Why you cannot transform your way out of trouble for small counts.

Science.gov (United States)

Warton, David I

2018-03-01

While data transformation is a common strategy to satisfy linear modeling assumptions, a theoretical result is used to show that transformation cannot reasonably be expected to stabilize variances for small counts. Under broad assumptions, as counts get smaller, it is shown that the variance becomes proportional to the mean under monotonic transformations g(·) that satisfy g(0)=0, excepting a few pathological cases. A suggested rule-of-thumb is that if many predicted counts are less than one then data transformation cannot reasonably be expected to stabilize variances, even for a well-chosen transformation. This result has clear implications for the analysis of counts as often implemented in the applied sciences, but particularly for multivariate analysis in ecology. Multivariate discrete data are often collected in ecology, typically with a large proportion of zeros, and it is currently widespread to use methods of analysis that do not account for differences in variance across observations nor across responses. Simulations demonstrate that failure to account for the mean-variance relationship can have particularly severe consequences in this context, and also in the univariate context if the sampling design is unbalanced. © 2017 The Authors. Biometrics published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of International Biometric Society.

Inferring ontology graph structures using OWL reasoning

KAUST Repository

Rodriguez-Garcia, Miguel Angel

2018-01-05

Ontologies are representations of a conceptualization of a domain. Traditionally, ontologies in biology were represented as directed acyclic graphs (DAG) which represent the backbone taxonomy and additional relations between classes. These graphs are widely exploited for data analysis in the form of ontology enrichment or computation of semantic similarity. More recently, ontologies are developed in a formal language such as the Web Ontology Language (OWL) and consist of a set of axioms through which classes are defined or constrained. While the taxonomy of an ontology can be inferred directly from the axioms of an ontology as one of the standard OWL reasoning tasks, creating general graph structures from OWL ontologies that exploit the ontologies\\' semantic content remains a challenge.We developed a method to transform ontologies into graphs using an automated reasoner while taking into account all relations between classes. Searching for (existential) patterns in the deductive closure of ontologies, we can identify relations between classes that are implied but not asserted and generate graph structures that encode for a large part of the ontologies\\' semantic content. We demonstrate the advantages of our method by applying it to inference of protein-protein interactions through semantic similarity over the Gene Ontology and demonstrate that performance is increased when graph structures are inferred using deductive inference according to our method. Our software and experiment results are available at http://github.com/bio-ontology-research-group/Onto2Graph .Onto2Graph is a method to generate graph structures from OWL ontologies using automated reasoning. The resulting graphs can be used for improved ontology visualization and ontology-based data analysis.

Inferring ontology graph structures using OWL reasoning.

Science.gov (United States)

Rodríguez-García, Miguel Ángel; Hoehndorf, Robert

2018-01-05

Ontologies are representations of a conceptualization of a domain. Traditionally, ontologies in biology were represented as directed acyclic graphs (DAG) which represent the backbone taxonomy and additional relations between classes. These graphs are widely exploited for data analysis in the form of ontology enrichment or computation of semantic similarity. More recently, ontologies are developed in a formal language such as the Web Ontology Language (OWL) and consist of a set of axioms through which classes are defined or constrained. While the taxonomy of an ontology can be inferred directly from the axioms of an ontology as one of the standard OWL reasoning tasks, creating general graph structures from OWL ontologies that exploit the ontologies' semantic content remains a challenge. We developed a method to transform ontologies into graphs using an automated reasoner while taking into account all relations between classes. Searching for (existential) patterns in the deductive closure of ontologies, we can identify relations between classes that are implied but not asserted and generate graph structures that encode for a large part of the ontologies' semantic content. We demonstrate the advantages of our method by applying it to inference of protein-protein interactions through semantic similarity over the Gene Ontology and demonstrate that performance is increased when graph structures are inferred using deductive inference according to our method. Our software and experiment results are available at http://github.com/bio-ontology-research-group/Onto2Graph . Onto2Graph is a method to generate graph structures from OWL ontologies using automated reasoning. The resulting graphs can be used for improved ontology visualization and ontology-based data analysis.

Theory of the Anderson impurity model: The Schrieffer endash Wolff transformation reexamined

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kehrein, S.K.; Mielke, A.

1996-01-01

We test the method of infinitesimal unitary transformations recently introduced by Wegner on the Anderson single impurity model. It is demonstrated that infinitesimal unitary transformations in contrast to the Schrieffer endash Wolff transformation allow the construction of an effective Kondo Hamiltonian consistent with the established results in this well understood model. The main reason for this is the intrinsic energy scale separation of Wegner close-quote s approach with respect to arbitrary energy differences coupled by matrix elements. This allows the construction of an effective Hamiltonian without facing a vanishing energy denominator problem. Similar energy denominator problems are troublesome in many models. Infinitesimal unitary transformations have the potential to provide a general framework for the systematic derivation of effective Hamiltonians without such problems. Copyright copyright 1996 Academic Press, Inc

Generation method of educational materials using qualitative reasoning

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yoshimura, Seiichi; Yamada, Shigeo; Fujisawa, Noriyoshi.

1992-01-01

Central Research Institute of Electric Power Industry has developed a nuclear power plant educational system in which educational materials for several events are included. The system effectively teaches operators by tailoring the event explanations to their knowledge levels of understanding. The preparation of the educational materials, however, is laborious and this becomes one of the problems in the practical use of the system. Discussed in the present paper is a basic explanation generation method using qualitative reasoning. This has been developed to solve the problem. Qualitative equations describing a recirculation pumps trip were transformed into production rules. These were stored in the knowledge base of an event explanation generation system together with explanation sentences. When an operator selects a certain variable's time-interval in which he wants to know the reasons for a variable change, the inference engine searches for the rule which satisfies both the qualitative value and qualitative differential value concerned with this time-interval. Then the event explanation generation section provides explanations by combining the explanation sentences attached to the rules. This paper demonstrates that it is possible to apply qualitative reasoning to such complex reactor systems, and also that explanations can be generated using the simulation results from a transient analysis code. (author)

Observations of cellular transformation products in nickel-base superalloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barlow, C.Y.; Ralph, B.

1979-01-01

Transmission electron microscopy has been used to identify the products in cellularly transformed regions of alloys based on the Nimonic 80 A composition. The commercial alloy is shown to undergo a small degree of cellular transformation even after conventional heat treatments, while recrystallization is found to increase the incidence of this reaction type. Low carbon versions of this alloy demonstrate cellular precipitation over a wider range of heat treatments. It is shown that the cellular reaction may take place in these alloys under a variety of different conditions and with a range of driving forces. Reasons for this unexpected behaviour are offeredm as is a suggestion as to why the cellular reaction occurs on a local scale. (author)

Improved Student Reasoning About Carbon-Transforming Processes Through Inquiry-Based Learning Activities Derived from an Empirically Validated Learning Progression

Science.gov (United States)

JW, Schramm; Jin, H.; Keeling, EG; Johnson, M.; Shin, HJ

2017-05-01

This paper reports on our use of a fine-grained learning progression to assess secondary students' reasoning through carbon-transforming processes (photosynthesis, respiration, biosynthesis). Based on previous studies, we developed a learning progression with four progress variables: explaining mass changes, explaining energy transformations, explaining subsystems, and explaining large-scale systems. For this study, we developed a 2-week teaching module integrating these progress variables. Students were assessed before and after instruction, with the learning progression framework driving data analysis. Our work revealed significant overall learning gains for all students, with the mean post-test person proficiency estimates higher by 0.6 logits than the pre-test proficiency estimates. Further, instructional effects were statistically similar across all grades included in the study (7th-12th) with students in the lowest third of initial proficiency evidencing the largest learning gains. Students showed significant gains in explaining the processes of photosynthesis and respiration and in explaining transformations of mass and energy, areas where prior research has shown that student misconceptions are prevalent. Student gains on items about large-scale systems were higher than with other variables (although absolute proficiency was still lower). Gains across each of the biological processes tested were similar, despite the different levels of emphasis each had in the teaching unit. Together, these results indicate that students can benefit from instruction addressing these processes more explicitly. This requires pedagogical design quite different from that usually practiced with students at this level.

The importance of proper crystal-chemical and geometrical reasoning demonstrated using layered single and double hydroxides

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Richardson, Ian G.

2013-01-01

The importance and utility of proper crystal-chemical and geometrical reasoning in structural studies is demonstrated through the consideration of layered single and double hydroxides. New yet fundamental information is provided and it is evident that the crystal chemistry of the double hydroxide phases is much more straightforward than is apparent from the literature. Atomistic modelling techniques and Rietveld refinement of X-ray powder diffraction data are widely used but often result in crystal structures that are not realistic, presumably because the authors neglect to check the crystal-chemical plausibility of their structure. The purpose of this paper is to reinforce the importance and utility of proper crystal-chemical and geometrical reasoning in structural studies. It is achieved by using such reasoning to generate new yet fundamental information about layered double hydroxides (LDH), a large, much-studied family of compounds. LDH phases are derived from layered single hydroxides by the substitution of a fraction (x) of the divalent cations by trivalent. Equations are derived that enable calculation of x from the a parameter of the unit cell and vice versa, which can be expected to be of widespread utility as a sanity test for extant and future structure determinations and computer simulation studies. The phase at x = 0 is shown to be an α form of divalent metal hydroxide rather than the β polymorph. Crystal-chemically sensible model structures are provided for β-Zn(OH) 2 and Ni- and Mg-based carbonate LDH phases that have any trivalent cation and any value of x, including x = 0 [i.e. for α-M(OH) 2 ·mH 2 O phases

Inferring ontology graph structures using OWL reasoning

KAUST Repository

Rodriguez-Garcia, Miguel Angel; Hoehndorf, Robert

2018-01-01

' semantic content remains a challenge.We developed a method to transform ontologies into graphs using an automated reasoner while taking into account all relations between classes. Searching for (existential) patterns in the deductive closure of ontologies

A Hierarchal Risk Assessment Model Using the Evidential Reasoning Rule

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xiaoxiao Ji

2017-02-01

Full Text Available This paper aims to develop a hierarchical risk assessment model using the newly-developed evidential reasoning (ER rule, which constitutes a generic conjunctive probabilistic reasoning process. In this paper, we first provide a brief introduction to the basics of the ER rule and emphasize the strengths for representing and aggregating uncertain information from multiple experts and sources. Further, we discuss the key steps of developing the hierarchical risk assessment framework systematically, including (1 formulation of risk assessment hierarchy; (2 representation of both qualitative and quantitative information; (3 elicitation of attribute weights and information reliabilities; (4 aggregation of assessment information using the ER rule and (5 quantification and ranking of risks using utility-based transformation. The proposed hierarchical risk assessment framework can potentially be implemented to various complex and uncertain systems. A case study on the fire/explosion risk assessment of marine vessels demonstrates the applicability of the proposed risk assessment model.

77 FR 52758 - Large Power Transformers From Korea

Science.gov (United States)

2012-08-30

... INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMISSION [Investigation No. 731-TA-1189 (Final)] Large Power Transformers... materially injured, by reason of imports from Korea of large power transformers, provided for in subheadings... Commission and Commerce by ABB Inc., Cary, NC; Delta Star Inc., Lynchburg, VA; and Pennsylvania Transformer...

The IDEA Assessment Tool: Assessing the Reporting, Diagnostic Reasoning, and Decision-Making Skills Demonstrated in Medical Students' Hospital Admission Notes.

Science.gov (United States)

Baker, Elizabeth A; Ledford, Cynthia H; Fogg, Louis; Way, David P; Park, Yoon Soo

2015-01-01

Construct: Clinical skills are used in the care of patients, including reporting, diagnostic reasoning, and decision-making skills. Written comprehensive new patient admission notes (H&Ps) are a ubiquitous part of student education but are underutilized in the assessment of clinical skills. The interpretive summary, differential diagnosis, explanation of reasoning, and alternatives (IDEA) assessment tool was developed to assess students' clinical skills using written comprehensive new patient admission notes. The validity evidence for assessment of clinical skills using clinical documentation following authentic patient encounters has not been well documented. Diagnostic justification tools and postencounter notes are described in the literature (1,2) but are based on standardized patient encounters. To our knowledge, the IDEA assessment tool is the first published tool that uses medical students' H&Ps to rate students' clinical skills. The IDEA assessment tool is a 15-item instrument that asks evaluators to rate students' reporting, diagnostic reasoning, and decision-making skills based on medical students' new patient admission notes. This study presents validity evidence in support of the IDEA assessment tool using Messick's unified framework, including content (theoretical framework), response process (interrater reliability), internal structure (factor analysis and internal-consistency reliability), and relationship to other variables. Validity evidence is based on results from four studies conducted between 2010 and 2013. First, the factor analysis (2010, n = 216) yielded a three-factor solution, measuring patient story, IDEA, and completeness, with reliabilities of .79, .88, and .79, respectively. Second, an initial interrater reliability study (2010) involving two raters demonstrated fair to moderate consensus (κ = .21-.56, ρ =.42-.79). Third, a second interrater reliability study (2011) with 22 trained raters also demonstrated fair to moderate agreement

Microprocessor Protection of Power Reducing Transformers

OpenAIRE

F. A. Romanuk; S. P. Korolev; M. S. Loman

2011-01-01

The paper contains analysis of advantages and disadvantages of existing differential protection terminals of power reducing transformers. The paper shows that there are good reasons to develop microprocessor protection of power reducing transformer which contains required functions and settings and which is based on Belarusian principles of relay protection system construction. The paper presents functional structure of microprocessor terminal of power reducing transformer which is developed. 

Microprocessor Protection of Power Reducing Transformers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

F. A. Romanuk

2011-01-01

Full Text Available The paper contains analysis of advantages and disadvantages of existing differential protection terminals of power reducing transformers. The paper shows that there are good reasons to develop microprocessor protection of power reducing transformer which contains required functions and settings and which is based on Belarusian principles of relay protection system construction. The paper presents functional structure of microprocessor terminal of power reducing transformer which is developed. 

