. The number of posts was positively related to monthly fishing effort on a regional scale, with individual reservoirs having the most annual posts also having the most annual fishing effort. Furthermore, this relationship held temporally. Online fishing social networks provide the potential to assess effort on larger spatial scales than currently feasible.

Ionospheric midlatitude electric current density inferred from multiple magnetic satellites

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Shore, R. M.; Whaler, K. A.; Macmillan, S.

2013-01-01

A method for inferring zonal electric current density in the mid-to-low latitude F region ionosphere is presented. We describe a method of using near-simultaneous overflights of the Ørsted and CHAMP satellites to define a closed circuit for an application of Ampère's integral law to magnetic data...... for estimates of main and crustal magnetic fields. Current density in the range ±0.1 μA/m2 is resolved, with the distribution of electric current largely matching known features such as the Appleton anomaly. The currents appear unmodulated at times of either high-negative Dst or high F10.7, which has...... implications for any future efforts to model their effects. We resolve persistent current intensifications between geomagnetic latitudes of 30 and 50° in the postmidnight, predawn sector, a region typically thought to be relatively free of electric currents. The cause of these unexpected intensifications...

Comparison of cardiovascular response to combined static-dynamic effort, postprandial dynamic effort and dynamic effort alone in patients with chronic ischemic heart disease

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hung, J.; McKillip, J.; Savin, W.; Magder, S.; Kraus, R.; Houston, N.; Goris, M.; Haskell, W.; DeBusk, R.

1982-01-01

The cardiovascular responses to combined static-dynamic effort, postprandial dynamic effort and dynamic effort alone were evaluated by upright bicycle ergometry during equilibrium-gated blood pool scintigraphy in 24 men, mean age 59 +/- 8 years, with chronic ischemic heart disease. Combined static-dynamic effort and the postprandial state elicited a peak cardiovascular response similar to that of dynamic effort alone. Heart rate, intraarterial systolic and diastolic pressures, rate-pressure product and ejection fraction were similar for the three test conditions at the onset of ischemia and at peak effort. The prevalence and extent of exercise-induced ischemic left ventricular dysfunction, ST-segment depression, angina pectoris and ventricular ectopic activity were also similar during the three test conditions. Direct and indirect measurements of systolic and diastolic blood pressure were highly correlated. The onset of ischemic ST-segment depression and angina pectoris correlated as strongly with heart rate alone as with the rate-pressure product during all three test conditions. The cardiovascular response to combined static-dynamic effort and to postprandial dynamic effort becomes more similar to that of dynamic effort alone as dynamic effort reaches a symptom limit. If significant ischemic and arrhythmic abnormalities are absent during symptom-limited dynamic exercise testing, they are unlikely to appear during combined static-dynamic or postprandial dynamic effort

Effort in Multitasking: Local and Global Assessment of Effort.

Science.gov (United States)

Kiesel, Andrea; Dignath, David

2017-01-01

When performing multiple tasks in succession, self-organization of task order might be superior compared to external-controlled task schedules, because self-organization allows optimizing processing modes and thus reduces switch costs, and it increases commitment to task goals. However, self-organization is an additional executive control process that is not required if task order is externally specified and as such it is considered as time-consuming and effortful. To compare self-organized and externally controlled task scheduling, we suggest assessing global subjective and objectives measures of effort in addition to local performance measures. In our new experimental approach, we combined characteristics of dual tasking settings and task switching settings and compared local and global measures of effort in a condition with free choice of task sequence and a condition with cued task sequence. In a multi-tasking environment, participants chose the task order while the task requirement of the not-yet-performed task remained the same. This task preview allowed participants to work on the previously non-chosen items in parallel and resulted in faster responses and fewer errors in task switch trials than in task repetition trials. The free-choice group profited more from this task preview than the cued group when considering local performance measures. Nevertheless, the free-choice group invested more effort than the cued group when considering global measures. Thus, self-organization in task scheduling seems to be effortful even in conditions in which it is beneficiary for task processing. In a second experiment, we reduced the possibility of task preview for the not-yet-performed tasks in order to hinder efficient self-organization. Here neither local nor global measures revealed substantial differences between the free-choice and a cued task sequence condition. Based on the results of both experiments, we suggest that global assessment of effort in addition to

Cost of reproduction in a long-lived bird: incubation effort reduces immune function and future reproduction.

Science.gov (United States)

Hanssen, Sveinn Are; Hasselquist, Dennis; Folstad, Ivar; Erikstad, Kjell Einar

2005-05-22

Life-history theory predicts that increased current reproductive effort should lead to a fitness cost. This cost of reproduction may be observed as reduced survival or future reproduction, and may be caused by temporal suppression of immune function in stressed or hard-working individuals. In birds, consideration of the costs of incubating eggs has largely been neglected in favour of the costs of brood rearing. We manipulated incubation demand in two breeding seasons (2000 and 2001) in female common eiders (Somateria mollissima) by creating clutches of three and six eggs (natural range 3-6 eggs). The common eider is a long-lived sea-duck where females do not eat during the incubation period. Mass loss increased and immune function (lymphocyte levels and specific antibody response to the non-pathogenic antigens diphtheria and tetanus toxoid) was reduced in females incubating large clutches. The increased incubation effort among females assigned to large incubation demand did not lead to adverse effects on current reproduction or return rate in the next breeding season. However, large incubation demand resulted in long-term fitness costs through reduced fecundity the year after manipulation. Our data show that in eiders, a long-lived species, the cost of high incubation demand is paid in the currency of reduced future fecundity, possibly mediated by reduced immune function.

Current status of nuclear safety research

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1977-01-01

Efforts at nuclear safety research have expanded year by year in Japan, in term of money and technical achievement. The Atomic Energy Commission set last year the five year nuclear safety research program, a guideline by which various research institutes will be able to develop their own efforts in a concerted manner. From the results of the nuclear safety research which cover very wide areas ranging from reactor engineering safety, safety of nuclear fuel cycle facilities, prevention of radiation hazards to the adequate treatment and disposal of radioactive wastes, AIJ hereafter focuses of LWR engineering safety and prevents two articles, one introducing the current results of the NSSR program developed by JAERI and the other reporting the LWR reliability demonstration testing projects being promoted by MITI. The outline of these demonstration tests was reported in this report. The tests consist of earthquake resistance reliability test of nuclear power plants, steam generator reliability tests, valve integrity tests, fuel assembly reliability tests, reliability tests of heat affected zones and reliability tests of pumps. (Kobatake, H.)

Do Haphazard Reviews Provide Sound Directions for Dissemination Efforts?

Science.gov (United States)

Gambrill, Eileen; Littell, Julia H.

2010-01-01

Comments on The dissemination and implementation of evidence-based psychological treatments: A review of current efforts by Kathryn R. McHugh and David H. Barlow. The lead article in the February-March issue by McHugh and Barlow (2010) emphasized the need for "dissemination and implementation of evidence-based psychological treatments."…

Estimation of inspection effort

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mullen, M.F.; Wincek, M.A.

1979-06-01

An overview of IAEA inspection activities is presented, and the problem of evaluating the effectiveness of an inspection is discussed. Two models are described - an effort model and an effectiveness model. The effort model breaks the IAEA's inspection effort into components; the amount of effort required for each component is estimated; and the total effort is determined by summing the effort for each component. The effectiveness model quantifies the effectiveness of inspections in terms of probabilities of detection and quantities of material to be detected, if diverted over a specific period. The method is applied to a 200 metric ton per year low-enriched uranium fuel fabrication facility. A description of the model plant is presented, a safeguards approach is outlined, and sampling plans are calculated. The required inspection effort is estimated and the results are compared to IAEA estimates. Some other applications of the method are discussed briefly. Examples are presented which demonstrate how the method might be useful in formulating guidelines for inspection planning and in establishing technical criteria for safeguards implementation

Field study of alpha characterization of a D ampersand D site using long-range alpha detectors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rawool-Sullivan, M.W.; Allander, K.S.; Bounds, J.A.; Koster, J.E.; MacArthur, D.W.; Sprouse, L.L.; Stout, D.; Vaccarella, J.A.; Vu, T.Q.

1994-01-01

A successful and cost-effective D ampersand D effort relies upon an accurate, real-time, in situ, and non-destructive method of characterization of contamination both before and after the decontamination process. Detector systems based on long-range alpha detection (LRAD) technology meet these criteria. Currently, LANL is in the process of investigating, designing, or building various surface monitors, various pipe monitors, and glove-box monitors. This paper describes the field studies conducted using detectors based on LRAD technology

Work Stress and Altered Biomarkers: A Synthesis of Findings Based on the Effort-Reward Imbalance Model.

Science.gov (United States)

Siegrist, Johannes; Li, Jian

2017-11-10

While epidemiological studies provide statistical evidence on associations of exposures such as stressful work with elevated risks of stress-related disorders (e.g., coronary heart disease or depression), additional information on biological pathways and biomarkers underlying these associations is required. In this contribution, we summarize the current state of the art on research findings linking stressful work, in terms of an established theoretical model-effort-reward imbalance-with a broad range of biomarkers. Based on structured electronic literature search and recent available systematic reviews, our synthesis of findings indicates that associations of work stress with heart rate variability, altered blood lipids, and risk of metabolic syndrome are rather consistent and robust. Significant relationships with blood pressure, heart rate, altered immune function and inflammation, cortisol release, and haemostatic biomarkers were also observed, but due to conflicting findings additional data will be needed to reach a firm conclusion. This narrative review of empirical evidence supports the argument that the biomarkers under study can act as mediators of epidemiologically established associations of work stress, as measured by effort-reward imbalance, with incident stress-related disorders.

Bi-frontal transcranial alternating current stimulation in the ripple range reduced overnight forgetting.

Science.gov (United States)

Ambrus, Géza Gergely; Pisoni, Alberto; Primaßin, Annika; Turi, Zsolt; Paulus, Walter; Antal, Andrea

2015-01-01

High frequency oscillations in the hippocampal structures recorded during sleep have been proved to be essential for long-term episodic memory consolidation in both animals and in humans. The aim of this study was to test if transcranial Alternating Current Stimulation (tACS) of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) in the hippocampal ripple range, applied bi-frontally during encoding, could modulate declarative memory performance, measured immediately after encoding, and after a night's sleep. An associative word-pair learning test was used. During an evening encoding phase, participants received 1 mA 140 Hz tACS or sham stimulation over both DLPFCs for 10 min while being presented twice with a list of word-pairs. Cued recall performance was investigated 10 min after training and the morning following the training session. Forgetting from evening to morning was observed in the sham condition, but not in the 140 Hz stimulation condition. 140 Hz tACS during encoding may have an effect on the consolidation of declarative material.

Wide-range bipolar pulse conductance instrument employing current and voltage modes with sampled or integrated signal acquisition

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Calhoun, R K; Holler, F J [Kentucky Univ., Lexington, KY (United States). Dept. of Chemistry; Geiger, jr, R F; Nieman, T A [Illinois Univ., Urbana, IL (United States). Dept. of Chemistry; Caserta, K J [Procter and Gamble Co., Cincinnati, OH (United States)

1991-11-05

An instrument for measuring solution conductance using the bipolar pulse technique is described. The instrument is capable of measuring conductances in the range of 5x10{sup -9}-10{Omega}{sup -1} with 1% accuracy or better in as little as 32 {mu}s. Accuracy of 0.001-0.01% is achievable over the range 1x10{sup -6}-1{Omega}{sup -1}. Circuitry and software are described that allow the instrument to adjust automatically the pulse height, pulse duration, excitation mode (current or voltage pulse) and data acquisition mode (sampled or integrated) to acquire data of optimum accuracy and precision. The urease-catalyzed decomposition of urea is used to illustrate the versality of the instrument, and other applications are cited. (author). 60 refs.; 7 figs.; 2 tabs.

Characterization of the intensity of effort of blind athletes from the Brazilian Football 5-A-Side national team

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ramon Pereira Souza

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Football 5-a-side is a sport played by blind athletes that takes part in the Paralympic Games since 2004. The Brazilian national team is currently considered the best team in the world in this sport. Objective: To analyze the variations of intensity of effort (average per position and group average made by blind athletes of the Brazilian football 5-a-side national team during six matches simulations. Methods: The sample on this research is the intentional type, made with eight blind male players,  ages ranging from 21 to 30 years old (23.8 ± 3.3, all of them part of the Brazilian Football 5-a-side National team, which played in the 2012 Paralympics Games in England. In was evaluated the VO2máx and the heart rate during six simulations of official matches. Results: The intensity of effort of the blind athletes of the Brazilian Football 5-a-side National Team is intermittent and remains 52.5 % of the total time of a match (50 minutes with an intensity of effort between the zone 2 (between threshold ventilation and respiratory compensation point and the zone 3 (above the respiratory compensation point averaging 89.8 % of the HR max. Conclusion: The intensity of effort is greater than the Football of 11 and, that in the Futsal players.

Online purchases of an expanded range of condom sizes in comparison to current dimensional requirements allowable by US national standards.

Science.gov (United States)

Cecil, Michael; Warner, Lee; Siegler, Aaron J

2013-11-01

Across studies, 35-50% of men describe condoms as fitting poorly. Rates of condom use may be inhibited in part due to the inaccessibility of appropriately sized condoms. As regulated medical devices, condom sizes conform to national standards such as those developed by the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) or international standards such as those developed by the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO). We describe the initial online sales experience of an expanded range of condom sizes and assess uptake in relation to the current required standard dimensions of condoms. Data regarding the initial 1000 sales of an expanded range of condom sizes in the United Kingdom were collected from late 2011 through to early 2012. Ninety-five condom sizes, comprising 14 lengths (83-238mm) and 12 widths (41-69mm), were available. For the first 1000 condom six-pack units that were sold, a total of 83 of the 95 unique sizes were purchased, including all 14 lengths and 12 widths, and both the smallest and largest condoms. Initial condom purchases were made by 572 individuals from 26 countries. Only 13.4% of consumer sales were in the ASTM's allowable range of sizes. These initial sales data suggest consumer interest in an expanded choice of condom sizes that fall outside the range currently allowable by national and international standards organisations.

Movements and foraging effort of Steller's Eiders and Harlequin Ducks wintering near Dutch Harbor, Alaska

Science.gov (United States)

Reed, J.A.; Flint, Paul L.

2007-01-01

We studied the movements and foraging effort of radio-marked Steller's Eiders (Polysticta stelleri) and Harlequin Ducks (Histrionicus histrionicus) to evaluate habitat quality in an area impacted by industrial activity near Dutch Harbor, Alaska. Foraging effort was relatively low, with Steller's Eiders foraging only 2.7 ± 0.6 (SE) hours per day and Harlequin Ducks 4.1 ± 0.5 hours per day. Low-foraging effort during periods of high-energetic demand generally suggests high food availability, and high food availability frequently corresponds with reductions in home range size. However, the winter ranges of Harlequin Ducks did not appear to be smaller than usual, with the mean range size in our study (5.5 ± 1.1 km2) similar to that reported by previous investigators. The mean size of the winter ranges of Steller's Eiders was similar (5.1 ± 1.3 km2), but no comparable estimates are available. Eutrophication of the waters near Dutch Harbor caused by seafood processing and municipal sewage effluent may have increased populations of the invertebrate prey of these sea ducks and contributed to their low-foraging effort. The threat of predation by Bald Eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) that winter near Dutch Harbor may cause Steller's Eiders and Harlequin Ducks to move further offshore when not foraging, contributing to an increase in range sizes. Thus, the movement patterns and foraging behavior of these ducks likely represent a balance between the cost and benefits of wintering in a human-influenced environment.

APS Education and Diversity Efforts

Science.gov (United States)

Prestridge, Katherine; Hodapp, Theodore

2015-11-01

American Physical Society (APS) has a wide range of education and diversity programs and activities, including programs that improve physics education, increase diversity, provide outreach to the public, and impact public policy. We present the latest programs spearheaded by the Committee on the Status of Women in Physics (CSWP), with highlights from other diversity and education efforts. The CSWP is working to increase the fraction of women in physics, understand and implement solutions for gender-specific issues, enhance professional development opportunities for women in physics, and remedy issues that impact gender inequality in physics. The Conferences for Undergraduate Women in Physics, Professional Skills Development Workshops, and our new Professional Skills program for students and postdocs are all working towards meeting these goals. The CSWP also has site visit and conversation visit programs, where department chairs request that the APS assess the climate for women in their departments or facilitate climate discussions. APS also has two significant programs to increase participation by underrepresented minorities (URM). The newest program, the APS National Mentoring Community, is working to provide mentoring to URM undergraduates, and the APS Bridge Program is an established effort that is dramatically increasing the number of URM PhDs in physics.

Current distribution of Pilularia globulifera L. in Poland – changes of geographical range and habitat preferences

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ewa Szczęśniak

2012-10-01

Full Text Available Pilularia globulifera is a subatlantic European fern threatened with extinction. In Poland, it reaches the eastern border of its continuous range. Up to the end of the 20th century, it was observed here in 21 stands; only 2 of them existed by the second half of the century, so the species was categorized as critically endangered. Five new locations have been found in western and northwestern Poland during the last 10 years. Abundant and permanent populations grow in 3 locations, while 2 stands were ephemeral. All the current stands are situated in anthropogenic habitats with spontaneous vegetation, in oligotrophic to eutrophic waters. One of the new localities is about 280 km distant from the eastern range of the limit known previously. Pilularia forms its own plant community Pilularietum globuliferae, enters plots of Ranunculo-Juncetum bulbosi and occurs in mesotrophic to eutrophic rushes of Eleocharis palustris, Phragmites australis, Typha angustifolia and Equisetum fluviatile. Specimens are vigorous and regularly produce sporocarps.

Effortful echolalia.

Science.gov (United States)

Hadano, K; Nakamura, H; Hamanaka, T

1998-02-01

We report three cases of effortful echolalia in patients with cerebral infarction. The clinical picture of speech disturbance is associated with Type 1 Transcortical Motor Aphasia (TCMA, Goldstein, 1915). The patients always spoke nonfluently with loss of speech initiative, dysarthria, dysprosody, agrammatism, and increased effort and were unable to repeat sentences longer than those containing four or six words. In conversation, they first repeated a few words spoken to them, and then produced self initiated speech. The initial repetition as well as the subsequent self initiated speech, which were realized equally laboriously, can be regarded as mitigated echolalia (Pick, 1924). They were always aware of their own echolalia and tried to control it without effect. These cases demonstrate that neither the ability to repeat nor fluent speech are always necessary for echolalia. The possibility that a lesion in the left medial frontal lobe, including the supplementary motor area, plays an important role in effortful echolalia is discussed.

Current practice and developmental efforts for leak detection in U.S. reactor primary systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kupperman, D.S.; Claytor, T.N.

1986-01-01

Current leak detection practices in 74 operating nuclear reactors have been reviewed. Existing leak detection systems are adequate to ensure a leak-before-break scenario in most situations, but no currently available, single method combines optimal leakage detection sensitivity, leak-locating ability, and leakage measurement accuracy. Simply tightening current leakage limits may produce an unacceptably large number of unnecessary shutdowns. The use of commercially available acoustic monitoring systems or moisture-sensitive tape may improve leak detection capability at specific sites. However, neither of these methods currently provides source discrimination (e.g., to distinguish between leaks from pipe cracks and valves) or leak-rate information (a small leak may saturate the system). A field-implementable acoustic leak detection system is being developed to address these limitations. 5 refs.

Hardware test program for evaluation of baseline range/range rate sensor concept

Science.gov (United States)

Pernic, E.

1985-01-01

The test program Phase II effort provides additional design information in terms of range and range rate (R/R) sensor performance when observing and tracking a typical spacecraft target. The target used in the test program was a one-third scale model of the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) available at the MSFC test site where the tests were performed. A modified Bendix millimeter wave radar served as the R/R sensor test bed for evaluation of range and range rate tracking performance, and generation of radar signature characteristics of the spacecraft target. A summary of program test results and conclusions are presented along with detailed description of the Bendix test bed radar with accompaning instrumentation. The MSFC test site and facilities are described. The test procedures used to establish background levels, and the calibration procedures used in the range accuracy tests and RCS (radar cross section) signature measurements, are presented and a condensed version of the daily log kept during the 5 September through 17 September test period is also presented. The test program results are given starting with the RCS signature measurements, then continuing with range measurement accuracy test results and finally the range and range rate tracking accuracy test results.

An all-field-range description of the critical current density in superconducting YBCO films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Golovchanskiy, I A; Pan, A V; Shcherbakova, O V; Fedoseev, S A; Dou, S X

2011-01-01

A new critical current density (J c ) model for high-quality YBCO (YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7 ) thin films has been proposed, combining thermally activated flux creep with a vortex pinning potential for columnar defects. The pinning for thermally activated vortices has been described as strong pinning on chains of individual edge dislocations that form low-angle domain boundaries in high-quality YBCO thin films. The model yields an adequate description of the J c behaviour over the whole applied field range, as verified by direct measurements of J c in YBCO thin films grown by pulsed-laser deposition. It also indicates that the effective pinning landscape changes under the influence of the external conditions. Remarkably, the pinning potential obtained from the model is consistent with the values obtained for columnar defects, which confirms the validity of the overall approach.

Cyberbullying Prevention and Intervention Efforts: Current Knowledge and Future Directions

Science.gov (United States)

Hong, Jun Sung

2016-01-01

Bullying is a serious public health concern that is associated with significant negative mental, social, and physical outcomes. Technological advances have increased adolescents’ use of social media, and online communication platforms have exposed adolescents to another mode of bullying—cyberbullying. Prevention and intervention materials, from websites and tip sheets to classroom curriculum, have been developed to help youth, parents, and teachers address cyberbullying. While youth and parents are willing to disclose their experiences with bullying to their health care providers, these disclosures need to be taken seriously and handled in a caring manner. Health care providers need to include questions about bullying on intake forms to encourage these disclosures. The aim of this article is to examine the current status of cyberbullying prevention and intervention. Research support for several school-based intervention programs is summarised. Recommendations for future research are provided. PMID:28562094

Cyberbullying Prevention and Intervention Efforts: Current Knowledge and Future Directions.

Science.gov (United States)

Espelage, Dorothy L; Hong, Jun Sung

2017-06-01

Bullying is a serious public health concern that is associated with significant negative mental, social, and physical outcomes. Technological advances have increased adolescents' use of social media, and online communication platforms have exposed adolescents to another mode of bullying- cyberbullying. Prevention and intervention materials, from websites and tip sheets to classroom curriculum, have been developed to help youth, parents, and teachers address cyberbullying. While youth and parents are willing to disclose their experiences with bullying to their health care providers, these disclosures need to be taken seriously and handled in a caring manner. Health care providers need to include questions about bullying on intake forms to encourage these disclosures. The aim of this article is to examine the current status of cyberbullying prevention and intervention. Research support for several school-based intervention programs is summarised. Recommendations for future research are provided.

Transboundary protected area proposals along the Southern Andes of Chile and Argentina: Status of current efforts

Science.gov (United States)

Peter Keller

2007-01-01

An evolving network of protected areas along the southern Andes of Chile and Argentina-the heart of Patagonia-are in various stages of evaluation and potential Transboundary Protected Area designations. This paper examines three such efforts. The first proposal is the North Andean-Patagonia Regional Eco-Corridor, which was the subject of a recent bilateral meeting...

On the efforts (man-day) concerned with inspection in uranium fuel fabrication facility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Watanabe, T.; Tanaka, T.; Seki, Y.

1990-01-01

Taking notice of inspection efforts (man·day) of STA·IAEA and those of MNF concerned with them, their change and various factors affecting the change have been studied. Namely, first, main topics concerning inspection in our Tokai plant are mentioned and secondly the relation between the inspection efforts and such factors as PIV period, number of items, number of DA sampling and NDA measurements, and so forth is studied. According to our study, though efforts of STA·IAEA and MNF required for both routine FLOW inspection and PIT have been nearly unchanged each year, our efforts for PIV have been increasing gradually. The factors relating to this increase of our efforts are the PIV period, inspection efforts of STA·IAEA for PIV and the number of DA sampling and NDA measurements. Finally, a suggestion on the future inspection system has been mentioned and then some items for improvement under the current inspection system have been exemplified. (author)

Maximum effort in the minimum-effort game

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Engelmann, Dirk; Normann, H.-T.

2010-01-01

Roč. 13, č. 3 (2010), s. 249-259 ISSN 1386-4157 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z70850503 Keywords : minimum-effort game * coordination game * experiments * social capital Subject RIV: AH - Economics Impact factor: 1.868, year: 2010

Bi-frontal transcranial alternating current stimulation in the ripple range reduced overnight forgetting

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Géza Gergely eAmbrus

2015-09-01

Full Text Available High frequency oscillations in the hippocampal structures recorded during sleep have been proved to be essential for long-term episodic memory consolidation in both animals and in humans. The aim of this study was to test if transcranial Alternating Current Stimulation (tACS of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC in the hippocampal ripple range, applied bi-frontally during encoding, could modulate declarative memory performance, measured immediately after encoding, and after a night’s sleep. An associative word-pair learning test, taken from Marshall and colleagues, was used. During an evening encoding phase, participants received 1 mA 140 Hz tACS or sham stimulation over both DLPFCs for 10 minutes while being presented twice with a list of word-pairs. Cued recall performance was investigated 10 minutes after training and the morning following the training session. Forgetting from evening to morning was observed in the sham condition, but not in the 140 Hz stimulation condition. 140 Hz tACS during encoding may have an effect on the consolidation of declarative material.

Changing reproductive effort within a semelparous reproductive episode.

Science.gov (United States)

Hughes, P William; Simons, Andrew M

2014-08-01

• Life-history theory predicts a trade-off between current and future reproduction for iteroparous organisms-as individuals age, the expected value of future reproduction declines, and thus reproductive effort is expected to be higher in later clutches than in earlier. In contrast, models explaining the evolution of semelparity treat semelparous reproduction as instantaneous, with no scope for intraindividual variation. However, semelparous reproduction is also extended, but over shorter time scales; whether there are similar age- or stage-specific changes in reproductive effort within a semelparous episode is unclear. In this study, we assessed whether semelparous individuals increase reproductive effort as residual reproductive value declines by comparing the reproductive phenotype of flowers at five different floral positions along a main inflorescence.• Using the herbaceous monocarp Lobelia inflata, we conducted a longitudinal study of 409 individuals including both laboratory and field populations over three seasons. We recorded six reproductive traits-including the length of three phenological intervals as well as fruit size, seed size, and seed number-for all plants across floral positions produced throughout the reproductive episode.• We found that while the rate of flower initiation did not change, flowers at distal (late) floral positions developed more quickly and contained larger seed than flowers at basal (early) floral positions did.• Our results were consistent with the hypothesis that, like iteroparous organisms, L. inflata increases reproductive effort in response to low residual reproductive value. © 2014 Botanical Society of America, Inc.

Design of an end station for a high current ion implantation system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kranik, J.R.

1979-01-01

During the last 4 to 5 years IBM has been involved in an effort to develop a high current Ion Implantation system with pre-deposition capabilities. The system is dedicated to Arsenic implants, involving doses > 1 x 10 15 ions/cm 2 in the energy range of 30 to 60 keV. A major portion of this effort involved the design of an associated end station capable of producing high uniformity implants with beam currents in the 0.5 to 6.0 mA range. The end station contains all components from the exit of the analyzing magnet, including the exit beamline, process chamber, scan system, wafer handling system, high vacuum pumping package, beam optics, dosimetry system, and associated electronic controls. The unit was restricted to a six wafer (82 mm) batch size to maintain process line compatibility. In addition, implant dose non-uniformity objectives were established at +- 3% (2σ) within a wafer and +- 2% (2σ) wafer-to-wafer. Also, the system was to be capable of implanting 24 wafers/hour at a dose of 7.5 x 10 15 ions/cm 2 . Major consideration in the design was afforded to high reliability, ease of maintenance and production level throughput capabilities. The rationale and evolution of the final end station design is described. (author)

Support for school-based obesity prevention efforts: attitudes among administrators at nationally representative samples of US elementary schools.

Science.gov (United States)

Turner, Lindsey; Slater, Sandy J; Chaloupka, Frank J

2013-08-01

With the continued threat of childhood obesity, many public health intervention efforts focus on school settings. The current study sought to document administrator attitudes regarding obesity and interest in improving relevant school practices (i.e., nutrition and physical activity) in elementary schools. Mail-back surveys were used to gather data from public and private elementary schools during the 2006-2007, 2007-2008, 2008-2009, and 2010-2011 school years. In each year, a different set of items pertaining to administrator attitudes was included. Numbers of responding schools annually ranged from 259 to 336 private schools, and from 578 to 748 public schools. The vast majority of elementary school administrators (>90%) agreed that schools can play a role in addressing childhood obesity, physical education improves a variety of academic outcomes, and they were interested in improving practices at their school. Concern about childhood obesity and perceiving that schools can play a role in addressing obesity were both associated with more interest in improving school practices. However, only one-third of administrators agreed that parents were interested in participating in improving nutrition and physical activity practices, suggesting opportunities for efforts to improve collaboration. Administrators are generally very supportive of school-based efforts to improve nutrition and physical activity practices and see the value in doing so. Given the amount of time children spend in school, schools are an essential venue for efforts to address childhood obesity.

Desirable forest structures for a restored Front Range

Science.gov (United States)

Yvette L. Dickinson; Rob Addington; Greg Aplet; Mike Babler; Mike Battaglia; Peter Brown; Tony Cheng; Casey Cooley; Dick Edwards; Jonas Feinstein; Paula Fornwalt; Hal Gibbs; Megan Matonis; Kristen Pelz; Claudia Regan

2014-01-01

As part of the federal Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Program administered by the US Forest Service, the Colorado Front Range Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Project (FR-CFLRP, a collaborative effort of the Front Range Roundtable1 and the US Forest Service) is required to define desired conditions for lower montane ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa...

U.S., Russia join efforts to clean up nuclear sites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Richard Seltzer.

1993-01-01

U.S. and Russian scientists are stepping up their cooperative efforts to deal with a vexing and controversial problem in both nations--cleanup of radioactive wastes at former nuclear weapons production sites. Last month, a top-level delegation of Russian officials and scientists came to the U.S. for two weeks. They visited Washington, D.C., and the Department of Energy's (DOE) Hanford site in Washington State, studying U.S. cleanup activities and providing information on Russian problems and efforts. The visit was part of a program of exchanges in the areas of environmental restoration and waste management called for by a 1990 memorandum of cooperation between DOE and the Russian Ministry of Atomic Energy. The memo helps implement a U.S.-Russian collaborative agreement on peaceful uses of atomic energy. Currently, cooperation under the memo exists in four areas: vitrification, waste separation, contaminant transport modeling, and student-scientist exchanges. The paper summarizes the visit to the Hanford Reservation and describes the cleanup efforts there

Genetic population structure of Shoal Bass within their native range

Science.gov (United States)

Taylor, Andrew T.; Tringali, Michael D.; Sammons, Steven M.; Ingram, Travis R.; O'Rouke, Patrick M.; Peterson, Douglas L.; Long, James M.

2018-01-01

Endemic to the Apalachicola River basin of the southeastern USA, the Shoal Bass Micropterus cataractae is a fluvial‐specialist sport fish that is imperiled because of anthropogenic habitat alteration. To counter population declines, restorative stocking efforts are becoming an increasingly relevant management strategy. However, population genetic structure within the species is currently unknown, but it could influence management decisions, such as brood source location. Leveraging a collaborative effort to collect and genotype specimens with 16 microsatellite loci, our objective was to characterize hierarchical population structure and genetic differentiation of the Shoal Bass across its native range, including an examination of structuring mechanisms, such as relatedness and inbreeding levels. Specimens identified as Shoal Bass were collected from 13 distinct sites (N ranged from 17 to 209 per location) and were then taxonomically screened to remove nonnative congeners and hybrids (pure Shoal Bass N ranged from 13 to 183 per location). Our results revealed appreciable population structure, with five distinct Shoal Bass populations identifiable at the uppermost hierarchical level that generally corresponded with natural geographic features and anthropogenic barriers. Substructure was recovered within several of these populations, wherein differences appeared related to spatial isolation and local population dynamics. An analysis of molecular variance revealed that 3.6% of the variation in our data set was accounted for among three larger river drainages, but substructure within each river drainage also explained an additional 8.9% of genetic variation, demonstrating that management at a scale lower than the river drainage level would likely best conserve genetic diversity. Results provide a population genetic framework that can inform future management decisions, such as brood source location, so that genetic diversity within and among populations is

The influence of music on mental effort and driving performance.

Science.gov (United States)

Ünal, Ayça Berfu; Steg, Linda; Epstude, Kai

2012-09-01

The current research examined the influence of loud music on driving performance, and whether mental effort mediated this effect. Participants (N=69) drove in a driving simulator either with or without listening to music. In order to test whether music would have similar effects on driving performance in different situations, we manipulated the simulated traffic environment such that the driving context consisted of both complex and monotonous driving situations. In addition, we systematically kept track of drivers' mental load by making the participants verbally report their mental effort at certain moments while driving. We found that listening to music increased mental effort while driving, irrespective of the driving situation being complex or monotonous, providing support to the general assumption that music can be a distracting auditory stimulus while driving. However, drivers who listened to music performed as well as the drivers who did not listen to music, indicating that music did not impair their driving performance. Importantly, the increases in mental effort while listening to music pointed out that drivers try to regulate their mental effort as a cognitive compensatory strategy to deal with task demands. Interestingly, we observed significant improvements in driving performance in two of the driving situations. It seems like mental effort might mediate the effect of music on driving performance in situations requiring sustained attention. Other process variables, such as arousal and boredom, should also be incorporated to study designs in order to reveal more on the nature of how music affects driving. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Complementary roles of different oscillatory activities in the subthalamic nucleus in coding motor effort in Parkinsonism.

Science.gov (United States)

Tan, Huiling; Pogosyan, Alek; Anzak, Anam; Ashkan, Keyoumars; Bogdanovic, Marko; Green, Alexander L; Aziz, Tipu; Foltynie, Thomas; Limousin, Patricia; Zrinzo, Ludvic; Brown, Peter

2013-10-01

The basal ganglia may play an important role in the control of motor scaling or effort. Recently local field potential (LFP) recordings from patients with deep brain stimulation electrodes in the basal ganglia have suggested that local increases in the synchronisation of neurons in the gamma frequency band may correlate with force or effort. Whether this feature uniquely codes for effort and whether such a coding mechanism holds true over a range of efforts is unclear. Here we investigated the relationship between frequency-specific oscillatory activities in the subthalamic nucleus (STN) and manual grips made with different efforts. The latter were self-rated using the 10 level Borg scale ranging from 0 (no effort) to 10 (maximal effort). STN LFP activities were recorded in patients with Parkinson's Disease (PD) who had undergone functional surgery. Patients were studied while motor performance was improved by dopaminergic medication. In line with previous studies we observed power increase in the theta/alpha band (4-12 Hz), power suppression in the beta band (13-30 Hz) and power increase in the gamma band (55-90 Hz) and high frequency band (101-375 Hz) during voluntary grips. Beta suppression deepened, and then reached a floor level as effort increased. Conversely, gamma and high frequency power increases were enhanced during grips made with greater effort. Multiple regression models incorporating the four different spectral changes confirmed that the modulation of power in the beta band was the only independent predictor of effort during grips made with efforts rated <5. In contrast, increases in gamma band activity were the only independent predictor of effort during grips made with efforts ≥5. Accordingly, the difference between power changes in the gamma and beta bands correlated with effort across all effort levels. These findings suggest complementary roles for changes in beta and gamma band activities in the STN in motor effort coding. The latter function

Effort-Based Decision-Making Paradigms for Clinical Trials in Schizophrenia: Part 1—Psychometric Characteristics of 5 Paradigms.

Science.gov (United States)

Reddy, L Felice; Horan, William P; Barch, Deanna M; Buchanan, Robert W; Dunayevich, Eduardo; Gold, James M; Lyons, Naomi; Marder, Stephen R; Treadway, Michael T; Wynn, Jonathan K; Young, Jared W; Green, Michael F

2015-09-01

Impairments in willingness to exert effort contribute to the motivational deficits characteristic of the negative symptoms of schizophrenia. The current study evaluated the psychometric properties of 5 new or adapted paradigms to determine their suitability for use in clinical trials of schizophrenia. This study included 94 clinically stable participants with schizophrenia and 40 healthy controls. The effort-based decision-making battery was administered twice to the schizophrenia group (baseline, 4-week retest) and once to the control group. The 5 paradigms included 1 that assesses cognitive effort, 1 perceptual effort, and 3 that assess physical effort. Each paradigm was evaluated on (1) patient vs healthy control group differences, (2) test-retest reliability, (3) utility as a repeated measure (ie, practice effects), and (4) tolerability. The 5 paradigms showed varying psychometric strengths and weaknesses. The Effort Expenditure for Rewards Task showed the best reliability and utility as a repeated measure, while the Grip Effort Task had significant patient-control group differences, and superior tolerability and administration duration. The other paradigms showed weaker psychometric characteristics in their current forms. These findings highlight challenges in adapting effort and motivation paradigms for use in clinical trials. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Maryland Psychiatric Research Center 2015.

Cognitive effort: A neuroeconomic approach

Science.gov (United States)

Braver, Todd S.

2015-01-01

Cognitive effort has been implicated in numerous theories regarding normal and aberrant behavior and the physiological response to engagement with demanding tasks. Yet, despite broad interest, no unifying, operational definition of cognitive effort itself has been proposed. Here, we argue that the most intuitive and epistemologically valuable treatment is in terms of effort-based decision-making, and advocate a neuroeconomics-focused research strategy. We first outline psychological and neuroscientific theories of cognitive effort. Then we describe the benefits of a neuroeconomic research strategy, highlighting how it affords greater inferential traction than do traditional markers of cognitive effort, including self-reports and physiologic markers of autonomic arousal. Finally, we sketch a future series of studies that can leverage the full potential of the neuroeconomic approach toward understanding the cognitive and neural mechanisms that give rise to phenomenal, subjective cognitive effort. PMID:25673005

Effort-Based Decision Making: A Novel Approach for Assessing Motivation in Schizophrenia.

Science.gov (United States)

Green, Michael F; Horan, William P; Barch, Deanna M; Gold, James M

2015-09-01

Because negative symptoms, including motivational deficits, are a critical unmet need in schizophrenia, there are many ongoing efforts to develop new pharmacological and psychosocial interventions for these impairments. A common challenge of these studies involves how to evaluate and select optimal endpoints. Currently, all studies of negative symptoms in schizophrenia depend on ratings from clinician-conducted interviews. Effort-based decision-making tasks may provide a more objective, and perhaps more sensitive, endpoint for trials of motivational negative symptoms. These tasks assess how much effort a person is willing to exert for a given level of reward. This area has been well-studied with animal models of effort and motivation, and effort-based decision-making tasks have been adapted for use in humans. Very recently, several studies have examined physical and cognitive types of effort-based decision-making tasks in cross-sectional studies of schizophrenia, providing evidence for effort-related impairment in this illness. This article covers the theoretical background on effort-based decision-making tasks to provide a context for the subsequent articles in this theme section. In addition, we review the existing literature of studies using these tasks in schizophrenia, consider some practical challenges in adapting them for use in clinical trials in schizophrenia, and discuss interpretive challenges that are central to these types of tasks. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Maryland Psychiatric Research Center. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Testing and evaluation of high temperature superconductor current leads

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yadav, Anand; Puntambekar, Avinash; Manekar, M.A.

2009-01-01

National Institute for Inter-disciplinary Science and Technology (NIIST), Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, Trivandrum (formerly Regional Research Laboratory) has accomplished a DAE-BRNS project with Raja Ramanna Centre for Advanced Technology (RRCAT) as principal collaborator for the development of high temperature superconductor (HTS) current leads. These HTS current leads have self-field critical currents (Ic) ranging from 50 A to 1000 A at liquid nitrogen (LN 2 ) temperature. These HTS are made out of silver sheathed Bismuth Strontium Calcium Copper Oxide (BSCCO-2223), for direct application in superconducting (SC) systems involving transportation of high electric currents from power sources at room temperature to superconducting devices at cryogenic temperatures. RRCAT has participated in this project by testing and evaluation of these HTS current leads and carried out actual load trials. In this paper, we will describe the HTS testing setup, tests performed with their testing procedure and the test results. The testing of these HTS has been done with joint effort of Materials Advanced Accelerator Science and Cryogenics Div. and Superconducting Technology Lab (SCT Lab), Advanced Accelerator Module Development Div., using the test facility available at the SCT Lab. (author)

A Review on Microdialysis Calibration Methods: the Theory and Current Related Efforts.

Science.gov (United States)

Kho, Chun Min; Enche Ab Rahim, Siti Kartini; Ahmad, Zainal Arifin; Abdullah, Norazharuddin Shah

2017-07-01

Microdialysis is a sampling technique first introduced in the late 1950s. Although this technique was originally designed to study endogenous compounds in animal brain, it is later modified to be used in other organs. Additionally, microdialysis is not only able to collect unbound concentration of compounds from tissue sites; this technique can also be used to deliver exogenous compounds to a designated area. Due to its versatility, microdialysis technique is widely employed in a number of areas, including biomedical research. However, for most in vivo studies, the concentration of substance obtained directly from the microdialysis technique does not accurately describe the concentration of the substance on-site. In order to relate the results collected from microdialysis to the actual in vivo condition, a calibration method is required. To date, various microdialysis calibration methods have been reported, with each method being capable to provide valuable insights of the technique itself and its applications. This paper aims to provide a critical review on various calibration methods used in microdialysis applications, inclusive of a detailed description of the microdialysis technique itself to start with. It is expected that this article shall review in detail, the various calibration methods employed, present examples of work related to each calibration method including clinical efforts, plus the advantages and disadvantages of each of the methods.

Marketing in current financial crisis

OpenAIRE

Mariánek, Lukáš

2009-01-01

The paper is describing the effects of recessions and current financial crisis on companies and their marketing. The topic covers the history of marketing throughout the world biggest recessions and describes the current marketing efforts of Czech companies under the current financial crisis. A strategical analysis with the impacts of crisis on long-term strategy planning is provided at the end of the paper.

Compressive laser ranging.

Science.gov (United States)

Babbitt, Wm Randall; Barber, Zeb W; Renner, Christoffer

2011-12-15

Compressive sampling has been previously proposed as a technique for sampling radar returns and determining sparse range profiles with a reduced number of measurements compared to conventional techniques. By employing modulation on both transmission and reception, compressive sensing in ranging is extended to the direct measurement of range profiles without intermediate measurement of the return waveform. This compressive ranging approach enables the use of pseudorandom binary transmit waveforms and return modulation, along with low-bandwidth optical detectors to yield high-resolution ranging information. A proof-of-concept experiment is presented. With currently available compact, off-the-shelf electronics and photonics, such as high data rate binary pattern generators and high-bandwidth digital optical modulators, compressive laser ranging can readily achieve subcentimeter resolution in a compact, lightweight package.

An opportunity cost model of subjective effort and task performance

Science.gov (United States)

Kurzban, Robert; Duckworth, Angela; Kable, Joseph W.; Myers, Justus

2013-01-01

Why does performing certain tasks cause the aversive experience of mental effort and concomitant deterioration in task performance? One explanation posits a physical resource that is depleted over time. We propose an alternate explanation that centers on mental representations of the costs and benefits associated with task performance. Specifically, certain computational mechanisms, especially those associated with executive function, can be deployed for only a limited number of simultaneous tasks at any given moment. Consequently, the deployment of these computational mechanisms carries an opportunity cost – that is, the next-best use to which these systems might be put. We argue that the phenomenology of effort can be understood as the felt output of these cost/benefit computations. In turn, the subjective experience of effort motivates reduced deployment of these computational mechanisms in the service of the present task. These opportunity cost representations, then, together with other cost/benefit calculations, determine effort expended and, everything else equal, result in performance reductions. In making our case for this position, we review alternate explanations both for the phenomenology of effort associated with these tasks and for performance reductions over time. Likewise, we review the broad range of relevant empirical results from across subdisciplines, especially psychology and neuroscience. We hope that our proposal will help to build links among the diverse fields that have been addressing similar questions from different perspectives, and we emphasize ways in which alternate models might be empirically distinguished. PMID:24304775

Effort rights-based management

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Squires, Dale; Maunder, Mark; Allen, Robin

2017-01-01

Effort rights-based fisheries management (RBM) is less widely used than catch rights, whether for groups or individuals. Because RBM on catch or effort necessarily requires a total allowable catch (TAC) or total allowable effort (TAE), RBM is discussed in conjunction with issues in assessing fish...... populations and providing TACs or TAEs. Both approaches have advantages and disadvantages, and there are trade-offs between the two approaches. In a narrow economic sense, catch rights are superior because of the type of incentives created, but once the costs of research to improve stock assessments...

Range Scheduling Aid (RSA)

Science.gov (United States)

Logan, J. R.; Pulvermacher, M. K.

1991-01-01

Range Scheduling Aid (RSA) is presented in the form of the viewgraphs. The following subject areas are covered: satellite control network; current and new approaches to range scheduling; MITRE tasking; RSA features; RSA display; constraint based analytic capability; RSA architecture; and RSA benefits.

Comparative evaluation of a mixed-fisheries effort-management system based on the Faroe Islands example

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Baudron, Alan; Ulrich, Clara; Nielsen, J. Rasmus

2010-01-01

-specific measures may not be appropriate for such fisheries. A management strategy evaluation model was developed to compare an effort-management system based on the Faroese example with a TAC system as currently applied in EU fisheries. Results show that when stocks are considered in isolation, a total allowable...... effort system does not necessarily perform better than a TAC one. It depends on stock status and dynamics, the level of uncertainty, and the reactivity of the system to changes in scientific advice. When the stocks are considered together in mixed fisheries, effort management seems, however...

Opportunities for cost-sharing in conservation: variation in volunteering effort across protected areas.

Science.gov (United States)

Armsworth, Paul R; Cantú-Salazar, Lisette; Parnell, Mark; Booth, Josephine E; Stoneman, Rob; Davies, Zoe G

2013-01-01

Efforts to expand protected area networks are limited by the costs of managing protected sites. Volunteers who donate labor to help manage protected areas can help defray these costs. However, volunteers may be willing to donate more labor to some protected areas than others. Understanding variation in volunteering effort would enable conservation organizations to account for volunteer labor in their strategic planning. We examined variation in volunteering effort across 59 small protected areas managed by Yorkshire Wildlife Trust, a regional conservation nonprofit in the United Kingdom. Three surveys of volunteering effort reveal consistent patterns of variation across protected areas. Using the most detailed of these sources, a survey of site managers, we estimate that volunteers provided 3200 days of labor per year across the 59 sites with a total value exceeding that of paid staff time spent managing the sites. The median percentage by which volunteer labor supplements management costs on the sites was 36%. Volunteering effort and paid management costs are positively correlated, after controlling for the effect of site area. We examined how well a range of characteristics of the protected areas and surrounding communities explain variation in volunteering effort. Protected areas that are larger have been protected for longer and that are located near to denser conurbations experience greater volunteering effort. Together these factors explain 38% of the observed variation in volunteering effort across protected areas.