Case-Based FCTF Reasoning System

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jing Lu

2015-10-01

Full Text Available Case-based reasoning uses old information to infer the answer of new problems. In case-based reasoning, a reasoner firstly records the previous cases, then searches the previous case list that is similar to the current one and uses that to solve the new case. Case-based reasoning means adapting old solving solutions to new situations. This paper proposes a reasoning system based on the case-based reasoning method. To begin, we show the theoretical structure and algorithm of from coarse to fine (FCTF reasoning system, and then demonstrate that it is possible to successfully learn and reason new information. Finally, we use our system to predict practical weather conditions based on previous ones and experiments show that the prediction accuracy increases with further learning of the FCTF reasoning system.

Team reasoning and collective rationality: piercing the veil of obviousness.

Science.gov (United States)

Colman, Andrew M; Pulford, Briony D; Rose, Jo

2008-06-01

The experiments reported in our target article provide strong evidence of collective utility maximization, and the findings suggest that team reasoning should now be included among the social value orientations used in cognitive and social psychology. Evidential decision theory offers a possible alternative explanation for our results but fails to predict intuitively compelling strategy choices in simple games with asymmetric team-reasoning outcomes. Although many of our experimental participants evidently used team reasoning, some appear to have ignored the other players' expected strategy choices and used lower-level, nonstrategic forms of reasoning. Standard payoff transformations cannot explain the experimental findings, nor team reasoning in general, without an unrealistic assumption that players invariably reason nonstrategically.

Emotional reasoning and parent-based reasoning in normal children

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Morren, M.; Muris, P.; Kindt, M.

2004-01-01

A previous study by Muris, Merckelbach, and Van Spauwen demonstrated that children display emotional reasoning irrespective of their anxiety levels. That is, when estimating whether a situation is dangerous, children not only rely on objective danger information but also on their own

Semantic reasoning with XML-based biomedical information models.

Science.gov (United States)

O'Connor, Martin J; Das, Amar

2010-01-01

The Extensible Markup Language (XML) is increasingly being used for biomedical data exchange. The parallel growth in the use of ontologies in biomedicine presents opportunities for combining the two technologies to leverage the semantic reasoning services provided by ontology-based tools. There are currently no standardized approaches for taking XML-encoded biomedical information models and representing and reasoning with them using ontologies. To address this shortcoming, we have developed a workflow and a suite of tools for transforming XML-based information models into domain ontologies encoded using OWL. In this study, we applied semantics reasoning methods to these ontologies to automatically generate domain-level inferences. We successfully used these methods to develop semantic reasoning methods for information models in the HIV and radiological image domains.

Emotional reasoning and parent-based reasoning in normal children.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Morren, M.; Muris, P.; Kindt, M.

2004-01-01

A previous study by Muris, Merckelbach, and Van Spauwen demonstrated that children display emotional reasoning irrepective of their anxiety levels. That is when estimating whether a situation is dangerous, childen not only rely on objective danger information but also on their own anciety-response.

Productivity of "collisions generate heat" for reconciling an energy model with mechanistic reasoning: A case study

Science.gov (United States)

Scherr, Rachel E.; Robertson, Amy D.

2015-06-01

We observe teachers in professional development courses about energy constructing mechanistic accounts of energy transformations. We analyze a case in which teachers investigating adiabatic compression develop a model of the transformation of kinetic energy to thermal energy. Among their ideas is the idea that thermal energy is generated as a byproduct of individual particle collisions, which is represented in science education research literature as an obstacle to learning. We demonstrate that in this instructional context, the idea that individual particle collisions generate thermal energy is not an obstacle to learning, but instead is productive: it initiates intellectual progress. Specifically, this idea initiates the reconciliation of the teachers' energy model with mechanistic reasoning about adiabatic compression, and leads to a canonically correct model of the transformation of kinetic energy into thermal energy. We claim that the idea's productivity is influenced by features of our particular instructional context, including the instructional goals of the course, the culture of collaborative sense making, and the use of certain representations of energy.

Periodic-drop-take calculus for stream transformers

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Mak, R.H.

2005-01-01

Stream transformers are a formalism to specify and reason about stream processing systems. Many application specific circuits, e.g. in the area of signal processing, classify as such systems. This paper presents a two- operator calculus to reason about a specific class of stream operators, viz. the

Working toward Transformational Leadership in Higher Education.

Science.gov (United States)

Allen, Kathleen E.

1996-01-01

Argues that, before colleges and universities can develop leaders, they must develop a coherent vision of what leadership is. Uses a historian's concept of transformational leadership to explore the various dimensions of leadership, such as its moral dimension. Outlines reasons for instituting and transforming leadership development programs. (RJM)

Priming analogical reasoning with false memories.

Science.gov (United States)

Howe, Mark L; Garner, Sarah R; Threadgold, Emma; Ball, Linden J

2015-08-01

Like true memories, false memories are capable of priming answers to insight-based problems. Recent research has attempted to extend this paradigm to more advanced problem-solving tasks, including those involving verbal analogical reasoning. However, these experiments are constrained inasmuch as problem solutions could be generated via spreading activation mechanisms (much like false memories themselves) rather than using complex reasoning processes. In three experiments we examined false memory priming of complex analogical reasoning tasks in the absence of simple semantic associations. In Experiment 1, we demonstrated the robustness of false memory priming in analogical reasoning when backward associative strength among the problem terms was eliminated. In Experiments 2a and 2b, we extended these findings by demonstrating priming on newly created homonym analogies that can only be solved by inhibiting semantic associations within the analogy. Overall, the findings of the present experiments provide evidence that the efficacy of false memory priming extends to complex analogical reasoning problems.

Emotional Reasoning and Parent-Based Reasoning in Normal Children

Science.gov (United States)

Morren, Mattijn; Muris, Peter; Kindt, Merel

2004-01-01

A previous study by Muris, Merckelbach, and Van Spauwen [1] demonstrated that children display emotional reasoning irrespective of their anxiety levels. That is, when estimating whether a situation is dangerous, children not only rely on objective danger information but also on their "own" anxiety-response. The present study further examined…

Training propositional reasoning.

Science.gov (United States)

Klauer, K C; Meiser, T; Naumer, B

2000-08-01

Two experiments compared the effects of four training conditions on propositional reasoning. A syntactic training demonstrated formal derivations, in an abstract semantic training the standard truth-table definitions of logical connectives were explained, and a domain-specific semantic training provided thematic contexts for the premises of the reasoning task. In a control training, an inductive reasoning task was practised. In line with the account by mental models, both kinds of semantic training were significantly more effective than the control and the syntactic training, whereas there were no significant differences between the control and the syntactic training, nor between the two kinds of semantic training. Experiment 2 replicated this pattern of effects using a different set of syntactic and domain-specific training conditions.

Examining the Features of Earth Science Logical Reasoning and Authentic Scientific Inquiry Demonstrated in a High School Earth Science Curriculum: A Case Study

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Do-Yong; Park, Mira

2013-01-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate the inquiry features demonstrated in the inquiry tasks of a high school Earth Science curriculum. One of the most widely used curricula, Holt Earth Science, was chosen for this case study to examine how Earth Science logical reasoning and authentic scientific inquiry were related to one another and how…

Mathematical investigation of one-way transform matrix options

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cooper, James Arlin

2006-01-01

One-way transforms have been used in weapon systems processors since the mid- to late-1970s in order to help recognize insertion of correct pre-arm information while maintaining abnormal-environment safety. Level-One, Level-Two, and Level-Three transforms have been designed. The Level-One and Level-Two transforms have been implemented in weapon systems, and both of these transforms are equivalent to matrix multiplication applied to the inserted information. The Level-Two transform, utilizing a 6 x 6 matrix, provided the basis for the ''System 2'' interface definition for Unique-Signal digital communication between aircraft and attached weapons. The investigation described in this report was carried out to find out if there were other size matrices that would be equivalent to the 6 x 6 Level-Two matrix. One reason for the investigation was to find out whether or not other dimensions were possible, and if so, to derive implementation options. Another important reason was to more fully explore the potential for inadvertent inversion. The results were that additional implementation methods were discovered, but no inversion weaknesses were revealed

Auditory demonstrations simulating Mayan architecture

Science.gov (United States)

Lubman, David

2005-09-01

Fascination with the ancient temples and ball court at Chichen Itza provide rich opportunities for science education. Children of all ages are delighted to learn that the sound of handclaps scattered from long temple staircases are transformed into bird chirps. Their engagement in such seemingly magical phenomena provides magic moments for teaching acoustical principals, including the picket-fence effect (PFE). PFE transforms impulsive sounds scattered from spatially periodic structures into tonal sounds. PFE is demonstrated with a computer possessing a sound card and a simple sound editing program. The inverse relationship between tonal frequency and the time interval between periodic impulses is easily demonstrated. The number of impulses needed to produce an audible tone is easily demonstrated and compared with the number of steps on the staircase. Transformation of audible tones into downward-gliding chirps is simulated by monotonically increasing the time between impulses. The Great Ball Court also provides opportunities for acoustical demonstration. Observers clapping their hands while standing between the long, tall, and parallel walls of the playing field marvel at the profound flutter echo heard for about 1.5 s. The flutter echo sonogram demonstrates the speed of sound and frequency-selective atmospheric attenuation.

Transforming Medical Assessment: Integrating Uncertainty Into the Evaluation of Clinical Reasoning in Medical Education.

Science.gov (United States)

Cooke, Suzette; Lemay, Jean-Francois

2017-06-01

In an age where practicing physicians have access to an overwhelming volume of clinical information and are faced with increasingly complex medical decisions, the ability to execute sound clinical reasoning is essential to optimal patient care. The authors propose two concepts that are philosophically paramount to the future assessment of clinical reasoning in medicine: assessment in the context of "uncertainty" (when, despite all of the information that is available, there is still significant doubt as to the best diagnosis, investigation, or treatment), and acknowledging that it is entirely possible (and reasonable) to have more than "one correct answer." The purpose of this article is to highlight key elements related to these two core concepts and discuss genuine barriers that currently exist on the pathway to creating such assessments. These include acknowledging situations of uncertainty, creating clear frameworks that define progressive levels of clinical reasoning skills, providing validity evidence to increase the defensibility of such assessments, considering the comparative feasibility with other forms of assessment, and developing strategies to evaluate the impact of these assessment methods on future learning and practice. The authors recommend that concerted efforts be directed toward these key areas to help advance the field of clinical reasoning assessment, improve the clinical care decisions made by current and future physicians, and have positive outcomes for patients. It is anticipated that these and subsequent efforts will aid in reaching the goal of making future assessment in medical education more representative of current-day clinical reasoning and decision making.

Experimental demonstrations of the properties of Fourier transforms using diffraction phenomena

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bazin, M.J.; Lucie, P.H.; Oliveira, S.M.M. de.

1984-01-01

The standard mathematical properties of Fourier transforms and the experimental characteristics of diffraction phenomena are systematically brought together. An experimental realization of a particular case of the convolution theorem is displayed in details. (Author) [pt

Relation between time-temperature transformation and continuous heating transformation diagrams of metallic glassy alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Louzguine-Luzgin, Dmitri V.; Inoue, Akihisa

2005-01-01

The time-temperature transformation (TTT) diagrams for the onset of devitrification of the Ge-Ni-La and Cu-Hf-Ti glassy alloys were calculated from the isothermal differential calorimetry data using an Arrhenius equation. The continuous heating transformation (CHT) diagrams for the onset of devitrification of the glassy alloys were subsequently recalculated from TTT diagrams. The recalculation method used for conversion of the TTT into CHT diagrams produces reasonable results and is not sensitive to the type of the devitrification reaction (polymorphous or primary transformation). The diagrams allow to perform a comparison of the stabilities of glassy alloys on a long-term scale. The relationship between these diagrams is discussed

Modeling of Solid State Transformer for the FREEDM System Demonstration

Science.gov (United States)

Jiang, Youyuan

The Solid State Transformer (SST) is an essential component in the FREEDM system. This research focuses on the modeling of the SST and the controller hardware in the loop (CHIL) implementation of the SST for the support of the FREEDM system demonstration. The energy based control strategy for a three-stage SST is analyzed and applied. A simplified average model of the three-stage SST that is suitable for simulation in real time digital simulator (RTDS) has been developed in this study. The model is also useful for general time-domain power system analysis and simulation. The proposed simplified av-erage model has been validated in MATLAB and PLECS. The accuracy of the model has been verified through comparison with the cycle-by-cycle average (CCA) model and de-tailed switching model. These models are also implemented in PSCAD, and a special strategy to implement the phase shift modulation has been proposed to enable the switching model simulation in PSCAD. The implementation of the CHIL test environment of the SST in RTDS is described in this report. The parameter setup of the model has been discussed in detail. One of the dif-ficulties is the choice of the damping factor, which is revealed in this paper. Also the grounding of the system has large impact on the RTDS simulation. Another problem is that the performance of the system is highly dependent on the switch parameters such as voltage and current ratings. Finally, the functionalities of the SST have been realized on the platform. The distributed energy storage interface power injection and reverse power flow have been validated. Some limitations are noticed and discussed through the simulation on RTDS.

A general transform for variance reduction in Monte Carlo simulations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Becker, T.L.; Larsen, E.W.