Cancer Disparities - Cancer Currents Blog

Science.gov (United States)

Blog posts on cancer health disparities research—including factors that influence disparities, disparities-related research efforts, and diversity in the cancer research workforce—from NCI Cancer Currents.

Maternal Parenting as a Mediator of the Relationship between Intimate Partner Violence and Effortful Control

OpenAIRE

Gustafsson, Hanna C.; Cox, Martha J.; Blair, Clancy

2011-01-01

The current study examined the relationship between intimate partner violence (IPV), maternal parenting behaviors, and child effortful control in a diverse sample of 705 families living in predominantly low-income, rural communities. Using structural equation modeling, the authors simultaneously tested whether observed sensitive parenting and/or harsh-intrusive parenting over the toddler years mediated the relationship between early IPV and later effortful control. Results suggest that parent...

A neuronal model of a global workspace in effortful cognitive tasks.

Science.gov (United States)

Dehaene, S; Kerszberg, M; Changeux, J P

1998-11-24

A minimal hypothesis is proposed concerning the brain processes underlying effortful tasks. It distinguishes two main computational spaces: a unique global workspace composed of distributed and heavily interconnected neurons with long-range axons, and a set of specialized and modular perceptual, motor, memory, evaluative, and attentional processors. Workspace neurons are mobilized in effortful tasks for which the specialized processors do not suffice. They selectively mobilize or suppress, through descending connections, the contribution of specific processor neurons. In the course of task performance, workspace neurons become spontaneously coactivated, forming discrete though variable spatio-temporal patterns subject to modulation by vigilance signals and to selection by reward signals. A computer simulation of the Stroop task shows workspace activation to increase during acquisition of a novel task, effortful execution, and after errors. We outline predictions for spatio-temporal activation patterns during brain imaging, particularly about the contribution of dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and anterior cingulate to the workspace.

Closing the patient-oncologist communication gap: a review of historic and current efforts.

Science.gov (United States)

Pham, A Khoa; Bauer, Marianne T; Balan, Stefan

2014-03-01

Effective communication is essential in developing any relationship--this is particularly true between oncologists and their patients. The patient-oncologist relationship is one of the most delicate in medicine, and given the strong emotions associated with cancer, successful communication plays a paramount role in the wellbeing of patients and oncologists. Significant advances to close the communication gap have occurred over the past several decades, largely by addressing deficiencies in the various stages of an oncologist's lengthy training: undergraduate medical education, residency and fellowship, and continuing medical education. Stemming from several milestones achieved by highly motivated groups of individuals, including the creation of consensus statements and guidelines by communication education experts, progress has been made to improve patient-oncologist communication. This progress is marked by the development of evidence-based communication skills training programs, such as Oncotalk and Comskil, in addition to the creation of distant-learning modalities, such as the Studying Communication in Oncologist-Patient Encounters trial. This review article outlines the history of communication education during medical education and training, and brings to light more recent efforts to promote competent, communication-minded physicians necessary for effective cancer care.

Evaluation of Semi-Automatic Metadata Generation Tools: A Survey of the Current State of the Art

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jung-ran Park

2015-09-01

Full Text Available Assessment of the current landscape of semi-automatic metadata generation tools is particularly important considering the rapid development of digital repositories and the recent explosion of big data. Utilization of (semiautomatic metadata generation is critical in addressing these environmental changes and may be unavoidable in the future considering the costly and complex operation of manual metadata creation. To address such needs, this study examines the range of semi-automatic metadata generation tools (n=39 while providing an analysis of their techniques, features, and functions. The study focuses on open-source tools that can be readily utilized in libraries and other memory institutions.  The challenges and current barriers to implementation of these tools were identified. The greatest area of difficulty lies in the fact that  the piecemeal development of most semi-automatic generation tools only addresses part of the issue of semi-automatic metadata generation, providing solutions to one or a few metadata elements but not the full range elements.  This indicates that significant local efforts will be required to integrate the various tools into a coherent set of a working whole.  Suggestions toward such efforts are presented for future developments that may assist information professionals with incorporation of semi-automatic tools within their daily workflows.

Understanding the Association Between Negative Symptoms and Performance on Effort-Based Decision-Making Tasks: The Importance of Defeatist Performance Beliefs.

Science.gov (United States)

Reddy, L Felice; Horan, William P; Barch, Deanna M; Buchanan, Robert W; Gold, James M; Marder, Stephen R; Wynn, Jonathan K; Young, Jared; Green, Michael F

2017-11-13

Effort-based decision-making paradigms are increasingly utilized to gain insight into the nature of motivation deficits. Research has shown associations between effort-based decision making and experiential negative symptoms; however, the associations are not consistent. The current study had two primary goals. First, we aimed to replicate previous findings of a deficit in effort-based decision making among individuals with schizophrenia on a test of cognitive effort. Second, in a large sample combined from the current and a previous study, we sought to examine the association between negative symptoms and effort by including the related construct of defeatist beliefs. The results replicated previous findings of impaired cognitive effort-based decision making in schizophrenia. Defeatist beliefs significantly moderated the association between negative symptoms and effort-based decision making such that there was a strong association between high negative symptoms and deficits in effort-based decision making, but only among participants with high levels of defeatist beliefs. Thus, our findings suggest the relationship between negative symptoms and effort performance may be understood by taking into account the role of defeatist beliefs, and finding that might explain discrepancies in previous studies. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Maryland Psychiatric Research Center 2017.

Implementation of an algorithm for cylindrical object identification using range data

Science.gov (United States)

Bozeman, Sylvia T.; Martin, Benjamin J.

1989-01-01

One of the problems in 3-D object identification and localization is addressed. In robotic and navigation applications the vision system must be able to distinguish cylindrical or spherical objects as well as those of other geometric shapes. An algorithm was developed to identify cylindrical objects in an image when range data is used. The algorithm incorporates the Hough transform for line detection using edge points which emerge from a Sobel mask. Slices of the data are examined to locate arcs of circles using the normal equations of an over-determined linear system. Current efforts are devoted to testing the computer implementation of the algorithm. Refinements are expected to continue in order to accommodate cylinders in various positions. A technique is sought which is robust in the presence of noise and partial occlusions.

Dopamine and Effort-Based Decision Making

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Irma Triasih Kurniawan

2011-06-01

Full Text Available Motivational theories of choice focus on the influence of goal values and strength of reinforcement to explain behavior. By contrast relatively little is known concerning how the cost of an action, such as effort expended, contributes to a decision to act. Effort-based decision making addresses how we make an action choice based on an integration of action and goal values. Here we review behavioral and neurobiological data regarding the representation of effort as action cost, and how this impacts on decision making. Although organisms expend effort to obtain a desired reward there is a striking sensitivity to the amount of effort required, such that the net preference for an action decreases as effort cost increases. We discuss the contribution of the neurotransmitter dopamine (DA towards overcoming response costs and in enhancing an animal’s motivation towards effortful actions. We also consider the contribution of brain structures, including the basal ganglia (BG and anterior cingulate cortex (ACC, in the internal generation of action involving a translation of reward expectation into effortful action.

Student Recruitment and Retention Efforts in PETE: Cloudy Skies or Silver Linings

Science.gov (United States)

Bulger, Sean M.; Braga, Luciana; DiGiacinto, Kacey; Jones, Emily M.

2016-01-01

This article addresses current issues and trends related to teacher candidate recruitment in physical education teacher education programs. It highlights the efforts of program leaders in three different higher education institutions to recruit and retain well-qualified physical education majors. The key lessons learned from these cases serve as a…

Scaling-Up Youth-Led Social Justice Efforts through an Online School-Based Social Network.

Science.gov (United States)

Kornbluh, Mariah; Neal, Jennifer Watling; Ozer, Emily J

2016-06-01

The exploration of social networking sites (SNS) in promoting social change efforts offers great potential within the field of community psychology. Online communities on SNS provide opportunities for bridging across groups, thus fostering the exchange of novel ideas and practices. Currently, there have only been limited efforts to examine SNS within the context of youth-led efforts. To explore the potential of SNS to facilitate the diffusion of social justice efforts between distinct youth groups, we linked three school-based youth-led participatory action research projects involving 54 high school students through a SNS. This study offers an innovative methodological approach and framework, utilizing social network analysis and strategic sampling of key student informants to investigate what individual behaviors and online network features predict student adoption of social change efforts. Findings highlight prospective facilitators and barriers to diffusion processes within a youth-led online network, as well as key constructs that may inform future research. We conclude by providing suggestions for scholars and practitioners interested in examining how SNS can be used to enhance the diffusion of social justice strategies, youth-led engagement efforts, and large-scale civic organizing. © Society for Community Research and Action 2016.

The Dow Chemical Company's synchrotron radiation effort - A case history

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bubeck, R.A.; Bare, S.R.; DeKoven, B.M.; Heaney, M.D.; Rudolf, P.R.

1994-01-01

Synchrotron radiation is used in a broad array of technologies to study everything from molecular orientation at interfaces, through the structure of active catalyst phases. It is also a key to understanding structure-property relationships and providing fundamental information in polymers, ceramics, and other materials. The Dow Synchrotron User group, formed in 1991, has developed a long-term plan for effective utilization of synchrotron technology. The current efforts at Brookhaven National Lab. and Cornell High Energy Synchrotron Source are examined, as will the long-term commitment at the Advanced Photon Source. Current examples included are in-situ studies of polymer processing, surface and interfaces characterization, and real-time deformation studies. The APS is one of only three open-quotes Third Generationclose quotes synchrotron sources that are planned world-wide, the others being in France and Japan. With a scheduled completion date of mid-1995, the APS has remained both on-budget and ahead-of-schedule since ground-breaking in the spring of 1990. The DuPont - Northwestern University - Dow Collaborative Access Team (DND-CAT) is the first CAT to successfully pass all the necessary hurdles before beamline construction can begin. Some of the goals of the DND-CAT program are mentioned, together with the strengths of this unique collaborative effort

Brief Self-Report Scales Assessing Life History Dimensions of Mating and Parenting Effort

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Daniel J. Kruger

2017-02-01

Full Text Available Life history theory (LHT is a powerful evolutionary framework for understanding physiological, psychological, and behavioral variation both between and within species. Researchers and theorists are increasingly integrating LHT into evolutionary psychology, as it provides a strong foundation for research across many topical areas. Human life history variation has been represented in psychological and behavioral research in several ways, including indicators of conditions in the developmental environment, indicators of conditions in the current environment, and indicators of maturation and life milestones (e.g., menarche, initial sexual activity, first pregnancy, and in self-report survey scale measures. Survey scale measures have included constructs such as time perspective and future discounting, although the most widely used index is a constellation of indicators assessing the K-factor, thought to index general life history speed (from fast to slow. The current project examined the utility of two brief self-report survey measures assessing the life history dimensions of mating effort and parenting effort with a large undergraduate sample in the United States. Consistent with the theory, items reflected two inversely related dimensions. In regressions including the K-factor, the Mating Effort Scale proved to be a powerful predictor of other constructs and indicators related to life history variation. The Parenting Effort Scale had less predictive power overall, although it explained unique variance across several constructs and was the only unique predictor of the number of long-term (serious and committed relationships. These scales may be valuable additions to self-report survey research projects examining life history variation.

Current research efforts with Bacillus thuringiensis

Science.gov (United States)

Normand R. Dubois

1991-01-01

The bioassay of 260 strains of Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) and 70 commercial preparations show that regression coefficient estimates may be as critical as LC5O estimates when evaluating them for future consideration.

The current status of theory evaluation in nursing.

Science.gov (United States)

Im, Eun-Ok

2015-10-01

To identify the current status of theory evaluation in nursing and provide directions for theory evaluation for future development of theoretical bases of nursing discipline. Theory evaluation is an essential component in development of nursing knowledge, which is a critical element in development of nursing discipline. Despite earlier significant efforts for theory evaluation in nursing, a recent decline in the number of theory evaluation articles was noted and there have been few updates on theory evaluation in nursing. Discussion paper. A total of 58 articles published from 2003-2014 were retrieved through searches using the PUBMED, PsyInfo and CINAHL. The articles were sorted by the area of evaluation and analysed to identify themes reflecting the theory evaluation process. Diverse ways of theory evaluation need to be continuously used in future theory evaluation efforts. Six themes reflecting the theory evaluation process were identified: (a) rarely using existing theory evaluation criteria; (b) evaluating specifics; (c) using various statistical analysis methods; (d) developing instruments; (e) adopting in practice and education; and (f) evaluating mainly middle-range theories and situation-specific theories. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Solving Ratio-Dependent Predatorprey System with Constant Effort Harvesting Using Variational Iteration Method

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ghotbi, Abdoul R; Barari, Amin

2009-01-01

Due to wide range of interest in use of bio-economic models to gain insight in to the scientific management of renewable resources like fisheries and forestry, variational iteration method (VIM) is employed to approximate the solution of the ratio-dependent predator-prey system with constant effort...

The point spread function of the human head and its implications for transcranial current stimulation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dmochowski, Jacek P; Bikson, Marom; Parra, Lucas C

2012-01-01

Rational development of transcranial current stimulation (tCS) requires solving the ‘forward problem’: the computation of the electric field distribution in the head resulting from the application of scalp currents. Derivation of forward models has represented a major effort in brain stimulation research, with model complexity ranging from spherical shells to individualized head models based on magnetic resonance imagery. Despite such effort, an easily accessible benchmark head model is greatly needed when individualized modeling is either undesired (to observe general population trends as opposed to individual differences) or unfeasible. Here, we derive a closed-form linear system which relates the applied current to the induced electric potential. It is shown that in the spherical harmonic (Fourier) domain, a simple scalar multiplication relates the current density on the scalp to the electric potential in the brain. Equivalently, the current density in the head follows as the spherical convolution between the scalp current distribution and the point spread function of the head, which we derive. Thus, if one knows the spherical harmonic representation of the scalp current (i.e. the electrode locations and current intensity to be employed), one can easily compute the resulting electric field at any point inside the head. Conversely, one may also readily determine the scalp current distribution required to generate an arbitrary electric field in the brain (the ‘backward problem’ in tCS). We demonstrate the simplicity and utility of the model with a series of characteristic curves which sweep across a variety of stimulation parameters: electrode size, depth of stimulation, head size and anode–cathode separation. Finally, theoretically optimal montages for targeting an infinitesimal point in the brain are shown. (paper)

Eye safe laser range finders

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Snir, M.; Margaliot, M.; Amitzi, A.

2004-01-01

During the 1970's, Ruby (Q switched) laser based range finders with a wavelength of 694nm were first used. These lasers operated in a pulse mode within the visible light range and produced a risk for the eye retina. The laser beam striking the macula could damage the eye and might cause blindness. Over the years, Nd:YAG (Q switched) lasers were developed (operating at 1064nm) for range finding and designation uses. The wavelength of these lasers, operating in the near Infra-Red range (invisible), is also focused tightly on the retina. The human eye does not respond to the invisible light so there is no natural protection (eye blink reflex) as in the visible light. The operation of these lasers worldwide, especially when the laser beam is exposed, causes occasional eye accidents. Another risk is stemming from the use of observation systems with a high optical gain, in the laser operation areas, which enlarge the range of risk quite significantly. Therefore, research and development efforts were invested in order to introduce eye safe lasers. One of the solutions for this problem is presented in following document

Current nuclear threats and possible responses

Science.gov (United States)

Lamb, Frederick K.

2005-04-01

Over the last 50 years, the United States has spent more than 100 billion developing and building a variety of systems intended to defend its territory against intercontinental-range ballistic missiles. Most of these systems never became operational and ultimately all were judged ineffective. The United States is currently spending about 10 billion per year developing technologies and systems intended to defend against missiles that might be acquired in the future by North Korea or Iran. This presentation will discuss these efforts ad whether they are likely to be more effective than those of the past. It will also discuss the proper role of anti-ballistic programs at a time when the threat of a nuclear attack on the U.S. by terrorists armed with nuclear weapons is thought to be much higher than the threat of an attack by nuclear-armed ballistic missles.

Reproductive effort in biparental care : an experimental study in long-lived Cape gannets

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bijleveld, Allert I.; Mullers, Ralf H. E.

2009-01-01

Life-history theory predicts a trade-off between current and future reproduction, such that long-lived species should not increase their reproductive effort (RE) at a cost to their own survival. In species with long-term pair bonds and biparental care, each parent must balance its reproductive

New Mexico district work-effort analysis computer program

Science.gov (United States)

Hiss, W.L.; Trantolo, A.P.; Sparks, J.L.

1972-01-01

The computer program (CAN 2) described in this report is one of several related programs used in the New Mexico District cost-analysis system. The work-effort information used in these programs is accumulated and entered to the nearest hour on forms completed by each employee. Tabulating cards are punched directly from these forms after visual examinations for errors are made. Reports containing detailed work-effort data itemized by employee within each project and account and by account and project for each employee are prepared for both current-month and year-to-date periods by the CAN 2 computer program. An option allowing preparation of reports for a specified 3-month period is provided. The total number of hours worked on each account and project and a grand total of hours worked in the New Mexico District is computed and presented in a summary report for each period. Work effort not chargeable directly to individual projects or accounts is considered as overhead and can be apportioned to the individual accounts and projects on the basis of the ratio of the total hours of work effort for the individual accounts or projects to the total New Mexico District work effort at the option of the user. The hours of work performed by a particular section, such as General Investigations or Surface Water, are prorated and charged to the projects or accounts within the particular section. A number of surveillance or buffer accounts are employed to account for the hours worked on special events or on those parts of large projects or accounts that require a more detailed analysis. Any part of the New Mexico District operation can be separated and analyzed in detail by establishing an appropriate buffer account. With the exception of statements associated with word size, the computer program is written in FORTRAN IV in a relatively low and standard language level to facilitate its use on different digital computers. The program has been run only on a Control Data Corporation

The Influence of Mark-Recapture Sampling Effort on Estimates of Rock Lobster Survival.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ziya Kordjazi

Full Text Available Five annual capture-mark-recapture surveys on Jasus edwardsii were used to evaluate the effect of sample size and fishing effort on the precision of estimated survival probability. Datasets of different numbers of individual lobsters (ranging from 200 to 1,000 lobsters were created by random subsampling from each annual survey. This process of random subsampling was also used to create 12 datasets of different levels of effort based on three levels of the number of traps (15, 30 and 50 traps per day and four levels of the number of sampling-days (2, 4, 6 and 7 days. The most parsimonious Cormack-Jolly-Seber (CJS model for estimating survival probability shifted from a constant model towards sex-dependent models with increasing sample size and effort. A sample of 500 lobsters or 50 traps used on four consecutive sampling-days was required for obtaining precise survival estimations for males and females, separately. Reduced sampling effort of 30 traps over four sampling days was sufficient if a survival estimate for both sexes combined was sufficient for management of the fishery.

The Influence of Mark-Recapture Sampling Effort on Estimates of Rock Lobster Survival

Science.gov (United States)

Kordjazi, Ziya; Frusher, Stewart; Buxton, Colin; Gardner, Caleb; Bird, Tomas

2016-01-01

Five annual capture-mark-recapture surveys on Jasus edwardsii were used to evaluate the effect of sample size and fishing effort on the precision of estimated survival probability. Datasets of different numbers of individual lobsters (ranging from 200 to 1,000 lobsters) were created by random subsampling from each annual survey. This process of random subsampling was also used to create 12 datasets of different levels of effort based on three levels of the number of traps (15, 30 and 50 traps per day) and four levels of the number of sampling-days (2, 4, 6 and 7 days). The most parsimonious Cormack-Jolly-Seber (CJS) model for estimating survival probability shifted from a constant model towards sex-dependent models with increasing sample size and effort. A sample of 500 lobsters or 50 traps used on four consecutive sampling-days was required for obtaining precise survival estimations for males and females, separately. Reduced sampling effort of 30 traps over four sampling days was sufficient if a survival estimate for both sexes combined was sufficient for management of the fishery. PMID:26990561

Counter-current acid leaching process for the removal of Cu, Pb, Sb and Zn from shooting range soil.

Science.gov (United States)

Lafond, Stéphanie; Blais, Jean-François; Mercier, Guy; Martel, Richard

2013-01-01

This research explores the performance of a counter-current leaching process (CCLP) for Cu, Pb, Sb and Zn extraction in a polluted shooting range soil. The initial metal concentrations in the soil were 1790 mg Cu/kg, 48,300 mg Pb/kg, 840 mg Sb/kg and 368 mg Zn/kg. The leaching process consisted of five one-hour acid leaching steps, which used 1 M H2SO4 + 4 M NaCl (20 degrees C, soil suspension = 100 g/L) followed by two water rinsing steps. Ten counter-current remediation cycles were completed and the average metal removal yields were 98.3 +/- 0.3% of Cu, 99.5 +/- 0.1% of Pb, 75.5 +/- 5.1% of Sb and 29.1 +/- 27.2% of Zn. The quality of metal leaching did not deteriorate throughout the 10 remediation cycles completed for this study. The CCLP reduced acid and salt use by approximately 68% and reduced water consumption by approximately 60%, exceeding reductions achieved by a standard acid leaching process.

Maximal effort cytoreductive surgery for disseminated ovarian cancer in a UK setting: challenges and possibilities.

Science.gov (United States)

Fotopoulou, Christina; Jones, Benjamin P; Savvatis, Konstantinos; Campbell, Jeremy; Kyrgiou, Maria; Farthing, Alan; Brett, Stephen; Roux, Rene; Hall, Marcia; Rustin, Gordon; Gabra, Hani; Jiao, Long; Stümpfle, Richard

2016-09-01

To assess surgical morbidity and mortality of maximal effort cytoreductive surgery for disseminated epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) in a UK tertiary center. A monocentric prospective analysis of surgical morbidity and mortality was performed for all consecutive EOC patients who underwent extensive cytoreductive surgery between 01/2013 and 12/2014. Surgical complexity was assessed by the Mayo clinic surgical complexity score (SCS). Only patients with high SCS ≥5 were included in the analysis. We evaluated 118 stage IIIC/IV patients, with a median age of 63 years (range 19-91); 47.5 % had ascites and 29 % a pleural effusion. Median duration of surgery was 247 min (range 100-540 min). Median surgical complexity score was 10 (range 5-15) consisting of bowel resection (71 %), stoma formation (13.6 %), diaphragmatic stripping/resection (67 %), liver/liver capsule resection (39 %), splenectomy (20 %), resection stomach/lesser sac (26.3 %), pleurectomy (17 %), coeliac trunk/subdiaphragmatic lymphadenectomy (8 %). Total macroscopic tumor clearance rate was 89 %. Major surgical complication rate was 18.6 % (n = 22), with a 28-day and 3-month mortality of 1.7 and 3.4 %, respectively. The anastomotic leak rate was 0.8 %; fistula/bowel perforation 3.4 %; thromboembolism 3.4 % and reoperation 4.2 %. Median intensive care unit and hospital stay were 1.7 (range 0-104) and 8 days (range 4-118), respectively. Four patients (3.3 %) failed to receive chemotherapy within the first 8 postoperative weeks. Maximal effort cytoreductive surgery for EOC is feasible within a UK setting with acceptable morbidity, low intestinal stoma rates and without clinically relevant delays to postoperative chemotherapy. Careful patient selection, and coordinated multidisciplinary effort appear to be the key for good outcome. Future evaluations should include quality of life analyses.

How do different components of Effortful Control contribute to children's mathematics achievement?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Noelia eSánchez-Pérez

2015-09-01

Full Text Available This work sought to investigate the specific contribution of two different components of Effortful Control -attentional focusing and inhibitory control- to children’s mathematics achievement. The sample was composed of 142 children aged 9 to 12 years old. Effortful Control components were measured through the Temperament in Middle Childhood Questionnaire (TMCQ; parent´s report; math achievement was measured via teacher’s report and through the standard Woodcock-Johnson test. Additionally, the contribution of other cognitive and socio-emotional processes was taken into account. Our results showed that only attentional focusing significantly contributed to the variance of children’s mathematics achievement; interestingly, mediational models showed that the relationship between effortful attentional self-regulation and mathematics achievement was mediated by academic peer popularity, as well as by intelligence and study skills. Results are discussed in the light of the current theories on the role of children’ self-regulation abilities in the context of school.

75 FR 8137 - Coordination and Strategic Planning of the Federal Effort Against Intellectual Property...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-02-23

.... Government can use to obtain more accurate information concerning the identities, corporate structures and... Government is currently undertaking a landmark effort to develop an intellectual property enforcement... intellectual property rights. By committing to common goals, the Government will more effectively and...

An Analysis of Current Organizational Development Efforts in the United States Coast Guard

Science.gov (United States)

1978-09-01

conceptualization obtaining the necessary knowledge or understanding will autceatically result in alterations in attitudes and bahavior . The final category of change...Resources management Project (HUMP) and was comprised cf 24 specially-selected Uavymon from a field ct over 1000 volunteers . The HRAP was designed to... volunteers . The grcup ccnsisted of both officer and enlisted personnel and ranged in grade from 1-4 to 0-5. The group had a diverse background of education

Estimation of total Effort and Effort Elapsed in Each Step of Software Development Using Optimal Bayesian Belief Network

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fatemeh Zare Baghiabad

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Accuracy in estimating the needed effort for software development caused software effort estimation to be a challenging issue. Beside estimation of total effort, determining the effort elapsed in each software development step is very important because any mistakes in enterprise resource planning can lead to project failure. In this paper, a Bayesian belief network was proposed based on effective components and software development process. In this model, the feedback loops are considered between development steps provided that the return rates are different for each project. Different return rates help us determine the percentages of the elapsed effort in each software development step, distinctively. Moreover, the error measurement resulted from optimized effort estimation and the optimal coefficients to modify the model are sought. The results of the comparison between the proposed model and other models showed that the model has the capability to highly accurately estimate the total effort (with the marginal error of about 0.114 and to estimate the effort elapsed in each software development step.

States and compacts: Issues and events affecting facility development efforts, including the Barnwell opening

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Larson, G.S.

1995-12-31

Ten years have passed since the first regional low-level radioactive waste compacts received Congressional consent and initiated their efforts to develop new disposal capacity. During these 10 years, both significant achievements and serious setbacks have marked our efforts and affect our current outlook. Recent events in the waste marketplace, particularly in the operating status of the Barnwell disposal facility, have now raised legitimate questions about the continued rationale for the regional framework that grew out of the original legislation enacted by Congress in 1980. At the same time, licensing activities for new regional disposal facilities are under way in three states, and a fourth awaits the final go-ahead to begin construction. Uncertainty over the meaning and reliability of the marketplace events makes it difficult to gauge long-term implications. In addition, differences in the status of individual state and compact facility development efforts lead to varying assessments of the influence these events will, or should, have on such efforts.

States and compacts: Issues and events affecting facility development efforts, including the Barnwell opening

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Larson, G.S.

1995-01-01

Ten years have passed since the first regional low-level radioactive waste compacts received Congressional consent and initiated their efforts to develop new disposal capacity. During these 10 years, both significant achievements and serious setbacks have marked our efforts and affect our current outlook. Recent events in the waste marketplace, particularly in the operating status of the Barnwell disposal facility, have now raised legitimate questions about the continued rationale for the regional framework that grew out of the original legislation enacted by Congress in 1980. At the same time, licensing activities for new regional disposal facilities are under way in three states, and a fourth awaits the final go-ahead to begin construction. Uncertainty over the meaning and reliability of the marketplace events makes it difficult to gauge long-term implications. In addition, differences in the status of individual state and compact facility development efforts lead to varying assessments of the influence these events will, or should, have on such efforts

Significance of promoting innovative efforts and technology transfer for industry

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rembser, J [Bundesministerium fuer Forschung und Technologie, Bonn-Bad Godesberg (Germany, F.R.)

1978-11-01

Technological know how and innovations will be of considerable future importance for West German industry. Changes in the reliability of sources of supply (energy, raw materials), the burden imposed on the environment by intensive industrial production and numerous private sources, and the stiffening of international competition necessitate cLoser collaboration between industry and government. Public aid in research and development efforts will assume an important role. In West Germany there is a wide variety of such governmental aids. The range extends from direct grants to enterprises for research and development work to the furnishing of advice to promote innovative efforts and technology transfer. Banks provide risk capital with governmental aid to firms trying to indroduce high-risk innovations into the market. In recent years the aim has been to provide small and medium-size firms with better access to technological know how and governmental aids.

Peru continues to press privitization efforts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1992-01-01

This paper reports that Peru has again extended the deadline for bids on a 30 year operating contract for state owned Petromar SA's offshore Block Z-2b. The tender is key to efforts to privatize Petromar, a subsidiary of state oil company Petroleos del Peru. The committee charged with implementing Petromar privatization extended the deadline for bids another 70 days Oct. 30, following a 60 day extension made in September. The latest deadline for bids is Feb. 10, with the contract expected to be awarded Feb. 26. A bid package on Block Z-2b is available from Petroperu's Lima headquarters for $20,000. Petromar operates the former Belco Petroleum Corp. offshore assets Peru's government expropriated in 1985. It currently produces 17,600 b/d, compared with 27,000 b/d at the time of expropriation

Mapping telemedicine efforts: surveying regional initiatives in Denmark.

Science.gov (United States)

Kierkegaard, Patrick

2015-05-01

The aim of this study is to survey telemedicine services currently in operation across Denmark. The study specifically seeks to answer the following questions: What initiatives are deployed within the different regions? What are the motivations behind the projects? What technologies are being utilized? What medical disciplines are being supported using telemedicine systems? All data were surveyed from the Telemedicinsk Landkort, a newly created database designed to provide a comprehensive and systematic overview of all telemedicine technologies in Denmark. The results of this study suggest that a growing numbers of telemedicine initiatives are currently in operation across Denmark but that considerable variations exist in terms of regional efforts as the number of operational telemedicine projects varied from region to region. The results of this study provide a timely picture of the factors that are shaping the telemedicine landscape of Denmark and suggest potential strategies to help policymakers increase and improve national telemedicine deployment.

Mental and physical effort affect vigilance differently

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Smit, A.S.; Eling, P.A.T.M.; Hopman, M.T.E.; Coenen, A.M.L.

2005-01-01

Both physical and mental effort are thought to affect vigilance. Mental effort is known for its vigilance declining effects, but the effects of physical effort are less clear. This study investigated whether these two forms of effort affect the EEG and subjective alertness differently. Participants

Mental and physical effort affect vigilance differently.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Smit, A.S.; Eling, P.A.T.M.; Hopman, M.T.E.; Coenen, A.M.L.

2005-01-01

Both physical and mental effort are thought to affect vigilance. Mental effort is known for its vigilance declining effects, but the effects of physical effort are less clear. This study investigated whether these two forms of effort affect the EEG and subjective alertness differently. Participants

Low-effort thought promotes political conservatism.

Science.gov (United States)

Eidelman, Scott; Crandall, Christian S; Goodman, Jeffrey A; Blanchar, John C

2012-06-01

The authors test the hypothesis that low-effort thought promotes political conservatism. In Study 1, alcohol intoxication was measured among bar patrons; as blood alcohol level increased, so did political conservatism (controlling for sex, education, and political identification). In Study 2, participants under cognitive load reported more conservative attitudes than their no-load counterparts. In Study 3, time pressure increased participants' endorsement of conservative terms. In Study 4, participants considering political terms in a cursory manner endorsed conservative terms more than those asked to cogitate; an indicator of effortful thought (recognition memory) partially mediated the relationship between processing effort and conservatism. Together these data suggest that political conservatism may be a process consequence of low-effort thought; when effortful, deliberate thought is disengaged, endorsement of conservative ideology increases.

Fiscal 1998 research report. Survey on the current trend of private R and D efforts; 1998 nendo chosa hokokusho. Minkan no kenkyu kaihatsu doko no jittai ni kansuru chosa

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1999-03-01

For promotion of the R and D system of technologies creating new industries, this survey collected the basic data and information on the trend of private R and D efforts and industries, and arranged every data and information obtained. The data on United States, Germany, France and U.K. in addition to Japan were collected. Survey was made first on the administrative support system for private R and D efforts. The R and D-related budget, R and D support program and private R and D-related fund of Japan, United States and U.K. are mainly outlined. Survey was made next on private R and D activities. The R and D-related fund, researcher and patent of main countries are outlined in international comparison. Survey was also made on the current state of various industries. The industry scale and structure of every Japanese manufacturing industry are outlined. Finally, the industrial statistics are given concerning Japanese 'chemical industry,' 'communication-electronics-electric measuring instrument industry' and 'automobile industry' with a high rate of R and D-related expenditures. (NEDO)

Exoatmospheric intercepts using zero effort miss steering for midcourse guidance

Science.gov (United States)

Newman, Brett

The suitability of proportional navigation, or an equivalent zero effort miss formulation, for exatmospheric intercepts during midcourse guidance, followed by a ballistic coast to the endgame, is addressed. The problem is formulated in terms of relative motion in a general, three dimensional framework. The proposed guidance law for the commanded thrust vector orientation consists of the sum of two terms: (1) along the line of sight unit direction and (2) along the zero effort miss component perpendicular to the line of sight and proportional to the miss itself and a guidance gain. If the guidance law is to be suitable for longer range targeting applications with significant ballistic coasting after burnout, determination of the zero effort miss must account for the different gravitational accelerations experienced by each vehicle. The proposed miss determination techniques employ approximations for the true differential gravity effect and thus, are less accurate than a direct numerical propagation of the governing equations, but more accurate than a baseline determination, which assumes equal accelerations for both vehicles. Approximations considered are constant, linear, quadratic, and linearized inverse square models. Theoretical results are applied to a numerical engagement scenario and the resulting performance is evaluated in terms of the miss distances determined from nonlinear simulation.

Goal striving strategies and effort mobilization: When implementation intentions reduce effort-related cardiac activity during task performance.

Science.gov (United States)

Freydefont, Laure; Gollwitzer, Peter M; Oettingen, Gabriele

2016-09-01

Two experiments investigate the influence of goal and implementation intentions on effort mobilization during task performance. Although numerous studies have demonstrated the beneficial effects of setting goals and making plans on performance, the effects of goals and plans on effort-related cardiac activity and especially the cardiac preejection period (PEP) during goal striving have not yet been addressed. According to the Motivational Intensity Theory, participants should increase effort mobilization proportionally to task difficulty as long as success is possible and justified. Forming goals and making plans should allow for reduced effort mobilization when participants perform an easy task. However, when the task is difficult, goals and plans should differ in their effect on effort mobilization. Participants who set goals should disengage, whereas participants who made if-then plans should stay in the field showing high effort mobilization during task performance. As expected, using an easy task in Experiment 1, we observed a lower cardiac PEP in both the implementation intention and the goal intention condition than in the control condition. In Experiment 2, we varied task difficulty and demonstrated that while participants with a mere goal intention disengaged from difficult tasks, participants with an implementation intention increased effort mobilization proportionally with task difficulty. These findings demonstrate the influence of goal striving strategies (i.e., mere goals vs. if-then plans) on effort mobilization during task performance. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Gritty people try harder: grit and effort-related cardiac autonomic activity during an active coping challenge.

Science.gov (United States)

Silvia, Paul J; Eddington, Kari M; Beaty, Roger E; Nusbaum, Emily C; Kwapil, Thomas R

2013-05-01

Grit, a recently proposed personality trait associated with persistence for long-range goals, predicts achievement in a wide range of important life outcomes. Using motivational intensity theory, the present research examined the physiological underpinnings of grit during an active coping task. Forty young adults completed the Short Grit Scale and worked on a self-paced mental effort task. Effort-related autonomic nervous system (ANS) activity was assessed using impedance cardiography, which yielded measures of sympathetic activity (pre-ejection period; PEP) and parasympathetic activity (respiratory sinus arrhythmia; RSA). Multilevel models revealed that people high on the Perseverance of Effort subscale showed autonomic coactivation: both PEP and RSA became stronger during the task, reflecting higher activity of both ANS divisions. The Consistency of Interest subscale, in contrast, predicted only weaker sympathetic activity (slower PEP). Taken together, the findings illuminate autonomic processes associated with how "gritty" people pursue goals, and they suggest that more attention should be paid to the facets' distinct effects. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Status of Educational Efforts in National Security Workforce

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

None

2008-03-31

This report documents the status of educational efforts for the preparation of a national security workforce as part of the National Security Preparedness Project, being performed by the Arrowhead Center of New Mexico State University under a DOE/NNSA grant. The need to adequately train and educate a national security workforce is at a critical juncture. Even though there are an increasing number of college graduates in the appropriate fields, many of these graduates choose to work in the private sector because of more desirable salary and benefit packages. This report includes an assessment of the current educational situation for the national security workforce.

A contribution to laser range imaging technology

Science.gov (United States)

Defigueiredo, Rui J. P.; Denney, Bradley S.

1991-01-01

The goal of the project was to develop a methodology for fusion of a Laser Range Imaging Device (LRID) and camera data. Our initial work in the project led to the conclusion that none of the LRID's that were available were sufficiently adequate for this purpose. Thus we spent the time and effort on the development of the new LRID with several novel features which elicit the desired fusion objectives. In what follows, we describe the device developed and built under contract. The Laser Range Imaging Device (LRID) is an instrument which scans a scene using a laser and returns range and reflection intensity data. Such a system would be extremely useful in scene analysis in industry and space applications. The LRID will be eventually implemented on board a mobile robot. The current system has several advantages over some commercially available systems. One improvement is the use of X-Y galvonometer scanning mirrors instead of polygonal mirrors present in some systems. The advantage of the X-Y scanning mirrors is that the mirror system can be programmed to provide adjustable scanning regions. For each mirror there are two controls accessible by the computer. The first is the mirror position and the second is a zoom factor which modifies the amplitude of the position of the parameter. Another advantage of the LRID is the use of a visible low power laser. Some of the commercial systems use a higher intensity invisible laser which causes safety concerns. By using a low power visible laser, not only can one see the beam and avoid direct eye contact, but also the lower intensity reduces the risk of damage to the eye, and no protective eyeware is required.

Effort, anhedonia, and function in schizophrenia: reduced effort allocation predicts amotivation and functional impairment.

Science.gov (United States)

Barch, Deanna M; Treadway, Michael T; Schoen, Nathan

2014-05-01

One of the most debilitating aspects of schizophrenia is an apparent interest in or ability to exert effort for rewards. Such "negative symptoms" may prevent individuals from obtaining potentially beneficial outcomes in educational, occupational, or social domains. In animal models, dopamine abnormalities decrease willingness to work for rewards, implicating dopamine (DA) function as a candidate substrate for negative symptoms given that schizophrenia involves dysregulation of the dopamine system. We used the effort-expenditure for rewards task (EEfRT) to assess the degree to which individuals with schizophrenia were wiling to exert increased effort for either larger magnitude rewards or for rewards that were more probable. Fifty-nine individuals with schizophrenia and 39 demographically similar controls performed the EEfRT task, which involves making choices between "easy" and "hard" tasks to earn potential rewards. Individuals with schizophrenia showed less of an increase in effort allocation as either reward magnitude or probability increased. In controls, the frequency of choosing the hard task in high reward magnitude and probability conditions was negatively correlated with depression severity and anhedonia. In schizophrenia, fewer hard task choices were associated with more severe negative symptoms and worse community and work function as assessed by a caretaker. Consistent with patterns of disrupted dopamine functioning observed in animal models of schizophrenia, these results suggest that 1 mechanism contributing to impaired function and motivational drive in schizophrenia may be a reduced allocation of greater effort for higher magnitude or higher probability rewards.

An overview of the V&V of Flight-Critical Systems effort at NASA

Science.gov (United States)

Brat, Guillaume P.

2011-01-01

As the US is getting ready for the Next Generation (NextGen) of Air Traffic System, there is a growing concern that the current techniques for verification and validation will not be adequate for the changes to come. The JPDO (in charge of implementing NextGen) has given NASA a mandate to address the problem and it resulted in the formulation of the V&V of Flight-Critical Systems effort. This research effort is divided into four themes: argument-based safety assurance, distributed systems, authority and autonomy, and, software intensive systems. This paper presents an overview of the technologies that will address the problem.

Recent sexually transmitted disease prevention efforts and their implications for AIDS health education.

Science.gov (United States)

Solomon, M Z; DeJong, W

1986-01-01

In the absence of a cure or vaccine for acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) educational and social marketing efforts to reduce the transmission of Human T-lymphotropic type III/lymphadenopathy-associated virus (HTLV-III/LAV) are currently our best hope for controlling the disease. Since 1983, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has funded a series of research studies to determine whether education efforts can successfully motivate the adoption of key behaviors relevant to the control of a variety of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). Analysis of the first two studies which are now completed, and preliminary data from a third study, have documented dramatic changes in behavior, knowledge, and attitudes among clients in inner-city public health clinics. The authors describe the principles and underlying assumptions that have guided the design of their STD initiatives, drawing special attention to the implications for AIDS health education efforts.

Job strain, effort-reward imbalance and employee well-being: a large-scale cross-sectional study.

Science.gov (United States)

de Jonge, J; Bosma, H; Peter, R; Siegrist, J

2000-05-01

This study investigated the effects of the Job Demand-Control (JD-C) Model and the Effort-Reward Imbalance (ERI) Model on employee well-being. A cross-sectional survey was conducted comprising a large representative sample of 11,636 employed Dutch men and women. Logistic regression analyses were used. Controlling for job sector, demographic characteristics (including educational level) and managerial position, employees reporting high job demands (i.e. psychological and physical demands) and low job control had elevated risks of emotional exhaustion, psychosomatic and physical health complaints and job dissatisfaction (odds ratios ranged from 2.89 to 10.94). Odds ratios were generally higher in employees reporting both high (psychological and physical) efforts and low rewards (i.e. poor salary, job insecurity and low work support): they ranged from 3.23 to 15.43. Furthermore, overcommitted people had higher risks of poor well-being due to a high effort-low reward mismatch (ORs: 3.57-20.81) than their less committed counterparts (ORs: 3.01-12.71). Finally, high efforts and low occupational rewards were stronger predictors of poor well-being than low job control when both job stress models were simultaneously adjusted. In conclusion, our findings show independent cumulative effects of both the JD-C Model and the ERI Model on employee well-being and are not significantly different in men and women as well as in young and old people. In particular, high (psychological and physical) efforts and low rewards adversely affected employee well-being. Preliminary findings also indicate excess risks of poor well-being in overcommitted persons suffering from high cost--low gain conditions at work.

Effect of physical effort on mental workload of cyclists in real traffic in relation to age and use of pedelecs

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Boele-Vos, M. J.; Commandeur, J. J.F.; Twisk, D. A.M.

2016-01-01

To improve cycling safety, insight is required into the factors that contribute to road safety of older cyclists. From the wide range of possible factors, this paper addresses the role of physical effort on mental workload of cyclists with the aim to investigate whether physical effort affects

Incorporating spatial autocorrelation into species distribution models alters forecasts of climate-mediated range shifts.

Science.gov (United States)

Crase, Beth; Liedloff, Adam; Vesk, Peter A; Fukuda, Yusuke; Wintle, Brendan A

2014-08-01

Species distribution models (SDMs) are widely used to forecast changes in the spatial distributions of species and communities in response to climate change. However, spatial autocorrelation (SA) is rarely accounted for in these models, despite its ubiquity in broad-scale ecological data. While spatial autocorrelation in model residuals is known to result in biased parameter estimates and the inflation of type I errors, the influence of unmodeled SA on species' range forecasts is poorly understood. Here we quantify how accounting for SA in SDMs influences the magnitude of range shift forecasts produced by SDMs for multiple climate change scenarios. SDMs were fitted to simulated data with a known autocorrelation structure, and to field observations of three mangrove communities from northern Australia displaying strong spatial autocorrelation. Three modeling approaches were implemented: environment-only models (most frequently applied in species' range forecasts), and two approaches that incorporate SA; autologistic models and residuals autocovariate (RAC) models. Differences in forecasts among modeling approaches and climate scenarios were quantified. While all model predictions at the current time closely matched that of the actual current distribution of the mangrove communities, under the climate change scenarios environment-only models forecast substantially greater range shifts than models incorporating SA. Furthermore, the magnitude of these differences intensified with increasing increments of climate change across the scenarios. When models do not account for SA, forecasts of species' range shifts indicate more extreme impacts of climate change, compared to models that explicitly account for SA. Therefore, where biological or population processes induce substantial autocorrelation in the distribution of organisms, and this is not modeled, model predictions will be inaccurate. These results have global importance for conservation efforts as inaccurate

Measurement of the ratio of charged current neutrino cross sections on neutrons and protons in the energy range 1-10 GeV

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lerche, W.; Pohl, M.; Schultze, K.; Derange, B.; Francois, T.; Van Dam, P.; Jaffre, M.; Longuemare, C.; Pascaud, C.; Calimani, E.; Ciampolillo, S.; Mattioli, F.

1978-01-01

The charged current cross-section ratio R = sigma(γ+n)/sigma(γ+p), averaged over the energy range, 1-10 GeV, is determined by two independent methods. The combined value is R = 2.08+-0.15. Semi-inclusive proton production rates on both proton and neutron targets are presented. Event rates of exclusive channels on the proton target are also given. (Auth.)

DC Control Effort Minimized for Magnetic-Bearing-Supported Shaft

Science.gov (United States)

Brown, Gerald V.

2001-01-01

A magnetic-bearing-supported shaft may have a number of concentricity and alignment problems. One of these involves the relationship of the position sensors, the centerline of the backup bearings, and the magnetic center of the magnetic bearings. For magnetic bearings with permanent magnet biasing, the average control current for a given control axis that is not bearing the shaft weight will be minimized if the shaft is centered, on average over a revolution, at the magnetic center of the bearings. That position may not yield zero sensor output or center the shaft in the backup bearing clearance. The desired shaft position that gives zero average current can be achieved if a simple additional term is added to the control law. Suppose that the instantaneous control currents from each bearing are available from measurements and can be input into the control computer. If each control current is integrated with a very small rate of accumulation and the result is added to the control output, the shaft will gradually move to a position where the control current averages to zero over many revolutions. This will occur regardless of any offsets of the position sensor inputs. At that position, the average control effort is minimized in comparison to other possible locations of the shaft. Nonlinearities of the magnetic bearing are minimized at that location as well.

Development of the full range vange vacuum gauge

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oh, B. H.; In, S. R.; Jung, K. S.; Jeong, S. H.

2001-01-01

The pirani, enning end full range gauges developed during this study had made good characteristics compared with the measured results of customized other gauges, and this results show the possibility of developing the gauges by ourselves in Korea. In order to make a competition with the customized gauges of other countries, it is necessary to upgrade several points to have good characteristics over the large range of the pressure. The new effort will be made in developing the full scale gauge in the next year

Blood transfusion safety; current status and challenges in Nigeria

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

John C Aneke

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The attainment of blood transfusion safety in Nigeria (and probably the rest of Sub-Saharan Africa remains an uphill task due to a number of factors, ranging from shortage of blood, poor implementation of blood transfusion guidelines, infrastructural deficits to high prevalence of transfusion-transmissible infections (TTIs, particularly hepatitis and human immune deficiency viruses. We reviewed available data on blood transfusion practices and safety in Nigeria using the PubMed, PubMed Central, Google Scholar, and African Index Medicus search engines, through a combination of word and phrases relevant to the subject. The World Health Organization has been in the forefront of efforts to establish safe, available, and affordable blood transfusion services in most parts of Africa through encouraging adequate blood donor recruitment, donor blood testing, and collection as well developing strategies for the rational use of blood. Even though modest improvement has been recorded, particularly with regards to donor blood screening for common TTIs, considerable efforts are needed in the form of robust public enlightenment campaigns (on blood donation and continuous system improvement to drive the current transfusion practices in the country toward safety and self-sustenance.

Quality-oriented efforts in IPD, - a framework

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andreasen, Mogens Myrup

1998-01-01

It is generally expected that modern quality efforts like TQM and ISO9000 should deliver a sufficient framework for quality efforts in industrial companies. Our findings in Danish industry shows a fragmented picture of islands of efforts and a weak understanding of basic quality concepts between...... designers. The paper propose a framework for quality efforts, illustrated by simple metaphors....

Renewable Energy Opportunities at White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chvala, William D.; Solana, Amy E.; States, Jennifer C.; Warwick, William M.; Weimar, Mark R.; Dixon, Douglas R.

2008-09-01

The document provides an overview of renewable resource potential at White Sands Missile Range (WSMR) based primarily upon analysis of secondary data sources supplemented with limited on-site evaluations. The effort was funded by the U.S. Army Installation Management Command (IMCOM) as follow-on to the 2005 DoD Renewable Energy Assessment. This effort focuses on grid-connected generation of electricity from renewable energy sources and also ground source heat pumps (GSHPs) for heating and cooling buildings, as directed by IMCOM.

Learning Environment and Student Effort

Science.gov (United States)

Hopland, Arnt O.; Nyhus, Ole Henning

2016-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explore the relationship between satisfaction with learning environment and student effort, both in class and with homework assignments. Design/methodology/approach: The authors use data from a nationwide and compulsory survey to analyze the relationship between learning environment and student effort. The…

EURATOM achievements and challenges in facilitating Pan-European infrastructure collaborative efforts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Garbil, Roger

2017-01-01

The European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom) Research and Training framework programmes are benefiting from a consistent success in pursuing excellence in research and facilitating Pan European collaborative efforts across a broad range of nuclear science and technologies, nuclear fission and radiation protection. To fulfil Euratom R and D programmes keys objectives of maintaining high levels of nuclear knowledge and building a more dynamic and competitive European industry, promotion of Pan-European mobility of researchers are implemented by co-financing transnational access to research infrastructures (RIs) and joint research activities. 'Euratom Achievements and Challenges' show the benefits of research efforts in key fields, of building an effective 'critical mass', of promoting the creation of 'centres of excellence' with an increased support for 'open access to key research infrastructures', exploitation of research results, management of knowledge, dissemination and sharing of learning outcomes.

Critical current measurements of high-temperature superconducting short samples at a wide range of temperatures and magnetic fields

Science.gov (United States)

Ma, Hongjun; Liu, Huajun; Liu, Fang; Zhang, Huahui; Ci, Lu; Shi, Yi; Lei, Lei

2018-01-01

High-Temperature Superconductors (HTS) are potential materials for high-field magnets, low-loss transmission cables, and Superconducting Magnetic Energy Storage (SMES) due to their high upper critical magnetic field (Hc2) and critical temperature (Tc). The critical current (Ic) of HTS, which is one of the most important parameters for superconductor application, depends strongly on the magnetic fields and temperatures. A new Ic measurement system that can carry out accurate Ic measurement for HTS short samples with various temperatures (4.2-80 K), magnetic fields (0-14 T), and angles of the magnetic field (0°-90°) has been developed. The Ic measurement system mainly consists of a measurement holder, temperature-control system, background magnet, test cryostat, data acquisition system, and DC power supply. The accuracy of temperature control is better than ±0.1 K over the 20-80 K range and ±0.05 K when measured below 20 K. The maximum current is over 1000 A with a measurement uncertainty of 1%. The system had been successfully used for YBa2Cu3O7-x(YBCO) tapes Ic determination with different temperatures and magnetic fields.

Critical current measurements of high-temperature superconducting short samples at a wide range of temperatures and magnetic fields.

Science.gov (United States)

Ma, Hongjun; Liu, Huajun; Liu, Fang; Zhang, Huahui; Ci, Lu; Shi, Yi; Lei, Lei

2018-01-01

High-Temperature Superconductors (HTS) are potential materials for high-field magnets, low-loss transmission cables, and Superconducting Magnetic Energy Storage (SMES) due to their high upper critical magnetic field (H c2 ) and critical temperature (T c ). The critical current (I c ) of HTS, which is one of the most important parameters for superconductor application, depends strongly on the magnetic fields and temperatures. A new I c measurement system that can carry out accurate I c measurement for HTS short samples with various temperatures (4.2-80 K), magnetic fields (0-14 T), and angles of the magnetic field (0°-90°) has been developed. The I c measurement system mainly consists of a measurement holder, temperature-control system, background magnet, test cryostat, data acquisition system, and DC power supply. The accuracy of temperature control is better than ±0.1 K over the 20-80 K range and ±0.05 K when measured below 20 K. The maximum current is over 1000 A with a measurement uncertainty of 1%. The system had been successfully used for YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7-x (YBCO) tapes I c determination with different temperatures and magnetic fields.

Supporting Students as Scientists: One Mission's Efforts

Science.gov (United States)

Taylor, J.; Chambers, L. H.; Trepte, C. R.

2012-12-01

NASA's CALIPSO satellite mission provides an array of opportunities for teachers, students, and the general public. In developing our latest plan for education and public outreach, CALIPSO focused on efforts that would support students as scientists. CALIPSO EPO activities are aimed at inspiring young scientists through multiple avenues of potential contact, including: educator professional development, student-scientist mentoring, curriculum resource development, and public outreach through collaborative mission efforts. In this session, we will explore how these avenues complement one another and take a closer look at the development of the educator professional development activities. As part of CALIPSO's EPO efforts, we have developed the GLOBE Atmosphere Investigations Programs (AIP). The program encourages students to engage in authentic science through research on the atmosphere. The National Research Council (NRC) has emphasized the importance of teaching scientific inquiry in the National Science Education Standards (1996, 2000) and scientific practice in the recent Framework for K-12 Science Education (2011). In order to encourage student-centered science inquiry, teacher training utilizing GLOBE Atmosphere Investigations and GLOBE's Student Research Process are provided to middle and high school teachers to assist them in incorporating real scientific investigations into their classroom. Through participation in the program, teachers become a part of GLOBE (Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment) - an international community of teachers, students, and scientists studying environmental science in over 24,000 schools around the world. The program uses NASA's satellites and the collection of atmosphere data by students to provide an engaging science learning experience for the students, and teachers. The GLOBE Atmosphere Investigations program offers year-long support to both teachers and students through direct involvement with NASA

Status of standardization efforts for packaging and transportation of spent fuel and high-level waste

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Eggers, P.E.; Dawson, D.M.

1986-01-01

This paper provides a current review of the status of efforts to develop standards and guidelines related to the packaging and transportation of spent fuel and high-level waste. An overview of each of the organizations and agencies developing standards and guidelines is discussed and includes the efforts of the N14 Division of the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), NUPACK Committee of Section III of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, Nuclear Regulatory Commission and Department of Energy. This comparative overview identifies the scope and areas of application of each standard and guideline. In addition, the current or proposed standards and guidelines are considered collectively with commentary on areas of apparent or potential complimentary fit, overlap and incompatability. Finally, the paper reviews initiatives now being taken within the N14 division of ANSI to identify where new standards development activities are required

The association of perceived organizational justice and organizational expectations with nurses' efforts.

Science.gov (United States)

Motlagh, Farhad Shafiepour; Yarmohammadian, Mohammad Hossein; Yaghoubi, Maryam

2012-03-01

One important factor in growth, progress, and increase in work efficiency of employees of any enterprise is to make considerable effort. Supreme leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran also addressed the issue of need for more efforts. The goal of this study was to determine the association of perceived organizational justice and organizational expectations with efforts of nurses to provide a suitable model. The current study was a descriptive study. The study group consists of all nurses who worked in hospitals of Isfahan. Due to some limitations all nurses of the special unit, surgery wards and operating room were questioned. The data collection tools were the Organizational Justice Questionnaire, organizational expectations questionnaire, and double effort questionnaire. Content validity of the mentioned questionnaires was confirmed after considering the experts' comments. The reliability of these questionnaires, using the Cronbach's alpha, were 0.79, 0.83 and 0.92, respectively. The Pearson correlation and the structural equation model were used for the analysis of data. There was a significant correlation between the perceived organizational justice and the double effort of nurses during the surgery of patients. Correlation of the expectation from job, usefulness of job, and its attractiveness with double effort of nurses before the surgery was also statistically significant. Moreover, it was shown that the root of the mean square error of estimation (RMSEA) was 0.087, the fitted goodness index (GFI) was 0.953, the value of chi-square was 268.5, and the model was statistically significant (p Justice is an essential need for human life and its importance in organizations and social life of individuals is evident.

Cancer Currents Now Available in Spanish

Science.gov (United States)

As part of our effort to more effectively reach patients, health care providers, and researchers with timely, authoritative, and scientifically accurate cancer information, we are now offering selected Cancer Currents blog posts in Spanish.

Is overall similarity classification less effortful than single-dimension classification?

Science.gov (United States)

Wills, Andy J; Milton, Fraser; Longmore, Christopher A; Hester, Sarah; Robinson, Jo

2013-01-01

It is sometimes argued that the implementation of an overall similarity classification is less effortful than the implementation of a single-dimension classification. In the current article, we argue that the evidence securely in support of this view is limited, and report additional evidence in support of the opposite proposition--overall similarity classification is more effortful than single-dimension classification. Using a match-to-standards procedure, Experiments 1A, 1B and 2 demonstrate that concurrent load reduces the prevalence of overall similarity classification, and that this effect is robust to changes in the concurrent load task employed, the level of time pressure experienced, and the short-term memory requirements of the classification task. Experiment 3 demonstrates that participants who produced overall similarity classifications from the outset have larger working memory capacities than those who produced single-dimension classifications initially, and Experiment 4 demonstrates that instructions to respond meticulously increase the prevalence of overall similarity classification.

Effort-reward imbalance and depression among private practice physicians.

Science.gov (United States)

Tsutsumi, Akizumi; Kawanami, Shoko; Horie, Seichi

2012-02-01

Current private practice physicians provide medical services in a harsh economic situation. The effort-reward imbalance (ERI) model puts its emphasis on an imbalance between high efforts spent and low rewards received in occupational life. ERI model includes three different reward factors from task to organizational levels. We examined whether ERI in terms of low organizational reward (poor prospective and job insecurity) could be the most relevant and strongly associated with depression among private practice physicians. This is a cross-sectional questionnaire study of 1,103 private practice physicians who were currently working in clinical settings and completed the data of exposure and outcome. The study questionnaire was mailed to all the physicians listed as members of a local branch of the Japan Medical Association (n = 3,441) between November and December 2008. Outcomes were prevalence of depression as measured by the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale and adjusted odds ratios (OR) of depression with respect to ERI. Fifty-seven percent of physicians were exposed to ERI, and 18% of the physicians were depressed. Logistic regression analyses revealed that ERI was significantly associated with depression (OR and 95% confidence interval = 3.57; 2.43-5.26). ERI with regard to organizational reward was most prevalent (60%) and had the strongest association with depression (5.14; 3.36-7.92). Predominant prevalence of ERI in terms of organizational level low reward and strong associations between the ERI component and depression suggests that countermeasures from social perspective are crucial.

Long-range eye tracking: A feasibility study

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jayaweera, S.K.; Lu, Shin-yee

1994-08-24

The design considerations for a long-range Purkinje effects based video tracking system using current technology is presented. Past work, current experiments, and future directions are thoroughly discussed, with an emphasis on digital signal processing techniques and obstacles. It has been determined that while a robust, efficient, long-range, and non-invasive eye tracking system will be difficult to develop, such as a project is indeed feasible.

Resonance of conductivity in UHF-range to the action of alternating current in La0.7Pb0.3MnO3 crystals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Volkov, N.V.; Petrakovskij, G.A.; Sablina, K.A.

1999-01-01

The experimental results of the study on the effect of the low frequency transport current on the conductivity in UHF-range of the La 0.7 Pb 0.3 MnO 3 monocrystals are presented. In absence of the external magnetic field the UHF-conductivity response signal on the current impact has the form of the relaxation process. The peak of the amplitude resonance growth is observed in the external magnetic field in the response spectrum. The resonance response is of nonlinear character. The temperature and field dependences of the UHF-response basic parameters are in direct correlation with the magnetoresistance behaviour. The results obtained are analyzed within the frames of the oscillatory approximation. The mechanism of the phases electron separation is proposed as the possible mechanism of the current impact [ru

Extended Range of a Gun Launched Smart Projectile Using Controllable Canards

OpenAIRE

Mark Costello

2001-01-01

This effort investigates the extent to which moveable canards can extend the range of indirect fire munitions using both projectile body and canard lift. Implications on terminal velocity and time of flight using this mechanism to extend range are examined for various canard configurations. Performance predictions are conducted using a six-degree-of-freedom simulation model that has previously been validated against range data. The projectile dynamic equations are formed in the body frame and...

Effort Estimation in BPMS Migration

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Christopher Drews

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Usually Business Process Management Systems (BPMS are highly integrated in the IT of organizations and are at the core of their business. Thus, migrating from one BPMS solution to another is not a common task. However, there are forces that are pushing organizations to perform this step, e.g. maintenance costs of legacy BPMS or the need for additional functionality. Before the actual migration, the risk and the effort must be evaluated. This work provides a framework for effort estimation regarding the technical aspects of BPMS migration. The framework provides questions for BPMS comparison and an effort evaluation schema. The applicability of the framework is evaluated based on a simplified BPMS migration scenario.

Important historical efforts at emergency department categorization in the United States and implications for regionalization.

Science.gov (United States)

Mehrotra, Abhishek; Sklar, David P; Tayal, Vivek S; Kocher, Keith E; Handel, Daniel A; Myles Riner, R

2010-12-01

This article is drawn from a report created for the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) Emergency Department (ED) Categorization Task Force and also reflects the proceedings of a breakout session, "Beyond ED Categorization-Matching Networks to Patient Needs," at the 2010 Academic Emergency Medicine consensus conference, "Beyond Regionalization: Integrated Networks of Emergency Care." The authors describe a brief history of the significant national and state efforts at categorization and suggest reasons why many of these efforts failed to persevere or gain wider implementation. The history of efforts to categorize hospital (and ED) emergency services demonstrates recognition of the potential benefits of categorization, but reflects repeated failures to implement full categorization systems or limited excursions into categorization through licensing of EDs or designation of receiving and referral facilities. An understanding of the history of hospital and ED categorization could better inform current efforts to develop categorization schemes and processes. 2010 by the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine.

Astrotischeria neotropicana sp. nov.-a leaf-miner on Sida, Malvaceae, currently with the broadest distribution range in the Neotropics (Lepidoptera, Tischeriidae).

Science.gov (United States)

Diškus, Arūnas; Stonis, Jonas R

2015-11-05

This paper describes Astrotischeria neotropicana Diškus & Stonis, sp. nov. (Lepidoptera: Tischeriidae), a new leaf-miner on Sida (Malvaceae) with a broad distribution range in tropical Central & South America. The new species is currently recorded from the Amazon Basin in Peru and Ecuador to tropical lowlands in Guatemala and Belize (including the Caribbean Archipelago). The new species is illustrated with photographs of the adults, male and female genitalia, and the leaf-mines; distribution map is also provided.

Dopamine, behavioral economics, and effort

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

John D Salamone

2009-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract. There are numerous problems with the hypothesis that brain dopamine (DA systems, particularly in the nucleus accumbens, directly mediate the rewarding or primary motivational characteristics of natural stimuli such as food. Research and theory related to the functions of mesolimbic DA are undergoing a substantial conceptual restructuring, with the traditional emphasis on hedonia and primary reward yielding to other concepts and lines of inquiry. The present review is focused upon the involvement of nucleus accumbens DA in behavioral activation and effort-related processes. Viewed from the framework of behavioral economics, the effects of accumbens DA depletions and antagonism on food-reinforced behavior are highly dependent upon the work requirements of the instrumental task, and DA depleted rats are more sensitive to increases in response costs (i.e., ratio requirements. Moreover, interference with accumbens DA transmission exerts a powerful influence over effort-related choice behavior. Rats with accumbens DA depletions or antagonism reallocate their instrumental behavior away from food-reinforced tasks that have high response requirements, and instead these rats select a less-effortful type of food-seeking behavior. Nucleus accumbens DA and adenosine interact in the regulation of effort-related functions, and other brain structures (anterior cingulate cortex, amygdala, ventral pallidum also are involved. Studies of the brain systems regulating effort-based processes may have implications for understanding drug abuse, as well as energy-related disorders such as psychomotor slowing, fatigue or anergia in depression and other neurological disorders.

What makes a reach movement effortful? Physical effort discounting supports common minimization principles in decision making and motor control.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pierre Morel

2017-06-01

Full Text Available When deciding between alternative options, a rational agent chooses on the basis of the desirability of each outcome, including associated costs. As different options typically result in different actions, the effort associated with each action is an essential cost parameter. How do humans discount physical effort when deciding between movements? We used an action-selection task to characterize how subjective effort depends on the parameters of arm transport movements and controlled for potential confounding factors such as delay discounting and performance. First, by repeatedly asking subjects to choose between 2 arm movements of different amplitudes or durations, performed against different levels of force, we identified parameter combinations that subjects experienced as identical in effort (isoeffort curves. Movements with a long duration were judged more effortful than short-duration movements against the same force, while movement amplitudes did not influence effort. Biomechanics of the movements also affected effort, as movements towards the body midline were preferred to movements away from it. Second, by introducing movement repetitions, we further determined that the cost function for choosing between effortful movements had a quadratic relationship with force, while choices were made on the basis of the logarithm of these costs. Our results show that effort-based action selection during reaching cannot easily be explained by metabolic costs. Instead, force-loaded reaches, a widely occurring natural behavior, imposed an effort cost for decision making similar to cost functions in motor control. Our results thereby support the idea that motor control and economic choice are governed by partly overlapping optimization principles.

"I put in effort, therefore I am passionate": Investigating the path from effort to passion in entrepreneurship

OpenAIRE

Gielnik, Michael Marcus; Spitzmuller, Matthias; Schmitt, Antje; Klemann, Katharina; Frese, Michael

2015-01-01

Most theoretical frameworks in entrepreneurship emphasize that entrepreneurial passion drives entrepreneurial effort. We hypothesize that the reverse effect is also true, and investigate changes in passion as an outcome of effort. Based on theories of self-regulation and self-perception, we hypothesize that making new venture progress and free choice are two factors that help to explain why and under which conditions entrepreneurial effort affects entrepreneurial passion. We undertook two stu...

Current transport properties and phase diagram of a Kitaev chain with long-range pairing

Science.gov (United States)

Giuliano, Domenico; Paganelli, Simone; Lepori, Luca

2018-04-01

We describe a method to probe the quantum phase transition between the short-range topological phase and the long-range topological phase in the superconducting Kitaev chain with long-range pairing, both exhibiting subgap modes localized at the edges. The method relies on the effects of the finite mass of the subgap edge modes in the long-range regime (which survives in the thermodynamic limit) on the single-particle scattering coefficients through the chain connected to two normal leads. Specifically, we show that, when the leads are biased at a voltage V with respect to the superconducting chain, the Fano factor is either zero (in the short-range correlated phase) or 2 e (in the long-range correlated phase). As a result, we find that the Fano factor works as a directly measurable quantity to probe the quantum phase transition between the two phases. In addition, we note a remarkable "critical fractionalization effect" in the Fano factor, which is exactly equal to e along the quantum critical line. Finally, we note that a dual implementation of our proposed device makes it suitable as a generator of large-distance entangled two-particle states.

Domestic Efforts for SFCL Application and Hybrid SFCL

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hyun, O. B.; KIm, H. R.; Yim, Y. S.; Sim, J.; Park, K. B.; Oh, I. S.

2008-01-01

We present domestic efforts for superconducting fault current limiter (SFCL) application in the Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO) grid and pending points at issue. KEPCO's decision to upgrade the 154 kV/22.9 kV main transformer from 60 MVA to 100 MVA cast a problem of high fault current in the 22.9 kV distribution lines. The grid planners supported adopting an SFCL to control the fault current. This environment friendly to SFCL application must be highly dependent upon the successful development of SFCL having specifications that domestic utility required. The required conditions are (1) small size of not greater than twice of 22.9 kV gas insulated switch-gear (GIS), (2) sustainability of current limitation without the line breaking by circuit breakers (CB) for maximum 1.5 seconds. Also, optionally, recommended is (3) the reclosing capability. Conventional resistive SFCLs do not meet (1) ∼ (3) all together. A hybrid SFCL is an excellent solution to meet the conditions. The hybrid SFCL consists of HTS SFCL components for fault detection and line commutation, a fast switch (FS) to break the primary path, and a limiter. This characteristic structure not only enables excellent current limiting performances and the reclosing capability, but also allows drastic reduction of HTS volume and small size of the cryostat, resulting in economic feasibility and compactness of the equipment. External current limiter also enables long term limitation since it is far less sensitive to heat generation than HTS. Semi-active operation is another advantage of the hybrid structure. We will discuss more pending points at issues such as maintenance-free long term operation, small size to accommodate the in-house substation, passive and active control, back-up plans, diagnosis, and so on.

Multidisciplinary Efforts Driving Translational Theranostics

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, Tony Y.

2014-01-01

This themed issue summarizes significant efforts aimed at using “biological language” to discern between “friends” and “foes” in the context of theranostics for true clinical application. It is expected that the success of theranostics depends on multidisciplinary efforts, combined to expedite our understanding of host responses to “customized” theranostic agents and formulating individualized therapies. PMID:25285169

Examining human resources' efforts to develop a culturally competent workforce.

Science.gov (United States)

Whitman, Marilyn V; Valpuesta, Domingo

2010-01-01

The increasing diversification of the nation's population poses significant challenges in providing care that meets the needs of culturally diverse patients. Human resource management plays a vital role in developing a more culturally competent workforce. This exploratory study examines current efforts by human resource directors (HRDs) in Alabama's general hospitals to recruit more diverse candidates, train staff, and make language access resources available. A questionnaire was developed based on the Office of Minority Health's Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services standards. The HRDs of the 101 Alabama general hospitals served as the study's target population. A sample of 61 responses, or 60.4% of the population, was obtained. The findings indicate that most HRDs are focusing their efforts on recruiting racially/ethnically diverse candidates and training clerical and nursing staff to care for culturally and linguistically diverse patients. Less effort is being focused on recruiting candidates who speak a different language, and only 44.3% have a trained interpreter on the staff. The HRDs who indicated that they work closely with organizations that provide support to diverse groups were more likely to recruit diverse employees and have racially/ethnically and linguistically diverse individuals in leadership positions. It is crucial that health care organizations take the necessary steps to diversify their workforce to broaden access, improve the quality and equity of care, and capture a greater market share.

Surface energy balances of three general circulation models: Current climate and response to increasing atmospheric CO2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gutowski, W.J.; Gutzler, D.S.; Portman, D.; Wang, W.C.

1988-04-01

The surface energy balance simulated by state-of-the-art general circulation models at GFDL, GISS and NCAR for climates with current levels of atmospheric CO 2 concentration (control climate) and with twice the current levels. The work is part of an effort sponsored by the US Department of Energy to assess climate simulations produced by these models. The surface energy balance enables us to diagnose differences between models in surface temperature climatology and sensitivity to doubling CO 2 in terms of the processes that control surface temperature. Our analysis compares the simulated balances by averaging the fields of interest over a hierarchy of spatial domains ranging from the entire globe down to regions a few hundred kilometers across

Linking effort and fishing mortality in a mixed fisheries model

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Thøgersen, Thomas Talund; Hoff, Ayoe; Frost, Hans Staby

2012-01-01

in fish stocks has led to overcapacity in many fisheries, leading to incentives for overfishing. Recent research has shown that the allocation of effort among fleets can play an important role in mitigating overfishing when the targeting covers a range of species (multi-species—i.e., so-called mixed...... fisheries), while simultaneously optimising the overall economic performance of the fleets. The so-called FcubEcon model, in particular, has elucidated both the biologically and economically optimal method for allocating catches—and thus effort—between fishing fleets, while ensuring that the quotas...

EURATOM achievements and challenges in facilitating Pan-European infrastructure collaborative efforts

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Garbil, Roger [European Commission, Brussels (Belgium). DG Research and Innovation, Euratom Fission

2017-10-15

The European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom) Research and Training framework programmes are benefiting from a consistent success in pursuing excellence in research and facilitating Pan European collaborative efforts across a broad range of nuclear science and technologies, nuclear fission and radiation protection. To fulfil Euratom R and D programmes keys objectives of maintaining high levels of nuclear knowledge and building a more dynamic and competitive European industry, promotion of Pan-European mobility of researchers are implemented by co-financing transnational access to research infrastructures (RIs) and joint research activities. 'Euratom Achievements and Challenges' show the benefits of research efforts in key fields, of building an effective 'critical mass', of promoting the creation of 'centres of excellence' with an increased support for 'open access to key research infrastructures', exploitation of research results, management of knowledge, dissemination and sharing of learning outcomes.

Biomechanical Comparison of Three Perceived Effort Set Shots in Team Handball Players.

Science.gov (United States)

Plummer, Hillary A; Gascon, Sarah S; Oliver, Gretchen D

2017-01-01

Plummer, HA, Gascon, SS, and Oliver, GD. Biomechanical comparison of three perceived effort set shots in team handball players. J Strength Cond Res 31(1): 80-87, 2017-Shoulder injuries are prevalent in the sport of team handball; however, no guidelines currently exist in the implementation of an interval throwing protocol for players returning from an upper extremity injury. These guidelines exist for the sport of baseball, but team handball may present additional challenges due to greater ball mass that must be accounted for. The purpose of this study was to examine kinematic differences in the team handball set shot at 50, 75, and 100% effort which are common throwing intensities in throwing protocols. Eleven male team handball players (23.09 ± 3.05 years; 185.12 ± 8.33 cm; 89.65 ± 12.17 kg) volunteered. An electromagnetic tracking system was used to collect kinematic data at the pelvis, trunk, scapula, and shoulder. Kinematic differences at the shoulder, trunk, and pelvis were observed across effort levels throughout the set shot with most occurring at ball release and maximum internal rotation. Significant differences in ball speed were observed between all 3 effort level shots (p handball players are able to gauge the effort at which they shoot; however, it cannot be assumed that these speeds will be at a certain percentage of their maximum. The results of this study provide valuable evidence that can be used to prepare a team handball player to return to throwing activities.

Effort levels of the partners in networked manufacturing

Science.gov (United States)

Chai, G. R.; Cai, Z.; Su, Y. N.; Zong, S. L.; Zhai, G. Y.; Jia, J. H.

2017-08-01

Compared with traditional manufacturing mode, could networked manufacturing improve effort levels of the partners? What factors will affect effort level of the partners? How to encourage the partners to improve their effort levels? To answer these questions, we introduce network effect coefficient to build effort level model of the partners in networked manufacturing. The results show that (1) with the increase of the network effect in networked manufacturing, the actual effort level can go beyond the ideal level of traditional manufacturing. (2) Profit allocation based on marginal contribution rate would help improve effort levels of the partners in networked manufacturing. (3) The partners in networked manufacturing who wishes to have a larger distribution ratio must make a higher effort level, and enterprises with insufficient effort should be terminated in networked manufacturing.

Are fish outside their usual ranges early indicators of climate-driven range shifts?

Science.gov (United States)

Fogarty, Hannah E; Burrows, Michael T; Pecl, Gretta T; Robinson, Lucy M; Poloczanska, Elvira S

2017-05-01

Shifts in species ranges are a global phenomenon, well known to occur in response to a changing climate. New species arriving in an area may become pest species, modify ecosystem structure, or represent challenges or opportunities for fisheries and recreation. Early detection of range shifts and prompt implementation of any appropriate management strategies is therefore crucial. This study investigates whether 'first sightings' of marine species outside their normal ranges could provide an early warning of impending climate-driven range shifts. We examine the relationships between first sightings and marine regions defined by patterns of local climate velocities (calculated on a 50-year timescale), while also considering the distribution of observational effort (i.e. number of sampling days recorded with biological observations in global databases). The marine trajectory regions include climate 'source' regions (areas lacking connections to warmer areas), 'corridor' regions (areas where moving isotherms converge), and 'sink' regions (areas where isotherms locally disappear). Additionally, we investigate the latitudinal band in which first sightings were recorded, and species' thermal affiliations. We found that first sightings are more likely to occur in climate sink and 'divergent' regions (areas where many rapid and diverging climate trajectories pass through) indicating a role of temperature in driving changes in marine species distributions. The majority of our fish first sightings appear to be tropical and subtropical species moving towards high latitudes, as would be expected in climate warming. Our results indicate that first sightings are likely related to longer-term climatic processes, and therefore have potential use to indicate likely climate-driven range shifts. The development of an approach to detect impending range shifts at an early stage will allow resource managers and researchers to better manage opportunities resulting from range

Adults with autism spectrum disorders exhibit decreased sensitivity to reward parameters when making effort-based decisions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Damiano Cara R

2012-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Efficient effort expenditure to obtain rewards is critical for optimal goal-directed behavior and learning. Clinical observation suggests that individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD may show dysregulated reward-based effort expenditure, but no behavioral study to date has assessed effort-based decision-making in ASD. Methods The current study compared a group of adults with ASD to a group of typically developing adults on the Effort Expenditure for Rewards Task (EEfRT, a behavioral measure of effort-based decision-making. In this task, participants were provided with the probability of receiving a monetary reward on a particular trial and asked to choose between either an “easy task” (less motoric effort for a small, stable reward or a “hard task” (greater motoric effort for a variable but consistently larger reward. Results Participants with ASD chose the hard task more frequently than did the control group, yet were less influenced by differences in reward value and probability than the control group. Additionally, effort-based decision-making was related to repetitive behavior symptoms across both groups. Conclusions These results suggest that individuals with ASD may be more willing to expend effort to obtain a monetary reward regardless of the reward contingencies. More broadly, results suggest that behavioral choices may be less influenced by information about reward contingencies in individuals with ASD. This atypical pattern of effort-based decision-making may be relevant for understanding the heightened reward motivation for circumscribed interests in ASD.

Measuring collections effort improves cash performance.

Science.gov (United States)

Shutts, Joe

2009-09-01

Having a satisfied work force can lead to an improved collections effort. Hiring the right people and training them ensures employee engagement. Measuring collections effort and offering incentives is key to revenue cycle success.

High Precision Ranging and Range-Rate Measurements over Free-Space-Laser Communication Link

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Guangning; Lu, Wei; Krainak, Michael; Sun, Xiaoli

2016-01-01

We present a high-precision ranging and range-rate measurement system via an optical-ranging or combined ranging-communication link. A complete bench-top optical communication system was built. It included a ground terminal and a space terminal. Ranging and range rate tests were conducted in two configurations. In the communication configuration with 622 data rate, we achieved a two-way range-rate error of 2 microns/s, or a modified Allan deviation of 9 x 10 (exp -15) with 10 second averaging time. Ranging and range-rate as a function of Bit Error Rate of the communication link is reported. They are not sensitive to the link error rate. In the single-frequency amplitude modulation mode, we report a two-way range rate error of 0.8 microns/s, or a modified Allan deviation of 2.6 x 10 (exp -15) with 10 second averaging time. We identified the major noise sources in the current system as the transmitter modulation injected noise and receiver electronics generated noise. A new improved system will be constructed to further improve the system performance for both operating modes.

Visual cues and listening effort: individual variability.

Science.gov (United States)

Picou, Erin M; Ricketts, Todd A; Hornsby, Benjamin W Y

2011-10-01

To investigate the effect of visual cues on listening effort as well as whether predictive variables such as working memory capacity (WMC) and lipreading ability affect the magnitude of listening effort. Twenty participants with normal hearing were tested using a paired-associates recall task in 2 conditions (quiet and noise) and 2 presentation modalities (audio only [AO] and auditory-visual [AV]). Signal-to-noise ratios were adjusted to provide matched speech recognition across audio-only and AV noise conditions. Also measured were subjective perceptions of listening effort and 2 predictive variables: (a) lipreading ability and (b) WMC. Objective and subjective results indicated that listening effort increased in the presence of noise, but on average the addition of visual cues did not significantly affect the magnitude of listening effort. Although there was substantial individual variability, on average participants who were better lipreaders or had larger WMCs demonstrated reduced listening effort in noise in AV conditions. Overall, the results support the hypothesis that integrating auditory and visual cues requires cognitive resources in some participants. The data indicate that low lipreading ability or low WMC is associated with relatively effortful integration of auditory and visual information in noise.

Influence of high range of mass transfer coefficient and convection heat transfer on direct contact membrane distillation performance

KAUST Repository

Lee, Jung Gil

2017-11-03

In order to improve water production of membrane distillation (MD), the development of high performance membrane having better mass transfer and enhancement of convection heat transfer in MD module have been continuously investigated. This paper presents the relationship between the heat and mass transfer resistance across the membrane and the performance improvement. Various ranges of mass transfer coefficient (MTC) from normal (0.3×10−6 to 2.1×10−6kg/m2sPa: currently available membranes) to high (>2.1×10−6kg/m2sPa: membranes under development) were simulated using an experimentally validated model at different ranges of convection heat transfer by varying the inlet flow rates and spacer enhancement factor. The effect of mass transfer and convection heat transfer on the MD performance parameters including temperature polarization coefficient (TPC), mean permeate flux, and specific energy consumption were investigated in a direct contact MD (DCMD) configuration. Results showed that improving the MTC at the low ranges is more important than that at the high ranges where the heat transfer resistance becomes dominant and hence the convection heat transfer coefficient must be increased. Therefore, an effort on designing MD modules using feed and permeate spacers and controlling the membrane surface roughness to increase the convection heat transfer and TPC in the channel aiming to enhance the flux is required because the currently developed mass transfer has almost reached the critical point.

Importance of investigating epigenetic alterations for industry and regulators: An appraisal of current efforts by the Health and Environmental Sciences Institute

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Miousse, Isabelle R.; Currie, Richard; Datta, Kaushik; Ellinger-Ziegelbauer, Heidrun; French, John E.; Harrill, Alison H.; Koturbash, Igor; Lawton, Michael; Mann, Derek; Meehan, Richard R.; Moggs, Jonathan G.; O’Lone, Raegan; Rasoulpour, Reza J.

2015-01-01

Recent technological advances have led to rapid progress in the characterization of epigenetic modifications that control gene expression in a generally heritable way, and are likely involved in defining cellular phenotypes, developmental stages and disease status from one generation to the next. On November 18, 2013, the International Life Sciences Institute (ILSI) Health and Environmental Sciences Institute (HESI) held a symposium entitled “Advances in Assessing Adverse Epigenetic Effects of Drugs and Chemicals” in Washington, D.C. The goal of the symposium was to identify gaps in knowledge and highlight promising areas of progress that represent opportunities to utilize epigenomic profiling for risk assessment of drugs and chemicals. Epigenomic profiling has the potential to provide mechanistic information in toxicological safety assessments; this is especially relevant for the evaluation of carcinogenic or teratogenic potential and also for drugs that directly target epigenetic modifiers, like DNA methyltransferases or histone modifying enzymes. Furthermore, it can serve as an endpoint or marker for hazard characterization in chemical safety assessment. The assessment of epigenetic effects may also be approached with new model systems that could directly assess transgenerational effects or potentially sensitive stem cell populations. These would enhance the range of safety assessment tools for evaluating xenobiotics that perturb the epigenome. Here we provide a brief synopsis of the symposium, update findings since that time and then highlight potential directions for future collaborative efforts to incorporate epigenetic profiling into risk assessment

Long-range alpha detector (LRAD)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

MacArthur, D.W.; McAtee, J.L.

1991-01-01

Historically, alpha detectors have been limited by the very short range of alpha particles in air and by relatively poor sensitivity, even if the particles are intercepted. Of necessity, these detectors are operated in a vacuum or in close proximity to the source if reasonable efficiency is desired. In our new long-range alpha detector (LRAD), alpha particles interact with the ambient air, producing ionization in the air at the rate of about 30,000 ion pairs per MeV of alpha energy. These charges can be transported over significant distances (several meters) in a moving current of air generated by a small fan. An ion chamber located in front of the fan measures the current carried by the moving ions. The LRAD-based monitor is more sensitive and more thorough than conventional monitors. We present current LRAD sensitivity limits and results, practical monitor designs, and proposed uses for LRAD monitors. 4 refs., 7 figs

Greater effort increases perceived value in an invertebrate.

Science.gov (United States)

Czaczkes, Tomer J; Brandstetter, Birgit; di Stefano, Isabella; Heinze, Jürgen

2018-05-01

Expending effort is generally considered to be undesirable. However, both humans and vertebrates will work for a reward they could also get for free. Moreover, cues associated with high-effort rewards are preferred to low-effort associated cues. Many explanations for these counterintuitive findings have been suggested, including cognitive dissonance (self-justification) or a greater contrast in state (e.g., energy or frustration level) before and after an effort-linked reward. Here, we test whether effort expenditure also increases perceived value in ants, using both classical cue-association methods and pheromone deposition, which correlates with perceived value. In 2 separate experimental setups, we show that pheromone deposition is higher toward the reward that requires more effort: 47% more pheromone deposition was performed for rewards reached via a vertical runway (high effort) compared with ones reached via a horizontal runway (low effort), and deposition rates were 28% higher on rough (high effort) versus smooth (low effort) runways. Using traditional cue-association methods, 63% of ants trained on different surface roughness, and 70% of ants trained on different runway elevations, preferred the high-effort related cues on a Y maze. Finally, pheromone deposition to feeders requiring memorization of one path bifurcation was up to 29% higher than to an identical feeder requiring no learning. Our results suggest that effort affects value perception in ants. This effect may stem from a cognitive process, which monitors the change in a generalized hedonic state before and after reward. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

Listening Effort With Cochlear Implant Simulations

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Pals, Carina; Sarampalis, Anastasios; Başkent, Deniz

2013-01-01

Purpose: Fitting a cochlear implant (CI) for optimal speech perception does not necessarily optimize listening effort. This study aimed to show that listening effort may change between CI processing conditions for which speech intelligibility remains constant. Method: Nineteen normal-hearing

Dissipative NEGF methodology to treat short range Coulomb interaction: Current through a 1D nanostructure.

Science.gov (United States)

Martinez, Antonio; Barker, John R; Di Prieto, Riccardo

2018-06-13

A methodology describing Coulomb blockade in the Non-equilibrium Green Function formalism is presented. We carried out ballistic and dissipative simulations through a 1D quantum dot using an Einstein phonon model. Inelastic phonons with different energies have been considered. The methodology incorporates the short-range Coulomb interaction between two electrons through the use of a two-particle Green's function. Unlike previous work, the quantum dot has spatial resolution i.e. it is not just parameterized by the energy level and coupling constants of the dot. Our method intends to describe the effect of electron localization while maintaining an open boundary or extended wave function. The formalism conserves the current through the nanostructure. A simple 1D model is used to explain the increase of mobility in semi-crystalline polymers as a function of the electron concentration. The mechanism suggested is based on the lifting of energy levels into the transmission window as a result of the local electron-electron repulsion inside a crystalline domain. The results are aligned with recent experimental findings. Finally, as a proof of concept, we present a simulation of a low temperature resonant structure showing the stability diagram in the Coulomb blockade regime. . © 2018 IOP Publishing Ltd.

1985 environmental report: Sandia National Laboratories, Tonopah Test Range, Tonopah, Nevada

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Millard, G.C.

1986-04-01

The Tonopah Test Range is located about 160 air miles northwest of Las Vegas, Nevada, and covers 525 square miles within the Nellis Air Force Base Bombing and Gunnery Range. The range is used for various DOE tests involving high and low altitude projectiles. Operations that affect the environment are mainly road construction, preparation of instrumentation sites, and disturbance of the terrain from projectile impacts. Monitoring of the test range is done annually by the US Environmental Protection Agency to supplement Sandia's monitoring effort associated with Sandia test activities. Monitoring results for 1984 indicate that test range operations do not adversely affect the offsite environment or the public

Consumer attitudes to injurious pecking in free range egg production

OpenAIRE

Bennett, Richard M..; Jones, Philip J.; Nicol, Christine J.; Tranter, Richard B.; Weeks, Claire A.

2016-01-01

Free range egg producers face continuing problems from injurious pecking (IP) which has financial consequences for farmers and poor welfare implications for birds. Beak trimming has been practised for many years to limit the damage caused by IP, but with the UK Government giving notification that they intend to ban beak trimming in 2016, considerable efforts have been made to devise feasible housing, range and management strategies to reduce IP.A recent research project investigated the effic...

Is It Better to Enter a Volume CT Dose Index Value before or after Scan Range Adjustment for Radiation Dose Optimization of Pediatric Cardiothoracic CT with Tube Current Modulation?

Science.gov (United States)

2018-01-01

Objective To determine whether the body size-adapted volume computed tomography (CT) dose index (CTDvol) in pediatric cardiothoracic CT with tube current modulation is better to be entered before or after scan range adjustment for radiation dose optimization. Materials and Methods In 83 patients, cardiothoracic CT with tube current modulation was performed with the body size-adapted CTDIvol entered after (group 1, n = 42) or before (group 2, n = 41) scan range adjustment. Patient-related, radiation dose, and image quality parameters were compared and correlated between the two groups. Results The CTDIvol after the CT scan in group 1 was significantly higher than that in group 2 (1.7 ± 0.1 mGy vs. 1.4 ± 0.3 mGy; p Hounsfield units [HU] vs. 4.5 ± 0.7 HU) and image quality (1.5 ± 0.6 vs. 1.5 ± 0.6) showed no significant differences between the two (p > 0.05). In both groups, all patient-related parameters, except body density, showed positive correlations (r = 0.49–0.94; p 0.05) in group 2. Conclusion In pediatric cardiothoracic CT with tube current modulation, the CTDIvol entered before scan range adjustment provides a significant dose reduction (18%) with comparable image quality compared with that entered after scan range adjustment.

Military efforts in nanosensors, 3D printing, and imaging detection

Science.gov (United States)

Edwards, Eugene; Booth, Janice C.; Roberts, J. Keith; Brantley, Christina L.; Crutcher, Sihon H.; Whitley, Michael; Kranz, Michael; Seif, Mohamed; Ruffin, Paul

2017-04-01

A team of researchers and support organizations, affiliated with the Army Aviation and Missile Research, Development, and Engineering Center (AMRDEC), has initiated multidiscipline efforts to develop nano-based structures and components for advanced weaponry, aviation, and autonomous air/ground systems applications. The main objective of this research is to exploit unique phenomena for the development of novel technology to enhance warfighter capabilities and produce precision weaponry. The key technology areas that the authors are exploring include nano-based sensors, analysis of 3D printing constituents, and nano-based components for imaging detection. By integrating nano-based devices, structures, and materials into weaponry, the Army can revolutionize existing (and future) weaponry systems by significantly reducing the size, weight, and cost. The major research thrust areas include the development of carbon nanotube sensors to detect rocket motor off-gassing; the application of current methodologies to assess materials used for 3D printing; and the assessment of components to improve imaging seekers. The status of current activities, associated with these key areas and their implementation into AMRDEC's research, is outlined in this paper. Section #2 outlines output data, graphs, and overall evaluations of carbon nanotube sensors placed on a 16 element chip and exposed to various environmental conditions. Section #3 summarizes the experimental results of testing various materials and resulting components that are supplementary to additive manufacturing/fused deposition modeling (FDM). Section #4 recapitulates a preliminary assessment of the optical and electromechanical components of seekers in an effort to propose components and materials that can work more effectively.

The costs of parental care: a meta-analysis of the trade-off between parental effort and survival in birds.

Science.gov (United States)

Santos, E S A; Nakagawa, S

2012-09-01

A fundamental premise of life-history theory is that organisms that increase current reproductive investment suffer increased mortality. Possibly the most studied life-history phenotypic relationship is the trade-off between parental effort and survival. However, evidence supporting this trade-off is equivocal. Here, we conducted a meta-analysis to test the generality of this tenet. Using experimental studies that manipulated parental effort in birds, we show that (i) the effect of parental effort on survival was similar across species regardless of phylogeny; (ii) individuals that experienced reduced parental effort had similar survival probabilities than control individuals, regardless of sex; and (iii) males that experienced increased parental effort were less likely to survive than control males, whereas females that experienced increased effort were just as likely to survive as control females. Our results suggest that the trade-off between parental effort and survival is more complex than previously assumed. Finally, our study provides recommendations of unexplored avenues of future research into life-history trade-offs. © 2012 The Authors. Journal of Evolutionary Biology © 2012 European Society For Evolutionary Biology.

Interests, Effort, Achievement and Vocational Preference.

Science.gov (United States)

Sjoberg, L.

1984-01-01

Relationships between interest in natural sciences and technology and perceived ability, success, and invested effort were studied in Swedish secondary school students. Interests were accounted for by logical orientation and practical value. Interests and grades were strongly correlated, but correlations between interests and effort and vocational…

Has Malaysia's antidrug effort been effective?

Science.gov (United States)

Scorzelli, J F

1992-01-01

It is a common belief that a massive effort in law enforcement, preventive education and rehabilitation will result in the elimination of a country's drug problem. Based on this premise. Malaysia in 1983 implemented such a multifaceted anti-drug strategy, and the results of a 1987 study by the author suggested that Malaysia's effort had begun to contribute to a steady decrease in the number of identified drug abusers. Although the number of drug-addicted individuals declined, the country's recidivism rates were still high. Because of this high relapse rate, Malaysia expanded their rehabilitation effort and developed a community transition program. In order to determine the impact of these changes on the country's battle against drug abuse, a follow-up study was conducted in 1990. The results of this study did not clearly demonstrate that the Malaysian effort had been successful in eliminating the problem of drug abuse, and raised some questions concerning the effectiveness of the country's drug treatment programs.