2011-01-01

This paper describes a general transform to reduce the variance of the Monte Carlo estimate of some desired solution, such as flux or biological dose. This transform implicitly includes many standard variance reduction techniques, including source biasing, collision biasing, the exponential transform for path-length stretching, and weight windows. Rather than optimizing each of these techniques separately or choosing semi-empirical biasing parameters based on the experience of a seasoned Monte Carlo practitioner, this General Transform unites all these variance techniques to achieve one objective: a distribution of Monte Carlo particles that attempts to optimize the desired solution. Specifically, this transform allows Monte Carlo particles to be distributed according to the user's specification by using information obtained from a computationally inexpensive deterministic simulation of the problem. For this reason, we consider the General Transform to be a hybrid Monte Carlo/Deterministic method. The numerical results con rm that the General Transform distributes particles according to the user-specified distribution and generally provide reasonable results for shielding applications. (author)

Primary School Teachers' Perceptions of Mathematical Reasoning

Science.gov (United States)

Loong, Esther Yook-Kin; Vale, Colleen; Bragg, Leicha A.; Herbert, Sandra

2013-01-01

Little is known about how Australian teachers interpret, enact and assess reasoning. This paper reports on primary teachers' perceptions of reasoning prior to observation and subsequent trialling of demonstration lessons in a primary school. The findings indicate that while some teachers were able to articulate what reasoning means, others were…

A First-Order One-Pass CPS Transformation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Danvy, Olivier; Nielsen, Lasse Reichstein

2001-01-01

We present a new transformation of λ-terms into continuation-passing style (CPS). This transformation operates in one pass and is both compositional and first-order. Previous CPS transformations only enjoyed two out of the three properties of being first-order, one-pass, and compositional......, but the new transformation enjoys all three properties. It is proved correct directly by structural induction over source terms instead of indirectly with a colon translation, as in Plotkin's original proof. Similarly, it makes it possible to reason about CPS-transformed terms by structural induction over...... source terms, directly.The new CPS transformation connects separately published approaches to the CPS transformation. It has already been used to state a new and simpler correctness proof of a direct-style transformation, and to develop a new and simpler CPS transformation of control-flow information....

A First-Order One-Pass CPS Transformation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Danvy, Olivier; Nielsen, Lasse Reichstein

2003-01-01

We present a new transformation of λ-terms into continuation-passing style (CPS). This transformation operates in one pass and is both compositional and first-order. Previous CPS transformations only enjoyed two out of the three properties of being first-order, one-pass, and compositional......, but the new transformation enjoys all three properties. It is proved correct directly by structural induction over source terms instead of indirectly with a colon translation, as in Plotkin's original proof. Similarly, it makes it possible to reason about CPS-transformed terms by structural induction over...... source terms, directly.The new CPS transformation connects separately published approaches to the CPS transformation. It has already been used to state a new and simpler correctness proof of a direct-style transformation, and to develop a new and simpler CPS transformation of control-flow information....

Progress of cereal transformation technology mediated by Agrobacterium tumefaciens

Science.gov (United States)

Hiei, Yukoh; Ishida, Yuji; Komari, Toshihiko

2014-01-01

Monocotyledonous plants were believed to be not transformable by the soil bacterium Agrobacterium tumefaciens until two decades ago, although convenient protocols for infection of leaf disks and subsequent regeneration of transgenic plants had been well established in a number of dicotyledonous species by then. This belief was reinforced by the fact that monocotyledons are mostly outside the host range of crown gall disease caused by the bacterium and by the failures in trials in monocotyledons to mimic the transformation protocols for dicotyledons. However, a key reason for the failure could have been the lack of active cell divisions at the wound sites in monocotyledons. The complexity and narrow optimal windows of critical factors, such as genotypes of plants, conditions of the plants from which explants are prepared, tissue culture methods and culture media, pre-treatments of explants, strains of A. tumefaciens, inducers of virulence genes, transformation vectors, selection marker genes and selective agents, kept technical hurdles high. Eventually it was demonstrated that rice and maize could be transformed by co-cultivating cells of callus cultures or immature embryos, which are actively dividing or about to divide, with A. tumefaciens. Subsequently, these initial difficulties were resolved one by one by many research groups, and the major cereals are now transformed quite efficiently. As many as 15 independent transgenic events may be regenerated from a single piece of immature embryo of rice. Maize transformation protocols are well established, and almost all transgenic events deregulated for commercialization after 2003 were generated by Agrobacterium-mediated transformation. Wheat, barley, and sorghum are also among those plants that can be efficiently transformed by A. tumefaciens. PMID:25426132

Progress of cereal transformation technology mediated by Agrobacterium tumefaciens.

Science.gov (United States)

Hiei, Yukoh; Ishida, Yuji; Komari, Toshihiko

2014-01-01

Monocotyledonous plants were believed to be not transformable by the soil bacterium Agrobacterium tumefaciens until two decades ago, although convenient protocols for infection of leaf disks and subsequent regeneration of transgenic plants had been well established in a number of dicotyledonous species by then. This belief was reinforced by the fact that monocotyledons are mostly outside the host range of crown gall disease caused by the bacterium and by the failures in trials in monocotyledons to mimic the transformation protocols for dicotyledons. However, a key reason for the failure could have been the lack of active cell divisions at the wound sites in monocotyledons. The complexity and narrow optimal windows of critical factors, such as genotypes of plants, conditions of the plants from which explants are prepared, tissue culture methods and culture media, pre-treatments of explants, strains of A. tumefaciens, inducers of virulence genes, transformation vectors, selection marker genes and selective agents, kept technical hurdles high. Eventually it was demonstrated that rice and maize could be transformed by co-cultivating cells of callus cultures or immature embryos, which are actively dividing or about to divide, with A. tumefaciens. Subsequently, these initial difficulties were resolved one by one by many research groups, and the major cereals are now transformed quite efficiently. As many as 15 independent transgenic events may be regenerated from a single piece of immature embryo of rice. Maize transformation protocols are well established, and almost all transgenic events deregulated for commercialization after 2003 were generated by Agrobacterium-mediated transformation. Wheat, barley, and sorghum are also among those plants that can be efficiently transformed by A. tumefaciens.

Evaluating moral reasoning in nursing education.

Science.gov (United States)

McLeod-Sordjan, Renee

2014-06-01

Evidence-based practice suggests the best approach to improving professionalism in practice is ethics curricula. However, recent research has demonstrated that millennium graduates do not advocate for patients or assert themselves during moral conflicts. The aim of this article is the exploration of evaluation techniques to evaluate one measurable outcome of ethics curricula: moral reasoning. A review of literature, published between 1995 and 2013, demonstrated that the moral orientations of care and justice as conceptualized by Gilligan and Kohlberg are utilized by nursing students to solve ethical dilemmas. Data obtained by means of reflective journaling, Ethics of Care Interview (ECI) and Defining Issues Test (DIT), would objectively measure the interrelated pathways of care-based and justice-based moral reasoning. In conclusion, educators have an ethical responsibility to foster students' ability to exercise sound clinical judgment, and support their professional development. It is recommended that educators design authentic assessments to demonstrate student's improvement of moral reasoning. © The Author(s) 2013.

Teaching inductive reasoning in primary education

NARCIS (Netherlands)

de Koning, E.; Hamers, J.H.M.; Sijtsma, K.; Vermeer, A.

2002-01-01

Results demonstrated that the teachers were able to apply the programs as intended, although they needed support to shift their attention from the reasoning product to the reasoning process. They also experienced difficulties in implementing the role swap between the teacher and the pupils in the

A Framework for Teachers' Knowledge of Mathematical Reasoning

Science.gov (United States)

Herbert, Sandra

2014-01-01

Exploring and developing primary teachers' understanding of mathematical reasoning was the focus of the "Mathematical Reasoning Professional Learning Research Program." Twenty-four primary teachers were interviewed after engagement in the first stage of the program incorporating demonstration lessons focused on reasoning conducted in…

A First-Order One-Pass CPS Transformation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Danvy, Olivier; Nielsen, Lasse Reichstein

2002-01-01

We present a new transformation of call-by-value lambdaterms into continuation-passing style (CPS). This transformation operates in one pass and is both compositional and first-order. Because it operates in one pass, it directly yields compact CPS programs that are comparable to what one would...... write by hand. Because it is compositional, it allows proofs by structural induction. Because it is first-order, reasoning about it does not require the use of a logical relation. This new CPS transformation connects two separate lines of research. It has already been used to state a new and simpler...... correctness proof of a direct-style transformation, and to develop a new and simpler CPS transformation of control-flow information....

Off-resonance transformer charging for 250-kV water Blumlein

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cook, E.; Reginato, L.

1978-01-01

An off-resonance transformer for charging a 250-kV Blumlein system provides a viable alternative to other charging schemes by permitting the use of conventional thyratrons. Such a transformer must have reliability, a reasonable voltage step-up, and a non-reversing primary current. The analysis, design, and performance data for such a transformer are presented. The strong interrelationship between transformer design and Blumlein requirements necessitates that Blumlein description and design criterion be briefly presented prior to transformer design such that transformer load requirements be defined

Modelling Chemical Reasoning to Predict and Invent Reactions.

Science.gov (United States)

Segler, Marwin H S; Waller, Mark P

2017-05-02

The ability to reason beyond established knowledge allows organic chemists to solve synthetic problems and invent novel transformations. Herein, we propose a model that mimics chemical reasoning, and formalises reaction prediction as finding missing links in a knowledge graph. We have constructed a knowledge graph containing 14.4 million molecules and 8.2 million binary reactions, which represents the bulk of all chemical reactions ever published in the scientific literature. Our model outperforms a rule-based expert system in the reaction prediction task for 180 000 randomly selected binary reactions. The data-driven model generalises even beyond known reaction types, and is thus capable of effectively (re-)discovering novel transformations (even including transition metal-catalysed reactions). Our model enables computers to infer hypotheses about reactivity and reactions by only considering the intrinsic local structure of the graph and because each single reaction prediction is typically achieved in a sub-second time frame, the model can be used as a high-throughput generator of reaction hypotheses for reaction discovery. © 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Hamlet's Transformation.

Science.gov (United States)

Usher, P. D.

1997-12-01

William Shakespeare's Hamlet has much evidence to suggest that the Bard was aware of the cosmological models of his time, specifically the geocentric bounded Ptolemaic and Tychonic models, and the infinite Diggesian. Moreover, Shakespeare describes how the Ptolemaic model is to be transformed to the Diggesian. Hamlet's "transformation" is the reason that Claudius, who personifies the Ptolemaic model, summons Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, who personify the Tychonic. Pantometria, written by Leonard Digges and his son Thomas in 1571, contains the first technical use of the word "transformation." At age thirty, Thomas Digges went on to propose his Perfit Description, as alluded to in Act Five where Hamlet's age is given as thirty. In Act Five as well, the words "bore" and "arms" refer to Thomas' vocation as muster-master and his scientific interest in ballistics. England's leading astronomer was also the father of the poet whose encomium introduced the First Folio of 1623. His oldest child Dudley became a member of the Virginia Company and facilitated the writing of The Tempest. Taken as a whole, such manifold connections to Thomas Digges support Hotson's contention that Shakespeare knew the Digges family. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern in Hamlet bear Danish names because they personify the Danish model, while the king's name is latinized like that of Claudius Ptolemaeus. The reason Shakespeare anglicized "Amleth" to "Hamlet" was because he saw a parallel between Book Three of Saxo Grammaticus and the eventual triumph of the Diggesian model. But Shakespeare eschewed Book Four, creating this particular ending from an infinity of other possibilities because it "suited his purpose," viz. to celebrate the concept of a boundless universe of stars like the Sun.

Fast and effective transformation of toxaphene by superreduced vitamin B12 and dicyanocobalamin

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Recke, R. von der; Gaul, S. [Inst. of Food Chemistry, Univ. of Hohenheim, Stuttgart (Germany); Ruppe, S.; Vetter, W. [Inst. of Food and Nutrition, Friedrich-Schiller-Univ. Jena (Germany); Neumann, A. [Dept. of Technical Biology, Univ. of Karlsruhe (Germany)

2004-09-15

The chloropesticide toxaphene (Camphechlor, Melipax) has been used in high quantities since 1945. Toxaphene has been classified as a persistent organohalogen pollutant (POP) and belongs to the ''dirty dozen''. Due to its heavy use in the 1960s and 1970s, several environmental compartments were significantly contaminated with toxaphene. For instance, concentrations in polluted areas could exceed 1 mg/kg sediment. Recently, it was shown that cultures of the isolated bacterium Dehalospirillum multivorans transformed toxaphene in a similar way as anaerobic sediment and soil samples. The potential of D. multivorans for the anaerobic transformation of organohalogens was previously demonstrated for chloroethenes (PCE and TCE) 6. The reactive dehalogenase of D. multivorans contains a corrinoide co-factor. In this study two corrinoids cyanocobalamin (vitamin B12, CCA) and dicyanocobinamide (DCC) were used in their superreduced forms (i. e. those having the central atom Co in the oxidation state +I). Interestingly, a very fast transformation of toxaphene was observed with superreduced DCC. Unfortunately, the transformation occurred so fast that no transformation products could be identified. For this reason, we performed further experiments with the less reactive superreduced vitamin B12 (CCA{sub s}). CCA{sub s} has previously been used for the transformation of PCBs, hexachlorobenzene, chloroform, and chloroethanes.

A Simple Correctness Proof of the Direct-Style Transformation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, Lasse Riechstein

2002-01-01

-pass higher-order CPS transformation, and were complicated by having to reason about higher-order functions. In contrast, this work is based on a one-pass CPS transformation that is both compositional and first-order, and therefore the proof simply proceeds by structural induction on syntax....

Electrical transformer handbook

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hurst, R.W.; Horne, D. (eds.)

2005-07-01

This handbook is a valuable user guide intended for electrical engineering and maintenance personnel, electrical contractors and electrical engineering students. It provides current information on techniques and technologies that can help extend the life of transformers. It discusses transformer testing, monitoring, design, commissioning, retrofitting and other elements involved in keeping electrical transformers in safe and efficient operation. It demonstrates how a power transformer can be put to use and common problems faced by owners. In addition to covering control techniques, testing and maintenance procedures, this handbook covers the power transformer; control electrical power transformer; electrical power transformer; electrical theory transformer; used electrical transformer; down electrical step transformer; electrical manufacturer transformer; electrical picture transformer; electrical transformer work; electrical surplus transformer; current transformer; step down transformer; voltage transformer; step up transformer; isolation transformer; low voltage transformer; toroidal transformer; high voltage transformer; and control power transformer. The handbook includes articles from leading experts on overcurrent protection of transformers; ventilated dry-type transformers; metered load factors for low-voltage, and dry-type transformers in buildings. The maintenance of both dry-type or oil-filled transformers was discussed with reference to sealing, gaskets, oils, moisture and testing. The adoption of dynamic load practices was also discussed along with the reclamation or recycling of used lube oil, transformer dielectric fluids and aged solid insulation. A buyer's guide and directory of transformer manufacturers and suppliers was also included. refs., tabs., figs.