Current-Mode CMOS A/D Converter for Pico Ampere-Range with a Potentiostatic Input

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Breten, Madalina

1999-01-01

amount of a certain gas in a solution, such as oxygen in blood, can be determined by measuring the concentration-dependent current. The circuit that maintains the electrochemical stability in the sensor, as well as buffering the current output is called potentiostat.The DC current at the output....... In this context conversion techniques of the integration-type are preferred, such as dual-slope, multi-slope, or sigma-delta modulation. The performances of the comparator, clock-feedthrough effect, and the offset compensation are the main problems. Furthermore, if an analog circuit is designed as a building......-out. The influence and methods to reduce the nonlinearities of the A/D converter are discussed. At the input of the integrator was implemented a bridge of 4-switches in order to measure the low current with minimum charge injection, and to overcome the drift problems.A new conversion technique is proposed: folded-dual-slope...

Anthropogenic range contractions bias species climate change forecasts

Science.gov (United States)

Faurby, Søren; Araújo, Miguel B.

2018-03-01

Forecasts of species range shifts under climate change most often rely on ecological niche models, in which characterizations of climate suitability are highly contingent on the species range data used. If ranges are far from equilibrium under current environmental conditions, for instance owing to local extinctions in otherwise suitable areas, modelled environmental suitability can be truncated, leading to biased estimates of the effects of climate change. Here we examine the impact of such biases on estimated risks from climate change by comparing models of the distribution of North American mammals based on current ranges with ranges accounting for historical information on species ranges. We find that estimated future diversity, almost everywhere, except in coastal Alaska, is drastically underestimated unless the full historical distribution of the species is included in the models. Consequently forecasts of climate change impacts on biodiversity for many clades are unlikely to be reliable without acknowledging anthropogenic influences on contemporary ranges.

Theological misinterpretations of current physical cosmology

Science.gov (United States)

Grünbaum, Adolf

1996-04-01

In earlier writings, I argued that neither of the two major physical cosmologies of the 20th century support divine creation, so that atheism has nothing to fear from the explanations required by these cosmologies. Yet theists ranging from Augustine, Aquinas, Descartes, and Leibniz to Richard Swinburne and Philip Quinn have maintained that, at every instant anew, the existence of the world requires divine creation ex nihilo as its cause. Indeed, according to some such theists, for any given moment t. God's volition that the-world-should-exist-at-t supposedly brings about its actual existence at t. In an effort to reestablish the current viability of this doctrine of perpetual divine conservation. Philip Quinn argued (1993) that it is entirely compatible with physical energy conservation in the Big Bang cosmology, as well as with the physics of the steady-state theories. But I now contend that instead, there is a logical incompatibility on both counts. Besides, the stated tenet of divine conservation has an additional defect: It speciously purchases plausibility by trading on the multiply disanalogous volitional explanations of human actions.

Linking the oceans to public health: current efforts and future directions.

Science.gov (United States)

Kite-Powell, Hauke L; Fleming, Lora E; Backer, Lorraine C; Faustman, Elaine M; Hoagland, Porter; Tsuchiya, Ami; Younglove, Lisa R; Wilcox, Bruce A; Gast, Rebecca J

2008-11-07

We review the major linkages between the oceans and public health, focusing on exposures and potential health effects due to anthropogenic and natural factors including: harmful algal blooms, microbes, and chemical pollutants in the oceans; consumption of seafood; and flooding events. We summarize briefly the current state of knowledge about public health effects and their economic consequences; and we discuss priorities for future research.We find that:* There are numerous connections between the oceans, human activities, and human health that result in both positive and negative exposures and health effects (risks and benefits); and the study of these connections comprises a new interdisciplinary area, "oceans and human health."* The state of present knowledge about the linkages between oceans and public health varies. Some risks, such as the acute health effects caused by toxins associated with shellfish poisoning and red tide, are relatively well understood. Other risks, such as those posed by chronic exposure to many anthropogenic chemicals, pathogens, and naturally occurring toxins in coastal waters, are less well quantified. Even where there is a good understanding of the mechanism for health effects, good epidemiological data are often lacking. Solid data on economic and social consequences of these linkages are also lacking in most cases.* The design of management measures to address these risks must take into account the complexities of human response to warnings and other guidance, and the economic tradeoffs among different risks and benefits. Future research in oceans and human health to address public health risks associated with marine pathogens and toxins, and with marine dimensions of global change, should include epidemiological, behavioral, and economic components to ensure that resulting management measures incorporate effective economic and risk/benefit tradeoffs.

Statistical testing of the full-range leadership theory in nursing.

Science.gov (United States)

Kanste, Outi; Kääriäinen, Maria; Kyngäs, Helvi

2009-12-01

The aim of this study is to test statistically the structure of the full-range leadership theory in nursing. The data were gathered by postal questionnaires from nurses and nurse leaders working in healthcare organizations in Finland. A follow-up study was performed 1 year later. The sample consisted of 601 nurses and nurse leaders, and the follow-up study had 78 respondents. Theory was tested through structural equation modelling, standard regression analysis and two-way anova. Rewarding transformational leadership seems to promote and passive laissez-faire leadership to reduce willingness to exert extra effort, perceptions of leader effectiveness and satisfaction with the leader. Active management-by-exception seems to reduce willingness to exert extra effort and perception of leader effectiveness. Rewarding transformational leadership remained as a strong explanatory factor of all outcome variables measured 1 year later. The data supported the main structure of the full-range leadership theory, lending support to the universal nature of the theory.

Effort Estimation in BPMS Migration

OpenAIRE

Drews, Christopher; Lantow, Birger

2018-01-01

Usually Business Process Management Systems (BPMS) are highly integrated in the IT of organizations and are at the core of their business. Thus, migrating from one BPMS solution to another is not a common task. However, there are forces that are pushing organizations to perform this step, e.g. maintenance costs of legacy BPMS or the need for additional functionality. Before the actual migration, the risk and the effort must be evaluated. This work provides a framework for effort estimation re...

EURATOM Success Stories in Facilitating Pan-European E&T Collaborative Efforts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Garbil, R.

2016-01-01

Full text: The European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom) Research and Training framework programmes are benefiting from a consistent success in pursuing excellence in research and facilitating Pan-European collaborative efforts across a broad range of nuclear science and technologies, nuclear fission and radiation protection. To fulfil Euratom R&D programmes keys objectives of maintaining high levels of nuclear knowledge and building a more dynamic and competitive European industry, promotion of Pan-European mobility of researchers are implemented by co-financing transnational access to research infrastructures and joint research activities through to research and innovation and coordination and support actions funding schemes. Establishment by the research community of European technology platforms are being capitalized. Mapping of research infrastructures and E&T capabilities is allowing a closer cooperation within the European Union and beyond, benefiting from multilateral international agreements and from closer cooperation between Euratom, OECD/NEA and IAEA and international fora. “Euratom success stories” in facilitating Pan-European E&T collaborative efforts through research and training framework programmes show the benefits of research efforts in key fields, of building an effective “critical mass”, of promoting the creation of “centres of excellence” with an increased support for “open access to key research infrastructures”, exploitation of research results, management of knowledge, dissemination and sharing of learning outcomes. (author

Variability of Diurnal Temperature Range During Winter Over Western Himalaya: Range- and Altitude-Wise Study

Science.gov (United States)

Shekhar, M. S.; Devi, Usha; Dash, S. K.; Singh, G. P.; Singh, Amreek

2018-04-01

The current trends in diurnal temperature range, maximum temperature, minimum temperature, mean temperature, and sun shine hours over different ranges and altitudes of Western Himalaya during winter have been studied. Analysis of 25 years of data shows an increasing trend in diurnal temperature range over all the ranges and altitudes of Western Himalaya during winter, thereby confirming regional warming of the region due to present climate change and global warming. Statistical studies show significant increasing trend in maximum temperature over all the ranges and altitudes of Western Himalaya. Minimum temperature shows significant decreasing trend over Pir Panjal and Shamshawari range and significant increasing trend over higher altitude of Western Himalaya. Similarly, sunshine hours show significant decreasing trend over Karakoram range. There exists strong positive correlation between diurnal temperature range and maximum temperature for all the ranges and altitudes of Western Himalaya. Strong negative correlation exists between diurnal temperature range and minimum temperature over Shamshawari and Great Himalaya range and lower altitude of Western Himalaya. Sunshine hours show strong positive correlation with diurnal temperature range over Pir Panjal and Great Himalaya range and lower and higher altitudes.

Current disruption in toroidal devices

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1979-07-01

Attempts at raising the density or the plasma current in a tokamak above certain critical values generally result in termination of the discharge by a disruption. This sudden end of the plasma current and plasma confinement is accompanied by large induced voltages and currents in the outer structures which, in large tokamaks, can only be handled with considerable effort, and which will probably only be tolerable in reactors as rare accidents. Because of its crucial importance for the construction and operation of tokamaks, this phenomenon and its theoretical interpretation were the subject of a three-day symposium organized by the International Atomic Energy Agency and Max-Planck-Institut fuer Plasmaphysik at Garching from February 14 to 16. (orig./HT)

ASME Code Efforts Supporting HTGRs

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

D.K. Morton

2012-09-01

In 1999, an international collaborative initiative for the development of advanced (Generation IV) reactors was started. The idea behind this effort was to bring nuclear energy closer to the needs of sustainability, to increase proliferation resistance, and to support concepts able to produce energy (both electricity and process heat) at competitive costs. The U.S. Department of Energy has supported this effort by pursuing the development of the Next Generation Nuclear Plant, a high temperature gas-cooled reactor. This support has included research and development of pertinent data, initial regulatory discussions, and engineering support of various codes and standards development. This report discusses the various applicable American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) codes and standards that are being developed to support these high temperature gascooled reactors during construction and operation. ASME is aggressively pursuing these codes and standards to support an international effort to build the next generation of advanced reactors so that all can benefit.

ASME Code Efforts Supporting HTGRs

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

D.K. Morton

2011-09-01

In 1999, an international collaborative initiative for the development of advanced (Generation IV) reactors was started. The idea behind this effort was to bring nuclear energy closer to the needs of sustainability, to increase proliferation resistance, and to support concepts able to produce energy (both electricity and process heat) at competitive costs. The U.S. Department of Energy has supported this effort by pursuing the development of the Next Generation Nuclear Plant, a high temperature gas-cooled reactor. This support has included research and development of pertinent data, initial regulatory discussions, and engineering support of various codes and standards development. This report discusses the various applicable American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) codes and standards that are being developed to support these high temperature gascooled reactors during construction and operation. ASME is aggressively pursuing these codes and standards to support an international effort to build the next generation of advanced reactors so that all can benefit.

Cryogenic high current discharges

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Meierovich, B.E.

1994-01-01

Z-pinches formed from frozen deuterium fibers by a rapidly rising current have enhanced stability and high neutron yield. The efforts to understand the enhanced stability and neutron yield on the basis of classical picture of Bennett equilibrium of the current channel has not given satisfactory results. The traditional approach does not take into account the essential difference between the frozen deuterium fiber Z-pinches and the usual Z-pinches such as exploding wires or classical gas-puffed Z-pinches. The very low temperature of the fiber atoms (10 K), together with the rapidly rising current, result in the coexistence of a high current channel with unionized fiber atoms for a substantial period of time. This phenomena lasts during the risetime. This approach takes into account the difference of the breakdown in a dielectric deuterium fiber and the breakdown in a metallic wire. This difference is essential to the understanding of specific features of cryogenic high current discharges. Z-pinches in frozen deuterium fibers should be considered as a qualitatively new phenomenon on the boundary of cryogenic and high current physics. It is a start of a new branch in plasma physics: the physics of cryogenic high current discharges

Simulating range-wide population and breeding habitat dynamics for an endangered woodland warbler in the face of uncertainty

Science.gov (United States)

Adam Duarte,; Hatfield, Jeffrey; Todd M. Swannack,; Michael R. J. Forstner,; M. Clay Green,; Floyd W. Weckerly,

2015-01-01

Population viability analyses provide a quantitative approach that seeks to predict the possible future status of a species of interest under different scenarios and, therefore, can be important components of large-scale species’ conservation programs. We created a model and simulated range-wide population and breeding habitat dynamics for an endangered woodland warbler, the golden-cheeked warbler (Setophaga chrysoparia). Habitat-transition probabilities were estimated across the warbler's breeding range by combining National Land Cover Database imagery with multistate modeling. Using these estimates, along with recently published demographic estimates, we examined if the species can remain viable into the future given the current conditions. Lastly, we evaluated if protecting a greater amount of habitat would increase the number of warblers that can be supported in the future by systematically increasing the amount of protected habitat and comparing the estimated terminal carrying capacity at the end of 50 years of simulated habitat change. The estimated habitat-transition probabilities supported the hypothesis that habitat transitions are unidirectional, whereby habitat is more likely to diminish than regenerate. The model results indicated population viability could be achieved under current conditions, depending on dispersal. However, there is considerable uncertainty associated with the population projections due to parametric uncertainty. Model results suggested that increasing the amount of protected lands would have a substantial impact on terminal carrying capacities at the end of a 50-year simulation. Notably, this study identifies the need for collecting the data required to estimate demographic parameters in relation to changes in habitat metrics and population density in multiple regions, and highlights the importance of establishing a common definition of what constitutes protected habitat, what management goals are suitable within those protected

Prehospital Spinal Immobilization: Effect of Effort on Kinematics of Voluntary Head-neck Motion Assessed using Accelerometry.

Science.gov (United States)

Pryce, Rob; McDonald, Neil

2016-02-01

Standards for immobilizing potentially spine-injured patients in the prehospital environment are evolving. Current guidelines call for more research into treatment practices. Available research into spinal immobilization (SI) reveals a number of limitations. There are currently few techniques for measuring head and neck motion that address identified limitations and can be adapted to clinically relevant scenarios. This study investigates one possible method. Study participants were fitted with miniaturized accelerometers to record head motion. Participants were exposed to three levels of restraint: none, cervical-collar only, and full immobilization. In each condition, participants were instructed to move in single planes, with multiple iterations at each of four levels of effort. Participants were also instructed to move continuously in multiple planes, with iterations at each of three levels of simulated patient movement. Peak and average displacement and acceleration were calculated for each immobilization condition and level of effort. Comparisons were made with video-based measurement. Participant characteristics also were tracked. Acceleration and displacement of the head increased with effort and decreased with more restraint. In some conditions, participants generated measurable acceleration with minimal displacement. Continuous, multi-dimensional motions produced greater displacement and acceleration than single-plane motions under similar conditions. Study results suggest a number of findings: acceleration complements displacement as a measure of motion in potentially spine-injured patients; participant effort has an effect on outcome measures; and continuous, multi-dimensional motion can produce results that differ from single-plane motions. Miniaturized accelerometers are a promising technology for future research to investigate these findings in realistic, clinically relevant scenarios.

Rapid evolution of phenology during range expansion with recent climate change

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Lustenhouwer, N.; Wilschut, R.A.; Williams, J.L.; van der Putten, W.H.; Levine, J.M.

2018-01-01

Although climate warming is expected to make habitat beyond species’ current cold range edge suitable for future colonization, this new habitat may present an array of biotic or abiotic conditions not experienced within the current range. Species’ ability to shift their range with climate change may

A spatial method to calculate small-scale fisheries effort in data poor scenarios.

Science.gov (United States)

Johnson, Andrew Frederick; Moreno-Báez, Marcia; Giron-Nava, Alfredo; Corominas, Julia; Erisman, Brad; Ezcurra, Exequiel; Aburto-Oropeza, Octavio

2017-01-01

To gauge the collateral impacts of fishing we must know where fishing boats operate and how much they fish. Although small-scale fisheries land approximately the same amount of fish for human consumption as industrial fleets globally, methods of estimating their fishing effort are comparatively poor. We present an accessible, spatial method of calculating the effort of small-scale fisheries based on two simple measures that are available, or at least easily estimated, in even the most data-poor fisheries: the number of boats and the local coastal human population. We illustrate the method using a small-scale fisheries case study from the Gulf of California, Mexico, and show that our measure of Predicted Fishing Effort (PFE), measured as the number of boats operating in a given area per day adjusted by the number of people in local coastal populations, can accurately predict fisheries landings in the Gulf. Comparing our values of PFE to commercial fishery landings throughout the Gulf also indicates that the current number of small-scale fishing boats in the Gulf is approximately double what is required to land theoretical maximum fish biomass. Our method is fishery-type independent and can be used to quantitatively evaluate the efficacy of growth in small-scale fisheries. This new method provides an important first step towards estimating the fishing effort of small-scale fleets globally.

Pocket money and child effort at school

OpenAIRE

François-Charles Wolff; Christine Barnet-Verzat

2008-01-01

In this paper, we study the relationship between the provision of parental pocket and the level of effort undertaken by the child at school. Under altruism, an increased amount of parental transfer should reduce the child's effort. Our empirical analysis is based on a French data set including about 1,400 parent-child pairs. We find that children do not undertake less effort when their parents are more generous.

How do different components of Effortful Control contribute to children's mathematics achievement?

Science.gov (United States)

Sánchez-Pérez, Noelia; Fuentes, Luis J; Pina, Violeta; López-López, Jose A; González-Salinas, Carmen

2015-01-01

This work sought to investigate the specific contribution of two different components of Effortful Control (EC) -attentional focusing (AF) and inhibitory control- to children's mathematics achievement. The sample was composed of 142 children aged 9-12 year-old. EC components were measured through the Temperament in Middle Childhood Questionnaire (TMCQ; parent's report); math achievement was measured via teacher's report and through the standard Woodcock-Johnson test. Additionally, the contribution of other cognitive and socio-emotional processes was taken into account. Our results showed that only AF significantly contributed to the variance of children's mathematics achievement; interestingly, mediational models showed that the relationship between effortful attentional self-regulation and mathematics achievement was mediated by academic peer popularity, as well as by intelligence and study skills. Results are discussed in the light of the current theories on the role of children's self-regulation abilities in the context of school.

Creating an Integrated Community-Wide Effort to Enhance Diversity in the Geosciences

Science.gov (United States)

Manduca, C. A.; Weingroff, M.

2001-05-01

Supporting the development and sustenance of a diverse geoscience workforce and improving Earth system education for the full diversity of students are important goals for our community. There are numerous established programs and many new efforts beginning. However, these efforts can become more powerful if dissemination of opportunities, effective practices, and web-based resources enable synergies to develop throughout our community. The Digital Library for Earth System Education (DLESE; www.dlese.org) has developed a working group and a website to support these goals. The DLESE Diversity Working Group provides an open, virtual community for those interested in enhancing diversity in the geosciences. The working group has focused its initial effort on 1) creating a geoscience community engaged in supporting increased diversity that builds on and is integrated with work taking place in other venues; 2) developing a web resource designed to engage and support members of underrepresented groups in learning about the Earth; and 3) assisting in enhancing DLESE collections and services to better support learning experiences of students from underrepresented groups. You are invited to join the working group and participate in these efforts. The DLESE diversity website provides a mechanism for sharing information and resources. Serving as a community database, the website provides a structure in which community members can post announcements of opportunities, information on programs, and links to resources and services. Information currently available on the site includes links to professional society activities; mentoring opportunities; grant, fellowship, employment, and internship opportunities for students and educators; information on teaching students from underrepresented groups; and professional development opportunities of high interest to members of underrepresented groups. These tools provide a starting point for developing a community wide effort to enhance

Stretch-sensitive paresis and effort perception in hemiparesis.

Science.gov (United States)

Vinti, Maria; Bayle, Nicolas; Hutin, Emilie; Burke, David; Gracies, Jean-Michel

2015-08-01

In spastic paresis, stretch applied to the antagonist increases its inappropriate recruitment during agonist command (spastic co-contraction). It is unknown whether antagonist stretch: (1) also affects agonist recruitment; (2) alters effort perception. We quantified voluntary activation of ankle dorsiflexors, effort perception, and plantar flexor co-contraction during graded dorsiflexion efforts at two gastrocnemius lengths. Eighteen healthy (age 41 ± 13) and 18 hemiparetic (age 54 ± 12) subjects performed light, medium and maximal isometric dorsiflexion efforts with the knee flexed or extended. We determined dorsiflexor torque, Root Mean Square EMG and Agonist Recruitment/Co-contraction Indices (ARI/CCI) from the 500 ms peak voluntary agonist recruitment in a 5-s maximal isometric effort in tibialis anterior, soleus and medial gastrocnemius. Subjects retrospectively reported effort perception on a 10-point visual analog scale. During gastrocnemius stretch in hemiparetic subjects, we observed: (1) a 25 ± 7 % reduction of tibialis anterior voluntary activation (maximum reduction 98 %; knee extended vs knee flexed; p = 0.007, ANOVA); (2) an increase in dorsiflexion effort perception (p = 0.03, ANCOVA). Such changes did not occur in healthy subjects. Effort perception depended on tibialis anterior recruitment only (βARI(TA) = 0.61, p hemiparesis, voluntary ability to recruit agonist motoneurones is impaired--sometimes abolished--by antagonist stretch, a phenomenon defined here as stretch-sensitive paresis. In addition, spastic co-contraction increases effort perception, an additional incentive to evaluate and treat this phenomenon.

ICRP new recommendations. Committee 2's efforts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Eckerman, K.F.

2007-01-01

The International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) may release new primary radiation protection recommendation in 2007. Committee 2 has underway reviews of the dosimetric and biokinetic models and associated data used in calculating dose coefficients for intakes of radionuclides and exposures to external radiation fields. This paper outlines the work plans of Committee 2 during the current term, 2005-2009, in anticipation of the new primary recommendations. The two task groups of Committee 2 responsible for the computations of dose coefficients, INDOS and DOCAL, are reviewing the models and data used in the computations. INDOS is reviewing the lung model and the biokinetic models that describe the behavior of the radionuclides in the body. DOCAL is reviewing its computational formulations with the objective of harmonizing the formulation with those of nuclear medicine, and developing new computational phantoms representing the adult male and female reference individuals of ICRP Publication 89. In addition, DOCAL will issue a publication on nuclear decay data to replace ICRP Publication 38. While the current efforts are focused on updating the dose coefficients for occupational intakes of radionuclides plans are being formulated to address dose coefficients for external radiation fields which include consideration of high energy fields associated with accelerators and space travel and the updating of dose coefficients for members of the public. (author)

SHARP pre-release v1.0 - Current Status and Documentation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mahadevan, Vijay S. [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States); Rahaman, Ronald O. [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)

2015-09-30

The NEAMS Reactor Product Line effort aims to develop an integrated multiphysics simulation capability for the design and analysis of future generations of nuclear power plants. The Reactor Product Line code suite’s multi-resolution hierarchy is being designed to ultimately span the full range of length and time scales present in relevant reactor design and safety analyses, as well as scale from desktop to petaflop computing platforms. In this report, building on a several previous report issued in September 2014, we describe our continued efforts to integrate thermal/hydraulics, neutronics, and structural mechanics modeling codes to perform coupled analysis of a representative fast sodium-cooled reactor core in preparation for a unified release of the toolkit. The work reported in the current document covers the software engineering aspects of managing the entire stack of components in the SHARP toolkit and the continuous integration efforts ongoing to prepare a release candidate for interested reactor analysis users. Here we report on the continued integration effort of PROTEUS/Nek5000 and Diablo into the NEAMS framework and the software processes that enable users to utilize the capabilities without losing scientific productivity. Due to the complexity of the individual modules and their necessary/optional dependency library chain, we focus on the configuration and build aspects for the SHARP toolkit, which includes capability to autodownload dependencies and configure/install with optimal flags in an architecture-aware fashion. Such complexity is untenable without strong software engineering processes such as source management, source control, change reviews, unit tests, integration tests and continuous test suites. Details on these processes are provided in the report as a building step for a SHARP user guide that will accompany the first release, expected by Mar 2016.

Development of a wide-range tritium-concentration detector

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jun, F.; Zhe, L.; Shicheng, L.; Jiangfeng, S.; Deli, L.

2015-01-01

According to the requirements of the tritium related systems of the TBM (Test Blanket Module) for monitoring the on-line tritium concentration, a wide-range tritium-concentration detector has been developed to measure the tritium concentration in the range of 10 4 Bq/ml - 5*10 8 Bq/ml. This detector is combined with a low-memory helium ionization chamber. The weak current signal collected in the ionization chamber is converted to the voltage signal by an I-V converter. The minimum weak current which the detector could be measured is 10 -14 A. The performance of the background current and the current response linearity of the prototype have been tested. The test result indicates that the linear response of the current signal of the prototype without connecting the ionization chamber is good. The linear correlation coefficient is R 2 = 0.998

Effort-Based Career Opportunities and Working Time

OpenAIRE

Bratti, M.; Staffolani, S.

2005-01-01

The authors evaluate the economic effects of the hypothesis of effort-based career opportunities, described as a situation in which a firm creates incentives for employees to work longer hours than bargained (or desired), by making career prospects depend on relative working hours. Firms' personnel management policies may tend to increase working time (or workers' effort) in order to maximize profits. Effort-based career opportunities raise working time, production and output per worker, and ...

Long-Range Planning Can Improve the Efficiency of Agricultural Research and Development.

Science.gov (United States)

1981-07-24

planning is not done » Conclusions Recommendat ion Agency comments ADVISORY BODIES HAVE HAD MIXED SUCCESS IN AFFECTING LONG-RANGE PLANNING... kfc r Their efforts have more impact on determining priorities for the short-range budgeting cycle rather than influencing development of long...cultural products, (2) developing an efficient marketing and processing system, (3) conserving natural resources, and (4) im- proving the well-being of

Academic Effort and Achievement in Science: Beyond a Gendered Relationship

Science.gov (United States)

Adamuti-Trache, Maria; Sweet, Robert

2013-12-01

This study employs the 2004 School Achievement Indicators Program (SAIP) data to examine whether academic effort manifested by greater investments in school and homework does result in higher literacy scores in science for Canadian students. The study compares four gender-immigrant profiles: Canadian-born males, immigrant males, Canadian-born females, and immigrant females on their scores on teacher-assigned grades in science and on the SAIP science literacy test, and across a range of dispositions, beliefs, and behaviors suggested in the literature as predictive of achievement in science. Study findings show that Canadian-born students, particularly boys, have higher performance in the science literacy test despite their lower achievement in the science classroom and the least investments of time in doing science homework. In contrast, immigrant female students demonstrate the highest academic effort and achievement in science courses which are not matched by similar results in the science literacy test. We discuss these results in relation to different socialization experiences with science and technology that limit female and immigrant students' abilities to transfer knowledge to new situations that have not been learned in the classroom.

Misleading prioritizations from modelling range shifts under climate change

Science.gov (United States)

Sofaer, Helen R.; Jarnevich, Catherine S.; Flather, Curtis H.

2018-01-01

AimConservation planning requires the prioritization of a subset of taxa and geographical locations to focus monitoring and management efforts. Integration of the threats and opportunities posed by climate change often relies on predictions from species distribution models, particularly for assessments of vulnerability or invasion risk for multiple taxa. We evaluated whether species distribution models could reliably rank changes in species range size under climate and land use change.LocationConterminous U.S.A.Time period1977–2014.Major taxa studiedPasserine birds.MethodsWe estimated ensembles of species distribution models based on historical North American Breeding Bird Survey occurrences for 190 songbirds, and generated predictions to recent years given c. 35 years of observed land use and climate change. We evaluated model predictions using standard metrics of discrimination performance and a more detailed assessment of the ability of models to rank species vulnerability to climate change based on predicted range loss, range gain, and overall change in range size.ResultsSpecies distribution models yielded unreliable and misleading assessments of relative vulnerability to climate and land use change. Models could not accurately predict range expansion or contraction, and therefore failed to anticipate patterns of range change among species. These failures occurred despite excellent overall discrimination ability and transferability to the validation time period, which reflected strong performance at the majority of locations that were either always or never occupied by each species.Main conclusionsModels failed for the questions and at the locations of greatest interest to conservation and management. This highlights potential pitfalls of multi-taxa impact assessments under global change; in our case, models provided misleading rankings of the most impacted species, and spatial information about range changes was not credible. As modelling methods and

The properties of chromium electrodeposited with programmed currents. Part II. Reversing current

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

TANJA M. KOSTIC

2000-01-01

Full Text Available The electrodeposition of chromium in programmed reversing current (RC, was investigated in the regime of high cathodic current density (77 A dm-2 and anodic current density (55 A dm-2. The ratio of the cathodic and anodic time (60 : 1 was used. Chromium was deposed on a steel substrate from a chromic-sulphuric acid solution, during one hour. Anode and cathode were suited in a system of parallel plates. Basic properties of deposits, like thickness, morphology, microhardness, brightness were examined. Surface distribution of the deposits was obtained from the measurements of the thicknesses of the deposits (between 32 and 67 µm. A ferromagnetic non-destructive method was used in the measurements. Based on the results, graphic models of deposit surface distribution were made. Two ranges of the thickness could be seen on the model (range 1 - average thickness 35.1 µm and range 2 - average thickness 57.81 µm. These results were statisticaly analysed by colums, rows and by the whole surface. For the whole specimens, the average thickness was 45.39 µm with a coefficient of variation of 0.2582. The basic properties of the deposits did not change with a variation of the thickness. Because of this, the coatings deposited with the reversing current could be much more considered reliable in wear and corrosion protection systems than ones deposited by direct current.

The Effects of Meaning-Based Auditory Training on Behavioral Measures of Perceptual Effort in Individuals with Impaired Hearing.

Science.gov (United States)

Sommers, Mitchell S; Tye-Murray, Nancy; Barcroft, Joe; Spehar, Brent P

2015-11-01

There has been considerable interest in measuring the perceptual effort required to understand speech, as well as to identify factors that might reduce such effort. In the current study, we investigated whether, in addition to improving speech intelligibility, auditory training also could reduce perceptual or listening effort. Perceptual effort was assessed using a modified version of the n-back memory task in which participants heard lists of words presented without background noise and were asked to continually update their memory of the three most recently presented words. Perceptual effort was indexed by memory for items in the three-back position immediately before, immediately after, and 3 months after participants completed the Computerized Learning Exercises for Aural Rehabilitation (clEAR), a 12-session computerized auditory training program. Immediate posttraining measures of perceptual effort indicated that participants could remember approximately one additional word compared to pretraining. Moreover, some training gains were retained at the 3-month follow-up, as indicated by significantly greater recall for the three-back item at the 3-month measurement than at pretest. There was a small but significant correlation between gains in intelligibility and gains in perceptual effort. The findings are discussed within the framework of a limited-capacity speech perception system.

[Development of a questionnaire for measuring effort-reward imbalance in household and family work].

Science.gov (United States)

Sperlich, Stefanie; Arnhold-Kerri, Sonja; Engelke, Sonja; Noeres, Dorothee; Collatz, Jürgen; Geyer, Siegfried

2009-05-01

Siegrists concept of effort-reward imbalance (ERI) had been shown to be associated with a broad range of health impairments, in particular cardiovascular diseases and depression. The original questionnaire was designed to assess ERI in the field of occupational work. This paper reports on a newly developed questionnaire for the assessment of ERI in household and family work. Analogous to the original version, it is divided into two components: (i) dysbalance of effort and reward (extrinsic component), and (ii) over-commitment (intrinsic components). The questionnaire was tested with data drawn from a clinical sample of mothers (n = 567) in rehabilitation clinics. Factor analyses have reproduced the two main dimensions "effort" and "reward". Relevant aspects of reward at home were (i) meaningfulness, (ii) social gratification, (iii) appreciation from the spouse, and (iv) affection for the child. Finally a 19-item questionnaire for assessing ERI in household and family work (ERI-M) and a four-item measure for measuring parental over-commitment (Over-M) are available. The psychometric properties of both instruments are good to satisfactory.

Systematic review of current efforts to quantify the impacts of climate change on undernutrition.

Science.gov (United States)

Phalkey, Revati K; Aranda-Jan, Clara; Marx, Sabrina; Höfle, Bernhard; Sauerborn, Rainer

2015-08-18

Malnutrition is a challenge to the health and productivity of populations and is viewed as one of the five largest adverse health impacts of climate change. Nonetheless, systematic evidence quantifying these impacts is currently limited. Our aim was to assess the scientific evidence base for the impact of climate change on childhood undernutrition (particularly stunting) in subsistence farmers in low- and middle-income countries. A systematic review was conducted to identify peer-reviewed and gray full-text documents in English with no limits for year of publication or study design. Fifteen manuscripts were reviewed. Few studies use primary data to investigate the proportion of stunting that can be attributed to climate/weather variability. Although scattered and limited, current evidence suggests a significant but variable link between weather variables, e.g., rainfall, extreme weather events (floods/droughts), seasonality, and temperature, and childhood stunting at the household level (12 of 15 studies, 80%). In addition, we note that agricultural, socioeconomic, and demographic factors at the household and individual levels also play substantial roles in mediating the nutritional impacts. Comparable interdisciplinary studies based on primary data at a household level are urgently required to guide effective adaptation, particularly for rural subsistence farmers. Systemization of data collection at the global level is indispensable and urgent. We need to assimilate data from long-term, high-quality agricultural, environmental, socioeconomic, health, and demographic surveillance systems and develop robust statistical methods to establish and validate causal links, quantify impacts, and make reliable predictions that can guide evidence-based health interventions in the future.

Incorporating risk communication into highly pathogenic avian influenza preparedness and response efforts.

Science.gov (United States)

Voss, Shauna J; Malladi, Sasidhar; Sampedro, Fernando; Snider, Tim; Goldsmith, Timothy; Hueston, William D; Lauer, Dale C; Halvorson, David A

2012-12-01

A highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) outbreak in the United States will initiate a federal emergency response effort that will consist of disease control and eradication efforts, including quarantine and movement control measures. These movement control measures will not only apply to live animals but also to animal products. However, with current egg industry "just-in-time" production practices, limited storage is available to hold eggs. As a result, stop movement orders can have significant unintended negative consequences, including severe disruptions to the food supply chain. Because stakeholders' perceptions of risk vary, waiting to initiate communication efforts until an HPAI event occurs can hinder disease control efforts, including the willingness of producers to comply with the response, and also can affect consumers' demand for the product. A public-private-academic partnership was formed to assess actual risks involved in the movement of egg industry products during an HPAI event through product specific, proactive risk assessments. The risk analysis process engaged a broad representation of stakeholders and promoted effective risk management and communication strategies before an HPAI outbreak event. This multidisciplinary team used the risk assessments in the development of the United States Department of Agriculture, Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Secure Egg Supply Plan, a comprehensive response plan that strives to maintain continuity of business. The collaborative approach that was used demonstrates how a proactive risk communication strategy that involves many different stakeholders can be valuable in the development of a foreign animal disease response plan and build working relationships, trust, and understanding.

Effort and accuracy during language resource generation: a pronunciation prediction case study

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Davel, M

2006-11-01

Full Text Available pronunciation dictionary as case study. We show that the amount of effort required to validate a 20,000-word pronunciation dictionary can be reduced sub- stantially by employing appropriate computational tools, when compared to both a fully manual validation... and correcting errors found, and finally, manually verifying a further portion of the resource in order to estimate its current accuracy. We apply this general approach to the task of developing pronunciation dictionaries. We demonstrate how the validation...

Examining fluvial fish range loss with SDMs

Science.gov (United States)

Taylor, Andrew T.; Papeş, Monica; Long, James M.

2018-01-01

Fluvial fishes face increased imperilment from anthropogenic activities, but the specific factors contributing most to range declines are often poorly understood. For example, the range of the fluvial‐specialist shoal bass (Micropterus cataractae) continues to decrease, yet how perceived threats have contributed to range loss is largely unknown. We used species distribution models to determine which factors contributed most to shoal bass range loss. We estimated a potential distribution based on natural abiotic factors and a series of currently occupied distributions that incorporated variables characterizing land cover, non‐native species, and river fragmentation intensity (no fragmentation, dams only, and dams and large impoundments). We allowed interspecific relationships between non‐native congeners and shoal bass to vary across fragmentation intensities. Results from the potential distribution model estimated shoal bass presence throughout much of their native basin, whereas models of currently occupied distribution showed that range loss increased as fragmentation intensified. Response curves from models of currently occupied distribution indicated a potential interaction between fragmentation intensity and the relationship between shoal bass and non‐native congeners, wherein non‐natives may be favored at the highest fragmentation intensity. Response curves also suggested that >100 km of interconnected, free‐flowing stream fragments were necessary to support shoal bass presence. Model evaluation, including an independent validation, suggested that models had favorable predictive and discriminative abilities. Similar approaches that use readily available, diverse, geospatial data sets may deliver insights into the biology and conservation needs of other fluvial species facing similar threats.

Perceived effort for motor control and decision-making.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ignasi Cos

2017-08-01

Full Text Available How effort is internally quantified and how it influences both movement generation and decisions between potential movements are 2 difficult questions to answer. Physical costs are known to influence motor control and decision-making, yet we lack a general, principled characterization of how the perception of effort operates across tasks and conditions. Morel and colleagues introduce an insightful approach to that end, assessing effort indifference points and presenting a quadratic law between perceived effort and force production.

Long-range alpha detector

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

MacArthur, D.W.; McAtee, J.L.

1991-01-01

Historically, alpha-particle and alpha-contamination detectors have been limited by the very short range of alpha particles in air and by relatively poor sensitivity even if the particles are intercepted. Alpha detectors have had to be operated in a vacuum or in close proximity to the source if reasonable efficiency is desired. Alpha particles interact with the ambient air, producing ionization in the air at the rate of ∼30,000 ion pairs per mega-electron-volt of alpha energy. These charges can be transported over significant distances (several meters) in a moving current of air generated by a small fan. An ion chamber located in front of the fan measures the current carried by the moving ions. The long-range alpha detector (LRAD) offers several advantages over more traditional alpha detectors. First and foremost, it can operate efficiently even if the contamination is not easily accessible. Second, ions generated by contamination in crevices and other unmonitorable locations can be detected if the airflow penetrates those areas. Third, all of the contamination on a large surface will generate ions that can be detected in a single detector; hence, the detector's sensitivity to distributed sources is not limited by the size of the probe. Finally, a simple ion chamber can detect very small electric currents, making this technique potentially quite sensitive

Ultra-wideband ranging precision and accuracy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

MacGougan, Glenn; O'Keefe, Kyle; Klukas, Richard

2009-01-01

This paper provides an overview of ultra-wideband (UWB) in the context of ranging applications and assesses the precision and accuracy of UWB ranging from both a theoretical perspective and a practical perspective using real data. The paper begins with a brief history of UWB technology and the most current definition of what constitutes an UWB signal. The potential precision of UWB ranging is assessed using Cramer–Rao lower bound analysis. UWB ranging methods are described and potential error sources are discussed. Two types of commercially available UWB ranging radios are introduced which are used in testing. Actual ranging accuracy is assessed from line-of-sight testing under benign signal conditions by comparison to high-accuracy electronic distance measurements and to ranges derived from GPS real-time kinematic positioning. Range measurements obtained in outdoor testing with line-of-sight obstructions and strong reflection sources are compared to ranges derived from classically surveyed positions. The paper concludes with a discussion of the potential applications for UWB ranging

Electric vehicle with or without range extender. Who is the driver - technology, customer or legislation?; Elektrofahrzeuge mit oder ohne Range Extender. Wer bestimmt den Weg - die Technik, der Kunde oder die Gesetzgebung?

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Beidl, Christian; Kluin, Matthias [Technische Univ. Darmstadt (Germany); Hohenberg, Guenter; Bacher, Christian [IVD Prof. Hohenberg GmbH, Graz (Austria)

2011-07-01

Let us begin with an analysis of the technical context of E-mobility. The starting point of any such investigation is the restricted range of this technology. Greater car sizes bring ever-greater problems, especially in terms of the growing influence of driving speed and surrounding conditions. The combination of an E-motor and combustion engine thus represents an expedient ''enabler'' of E-mobility. This combination enables a drive system solution which overcomes the restrictions of a purely electric vehicle in terms of flexibility of use and availability of mobility. This paper discusses the difference between parallel and serial drives using already realized concepts. It also seeks to present a new concept for a compact, cost-efficient solution (ICE Assist). The second section will compare the current legal framework, customer expectations and technical solutions. Of critical importance is the concept for which the government will opt and the ''incentives'' which it sets to achieve this end. OEMs are currently beset by a significant level of insecurity regarding the concept with the best future and as a result, those involved are currently seeking solutions which cover all possible variants. This invariably results in compromises, which further add to the time and effort involved and increases costs. Customers generally have a positive attitude towards electric driving, but at the same time, their expectations follow their prior experience. Range extender / plug-in / ICE-assist solutions thus have the potential to bring a significant increase in the amount of electric driving / the number of kilometers driven by electrical means. To achieve a breakthrough in E-mobility, it is first necessary to establish a clear definition of an ''electric vehicle''. This requires a clear response from the government. 32. Internationales (orig.)

Detector with internal gain for short-wave infrared ranging applications

Science.gov (United States)

Fathipour, Vala; Mohseni, Hooman

2017-09-01

Abstarct.Highly sensitive photon detectors are regarded as the key enabling elements in many applications. Due to the low photon energy at the short-wave infrared (SWIR), photon detection and imaging at this band are very challenging. As such, many efforts in photon detector research are directed toward improving the performance of the photon detectors operating in this wavelength range. To solve these problems, we have developed an electron-injection (EI) technique. The significance of this detection mechanism is that it can provide both high efficiency and high sensitivity at room temperature, a condition that is very difficult to achieve in conventional SWIR detectors. An EI detector offers an overall system-level sensitivity enhancement due to a feedback stabilized internal avalanche-free gain. Devices exhibit an excess noise of unity, operate in linear mode, require bias voltage of a few volts, and have a cutoff wavelength of 1700 nm. We review the material system, operating principle, and development of EI detectors. The shortcomings of the first-generation devices were addressed in the second-generation detectors. Measurement on second-generation devices showed a high-speed response of ˜6 ns rise time, low jitter of less than 20 ps, high amplification of more than 2000 (at optical power levels larger than a few nW), unity excess noise factor, and low leakage current (amplified dark current ˜10 nA at a bias voltage of -3 V and at room temperature. These characteristics make EI detectors a good candidate for high-resolution flash light detection and ranging (LiDAR) applications with millimeter scale depth resolution at longer ranges compared with conventional p-i-n diodes. Based on our experimentally measured device characteristics, we compare the performance of the EI detector with commercially available linear mode InGaAs avalanche photodiode (APD) as well as a p-i-n diode using a theoretical model. Flash LiDAR images obtained by our model show that the EI

Development of a wide-range tritium-concentration detector

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jun, F.; Zhe, L.; Shicheng, L.; Jiangfeng, S.; Deli, L. [China Academy of Engineering Physics, Mianyang (China)

2015-03-15

According to the requirements of the tritium related systems of the TBM (Test Blanket Module) for monitoring the on-line tritium concentration, a wide-range tritium-concentration detector has been developed to measure the tritium concentration in the range of 10{sup 4} Bq/ml - 5*10{sup 8} Bq/ml. This detector is combined with a low-memory helium ionization chamber. The weak current signal collected in the ionization chamber is converted to the voltage signal by an I-V converter. The minimum weak current which the detector could be measured is 10{sup -14} A. The performance of the background current and the current response linearity of the prototype have been tested. The test result indicates that the linear response of the current signal of the prototype without connecting the ionization chamber is good. The linear correlation coefficient is R{sup 2} = 0.998.

Integrating and differentiating aspects of self-regulation: effortful control, executive functioning, and links to negative affectivity.

Science.gov (United States)

Bridgett, David J; Oddi, Kate B; Laake, Lauren M; Murdock, Kyle W; Bachmann, Melissa N

2013-02-01

Subdisciplines within psychology frequently examine self-regulation from different frameworks despite conceptually similar definitions of constructs. In the current study, similarities and differences between effortful control, based on the psychobiological model of temperament (Rothbart, Derryberry, & Posner, 1994), and executive functioning are examined and empirically tested in three studies (n = 509). Structural equation modeling indicated that effortful control and executive functioning are strongly associated and overlapping constructs (Study 1). Additionally, results indicated that effortful control is related to the executive function of updating/monitoring information in working memory, but not inhibition (Studies 2 and 3). Study 3 also demonstrates that better updating/monitoring information in working memory and better effortful control were uniquely linked to lower dispositional negative affect, whereas the executive function of low/poor inhibition was uniquely associated with an increased tendency to express negative affect. Furthermore, dispositional negative affect mediated the links between effortful control and, separately, the executive function of updating/monitoring information in working memory and the tendency to express negative affect. The theoretical implications of these findings are discussed, and a potential framework for guiding future work directed at integrating and differentiating aspects of self-regulation is suggested. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2013 APA, all rights reserved.

Phase transitions in least-effort communications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Prokopenko, Mikhail; Ay, Nihat; Obst, Oliver; Polani, Daniel

2010-01-01

We critically examine a model that attempts to explain the emergence of power laws (e.g., Zipf's law) in human language. The model is based on the principle of least effort in communications—specifically, the overall effort is balanced between the speaker effort and listener effort, with some trade-off. It has been shown that an information-theoretic interpretation of this principle is sufficiently rich to explain the emergence of Zipf's law in the vicinity of the transition between referentially useless systems (one signal for all referable objects) and indexical reference systems (one signal per object). The phase transition is defined in the space of communication accuracy (information content) expressed in terms of the trade-off parameter. Our study explicitly solves the continuous optimization problem, subsuming a recent, more specific result obtained within a discrete space. The obtained results contrast Zipf's law found by heuristic search (that attained only local minima) in the vicinity of the transition between referentially useless systems and indexical reference systems, with an inverse-factorial (sub-logarithmic) law found at the transition that corresponds to global minima. The inverse-factorial law is observed to be the most representative frequency distribution among optimal solutions

Men's Work Efforts and the Transition to Fatherhood.

Science.gov (United States)

Astone, Nan Marie; Dariotis, Jacinda; Sonenstein, Freya; Pleck, Joseph H; Hynes, Kathryn

2010-03-01

In this paper we tested three hypotheses: (a) the transition to fatherhood is associated with an increase in work effort; (b) the positive association (if any) between the transition to fatherhood and work effort is greater for fathers who are married at the time of the transition; and (c) the association (if any) is greater for men who make the transition at younger ages. The data are from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1979 Cohort. The transition to fatherhood was associated with an increase in work effort among young unmarried men, but not for married men. Among married men who were on-time fathers, work effort decreased. Among childless men, the marriage transition was associated with increased work effort.

Glucose enhancement of recognition memory: differential effects on effortful processing but not aspects of 'remember-know' responses.

Science.gov (United States)

Scholey, Andrew; Macpherson, Helen; Sünram-Lea, Sandra; Elliott, Jade; Stough, Con; Kennedy, David

2013-01-01

The administration of a glucose drink has been shown to enhance cognitive performance with effect sizes comparable with those from pharmaceutical interventions in human trials. In the memory domain, it is currently debated whether glucose facilitation of performance is due to differential targeting of hippocampal memory or whether task effort is a more important determinant. Using a placebo-controlled, double-blind, crossover 2(Drink: glucose/placebo) × 2(Effort: ± secondary task) design, 20 healthy young adults' recognition memory performance was measured using the 'remember-know' procedure. Two high effort conditions (one for each drink) included secondary hand movements during word presentation. A 25 g glucose or 30 mg saccharine (placebo) drink was consumed 10 min prior to the task. The presence of a secondary task resulted in a global impairment of memory function. There were significant Drink × Effort interactions for overall memory accuracy but no differential effects for 'remember' or 'know' responses. These data suggest that, in some circumstances, task effort may be a more important determinant of the glucose facilitation of memory effect than hippocampal mediation. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled 'Cognitive Enhancers'. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Investigation of eddy currents in the components of the dynamic ergodic divertor of TEXTOR using analytical and numerical approaches

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Giesen, B.; Neubauer, O.; Bondarchuk, E.; Doinikov, N.; Kitaev, B.; Obidenko, T.; Panin, A.

2003-01-01

Analytical and numerical approaches for the calculation of eddy currents in mechanical structures of the TEXTOR tokamak in view of operating the dynamic ergodic divertor (DED) coil system fed with the alternating current up to 15 kA at frequencies up to 10 kHz are described. The design of the in-vessel components located close to the DED coils requires detailed investigation of eddy current effects to avoid unacceptable heating and forces. Different approaches depending on skin-layer depths compared with the body dimensions are analyzed. The applied algorithms are based on analytical and simplified numerical methods. Precision and application range of these algorithms have been checked by a numerical code. The simplified technique is rather effective for first step engineering estimation and gives a good understanding for the problem. In a certain parameter range, it results in even precise values and can be used for design optimization of the structures without huge efforts in numerical modeling. After modification of the component's shape prototypes have been manufactured and successfully tested in a full-scale model under the real DED field. The design recommendations resulting from the eddy current studies contributed significantly to the optimized lay out of the DED in-vessel components

Dissociating variability and effort as determinants of coordination.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ian O'Sullivan

2009-04-01

Full Text Available When coordinating movements, the nervous system often has to decide how to distribute work across a number of redundant effectors. Here, we show that humans solve this problem by trying to minimize both the variability of motor output and the effort involved. In previous studies that investigated the temporal shape of movements, these two selective pressures, despite having very different theoretical implications, could not be distinguished; because noise in the motor system increases with the motor commands, minimization of effort or variability leads to very similar predictions. When multiple effectors with different noise and effort characteristics have to be combined, however, these two cost terms can be dissociated. Here, we measure the importance of variability and effort in coordination by studying how humans share force production between two fingers. To capture variability, we identified the coefficient of variation of the index and little fingers. For effort, we used the sum of squared forces and the sum of squared forces normalized by the maximum strength of each effector. These terms were then used to predict the optimal force distribution for a task in which participants had to produce a target total force of 4-16 N, by pressing onto two isometric transducers using different combinations of fingers. By comparing the predicted distribution across fingers to the actual distribution chosen by participants, we were able to estimate the relative importance of variability and effort of 1:7, with the unnormalized effort being most important. Our results indicate that the nervous system uses multi-effector redundancy to minimize both the variability of the produced output and effort, although effort costs clearly outweighed variability costs.

Engineering youth service system infrastructure: Hawaii's continued efforts at large-scale implementation through knowledge management strategies.

Science.gov (United States)

Nakamura, Brad J; Mueller, Charles W; Higa-McMillan, Charmaine; Okamura, Kelsie H; Chang, Jaime P; Slavin, Lesley; Shimabukuro, Scott

2014-01-01

Hawaii's Child and Adolescent Mental Health Division provides a unique illustration of a youth public mental health system with a long and successful history of large-scale quality improvement initiatives. Many advances are linked to flexibly organizing and applying knowledge gained from the scientific literature and move beyond installing a limited number of brand-named treatment approaches that might be directly relevant only to a small handful of system youth. This article takes a knowledge-to-action perspective and outlines five knowledge management strategies currently under way in Hawaii. Each strategy represents one component of a larger coordinated effort at engineering a service system focused on delivering both brand-named treatment approaches and complimentary strategies informed by the evidence base. The five knowledge management examples are (a) a set of modular-based professional training activities for currently practicing therapists, (b) an outreach initiative for supporting youth evidence-based practices training at Hawaii's mental health-related professional programs, (c) an effort to increase consumer knowledge of and demand for youth evidence-based practices, (d) a practice and progress agency performance feedback system, and (e) a sampling of system-level research studies focused on understanding treatment as usual. We end by outlining a small set of lessons learned and a longer term vision for embedding these efforts into the system's infrastructure.

Radio Ranging Techniques to test Relativistic Gravitation

OpenAIRE

Cowsik, R.

1999-01-01

It is suggested that modern techniques of radio ranging when applied to study the motion of the Moon, can improve the accuracy of tests of relativistic gravitation obtained with currently operating laser ranging techniques. Other auxillary information relevant to the Solar system would also emerge from such a study.

Not all effort is equal: the role of the anterior cingulate cortex in different forms of effort-reward decisions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Victoria eHolec

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The rat anterior cingulate cortex (ACC mediates effort-based decision making when the task requires the physical effort of climbing a ramp. Normal rats will readily climb a barrier leading to high reward whereas rats with ACC lesions will opt instead for an easily obtained small reward. The present study explored whether the role of ACC in cost-benefit decisions extends beyond climbing by testing its role in ramp climbing as well as two novel cost-benefit decision tasks, one involving the physical effort of lifting weights and the other the emotional cost of overcoming fear (i.e., courage. As expected, rats with extensive ACC lesions tested on a ramp-climbing task were less likely to choose a high-reward/high-effort arm than sham controls. However, during the first few trials, lesioned rats were as likely as controls to initially turn into the high-reward arm but far less likely to actually climb the barrier, suggesting that the role of the ACC is not in deciding which course of action to pursue, but rather in maintaining a course of action in the face of countervailing forces. In the effort-reward decision task involving weight lifting, some lesion animals behaved like controls while others avoided the high reward arm. However, the results were not statistically significant and a follow-up study using incremental increasing effort failed to show any difference between lesion and control groups. The results suggest that the ACC is not needed for effort-reward decisions involving weight lifting but may affect motor abilities. Finally, a courage task explored the willingness of rats to overcome the fear of crossing an open, exposed arm to obtain a high reward. Both sham and ACC-lesioned animals exhibited equal tendencies to enter the open arm. However, whereas sham animals gradually improved on the task, ACC-lesioned rats did not. Taken together, the results suggest that the role of the ACC in effort-reward decisions may be limited to certain

Williamsport Area Community College Long Range Planning: The Long Range Plan, Update 1987.

Science.gov (United States)

Williamsport Area Community Coll., PA.

This update to Williamsport Area Community College's (WACC's) 1984-89 long-range plan offers a status report on each of the plan's 78 objectives, reassigns responsibility for specific objectives to make the plan responsive to the current organizational structure of the college, and offers 11 new objectives for the 1986-87 academic year. After…

Beam current monitors at the UNILAC

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schneider, N.

1998-01-01

One of the most basic linac operation tools is a beam current transformer. Using outstanding materials, the latest low-noise amplifiers, and some good ideas, a universal current monitoring system has been developed and installed at the UNILAC at GSI. With a dynamic range of 112 dB, covering the low-current range down to 100 nA peak to peak at S/N=1, as well as 25 mA pulses, provided for high-current injection to the SIS synchrotron, a well-accepted diagnostic instrument could be placed at the disposal of the operaters

Direct current contamination of kilohertz frequency alternating current waveforms.

Science.gov (United States)

Franke, Manfred; Bhadra, Niloy; Bhadra, Narendra; Kilgore, Kevin

2014-07-30

Kilohertz frequency alternating current (KHFAC) waveforms are being evaluated in a variety of physiological settings because of their potential to modulate neural activity uniquely when compared to frequencies in the sub-kilohertz range. However, the use of waveforms in this frequency range presents some unique challenges regarding the generator output. In this study we explored the possibility of undesirable contamination of the KHFAC waveforms by direct current (DC). We evaluated current- and voltage-controlled KHFAC waveform generators in configurations that included a capacitive coupling between generator and electrode, a resistive coupling and combinations of capacitive with inductive coupling. Our results demonstrate that both voltage- and current-controlled signal generators can unintentionally add DC-contamination to a KHFAC signal, and that capacitive coupling is not always sufficient to eliminate this contamination. We furthermore demonstrated that high value inductors, placed in parallel with the electrode, can be effective in eliminating DC-contamination irrespective of the type of stimulator, reducing the DC contamination to less than 1 μA. This study highlights the importance of carefully designing the electronic setup used in KHFAC studies and suggests specific testing that should be performed and reported in all studies that assess the neural response to KHFAC waveforms. Published by Elsevier B.V.

History and current status of peste des petits ruminants virus in Tanzania.

Science.gov (United States)

Torsson, Emeli; Kgotlele, Tebogo; Berg, Mikael; Mtui-Malamsha, Niwael; Swai, Emanuel S; Wensman, Jonas Johansson; Misinzo, Gerald

2016-01-01

Peste des petits ruminants virus (PPRV) causes the acute, highly contagious disease peste des petits ruminants (PPR) that affects small domestic and wild ruminants. PPR is of importance in the small livestock-keeping industry in Tanzania, especially in rural areas as it is an important source of livelihood. Morbidity and case fatality rate can be as high as 80-100% in naïve herds; however, in endemic areas, morbidity and case fatality range between 10 and 100% where previous immunity, age, and species of infected animal determine severity of outcome. PPR was officially confirmed in domestic animals in the Ngorongoro district of Tanzania in 2008. It is now considered to be endemic in the domestic sheep and goat populations throughout Tanzania, but restricted to one or more areas in the small ruminant wildlife population. In this article, we review the history and the current status of PPR in Tanzania and neighboring countries. To control and eradicate PPR in the region, a joint effort between these countries needs to be undertaken. The effort must also secure genuine engagement from the animal holders to succeed.

History and current status of peste des petits ruminants virus in Tanzania

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Emeli Torsson

2016-10-01

Full Text Available Peste des petits ruminants virus (PPRV causes the acute, highly contagious disease peste des petits ruminants (PPR that affects small domestic and wild ruminants. PPR is of importance in the small livestock-keeping industry in Tanzania, especially in rural areas as it is an important source of livelihood. Morbidity and case fatality rate can be as high as 80–100% in naïve herds; however, in endemic areas, morbidity and case fatality range between 10 and 100% where previous immunity, age, and species of infected animal determine severity of outcome. PPR was officially confirmed in domestic animals in the Ngorongoro district of Tanzania in 2008. It is now considered to be endemic in the domestic sheep and goat populations throughout Tanzania, but restricted to one or more areas in the small ruminant wildlife population. In this article, we review the history and the current status of PPR in Tanzania and neighboring countries. To control and eradicate PPR in the region, a joint effort between these countries needs to be undertaken. The effort must also secure genuine engagement from the animal holders to succeed.

Montessori Elementary Philosophy Reflects Current Motivation Theories

Science.gov (United States)

Murray, Angela

2011-01-01

Montessori's theories, developed more than 100 years ago, certainly resonate with current psychological research on improving education. Autonomy, interest, competence, and relatedness form the foundation for three contemporary efforts to organize the vast literature on motivation into a parsimonious theory. These four elements also comprise…

Programming effort analysis of the ELLPACK language

Science.gov (United States)

Rice, J. R.

1978-01-01

ELLPACK is a problem statement language and system for elliptic partial differential equations which is implemented by a FORTRAN preprocessor. ELLPACK's principal purpose is as a tool for the performance evaluation of software. However, it is used here as an example with which to study the programming effort required for problem solving. It is obvious that problem statement languages can reduce programming effort tremendously; the goal is to quantify this somewhat. This is done by analyzing the lengths and effort (as measured by Halstead's software science technique) of various approaches to solving these problems.

Current-to-frequency converter

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Glowacki, S W [Institute of Nuclear Research, Warsaw (Poland)

1981-07-15

A current-to-frequency converter covering the range from 3 x 10/sup -10/ A up to 3 x 10/sup -5/ A of the input current is described. The circuit operates with nuclear detectors featuring a high internal resistance.

State Emergency Department Opioid Guidelines: Current Status.

Science.gov (United States)

Broida, Robert I; Gronowski, Tanner; Kalnow, Andrew F; Little, Andrew G; Lloyd, Christopher M

2017-04-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate and categorize current state-sponsored opioid guidelines for the practice of emergency medicine (EM). We conducted a comprehensive search of EM-specific opioid prescribing guidelines and/or policies in each state to determine current state involvement in EM opioid prescribing, as well as to evaluate some of the specifics of each guideline or policy. The search was conducted using an online query and a follow-up email request to each state chapter of ACEP. We found that 17 states had emergency department-specific guidelines. We further organized the guidelines into four categories: limiting prescriptions for opioids with 67 total recommendations; preventing/diverting abuse with 56 total recommendations; addiction-related guidelines with 29 total recommendations; and a community resources section with 24 total recommendations. Our results showed that current state guidelines focus on providers limiting opioid pain prescriptions and vetting patients for possible abuse/diversion. This study highlights the 17 states that have addressed opioid prescribing guidelines and categorizes their efforts to date. It is hoped that this study will provide the basis for similar efforts in other states.

Distinct effects of apathy and dopamine on effort-based decision-making in Parkinson's disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Le Heron, Campbell; Plant, Olivia; Manohar, Sanjay; Ang, Yuen-Siang; Jackson, Matthew; Lennox, Graham; Hu, Michele T; Husain, Masud

2018-05-01

Effort-based decision-making is a cognitive process crucial to normal motivated behaviour. Apathy is a common and disabling complication of Parkinson's disease, but its aetiology remains unclear. Intriguingly, the neural substrates associated with apathy also subserve effort-based decision-making in animal models and humans. Furthermore, the dopaminergic system plays a core role in motivating effortful behaviour for reward, and its dysfunction has been proposed to play a crucial role in the aetiology of apathy in Parkinson's disease. We hypothesized that disrupted effort-based decision-making underlies the syndrome of apathy in Parkinson's disease, and that this disruption may be modulated by the dopaminergic system. An effort-based decision-making task was administered to 39 patients with Parkinson's disease, with and without clinical apathy, ON and OFF their normal dopaminergic medications across two separate sessions, as well as 32 healthy age- and gender-matched controls. On a trial-by-trial basis, participants decided whether to accept or reject offers of monetary reward in return for exerting different levels of physical effort via handheld, individually calibrated dynamometers. Effort and reward were manipulated independently, such that offers spanned the full range of effort/reward combinations. Apathy was assessed using the Lille apathy rating scale. Motor effects of the dopamine manipulation were assessed using the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale part three motor score. The primary outcome variable was choice (accept/decline offer) analysed using a hierarchical generalized linear mixed effects model, and the vigour of squeeze (Newtons exerted above required force). Both apathy and dopamine depletion were associated with reduced acceptance of offers. However, these effects were driven by dissociable patterns of responding. While apathy was characterized by increased rejection of predominantly low reward offers, dopamine increased responding to

Using management action plans to integrate program improvement efforts

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Meador, S.W.; Kidwell, R.J.; Shangraw, W.R.; Cardamone, E.N. [Project Performance Corporation, Sterling, VA (United States)

1994-12-31

The Department of Energy`s (DOE`s) Environmental Management Program is the country`s largest and most sophisticated environmental program to date. The rapid expansion of the DOE`s environmental restoration efforts has led to increased scrutiny of its management processes and systems. As the program continues to grow and mature, maintaining adequate accountability for resources and clearly communicating progress will be essential to sustaining public confidence. The Office of Environmental Management must ensure that adequate processes and systems are in place at Headquarters, Operation Offices, and contractor organizations. These systems must provide the basis for sound management, cost control, and reporting. To meet this challenge, the Office of Environmental Restoration introduced the Management Action Plan process. This process was designed to serve three primary functions: (1) define the program`s management capabilities at Headquarters and Operations Offices; (2) describe how management initiatives address identified program deficiencies; and (3) identify any duplication of efforts or program deficiencies. The Environmental Restoration Management Action Plan is a tracking, reporting, and statusing tool, used primarily at the Headquarters level, for assessing performance in key areas of project management and control. BY DOE to communicate to oversight agencies and stakeholders a clearer picture of the current status of the environmental restoration project management system. This paper will discuss how Management Action Plans are used to provide a program-wide assessment of management capabilities.

Using management action plans to integrate program improvement efforts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Meador, S.W.; Kidwell, R.J.; Shangraw, W.R.; Cardamone, E.N.

1994-01-01

The Department of Energy's (DOE's) Environmental Management Program is the country's largest and most sophisticated environmental program to date. The rapid expansion of the DOE's environmental restoration efforts has led to increased scrutiny of its management processes and systems. As the program continues to grow and mature, maintaining adequate accountability for resources and clearly communicating progress will be essential to sustaining public confidence. The Office of Environmental Management must ensure that adequate processes and systems are in place at Headquarters, Operation Offices, and contractor organizations. These systems must provide the basis for sound management, cost control, and reporting. To meet this challenge, the Office of Environmental Restoration introduced the Management Action Plan process. This process was designed to serve three primary functions: (1) define the program's management capabilities at Headquarters and Operations Offices; (2) describe how management initiatives address identified program deficiencies; and (3) identify any duplication of efforts or program deficiencies. The Environmental Restoration Management Action Plan is a tracking, reporting, and statusing tool, used primarily at the Headquarters level, for assessing performance in key areas of project management and control. BY DOE to communicate to oversight agencies and stakeholders a clearer picture of the current status of the environmental restoration project management system. This paper will discuss how Management Action Plans are used to provide a program-wide assessment of management capabilities

The effect of task demand and incentive on neurophysiological and cardiovascular markers of effort.

Science.gov (United States)

Fairclough, Stephen H; Ewing, Kate

2017-09-01

According to motivational intensity theory, effort is proportional to the level of task demand provided that success is possible and successful performance is deemed worthwhile. The current study represents a simultaneous manipulation of demand (working memory load) and success importance (financial incentive) to investigate neurophysiological (EEG) and cardiovascular measures of effort. A 2×2 repeated-measures study was conducted where 18 participants performed a n-back task under three conditions of demand: easy (1-back), hard (4-back) and very hard (7-back). In addition, participants performed these tasks in the presence of performance-contingent financial incentive or in a no-incentive (pilot trial) condition. Three bands of EEG activity were quantified: theta (4-7Hz), lower-alpha (7.5-10Hz) and upper-alpha (10.5-13Hz). Fronto-medial activity in the theta band and activity in the upper-alpha band at frontal, central and parietal sites were sensitive to demand and indicated greatest effort when the task was challenging and success was possible. Mean systolic blood pressure and activity in the lower-alpha band at parietal sites were also sensitive to demand but also increased in the incentive condition across all levels of task demand. The results of the study largely support the predictions of motivational intensity using neurophysiological markers of effort. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Is meditation always relaxing? Investigating heart rate, heart rate variability, experienced effort and likeability during training of three types of meditation.

Science.gov (United States)

Lumma, Anna-Lena; Kok, Bethany E; Singer, Tania

2015-07-01

Meditation is often associated with a relaxed state of the body. However, meditation can also be regarded as a type of mental task and training, associated with mental effort and physiological arousal. The cardiovascular effects of meditation may vary depending on the type of meditation, degree of mental effort, and amount of training. In the current study we assessed heart rate (HR), high-frequency heart rate variability (HF-HRV) and subjective ratings of effort and likeability during three types of meditation varying in their cognitive and attentional requirements, namely breathing meditation, loving-kindness meditation and observing-thoughts meditation. In the context of the ReSource project, a one-year longitudinal mental training study, participants practiced each meditation exercise on a daily basis for 3 months. As expected HR and effort were higher during loving-kindness meditation and observing-thoughts meditation compared to breathing meditation. With training over time HR and likeability increased, while HF-HRV and the subjective experience of effort decreased. The increase in HR and decrease in HF-HRV over training was higher for loving-kindness meditation and observing-thoughts meditation compared to breathing meditation. In contrast to implicit beliefs that meditation is always relaxing and associated with low arousal, the current results show that core meditations aiming at improving compassion and meta-cognitive skills require effort and are associated with physiological arousal compared to breathing meditation. Overall these findings can be useful in making more specific suggestions about which type of meditation is most adaptive for a given context and population. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Time preferences, study effort, and academic performance

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Non, J.A.; Tempelaar, D.T.

2014-01-01

We analyze the relation between time preferences, study effort, and academic performance among first-year Business and Economics students. Time preferences are measured by stated preferences for an immediate payment over larger delayed payments. Data on study efforts are derived from an electronic

Effort problem of chemical pipelines

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Okrajni, J.; Ciesla, M.; Mutwil, K. [Silesian Technical University, Katowice (Poland)

1998-12-31

The problem of the technical state assessment of the chemical pipelines working under mechanical and thermal loading has been shown in the paper. The pipelines effort after the long time operating period has been analysed. Material geometrical and loading conditions of the crack initiation and crack growth process in the chosen object has been discussed. Areas of the maximal effort have been determined. The material structure charges after the long time operating period have been described. Mechanisms of the crack initiation and crack growth in the pipeline elements have been analysed and mutual relations between the chemical and mechanical influences have been shown. (orig.) 16 refs.

Design Considerations for CMOS Current Mode Operational Amplifiers and Current Conveyors

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bruun, Erik

implementations of current mode opamps in CMOS technology are described. Also, current conveyor configurations with multiple outputs and flexible feedback connections from outputs to inputs are introduced. The dissertation includes several examples of circuit configurations ranging from simple class A and class......This dissertation is about CMOS current conveyors and current mode operational amplifiers (opamps). They are generic devices for continuous time signal processing in circuits and systems where signals are represented by currents.Substantial advancements are reported in the dissertation, both...... related to circuit implementations and system configurations and to an analysis of the fundamental limitations of the current mode technique.In the field of system configurations and circuit implementations different configurations of high gain current opamps are introduced and some of the first...

Calorimetric beam-current integrator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Osborne, J.L.

1984-01-01

A single-cup calorimeter for beam-current integration and its associated electronics are described. The design allows beam power up to 120 W and is shown to integrate with an accuracy of 1% over a range of beam energy, current, and power. (orig.)

The exotic invasive plant Vincetoxicum rossicum is a strong competitor even outside its current realized climatic temperature range

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Laurа Sanderson

2013-03-01

Full Text Available Dog-strangling vine (Vincetoxicum rossicum is an exotic plant originating from Central and Eastern Europe that is becoming increasingly invasive in southern Ontario, Canada. Once established, it successfully displaces local native plant species but mechanisms behind this plant’s high competitive ability are not fully understood. It is unknown whether cooler temperatures will limit the range expansion of V. rossicum, which has demonstrated high tolerance for other environmental variables such as light and soil moisture. Furthermore, if V. rossicum can establish outside its current climatic limit it is unknown whether competition with native species can significantly contribute to reduce fitness and slow down invasion. We conducted an experiment to test the potential of V. rossicum to spread into northern areas of Ontario using a set of growth chambers to simulate southern and northern Ontario climatic temperature regimes. We also tested plant-plant competition by growing V. rossicum in pots with a highly abundant native species, Solidago canadensis, and comparing growth responses to plants grown alone. We found that the fitness of V. rossicum was not affected by the cooler climate despite a delay in reproductive phenology. Growing V. rossicum with S. canadensis caused a significant reduction in seedpod biomass of V. rossicum. However, we did not detect a temperature x competition interaction in spite of evidence for adaptation of S. canadensis to cooler temperature conditions. We conclude that the spread of V. rossicum north within the tested range is unlikely to be limited by climatic temperature but competition with an abundant native species may contribute to slow it down.

Effects of Hearing Impairment and Hearing Aid Amplification on Listening Effort: A Systematic Review.

Science.gov (United States)

Ohlenforst, Barbara; Zekveld, Adriana A; Jansma, Elise P; Wang, Yang; Naylor, Graham; Lorens, Artur; Lunner, Thomas; Kramer, Sophia E

Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation Working Group guidelines. We tested the statistical evidence across studies with nonparametric tests. The testing revealed only one consistent effect across studies, namely that listening effort was higher for hearing-impaired listeners compared with normal-hearing listeners (Q1) as measured by electroencephalographic measures. For all other studies, the evidence across studies failed to reveal consistent effects on listening effort. In summary, we could only identify scientific evidence from physiological measurement methods, suggesting that hearing impairment increases listening effort during speech perception (Q1). There was no scientific, finding across studies indicating that hearing aid amplification decreases listening effort (Q2). In general, there were large differences in the study population, the control groups and conditions, and the outcome measures applied between the studies included in this review. The results of this review indicate that published listening effort studies lack consistency, lack standardization across studies, and have insufficient statistical power. The findings underline the need for a common conceptual framework for listening effort to address the current shortcomings.

Carbon emissions in China: How far can new efforts bend the curve?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Xiliang; Karplus, Valerie J.; Qi, Tianyu; Zhang, Da; He, Jiankun

2016-01-01

While China is on track to meet its global climate commitments through 2020, China's post-2020 CO_2 emissions trajectory is highly uncertain, with projections varying widely across studies. Over the past year, the Chinese government has announced new policy directives to deepen economic reform, to protect the environment, and to limit fossil energy use in China. To evaluate how new policy directives could affect energy and climate change outcomes, we simulate two levels of policy effort—a continued effort scenario that extends current policies beyond 2020 and an accelerated effort scenario that reflects newly announced policies—on the evolution of China's energy and economic system over the next several decades. We perform simulations using the China-in-Global Energy Model, C-GEM, a bespoke recursive-dynamic computable general equilibrium model with global coverage and detailed calibration of China's economy and future trends. Importantly, we find that both levels of policy effort would bend down the CO_2 emissions trajectory before 2050 without undermining economic development. Specifically, in the accelerated effort scenario, we find that coal use peaks around 2020, and CO_2 emissions level off around 2030 at 10 bmt, without undermining continued economic growth consistent with China reaching the status of a “well-off society” by 2050. - Highlights: • We develop a simulation model that captures energy system and technological detail in China. • We simulate China's recently announced climate and energy policies. • New policies in China are consistent with peak coal around 2020, and peak CO_2 emissions around 2030. • New policies cause modest leakage of coal use outside of China, especially to Southeast Asia.

African medicinal plants and their derivatives: Current efforts towards potential anti-cancer drugs.

Science.gov (United States)

Mbele, Mzwandile; Hull, Rodney; Dlamini, Zodwa

2017-10-01

Cancer is a leading cause of mortality and morbidity worldwide and second only to cardiovascular diseases. Cancer is a challenge in African countries because generally there is limited funding available to deal with the cancer epidemic and awareness and this should be prioritised and all possible resources should be utilized to prevent and treat cancer. The current review reports on the role of African medicinal plants in the treatment of cancer, and also outlines methodologies that can also be used to achieve better outcomes for cancer treatment. This review outlines African medicinal plants, isolated compounds and technologies that can be used to advance cancer research. Chemical structures of isolated compounds have an important role in anti-cancer treatments; new technologies and methods may assist to identify more properties of African medicinal plants and the treatment of cancer. In conclusion, African medicinal plants have shown their potential as enormous resources for novel cytotoxicity compounds. Finally it has been noted that the cytotoxicity depends on the chemical structural arrangements of African medicinal plants compounds. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Remote field eddy current testing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cheong, Y. M.; Jung, H. K.; Huh, H.; Lee, Y. S.; Shim, C. M.

2001-03-01

The state-of-art technology of the remote field eddy current, which is actively developed as an electromagnetic non-destructive testing tool for ferromagnetic tubes, is described. The historical background and recent R and D activities of remote-field eddy current technology are explained including the theoretical development of remote field eddy current, such as analytical and numerical approach, and the results of finite element analysis. The influencing factors for actual applications, such as the effect of frequency, magnetic permeability, receiving sensitivity, and difficulties of detection and classification of defects are also described. Finally, two examples of actual application, 1) the gap measurement between pressure tubes and calandria tube in CANDU reactor and, 2) the detection of defects in the ferromagnetic heat exchanger tubes, are described. The future research efforts are also included

Long-range analysis of density fitting in extended systems

Science.gov (United States)

Varga, Scarontefan

Density fitting scheme is analyzed for the Coulomb problem in extended systems from the correctness of long-range behavior point of view. We show that for the correct cancellation of divergent long-range Coulomb terms it is crucial for the density fitting scheme to reproduce the overlap matrix exactly. It is demonstrated that from all possible fitting metric choices the Coulomb metric is the only one which inherently preserves the overlap matrix for infinite systems with translational periodicity. Moreover, we show that by a small additional effort any non-Coulomb metric fit can be made overlap-preserving as well. The problem is analyzed for both ordinary and Poisson basis set choices.

Superconducting current generators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Genevey, P.

1970-01-01

After a brief summary of the principle of energy storage and liberation with superconducting coils,two current generators are described that create currents in the range 600 to 1400 A, used for two storage experiments of 25 kJ and 50 kJ respectively. The two current generators are: a) a flux pump and b) a superconducting transformer. Both could be developed into more powerful units. The study shows the advantage of the transformer over the flux pump in order to create large currents. The efficiencies of the two generators are 95 per cent and 40 to 60 per cent respectively. (author) [fr

Compton current detector

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Carvalho Campos, J.S. de.

1984-01-01

The project and construction of a Compton current detector, with cylindrical geometry using teflon as dielectric material; for electromagnetic radiation in range energy between 10 KeV and 2 MeV are described. The measurements of Compton current in teflon were obtained using an electrometer. The Compton current was promoted by photon flux proceeding from X ray sources (MG 150 Muller device) and gamma rays of 60 Co. The theory elaborated to explain the experimental results is shown. The calibration curves for accumulated charge and current in detector in function of exposition rates were obtained. (M.C.K.) [pt

Fast wave current drive

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Goree, J.; Ono, M.; Colestock, P.; Horton, R.; McNeill, D.; Park, H.

1985-07-01

Fast wave current drive is demonstrated in the Princeton ACT-I toroidal device. The fast Alfven wave, in the range of high ion-cyclotron harmonics, produced 40 A of current from 1 kW of rf power coupled into the plasma by fast wave loop antenna. This wave excites a steady current by damping on the energetic tail of the electron distribution function in the same way as lower-hybrid current drive, except that fast wave current drive is appropriate for higher plasma densities

Current earthquake engineering practice for Japanese nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hofmayer, C.H.; Park, Y.J.; Costello, J.F.

1992-01-01

This paper provides a brief overview of seismic research being conducted in Japan and describes USNRC efforts to understand Japanese seismic practice. Current earthquake engineering practice for Japanese nuclear power plants is descried in JEAG 4601-1987, ''Technical Guidelines for Aseismic Design of Nuclear Power Plants.'' The USNRC has sponsored BNL to translate this document into English. Efforts are underway to study and understand JEAG 4601-1987 and make the translation more readily available in the United States

Sex differences in the effects of juvenile and adult diet on age-dependent reproductive effort.

Science.gov (United States)

Houslay, T M; Hunt, J; Tinsley, M C; Bussière, L F

2015-05-01

Sexual selection should cause sex differences in patterns of resource allocation. When current and future reproductive effort trade off, variation in resource acquisition might further cause sex differences in age-dependent investment, or in sensitivity to changes in resource availability over time. However, the nature and prevalence of sex differences in age-dependent investment remain unclear. We manipulated resource acquisition at juvenile and adult stages in decorated crickets, Gryllodes sigillatus, and assessed effects on sex-specific allocation to age-dependent reproductive effort (calling in males, fecundity in females) and longevity. We predicted that the resource and time demands of egg production would result in relatively consistent female strategies across treatments, whereas male investment should depend sharply on diet. Contrary to expectations, female age-dependent reproductive effort diverged substantially across treatments, with resource-limited females showing much lower and later investment in reproduction; the highest fecundity was associated with intermediate lifespans. In contrast, long-lived males always signalled more than short-lived males, and male age-dependent reproductive effort did not depend on diet. We found consistently positive covariance between male reproductive effort and lifespan, whereas diet altered this covariance in females, revealing sex differences in the benefits of allocation to longevity. Our results support sex-specific selection on allocation patterns, but also suggest a simpler alternative: males may use social feedback to make allocation decisions and preferentially store resources as energetic reserves in its absence. Increased calling effort with age therefore could be caused by gradual resource accumulation, heightened mortality risk over time, and a lack of feedback from available mates. © 2015 European Society For Evolutionary Biology. Journal of Evolutionary Biology © 2015 European Society For Evolutionary

15 CFR 930.114 - Secretarial mediation efforts.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 15 Commerce and Foreign Trade 3 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Secretarial mediation efforts. 930.114... MANAGEMENT FEDERAL CONSISTENCY WITH APPROVED COASTAL MANAGEMENT PROGRAMS Secretarial Mediation § 930.114 Secretarial mediation efforts. (a) Following the close of the hearing, the hearing officer shall transmit the...

Effort and Selection Effects of Incentive Contracts

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bouwens, J.F.M.G.; van Lent, L.A.G.M.

2003-01-01

We show that the improved effort of employees associated with incentive contracts depends on the properties of the performance measures used in the contract.We also find that the power of incentives in the contract is only indirectly related to any improved employee effort.High powered incentive

Stochastic evolutionary dynamics in minimum-effort coordination games

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Kun; Cong, Rui; Wang, Long

2016-08-01

The minimum-effort coordination game draws recently more attention for the fact that human behavior in this social dilemma is often inconsistent with the predictions of classical game theory. Here, we combine evolutionary game theory and coalescence theory to investigate this game in finite populations. Both analytic results and individual-based simulations show that effort costs play a key role in the evolution of contribution levels, which is in good agreement with those observed experimentally. Besides well-mixed populations, set structured populations have also been taken into consideration. Therein we find that large number of sets and moderate migration rate greatly promote effort levels, especially for high effort costs.

Current developments in bovine mastitis treatment and control.

Science.gov (United States)

Wager, L A; Linquist, W E; Hayes, G L; Britten, A M; Whitehead, R G; Webster, D E; Barnes, F D

1978-01-01

Mastitis in its complexity has managed to forestall all efforts of eradication in spite of years of research, antibiotics and practical control measures. This minisymposium will touch on seven topics current to treatment and control of this economically important disease.

National High Frequency Radar Network (hfrnet) and Pacific Research Efforts

Science.gov (United States)

Hazard, L.; Terrill, E. J.; Cook, T.; de Paolo, T.; Otero, M. P.; Rogowski, P.; Schramek, T. A.

2016-12-01

The U.S. High Frequency Radar Network (HFRNet) has been in operation for over ten years with representation from 31 organizations spanning academic institutions, state and local government agencies, and private organizations. HFRNet currently holds a collection from over 130 radar installations totaling over 10 million records of surface ocean velocity measurements. HFRNet is a primary example of inter-agency and inter-institutional partnerships for improving oceanographic research and operations. HF radar derived surface currents have been used in several societal applications including coastal search and rescue, oil spill response, water quality monitoring and marine navigation. Central to the operational success of the large scale network is an efficient data management, storage, access, and delivery system. The networking of surface current mapping systems is characterized by a tiered structure that extends from the individual field installations to local regional operations maintaining multiple sites and on to centralized locations aggregating data from all regions. The data system development effort focuses on building robust data communications from remote field locations (sites) for ingestion into the data system via data on-ramps (Portals or Site Aggregators) to centralized data repositories (Nodes). Centralized surface current data enables the aggregation of national surface current grids and allows for ingestion into displays, management tools, and models. The Coastal Observing Research and Development Center has been involved in international relationships and research in the Philippines, Palau, and Vietnam. CORDC extends this IT architecture of surface current mapping data systems leveraging existing developments and furthering standardization of data services for seamless integration of higher level applications. Collaborations include the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), The Coral Reef Research

Cognitive-linguistic effort in multidisciplinary stroke rehabilitation: Decreasing vs. increasing cues for word retrieval.

Science.gov (United States)

Choe, Yu-Kyong; Foster, Tammie; Asselin, Abigail; LeVander, Meagan; Baird, Jennifer

2017-04-01

Approximately 24% of stroke survivors experience co-occurring aphasia and hemiparesis. These individuals typically attend back-to-back therapy sessions. However, sequentially scheduled therapy may trigger physical and mental fatigue and have an adverse impact on treatment outcomes. The current study tested a hypothesis that exerting less effort during a therapy session would reduce overall fatigue and enhance functional recovery. Two stroke survivors chronically challenged by non-fluent aphasia and right hemiparesis sequentially completed verbal naming and upper-limb tasks on their home computers. The level of cognitive-linguistic effort in speech/language practice was manipulated by presenting verbal naming tasks in two conditions: Decreasing cues (i.e., most-to-least support for word retrieval), and Increasing cues (i.e., least-to-most support). The participants completed the same upper-limb exercises throughout the study periods. Both individuals showed a statistically significant advantage of decreasing cues over increasing cues in word retrieval during the practice period, but not at the end of the practice period or thereafter. The participant with moderate aphasia and hemiparesis achieved clinically meaningful gains in upper-limb functions following the decreasing cues condition, but not after the increasing cues condition. Preliminary findings from the current study suggest a positive impact of decreasing cues in the context of multidisciplinary stroke rehabilitation.

King eider foraging effort during the pre-breeding period in Alaska

Science.gov (United States)

Oppel, Steffen; Powell, Abby N.; Butler, Malcolm G.

2011-01-01

For reproduction, many arctic-nesting migratory birds rely on nutrients obtained on the breeding grounds, so they devote sufficient time to foraging immediately prior to nesting. However, little is known about the increase in foraging effort necessary to meet the energetic requirements of reproduction. In early June 2006 and 2008, we quantified the proportion of time spent foraging before breeding by a large sea duck, the King Eider (Somateria spectabilis), on its breeding grounds in northern Alaska. During >235 hours of behavioral observations, both male and female King Eiders spent >50% of the day loafing (resting, sleeping, comfort behavior, or being alert). Females foraged on average 30% of the time (mean 7.2 hr day-1,95% CI 6.0-8.4 hr day-1), three times as much as males (9%; 2.3 hr day-1, 95% CI 1.5–2.8 hr day-1). The most common prey in ponds where the eiders foraged were chironomid larvae and worms ranging in length from 1 to 30 mm. If the King Eider's daily energy expenditure on its breeding grounds is similar to values published for related species, it would need to ingest only 0.2–0.6 g dry mass of invertebrates per minute of foraging to meet its energetic requirements. Males did not lose body mass before breeding, and we assume that their foraging effort was sufficient for energy balance. Therefore, female King Eiders appear to triple their foraging effort over maintenance requirements to meet the energetic challenges of egg formation.

Range Extension Opportunities While Heating a Battery Electric Vehicle

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lustbader, Jason A [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Rugh, John P [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Titov, Eugene V [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Meyer, John [Hanon Systems; Agathocleous, Nicos [Hanon Systems; Vespa, Antonio [Hyundai-Kia America Technical Center Inc.

2018-04-03

The Kia Soul battery electric vehicle (BEV) is available with either a positive temperature coefficient (PTC) heater or an R134a heat pump (HP) with PTC heater combination (1). The HP uses both ambient air and waste heat from the motor, inverter, and on-board-charger (OBC) for its heat source. Hanon Systems, Hyundai America Technical Center, Inc. (HATCI) and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory jointly, with financial support from the U.S. Department of Energy, developed and proved-out technologies that extend the driving range of a Kia Soul BEV while maintaining thermal comfort in cold climates. Improved system configuration concepts that use thermal storage and waste heat more effectively were developed and evaluated. Range extensions of 5%-22% at ambient temperatures ranging from 5 degrees C to -18 degrees C were demonstrated. This paper reviews the three-year effort, including test data of the baseline and modified vehicles, resulting range extension, and recommendations for future actions.

Social Connectedness and Perceived Listening Effort in Adult Cochlear Implant Users: A Grounded Theory to Establish Content Validity for a New Patient-Reported Outcome Measure.

Science.gov (United States)

Hughes, Sarah E; Hutchings, Hayley A; Rapport, Frances L; McMahon, Catherine M; Boisvert, Isabelle

2018-02-08

Individuals with hearing loss often report a need for increased effort when listening, particularly in challenging acoustic environments. Despite audiologists' recognition of the impact of listening effort on individuals' quality of life, there are currently no standardized clinical measures of listening effort, including patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs). To generate items and content for a new PROM, this qualitative study explored the perceptions, understanding, and experiences of listening effort in adults with severe-profound sensorineural hearing loss before and after cochlear implantation. Three focus groups (1 to 3) were conducted. Purposive sampling was used to recruit 17 participants from a cochlear implant (CI) center in the United Kingdom. The participants included adults (n = 15, mean age = 64.1 years, range 42 to 84 years) with acquired severe-profound sensorineural hearing loss who satisfied the UK's national candidacy criteria for cochlear implantation and their normal-hearing significant others (n = 2). Participants were CI candidates who used hearing aids (HAs) and were awaiting CI surgery or CI recipients who used a unilateral CI or a CI and contralateral HA (CI + HA). Data from a pilot focus group conducted with 2 CI recipients were included in the analysis. The data, verbatim transcripts of the focus group proceedings, were analyzed qualitatively using constructivist grounded theory (GT) methodology. A GT of listening effort in cochlear implantation was developed from participants' accounts. The participants provided rich, nuanced descriptions of the complex and multidimensional nature of their listening effort. Interpreting and integrating these descriptions through GT methodology, listening effort was described as the mental energy required to attend to and process the auditory signal, as well as the effort required to adapt to, and compensate for, a hearing loss. Analyses also suggested that listening effort for most participants was

STAR Infrastructure Database: An effort to know each other

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mora, J.C.; Real, Almudena [Centro de Investigaciones Energeticas, Medioambientales y Tecnologicas - CIEMAT (Spain); Vesterbacka, Pia; Outola, Iisa [STUK - Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority (Finland); Barnett, Catherine; Beresford, Nick [Natural Environment Research Council - NERC-CEH (United Kingdom); Bradshaw, Clare [Stockholm University (Sweden); Skipperud, Lindis [Norwegian University of Life Sciences - UMB (Norway); Wilrodt, Christine; Steiner, Martin [Federal Office for Radiation Protection - BfS (Germany); Vanhoudt, Nathalie [Belgian Nuclear Research Centre SCK-CEN (Belgium); Komperoed, Mari [Norwegian Radiation Protection Authority - NRPA (Norway); Gurriaran, Rodolfo; Gilbin, Rodolphe; Hinton, Thomas [Institut de Radioprotection et de Surete Nucleaire - IRSN (France)

2014-07-01

Effort over the last decade to make radioecology stronger and sustainable within Europe crystallized in the creation of the European Radioecology Alliance. The first step for this integrative effort was the establishment of a network of excellence (NoE) under the EU FP7 Strategy for Allied Radioecology (STAR www.star-radioecology.org) project which commenced in 2011. One of the project objectives was to share knowledge of European radioecological capabilities. To help achieve this, a register of these capabilities at each of the STAR laboratories has been created. An Infrastructure Database was designed and programmed using web 2.0 technologies on a 'wiki' platform. Its intended use was to identify what assets were held and where improvements could be made. Information collated includes an inventory of the radioanalytical or conventional equipment and methods, bio-informatics equipment and methods, sample and data archives held, and models and codes used. It also provides a summary of the radioecological expertise of the 170 radio-ecologists at STAR institutes whose knowledge is wide-ranging and encompasses: atmospheric dispersion, dosimetry, ecology, ecotoxicology, environmental radiation protection, environmental surveillance, foodstuffs, terrestrial, freshwater and marine radioecology, modelling, radiobiology and radionuclide analyses, emergency preparedness, education and training, amongst others. In 2013, the EU FP7 Coordination and implementation of a pan-European instrument for radioecology (COMET, www.comet-radioecology.org) project, involving the STAR partners and additionally one Japanese and two Ukrainian research institutes, was initiated. The capabilities of these additional partners will be added to the database in 2014. The aim of the database was to gather information to: - avoid duplication of effort and thereby increase efficiency, - improve synergy and collaboration between the STAR project partners and others involved in

Electric current - frequency converter

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kumahara, Tadashi; Kinbana, Setsuro.

1967-01-01

Herein disclosed is an improved simple electric current-frequency converter, the input current and output frequency linearity of which is widened to a range of four to five figures while compensating, for temperature. The converter may be used for computor processing and for telemetering the output signals from a nuclear reactor. The converter is an astable multivibrator which includes charging circuits comprising emitter-voltage compensated NPN transistors, a charged voltage detecting circuit of temperature compensated field effect transistors, and a transistor switching circuit for generating switching pulses independent of temperature. The converter exhibited a 0.7% frequency change within a range of 5 - 45 0 C and less than a 0.1% frequency drift after six hours of operation when the input current was maintained constant. (Yamaguchi, T.)

Current transport mechanisms in mercury cadmium telluride diode

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gopal, Vishnu, E-mail: vishnu-46@yahoo.com, E-mail: wdhu@mail.sitp.ac.cn [Institute of Defence Scientists and Technologists, CFEES Complex, Brig. S. K. Majumdar Marg, Delhi 110054 (India); Li, Qing; He, Jiale; Hu, Weida, E-mail: vishnu-46@yahoo.com, E-mail: wdhu@mail.sitp.ac.cn [National Lab for Infrared Physics, Shanghai Institute of Technical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200083 (China); He, Kai; Lin, Chun [Key Laboratory of Infrared Imaging Materials and Detectors, Shanghai Institute of Technical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200083 (China)

2016-08-28

This paper reports the results of modelling of the current-voltage characteristics (I-V) of a planar mid-wave Mercury Cadmium Telluride photodiode in a gate controlled diode experiment. It is reported that the diode exhibits nearly ideal I-V characteristics under the optimum surface potential leading to the minimal surface leakage current. Deviations from the optimum surface potential lead to non ideal I–V characteristics, indicating a strong relationship between the ideality factor of the diode with its surface leakage current. Diode's I–V characteristics have been modelled over a range of gate voltages from −9 V to −2 V. This range of gate voltages includes accumulation, flat band, and depletion and inversion conditions below the gate structure of the diode. It is shown that the I–V characteristics of the diode can be very well described by (i) thermal diffusion current, (ii) ohmic shunt current, (iii) photo-current due to background illumination, and (iv) excess current that grows by the process of avalanche multiplication in the gate voltage range from −3 V to −5 V that corresponds to the optimum surface potential. Outside the optimum gate voltage range, the origin of the excess current of the diode is associated with its high surface leakage currents. It is reported that the ohmic shunt current model applies to small surface leakage currents. The higher surface leakage currents exhibit a nonlinear shunt behaviour. It is also shown that the observed zero-bias dynamic resistance of the diode over the entire gate voltage range is the sum of ohmic shunt resistance and estimated zero-bias dynamic resistance of the diode from its thermal saturation current.