Rotation associated with product of two Lorentz transformations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Van Wyk, C.B.

1984-01-01

In the usual presentation of the Lorentz transformation there is an almost complete absence of the use of products of these transformations. One of the reasons for this appears to be the large amount of calculation involved when multi-plying the 4X4 matrices of the vector representation of the Lorentz transformation. In the article this problem is partly cleared up by using the coordinate free two-component spinor representation of rotations and Lorentz transformations. It is also shown that the theory derived in the article can be applied to Thomas precission in a very simple and direct way

Nash Equilibria in Theory of Reasoned Action

Science.gov (United States)

Almeida, Leando; Cruz, José; Ferreira, Helena; Pinto, Alberto Adrego

2009-08-01

Game theory and Decision Theory have been applied to many different areas such as Physics, Economics, Biology, etc. In its application to Psychology, we introduce, in the literature, a Game Theoretical Model of Planned Behavior or Reasoned Action by establishing an analogy between two specific theories. In this study we take in account that individual decision-making is an outcome of a process where group decisions can determine individual probabilistic behavior. Using Game Theory concepts, we describe how intentions can be transformed in behavior and according to the Nash Equilibrium, this process will correspond to the best individual decision/response taking in account the collective response. This analysis can be extended to several examples based in the Game Theoretical Model of Planned Behavior or Reasoned Action.

CRISPR/Cas9-Assisted Transformation-Efficient Reaction (CRATER) for Near-Perfect Selective Transformation

Science.gov (United States)

Rothschild, Lynn J.; Greenberg, Daniel T.; Takahashi, Jack R.; Thompson, Kirsten A.; Maheshwari, Akshay J.; Kent, Ryan E.; McCutcheon, Griffin; Shih, Joseph D.; Calvet, Charles; Devlin, Tyler D.;

Teachers’ professional reasoning about their pedagogical use of technology

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Heitink, M.; Voogt, J.; Verplanken, L.; van Braak, J.; Fisser, P.

2016-01-01

This study focused on teachers’ reasoning about the use of technology in practice. Both teachers’ professional reasoning and their technology use were investigated. Through video cases, 157 teachers demonstrated their technology use in practice and commented on the reasoning behind their actions.

Inductive reasoning about causally transmitted properties.

Science.gov (United States)

Shafto, Patrick; Kemp, Charles; Bonawitz, Elizabeth Baraff; Coley, John D; Tenenbaum, Joshua B

2008-11-01

Different intuitive theories constrain and guide inferences in different contexts. Formalizing simple intuitive theories as probabilistic processes operating over structured representations, we present a new computational model of category-based induction about causally transmitted properties. A first experiment demonstrates undergraduates' context-sensitive use of taxonomic and food web knowledge to guide reasoning about causal transmission and shows good qualitative agreement between model predictions and human inferences. A second experiment demonstrates strong quantitative and qualitative fits to inferences about a more complex artificial food web. A third experiment investigates human reasoning about complex novel food webs where species have known taxonomic relations. Results demonstrate a double-dissociation between the predictions of our causal model and a related taxonomic model [Kemp, C., & Tenenbaum, J. B. (2003). Learning domain structures. In Proceedings of the 25th annual conference of the cognitive science society]: the causal model predicts human inferences about diseases but not genes, while the taxonomic model predicts human inferences about genes but not diseases. We contrast our framework with previous models of category-based induction and previous formal instantiations of intuitive theories, and outline challenges in developing a complete model of context-sensitive reasoning.

Governance and Economic Transformation in Taiwan

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lauridsen, Laurids Sandager

2014-01-01

This article analyses the strengths and weaknesses of the developmental-state approach as compared with a broader and more flexible developmental-governance approach – in relation to economic transformation in a single case country, Taiwan. It argues that both approaches have strong and weak points......, and comes down in favour of the view that it is only through a ‘thick’ study of political forces, processes and circumstances that the reasoning behind developmental policies and institutions can be understood and the processes of economic transformation explained....

Data science in R a case studies approach to computational reasoning and problem solving

CERN Document Server

Nolan, Deborah

2015-01-01

Effectively Access, Transform, Manipulate, Visualize, and Reason about Data and ComputationData Science in R: A Case Studies Approach to Computational Reasoning and Problem Solving illustrates the details involved in solving real computational problems encountered in data analysis. It reveals the dynamic and iterative process by which data analysts approach a problem and reason about different ways of implementing solutions. The book's collection of projects, comprehensive sample solutions, and follow-up exercises encompass practical topics pertaining to data processing, including: Non-standar

TRANSFORMATION

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

LACKS,S.A.

2003-10-09

Transformation, which alters the genetic makeup of an individual, is a concept that intrigues the human imagination. In Streptococcus pneumoniae such transformation was first demonstrated. Perhaps our fascination with genetics derived from our ancestors observing their own progeny, with its retention and assortment of parental traits, but such interest must have been accelerated after the dawn of agriculture. It was in pea plants that Gregor Mendel in the late 1800s examined inherited traits and found them to be determined by physical elements, or genes, passed from parents to progeny. In our day, the material basis of these genetic determinants was revealed to be DNA by the lowly bacteria, in particular, the pneumococcus. For this species, transformation by free DNA is a sexual process that enables cells to sport new combinations of genes and traits. Genetic transformation of the type found in S. pneumoniae occurs naturally in many species of bacteria (70), but, initially only a few other transformable species were found, namely, Haemophilus influenzae, Neisseria meningitides, Neisseria gonorrheae, and Bacillus subtilis (96). Natural transformation, which requires a set of genes evolved for the purpose, contrasts with artificial transformation, which is accomplished by shocking cells either electrically, as in electroporation, or by ionic and temperature shifts. Although such artificial treatments can introduce very small amounts of DNA into virtually any type of cell, the amounts introduced by natural transformation are a million-fold greater, and S. pneumoniae can take up as much as 10% of its cellular DNA content (40).

Lie transforms and their use in Hamiltonian perturbation theory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cary, J.R.

1978-06-01

A review is presented of the theory of Lie transforms as applied to Hamiltonian systems. We begin by presenting some general background on the Hamiltonian formalism and by introducing the operator notation for canonical transformations. We then derive the general theory of Lie transforms. We derive the formula for the new Hamiltonian when one uses a Lie transform to effect a canonical transformation, and we use Lie transforms to prove a very general version of Noether's theorem, or the symmetry-equals-invariant theorem. Next we use the general Lie transform theory to derive Deprit's perturbation theory. We illustrate this perturbation theory by application to two well-known problems in classical mechanics. Finally we present a chapter on conventions. There are many ways to develop Lie transforms. The last chapter explains the reasons for the choices made here

Stereo matching using epipolar distance transform.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Qingxiong; Ahuja, Narendra

2012-10-01

In this paper, we propose a simple but effective image transform, called the epipolar distance transform, for matching low-texture regions. It converts image intensity values to a relative location inside a planar segment along the epipolar line, such that pixels in the low-texture regions become distinguishable. We theoretically prove that the transform is affine invariant, thus the transformed images can be directly used for stereo matching. Any existing stereo algorithms can be directly used with the transformed images to improve reconstruction accuracy for low-texture regions. Results on real indoor and outdoor images demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed transform for matching low-texture regions, keypoint detection, and description for low-texture scenes. Our experimental results on Middlebury images also demonstrate the robustness of our transform for highly textured scenes. The proposed transform has a great advantage, its low computational complexity. It was tested on a MacBook Air laptop computer with a 1.8 GHz Core i7 processor, with a speed of about 9 frames per second for a video graphics array-sized image.

Distinctive transforming genes in x-ray-transformed mammalian cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Borek, C.; Ong, A.; Mason, H.

1987-01-01

DNAs from hamster embryo cells and mouse C3H/10T1/2 cells transformed in vitro by x-irradiation into malignant cells transmit the radiation transformation phenotype by producing transformed colonies (transfectants) in two mouse recipient lines, the NIH 3T3 and C3H/101/2 cells, and in a rat cell line, the Rat-2 cells. DNAs from unirradiated cells or irradiated and visibly untransformed cells do not produce transformed colonies. The transfectant grow in agar and form tumors in nude mice. Treatment of the DNAs with restriction endonucleases prior to transfection indicates that the same transforming gene (oncogene) is present in each of the transformed mouse cells and is the same in each of the transformed hamster cells. Southern blot analysis of 3T3 or Rat-2 transfectants carrying oncogenes from radiation-transformed C3H/10T1/2 or hamster cells indicates that the oncogenes responsible for the transformation of 3T3 cells are not the Ki-ras, Ha-ras, N-ras genes, nor are they neu, trk, raf, abl, or fms. The work demonstrates that DNAs from mammalian cells transformed into malignancy by direct exposure in vitro to radiation contain genetic sequences with detectable transforming activity in three recipient cell lines. The results provide evidence that DNA is the target of radiation carcinogenesis induced at a cellular level in vitro. The experiments indicate that malignant radiogenic transformation in vitro of hamster embryo and mouse C3H/10T1/2 cells involves the activation of unique non-ras transforming genes, which heretofore have not been described

Are We Good at Detecting Conflict during Reasoning?

Science.gov (United States)

Pennycook, Gordon; Fugelsang, Jonathan A.; Koehler, Derek J.

2012-01-01

Recent evidence suggests that people are highly efficient at detecting conflicting outputs produced by competing intuitive and analytic reasoning processes. Specifically, De Neys and Glumicic (2008) demonstrated that participants reason longer about problems that are characterized by conflict (as opposed to agreement) between stereotypical…

From Biomedical to Psychosomatic Reasoning: A Theoretical Framework

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alireza Monajemi

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Despite a general acceptance of the biopsychosocial model, medical education and patient care are still largely biomedical in focus, and physicians have many deficiencies in biopsychosocial formulations and care. Education in medical schools puts more emphasis on providing biomedical education (BM than biopsychosocial education (BPS; the initial knowledge formed in medical students is mainly with a biomedical approach. Therefore, it seems that psychosocial aspects play a minor role at this level and PSM knowledge will lag behind BM knowledge. However, it seems that the integration of biomedical and psychosocial-knowledge is crucial for a successful and efficient patient encounter. In this paper, based on the theory of medical expertise development, the steps through which biomedical reasoning transforms to psychosomatic reasoning will be discussed.

Polynomial Phase Estimation Based on Adaptive Short-Time Fourier Transform.

Science.gov (United States)

Jing, Fulong; Zhang, Chunjie; Si, Weijian; Wang, Yu; Jiao, Shuhong

2018-02-13

Polynomial phase signals (PPSs) have numerous applications in many fields including radar, sonar, geophysics, and radio communication systems. Therefore, estimation of PPS coefficients is very important. In this paper, a novel approach for PPS parameters estimation based on adaptive short-time Fourier transform (ASTFT), called the PPS-ASTFT estimator, is proposed. Using the PPS-ASTFT estimator, both one-dimensional and multi-dimensional searches and error propagation problems, which widely exist in PPSs field, are avoided. In the proposed algorithm, the instantaneous frequency (IF) is estimated by S-transform (ST), which can preserve information on signal phase and provide a variable resolution similar to the wavelet transform (WT). The width of the ASTFT analysis window is equal to the local stationary length, which is measured by the instantaneous frequency gradient (IFG). The IFG is calculated by the principal component analysis (PCA), which is robust to the noise. Moreover, to improve estimation accuracy, a refinement strategy is presented to estimate signal parameters. Since the PPS-ASTFT avoids parameter search, the proposed algorithm can be computed in a reasonable amount of time. The estimation performance, computational cost, and implementation of the PPS-ASTFT are also analyzed. The conducted numerical simulations support our theoretical results and demonstrate an excellent statistical performance of the proposed algorithm.

Clinical reasoning of nursing students on clinical placement: Clinical educators' perceptions.

Science.gov (United States)

Hunter, Sharyn; Arthur, Carol

2016-05-01

Graduate nurses may have knowledge and adequate clinical psychomotor skills however they have been identified as lacking the clinical reasoning skills to deliver safe, effective care suggesting contemporary educational approaches do not always facilitate the development of nursing students' clinical reasoning. While nursing literature explicates the concept of clinical reasoning and develops models that demonstrate clinical reasoning, there is very little published about nursing students and clinical reasoning during clinical placements. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with ten clinical educators to gain an understanding of how they recognised, developed and appraised nursing students' clinical reasoning while on clinical placement. This study found variability in the clinical educators' conceptualisation, recognition, and facilitation of students' clinical reasoning. Although most of the clinical educators conceptualised clinical reasoning as a process those who did not demonstrated the greatest variability in the recognition and facilitation of students' clinical reasoning. The clinical educators in this study also described being unable to adequately appraise a student's clinical reasoning during clinical placement with the use of the current performance assessment tool. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

[Schizophrenia and modern culture: reasons for insanity].

Science.gov (United States)

Pérez-Álvarez, Marino

2012-02-01

After pointing out the uncertainty and confusion to which neurobiological research has led schizophrenia, as shown and acknowledged in recent reviews, we offer seven reasons for reconsidering schizophrenia a disorder of the self, rather than of the brain. The first reason starts out conceiving schizophrenia as a disorder of the self, in the perspective of current phenomenology. The second relates the fact of its recent origin (as of 1750) with the particular configuration of the modern self and with the great transformation of the community into a society of individuals (industrialization, urbanization). The third reason emphasizes the affinity between schizophrenia and adolescence, a critical age in the formation of the self, which started to be problematic at the end of the 18th century. The fourth is the better prognosis of schizophrenia in developing countries, in comparison to developed countries, which probably has to do with the process of modernization (which still maintains community structures in less developed countries). The fifth is the high incidence of schizophrenia among immigrants, as a fact to be explained in terms of a socio-evolutionary model. The sixth reason reviews the genetic legend of schizophrenia, and how epigenetics gives protagonism back to the environment. The seventh and last reason refers to the reconsideration of psychological therapy as the possible treatment of choice and not merely an adjunct to medication, as it is known that, for patients, interpersonal chemistry is more important than neurochemistry.