Computational Models of Anterior Cingulate Cortex: At the Crossroads between Prediction and Effort

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Eliana Vassena

2017-06-01

Full Text Available In the last two decades the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC has become one of the most investigated areas of the brain. Extensive neuroimaging evidence suggests countless functions for this region, ranging from conflict and error coding, to social cognition, pain and effortful control. In response to this burgeoning amount of data, a proliferation of computational models has tried to characterize the neurocognitive architecture of ACC. Early seminal models provided a computational explanation for a relatively circumscribed set of empirical findings, mainly accounting for EEG and fMRI evidence. More recent models have focused on ACC's contribution to effortful control. In parallel to these developments, several proposals attempted to explain within a single computational framework a wider variety of empirical findings that span different cognitive processes and experimental modalities. Here we critically evaluate these modeling attempts, highlighting the continued need to reconcile the array of disparate ACC observations within a coherent, unifying framework.

Technology and Sexuality--What's the Connection? Addressing Youth Sexualities in Efforts to Increase Girls' Participation in Computing

Science.gov (United States)

Ashcraft, Catherine

2015-01-01

To date, girls and women are significantly underrepresented in computer science and technology. Concerns about this underrepresentation have sparked a wealth of educational efforts to promote girls' participation in computing, but these programs have demonstrated limited impact on reversing current trends. This paper argues that this is, in part,…

JAEA's efforts for regional transparency in the area of nuclear nonproliferation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hoffheins, Barbara; Kawakubo, Yoko; Inoue, Naoko

2014-03-01

The Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) has undertaken a joint R and D project with the US Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration (DOE/NNSA) for the purposes of developing an Information Sharing Framework (ISF) for regional nonproliferation cooperation since July 2011. This project builds on nearly twenty years of technical cooperation between JAEA, its predecessor organizations and the DOE including the activities to define, develop and test transparency technologies and other multilateral efforts. The objective of current project is to design a viable information sharing process to support the goals of building confidence in the peaceful nature of regional nuclear programs. At the end of a two-year-effort, project partners, JAEA and Sandia National Laboratories (SNL), have defined the comprehensive requirements for an ISF that will ensure nonproliferation transparency success and sustainability. In October 2011, a parallel project with the similar title and objective was launched under the arrangement between the US DOE/NNSA and the Republic of Korea Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (MEST). Since then, JAEA, SNL, the Korea Institute for Nuclear Nonproliferation and Control (KINAC) and Korea Atomic Energy Institute (KAERI) have jointly carried out the project in a form of informal, multilateral cooperation. The project partners have identified needs and audience for ISF, and initiated the discussion to develop requirements for ISF through workshops, meetings, regular telephone conferences, etc. The activities include conducting a survey to identify stakeholders' needs and requirements for an ISF, launching a website to practice information sharing concepts, and presenting papers. This paper provides the historical context of the current project to establish ISF, and reports the progress to date and speculates on future directions. (author)

How do different components of Effortful Control contribute to children’s mathematics achievement?

Science.gov (United States)

Sánchez-Pérez, Noelia; Fuentes, Luis J.; Pina, Violeta; López-López, Jose A.; González-Salinas, Carmen

2015-01-01

This work sought to investigate the specific contribution of two different components of Effortful Control (EC) -attentional focusing (AF) and inhibitory control- to children’s mathematics achievement. The sample was composed of 142 children aged 9–12 year-old. EC components were measured through the Temperament in Middle Childhood Questionnaire (TMCQ; parent’s report); math achievement was measured via teacher’s report and through the standard Woodcock–Johnson test. Additionally, the contribution of other cognitive and socio-emotional processes was taken into account. Our results showed that only AF significantly contributed to the variance of children’s mathematics achievement; interestingly, mediational models showed that the relationship between effortful attentional self-regulation and mathematics achievement was mediated by academic peer popularity, as well as by intelligence and study skills. Results are discussed in the light of the current theories on the role of children’s self-regulation abilities in the context of school. PMID:26441758

Long-range beam-beam experiments in the relativistic heavy ion collider

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Calaga, R; Fischer, W; Milas, N; Robert-Demolaize, G

2014-01-01

Long-range beam-beam effects are a potential limit to the LHC performance with the nominal design parameters, and certain upgrade scenarios under discussion. To mitigate long-range effects, current carrying wires parallel to the beam were proposed and space is reserved in the LHC for such wires. Two current carrying wires were installed in RHIC to study the effect of strong long-range beam-beam effects in a collider, as well as test the compensation of a single long-range interaction. The experimental data were used to benchmark simulations. We summarize this work

Heuristics Made Easy: An Effort-Reduction Framework

Science.gov (United States)

Shah, Anuj K.; Oppenheimer, Daniel M.

2008-01-01

In this article, the authors propose a new framework for understanding and studying heuristics. The authors posit that heuristics primarily serve the purpose of reducing the effort associated with a task. As such, the authors propose that heuristics can be classified according to a small set of effort-reduction principles. The authors use this…

California's historic effort to reduce the stigma of mental illness: the Mental Health Services Act.

Science.gov (United States)

Clark, Wayne; Welch, Stephanie N; Berry, Sandra H; Collentine, Ann M; Collins, Rebecca; Lebron, Dorthy; Shearer, Amy L

2013-05-01

In a historic effort to reduce the stigma of mental illness, California voters approved the Mental Health Services Act in 2004. The law funds a comprehensive statewide prevention initiative that places stigma and discrimination reduction at its center, with 25 projects providing interventions at the institutional, societal, and individual levels. Stakeholders selected specific strategies from the research-based California Strategic Plan on Reducing Stigma and Discrimination. Strategies range from social marketing to increase public knowledge to capacity building at the local level, including training that emphasizes participation by consumers of mental health services and cultural competence. Collectively, these strategies aim to foster permanent change in the public perception of mental illness and in the individual experience of stigma. We examined the context, planning, programming, and evaluation of this effort.

The feasibility of using pupillometry to measure cognitive effort in aphasia: Evidence from a working memory span task

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Esther Sung Kim

2015-05-01

In this study, three PWA completed a computerized picture span task while an eye-tracker measured pupil dilation. As short-term memory demands (i.e., span size increased, average pupil size significantly increased in all three PWA. These data provide preliminary support for the use of pupillometry to gauge cognitive effort in PWA. A larger study of PWA and demographically-matched control participants is currently underway, allowing for analysis of change in pupil size within and between groups. Examination of cognitive effort will provide a more comprehensive understanding of the nature of linguistic and cognitive functioning in aphasia.

Smart wearable systems: current status and future challenges.

Science.gov (United States)

Chan, Marie; Estève, Daniel; Fourniols, Jean-Yves; Escriba, Christophe; Campo, Eric

2012-11-01

Extensive efforts have been made in both academia and industry in the research and development of smart wearable systems (SWS) for health monitoring (HM). Primarily influenced by skyrocketing healthcare costs and supported by recent technological advances in micro- and nanotechnologies, miniaturisation of sensors, and smart fabrics, the continuous advances in SWS will progressively change the landscape of healthcare by allowing individual management and continuous monitoring of a patient's health status. Consisting of various components and devices, ranging from sensors and actuators to multimedia devices, these systems support complex healthcare applications and enable low-cost wearable, non-invasive alternatives for continuous 24-h monitoring of health, activity, mobility, and mental status, both indoors and outdoors. Our objective has been to examine the current research in wearable to serve as references for researchers and provide perspectives for future research. Herein, we review the current research and development of and the challenges facing SWS for HM, focusing on multi-parameter physiological sensor systems and activity and mobility measurement system designs that reliably measure mobility or vital signs and integrate real-time decision support processing for disease prevention, symptom detection, and diagnosis. For this literature review, we have chosen specific selection criteria to include papers in which wearable systems or devices are covered. We describe the state of the art in SWS and provide a survey of recent implementations of wearable health-care systems. We describe current issues, challenges, and prospects of SWS. We conclude by identifying the future challenges facing SWS for HM. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

When can efforts to control nuisance and invasive species backfire?

Science.gov (United States)

Zipkin, Elise F; Kraft, Clifford E; Cooch, Evan G; Sullivan, Patrick J

2009-09-01

Population control through harvest has the potential to reduce the abundance of nuisance and invasive species. However, demographic structure and density-dependent processes can confound removal efforts and lead to undesirable consequences, such as overcompensation (an increase in abundance in response to harvest) and instability (population cycling or chaos). Recent empirical studies have demonstrated the potential for increased mortality (such as that caused by harvest) to lead to overcompensation and instability in plant, insect, and fish populations. We developed a general population model with juvenile and adult stages to help determine the conditions under which control harvest efforts can produce unintended outcomes. Analytical and simulation analyses of the model demonstrated that the potential for overcompensation as a result of harvest was significant for species with high fecundity, even when annual stage-specific survivorship values were fairly low. Population instability as a result of harvest occurred less frequently and was only possible with harvest strategies that targeted adults when both fecundity and adult survivorship were high. We considered these results in conjunction with current literature on nuisance and invasive species to propose general guidelines for assessing the risks associated with control harvest based on life history characteristics of target populations. Our results suggest that species with high per capita fecundity (over discrete breeding periods), short juvenile stages, and fairly constant survivorship rates are most likely to respond undesirably to harvest. It is difficult to determine the extent to which overcompensation and instability could occur during real-world removal efforts, and more empirical removal studies should be undertaken to evaluate population-level responses to control harvests. Nevertheless, our results identify key issues that have been seldom acknowledged and are potentially generic across taxa.

Logarithmic circuit with wide dynamic range

Science.gov (United States)

Wiley, P. H.; Manus, E. A. (Inventor)

1978-01-01

A circuit deriving an output voltage that is proportional to the logarithm of a dc input voltage susceptible to wide variations in amplitude includes a constant current source which forward biases a diode so that the diode operates in the exponential portion of its voltage versus current characteristic, above its saturation current. The constant current source includes first and second, cascaded feedback, dc operational amplifiers connected in negative feedback circuit. An input terminal of the first amplifier is responsive to the input voltage. A circuit shunting the first amplifier output terminal includes a resistor in series with the diode. The voltage across the resistor is sensed at the input of the second dc operational feedback amplifier. The current flowing through the resistor is proportional to the input voltage over the wide range of variations in amplitude of the input voltage.

Electronic constant current and current pulse signal generator for nuclear instrumentation testing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brown, R.A.

1994-01-01

Circuitry is described for testing the ability of an intermediate range nuclear instrument to detect and measure a constant current and a periodic current pulse. The invention simulates the resistance and capacitance of the signal connection of a nuclear instrument ion chamber detector and interconnecting cable. An LED flasher/oscillator illuminates an LED at a periodic rate established by a timing capacitor and circuitry internal to the flasher/oscillator. When the LED is on, a periodic current pulse is applied to the instrument. When the LED is off, a constant current is applied. An inductor opposes battery current flow when the LED is on. 1 figures

Long-range alpha detector for contamination monitoring

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

MacArthur, D.W.; Allander, K.S.; McAtee, J.L.

1991-01-01

Historically, alpha detectors have been limited by the very short range of alpha particles in air and by relatively poor sensitivity, even if the particles are intercepted. Of necessity, these detectors are operated in a vacuum or in close proximity to the source if reasonable efficiency is desired. In our new long-range alpha detector (LRAD), alpha particles interact with the ambient air, producing ionization in the air at the rate of about 30,000 ion pairs per MeV of alpha energy. These charges can be transported over significant distances (several meters) in a moving current of air generated by a small fan. An ion chamber located in front of the fan measures the current carried by the moving ions. The LRAD-based monitor is more sensitive and more thorough than conventional monitors. We present current LRAD sensitivity limits and results, practical monitor designs, and proposed uses for LRAD monitors. 4 refs., 6 figs

Understanding the MBA Gender Gap: Women Respond to Gender Norms by Reducing Public Assertiveness but Not Private Effort.

Science.gov (United States)

Wallen, Aaron S; Morris, Michael W; Devine, Beth A; Lu, Jackson G

2017-08-01

Women's underperformance in MBA programs has been the subject of recent debate and policy interventions, despite a lack of rigorous evidence documenting when and why it occurs. The current studies document a performance gap, specifying its contours and contributing factors. Two behaviors by female students that may factor into the gap are public conformity and private internalization. We predicted that women conform to the norm associating maleness with technical prowess by minimizing their public assertiveness in class discussions and meetings, but that they do not internalize the norm by reducing private effort. Data from multiple cohorts of a top-ranked MBA program reveal female underperformance occurred in technical subjects (e.g., accounting), but not social subjects (e.g., marketing). As predicted, the gender effect ran not through private effort but through public assertiveness, even controlling for gender differences in interests and aptitudes. These findings support some current policy interventions while casting doubt on others.

Solving Ratio-Dependent Predator-Prey System with Constant Effort Harvesting Using Homotopy Perturbation Method

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Abdoul R. Ghotbi

2008-01-01

Full Text Available Due to wide range of interest in use of bioeconomic models to gain insight into the scientific management of renewable resources like fisheries and forestry, homotopy perturbation method is employed to approximate the solution of the ratio-dependent predator-prey system with constant effort prey harvesting. The results are compared with the results obtained by Adomian decomposition method. The results show that, in new model, there are less computations needed in comparison to Adomian decomposition method.

Toward a Rational and Mechanistic Account of Mental Effort.

Science.gov (United States)

Shenhav, Amitai; Musslick, Sebastian; Lieder, Falk; Kool, Wouter; Griffiths, Thomas L; Cohen, Jonathan D; Botvinick, Matthew M

2017-07-25

In spite of its familiar phenomenology, the mechanistic basis for mental effort remains poorly understood. Although most researchers agree that mental effort is aversive and stems from limitations in our capacity to exercise cognitive control, it is unclear what gives rise to those limitations and why they result in an experience of control as costly. The presence of these control costs also raises further questions regarding how best to allocate mental effort to minimize those costs and maximize the attendant benefits. This review explores recent advances in computational modeling and empirical research aimed at addressing these questions at the level of psychological process and neural mechanism, examining both the limitations to mental effort exertion and how we manage those limited cognitive resources. We conclude by identifying remaining challenges for theoretical accounts of mental effort as well as possible applications of the available findings to understanding the causes of and potential solutions for apparent failures to exert the mental effort required of us.

Investigation of Psychological Health and Migraine Headaches Among Personnel According to Effort-Reward Imbalance Model

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Z. Darami

2012-05-01

Full Text Available Background and aims: The relationship between physical-mental health and Migraine headaches and stress, especially job stress, is known. Many factors can construct job stress in work settings. The factor that has gained much attention recently is inequality (imbalance of employees’ effort versus the reward they gain. The aim of the current attempt was to investigate the validity of effort-reward imbalance model and indicate the relation of this model with migraine headaches and psychological well-being among subjects in balance and imbalance groups. Methods: Participants were 180 personnel of Oil distribution company located in Isfahan city, and instruments used were General health questionnaire (Goldberg & Hilier, Social Re-adjustment Rating Scale (Holmes & Rahe, Ahvaz Migraine Questionnaire (Najariyan and Effort-reward imbalance scale (Van Vegchel & et al.   Results: The result of exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis for investigating the Construct validity of the effort-reward imbalance model showed that in both analyses, the two factor model was confirmed. Moreover, findings indicate that balance group was in better psychological (p<0/01 and physical (migraine (p<0/05 status comparing to the imbalance group. These findings indicate the significance of justice to present appropriate reward relative to personnel performance on their health.   Conclusion: Implication of these findings can improve Iranian industrial personnel health from both physical and psychological aspects.  

The Role of Cognitive Effort in Framing Effects

OpenAIRE

Krzysztof Przybyszewski; Dorota Rutkowska

2013-01-01

Framing effects are a common bias in people making risky decisions. The account for this bias is found in the loss aversion derived from Prospect Theory. Most often in the decision making literature this is the effortful processes that are claimed to reduce framing effects in risky choice tasks i.e. investing of mental effort should de-bias the decision makers. However, in goal framing studies, effortful mental processes may produce those effects. In our experiment participants were primed wi...

Dopamine does double duty in motivating cognitive effort

Science.gov (United States)

Westbrook, Andrew; Braver, Todd S.

2015-01-01

Cognitive control is subjectively costly, suggesting that engagement is modulated in relationship to incentive state. Dopamine appears to play key roles. In particular, dopamine may mediate cognitive effort by two broad classes of functions: 1) modulating the functional parameters of working memory circuits subserving effortful cognition, and 2) mediating value-learning and decision-making about effortful cognitive action. Here we tie together these two lines of research, proposing how dopamine serves “double duty”, translating incentive information into cognitive motivation. PMID:26889810

Magnetization and critical currents of NbTi wires with fine filaments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ghosh, A.K.; Sampson, W.B.

1985-01-01

In high energy accelerators such as the SSC, the magnetization of the superconductor is an important component in determining the harmonic fields at injection (approx.0.3T). In an effort to reduce these residual fields, interest has focused on NbTi conductors with fine filaments which are expected to have a reduced magnetization as dictated by the critical state model. With this in view, the magnetization and critical currents were measured at 4.3K for a set of NbTi wires with filament diameters, d, ranging from 1.0 to 5.0 microns. The data show that, although the magnetization scales linearly with d, it does not do so with the product J/sub c/d for d less than 3 μm. However, at these d values, the critical transport current density, J/sub c/ of NbTi was observed to decrease rapidly as a function of d. The origin of this J/sub c/ degradation and its effect on the scaling of magnetization within the framework of the critical state model is explored. We also examine the question of the observed asymmetry of the hysteretic magnetization

A computer simulation of a long-range CWFM radar showing the tradeoffs of performance as a function of range

Science.gov (United States)

Gordy, Robert S.; Zoledziowski, Severyn

2011-06-01

This paper describes a study of the operation of a long range CWFM radar using "System View" software for modeling and simulation. The System View software is currently offered by Agilent. The models that were studied include: a model illustrating the basic principle of operation of the CWFM radar, the range resolution of the radar, the effect of long range processing and the resultant approach with the tradeoff of detected range resolution due to Doppler frequency shift as a function of range distance. The study was performed as part of the design of an airborne CWFM radar. The radar can be designed with a single antenna or a dual antenna. The dual antenna approach is presented in this paper.

Enhancing atmospheric mercury research in China to improve the current understanding of the global mercury cycle: the need for urgent and closely coordinated efforts.

Science.gov (United States)

Ci, Zhijia; Zhang, Xiaoshan; Wang, Zhangwei

2012-06-05

The current understanding of the global mercury (Hg) cycle remains uncertain because Hg behavior in the environment is very complicated. The special property of Hg causes the atmosphere to be the most important medium for worldwide dispersion and transformation. The source and fate of atmospheric Hg and its interaction with the surface environment are the essential topics in the global Hg cycle. Recent declining measurement trends of Hg in the atmosphere are in apparent conflict with the increasing trends in global anthropogenic Hg emissions. As the single largest country contributor of anthropogenic Hg emission, China's role in the global Hg cycle will become more and more important in the context of the decreasing man-made Hg emission from developed regions. However, much less Hg information in China is available. As a global pollutant which undergoes long-range transport and is persistence in the environment, increasing Hg knowledge in China could not only promote the Hg regulation in this country but also improve the understanding of the fundamental of the global Hg cycle and further push the abatement of this toxin on a global scale. Then the atmospheric Hg research in China may be a breakthrough for improving the current understanding of the global Hg cycle. However, due to the complex behavior of Hg in the atmosphere, a deeper understanding of the atmospheric Hg cycle in China needs greater cooperation across fields.

Cognitive Load and Listening Effort: Concepts and Age-Related Considerations.

Science.gov (United States)

Lemke, Ulrike; Besser, Jana

2016-01-01

Listening effort has been recognized as an important dimension of everyday listening, especially with regard to the comprehension of spoken language. At constant levels of comprehension performance, the level of effort exerted and perceived during listening can differ considerably across listeners and situations. In this article, listening effort is used as an umbrella term for two different types of effort that can arise during listening. One of these types is processing effort, which is used to denote the utilization of "extra" mental processing resources in listening conditions that are adverse for an individual. A conceptual description is introduced how processing effort could be defined in terms of situational influences, the listener's auditory and cognitive resources, and the listener's personal state. Also, the proposed relationship between processing effort and subjectively perceived listening effort is discussed. Notably, previous research has shown that the availability of mental resources, as well as the ability to use them efficiently, changes over the course of adult aging. These common age-related changes in cognitive abilities and their neurocognitive organization are discussed in the context of the presented concept, especially regarding situations in which listening effort may be increased for older people.

Bodily Effort Enhances Learning and Metacognition: Investigating the Relation Between Physical Effort and Cognition Using Dual-Process Models of Embodiment.

Science.gov (United States)

Skulmowski, Alexander; Rey, Günter Daniel

2017-01-01

Recent embodiment research revealed that cognitive processes can be influenced by bodily cues. Some of these cues were found to elicit disparate effects on cognition. For instance, weight sensations can inhibit problem-solving performance, but were shown to increase judgments regarding recall probability (judgments of learning; JOLs) in memory tasks. We investigated the effects of physical effort on learning and metacognition by conducting two studies in which we varied whether a backpack was worn or not while 20 nouns were to be learned. Participants entered a JOL for each word and completed a recall test. Experiment 1 ( N = 18) revealed that exerting physical effort by wearing a backpack led to higher JOLs for easy nouns, without a notable effect on difficult nouns. Participants who wore a backpack reached higher recall scores. Therefore, physical effort may act as a form of desirable difficulty during learning. In Experiment 2 ( N = 30), the influence of physical effort on JOL s and learning disappeared when more difficult nouns were to be learned, implying that a high cognitive load may diminish bodily effects. These findings suggest that physical effort mainly influences superficial modes of thought and raise doubts concerning the explanatory power of metaphor-centered accounts of embodiment for higher-level cognition.

In situ beam angle measurement in a multi-wafer high current ion implanter

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Freer, B.S.; Reece, R.N.; Graf, M.A.; Parrill, T.; Polner, D.

2005-01-01

Direct, in situ measurement of the average angle and angular content of an ion beam in a multi-wafer ion implanter is reported for the first time. A new type of structure and method are described. The structures are located on the spinning disk, allowing precise angular alignment to the wafers. Current that passes through the structures is known to be within a range of angles and is detected behind the disk. By varying the angle of the disk around two axes, beam current versus angle is mapped and the average angle and angular spread are calculated. The average angle measured in this way is found to be consistent with that obtained by other techniques, including beam centroid offset and wafer channeling methods. Average angle of low energy beams, for which it is difficult to use other direct methods, is explored. A 'pencil beam' system is shown to give average angle repeatability of 0.13 deg. (1σ) or less, for two low energy beams under normal tuning variations, even though no effort was made to control the angle

Autonomous system for launch vehicle range safety

Science.gov (United States)

Ferrell, Bob; Haley, Sam

2001-02-01

The Autonomous Flight Safety System (AFSS) is a launch vehicle subsystem whose ultimate goal is an autonomous capability to assure range safety (people and valuable resources), flight personnel safety, flight assets safety (recovery of valuable vehicles and cargo), and global coverage with a dramatic simplification of range infrastructure. The AFSS is capable of determining current vehicle position and predicting the impact point with respect to flight restriction zones. Additionally, it is able to discern whether or not the launch vehicle is an immediate threat to public safety, and initiate the appropriate range safety response. These features provide for a dramatic cost reduction in range operations and improved reliability of mission success. .

Pandemic Influenza: Domestic Preparedness Efforts

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Lister, Sarah A

2005-01-01

.... Though influenza pandemics occur with some regularity, and the United States has been involved in specific planning efforts since the early 1990s, the H5N1 situation has created a sense of urgency...

Current anti-doping policy: a critical appraisal.

Science.gov (United States)

Kayser, Bengt; Mauron, Alexandre; Miah, Andy

2007-03-29

Current anti-doping in competitive sports is advocated for reasons of fair-play and concern for the athlete's health. With the inception of the World Anti Doping Agency (WADA), anti-doping effort has been considerably intensified. Resources invested in anti-doping are rising steeply and increasingly involve public funding. Most of the effort concerns elite athletes with much less impact on amateur sports and the general public. We review this recent development of increasingly severe anti-doping control measures and find them based on questionable ethical grounds. The ethical foundation of the war on doping consists of largely unsubstantiated assumptions about fairness in sports and the concept of a "level playing field". Moreover, it relies on dubious claims about the protection of an athlete's health and the value of the essentialist view that sports achievements reflect natural capacities. In addition, costly antidoping efforts in elite competitive sports concern only a small fraction of the population. From a public health perspective this is problematic since the high prevalence of uncontrolled, medically unsupervised doping practiced in amateur sports and doping-like behaviour in the general population (substance use for performance enhancement outside sport) exposes greater numbers of people to potential harm. In addition, anti-doping has pushed doping and doping-like behaviour underground, thus fostering dangerous practices such as sharing needles for injection. Finally, we argue that the involvement of the medical profession in doping and anti-doping challenges the principles of non-maleficience and of privacy protection. As such, current anti-doping measures potentially introduce problems of greater impact than are solved, and place physicians working with athletes or in anti-doping settings in an ethically difficult position. In response, we argue on behalf of enhancement practices in sports within a framework of medical supervision. Current anti

Strategies to Build Readiness in Community Mobilization Efforts for Implementation in a Multi-Year Teen Pregnancy Prevention Initiative.

Science.gov (United States)

Bhuiya, Nazmim; House, L Duane; Desmarais, Jeffrey; Fletcher, Erica; Conlin, Maeve; Perez-McAdoo, Sarah; Waggett, Jessica; Tendulkar, Shalini A

2017-03-01

This paper describes an assessment of community readiness to implement a community-wide teen pregnancy prevention initiative, Youth First, and presents strategies used to enhance this readiness as informed by the assessment. Twenty-five community stakeholder interviews were conducted to assess four domains of readiness: (1) attitudes, perception, and knowledge of teen pregnancy; (2) perceived level of readiness; (3) resources, existing and current efforts; and (4) leadership. Interview transcripts were coded and analyzed to identify key themes. Stakeholders acknowledged teen pregnancy as an issue but lacked contextual information. They also perceived the community as ready to address the issue and recognized some organizations already championing efforts. However, many key players were not involved, and ongoing data collection to assess teen pregnancy and prevention efforts was limited. Though many stakeholders were ready to engage in teen pregnancy prevention efforts, they required additional information and training to appropriately address the issue. In response to the assessment findings, several strategies were applied to address readiness and build Youth First partners' capacity to implement the community-wide initiative. Thus, to successfully implement community-wide prevention efforts, it is valuable to assess the level of community readiness to address health issues. Copyright © 2016 Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Task difficulty, risk, effort and comfort in a simulated driving task--Implications for Risk Allostasis Theory.

Science.gov (United States)

Lewis-Evans, Ben; Rothengatter, Talib

2009-09-01

Risk Allostasis Theory states that drivers seek to maintain a feeling of risk within a preferred range [Fuller, R., 2008. What drives the driver? Surface tensions and hidden consensus. In: Keynote at the 4th International Conference on Traffic and Transport Psychology, Washington, DC, August 31-September 4, 2008]. Risk Allostasis Theory is the latest version of Task-Difficulty Homeostasis theory, and is in part based on the findings of experiments where participants were asked to rate the task difficulty, feeling of risk and chance of collision of scenes shown in digitally altered video clips [Fuller, R., McHugh, C., Pender, S., 2008b. Task difficulty and risk in the determination of driver behaviour. Revue européenne de psychologie appliqée 58, 13-21]. The focus of the current research was to expand upon the previous video based experiments using a driving simulator. This allowed participants to be in control of the vehicle rather than acting as passive observers, as well as providing additional speed cues. The results support previous findings that ratings of task difficulty and feeling of risk are related, and that they are also highly related to ratings of effort and moderately related to ratings of comfort and habit. However, the linearly increasing trend for task difficulty and feeling of risk described by the previous research was not observed: instead the findings of this experiment support a threshold effect where ratings of risk (feeling of and chance of loss of control/collision), difficulty, effort, and comfort go through a period of stability and only start to increase once a certain threshold has been crossed. It is within the period of stability where subjective experience of risk and difficulty is low, or absent, that drivers generally prefer to operate.

Dust Plume Modeling from Ranges and Maneuver Areas on Fort Bliss and the White Sands Missile Range: Final Report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chapman, Elaine G.; Barnard, James C.; Rutz, Frederick C.; Pekour, Mikhail S.; Rishel, Jeremy P.; Shaw, William J.

2009-05-04

The potential for air quality impacts from heavy mechanized vehicles operating on and between the unpaved main supply routes at Fort Bliss and White Sands Missile Range was investigated. This report details efforts by the staff of Pacific Northwest National Laboratory for the Fort Bliss Directorate of Environment in this investigation. Dust emission and dispersion from typical move-out activities occurring on the installations were simulated using the atmospheric modeling system DUSTRAN. Major assumptions associated with designing the modeling scenarios are summarized and results of simulations conducted under these assumptions are presented for four representative meteorological periods.

Multiagents-based wide area protection with best-effort adaptive strategy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhu, Yongli; Wang, Dewen [North China Electric Power University, Baoding (China); Song, Shaoqun [Fuzhou Electric Power Industry Bureau, Fujian Province (China)

2009-02-15

Abstract - Multi-trips of circuit breakers often occur within a short period in a severe blackout, and the tripping usually relates to relays' mal-operations. In fact, when two ore more electric primary devices are isolated by circuit breakers, the settings of most relays to protect their power system are getting infeasible and uncoordinated. Adaptive settings are needed to prevent them from wrong operation. This paper presents an adaptive protection scheme based on wide area information with best-effort protection strategy, and the outline of multiagents and WAN Based Adaptive Protection System (MAWAPS). In the scheme, the best-effort adaptive strategy is used to guarantee the adaptive settings to operate safely and effectively in most situations. The IP/SDH-based wide area network (WAN) is used to realize real-time wide area information exchange in the proposed protection scheme. Adaptive setting algorithms for the second stage zero-sequence current and phase overcurrent relays are proposed, which can provide larger line coverage than traditional relays. Moreover, multiagent techniques and IEC 61850 are employed to realize the fast communication between different agents, and MMS plays a prominent role in real-time remote communication. A simulating system has been developed according to the above ideas and approaches, and the experimental results show that the proposed adaptive protection scheme is feasible from the view of protective performance including the executing time. (author)

Job Satisfaction, Effort, and Performance: A Reasoned Action Perspective

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Icek Ajzen

2011-12-01

Full Text Available In this article the author takes issue with the recurrent reliance on job satisfaction to explain job-related effort and performance.  The disappointing findings in this tradition are explained by lack of compatibility between job satisfaction–-a very broad attitude–-and the more specific effort and performance criteria.  Moreover, attempts to apply the expectancy-value model of attitude to explore the determinants of effort and performance suffer from reliance on unrepresentative sets of beliefs about the likely consequences of these behaviors.  The theory of planned behavior (Ajzen, 1991, 2012, with its emphasis on the proximal antecedents of job effort and performance, is offered as an alternative.  According to the theory, intentions to exert effort and to attain a certain performance level are determined by attitudes, subjective norms, and perceptions of control in relation to these behaviors; and these variables, in turn, are a function of readily accessible beliefs about the likely outcomes of effort and performance, about the normative expectations of important others, and about factors that facilitate or hinder effective performance.

Sampling Number Effects in 2D and Range Imaging of Range-gated Acquisition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kwon, Seong-Ouk; Park, Seung-Kyu; Baik, Sung-Hoon; Cho, Jai-Wan; Jeong, Kyung-Min

2015-01-01

In this paper, we analyzed the number effects of sampling images for making a 2D image and a range image from acquired RGI images. We analyzed the number effects of RGI images for making a 2D image and a range image using a RGI vision system. As the results, 2D image quality was not much depended on the number of sampling images but on how much well extract efficient RGI images. But, the number of RGI images was important for making a range image because range image quality was proportional to the number of RGI images. Image acquiring in a monitoring area of nuclear industry is an important function for safety inspection and preparing appropriate control plans. To overcome the non-visualization problem caused by airborne obstacle particles, vision systems should have extra-functions, such as active illumination lightening through disturbance airborne particles. One of these powerful active vision systems is a range-gated imaging system. The vision system based on the range-gated imaging system can acquire image data from raining or smoking environments. Range-gated imaging (RGI) is a direct active visualization technique using a highly sensitive image sensor and a high intensity illuminant. Currently, the range-gated imaging technique providing 2D and 3D images is one of emerging active vision technologies. The range-gated imaging system gets vision information by summing time sliced vision images. In the RGI system, a high intensity illuminant illuminates for ultra-short time and a highly sensitive image sensor is gated by ultra-short exposure time to only get the illumination light. Here, the illuminant illuminates objects by flashing strong light through airborne disturbance particles. Thus, in contrast to passive conventional vision systems, the RGI active vision technology robust for low-visibility environments

Sampling Number Effects in 2D and Range Imaging of Range-gated Acquisition

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kwon, Seong-Ouk; Park, Seung-Kyu; Baik, Sung-Hoon; Cho, Jai-Wan; Jeong, Kyung-Min [Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2015-10-15

In this paper, we analyzed the number effects of sampling images for making a 2D image and a range image from acquired RGI images. We analyzed the number effects of RGI images for making a 2D image and a range image using a RGI vision system. As the results, 2D image quality was not much depended on the number of sampling images but on how much well extract efficient RGI images. But, the number of RGI images was important for making a range image because range image quality was proportional to the number of RGI images. Image acquiring in a monitoring area of nuclear industry is an important function for safety inspection and preparing appropriate control plans. To overcome the non-visualization problem caused by airborne obstacle particles, vision systems should have extra-functions, such as active illumination lightening through disturbance airborne particles. One of these powerful active vision systems is a range-gated imaging system. The vision system based on the range-gated imaging system can acquire image data from raining or smoking environments. Range-gated imaging (RGI) is a direct active visualization technique using a highly sensitive image sensor and a high intensity illuminant. Currently, the range-gated imaging technique providing 2D and 3D images is one of emerging active vision technologies. The range-gated imaging system gets vision information by summing time sliced vision images. In the RGI system, a high intensity illuminant illuminates for ultra-short time and a highly sensitive image sensor is gated by ultra-short exposure time to only get the illumination light. Here, the illuminant illuminates objects by flashing strong light through airborne disturbance particles. Thus, in contrast to passive conventional vision systems, the RGI active vision technology robust for low-visibility environments.

Regional Wave Climates along Eastern Boundary Currents

Science.gov (United States)

Semedo, Alvaro; Soares, Pedro

2016-04-01

Two types of wind-generated gravity waves coexist at the ocean surface: wind sea and swell. Wind sea waves are waves under growing process. These young growing waves receive energy from the overlaying wind and are strongly coupled to the local wind field. Waves that propagate away from their generation area and no longer receive energy input from the local wind are called swell. Swell waves can travel long distances across entire ocean basins. A qualitative study of the ocean waves from a locally vs. remotely generation perspective is important, since the air sea interaction processes is strongly modulated by waves and vary accordingly to the prevalence of wind sea or swell waves in the area. A detailed climatology of wind sea and swell waves along eastern boundary currents (EBC; California Current, Canary Current, in the Northern Hemisphere, and Humboldt Current, Benguela Current, and Western Australia Current, in the Southern Hemisphere), based on the ECMWF (European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts) ERA-Interim reanalysis will be presented. The wind regime along EBC varies significantly from winter to summer. The high summer wind speeds along EBC generate higher locally generated wind sea waves, whereas lower winter wind speeds in these areas, along with stronger winter extratropical storms far away, lead to a predominance of swell waves there. In summer, the coast parallel winds also interact with coastal headlands, increasing the wind speed through a process called "expansion fan", which leads to an increase in the height of locally generated waves downwind of capes and points. Hence the spatial patterns of the wind sea or swell regional wave fields are shown to be different from the open ocean along EBC, due to coastal geometry and fetch dimensions. Swell waves will be shown to be considerably more prevalent and to carry more energy in winter along EBC, while in summer locally generated wind sea waves are either more comparable to swell waves or

Sciuridae, Rapoport’s effect and the mismatch between range size, conservation needs, and scientific productivity: an approach at the genus level

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

G. Amori

2009-03-01

Full Text Available Rapoport’s rule states that species at high latitudes have broader ranges than species at low latitudes. This rule has been strongly disputed over the years, and the majority of current scientists think that this is mostly a local phenomenon. However, if Rapoport’s rule applies, it should be a priori expected that taxa occurring in equatorial and tropical regions should be more threatened than those at temperate regions. In this paper, we test 1 whether Rapoport’s rule applies to Sciuridae genera (Mammalia, Rodentia and, if so, 2 whether the research efforts by scientists have been concentrated on those taxa that, because of their range size, may be predicted to be more threatened (i.e. equatorial and tropical taxa. Distribution data on Sciuridae came from literature and were transformed as maps according to World Map Program, and data about number of papers published by genus and by latitude were collected from the ISI Web of Knowledge. Our analysis verified the occurrence of a Rapoport’s effect in Sciuridae in both the hemispheres: mean range size increased significantly with latitude increases in both hemispheres. However, literature data inspection revealed that only a few genera accounted for the great majority of studies, and these genera were widely distributed and found at high latitudes. Thus, there is a potentially serious gap between current knowledge and threat expectations for Sciuridae worldwide. We therefore strongly urge scientists to give priority attention towards field studies of tropical Sciuridae genera.

Allostatic Load and Effort-Reward Imbalance: Associations over the Working-Career.

Science.gov (United States)

Coronado, José Ignacio Cuitún; Chandola, Tarani; Steptoe, Andrew

2018-01-24

Although associations between work stressors and stress-related biomarkers have been reported in cross-sectional studies, the use of single time measurements of work stressors could be one of the reasons for inconsistent associations. This study examines whether repeated reports of work stress towards the end of the working career predicts allostatic load, a measure of chronic stress related physiological processes. Data from waves 2 to 6 of the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA) were analysed, with a main analytical sample of 2663 older adults (aged 50+) who had at least one measurement of effort-reward imbalance between waves 2-6 and a measurement of allostatic load at wave 6. Cumulative work stress over waves 2-6 were measured by the effort-reward imbalance model. ELSA respondents who had reported two or more occasions of imbalance had a higher (0.3) estimate of the allostatic load index than those who did not report any imbalance, controlling for a range of health and socio-demographic factors, as well as allostatic load at baseline. More recent reports of imbalance were significantly associated with a higher allostatic load index, whereas reports of imbalance from earlier waves of ELSA were not. The accumulation of work related stressors could have adverse effects on chronic stress biological processes.

Current-Mode CMOS A/D Converter for pA to nA Input Currents

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Breten, Madalina; Lehmann, Torsten; Bruun, Erik

1999-01-01

This paper describes a current mode A/D converter designed for a maximum input current range of 5nA and a resolution of the order of 1pA. The converter is designed for a potentiostat for amperometric chemical sensors and provides a constant polarization voltage for the measuring electrode....... A prototype chip using the dual slope conversion method has been fabricated in a 0.7micron CMOS process. Experimental results from this converter are reported. Design problems and limitations of the converter are discussed and a new conversion technique providing a larger dynamic range and easy calibration...

Resident assistant training program for increasing alcohol, other drug, and mental health first-aid efforts.

Science.gov (United States)

Thombs, Dennis L; Gonzalez, Jennifer M Reingle; Osborn, Cynthia J; Rossheim, Matthew E; Suzuki, Sumihiro

2015-05-01

In college and university residence halls, resident assistants (RAs) are expected to serve as first-aid providers to students who may have alcohol, other drug, mental health, and academic problems. Despite this responsibility, evidence-based, first-aid programs have not been developed and tested for the RA workforce. The current study examined effects of an investigational first-aid program designed specifically for RAs. The online Peer Hero Training program is a novel approach to RA training in its use of interactive video dramatizations of incidents involving substance-using or distressed residents. A 9-month randomized trial conducted on eight US campuses compared RAs who participated in the Peer Hero Training program to RAs who received training-as-usual. Participation in the Peer Hero Training program significantly increased RA first-aid efforts for residential students who may have had alcohol, other drug, mental health, or academic problems 6 months after baseline. Compared with those in the training-as-usual condition, RAs in the Peer Hero Training program made more than 10 times as many first-aid efforts for possible alcohol problems, almost 14 times the number of first-aid efforts for possible drug use, almost 3 times the number of first-aid efforts for possible mental health problems, and 3 times the number of first-aid efforts for academic problems. There was no evidence that measured RA attitudes mediated the effects of the intervention. Results of this preliminary evaluation trial suggest that online training using interactive video dramatizations is a viable approach to strengthening RAs' ability to provide alcohol, other drugs, and mental health first-aid to undergraduates.

Best-effort Support for a Virtual Seminar Room

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sharp, Robin; Todirica, Edward Alexandru

2002-01-01

This paper describes the RTMM Virtual Seminar Room, an interactive distributed multimedia application based on a platform with a simple middleware architecture, using best effort scheduling and a best effort network service. Emphasis has been placed on achieving low latency in all parts...

Extended Range of a Gun Launched Smart Projectile Using Controllable Canards

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mark Costello

2001-01-01

Full Text Available This effort investigates the extent to which moveable canards can extend the range of indirect fire munitions using both projectile body and canard lift. Implications on terminal velocity and time of flight using this mechanism to extend range are examined for various canard configurations. Performance predictions are conducted using a six-degree-of-freedom simulation model that has previously been validated against range data. The projectile dynamic equations are formed in the body frame and aerodynamic loads from the body and canards are Mach number and angle of attack dependent. The projectile body aerodynamic moments include unsteady aerodynamic damping. The focus of the study is directed toward low cost competent munitions that extend range and as such a simple flight control system is considered which utilizes only timer, roll rate, and roll attitude inputs.

SOFTWARE EFFORT PREDICTION: AN EMPIRICAL EVALUATION OF METHODS TO TREAT MISSING VALUES WITH RAPIDMINER ®

OpenAIRE

OLGA FEDOTOVA; GLADYS CASTILLO; LEONOR TEIXEIRA; HELENA ALVELOS

2011-01-01

Missing values is a common problem in the data analysis in all areas, being software engineering not an exception. Particularly, missing data is a widespread phenomenon observed during the elaboration of effort prediction models (EPMs) required for budget, time and functionalities planning. Current work presents the results of a study carried out on a Portuguese medium-sized software development organization in order to obtain a formal method for EPMs elicitation in development processes. Thi...

Unattended Dual Current Monitor (UDCM) FY17 Summary Report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Newell, Matthew R. [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)

2017-10-13

The UDCM is a low current measurement device designed to record pico-amp to micro-amp currents from radiation detectors. The UDCM is the planned replacement for the IAEA’s obsolete MiniGRAND data acquisition module. Preliminary testing of the UDCM at the IAEA facilities lead to the following recommendations from the IAEA: Increase the measurement range. Lower range by a factor of 5 and upper range by 2 orders of magnitude; Modifications to the web interface; Increase programmable acquisition time to 3600s; Develop a method to handle current offsets and negative current; Error checking when writing data to the uSD card; and Writing BID files along with the currently stored BI0 files.

A Comprehensive Evaluation of Indoor Ranging Using Ultra-Wideband Technology

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Camillo Gentile

2007-04-01

Full Text Available Ultra-wideband technology shows promise for precision ranging due to its fine time resolution to resolve multipath fading and the presence of lower frequencies in the baseband to penetrate walls. While a concerted effort has been conducted in the extensive modeling of the indoor UWB channel in recent years, to our knowledge only two papers have reported ranging performance, but for limited range and fixed bandwidth and center frequency. In principle, boosting power can guarantee connectivity between transmitter and receiver, but not precision due to the distorting effects of walls and other objects in the direct path. In order to gauge the limits of UWB ranging, we carry out 5000 measurements up to an unprecedented 45 m in non-line-of-sight conditions in four separate buildings with dominant wall material varying from sheet rock to steel. In addition, we report performance for varying bandwidth and center frequency of the system.

A Comprehensive Evaluation of Indoor Ranging Using Ultra-Wideband Technology

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gentile Camillo

2007-01-01

Full Text Available Ultra-wideband technology shows promise for precision ranging due to its fine time resolution to resolve multipath fading and the presence of lower frequencies in the baseband to penetrate walls. While a concerted effort has been conducted in the extensive modeling of the indoor UWB channel in recent years, to our knowledge only two papers have reported ranging performance, but for limited range and fixed bandwidth and center frequency. In principle, boosting power can guarantee connectivity between transmitter and receiver, but not precision due to the distorting effects of walls and other objects in the direct path. In order to gauge the limits of UWB ranging, we carry out 5000 measurements up to an unprecedented 45 m in non-line-of-sight conditions in four separate buildings with dominant wall material varying from sheet rock to steel. In addition, we report performance for varying bandwidth and center frequency of the system.

Improving Current Balance In Parallel MOSFET's

Science.gov (United States)

Niedra, Janis M.

1992-01-01

Simple circuit makes currents more nearly equal. Addition of diodes and adjustable-tap resistor increases operating range over which drain currents in two unmatched power MOSFET's brought more nearly into balance.

Everglades Ecological Forecasting II: Utilizing NASA Earth Observations to Enhance the Capabilities of Everglades National Park to Monitor & Predict Mangrove Extent to Aid Current Restoration Efforts

Science.gov (United States)

Kirk, Donnie; Wolfe, Amy; Ba, Adama; Nyquist, Mckenzie; Rhodes, Tyler; Toner, Caitlin; Cabosky, Rachel; Gotschalk, Emily; Gregory, Brad; Kendall, Candace

2016-01-01

Mangroves act as a transition zone between fresh and salt water habitats by filtering and indicating salinity levels along the coast of the Florida Everglades. However, dredging and canals built in the early 1900s depleted the Everglades of much of its freshwater resources. In an attempt to assist in maintaining the health of threatened habitats, efforts have been made within Everglades National Park to rebalance the ecosystem and adhere to sustainably managing mangrove forests. The Everglades Ecological Forecasting II team utilized Google Earth Engine API and satellite imagery from Landsat 5, 7, and 8 to continuously create land-change maps over a 25 year period, and to allow park officials to continue producing maps in the future. In order to make the process replicable for project partners at Everglades National Park, the team was able to conduct a supervised classification approach to display mangrove regions in 1995, 2000, 2005, 2010 and 2015. As freshwater was depleted, mangroves encroached further inland and freshwater marshes declined. The current extent map, along with transition maps helped create forecasting models that show mangrove encroachment further inland in the year 2030 as well. This project highlights the changes to the Everglade habitats in relation to a changing climate and hydrological changes throughout the park.

A Current-Fed Isolated Bidirectional DC-DC Converter

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sun, Xiaofeng; Wu, Xiaoying; Shen, Yanfeng

2017-01-01

This paper proposes a current-fed isolated bidirectional DC-DC converter (CF-IBDC) which has the advantages of wide input voltage range, low input current ripple, low conduction losses, and soft switching over the full operating range. Compared with conventional CF-IBDCs, the voltage spikes...

Neutral currents

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Paschos, E.A.

1977-01-01

It is stated that over the past few years considerable progress has been made in the field of weak interactions. The existence of neutral currents involving leptons and hadrons has been established and some of the questions concerning their detailed structure have been answered. This imposes constraints on the gauge theories and has eliminated large classes of models. New questions have also been raised, one of which concerns the conservation laws obeyed by neutral currents. The wide range of investigations is impressive and is expected to continue with new results from particle, nuclear, and atomic physics. Headings include - various aspects of a gauge theory (choice of group, the symmetry breaking scheme, representation assignments for fermion fields); space-time structure; isospin structure; leptonic neutral currents; and atomic experiments. (U.K.)

Adolescent suicide prevention. Current research and social policy implications.

Science.gov (United States)

Garland, A F; Zigler, E

1993-02-01

The rate of adolescent suicide has increased dramatically in the past few decades, prompting several interventions to curb the increase. Unfortunately, many of the intervention efforts have not benefited from current research findings because the communication between researchers and those who develop the interventions is inadequate. Of specific concern are the increasingly popular curriculum-based suicide prevention programs, which have not demonstrated effectiveness and may contain potentially deleterious components. This article reviews the current epidemiological research in adolescent suicide and suggests how this knowledge could be used more effectively to reduce the rate of adolescent suicide. Recommendations include support for integrated primary prevention efforts; suicide prevention education for professionals; education and policies on firearm management; education for the media about adolescent suicide; more efficient identification and treatment of at-risk youth, including those exposed to suicidal behavior; crisis intervention; and treatment for suicide attempters.

Using effort to measure reward value of faces in children with autism.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Louise Ewing

Full Text Available According to one influential account, face processing atypicalities in autism reflect reduced reward value of faces, which results in limited attention to faces during development and a consequent failure to acquire face expertise. Surprisingly, however, there is a paucity of work directly investigating the reward value of faces for individuals with autism and the evidence for diminished face rewards in this population remains equivocal. In the current study, we measured how hard children with autism would work to view faces, using an effortful key-press sequence, and whether they were sensitive to the differential reward value of attractive and unattractive faces. Contrary to expectations, cognitively able children with autism did not differ from typically developing children of similar age and ability in their willingness to work to view faces. Moreover, the effort expended was strongly positively correlated with facial attractiveness ratings in both groups of children. There was also no evidence of atypical reward values for other, less social categories (cars and inverted faces in the children with autism. These results speak against the possibility that face recognition difficulties in autism are explained by atypical reward value of faces.

Money Laundering and International Efforts to Fight It

OpenAIRE

David Scott

1996-01-01

According to one estimate, US$300 billion to US$500 billion in proceeds from serious crime is laundered each year. Left unchecked, money laundering could criminalize the financial system and undermine development efforts in emerging markets. The author reviews efforts by international bodies to fight it.

Status of White Sturgeon (Acipenser transmontanus Richardson, 1863) throughout the species range, threats to survival, and prognosis for the future

Science.gov (United States)

Hildebrand, L. R.; Drauch Schreier, Andrea; Lepla, K.; McAdam, S. O.; McLellan, J; Parsley, Michael J.; Paragamian, V L; Young, S P

2016-01-01

White Sturgeon, Acipenser transmontanus (WS), are distributed throughout three major river basins on the West Coast of North America: the Sacramento-San Joaquin, Columbia, and Fraser River drainages. Considered the largest North American freshwater fish, some WS use estuarine habitat and make limited marine movements between river basins. Some populations are listed by the United States or Canada as threatened or endangered (upper Columbia River above Grand Coulee Dam; Kootenai River; lower, middle and, upper Fraser River and Nechako River), while others do not warrant federal listing at this time (Sacramento-San Joaquin Rivers; Columbia River below Grand Coulee Dam; Snake River). Threats that impact WS throughout the species’ range include fishing effects and habitat alteration and degradation. Several populations suffer from recruitment limitations or collapse due to high early life mortality associated with these threats. Efforts to preserve WS populations include annual monitoring, harvest restrictions, habitat restoration, and conservation aquaculture. This paper provides a review of current knowledge on WS life history, ecology, physiology, behavior, and genetics and presents the status of WS in each drainage. Ongoing management and conservation efforts and additional research needs are identified to address present and future risks to the species.

Solar PV O&M Standards and Best Practices - Existing Gaps and Improvement Efforts

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Klise, Geoffrey Taylor [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Balfour, John R. [High Performance PV, Phoenix, AZ (United States); Keating, T. J. [SunSpec Alliance, San Jose, CA (United States)

2014-11-01

As greater numbers of photovoltaic (PV) systems are being installed, operations & maintenance (O&M) activities will need to be performed to ensure the PV system is operating as designed over its useful lifetime. To mitigate risks to PV system availability and performance, standardized procedures for O&M activities are needed to ensure high reliability and long-term system bankability. Efforts are just getting underway to address the need for standard O&M procedures as PV gains a larger share of U.S. generation capacity. Due to the existing landscape of how and where PV is installed, including distributed generation from small and medium PV systems, as well as large, centralized utility-scale PV, O&M activities will require different levels of expertise and reporting, making standards even more important. This report summarizes recent efforts made by solar industry stakeholders to identify the existing standards and best practices applied to solar PV O&M activities, and determine the gaps that have yet to be, or are currently being addressed by industry.

[Effort-Reward Imbalance in Household and Family Work--Analysing the Psychometric Properties among Fathers of Underage Children].

Science.gov (United States)

Sperlich, Stefanie; Barre, Felix; Otto, Friederike

2016-02-01

Recently, the concept of effort-reward imbalance (ERI) developed by Siegrist had been applied to unpaid household and family work (ERI-HF). Evidence suggests that the imbalance between effort spent and reward received in family and domestic labor is associated with poor mental and physical health. However, so far, the adopted questionnaire ERI-HF was exclusively used among women in childcare responsibility. This paper reports on the application of the model to men in childcare responsibility using data from a clinical sample of fathers in rehabilitation clinics (N=415). Analogous to the original version, ERI-HF is divided into 2 components: (i) dysbalance of effort and reward, and (ii) overcommitment. For both components, confirmatory factor analyses revealed good to satisfactory properties. Overall, 13.4% of men in childcare responsibility showed a dysbalance between high effort and low reward of household and family work. High levels of effort were more frequently reported than high levels of low reward. With percentages ranging between 24.3 and 59.6%, a significant proportion of fathers reported difficulties to withdraw from household and family work obligations. Analyses of construct validity revealed significant associations between ERI and socio-demographic factors (number of children, employment status, single fatherhood, work-family-conflict) as well as subjective health. Taken together, our findings suggest that the instrument is applicable to men in childcare responsibility. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Radiation of transient high-current arcs: energy measurements in the optical range

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bauchire, J M; Hong, D; Rabat, H; Riquel, G

2012-01-01

When no protection is used, the radiation emitted by a high-power electric arc can be dangerous for the eyes and the skin of a person. To ensure effective protection, it is first necessary to know the energy emitted by such arcs. The aim of our work was to experimentally determine the energy emitted by high-current (from 4 to 40 kA) transient arcs, for two different (10 cm and 2 m) lengths and for electrodes in copper or steel. These experiments enabled the radiative energy of the arcs to be quantified and also showed the influence of metal vapors in the spectral distribution of the radiation.

The Poxvirus C7L Host Range Factor Superfamily

OpenAIRE

Liu, Jia; Rothenburg, Stefan; McFadden, Grant

2012-01-01

Host range factors, expressed by the poxvirus family, determine the host tropism of species, tissue, and cell specificity. C7L family members exist in the genomes of most sequenced mammalian poxviruses, suggesting an evolutionarily conserved effort adapting to the hosts. In general, C7L orthologs influence the host tropism in mammalian cell culture, and for some poxviruses it is essential for the complete viral life cycle in vitro and in vivo. The C7L family members lack obvious sequence homo...

Excessive current in wide superconducting films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Volotskaya, V.G.; Sivakov, A.G.; Turutanov, O.G.

1986-01-01

The resistive state of a wide long film due to superconductivity destruction by current is studied. The voltage-independent excess current I 0 is observed on I-V curves at high transport currents. The two-dimensional image of the current-carrying sample obtained by laser scanning technique in this current range indicates that the whole film is in the resistive state. The current I 0 is measured as a function of magnetic field and SHF power

Economic effort management in multispecies fisheries: the FcubEcon model

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hoff, Ayoe; Frost, Hans; Ulrich, Clara

2010-01-01

in the development of management tools based on fleets, fisheries, and areas, rather than on unit fish stocks. A natural consequence of this has been to consider effort rather than quota management, a final effort decision being based on fleet-harvest potential and fish-stock-preservation considerations. Effort...... allocation between fleets should not be based on biological considerations alone, but also on the economic behaviour of fishers, because fisheries management has a significant impact on human behaviour as well as on ecosystem development. The FcubEcon management framework for effort allocation between fleets...... the past decade, increased focus on this issue has resulted in the development of management tools based on fleets, fisheries, and areas, rather than on unit fish stocks. A natural consequence of this has been to consider effort rather than quota management, a final effort decision being based on fleet...

Development of Prescription Drug Information Leaflets: Impact of Cognitive Effort and Patient Involvement on Prescription Medication Information Processing.

Science.gov (United States)

Patel, Harshali K; Bapat, Shweta S; Bhansali, Archita H; Sansgiry, Sujit S

2018-01-01

The objective of this study was to develop a one-page (1-page) prescription drug information leaflet (PILs) and assess their impact on the information processing variables, across 2 levels of patient involvement. One-page PILs were developed using cognitive principles to lower mental effort and improve comprehension. An experimental, 3 × 2 repeated measures study was conducted to determine the impact of cognitive effort, manipulated using leaflet type on comprehension across 2 levels (high/low) of patient involvement. Adults (≥18 years) in a university setting in Houston were recruited for the study. Each participant was exposed to 3 different types of prescription drug information leaflet (the current practice, preexisting 1-page text-only, and 1-page PILs) for the 3 drugs (Celebrex, Ventolin HFA, Prezista) for a given involvement scenario. A prevalidated survey instrument was used to measure product knowledge, attitude toward leaflet, and intention to read. Multivariate analysis of variance indicated significant positive effect of cognitive effort, involvement, and their interaction effect across all measured variables. Mean scores for product knowledge, attitude toward leaflet, and intention to read were highest for PILs ( P information processing for consumers by reducing their cognitive effort.

HEVC for high dynamic range services

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Seung-Hwan; Zhao, Jie; Misra, Kiran; Segall, Andrew

2015-09-01

Displays capable of showing a greater range of luminance values can render content containing high dynamic range information in a way such that the viewers have a more immersive experience. This paper introduces the design aspects of a high dynamic range (HDR) system, and examines the performance of the HDR processing chain in terms of compression efficiency. Specifically it examines the relation between recently introduced Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE) ST 2084 transfer function and the High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC) standard. SMPTE ST 2084 is designed to cover the full range of an HDR signal from 0 to 10,000 nits, however in many situations the valid signal range of actual video might be smaller than SMPTE ST 2084 supported range. The above restricted signal range results in restricted range of code values for input video data and adversely impacts compression efficiency. In this paper, we propose a code value remapping method that extends the restricted range code values into the full range code values so that the existing standards such as HEVC may better compress the video content. The paper also identifies related non-normative encoder-only changes that are required for remapping method for a fair comparison with anchor. Results are presented comparing the efficiency of the current approach versus the proposed remapping method for HM-16.2.

A low-power wide range transimpedance amplifier for biochemical sensing.

Science.gov (United States)

Rodriguez-Villegas, Esther

2007-01-01

This paper presents a novel low voltage and low power transimpedance amplifier for amperometric potentiostats. The power is optimized by having three different gain settings for different current ranges, which can be programmed with a biasing current. The voltage ranges have been optimized by using FGMOS transistors in a second voltage amplification stage that simultaneously allow for offset calibration as well as independent biasing of the gates. The circuit operates with input currents from 1 pA to 1 microA, with a maximum power supply voltage of 1.5 V and consumes 82.5 nW, 9.825 microW, 47.325 microW for currents varying from (1 pA, 0.25 nA), (0.25 nA, 62.5 nA) and (62.5 nA, 1 microA) respectively.

Harsh parenting and academic achievement in Chinese adolescents: Potential mediating roles of effortful control and classroom engagement.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Mingzhong; Deng, Xueli; Du, Xiuxiu

2018-04-01

This study examined (a) the potential mediating roles of effortful control and classroom engagement in the association between harsh parenting and adolescent academic achievement, and (b) the potential moderating role of gender. Sixth through eighth graders in rural China (n=815, mean age=12.55years) reported on harsh parenting, effortful control, and classroom engagement. Parents also reported on each other's harsh parenting. Academic achievement was assessed by students' test scores and teacher-rated academic performance. Results of structural equation modeling revealed gender differences in patterns of association among the model variables. Harsh parenting was negatively and directly associated with academic achievement for both boys and girls. It was also negatively and indirectly associated with academic achievement via effortful control and classroom engagement sequentially, forming a common indirect "path" for boys and girls. The indirect negative effect of harsh parenting on boys' academic achievement was mainly realized through the mediator of effortful control, whereas this same indirect effect for girls was mainly realized through the mediator of classroom engagement. Jointly, effortful control and classroom engagement precipitates more indirect effects for boys than for girls in the association between harsh parenting and academic achievement. The discussion analyzes the potential "paths" from harsh parenting to adolescent academic achievement, as well as gender differences in these "paths." The current study has implications for teachers and parents eager to improve students' classroom engagement and academic achievement. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

NASA,FAA,ONERA Swept-Wing Icing and Aerodynamics: Summary of Research and Current Status

Science.gov (United States)

Broeren, Andy

2015-01-01

NASA, FAA, ONERA, and other partner organizations have embarked on a significant, collaborative research effort to address the technical challenges associated with icing on large scale, three-dimensional swept wings. These are extremely complex phenomena important to the design, certification and safe operation of small and large transport aircraft. There is increasing demand to balance trade-offs in aircraft efficiency, cost and noise that tend to compete directly with allowable performance degradations over an increasing range of icing conditions. Computational fluid dynamics codes have reached a level of maturity that they are being proposed by manufacturers for use in certification of aircraft for flight in icing. However, sufficient high-quality data to evaluate their performance on iced swept wings are not currently available in the public domain and significant knowledge gaps remain.

Reproductive effort in viscous populations

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Pen, Ido

Here I study a kin selection model of reproductive effort, the allocation of resources to fecundity versus survival, in a patch-structured population. Breeding females remain in the same patch for life. Offspring have costly, partial long-distance dispersal and compete for breeding sites, which

FY 1991--FY 1995 Information Technology Resources Long-Range Plan

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1989-12-01

The Department of Energy has consolidated its plans for Information Systems, Computing Resources, and Telecommunications into a single document, the Information Technology Resources Long-Range Plan. The consolidation was done as a joint effort by the Office of ADP Management and the Office of Computer Services and Telecommunications Management under the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Administration, Information, and Facilities Management. This Plan is the product of a long-range planning process used to project both future information technology requirements and the resources necessary to meet those requirements. It encompasses the plans of the various organizational components within the Department and its management and operating contractors over the next 5 fiscal years, 1991 through 1995.

The Academic Diligence Task (ADT): Assessing Individual Differences in Effort on Tedious but Important Schoolwork

OpenAIRE

Galla, Brian M.; Plummer, Benjamin D.; White, Rachel E.; Meketon, David; D’Mello, Sidney K.; Duckworth, Angela L.

2014-01-01

The current study reports on the development and validation of the Academic Diligence Task (ADT), designed to assess the tendency to expend effort on academic tasks which are tedious in the moment but valued in the long-term. In this novel online task, students allocate their time between solving simple math problems (framed as beneficial for problem solving skills) and, alternatively, playing Tetris or watching entertaining videos. Using a large sample of high school seniors (N = 921), the A...

Assess Current and Potential Salmonid Production in Rattlesnake Creek Associated with Restoration Efforts; US Geological Survey Reports, 2002-2003 Annual Report.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Connolly, Patrick J. (US Geological Survey, Columbia River Research Laboratory, Western Fisheries Research Center, Cook, WA)

2003-12-01

This project was designed to document existing habitat conditions and fish populations within the Rattlesnake Creek watershed (White Salmon River subbasin, Washington) before major habitat restoration activities are implemented and prior to the reintroduction of salmon and steelhead above Condit Dam. Returning adult salmon Oncorhynchus spp. and steelhead O. mykiss have not had access to Rattlesnake Creek since 1913. An assessment of resident trout populations should serve as a good surrogate for evaluation of factors that would limit salmon and steelhead production in the watershed. Personnel from United States Geological Survey's Columbia River Research Laboratory (USGS-CRRL) attend to three main objectives of the Rattlesnake Creek project. The first is to characterize stream and riparian habitat conditions. This effort includes measures of water quality, water quantity, stream habitat, and riparian conditions. The second objective is to determine the status of fish populations in the Rattlesnake Creek drainage. To accomplish this, we derived estimates of salmonid population abundance, determined fish species composition, assessed distribution and life history attributes, obtained tissue samples for genetic analysis, and assessed fish diseases in the watershed. The third objective is to use the collected habitat and fisheries information to help identify and prioritize areas in need of restoration. As this report covers the second year of at least a three-year study, it is largely restricted to describing our efforts and findings for the first two objectives.

Guiding conservation efforts in the Hantam–Tanqua–Roggeveld (South Africa using diversity parameters

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Helga van der Merwe

2011-09-01

Full Text Available The Hantam–Tanqua–Roggeveld subregion falls within the Succulent Karoo and Fynbos Biomes, which are both recognised as global biodiversity hotspots that should be conserved. The objective of this study was to gather baseline biodiversity information that can be used to guide conservation efforts. A total of 40 Whittaker plots were surveyed in the subregion and the various diversity parameters calculated from the data were compared across the subregion and to available data for the Succulent Karoo and Fynbos Biomes. Species richness per 1000 m2 ranged from nine to 100 species across the subregion. Species richness for all plot sizes < 1000 m2 was significantly lower for the Tanqua Karoo than for both the Winter Rainfall Karoo and Mountain Renosterveld. The latter two areas did not differ significantly from each other with regard to species richness. Species richness was significantly higher only at the 1000 m2 scale in the Mountain Renosterveld compared to the Winter Rainfall Karoo. Evenness and Shannon and Simpson indices did not differ significantly between the Mountain Renosterveld and Winter Rainfall Karoo; however, these values were significantly higher than for the Tanqua Karoo. A principal coordinate analysis of species richness data at seven plot sizes produced three distinct clusters. One cluster represented the Tanqua Karoo, with low species richness, evenness, and Shannon and Simpson indices. Another cluster represented mostly Mountain Renosterveld vegetation, which was characterised by a high species richness, evenness, and Shannon and Simpson indices. The third cluster was formed by the remaining Mountain Renosterveld plots as well as the Winter Rainfall Karoo plots. The high species richness values found in the various vegetation units can add valuable information to the conservation planning arena by providing information on biodiversity parameters and their spatial distribution. This information can assist with conservation

Mapping plant species ranges in the Hawaiian Islands: developing a methodology and associated GIS layers

Science.gov (United States)

Price, Jonathan P.; Jacobi, James D.; Gon, Samuel M.; Matsuwaki, Dwight; Mehrhoff, Loyal; Wagner, Warren; Lucas, Matthew; Rowe, Barbara

2012-01-01

This report documents a methodology for projecting the geographic ranges of plant species in the Hawaiian Islands. The methodology consists primarily of the creation of several geographic information system (GIS) data layers depicting attributes related to the geographic ranges of plant species. The most important spatial-data layer generated here is an objectively defined classification of climate as it pertains to the distribution of plant species. By examining previous zonal-vegetation classifications in light of spatially detailed climate data, broad zones of climate relevant to contemporary concepts of vegetation in the Hawaiian Islands can be explicitly defined. Other spatial-data layers presented here include the following: substrate age, as large areas of the island of Hawai'i, in particular, are covered by very young lava flows inimical to the growth of many plant species; biogeographic regions of the larger islands that are composites of multiple volcanoes, as many of their species are restricted to a given topographically isolated mountain or a specified group of them; and human impact, which can reduce the range of many species relative to where they formerly were found. Other factors influencing the geographic ranges of species that are discussed here but not developed further, owing to limitations in rendering them spatially, include topography, soils, and disturbance. A method is described for analyzing these layers in a GIS, in conjunction with a database of species distributions, to project the ranges of plant species, which include both the potential range prior to human disturbance and the projected present range. Examples of range maps for several species are given as case studies that demonstrate different spatial characteristics of range. Several potential applications of species-range maps are discussed, including facilitating field surveys, informing restoration efforts, studying range size and rarity, studying biodiversity, managing

Political Mechanisms for Long-Range Survival and Development

Science.gov (United States)

Marshall, W.

As the first species aware of extinction and capable of proactively ensuring our long-term survival and development, it is striking that we do not do so with the rigor, formality, and foresight it requires. Only from a reactive posture have we responded to the challenges of global warfare, human rights, environmental concerns, and sustainable development. Despite our awareness of the possibility for extinction and apocalyptic set-backs to our evolution, and despite the existence of long-range studies-which must still be dramatically increased-proactive global policy implementation regarding our long-term survival and development is arguably non-existent. This lack of long-term policy making can be attributed in part to the lack of formal political mechanisms to facilitate longer-range policy making that extends 30 years or more into the future. Political mechanisms for infusing long-range thinking, research, and strategic planning into the policy-making process can help correct this shortcoming and provide the motivation needed to adequately address long-term challenges with the political rigor required to effectively establish and implement long-term policies. There are some efforts that attempt to address longer-range issues, but those efforts often do not connect to the political process, do not extend 30 or more years into the future, are not well-funded, and are not sufficiently systemic. Political mechanisms for long-range survival and prosperity could correct these inadequacies by raising awareness, providing funding, and most importantly, leveraging political rigor to establish and enforce long-range strategic planning and policies. The feasibility of such mechanisms should first be rigorously studied and assessed in a feasibility study, which could then inform implementation. This paper will present the case for such a study and suggest some possible political mechanisms that should be investigated further in the proposed study. This work is being further

Wide range neutron detection system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Todt, W.H. Sr.

1978-01-01

A neutron detection system for reactor control is described which is operable over a wide range of neutron flux levels. The system includes a fission type ionization chamber neutron detector, means for gamma and alpha signal compensation, and means for operating the neutron detector in the pulse counting mode for low neutron flux levels, and in the direct current mode for high neutron flux levels

Effortful semantic decision-making boosts memory performance in older adults.

Science.gov (United States)

Fu, Li; Maes, Joseph H R; Varma, Samarth; Kessels, Roy P C; Daselaar, Sander M

2017-04-01

A major concern in age-related cognitive decline is episodic memory (EM). Previous studies indicate that both resource and binding deficits contribute to EM decline. Environmental support by task manipulations encouraging stronger cognitive effort and deeper levels of processing may facilitate compensation for these two deficits. To clarify factors that can counteract age-related EM decline, we assessed effects of cognitive effort (four levels) and level of processing (LoP, shallow/deep) during encoding on subsequent retrieval. Young (YAs, N = 23) and older (OAs, N = 23) adults performed two incidental encoding tasks, deep/semantic and shallow/perceptual. Cognitive effort was manipulated by varying decision-making demands. EM performance, indexed by d-prime, was later tested using a recognition task. Results showed that regardless of LoP, increased cognitive effort caused higher d-primes in both age groups. Compared to YAs, OAs showed a lower d-prime after shallow encoding across all cognitive effort levels, and after deep encoding with low cognitive effort. Deep encoding with higher levels of cognitive effort completely eliminated these age differences. Our findings support an environmental-compensatory account of cognitive ageing and can have important therapeutic implications.

Brain and effort: brain activation and effort-related working memory in healthy participants and patients with working memory deficits

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maria eEngstrom

2013-04-01

Full Text Available Despite the interest in the neuroimaging of working memory, little is still known about the neurobiology of complex working memory in tasks that require simultaneous manipulation and storage of information. In addition to the central executive network, we assumed that the recently described salience network (involving the anterior insular cortex and the anterior cingulate cortex might be of particular importance to working memory tasks that require complex, effortful processing. Method: Healthy participants (n=26 and participants suffering from working memory problems related to the Kleine-Levin syndrome (a specific form of periodic idiopathic hypersomnia; n=18 participated in the study. Participants were further divided into a high and low capacity group, according to performance on a working memory task (listening span. In a functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI study, participants were administered the reading span complex working memory task tapping cognitive effort. Principal findings: The fMRI-derived blood oxygen level dependent (BOLD signal was modulated by 1 effort in both the central executive and the salience network and 2 capacity in the salience network in that high performers evidenced a weaker BOLD signal than low performers. In the salience network there was a dichotomy between the left and the right hemisphere; the right hemisphere elicited a steeper increase of the BOLD signal as a function of increasing effort. There was also a stronger functional connectivity within the central executive network because of increased task difficulty. Conclusion: The ability to allocate cognitive effort in complex working memory is contingent upon focused resources in the executive and in particular the salience network. Individual capacity during the complex working memory task is related to activity in the salience (but not the executive network so that high-capacity participants evidence a lower signal and possibly hence a larger

Vicarious Effort-Based Decision-Making in Autism Spectrum Disorders.

Science.gov (United States)

Mosner, Maya G; Kinard, Jessica L; McWeeny, Sean; Shah, Jasmine S; Markiewitz, Nathan D; Damiano-Goodwin, Cara R; Burchinal, Margaret R; Rutherford, Helena J V; Greene, Rachel K; Treadway, Michael T; Dichter, Gabriel S

2017-10-01

This study investigated vicarious effort-based decision-making in 50 adolescents with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) compared to 32 controls using the Effort Expenditure for Rewards Task. Participants made choices to win money for themselves or for another person. When choosing for themselves, the ASD group exhibited relatively similar patterns of effort-based decision-making across reward parameters. However, when choosing for another person, the ASD group demonstrated relatively decreased sensitivity to reward magnitude, particularly in the high magnitude condition. Finally, patterns of responding in the ASD group were related to individual differences in consummatory pleasure capacity. These findings indicate atypical vicarious effort-based decision-making in ASD and more broadly add to the growing body of literature addressing social reward processing deficits in ASD.

Dopamine, Effort-Based Choice, and Behavioral Economics: Basic and Translational Research.

Science.gov (United States)

Salamone, John D; Correa, Merce; Yang, Jen-Hau; Rotolo, Renee; Presby, Rose

2018-01-01

Operant behavior is not only regulated by factors related to the quality or quantity of reinforcement, but also by the work requirements inherent in performing instrumental actions. Moreover, organisms often make effort-related decisions involving economic choices such as cost/benefit analyses. Effort-based decision making is studied using behavioral procedures that offer choices between high-effort options leading to relatively preferred reinforcers vs. low effort/low reward choices. Several neural systems, including the mesolimbic dopamine (DA) system and other brain circuits, are involved in regulating effort-related aspects of motivation. Considerable evidence indicates that mesolimbic DA transmission exerts a bi-directional control over exertion of effort on instrumental behavior tasks. Interference with DA transmission produces a low-effort bias in animals tested on effort-based choice tasks, while increasing DA transmission with drugs such as DA transport blockers tends to enhance selection of high-effort options. The results from these pharmacology studies are corroborated by the findings from recent articles using optogenetic, chemogenetic and physiological techniques. In addition to providing important information about the neural regulation of motivated behavior, effort-based choice tasks are useful for developing animal models of some of the motivational symptoms that are seen in people with various psychiatric and neurological disorders (e.g., depression, schizophrenia, Parkinson's disease). Studies of effort-based decision making may ultimately contribute to the development of novel drug treatments for motivational dysfunction.

Dopamine, Effort-Based Choice, and Behavioral Economics: Basic and Translational Research

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

John D. Salamone

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Operant behavior is not only regulated by factors related to the quality or quantity of reinforcement, but also by the work requirements inherent in performing instrumental actions. Moreover, organisms often make effort-related decisions involving economic choices such as cost/benefit analyses. Effort-based decision making is studied using behavioral procedures that offer choices between high-effort options leading to relatively preferred reinforcers vs. low effort/low reward choices. Several neural systems, including the mesolimbic dopamine (DA system and other brain circuits, are involved in regulating effort-related aspects of motivation. Considerable evidence indicates that mesolimbic DA transmission exerts a bi-directional control over exertion of effort on instrumental behavior tasks. Interference with DA transmission produces a low-effort bias in animals tested on effort-based choice tasks, while increasing DA transmission with drugs such as DA transport blockers tends to enhance selection of high-effort options. The results from these pharmacology studies are corroborated by the findings from recent articles using optogenetic, chemogenetic and physiological techniques. In addition to providing important information about the neural regulation of motivated behavior, effort-based choice tasks are useful for developing animal models of some of the motivational symptoms that are seen in people with various psychiatric and neurological disorders (e.g., depression, schizophrenia, Parkinson’s disease. Studies of effort-based decision making may ultimately contribute to the development of novel drug treatments for motivational dysfunction.

Effect of social influence on effort-allocation for monetary rewards.

Science.gov (United States)

Gilman, Jodi M; Treadway, Michael T; Curran, Max T; Calderon, Vanessa; Evins, A Eden

2015-01-01

Though decades of research have shown that people are highly influenced by peers, few studies have directly assessed how the value of social conformity is weighed against other types of costs and benefits. Using an effort-based decision-making paradigm with a novel social influence manipulation, we measured how social influence affected individuals' decisions to allocate effort for monetary rewards during trials with either high or low probability of receiving a reward. We found that information about the effort-allocation of peers modulated participant choices, specifically during conditions of low probability of obtaining a reward. This suggests that peer influence affects effort-based choices to obtain rewards especially under conditions of risk. This study provides evidence that people value social conformity in addition to other costs and benefits when allocating effort, and suggests that neuroeconomic studies that assess trade-offs between effort and reward should consider social environment as a factor that can influence decision-making.

Effect of social influence on effort-allocation for monetary rewards.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jodi M Gilman

Full Text Available Though decades of research have shown that people are highly influenced by peers, few studies have directly assessed how the value of social conformity is weighed against other types of costs and benefits. Using an effort-based decision-making paradigm with a novel social influence manipulation, we measured how social influence affected individuals' decisions to allocate effort for monetary rewards during trials with either high or low probability of receiving a reward. We found that information about the effort-allocation of peers modulated participant choices, specifically during conditions of low probability of obtaining a reward. This suggests that peer influence affects effort-based choices to obtain rewards especially under conditions of risk. This study provides evidence that people value social conformity in addition to other costs and benefits when allocating effort, and suggests that neuroeconomic studies that assess trade-offs between effort and reward should consider social environment as a factor that can influence decision-making.

Current status of light water reactor and Hitachi's technical improvements for BWR

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Miki, Minoru; Ohki, Arahiko.

1984-01-01

Gradual technical improvements in Japan over the years has improved the reliability of light water reactors, and has achieved the highest capacity factor level in the world. Commercial operation of Fukushima 2-2 (1,100 MW) of the Tokyo Electric Power Co. was started in February, 1984, as the first standardized BWR base plant, ushering in a new age of domestic light water reactor technology. The ABWR (1,300 MW class) has been developed as Japan's next generation light water reactor, with construction aimed at the latter half of the 1980's. Hitachi's extensive efforts range from key nuclear equipment to various related robots, directed at improving safety, reliability, and the capacity factor, while reducing radiation exposure. This paper presents an outline of Hitachi's participation in the light water reactor's improvement and standardization, and the current status of our role in the international cooperation plan for the ABWR. (author)

Current trends in nursing theories.

Science.gov (United States)

Im, Eun-Ok; Chang, Sun Ju

2012-06-01

To explore current trends in nursing theories through an integrated literature review. The literature related to nursing theories during the past 10 years was searched through multiple databases and reviewed to determine themes reflecting current trends in nursing theories. The trends can be categorized into six themes: (a) foci on specifics; (b) coexistence of various types of theories; (c) close links to research; (d) international collaborative works; (e) integration to practice; and (f) selective evolution. We need to make our continuous efforts to link research and practice to theories, to identify specifics of our theories, to develop diverse types of theories, and to conduct international collaborative works. Our paper gives implications for future theoretical development in diverse clinical areas of nursing research and practice. © 2012 Sigma Theta Tau International.

The McDonald Observatory lunar laser ranging project

Science.gov (United States)

Silverberg, E. C.

1978-01-01

A summary of the activities of the McDonald lunar laser ranging station at Fort Davis for the FY 77-78 fiscal year is presented. The lunar laser experiment uses the observatory 2.7m reflecting telescope on a thrice-per-day, 21-day-per-lunation schedule. Data are recorded on magnetic tapes and sent to the University of Texas at Austin where the data is processed. After processing, the data is distributed to interested analysis centers and later to the National Space Science Data Center where it is available for routine distribution. Detailed reports are published on the McDonald operations after every fourth lunation or approximately once every 115 days. These reports contain a day-by-day documentation of the ranging activity, detailed discussions of the equipment development efforts, and an abundance of other information as is needed to document and archive this important data type.

Breaking the Double-Edged Sword of Effort/Trying Hard: Developmental Equilibrium and Longitudinal Relations among Effort, Achievement, and Academic Self-Concept

Science.gov (United States)

Marsh, Herbert W.; Pekrun, Reinhard; Lichtenfeld, Stephanie; Guo, Jiesi; Arens, A. Katrin; Murayama, Kou

2016-01-01

Ever since the classic research of Nicholls (1976) and others, effort has been recognized as a double-edged sword: while it might enhance achievement, it undermines academic self-concept (ASC). However, there has not been a thorough evaluation of the longitudinal reciprocal effects of effort, ASC, and achievement, in the context of modern…

Men’s Work Efforts and the Transition to Fatherhood1

Science.gov (United States)

Astone, Nan Marie; Dariotis, Jacinda; Sonenstein, Freya; Pleck, Joseph H.; Hynes, Kathryn

2010-01-01

In this paper we tested three hypotheses: (a) the transition to fatherhood is associated with an increase in work effort; (b) the positive association (if any) between the transition to fatherhood and work effort is greater for fathers who are married at the time of the transition; and (c) the association (if any) is greater for men who make the transition at younger ages. The data are from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1979 Cohort. The transition to fatherhood was associated with an increase in work effort among young unmarried men, but not for married men. Among married men who were on-time fathers, work effort decreased. Among childless men, the marriage transition was associated with increased work effort. PMID:20221306

Perception of effort in Exercise Science: Definition, measurement and perspectives.

Science.gov (United States)

Pageaux, Benjamin

2016-11-01

Perception of effort, also known as perceived exertion or sense of effort, can be described as a cognitive feeling of work associated with voluntary actions. The aim of the present review is to provide an overview of what is perception of effort in Exercise Science. Due to the addition of sensations other than effort in its definition, the neurophysiology of perceived exertion remains poorly understood. As humans have the ability to dissociate effort from other sensations related to physical exercise, the need to use a narrower definition is emphasised. Consequently, a definition and some brief guidelines for its measurement are provided. Finally, an overview of the models present in the literature aiming to explain its neurophysiology, and some perspectives for future research are offered.

Policies and Programmatic Efforts Pertaining to Fatherhood: Commentary

Science.gov (United States)

Raikes, Helen; Bellotti, Jeanne

2007-01-01

The articles in this section focus attention on (1) the historical shift in policies that affect the young men of this nation (2) how fatherhood policies and programmatic efforts are expanding and (3) how fatherhood practices and policies could and perhaps should be expanded and elaborated further. These efforts are linked to a growing body of…

Maintenance personnel performance simulation (MAPPS) model: overview and evaluation efforts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Knee, H.E.; Haas, P.M.; Siegel, A.I.; Bartter, W.D.; Wolf, J.J.; Ryan, T.G.

1984-01-01

The development of the MAPPS model has been completed and the model is currently undergoing evaluation. These efforts are addressing a number of identified issues concerning practicality, acceptability, usefulness, and validity. Preliminary analysis of the evaluation data that has been collected indicates that MAPPS will provide comprehensive and reliable data for PRA purposes and for a number of other applications. The MAPPS computer simulation model provides the user with a sophisticated tool for gaining insights into tasks performed by NPP maintenance personnel. Its wide variety of input parameters and output data makes it extremely flexible for application to a number of diverse applications. With the demonstration of favorable model evaluation results, the MAPPS model will represent a valuable source of NPP maintainer reliability data and provide PRA studies with a source of data on maintainers that has previously not existed

Goal Setting and Expectancy Theory Predictions of Effort and Performance.

Science.gov (United States)

Dossett, Dennis L.; Luce, Helen E.

Neither expectancy (VIE) theory nor goal setting alone are effective determinants of individual effort and task performance. To test the combined ability of VIE and goal setting to predict effort and performance, 44 real estate agents and their managers completed questionnaires. Quarterly income goals predicted managers' ratings of agents' effort,…

On-Going Laboratory Efforts to Quantitatively Address Clay Abundance on Mars

Science.gov (United States)

Roush, Ted L.; Bishop, Janice L.; Brown, Adrian J.; Blake, David F.; Bristow, Thomas F.

2012-01-01

Data obtained at visible and near-infrared wavelengths by OMEGA on MarsExpress and CRISM on MRO provide definitive evidence for the presence of phyllosilicates and other hydrated phases on Mars. A diverse range of both Fe/Mg-OH and Al-OH-bearing phyllosilicates were identified including the smectites, nontronite, saponite, and montmorillonite. In order to constrain the abundances of these phyllosilicates spectral analyses of mixtures are needed. We report on our on-going effort to enable the quantitative evaluation of the abundance of hydrated-hydroxylated silicates when they are contained in mixtures. We include two component mixtures of hydrated/hydroxylated silicates with each other and with two analogs for other martian materials; pyroxene (enstatite) and palagonitic soil (an alteration product of basaltic glass). For the hydrated-hydroxylated silicates we include saponite and montmorillonite (Mg- and Al- rich smectites). We prepared three size separates of each end-member for study: 20-45, 63-90, and 125-150 µm. As the second phase of our effort we used scanning electron microscopy imaging and x-ray diffraction to characterize the grain size distribution, and structural nature, respectively, of the mixtures. Visible and near-infrared reflectance spectra of the 63-90 micrometers grain size of the mixture samples are shown in Figure 1. We discuss the results of our measurements of these mixtures.

Allostatic Load and Effort-Reward Imbalance: Associations over the Working-Career

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

José Ignacio Cuitún Coronado

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Although associations between work stressors and stress-related biomarkers have been reported in cross-sectional studies, the use of single time measurements of work stressors could be one of the reasons for inconsistent associations. This study examines whether repeated reports of work stress towards the end of the working career predicts allostatic load, a measure of chronic stress related physiological processes. Data from waves 2 to 6 of the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA were analysed, with a main analytical sample of 2663 older adults (aged 50+ who had at least one measurement of effort-reward imbalance between waves 2–6 and a measurement of allostatic load at wave 6. Cumulative work stress over waves 2–6 were measured by the effort-reward imbalance model. ELSA respondents who had reported two or more occasions of imbalance had a higher (0.3 estimate of the allostatic load index than those who did not report any imbalance, controlling for a range of health and socio-demographic factors, as well as allostatic load at baseline. More recent reports of imbalance were significantly associated with a higher allostatic load index, whereas reports of imbalance from earlier waves of ELSA were not. The accumulation of work related stressors could have adverse effects on chronic stress biological processes.

INEL D&D long-range plan

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Buckland, R.J.; Kenoyer, D.J.; LaBuy, S.A.

1995-09-01

This Long-Range Plan presents the Decontamination and Dismantlement (D&D) Program planning status for facilities at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL). The plan provides a general description of the D&D Program objectives, management criteria, and policy; discusses current activities; and documents the INEL D&D Program cost and schedule estimate projections for the next 15 years. Appendices are included that provide INEL D&D project historical information, a comprehensive descriptive summary of each current D&D surplus facility, and a summary database of all INEL contaminated facilities awaiting or undergoing the facility transition process.

Microstructure and critical current density in high-Tc metal oxide superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Johnson, S.M.; Gusman, M.I.

1992-03-01

Superconductor powders in the U-Ba-Cu-O (YBCO) and Bi-Pb-Sr-Ca-Cu-O (BSCCO) systems were synthesized by freeze-drying. Powders were characterized, and processed into samples for evaluation of superconducting behavior. Freeze-drying is attractive because the powders have high purity, are homogeneous, have a small size and are active. YBCO powders can be sintered to high density at 890 degrees C. Many compositions, processing approaches and heat treatments were explored in an effort to understand relations between microstructure and critical density, and to improve the critical current density. Powders were also formed into sputtering targets for coating preparation at Stanford University. The highest critical current density achieved with the YBCO powders was ∼15,000 A/cm 2 at 4.2K and 0.5T using powders treated to prevent carbon contamination. The BSCCO materials with the highest critical current density, ∼30,000 A/cm 2 at the same conditions were formed by heat treating melted and quenched samples. All critical current density measurements were made by Stanford University, a subcontractor to this effort. Stanford University also prepared coatings by off-axis magnetron sputtering

Student Effort, Consistency and Online Performance

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hilde Patron

2011-07-01

Full Text Available This paper examines how student effort, consistency, motivation, and marginal learning, influence student grades in an online course. We use data from eleven Microeconomics courses taught online for a total of 212 students. Our findings show that consistency, or less time variation, is a statistically significant explanatory variable, whereas effort, or total minutes spent online, is not. Other independent variables include GPA and the difference between a pre-test and a post-test. The GPA is used as a measure of motivation, and the difference between a post-test and pre-test as marginal learning. As expected, the level of motivation is found statistically significant at a 99% confidence level, and marginal learning is also significant at a 95% level.

U.S. Sodium Fast Reactor Codes and Methods: Current Capabilities and Path Forward

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Brunett, A. J.; Fanning, T. H.

2017-06-26

The United States has extensive experience with the design, construction, and operation of sodium cooled fast reactors (SFRs) over the last six decades. Despite the closure of various facilities, the U.S. continues to dedicate research and development (R&D) efforts to the design of innovative experimental, prototype, and commercial facilities. Accordingly, in support of the rich operating history and ongoing design efforts, the U.S. has been developing and maintaining a series of tools with capabilities that envelope all facets of SFR design and safety analyses. This paper provides an overview of the current U.S. SFR analysis toolset, including codes such as SAS4A/SASSYS-1, MC2-3, SE2-ANL, PERSENT, NUBOW-3D, and LIFE-METAL, as well as the higher-fidelity tools (e.g. PROTEUS) being integrated into the toolset. Current capabilities of the codes are described and key ongoing development efforts are highlighted for some codes.

Low Temperature Double-layer Capacitors with Improved Energy Density: An Overview of Recent Development Efforts

Science.gov (United States)

Brandon, Erik J.; West, William C.; Smart, Marshall C.; Yushin, Gleb; Korenblit, Yair; Kajdos, Adam; Kvit, Alexander; Jagiello, Jacek

2012-01-01

Electrochemical double-layer capacitors are finding increased use in a wide range of energy storage applications, particularly where high pulse power capabilities are required. Double-layer capacitors store charge at a liquid/solid interface, making them ideal for low temperature power applications, due to the facile kinetic processes associated with the rearrangement of the electrochemical double-layer at these temperatures. Potential low temperature applications include hybrid and electric vehicles, operations in polar regions, high altitude aircraft and aerospace avionics, and distributed environmental and structural health monitoring. State-of-the-art capacitors can typically operate to -40 C, with a subsequent degradation in power performance below room temperature. However, recent efforts focused on advanced electrolyte and electrode systems can enable operation to temperatures as low as -70 C, with capacities similar to room temperature values accompanied by reasonably low equivalent series resistances. This presentation will provide an overview of recent development efforts to extend and improve the wide temperature performance of these devices.

The US Department of Energy Nuclear Data and Low Energy Physics Programs: Aspects of current operational status and future direction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Whetstone, S.L.; Meyer, R.A.

1991-01-01

The Nuclear Data and Low-Energy Programs are operated within the Division of Nuclear Physics of the US Department of Energy. The data program supports a range of activities including large scale data measurements, nuclear cross section modelling, and nuclear data compilation and dissemination. The US nuclear data needs and prospects for the future of this effort are currently being addressed and its present status is reviewed. Possibilities for the next generation nuclear data accessibility will be discussed and examples presented. The Low-Energy Nuclear Physics Program supports investigations into low-energy nuclear structure and neutrino physics. Among examples of the latter that are covered is the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory

Effortful control and school adjustment: The moderating role of classroom chaos.

Science.gov (United States)

Berger, Rebecca H; Valiente, Carlos; Eisenberg, Nancy; Hernandez, Maciel M; Thompson, Marilyn; Spinrad, Tracy; VanSchyndel, Sarah; Silva, Kassondra; Southworth, Jody

2017-11-01

Guided by the person by environment framework, the primary goal of this study was to determine whether classroom chaos moderated the relation between effortful control and kindergarteners' school adjustment. Classroom observers reported on children's ( N = 301) effortful control in the fall. In the spring, teachers reported on classroom chaos and school adjustment outcomes (teacher-student relationship closeness and conflict, and school liking and avoidance). Cross-level interactions between effortful control and classroom chaos predicting school adjustment outcomes were assessed. A consistent pattern of interactions between effortful control and classroom chaos indicated that the relations between effortful control and the school adjustment outcomes were strongest in high chaos classrooms. Post-hoc analyses indicated that classroom chaos was associated with poor school adjustment when effortful control was low, suggesting that the combination of high chaos and low effortful control was associated with the poorest school outcomes.

Changes in inertia and effect on turning effort across different wheelchair configurations.