Neural differences between intrinsic reasons for doing versus extrinsic reasons for doing: an fMRI study.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Woogul; Reeve, Johnmarshall; Xue, Yiqun; Xiong, Jinhu

2012-05-01

The contemporary neural understanding of motivation is based almost exclusively on the neural mechanisms of incentive motivation. Recognizing this as a limitation, we used event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to pursue the viability of expanding the neural understanding of motivation by initiating a pioneering study of intrinsic motivation by scanning participants' neural activity when they decided to act for intrinsic reasons versus when they decided to act for extrinsic reasons. As expected, intrinsic reasons for acting more recruited insular cortex activity while extrinsic reasons for acting more recruited posterior cingulate cortex (PCC) activity. The results demonstrate that engagement decisions based on intrinsic motivation are more determined by weighing the presence of spontaneous self-satisfactions such as interest and enjoyment while engagement decisions based on extrinsic motivation are more determined by weighing socially-acquired stored values as to whether the environmental incentive is attractive enough to warrant action.

High pressure phase transformations revisited

Science.gov (United States)

Levitas, Valery I.

2018-04-01

High pressure phase transformations play an important role in the search for new materials and material synthesis, as well as in geophysics. However, they are poorly characterized, and phase transformation pressure and pressure hysteresis vary drastically in experiments of different researchers, with different pressure transmitting media, and with different material suppliers. Here we review the current state, challenges in studying phase transformations under high pressure, and the possible ways in overcoming the challenges. This field is critically compared with fields of phase transformations under normal pressure in steels and shape memory alloys, as well as plastic deformation of materials. The main reason for the above mentioned discrepancy is the lack of understanding that there is a fundamental difference between pressure-induced transformations under hydrostatic conditions, stress-induced transformations under nonhydrostatic conditions below yield, and strain-induced transformations during plastic flow. Each of these types of transformations has different mechanisms and requires a completely different thermodynamic and kinetic description and experimental characterization. In comparison with other fields the following challenges are indicated for high pressure phase transformation: (a) initial and evolving microstructure is not included in characterization of transformations; (b) continuum theory is poorly developed; (c) heterogeneous stress and strain fields in experiments are not determined, which leads to confusing material transformational properties with a system behavior. Some ways to advance the field of high pressure phase transformations are suggested. The key points are: (a) to take into account plastic deformations and microstructure evolution during transformations; (b) to formulate phase transformation criteria and kinetic equations in terms of stress and plastic strain tensors (instead of pressure alone); (c) to develop multiscale continuum

High pressure phase transformations revisited.

Science.gov (United States)

Levitas, Valery I

2018-04-25

High pressure phase transformations play an important role in the search for new materials and material synthesis, as well as in geophysics. However, they are poorly characterized, and phase transformation pressure and pressure hysteresis vary drastically in experiments of different researchers, with different pressure transmitting media, and with different material suppliers. Here we review the current state, challenges in studying phase transformations under high pressure, and the possible ways in overcoming the challenges. This field is critically compared with fields of phase transformations under normal pressure in steels and shape memory alloys, as well as plastic deformation of materials. The main reason for the above mentioned discrepancy is the lack of understanding that there is a fundamental difference between pressure-induced transformations under hydrostatic conditions, stress-induced transformations under nonhydrostatic conditions below yield, and strain-induced transformations during plastic flow. Each of these types of transformations has different mechanisms and requires a completely different thermodynamic and kinetic description and experimental characterization. In comparison with other fields the following challenges are indicated for high pressure phase transformation: (a) initial and evolving microstructure is not included in characterization of transformations; (b) continuum theory is poorly developed; (c) heterogeneous stress and strain fields in experiments are not determined, which leads to confusing material transformational properties with a system behavior. Some ways to advance the field of high pressure phase transformations are suggested. The key points are: (a) to take into account plastic deformations and microstructure evolution during transformations; (b) to formulate phase transformation criteria and kinetic equations in terms of stress and plastic strain tensors (instead of pressure alone); (c) to develop multiscale continuum

Image encryption with chaotic map and Arnold transform in the gyrator transform domains

Science.gov (United States)

Sang, Jun; Luo, Hongling; Zhao, Jun; Alam, Mohammad S.; Cai, Bin

2017-05-01

An image encryption method combing chaotic map and Arnold transform in the gyrator transform domains was proposed. Firstly, the original secret image is XOR-ed with a random binary sequence generated by a logistic map. Then, the gyrator transform is performed. Finally, the amplitude and phase of the gyrator transform are permutated by Arnold transform. The decryption procedure is the inverse operation of encryption. The secret keys used in the proposed method include the control parameter and the initial value of the logistic map, the rotation angle of the gyrator transform, and the transform number of the Arnold transform. Therefore, the key space is large, while the key data volume is small. The numerical simulation was conducted to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method and the security analysis was performed in terms of the histogram of the encrypted image, the sensitiveness to the secret keys, decryption upon ciphertext loss, and resistance to the chosen-plaintext attack.

Meta-analysis: how does posterior parietal cortex contribute to reasoning?

Science.gov (United States)

Wendelken, Carter

2015-01-01

Reasoning depends on the contribution of posterior parietal cortex (PPC). But PPC is involved in many basic operations—including spatial attention, mathematical cognition, working memory, long-term memory, and language—and the nature of its contribution to reasoning is unclear. Psychological theories of the processes underlying reasoning make divergent claims about the neural systems that are likely to be involved, and better understanding the specific contribution of PPC can help to inform these theories. We set out to address several competing hypotheses, concerning the role of PPC in reasoning: (1) reasoning involves application of formal logic and is dependent on language, with PPC activation for reasoning mainly reflective of linguistic processing; (2) reasoning involves probabilistic computation and is thus dependent on numerical processing mechanisms in PPC; and (3) reasoning is built upon the representation and processing of spatial relations, and PPC activation associated with reasoning reflects spatial processing. We conducted two separate meta-analyses. First, we pooled data from our own studies of reasoning in adults, and examined activation in PPC regions of interest (ROI). Second, we conducted an automated meta-analysis using Neurosynth, in which we examined overlap between activation maps associated with reasoning and maps associated with other key functions of PPC. In both analyses, we observed reasoning-related activation concentrated in the left Inferior Parietal Lobe (IPL). Reasoning maps demonstrated the greatest overlap with mathematical cognition. Maintenance, visuospatial, and phonological processing also demonstrated some overlap with reasoning, but a large portion of the reasoning map did not overlap with the map for any other function. This evidence suggests that the PPC’s contribution to reasoning may be most closely related to its role in mathematical cognition, but that a core component of this contribution may be specific to

Meta-analysis: How does posterior parietal cortex contribute to reasoning?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carter eWendelken

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Reasoning depends on the contribution of posterior parietal cortex (PPC. But PPC is involved in many basic operations -- including spatial attention, mathematical cognition, working memory, long-term memory, and language -- and the nature of its contribution to reasoning is unclear. Psychological theories of the processes underlying reasoning make divergent claims about the neural systems that are likely to be involved, and better understanding the specific contribution of PPC can help to inform these theories. We set out to address several competing hypotheses, concerning the role of PPC in reasoning: 1 reasoning involves application of formal logic and is dependent on language, with PPC activation for reasoning mainly reflective of linguistic processing, 2 reasoning involves probabilistic computation and is thus dependent on numerical processing mechanisms in PPC, and 3 reasoning is built upon the representation and processing of spatial relations, and PPC activation associated with reasoning reflects spatial processing. We conducted two separate meta-analyses. First, we pooled data from our own studies of reasoning in adults, and examined activation in PPC regions of interest. Second, we conducted an automated meta-analysis using Neurosynth, in which we examined overlap between activation maps associated with reasoning and maps associated with other key functions of PPC. In both analyses, we observed reasoning-related activation concentrated in the left Inferior Parietal Lobe (IPL. Reasoning maps demonstrated the greatest overlap with mathematical cognition. Maintenance, visuospatial, and phonological processing also demonstrated some overlap with reasoning, but a large portion of the reasoning map did not overlap with the map for any other function. This evidence suggests that the PPC’s contribution to reasoning may be most closely related to its role in mathematical cognition, but that a core component of this contribution may be specific

Reasons Internalism and the function of normative reasons

OpenAIRE

Sinclair, Neil

2017-01-01

What is the connection between reasons and motives? According to Reasons Internalism there is a non-trivial conceptual connection between normative reasons and the possibility of rationally accessing relevant motivation. Reasons Internalism is attractive insofar as it captures the thought that reasons are for reasoning with and repulsive insofar as it fails to generate sufficient critical distance between reasons and motives. Rather than directly adjudicate this dispute, I extract from it two...

Influence of dose rate on the transformation of Syrian hamster embryo cells by fission-spectrum neutrons

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jones, C.A.; Sedita, B.A.; Hill, C.K.; Elkind, M.M.

1988-01-01

Several explanations for this neutron dose-rate effect have been proposed, but further investigation is necessary to determine the mechanisms involved. In all cell transformation studies to date the immortalized, aneuploid 10T1/2 cell-line has been used. These cells may be premalignant; thus their response characteristics and, in particular, the nature of the transformation event, might differ from that in a normal, fibroblast cell. One reason for the present study was to determine whether the low-dose-rate effect of fission neutrons could be demonstrated in normal cells. If so, a normal cell system, which would more closely resemble a normal in vivo system, could be used for mechanistic studies. We chose Syrian hamster embryo (SHE) fibroblasts which are normal, diploid cells with a limited life span in culture. Upon exposure to low doses of ionizing radiation, the fraction of the cells that are transformed can be identified in a standard 8--10 day colony assay by examining their clonal morphology. Transformed cells form colonies with a dense, criss-crossed or piled-up structure. A high percentage of the transformed colonies can be further propagated and will acquire additional neoplastic characteristics; i.e., anchorage independence, immortality, altered proteolytic activity, karyotype alterations, and finally, tumorigenicity.

Influence of dose rate on the transformation of Syrian hamster embryo cells by fission-spectrum neutrons

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jones, C.A.; Sedita, B.A.; Hill, C.K.; Elkind, M.M.

1988-01-01

Several explanations for this neutron dose-rate effect have been proposed, but further investigation is necessary to determine the mechanisms involved. In all cell transformation studies to date the immortalized, aneuploid 10T1/2 cell-line has been used. These cells may be premalignant; thus their response characteristics and, in particular, the nature of the transformation event, might differ from that in a normal, fibroblast cell. One reason for the present study was to determine whether the low-dose-rate effect of fission neutrons could be demonstrated in normal cells. If so, a normal cell system, which would more closely resemble a normal in vivo system, could be used for mechanistic studies. We chose Syrian hamster embryo (SHE) fibroblasts which are normal, diploid cells with a limited life span in culture. Upon exposure to low doses of ionizing radiation, the fraction of the cells that are transformed can be identified in a standard 8--10 day colony assay by examining their clonal morphology. Transformed cells form colonies with a dense, criss-crossed or piled-up structure. A high percentage of the transformed colonies can be further propagated and will acquire additional neoplastic characteristics; i.e., anchorage independence, immortality, altered proteolytic activity, karyotype alterations, and finally, tumorigenicity

Measurement of Prosocial Reasoning among Chinese Adolescents

OpenAIRE

Frank H. Y. Lai; Andrew M. H. Siu; Chewtyn C. H. Chan; Daniel T. L. Shek

2012-01-01

This study attempted to develop a standardized instrument for assessment of prosocial reasoning in Chinese populations. The Prosocial Reasoning Objective Measure (PROM) was translated, and a two-stage study was conducted to evaluate the psychometric properties of the translated instrument. The content validity, cultural relevance, and reading level of the translated instrument were evaluated by an expert panel. Upon revisions according to the expert opinions, the Chinese PROM demonstrated goo...

Transforming han: a correlational method for psychology and religion.

Science.gov (United States)

Oh, Whachul

2015-06-01

Han is a destructive feeling in Korea. Although Korea accomplished significant exterior growth, Korean society is still experiencing the dark aspects of transforming han as evidenced by having the highest suicide rate in Asia. Some reasons for this may be the fragmentation between North and South Korea. If we can transform han then it can become constructive. I was challenged to think of possibilities for transforming han internally; this brings me to the correlational method through psychological and religious interpretation. This study is to challenge and encourage many han-ridden people in Korean society. Through the psychological and religious understanding of han, people suffering can positively transform their han. They can relate to han more subjectively, and this means the han-ridden psyche has an innate sacredness of potential to transform.

Understanding clinical reasoning in osteopathy: a qualitative research approach

OpenAIRE

Grace, Sandra; Orrock, Paul; Vaughan, Brett; Blaich, Raymond; Coutts, Rosanne

2016-01-01

Background Clinical reasoning has been described as a process that draws heavily on the knowledge, skills and attributes that are particular to each health profession. However, the clinical reasoning processes of practitioners of different disciplines demonstrate many similarities, including hypothesis generation and reflective practice. The aim of this study was to understand clinical reasoning in osteopathy from the perspective of osteopathic clinical educators and the extent to which it wa...

Image compression using the W-transform

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Reynolds, W.D. Jr. [Argonne National Lab., IL (United States). Mathematics and Computer Science Div.

1995-12-31

The authors present the W-transform for a multiresolution signal decomposition. One of the differences between the wavelet transform and W-transform is that the W-transform leads to a nonorthogonal signal decomposition. Another difference between the two is the manner in which the W-transform handles the endpoints (boundaries) of the signal. This approach does not restrict the length of the signal to be a power of two. Furthermore, it does not call for the extension of the signal thus, the W-transform is a convenient tool for image compression. They present the basic theory behind the W-transform and include experimental simulations to demonstrate its capabilities.

Model-based reasoning technology for the power industry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Touchton, R.A.; Subramanyan, N.S.; Naser, J.A.

1991-01-01

This paper reports on model-based reasoning which refers to an expert system implementation methodology that uses a model of the system which is being reasoned about. Model-based representation and reasoning techniques offer many advantages and are highly suitable for domains where the individual components, their interconnection, and their behavior is well-known. Technology Applications, Inc. (TAI), under contract to the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), investigated the use of model-based reasoning in the power industry including the nuclear power industry. During this project, a model-based monitoring and diagnostic tool, called ProSys, was developed. Also, an alarm prioritization system was developed as a demonstration prototype

Primary teachers notice the impact of language on children's mathematical reasoning

Science.gov (United States)

Bragg, Leicha A.; Herbert, Sandra; Loong, Esther Yoon-Kin; Vale, Colleen; Widjaja, Wanty

2016-12-01

Mathematical reasoning is now featured in the mathematics curriculum documents of many nations, but this necessitates changes to teaching practice and hence a need for professional learning. The development of children's mathematical reasoning requires appropriate encouragement and feedback from their teacher who can only do this if they recognise mathematical reasoning in children's actions and words. As part of a larger study, we explored whether observation of educators conducting mathematics lessons can develop teachers' sensitivity in noticing children's reasoning and consideration of how to support reasoning. In the Mathematical Reasoning Professional Learning Research Program, demonstration lessons were conducted in Australian and Canadian primary classrooms. Data sources included post-lesson group discussions. Observation of demonstration lessons and engagement in post-lesson discussions proved to be effective vehicles for developing a professional eye for noticing children's individual and whole-class reasoning. In particular, the teachers noticed that children struggled to employ mathematical language to communicate their reasoning and viewed limitations in language as a major barrier to increasing the use of mathematical reasoning in their classrooms. Given the focus of teachers' noticing of the limitations in some types of mathematical language, it seems that targeted support is required for teachers to facilitate classroom discourse for reasoning.

Experimental demonstration of invisible electromagnetic impedance matching cylindrical transformation optics cloak shell

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Mingji; Wang, Changxian; Cheng, Xiaodong; Gong, Congcheng; Song, Weili; Yuan, Xujin; Fang, Daining

2018-04-01

The realization of an ideal invisible cloak implementing transformation optics is still missing. An impedance matching concept is implanted into transformation optics cloak to generate an impedance matching cloak (IMC) shell. In this work, it is proved that impedance matching structure reduces the cloaking structure’s disturbance to a propagating electromagnetic field and improves its invisibility measured by scattering field intensity. Such a cylindrical IMC shell is designed, fabricated with proposed rounded rectangular split-ring-resonators (RR-SRRs), and experimental measurements show the total scattering field of a perfect electric conductor (PEC) cylinder surrounded by an IMC shell is improved greatly compared to the PEC cylinder showing electromagnetic wave front ripple suppression and a considerable scattering shrinking effect. IMC shell backward scattering field is suppressed down to 7.29%, compared to the previous value of 86.7% due to its impedance matching character, and overall scattering field intensity shrinking is down to 19.3% compared to the previously realized value of 56.4%. Sideward scattering field recorded in the experiment also has a remarkable improvement compared to the PEC cylinder. The impedance matching concept might enlighten the realization of an ideal cloak and other novel electromagnetic cloaking and shielding structures.

The transformation of the countryside at the Slovene-Croatian border

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marko Koščak

2002-12-01

Full Text Available The transformation of the rural areas along the Slovene - Croatian border was influenced by many reasons, among which the most important was polycentric concept of social demogarphy as well as physical development. After introduction of a border line between Slovenia and Croatia the process of transformation of rural areas have taken on additional issues connected to the problems of border areas and marginal regions and thus are both specific and new for this region. Transformation of rural areas is a permanent process,that affects both the landscape, as well as its functions.

A DC Transformer

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — The goal of the project was to demonstrate a true direct current (DC) transformer, a new electro-mechanical component with potentially high power applications; in...

A Case-Based Reasoning Method with Rank Aggregation

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Jinhua; Du, Jiao; Hu, Jian

2018-03-01

In order to improve the accuracy of case-based reasoning (CBR), this paper addresses a new CBR framework with the basic principle of rank aggregation. First, the ranking methods are put forward in each attribute subspace of case. The ordering relation between cases on each attribute is got between cases. Then, a sorting matrix is got. Second, the similar case retrieval process from ranking matrix is transformed into a rank aggregation optimal problem, which uses the Kemeny optimal. On the basis, a rank aggregation case-based reasoning algorithm, named RA-CBR, is designed. The experiment result on UCI data sets shows that case retrieval accuracy of RA-CBR algorithm is higher than euclidean distance CBR and mahalanobis distance CBR testing.So we can get the conclusion that RA-CBR method can increase the performance and efficiency of CBR.

Reasoning about logical propositions and success in science

Science.gov (United States)

Piburn, Michael D.

1990-12-01

Students display a number of misconceptions when asked to reason about logical propositions. Rather than being random, these misconceptions are stereotypic, and relate to age, ability, and success in science. The grades in science achieved by tenth-grade general science students from two parochial single-sex schools in Australia correlated with their scores on the Propositional Logic Test. The students' ability level was consistently related to the pattern of errors they committed on that measure. Mean scores were lowest on a subtest of ability to use the biconditional and implication, higher on the disjunction, and highest on the conjunction. Success in science was predicted most strongly by the disjunction and biconditional subtests. Knowledge of the way in which a person reasons about logical propositions provides additional insights into the transformations information is subjected to as it is integrated into mental schemata.

Gestalt Reasoning with Conjunctions and Disjunctions.

Science.gov (United States)

Dumitru, Magda L; Joergensen, Gitte H

2016-01-01

Reasoning, solving mathematical equations, or planning written and spoken sentences all must factor in stimuli perceptual properties. Indeed, thinking processes are inspired by and subsequently fitted to concrete objects and situations. It is therefore reasonable to expect that the mental representations evoked when people solve these seemingly abstract tasks should interact with the properties of the manipulated stimuli. Here, we investigated the mental representations evoked by conjunction and disjunction expressions in language-picture matching tasks. We hypothesised that, if these representations have been derived using key Gestalt principles, reasoners should use perceptual compatibility to gauge the goodness of fit between conjunction/disjunction descriptions (e.g., the purple and/ or the green) and corresponding binary visual displays. Indeed, the results of three experimental studies demonstrate that reasoners associate conjunction descriptions with perceptually-dependent stimuli and disjunction descriptions with perceptually-independent stimuli, where visual dependency status follows the key Gestalt principles of common fate, proximity, and similarity.

Supporting Knowledge Transfer through Decomposable Reasoning Artifacts

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pike, William A.; May, Richard A.; Turner, Alan E.

2007-01-03

Technology to support knowledge transfer and cooperative inquiry must offer its users the ability to effectively interpret knowledge structures produced by collaborators. Communicating the reasoning processes that underlie a finding is one method for enhancing interpretation, and can result in more effective evaluation and application of shared knowledge. In knowledge management tools, interpretation is aided by creating knowledge artifacts that can expose their provenance to scrutiny and that can be transformed into diverse representations that suit their consumers’ perspectives and preferences. We outline the information management needs of inquiring communities characterized by hypothesis generation tasks, and propose a model for communication, based in theories of hermeneutics, semiotics, and abduction, in which knowledge structures can be decomposed into the lower-level reasoning artifacts that produced them. We then present a proof-of-concept implementation for an environment to support the capture and communication of analytic products, with emphasis on the domain of intelligence analysis.

Midwives׳ clinical reasoning during second stage labour: Report on an interpretive study.

Science.gov (United States)

Jefford, Elaine; Fahy, Kathleen

2015-05-01

clinical reasoning was once thought to be the exclusive domain of medicine - setting it apart from 'non-scientific' occupations like midwifery. Poor assessment, clinical reasoning and decision-making skills are well known contributors to adverse outcomes in maternity care. Midwifery decision-making models share a common deficit: they are insufficiently detailed to guide reasoning processes for midwives in practice. For these reasons we wanted to explore if midwives actively engaged in clinical reasoning processes within their clinical practice and if so to what extent. The study was conducted using post structural, feminist methodology. to what extent do midwives engage in clinical reasoning processes when making decisions in the second stage labour? twenty-six practising midwives were interviewed. Feminist interpretive analysis was conducted by two researchers guided by the steps of a model of clinical reasoning process. Six narratives were excluded from analysis because they did not sufficiently address the research question. The midwives narratives were prepared via data reduction. A theoretically informed analysis and interpretation was conducted. using a feminist, interpretive approach we created a model of midwifery clinical reasoning grounded in the literature and consistent with the data. Thirteen of the 20 participant narratives demonstrate analytical clinical reasoning abilities but only nine completed the process and implemented the decision. Seven midwives used non-analytical decision-making without adequately checking against assessment data. over half of the participants demonstrated the ability to use clinical reasoning skills. Less than half of the midwives demonstrated clinical reasoning as their way of making decisions. The new model of Midwifery Clinical Reasoning includes 'intuition' as a valued way of knowing. Using intuition, however, should not replace clinical reasoning which promotes through decision-making can be made transparent and be

Life cycle of transformer oil

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Đurđević Ksenija R.

2008-01-01

Full Text Available The consumption of electric power is constantly increasing due to industrialization and population growth. This results in much more severe operating conditions of transformers, the most important electrical devices that make integral parts of power transmission and distribution systems. The designed operating life of the majority of worldwide transformers has already expired, which puts the increase of transformer reliability and operating life extension in the spotlight. Transformer oil plays a very important role in transformer operation, since it provides insulation and cooling, helps extinguishing sparks and dissolves gases formed during oil degradation. In addition to this, it also dissolves moisture and gases from cellulose insulation and atmosphere it is exposed to. Further and by no means less important functions of transformer are of diagnostic purpose. It has been determined that examination and inspection of insulation oil provide 70% of information on transformer condition, which can be divided in three main groups: dielectric condition, aged transformer condition and oil degradation condition. By inspecting and examining the application oil it is possible to determine the condition of insulation, oil and solid insulation (paper, as well as irregularities in transformer operation. All of the above-mentioned reasons and facts create ground for the subject of this research covering two stages of transformer oil life cycle: (1 proactive maintenance and monitoring of transformer oils in the course of utilization with reference to influence of transformer oil condition on paper insulation condition, as well as the condition of the transformer itself; (2 regeneration of transformer oils for the purpose of extension of utilization period and paper insulation revitalization potential by means of oil purification. The study highlights advantages of oil-paper insulation revitalization over oil replacement. Besides economic, there are

Saving energy and money at choice of power transformers, v. 16(63)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jankoski, Dimitar

2008-01-01

When power transformers work at regular conditions, besides they exert theirs principal function, they constantly spend electrical energy that is, always work with losses. Depending od performances, sometimes those losses can be drastically different, although the transformers can equal power and some voltages of transformation. Considering that the loss of energy has its own price, a dilemma whether it is better economic reason to purchase new expensive transformer with smaller losses or one cheaper with more losses during its work-comes out. This paper analysis such case. The presented access can usefully serve in practice, in making the right decision in replacing the old transformer with the new one, or choosing the new transformer. (Author)

Saving energy and money at choice of power transformers, v. 16(62)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jankoski, Dimitar

2008-01-01

When power transformers work at regular conditions, besides they exert theirs principal function, they constantly spend electrical energy that is, always work with losses. Depending od performances, sometimes those losses can be drastically different, although the transformers can equal power and some voltages of transformation. Considering that the loss of energy has its own price, a dilemma whether it is better economic reason to purchase new expensive transformer with smaller losses or one cheaper with more losses during its work-comes out. This paper analysis such case. The presented access can usefully serve in practice, in making the right decision in replacing the old transformer with the new one, or choosing the new transformer. (Author)

A gravitational wave burst search method based on the S transform

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Clapson, Andre-Claude; Barsuglia, Matteo; Bizouard, Marie-Anne; Brisson, Violette; Cavalier, Fabien; Davier, Michel; Hello, Patrice; Kreckelberg, Stephane; Varvella, Monica

2005-01-01

The detection of burst-type events in the output of ground gravitational wave observatories is particularly challenging due to the expected variety of astrophysical waveforms and the issue of discriminating them from instrumental noise. Robust methods, that achieve reasonable detection performances over a wide range of signals, would be most useful. We present a burst-detection pipeline based on a time-frequency transform, the S transform. This transform offers good time-frequency localization of energy without requiring prior knowledge of the event structure. We set a simple (and robust) event extraction chain. Results are provided for a variety of signals injected in simulated Gaussian statistics data (from the LIGO-Virgo joint working group). Indications are that detection is robust with respect to event type and that efficiency compares reasonably with reference methods. The time-frequency representation is shown to be affected by spectral features such as resonant lines. This emphasizes the role of pre-processing

A gravitational wave burst search method based on the S transform

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Clapson, Andre-Claude; Barsuglia, Matteo; Bizouard, Marie-Anne; Brisson, Violette; Cavalier, Fabien; Davier, Michel; Hello, Patrice; Kreckelberg, Stephane; Varvella, Monica [Groupe Virgo, LAL, Universite Paris-Sud, Batiment 208, BP 34, F-91898 Orsay Cedex (France)

2005-09-21

The detection of burst-type events in the output of ground gravitational wave observatories is particularly challenging due to the expected variety of astrophysical waveforms and the issue of discriminating them from instrumental noise. Robust methods, that achieve reasonable detection performances over a wide range of signals, would be most useful. We present a burst-detection pipeline based on a time-frequency transform, the S transform. This transform offers good time-frequency localization of energy without requiring prior knowledge of the event structure. We set a simple (and robust) event extraction chain. Results are provided for a variety of signals injected in simulated Gaussian statistics data (from the LIGO-Virgo joint working group). Indications are that detection is robust with respect to event type and that efficiency compares reasonably with reference methods. The time-frequency representation is shown to be affected by spectral features such as resonant lines. This emphasizes the role of pre-processing.