Science.gov (United States)

Caspall, Jayme J; Seligsohn, Erin; Dao, Phuc V; Sprigle, Stephen

2013-01-01

When executing turning maneuvers, manual wheelchair users must overcome the rotational inertia of the wheelchair system. Differences in wheelchair rotational inertia can result in increases in torque required to maneuver, resulting in greater propulsion effort and stress on the shoulder joints. The inertias of various configurations of an ultralightweight wheelchair were measured using a rotational inertia-measuring device. Adjustments in axle position, changes in wheel and tire type, and the addition of several accessories had various effects on rotational inertias. The configuration with the highest rotational inertia (solid tires, mag wheels with rearward axle) exceeded the configuration with the lowest (pneumatic tires, spoke wheels with forward axle) by 28%. The greater inertia requires increased torque to accelerate the wheelchair during turning. At a representative maximum acceleration, the reactive torque spanned the range of 11.7 to 15.0 N-m across the wheelchair configurations. At higher accelerations, these torques exceeded that required to overcome caster scrub during turning. These results indicate that a wheelchair's rotational inertia can significantly influence the torque required during turning and that this influence will affect active users who turn at higher speeds. Categorizing wheelchairs using both mass and rotational inertia would better represent differences in effort during wheelchair maneuvers.

Malaria medicines to address drug resistance and support malaria elimination efforts.

Science.gov (United States)

Achan, Jane; Mwesigwa, Julia; Edwin, Chinagozi Precious; D'alessandro, Umberto

2018-01-01

Antimalarial drugs are essential weapons to fight malaria and have been used effectively since the 17 th century. However, P.falciparum resistance has been reported to almost all available antimalarial drugs, including artemisinin derivatives, raising concerns that this could jeopardize malaria elimination. Areas covered: In this article, we present a historical perspective of antimalarial drug resistance, review current evidence of resistance to available antimalarial drugs and discuss possible mitigating strategies to address this challenge. Expert commentary: The historical approach to drug resistance has been to change the national treatment policy to an alternative treatment. However, alternatives to artemisinin-based combination treatment are currently extremely limited. Innovative approaches utilizing available schizonticidal drugs such as triple combination therapies or multiple first line treatments could delay the emergence and spread of drug resistance. Transmission blocking drugs like primaquine may play a key role if given to a substantial proportion of malaria infected persons. Deploying antimalarial medicines in mass drug administration or mass screening and treatment campaigns could also contribute to containment efforts by eliminating resistant parasites in some settings. Ultimately, response to drug resistance should also include further investment in the development of new antimalarial drugs.

Supercapacitor Electrolyte Solvents with Liquid Range Below -80 C

Science.gov (United States)

Brandon, Erik; Smart, Marshall; West, William

2010-01-01

A previous NASA Tech Brief ["Low-Temperature Supercapacitors" (NPO-44386) NASA Tech Briefs, Vol. 32, No 7 (July 2008), page 32] detailed ongoing efforts to develop non-aqueous supercapacitor electrolytes capable of supporting operation at temperatures below commercially available cells (which are typically limited to charging and discharging at > or equal to -40 C). These electrolyte systems may enable energy storage and power delivery for systems operating in extreme environments, such as those encountered in the Polar regions on Earth or in the exploration of space. Supercapacitors using these electrolytes may also offer improved power delivery performance at moderately low temperatures (e.g. -40 to 0 C) relative to currently available cells, offering improved cold-cranking and cold-weather acceleration capabilities for electrical or hybrid vehicles. Supercapacitors store charge at the electrochemical double-layer, formed at the interface between a high surface area electrode material and a liquid electrolyte. The current approach to extending the low-temperature limit of the electrolyte focuses on using binary solvent systems comprising a high-dielectric-constant component (such as acetonitrile) in conjunction with a low-melting-point co-solvent (such as organic formates, esters, and ethers) to depress the freezing point of the system, while maintaining sufficient solubility of the salt. Recent efforts in this area have led to the identification of an electrolyte solvent formulation with a freezing point of -85.7 C, which is achieved by using a 1:1 by volume ratio of acetonitrile to 1,3-dioxolane

Assessing behavioural and cognitive domains of autism spectrum disorders in rodents: current status and future perspectives.

Science.gov (United States)

Kas, Martien J; Glennon, Jeffrey C; Buitelaar, Jan; Ey, Elodie; Biemans, Barbara; Crawley, Jacqueline; Ring, Robert H; Lajonchere, Clara; Esclassan, Frederic; Talpos, John; Noldus, Lucas P J J; Burbach, J Peter H; Steckler, Thomas

2014-03-01

The establishment of robust and replicable behavioural testing paradigms with translational value for psychiatric diseases is a major step forward in developing and testing etiology-directed treatment for these complex disorders. Based on the existing literature, we have generated an inventory of applied rodent behavioural testing paradigms relevant to autism spectrum disorders (ASD). This inventory focused on previously used paradigms that assess behavioural domains that are affected in ASD, such as social interaction, social communication, repetitive behaviours and behavioural inflexibility, cognition as well as anxiety behaviour. A wide range of behavioural testing paradigms for rodents were identified. However, the level of face and construct validity is highly variable. The predictive validity of these paradigms is unknown, as etiology-directed treatments for ASD are currently not on the market. To optimise these studies, future efforts should address aspects of reproducibility and take into account data about the neurodevelopmental underpinnings and trajectory of ASD. In addition, with the increasing knowledge of processes underlying ASD, such as sensory information processes and synaptic plasticity, phenotyping efforts should include multi-level automated analysis of, for example, representative task-related behavioural and electrophysiological read-outs.

Pulse current enhanced electrodialytic soil remediation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sun, Tian R.; Ottosen, Lisbeth M.; Jensen, Pernille E.

2012-01-01

Energy consumption is an important factor influencing the cost of electrodialytic soil remediation (EDR). It has been indicated that the pulse current (in low frequency range) could decrease the energy consumption during EDR. This work is focused on the comparison of energy saving effect at diffe......Energy consumption is an important factor influencing the cost of electrodialytic soil remediation (EDR). It has been indicated that the pulse current (in low frequency range) could decrease the energy consumption during EDR. This work is focused on the comparison of energy saving effect...

Anti-terror/non-proliferation efforts and South Korea's planning for atomic energy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chun, Chae Sung

2006-01-01

This study deals with the relationship between rapidly changing international security environments, the US security policy on the one hand, and policy environments of atomic energy. Based on the notion that the issue of atomic energy development is closely interrelated with the situation of international security especially after the tragic incident of 9/11, this study focuses on the impact of changing security environments on the conditions under which South Korea uses atomic power. It also deals with the subject of how the new framework of NPT, and the policy of IAEA influences upon South Korea's atomic polices in the future. This study examines the nature and contents of the US foreign policy and its efforts toward nonproliferation and counterproliferation. This study also deals with the Iranian case in which the US efforts of counterproliferation and Iranian argument for the rights of peaceful use of atomic energy based on the concept of national sovereignty. The Iranian case sheds light on the most acute aspect of current stage of nonproliferation, but also on the way of solving the North Korean nuclear crisis. This study also take issue with the future course of nonprolieration and the South Korea's policy for its maximum use of atomic energy

The Climate Literacy Network: Leveraging a Diverse Community to Broaden the Reach of Your Climate Literacy Efforts

Science.gov (United States)

Ledley, T. S.; Carley, S.; Niepold, F.; Duggan-Haas, D. A.; Hollweg, K.; McCaffrey, M. S.

2012-12-01

There are a wide range of programs, activities, and projects focused on improving the understanding of climate science by citizens in a multitude of contexts. While most of these are necessarily customized for the particular audiences, communities, or regions they address, they can learn a lot from each other by sharing their experiences, expertise, and materials. The Climate Literacy Network (CLN, http://cleanet.org/cln), established in 2008 to facilitate the implementation of the Climate Literacy Essential Principles of Climate Science, is a diverse group of over 370 stakeholders with a wide range of expertise in, for example, science, policy, media, arts, economics, psychology, education, and social sciences. The CLN meets virtually weekly to share information about ongoing activities and new resources, discuss controversial public issues and ways to address them, get input from this diverse community on directions individual efforts might take, organize climate literacy sessions at professional meetings, provide input on documents relevant to climate literacy, and address common needs of the individual members. The weekly CLN teleconferences are also a venue for presentations from climate change education efforts to extend their reach and potential impact. The teleconferences are supported by an active listserv that is archived on the CLN website along with recordings of past teleconference and the schedule of upcoming teleconferences (http://cleanet.org/clean/community/cln/telecon_schedule.html). In this presentation we will describe the details of these various activities, give examples of how discussions within the CLN has led to funded efforts and expanded partnerships, and identify ways you can participate in and leverage this very active community.

Worldwide effort against smoking.

Science.gov (United States)

1986-07-01

The 39th World Health Assembly, which met in May 1986, recognized the escalating health problem of smoking-related diseases and affirmed that tobacco smoking and its use in other forms are incompatible with the attainment of "Health for All by the Year 2000." If properly implemented, antismoking campaigns can decrease the prevalence of smoking. Nations as a whole must work toward changing smoking habits, and governments must support these efforts by officially stating their stand against smoking. Over 60 countries have introduced legislation affecting smoking. The variety of policies range from adopting a health education program designed to increase peoples' awareness of its dangers to increasing taxes to deter smoking by increasing tobacco prices. Each country must adopt an antismoking campaign which works most effectively within the cultural parameters of the society. Other smoking policies include: printed warnings on cigarette packages; health messages via radio, television, mobile teams, pamphlets, health workers, clinic walls, and newspapers; prohibition of smoking in public areas and transportation; prohibition of all advertisement of cigarettes and tobacco; and the establishment of upper limits of tar and nicotine content in cigarettes. The tobacco industry spends about $2000 million annually on worldwide advertising. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), controlling this overabundance of tobacco advertisements is a major priority in preventing the spread of smoking. Cigarette and tobacco advertising can be controlled to varying degrees, e.g., over a dozen countries have enacted a total ban on advertising on television or radio, a mandatory health warning must accompany advertisements in other countries, and tobacco companies often are prohibited from sponsoring sports events. Imposing a substantial tax on cigarettes is one of the most effective means to deter smoking. However, raising taxes and banning advertisements is not enough because

Solar PV O&M Standards and Best Practices – Existing Gaps and Improvement Efforts

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Klise, Geoffrey Taylor [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Balfour, John R. [High Performance PV, Phoenix, AZ (United States); Keating, T. J. [SunSpec Alliance, San Jose, CA (United States)

2014-11-01

As greater numbers of photovoltaic (PV) systems are being installed, operations & maintenance (O&M) activities will need to be performed to ensure the PV system is operating as designed over its useful lifetime. To mitigate risks to PV system availability and performance, standardized procedures for O&M activities are needed to ensure high reliability and long-term system bankability. Efforts are just getting underway to address the need for standard O&M procedures as PV gains a larger share of U.S. generation capacity. Due to the existing landscape of how and where PV is installed, including distributed generation from small and medium PV systems, as well as large, centralized utility-scale PV, O&M activities will require different levels of expertise and reporting, making standards even more important. This report summarizes recent efforts made by solar industry stakeholders to identify the existing standards and best practices applied to solar PV O&M activities, and determine the gaps that have yet to be, or are currently being addressed by industry.

Outdoor stocking density in free-range laying hens: radio-frequency identification of impacts on range use.

Science.gov (United States)

Campbell, D L M; Hinch, G N; Dyall, T R; Warin, L; Little, B A; Lee, C

2017-01-01

The number and size of free-range laying hen (Gallus gallus domesticus) production systems are increasing within Australia in response to consumer demand for perceived improvement in hen welfare. However, variation in outdoor stocking density has generated consumer dissatisfaction leading to the development of a national information standard on free-range egg labelling by the Australian Consumer Affairs Ministers. The current Australian Model Code of Practice for Domestic Poultry states a guideline of 1500 hens/ha, but no maximum density is set. Radio-frequency identification (RFID) tracking technology was used to measure daily range usage by individual ISA Brown hens housed in six small flocks (150 hens/flock - 50% of hens tagged), each with access to one of three outdoor stocking density treatments (two replicates per treatment: 2000, 10 000, 20 000 hens/ha), from 22 to 26, 27 to 31 and 32 to 36 weeks of age. There was some variation in range usage across the sampling periods and by weeks 32 to 36 individual hens from the lowest stocking density on average used the range for longer each day (Prange with 2% of tagged hens in each treatment never venturing outdoors and a large proportion that accessed the range daily (2000 hens/ha: 80.5%; 10 000 hens/ha: 66.5%; 20 000 hens/ha: 71.4%). On average, 38% to 48% of hens were seen on the range simultaneously and used all available areas of all ranges. These results of experimental-sized flocks have implications for determining optimal outdoor stocking densities for commercial free-range laying hens but further research would be needed to determine the effects of increased range usage on hen welfare.

[Analysis and evaluation of the visual effort in remote-control public traffic operators working with computer-based equipments].

Science.gov (United States)

Gullà, F; Zambelli, P; Bergamaschi, A; Piccoli, B

2007-01-01

The aim of this study is the objective evaluation of the visual effort in 6 public traffic controllers (4 male, 2 female, mean age 29,6), by means of electronic equipment. The electronic equipment quantify the observation distance and the observation time for each controller's occupational visual field. The quantification of these parameters is obtained by the emission of ultrasound at 40 KHz from an emission sensor (placed by the VDT screen) and the ultrasound reception by means of a receiving sensor (placed on the operator's head). The travelling time of the ultrasound (US), as the air speed is known and costant (about 340 m/s), it is used to calculate the distance between the emitting and the receiving sensor. The results show that the visual acuity required is of average level, while accommodation's and convergence's effort vary from average to intense (depending on the visual characteristics of the operator considered), ranging from 26,41 and 43,92% of accommodation and convergence available in each operator. The time actually spent in "near observation within the c.v.p." (Tscr) was maintained in a range from 2h 54' and 4h 05'.

INEL D ampersand D Long-Range Plan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Buckland, R.J.; Kenoyer, D.J.; Preussner, D.H.

1993-10-01

This Long-Range Plan presents the Decontamination and Decommissioning (D ampersand D) Program planning status for facilities at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL). The plan provides a general description of the D ampersand D Program objectives, management criteria, and philosophy; discusses current activities; and documents the INEL D ampersand D Program cost and schedule estimate projections for the next 15 years. appendices are included that provide INEL D ampersand D project historical information and a comprehensive descriptive summary of each current surplus facility

Current and cumulative malaria infections in a setting embarking on elimination: Amhara, Ethiopia.

Science.gov (United States)

Yalew, Woyneshet G; Pal, Sampa; Bansil, Pooja; Dabbs, Rebecca; Tetteh, Kevin; Guinovart, Caterina; Kalnoky, Michael; Serda, Belendia A; Tesfay, Berhane H; Beyene, Belay B; Seneviratne, Catherine; Littrell, Megan; Yokobe, Lindsay; Noland, Gregory S; Domingo, Gonzalo J; Getachew, Asefaw; Drakeley, Chris; Steketee, Richard W

2017-06-08

Since 2005, Ethiopia has aggressively scaled up malaria prevention and case management. As a result, the number of malaria cases and deaths has significantly declined. In order to track progress towards the elimination of malaria in Amhara Region, coverage of malaria control tools and current malaria transmission need to be documented. A cross-sectional household survey oversampling children under 5 years of age was conducted during the dry season in 2013. A bivalent rapid diagnostic test (RDT) detecting both Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax and serology assays using merozoite antigens from both these species were used to assess the prevalence of malaria infections and exposure to malaria parasites in 16 woredas (districts) in Amhara Region. 7878 participants were included, with a mean age of 16.8 years (range 0.5-102.8 years) and 42.0% being children under 5 years of age. The age-adjusted RDT-positivity for P. falciparum and P. vivax infection was 1.5 and 0.4%, respectively, of which 0.05% presented as co-infections. Overall age-adjusted seroprevalence was 30.0% for P. falciparum, 21.8% for P. vivax, and seroprevalence for any malaria species was 39.4%. The prevalence of RDT-positive infections varied by woreda, ranging from 0.0 to 8.3% and by altitude with rates of 3.2, 0.7, and 0.4% at under 2000, 2000-2500, and >2500 m, respectively. Serological analysis showed heterogeneity in transmission intensity by area and altitude and evidence for a change in the force of infection in the mid-2000s. Current and historic malaria transmission across Amhara Region show substantial variation by age and altitude with some settings showing very low or near-zero transmission. Plasmodium vivax infections appear to be lower but relatively more stable across geography and altitude, while P. falciparum is the dominant infection in the higher transmission, low-altitude areas. Age-dependent seroprevalence analyses indicates a drop in transmission occurred in the mid

Long-range charge transport in single G-quadruplex DNA molecules

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Livshits, Gideon I.; Stern, Avigail; Rotem, Dvir

2014-01-01

DNA and DNA-based polymers are of interest in molecular electronics because of their versatile and programmable structures. However, transport measurements have produced a range of seemingly contradictory results due to differences in the measured molecules and experimental set-ups, and transport......DNA and DNA-based polymers are of interest in molecular electronics because of their versatile and programmable structures. However, transport measurements have produced a range of seemingly contradictory results due to differences in the measured molecules and experimental set......-ups, and transporting significant current through individual DNA-based molecules remains a considerable challenge. Here, we report reproducible charge transport in guanine-quadruplex (G4) DNA molecules adsorbed on a mica substrate. Currents ranging from tens of picoamperes to more than 100 pA were measured in the G4......-DNA over distances ranging from tens of nanometres to more than 100 nm. Our experimental results, combined with theoretical modelling, suggest that transport occurs via a thermally activated long-range hopping between multi-tetrad segments of DNA. These results could re-ignite interest in DNA...

ORNL Long-Range Environmental and Waste Management Plan: Program overview and summary

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bates, L.D.; Berry, J.B.; Butterworth, G.E.

1987-12-01

The primary purpose is to provide a thorough and systematic planning document to reflect the continuing process of site assessment, strategy development, and planning for the current and long-term control of environmental issues, waste management practices, and remedial action requirments. The document also provides an estimate of the resources required to implenent the current plan. As with any document of this nature, the near-term (one to three years) part of the plan is a realistic assessment of the current program and ongoing capital projects and relects the efforts preceived to be necesary to comply with all current state and federal regulations and DOE orders. It also should be in general agreement with current budget (funding) requests and obligations for these immediate years. Beyond the immediate time frame, the document reflects the strategy and the project and funding estimates as a snapshot at the time of publication. 15 figs., 10 tabs

The United Nations recommendations and data efforts: international migration statistics.

Science.gov (United States)

Simmons, A B

1987-01-01

This article reviews the UN's efforts to improve international migration statistics. The review addresses the challenges faced by the UN, the direction in which this effort is going, gaps in the current approach, and priorities for future action. The content of the UN recommendations has changed in the past and seems to be moving toward further changes. At each stage, the direction of change corresponds broadly to earlier shifts in the overall context of world social-economic affairs and related transformations in international travel and migration patterns. Early (1953) objectives were vaguely stated in terms of social, economic, and demographic impacts of long term settlement. 1976 recommendations continued the focus on long term resettlement and, at the same time, gave more attention to at least 1 kind of short term (work-related) movement. Most recent recommendations have given more attention to other classes of short term travellers, such as refugees and contract workers. Recommendations on the measures and data sources have changed over time, also. The 1953 recommendations were limited to flow data from international border statistics. 1976 recommendations drew attention to stock data and the use of civil registration data to supplement border crossing data. Recent UN reflections recognize that the volume of border crossings has now reached the point where many countries simply refuse to gather data on all travellers, choosing instead to make estimates. It is implied that either sample surveys at border points and/or visas and entry permits may be the best way of counting various specific kinds of migrants. Future recommendations corresponding to contemporary and emerging concerns will require that the guidelines be restructured: 1) to give more explicit attention in international migration statistics to citizenship and access to political and welfare benefits; 2) to distinguish more carefully various sub-classes of movers; 3) to expand objectives of data

The Galileo Teacher Training Program Global Efforts

Science.gov (United States)

Doran, R.; Pennypacker, C.; Ferlet, R.

2012-08-01

The Galileo Teacher Training Program (GTTP) successfully named representatives in nearly 100 nations in 2009, the International Year of Astronomy (IYA2009). The challenge had just begun. The steps ahead are how to reach educators that might benefit from our program and how to help build a more fair and science literate society, a society in which good tools and resources for science education are not the privilege of a few. From 2010 on our efforts have been to strengthen the newly formed network and learn how to equally help educators and students around the globe. New partnerships with other strong programs and institutions are being formed, sponsorship schemes being outlined, new tools and resources being publicized, and on-site and video conference training conducted all over the world. Efforts to officially accredit a GTTP curriculum are on the march and a stronger certification process being outlined. New science topics are being integrated in our effort and we now seek to discuss the path ahead with experts in this field and the community of users, opening the network to all corners of our beautiful blue dot. The main aim of this article is to open the discussion regarding the urgent issue of how to reawaken student interest in science, how to solve the gender inequality in science careers, and how to reach the underprivileged students and open to them the same possibilities. Efforts are in strengthening the newly formed network and learning how to equally help educators and students around the globe.

ANALYZING THE CONSUMER PROFILING FOR IMPROVING EFFORTS OF INTEGRATED MARKETING COMMUNICATION

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Olimpia OANCEA

2014-06-01

Full Text Available In an economy with a strong concurential character, organizations must capitalize the integrated marketing communication in the most effective way, to ensure the creation and maintenance of long-term relationships with current and potential customers. Building and managing the relationships with customers can have a direct and favourable effect on the efficiency of an organization's communication efforts. The integrated marketing communication identifies with the nowadays market dynamics and learns the organizations how easy can be to prosper in an environment where changes occur in an alarming way. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to analyze the socio-demographic profile of the consumers of bread in Arges County, as well as the preferences and purchasing behaviour at the level of the market segments identified using the K-Means Cluster Analysis method.

Cost of reproduction in a long-lived bird: incubation effort reduces immune function and future reproduction

OpenAIRE

Hanssen, S A; Hasselquist, Dennis; Folstad, I; Erikstad, K E

2005-01-01

Life-history theory predicts that increased current reproductive effort should lead to a fitness cost. This cost of reproduction may be observed as reduced survival or future reproduction, and may be caused by temporal suppression of immune function in stressed or hard-working individuals. In birds, consideration of the costs of incubating eggs has largely been neglected in favour of the costs of brood rearing. We manipulated incubation demand in two breeding seasons (2000 and 2001) in female...

Upgrading NASA/DOSE laser ranging system control computers

Science.gov (United States)

Ricklefs, Randall L.; Cheek, Jack; Seery, Paul J.; Emenheiser, Kenneth S.; Hanrahan, William P., III; Mcgarry, Jan F.

1993-01-01

Laser ranging systems now managed by the NASA Dynamics of the Solid Earth (DOSE) and operated by the Bendix Field Engineering Corporation, the University of Hawaii, and the University of Texas have produced a wealth on interdisciplinary scientific data over the last three decades. Despite upgrades to the most of the ranging station subsystems, the control computers remain a mix of 1970's vintage minicomputers. These encompass a wide range of vendors, operating systems, and languages, making hardware and software support increasingly difficult. Current technology allows replacement of controller computers at a relatively low cost while maintaining excellent processing power and a friendly operating environment. The new controller systems are now being designed using IBM-PC-compatible 80486-based microcomputers, a real-time Unix operating system (LynxOS), and X-windows/Motif IB, and serial interfaces have been chosen. This design supports minimizing short and long term costs by relying on proven standards for both hardware and software components. Currently, the project is in the design and prototyping stage with the first systems targeted for production in mid-1993.

Control and Effort Costs Influence the Motivational Consequences of Choice

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Holly Sullivan-Toole

2017-05-01

Full Text Available The act of making a choice, apart from any outcomes the choice may yield, has, paradoxically, been linked to both the enhancement and the detriment of intrinsic motivation. Research has implicated two factors in potentially mediating these contradictory effects: the personal control conferred by a choice and the costs associated with a choice. Across four experiments, utilizing a physical effort task disguised as a simple video game, we systematically varied costs across two levels of physical effort requirements (Low-Requirement, High-Requirement and control over effort costs across three levels of choice (Free-Choice, Restricted-Choice, and No-Choice to disambiguate how these factors affect the motivational consequences of choosing within an effortful task. Together, our results indicated that, in the face of effort requirements, illusory control alone may not sufficiently enhance perceptions of personal control to boost intrinsic motivation; rather, the experience of actual control may be necessary to overcome effort costs and elevate performance. Additionally, we demonstrated that conditions of illusory control, while otherwise unmotivating, can through association with the experience of free-choice, be transformed to have a positive effect on motivation.

A Web-based database for pathology faculty effort reporting.

Science.gov (United States)

Dee, Fred R; Haugen, Thomas H; Wynn, Philip A; Leaven, Timothy C; Kemp, John D; Cohen, Michael B

2008-04-01

To ensure appropriate mission-based budgeting and equitable distribution of funds for faculty salaries, our compensation committee developed a pathology-specific effort reporting database. Principles included the following: (1) measurement should be done by web-based databases; (2) most entry should be done by departmental administration or be relational to other databases; (3) data entry categories should be aligned with funding streams; and (4) units of effort should be equal across categories of effort (service, teaching, research). MySQL was used for all data transactions (http://dev.mysql.com/downloads), and scripts were constructed using PERL (http://www.perl.org). Data are accessed with forms that correspond to fields in the database. The committee's work resulted in a novel database using pathology value units (PVUs) as a standard quantitative measure of effort for activities in an academic pathology department. The most common calculation was to estimate the number of hours required for a specific task, divide by 2080 hours (a Medicare year) and then multiply by 100. Other methods included assigning a baseline PVU for program, laboratory, or course directorship with an increment for each student or staff in that unit. With these methods, a faculty member should acquire approximately 100 PVUs. Some outcomes include (1) plotting PVUs versus salary to identify outliers for salary correction, (2) quantifying effort in activities outside the department, (3) documenting salary expenditure for unfunded research, (4) evaluating salary equity by plotting PVUs versus salary by sex, and (5) aggregating data by category of effort for mission-based budgeting and long-term planning.

SQUID based cryogenic current comparator for measurements of the dark current of superconducting cavities

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vodel, W.; Nietzsche, S.; Neubert, R.; Nawrodt, R. [Friedrich Schiller Univ. Jena (Germany); Peters, A. [GSI Darmstadt (Germany); Knaack, K.; Wendt, M.; Wittenburg, K. [DESY Hamburg (Germany)

2005-07-01

The linear accelerator technology, based on super-conducting L-band (1.3 GHz) is currently under study at DESY (Hamburg, Germany). The two 10 km long main Linacs will be equipped with a total of nearly 20.000 cavities. The dark current due to the emission of electrons in these high gradient field super-conducting cavities is an unwanted particle source. A newly high performance SQUID based measurement system for detecting dark currents is proposed. It makes use of the Cryogenic Current Comparator principle and senses dark currents in the pA range with a measurement bandwidth of up to 70 kHz. The use of a cryogenic current comparator as dark current sensor has some important advantages: -) the measurement of the absolute value of the dark current, -) the non-dependence on the electron trajectories, -) the accurate absolute calibration with an additional wire loop, and -) extremely high resolution.

Mitigation of Voltage and Current Harmonics in Grid-Connected Microgrids

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Savaghebi, Mehdi; Guerrero, Josep M.; Jalilian, Alireza

2012-01-01

In this paper, a control approach is proposed for selective compensation of main voltage and current harmonics in grid-connected microgrids. Two modes of compensation are considered, i.e. voltage and current compensation modes. In the case that sensitive loads are connected to the point of common...... coupling (PCC), voltage compensation mode is activated in order to provide a high voltage quality at PCC. Otherwise, grid current harmonics are mitigated (current compensation mode) in order to avoid excessive harmonic supply by the grid. In both modes, harmonic compensation is achieved through proper...... control of distributed generators (DGs) interface converters. The compensation effort of each harmonic is shared considering the corresponding current harmonic supplied by the DGs. The control system of each DG comprises harmonic compensator, power controllers, voltage and current controllers and virtual...

Electromigration failures under bidirectional current stress

Science.gov (United States)

Tao, Jiang; Cheung, Nathan W.; Hu, Chenming

1998-01-01

Electromigration failure under DC stress has been studied for more than 30 years, and the methodologies for accelerated DC testing and design rules have been well established in the IC industry. However, the electromigration behavior and design rules under time-varying current stress are still unclear. In CMOS circuits, as many interconnects carry pulsed-DC (local VCC and VSS lines) and bidirectional AC current (clock and signal lines), it is essential to assess the reliability of metallization systems under these conditions. Failure mechanisms of different metallization systems (Al-Si, Al-Cu, Cu, TiN/Al-alloy/TiN, etc.) and different metallization structures (via, plug and interconnect) under AC current stress in a wide frequency range (from mHz to 500 MHz) has been study in this paper. Based on these experimental results, a damage healing model is developed, and electromigration design rules are proposed. It shows that in the circuit operating frequency range, the "design-rule current" is the time-average current. The pure AC component of the current only contributes to self-heating, while the average (DC component) current contributes to electromigration. To ensure longer thermal-migration lifetime under high frequency AC stress, an additional design rule is proposed to limit the temperature rise due to self-joule heating.

Communication Breakdown: Unraveling the Islamic States Media Efforts

Science.gov (United States)

2016-10-01

Communication Breakdown: Unraveling the Islamic State’s Media Efforts Daniel Milton Communication Breakdown: Unraveling the Islamic State’s Media ...production arm of central media office).28 The high level of communication between the central media office and the satellite offices illustrates the tension...and discussed by the mass media . Those products are likely important to the group’s recruitment efforts, but clearly it is trying to portray itself

The Implementation of Police Reform in Bosnia and Herzegovina: Analysing UN and EU Efforts

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Amelia Padurariu

2014-01-01

Full Text Available This article analyses the role of the main international actors involved in the implementation of police reform in post-conflict Bosnia and Herzegovina, notably that of the UN and the EU. Despite considerable efforts and resources deployed over 17 years, the implementation of police reform remains an ‘unfinished business’ that demonstrates the slow pace of implementing rule of law reforms in Bosnia’s post-conflict setting, yet, in the long-term, remains vital for Bosnia’s stability and post-conflict reconstruction process. Starting with a presentation of the status of the police before and after the conflict, UN reforms (1995–2002 are first discussed in order to set the stage for an analysis of the role of the EU in the implementation of police reform. Here, particular emphasis is placed on the institution-building actions of the EU police mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina deployed on the ground for almost a decade (2003-June 2012. The article concludes with an overall assessment of UN and EU efforts in post-conflict Bosnia and Herzegovina, including the remaining challenges encountered by the EU on the ground, as the current leader to police reform implementation efforts. More generally, the article highlights that for police reform to succeed in the long-term, from 2012-onwards, the EU should pay particular attention to the political level, where most of the stumbling blocks for the implementation of police reform lie.

CMOS Current-mode Operational Amplifier

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kaulberg, Thomas

1992-01-01

current-mode feedback amplifier or a constant bandwidth in a transimpedance feedback amplifier. The amplifier is found to have a gain bandwidth product of 8 MHz, an offset current of 0.8 ¿A (signal-range ±700¿A) and a (theoretically) unlimited slew-rate. The amplifier is realized in a standard CMOS 2......A fully differential-input differential-output current-mode operational amplifier (COA) is described. The amplifier utilizes three second generation current-conveyors (CCII) as the basic building blocks. It can be configured to provide either a constant gain-bandwidth product in a fully balanced...

The effect of signal acquisition and processing choices on ApEn values: towards a "gold standard" for distinguishing effort levels from isometric force records.

Science.gov (United States)

Forrest, Sarah M; Challis, John H; Winter, Samantha L

2014-06-01

Approximate entropy (ApEn) is frequently used to identify changes in the complexity of isometric force records with ageing and disease. Different signal acquisition and processing parameters have been used, making comparison or confirmation of results difficult. This study determined the effect of sampling and parameter choices by examining changes in ApEn values across a range of submaximal isometric contractions of the first dorsal interosseus. Reducing the sample rate by decimation changed both the value and pattern of ApEn values dramatically. The pattern of ApEn values across the range of effort levels was not sensitive to the filter cut-off frequency, or the criterion used to extract the section of data for analysis. The complexity increased with increasing effort levels using a fixed 'r' value (which accounts for measurement noise) but decreased with increasing effort level when 'r' was set to 0.1 of the standard deviation of force. It is recommended isometric force records are sampled at frequencies >200Hz, template length ('m') is set to 2, and 'r' set to measurement system noise or 0.1SD depending on physiological process to be distinguished. It is demonstrated that changes in ApEn across effort levels are related to changes in force gradation strategy. Copyright © 2014 IPEM. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The potential effects of climate change on amphibian distribution, range fragmentation and turnover in China.

Science.gov (United States)

Duan, Ren-Yan; Kong, Xiao-Quan; Huang, Min-Yi; Varela, Sara; Ji, Xiang

2016-01-01

Many studies predict that climate change will cause species movement and turnover, but few have considered the effect of climate change on range fragmentation for current species and/or populations. We used MaxEnt to predict suitable habitat, fragmentation and turnover for 134 amphibian species in China under 40 future climate change scenarios spanning four pathways (RCP2.6, RCP4.5, RCP6 and RCP8.5) and two time periods (the 2050s and 2070s). Our results show that climate change may cause a major shift in spatial patterns of amphibian diversity. Amphibians in China would lose 20% of their original ranges on average; the distribution outside current ranges would increase by 15%. Suitable habitats for over 90% of species will be located in the north of their current range, for over 95% of species in higher altitudes (from currently 137-4,124 m to 286-4,396 m in the 2050s or 314-4,448 m in the 2070s), and for over 75% of species in the west of their current range. Also, our results predict two different general responses to the climate change: some species contract their ranges while moving westwards, southwards and to higher altitudes, while others expand their ranges. Finally, our analyses indicate that range dynamics and fragmentation are related, which means that the effects of climate change on Chinese amphibians might be two-folded.

The potential effects of climate change on amphibian distribution, range fragmentation and turnover in China

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ren-Yan Duan

2016-07-01

Full Text Available Many studies predict that climate change will cause species movement and turnover, but few have considered the effect of climate change on range fragmentation for current species and/or populations. We used MaxEnt to predict suitable habitat, fragmentation and turnover for 134 amphibian species in China under 40 future climate change scenarios spanning four pathways (RCP2.6, RCP4.5, RCP6 and RCP8.5 and two time periods (the 2050s and 2070s. Our results show that climate change may cause a major shift in spatial patterns of amphibian diversity. Amphibians in China would lose 20% of their original ranges on average; the distribution outside current ranges would increase by 15%. Suitable habitats for over 90% of species will be located in the north of their current range, for over 95% of species in higher altitudes (from currently 137–4,124 m to 286–4,396 m in the 2050s or 314–4,448 m in the 2070s, and for over 75% of species in the west of their current range. Also, our results predict two different general responses to the climate change: some species contract their ranges while moving westwards, southwards and to higher altitudes, while others expand their ranges. Finally, our analyses indicate that range dynamics and fragmentation are related, which means that the effects of climate change on Chinese amphibians might be two-folded.

Overlapping neural systems represent cognitive effort and reward anticipation.

Science.gov (United States)

Vassena, Eliana; Silvetti, Massimo; Boehler, Carsten N; Achten, Eric; Fias, Wim; Verguts, Tom

2014-01-01

Anticipating a potential benefit and how difficult it will be to obtain it are valuable skills in a constantly changing environment. In the human brain, the anticipation of reward is encoded by the Anterior Cingulate Cortex (ACC) and Striatum. Naturally, potential rewards have an incentive quality, resulting in a motivational effect improving performance. Recently it has been proposed that an upcoming task requiring effort induces a similar anticipation mechanism as reward, relying on the same cortico-limbic network. However, this overlapping anticipatory activity for reward and effort has only been investigated in a perceptual task. Whether this generalizes to high-level cognitive tasks remains to be investigated. To this end, an fMRI experiment was designed to investigate anticipation of reward and effort in cognitive tasks. A mental arithmetic task was implemented, manipulating effort (difficulty), reward, and delay in reward delivery to control for temporal confounds. The goal was to test for the motivational effect induced by the expectation of bigger reward and higher effort. The results showed that the activation elicited by an upcoming difficult task overlapped with higher reward prospect in the ACC and in the striatum, thus highlighting a pivotal role of this circuit in sustaining motivated behavior.

Prevalence and correlates of metabolic syndrome in pre-crisis Syria: call for current relief efforts.

Science.gov (United States)

Ramadan, H; Naja, F; Fouad, F M; Antoun, E; Jaffa, M; Chaaban, R; Haidar, M; Sibai, A M

2016-12-12

This study aimed to assess the prevalence, components and correlates of metabolic syndrome (MetS) in adults in pre-crisis Aleppo, Syrian Arab Republic. We used a population-based, 2-stage cluster sampling method in a population of 557 men and 611 women, randomly selected from 83 residential neighbourhoods including many rural settlers. Sociodemographic and lifestyle characteristics, comorbidity, anthropometry and biochemical indices were measured. Prevalence of MetS was estimated at 39.6%, with comparable rates in men and women. Hypertension was the most prevalent component (56.6%), followed by central obesity (51.4%). Among women, education (12 years) was inversely associated with risk of MetS, while family history of obesity and diabetes was associated with an increased risk. The high prevalence of MetS and its components emphasizes the burden of cardiovascular diseases among adults in pre-crisis Aleppo. A system of surveillance and management for cardiovascular diseases needs to be incorporated into the current humanitarian response.

Digitally compensated beam current transformer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kesselman, Martin

2005-01-01

The Spallation Neutron Source (SNS) is being built by a collaboration of six laboratories. Beam current monitors (BCMs) will be used to record the current of H-minus and H-plus beams ranging from 15 mA (tune-up in the Front End and Linac) to over 60A fully accumulated in the Ring and dumped to the load as a single pulse in the Ring to Beam Target (RTBT). The time structure of these beams ranges from 645 ns 'mini' bunches at the 1.05 MHz ring revolution rate, to an overall 1 ms long macro-pulse. The requirements for the BCMs will depend upon their location within the system. The need to measure individual mini-pulses, examine the characteristics of the chopper edge, as well as the longer average current pulse of the macropulse, or long duration pulses during Linac tuning place wide requirements upon the response of current transformers. To obtain the desired accuracy and resolution, current transformers must have <1 ns rise time and droops of 0.1%/ms. This places a significant design burden on the current transformer; such a design is almost impossible to achieve. Extremely large expensive cores are needed to meet the low droop, while leakage inductance increases with size, thereby reducing the achievable rise time. In this paper, I discuss a digital compensation approach [M. Kesselman, Spallation neutron source beam current monitor electronics, PAC2001 June 18-22, 2001, Chicago, IL.] that extends the lower cut-off frequency of the current transformer, optimized for high frequency response, so that it can be used in this application with improvements in droop of the order of 1000:1. Transformer saturation (current-time product) is a separate issue and the transformer must be designed to handle the current-time product of the signal to assure it does not saturate

Frequency analysis of DC tolerant current transformers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mlejnek, P; Kaspar, P

2013-01-01

This article deals with wide frequency range behaviour of DC tolerant current transformers that are usually used in modern static energy meters. In this application current transformers must comply with European and International Standards in their accuracy and DC tolerance. Therefore, the linear DC tolerant current transformers and double core current transformers are used in this field. More details about the problems of these particular types of transformers can be found in our previous works. Although these transformers are designed mainly for power distribution network frequency (50/60 Hz), it can be interesting to understand their behaviour in wider frequency range. Based on this knowledge the new generations of energy meters with measuring quality of electric energy will be produced. This solution brings better measurement of consumption of nonlinear loads or measurement of non-sinusoidal voltage and current sources such as solar cells or fuel cells. The determination of actual power consumption in such energy meters is done using particular harmonics component of current and voltage. We measured the phase and ratio errors that are the most important parameters of current transformers, to characterize several samples of current transformers of both types

Development Efforts Of Oil Companies As Perceived By Rural ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

... that the host communities are highly satisfied with companies' efforts (projects and services) to them. Based on these findings, recommendations were made. Key words: Oil producing communities; oil exploration/production; company's development efforts; Journal of Agriculture and Social Research Vol.4(1) 2004: 60-71 ...

An overview of current NAMA guidance. Policy Brief

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cameron, L.R. [ECN Policy Studies, Amsterdam (Netherlands)

2013-05-15

The International Climate Initiative formed a number of working groups within an Enhanced NAMA Cooperation Group. The Tools and Guides working group seeks to coordinate current efforts on NAMA related tools, guidebooks and templates, as well as reduce repetition of such work by different organisations. As a first step towards this goal, this brief analysis looks at the 8 main guides on NAMA development that have been published, or made available in draft form, as of May 2013. This note summarises the approach found in these guides and identifies a number of areas, or gaps, that would benefit from further effort to provide supporting resources and guidance. It also aims to provide the basis for further discussion within the working group.

Cognitive dissonance in children: justification of effort or contrast?

Science.gov (United States)

Alessandri, Jérôme; Darcheville, Jean-Claude; Zentall, Thomas R

2008-06-01

Justification of effort is a form of cognitive dissonance in which the subjective value of an outcome is directly related to the effort that went into obtaining it. However, it is likely that in social contexts (such as the requirements for joining a group) an inference can be made (perhaps incorrectly) that an outcome that requires greater effort to obtain in fact has greater value. Here we present evidence that a cognitive dissonance effect can be found in children under conditions that offer better control for the social value of the outcome. This effect is quite similar to contrast effects that recently have been studied in animals. We suggest that contrast between the effort required to obtain the outcome and the outcome itself provides a more parsimonious account of this phenomenon and perhaps other related cognitive dissonance phenomena as well. Research will be needed to identify cognitive dissonance processes that are different from contrast effects of this kind.

Assess Current and Potential Salmonid Production in Rattlesnake Creek in Association with Restoration Efforts, US Geological Survey Report, 2004-2005 Annual Report.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Allen, M. Brady; Connolly, Patrick J.; Jezorek, Ian G. (US Geological Survey, Western Fisheries Research Center, Columbia River Research Laboratory, Cook, WA)

2006-06-01

This project was designed to document existing habitat conditions and fish populations within the Rattlesnake Creek watershed (White Salmon River subbasin, Washington) before major habitat restoration activities are implemented and prior to the reintroduction of salmon and steelhead above Condit Dam. Returning adult salmon Oncorhynchus spp. and steelhead O. mykiss have not had access to Rattlesnake Creek since 1913. An assessment of resident trout populations should serve as a good surrogate for evaluation of factors that would limit salmon and steelhead production in the watershed. Personnel from United States Geological Survey's Columbia River Research Laboratory (USGS-CRRL) attended to three main objectives of the Rattlesnake Creek project. The first objective was to characterize stream and riparian habitat conditions. This effort included measures of water quality, water quantity, stream habitat, and riparian conditions. The second objective was to determine the status of fish populations in the Rattlesnake Creek drainage. To accomplish this, we derived estimates of salmonid population abundance, determined fish species composition, assessed distribution and life history attributes, obtained tissue samples for genetic analysis, and assessed fish diseases in the watershed. The third objective was to use the collected habitat and fisheries information to help identify and prioritize areas in need of restoration. As this report covers the fourth year of a five-year study, it is largely restricted to describing our efforts and findings for the first two objectives.

Solar Cell Short Circuit Current Errors and Uncertainties During High Altitude Calibrations

Science.gov (United States)

Snyder, David D.

2012-01-01

High altitude balloon based facilities can make solar cell calibration measurements above 99.5% of the atmosphere to use for adjusting laboratory solar simulators. While close to on-orbit illumination, the small attenuation to the spectra may result in under measurements of solar cell parameters. Variations of stratospheric weather, may produce flight-to-flight measurement variations. To support the NSCAP effort, this work quantifies some of the effects on solar cell short circuit current (Isc) measurements on triple junction sub-cells. This work looks at several types of high altitude methods, direct high altitude meas urements near 120 kft, and lower stratospheric Langley plots from aircraft. It also looks at Langley extrapolation from altitudes above most of the ozone, for potential small balloon payloads. A convolution of the sub-cell spectral response with the standard solar spectrum modified by several absorption processes is used to determine the relative change from AMO, lscllsc(AMO). Rayleigh scattering, molecular scatterin g from uniformly mixed gases, Ozone, and water vapor, are included in this analysis. A range of atmosph eric pressures are examined, from 0. 05 to 0.25 Atm to cover the range of atmospheric altitudes where solar cell calibrations a reperformed. Generally these errors and uncertainties are less than 0.2%

Characterization of infiltration rates from landfills: supporting groundwater modeling efforts.

Science.gov (United States)

Moo-Young, Horace; Johnson, Barnes; Johnson, Ann; Carson, David; Lew, Christine; Liu, Salley; Hancocks, Katherine

2004-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to review the literature to characterize infiltration rates from landfill liners to support groundwater modeling efforts. The focus of this investigation was on collecting studies that describe the performance of liners 'as installed' or 'as operated'. This document reviews the state of the science and practice on the infiltration rate through compacted clay liner (CCL) for 149 sites and geosynthetic clay liner (GCL) for 1 site. In addition, it reviews the leakage rate through geomembrane (GM) liners and composite liners for 259 sites. For compacted clay liners (CCL), there was limited information on infiltration rates (i.e., only 9 sites reported infiltration rates.), thus, it was difficult to develop a national distribution. The field hydraulic conductivities for natural clay liners range from 1 x 10(-9) cm s(-1) to 1 x 10(-4) cm s(-1), with an average of 6.5 x 10(-8) cm s(-1). There was limited information on geosynthetic clay liner. For composite lined and geomembrane systems, the leak detection system flow rates were utilized. The average monthly flow rate for composite liners ranged from 0-32 lphd for geomembrane and GCL systems to 0 to 1410 lphd for geomembrane and CCL systems. The increased infiltration for the geomembrane and CCL system may be attributed to consolidation water from the clay.

Collaboration in Arctic Research: Best Practices to Build and Sustain Successful Cross- and Trans-disciplinary Efforts

Science.gov (United States)

Wiggins, H. V.; Rich, R. H.

2015-12-01

The rapid physical and social changes currently underway in the Arctic - and changes in the way in which we study and manage the region -- require coordinated research efforts to improve our understanding of the Arctic's physical, biological, and social systems and the implications of change at many scales. At the same time, policy-makers and Arctic communities need decision-support tools and synthesized information to respond and adapt to the "new Arctic". There are enormous challenges, however, in collaboration among the disparate groups of people needed for such efforts. A carefully planned strategic approach is required to bridge the scientific disciplinary and organizational boundaries, foster cooperation between local communities and science programs, and effectively communicate between scientists and policy-makers. Efforts must draw on bodies of knowledge from project management, strategic planning, organizational development, and group dynamics. This poster presentation will discuss best practices of building and sustaining networks of people to catalyze successful cross-disciplinary activities. Specific examples and case studies - both successes and failures -- will be presented that draw on several projects at the Arctic Research Consortium of the U.S. (ARCUS; www.arcus.org), a nonprofit membership organization composed of universities and institutions that have a substantial commitment to research in the Arctic.