REASON-GIVING IN COURT PRACTICE: THE EXAMPLE OF FRENCH IMMIGRATION LITIGATION

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mathilde Cohen, Columbia Law School-School of Law, Estados Unidos

2012-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract: This Article examines the thesis according to which the practice of giving reasons for decisions is a central element of liberal democracies. In this view, public institutions’ practice—and sometimes duty—to give reasons is required so that each individual may view the state as reasonable and therefore, according to deliberative democratic theory, legitimate. Does the giving of reasons in actual court practice achieve these goals?  Drawing on empirical research carried out in a French administrative court, this Article argues that, in practice, reason-giving often falls either short of democracy or beyond democracy. Reasons fall short of democracy in the first case because they are transformed from a device designed to “protect” citizens from arbitrariness into a professional norm intended to “protect” the judges themselves and perhaps further their career goals. In the second case, reasons go beyond democracy because judges’ ambitions are much greater than to merely provide petitioners with a ground for understanding and criticizing the decision: they aim at positively—and paternalistically in some instances—guiding people’s conduct.  The discussion proceeds by drawing attention to social aspects that are often neglected in theoretical discussions on reason-giving. A skeptical conclusion is suggested: one can rarely guarantee that any predetermined value will be achieved by the giving of reasons. The degree to which individuals are empowered by the reasons given to them is dependent on the way in which decision-givers envision their reason-giving activity, and this representation is itself conditioned by the social setting of the court. Keywords: Arbitrariness. Reason-giving. Judges.

Irrelevance Reasoning in Knowledge Based Systems

Science.gov (United States)

Levy, A. Y.

1993-01-01

This dissertation considers the problem of reasoning about irrelevance of knowledge in a principled and efficient manner. Specifically, it is concerned with two key problems: (1) developing algorithms for automatically deciding what parts of a knowledge base are irrelevant to a query and (2) the utility of relevance reasoning. The dissertation describes a novel tool, the query-tree, for reasoning about irrelevance. Based on the query-tree, we develop several algorithms for deciding what formulas are irrelevant to a query. Our general framework sheds new light on the problem of detecting independence of queries from updates. We present new results that significantly extend previous work in this area. The framework also provides a setting in which to investigate the connection between the notion of irrelevance and the creation of abstractions. We propose a new approach to research on reasoning with abstractions, in which we investigate the properties of an abstraction by considering the irrelevance claims on which it is based. We demonstrate the potential of the approach for the cases of abstraction of predicates and projection of predicate arguments. Finally, we describe an application of relevance reasoning to the domain of modeling physical devices.

Transformational Grammar and Cognitive Psycholinguistics.

Science.gov (United States)

Lester, Mark

1973-01-01

An overview of Noam Chomsky's theories about transformational grammar and phonology is given. Since Chomsky was interested in characterizing what it is to know a language, the ways in which we demonstrate knowledge of our native language are discussed in detail. Particular emphasis is placed on describing how the transformational approach actually…

Natural plasmid transformation in a high-frequency-of transformation marine Vibrio strain

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Frischer, M.E.; Thurmond, J.M.; Paul, J.H.

1990-01-01

The estuarine bacterium Vibrio strain DI-9 has been shown to be naturally transformable with both broad host range plasmid multimers and homologous chromosomal DNA at average frequencies of 3.5 x 10 -9 and 3.4 x 10 -7 transformants per recipient, respectively. Growth of plasmid transformants in nonselective medium resulted in cured strains that transformed 6 to 42,857 times more frequently than the parental strain, depending on the type of transforming DNA. These high-frequency-of-transformation (HfT) strains were transformed at frequencies ranging from 1.1 x 10 -8 to 1.3 x 10 -4 transformants per recipient with plasmid DNA and at an average frequency of 8.3 x 10 -5 transformants per recipient with homologous chromosomal DNA. The highest transformation frequencies were observed by using multimers of an R1162 derivative carrying the transposon Tn5 (pQSR50). Probing of total DNA preparations from one of the cured strains demonstrated that no plasmid DNA remained in the cured strains which may have provided homology to the transforming DNA. All transformants and cured strains could be differentiated from the parental strains by colony morphology. DNA binding studies indicated that late-log-phase HfT strains bound [ 3 H]bacteriophage lambda DNA 2.1 times more rapidly than the parental strain. These results suggest that the original plasmid transformation event of strain DI-9 was the result of uptake and expression of plasmid DNA by a competent mutant (HfT strain). Additionally, it was found that a strain of Vibrio parahaemolyticus, USFS 3420, could be naturally transformed with plasmid DNA. Natural plasmid transformation by high-transforming mutants may be a means of plasmid acquisition by natural aquatic bacterial populations

Status of superconducting power transformer development

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Johnson, R.C.; McConnell, B.W.; Mehta, S.P. [and others

1996-03-01

Development of the superconducting transformer is arguably the most difficult of the ac power applications of superconductivity - this is because of the need for very low ac losses, adequate fault and surge performance, and the rigors of the application environment. This paper briefly summarizes the history of superconducting transformer projects, reviews the key issues for superconducting transformers, and examines the status of HTS transformer development. Both 630-kVA, three-phase and 1-MVA single phase demonstration units are expected to operate in late 1996. Both efforts will further progress toward the development of economical and performance competitive superconducting transformers.

Power enhancement of piezoelectric transformers by adding heat transfer equipment.

Science.gov (United States)

Su, Yu-Hao; Liu, Yuan-Ping; Vasic, Dejan; Wu, Wen-Jong; Costa, François; Lee, Chih-Kung

2012-10-01

It is known that piezoelectric transformers have several inherent advantages compared with conventional electromagnetic transformers. However, the maximum power capacity of piezoelectric transformers is not as large as electromagnetic transformers in practice, especially in the case of high output current. The theoretical power density of piezoelectric transformers calculated by stress boundary can reach 330 W/cm(3), but no piezoelectric transformer has ever reached such a high power density in practice. The power density of piezoelectric transformers is limited to 33 W/cm(3) in practical applications. The underlying reason is that the maximum passing current of the piezoelectric material (mechanical current) is limited by the temperature rise caused by heat generation. To increase this current and the power capacity, we proposed to add a thermal pad to the piezoelectric transformer to dissipate heat. The experimental results showed that the proposed techniques can increase by 3 times the output current of the piezoelectric transformer. A theoretical-phenomenological model which explains the relationship between vibration velocity and generated heat is also established to verify the experimental results.

CONFLICTING REASONS

OpenAIRE

Parfit, Derek

2016-01-01

Sidgwick believed that, when impartial reasons conflict with self-interested reasons, there are no truths about their relative strength. There are such truths, I claim, but these truths are imprecise. Many self-interested reasons are decisively outweighed by conflicting impar-tial moral reasons. But we often have sufficient self-interested reasons to do what would make things go worse, and we sometimes have sufficient self-interested reasons to act wrongly. If we reject Act Consequentialism, ...

Speed of reasoning and its relation to reasoning ability

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Goldhammer, F.; Klein Entink, R.H.

2011-01-01

The study investigates empirical properties of reasoning speed which is conceived as the fluency of solving reasoning problems. Responses and response times in reasoning tasks are modeled jointly to clarify the covariance structure of reasoning speed and reasoning ability. To determine underlying

Bayesian analogy with relational transformations.

Science.gov (United States)

Lu, Hongjing; Chen, Dawn; Holyoak, Keith J

2012-07-01

How can humans acquire relational representations that enable analogical inference and other forms of high-level reasoning? Using comparative relations as a model domain, we explore the possibility that bottom-up learning mechanisms applied to objects coded as feature vectors can yield representations of relations sufficient to solve analogy problems. We introduce Bayesian analogy with relational transformations (BART) and apply the model to the task of learning first-order comparative relations (e.g., larger, smaller, fiercer, meeker) from a set of animal pairs. Inputs are coded by vectors of continuous-valued features, based either on human magnitude ratings, normed feature ratings (De Deyne et al., 2008), or outputs of the topics model (Griffiths, Steyvers, & Tenenbaum, 2007). Bootstrapping from empirical priors, the model is able to induce first-order relations represented as probabilistic weight distributions, even when given positive examples only. These learned representations allow classification of novel instantiations of the relations and yield a symbolic distance effect of the sort obtained with both humans and other primates. BART then transforms its learned weight distributions by importance-guided mapping, thereby placing distinct dimensions into correspondence. These transformed representations allow BART to reliably solve 4-term analogies (e.g., larger:smaller::fiercer:meeker), a type of reasoning that is arguably specific to humans. Our results provide a proof-of-concept that structured analogies can be solved with representations induced from unstructured feature vectors by mechanisms that operate in a largely bottom-up fashion. We discuss potential implications for algorithmic and neural models of relational thinking, as well as for the evolution of abstract thought. Copyright 2012 APA, all rights reserved.

A control system verifier using automated reasoning software

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smith, D.E.; Seeman, S.E.

1985-08-01

An on-line, automated reasoning software system for verifying the actions of other software or human control systems has been developed. It was demonstrated by verifying the actions of an automated procedure generation system. The verifier uses an interactive theorem prover as its inference engine with the rules included as logical axioms. Operation of the verifier is generally transparent except when the verifier disagrees with the actions of the monitored software. Testing with an automated procedure generation system demonstrates the successful application of automated reasoning software for verification of logical actions in a diverse, redundant manner. A higher degree of confidence may be placed in the verified actions of the combined system

Transformation of Botrytis cinerea by direct hyphal blasting or by wound-mediated transformation of sclerotia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ish - Shalom Shahar

2011-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Botrytis cinerea is a haploid necrotrophic ascomycete which is responsible for 'grey mold' disease in more than 200 plant species. Broad molecular research has been conducted on this pathogen in recent years, resulting in the sequencing of two strains, which has generated a wealth of information toward developing additional tools for molecular transcriptome, proteome and secretome investigations. Nonetheless, transformation protocols have remained a significant bottleneck for this pathogen, hindering functional analysis research in many labs. Results In this study, we tested three different transformation methods for B. cinerea: electroporation, air-pressure-mediated and sclerotium-mediated transformation. We demonstrate successful transformation with three different DNA constructs using both air-pressure- and sclerotium-mediated transformation. Conclusions These transformation methods, which are fast, simple and reproducible, can expedite functional gene analysis of B. cinerea.

77 FR 32977 - Announcement of Funding Awards for Fiscal Year 2012 Transformation Initiative: Choice...

Science.gov (United States)

2012-06-04

... Awards for Fiscal Year 2012 Transformation Initiative: Choice Neighborhoods Demonstration Small Research... awards for the Fiscal Year (FY) 2012 Transformation Initiative: Choice Neighborhoods Demonstration Small... Under the Fiscal Year 2012 Transformation Initiative: Choice Neighborhoods Demonstration Small Research...

Relations between Inductive Reasoning and Deductive Reasoning

Science.gov (United States)

Heit, Evan; Rotello, Caren M.

2010-01-01

One of the most important open questions in reasoning research is how inductive reasoning and deductive reasoning are related. In an effort to address this question, we applied methods and concepts from memory research. We used 2 experiments to examine the effects of logical validity and premise-conclusion similarity on evaluation of arguments.…

Deformation-induced phase transformation in 4H–SiC nanopillars

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, Bin; Wang, Jun; Zhu, Yiwei; Liao, Xiaozhou; Lu, Chunsheng; Mai, Yiu-Wing; Ringer, Simon P.; Ke, Fujiu; Shen, Yaogen

2014-01-01

The deformation behaviour of single-crystal SiC nanopillars was studied by a combination of in situ deformation transmission electron microscopy and molecular dynamics simulations. An unexpected deformation-induced phase transformation from the 4H hexagonal structure to the 3C face-centred cubic structure was observed in these nanopillars at room temperature. Atomistic simulations revealed that the 4H to 3C phase transformation follows a stick–slip process with initiation and end stresses of 12.1–14.0 and 7.9–9.0 GPa, respectively. The experimentally measured stress of 9–10 GPa for the phase transformation falls within the range of these theoretical upper and lower stresses. The reasons for the phase transformation are discussed. The finding sheds light on the understanding of phase transformation in polytypic materials at low temperature

Emotional and cognitive stimuli differentially engage the default network during inductive reasoning.

Science.gov (United States)

Eldaief, Mark C; Deckersbach, Thilo; Carlson, Lindsay E; Beucke, Jan C; Dougherty, Darin D

2012-04-01

The brain's default network (DN) is comprised of several cortical regions demonstrating robust intrinsic connectivity at rest. The authors sought to examine the differential effects of emotional reasoning and reasoning under certainty upon the DN through the employment of an event-related fMRI design in healthy participants. Participants were presented with syllogistic arguments which were organized into a 2 × 2 factorial design in which the first factor was emotional salience and the second factor was certainty/uncertainty. We demonstrate that regions of the DN were activated both during reasoning that is emotionally salient and during reasoning which is more certain, suggesting that these processes are neurally instantiated on a network level. In addition, we present evidence that emotional reasoning preferentially activates the dorsomedial (dMPFC) subsystem of the DN, whereas reasoning in the context of certainty activates areas specific to the DN's medial temporal (MTL) subsystem. We postulate that emotional reasoning mobilizes the dMPFC subsystem of the DN because this type of reasoning relies upon the recruitment of introspective and self-relevant data such as personal bias and temperament. In contrast, activation of the MTL subsystem during certainty argues that this form of reasoning involves the recruitment of mnemonic and semantic associations to derive conclusions.

Canonical transformation path to gauge theories of gravity

Science.gov (United States)

Struckmeier, J.; Muench, J.; Vasak, D.; Kirsch, J.; Hanauske, M.; Stoecker, H.

2017-06-01

In this paper, the generic part of the gauge theory of gravity is derived, based merely on the action principle and on the general principle of relativity. We apply the canonical transformation framework to formulate geometrodynamics as a gauge theory. The starting point of our paper is constituted by the general De Donder-Weyl Hamiltonian of a system of scalar and vector fields, which is supposed to be form-invariant under (global) Lorentz transformations. Following the reasoning of gauge theories, the corresponding locally form-invariant system is worked out by means of canonical transformations. The canonical transformation approach ensures by construction that the form of the action functional is maintained. We thus encounter amended Hamiltonian systems which are form-invariant under arbitrary spacetime transformations. This amended system complies with the general principle of relativity and describes both, the dynamics of the given physical system's fields and their coupling to those quantities which describe the dynamics of the spacetime geometry. In this way, it is unambiguously determined how spin-0 and spin-1 fields couple to the dynamics of spacetime. A term that describes the dynamics of the "free" gauge fields must finally be added to the amended Hamiltonian, as common to all gauge theories, to allow for a dynamic spacetime geometry. The choice of this "dynamics" Hamiltonian is outside of the scope of gauge theory as presented in this paper. It accounts for the remaining indefiniteness of any gauge theory of gravity and must be chosen "by hand" on the basis of physical reasoning. The final Hamiltonian of the gauge theory of gravity is shown to be at least quadratic in the conjugate momenta of the gauge fields—this is beyond the Einstein-Hilbert theory of general relativity.

Geometric Transformations in Engineering Geometry

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

I. F. Borovikov

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Recently, for business purposes, in view of current trends and world experience in training engineers, research and faculty staff there has been a need to transform traditional courses of descriptive geometry into the course of engineering geometry in which the geometrical transformations have to become its main section. On the basis of critical analysis the paper gives suggestions to improve a presentation technique of this section both in the classroom and in academic literature, extend an application scope of geometrical transformations to solve the position and metric tasks and simulation of surfaces, as well as to design complex engineering configurations, which meet a number of pre-specified conditions.The article offers to make a number of considerable amendments to the terms and definitions used in the existing courses of descriptive geometry. It draws some conclusions and makes the appropriate proposals on feasibility of coordination in teaching the movement transformation in the courses of analytical and descriptive geometry. This will provide interdisciplinary team teaching and allow students to be convinced that a combination of analytical and graphic ways to solve geometric tasks is useful and reasonable.The traditional sections of learning courses need to be added with a theory of projective and bi-rational transformations. In terms of application simplicity and convenience it is enough to consider the central transformations when solving the applied tasks. These transformations contain a beam of sub-invariant (low-invariant straight lines on which the invariant curve induces non-involution and involution projectivities. The expediency of nonlinear transformations application is shown in the article by a specific example of geometric modeling of the interfacing surface "spar-blade".Implementation of these suggestions will contribute to a real transformation of a traditional course of descriptive geometry to the engineering geometry

A reversible transform for seismic data processing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Burnett, William A; Ferguson, Robert J

2011-01-01

We use the nonstationary equivalent of the Fourier shift theorem to derive a general one-dimensional integral transform for the application and removal of certain seismic data processing steps. This transform comes from the observation that many seismic data processing steps can be viewed as nonstationary shifts. The continuous form of the transform is exactly reversible, and the discrete form provides a general framework for unitary and pseudounitary imaging operators. Any processing step which can be viewed as a nonstationary shift in any domain is a special case of this transform. Nonstationary shifts generally produce coordinate distortions between input and output domains, and those that preserve amplitudes do not conserve the energy of the input signal. The nonstationary frequency distortions, time distortions and nonphysical energy changes inherent to such operations are predicted and quantified by this transform. Processing steps of this type are conventionally implemented using interpolation operators to map discrete data values between input and output coordinate frames. Although not explicitly derived to perform interpolation, the transform here assumes the Fourier basis to predict values of the input signal between sampling locations. We demonstrate how interpolants commonly used in seismic data processing and imaging approximate the proposed method. We find that our transform is equivalent to the conventional sinc interpolant with no truncation. Once the transform is developed, we demonstrate its numerical implementation by matrix–vector multiplication. As an example, we use our transform to apply and remove normal moveout

Reason with me : 'Confabulation' and interpersonal moral reasoning

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Nyholm, S.R.

2015-01-01

According to Haidt’s ‘social intuitionist model’, empirical moral psychology supports the following conclusion: intuition comes first, strategic reasoning second. Critics have responded by arguing that intuitions can depend on non-conscious reasons, that not being able to articulate one’s reasons

Relations between inductive reasoning and deductive reasoning.

Science.gov (United States)

Heit, Evan; Rotello, Caren M

2010-05-01

One of the most important open questions in reasoning research is how inductive reasoning and deductive reasoning are related. In an effort to address this question, we applied methods and concepts from memory research. We used 2 experiments to examine the effects of logical validity and premise-conclusion similarity on evaluation of arguments. Experiment 1 showed 2 dissociations: For a common set of arguments, deduction judgments were more affected by validity, and induction judgments were more affected by similarity. Moreover, Experiment 2 showed that fast deduction judgments were like induction judgments-in terms of being more influenced by similarity and less influenced by validity, compared with slow deduction judgments. These novel results pose challenges for a 1-process account of reasoning and are interpreted in terms of a 2-process account of reasoning, which was implemented as a multidimensional signal detection model and applied to receiver operating characteristic data. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved.

To Reason or Not to Reason: Is Autobiographical Reasoning Always Beneficial?

Science.gov (United States)

McLean, Kate C.; Mansfield, Cade D.

2011-01-01

Autobiographical reasoning has been found to be a critical process in identity development; however, the authors suggest that existing research shows that such reasoning may not always be critical to another important outcome: well-being. The authors describe characteristics of people such as personality and age, contexts such as conversations,…

Studying entanglement-assisted entanglement transformation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hsu Liyi

2004-01-01

In this paper, we study catalysis of entanglement transformations for n-level pure entangled states. We propose an algorithm of finding the required catalystic entanglement. We introduce several examples by way of demonstration. We evaluate the lower and upper bound of the required inequalities for deciding whether there are m-level appropriate catalyst states for entanglement transformations for two n-level pure entangled states

Diagnostic reasoning strategies and diagnostic success.

Science.gov (United States)

Coderre, S; Mandin, H; Harasym, P H; Fick, G H

2003-08-01

Cognitive psychology research supports the notion that experts use mental frameworks or "schemes", both to organize knowledge in memory and to solve clinical problems. The central purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between problem-solving strategies and the likelihood of diagnostic success. Think-aloud protocols were collected to determine the diagnostic reasoning used by experts and non-experts when attempting to diagnose clinical presentations in gastroenterology. Using logistic regression analysis, the study found that there is a relationship between diagnostic reasoning strategy and the likelihood of diagnostic success. Compared to hypothetico-deductive reasoning, the odds of diagnostic success were significantly greater when subjects used the diagnostic strategies of pattern recognition and scheme-inductive reasoning. Two other factors emerged as independent determinants of diagnostic success: expertise and clinical presentation. Not surprisingly, experts outperformed novices, while the content area of the clinical cases in each of the four clinical presentations demonstrated varying degrees of difficulty and thus diagnostic success. These findings have significant implications for medical educators. It supports the introduction of "schemes" as a means of enhancing memory organization and improving diagnostic success.

Entanglement-continuous unitary transformations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sahin, Serkan; Orus, Roman [Institute of Physics, Johannes Gutenberg University, 55099 Mainz (Germany)

2016-07-01

In this talk we present a new algorithm for quantum many-body systems using continuous unitary transformations (CUT) and tensor networks (TNs). With TNs we are able to approximate the solution to the flow equations that lie at the heart of continuous unitary transformations. We call this method Entanglement-Continuous Unitary Transformations (eCUT). It allows us to compute expectation values of local observables as well as tensor network representations of ground states and low-energy excited states. An implementation of the method is shown for 1d systems using matrix product operators. We show preliminary results for the 1d transverse-field Ising model to demonstrate the feasibility of the method.

Levels of conflict in reasoning modulate right lateral prefrontal cortex.

Science.gov (United States)

Stollstorff, Melanie; Vartanian, Oshin; Goel, Vinod

2012-01-05

Right lateral prefrontal cortex (rlPFC) has previously been implicated in logical reasoning under conditions of conflict. A functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study was conducted to explore its role in conflict more precisely. Specifically, we distinguished between belief-logic conflict and belief-content conflict, and examined the role of rlPFC under each condition. The results demonstrated that a specific region of rlPFC is consistently activated under both types of conflict. Moreover, the results of a parametric analysis demonstrated that the same region was modulated by the level of conflict contained in reasoning arguments. This supports the idea that this specific region is engaged to resolve conflict, including during deductive reasoning. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled "The Cognitive Neuroscience of Thought". Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Application of the Sumudu Transform to Discrete Dynamic Systems

Science.gov (United States)

Asiru, Muniru Aderemi

2003-01-01

The Sumudu transform is an integral transform introduced to solve differential equations and control engineering problems. The transform possesses many interesting properties that make visualization easier and application has been demonstrated in the solution of partial differential equations, integral equations, integro-differential equations and…

Using Relational Reasoning Strategies to Help Improve Clinical Reasoning Practice.

Science.gov (United States)

Dumas, Denis; Torre, Dario M; Durning, Steven J

2018-05-01

Clinical reasoning-the steps up to and including establishing a diagnosis and/or therapy-is a fundamentally important mental process for physicians. Unfortunately, mounting evidence suggests that errors in clinical reasoning lead to substantial problems for medical professionals and patients alike, including suboptimal care, malpractice claims, and rising health care costs. For this reason, cognitive strategies by which clinical reasoning may be improved-and that many expert clinicians are already using-are highly relevant for all medical professionals, educators, and learners.In this Perspective, the authors introduce one group of cognitive strategies-termed relational reasoning strategies-that have been empirically shown, through limited educational and psychological research, to improve the accuracy of learners' reasoning both within and outside of the medical disciplines. The authors contend that relational reasoning strategies may help clinicians to be metacognitive about their own clinical reasoning; such strategies may also be particularly well suited for explicitly organizing clinical reasoning instruction for learners. Because the particular curricular efforts that may improve the relational reasoning of medical students are not known at this point, the authors describe the nature of previous research on relational reasoning strategies to encourage the future design, implementation, and evaluation of instructional interventions for relational reasoning within the medical education literature. The authors also call for continued research on using relational reasoning strategies and their role in clinical practice and medical education, with the long-term goal of improving diagnostic accuracy.

Step-Indexed Relational Reasoning for Countable Nondeterminism

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Birkedal, Lars; Bizjak, Aleš; Schwinghamme, Jan

2013-01-01

for programming languages with countable nondeterminism is challenging. We present a step-indexed logical relations model of a higher-order functional programming language with countable nondeterminism and demonstrate how it can be used to reason about contextually defined may- and must-equivalence. In earlier...

Application of automated reasoning software: procedure generation system verifier

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smith, D.E.; Seeman, S.E.

1984-09-01

An on-line, automated reasoning software system for verifying the actions of other software or human control systems has been developed. It was demonstrated by verifying the actions of an automated procedure generation system. The verifier uses an interactive theorem prover as its inference engine with the rules included as logic axioms. Operation of the verifier is generally transparent except when the verifier disagrees with the actions of the monitored software. Testing with an automated procedure generation system demonstrates the successful application of automated reasoning software for verification of logical actions in a diverse, redundant manner. A higher degree of confidence may be placed in the verified actions gathered by the combined system

Transformations and representations supporting spatial perspective taking

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Alfred B.; Zacks, Jeffrey M.

2018-01-01

Spatial perspective taking is the ability to reason about spatial relations relative to another’s viewpoint. Here, we propose a mechanistic hypothesis that relates mental representations of one’s viewpoint to the transformations used for spatial perspective taking. We test this hypothesis using a novel behavioral paradigm that assays patterns of response time and variation in those patterns across people. The results support the hypothesis that people maintain a schematic representation of the space around their body, update that representation to take another’s perspective, and thereby to reason about the space around their body. This is a powerful computational mechanism that can support imitation, coordination of behavior, and observational learning. PMID:29545731

Transformation of critical theory into apology in the work of Jurgen Habermas

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vratuša-Žunjić Vera A.

2000-01-01

Full Text Available In the paper is analyzed transformation of one part of 'critical theoreticians' into apologists and ideologists of the new old world capitalist order, within the context of twentieth century social conflicts. In the focus of attention is the article 'Bestiality and Humanism - A War on the Border between Law and Moral', that Habermas published during the 1999 NATO bombing of Yugoslavia and criminal violation of all valid national and international legal norms. It is demonstrated that HabermasÆ substitution of the critique of the gap between the preconditions for reasoned communication and real conditions of distorted communication, by moralizing justification of imperialist elimination of the gap between legality and supposed efficacy of the human rightsÆ defense, conducted to the abandonment of critical theoryÆs constitutive elements.

Stable plastid transformation in lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.).

Science.gov (United States)

Lelivelt, Cilia L C; McCabe, Matthew S; Newell, Christine A; Desnoo, C Bastiaan; van Dun, Kees M P; Birch-Machin, Ian; Gray, John C; Mills, Kingston H G; Nugent, Jacqueline M

2005-08-01

Although plastid transformation in higher plants was first demonstrated in the early 1990s it is only recently that the technology is being extended to a broader range of species. To date, the production of fertile transplastomic plants has been reported for tobacco, tomato, petunia, soybean, cotton and Lesquerella fendleri (Brassicaceae). In this study we demonstrate a polyethylene glycol-mediated plastid transformation system for lettuce that generates fertile, homoplasmic, plastid-transformed lines. Transformation was achieved using a vector that targets genes to the trnA/trnI intergenic region of the lettuce plastid genome employing the aadA gene as a selectable marker against spectinomycin. Spectinomycin resistance and heterologous gene transcription were shown in T(1) plants derived from self-pollinated primary regenerants demonstrating transmission of the plastid-encoded transgene to the first seed generation. Crossing with male sterile wild-type lettuce showed that spectinomycin resistance was not transmitted via pollen. Constructs containing the gfp gene showed plastid-based expression of green fluorescent protein. The lettuce plastid could have potential both as a production and a delivery system for edible human therapeutic proteins.

Material parameters and vector scaling in transformation acoustics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cummer, Steven A; Rahm, Marco; Schurig, David

2008-01-01

The degree to which the coordinate transformation concept first demonstrated for electromagnetic waves can be applied to other classes of waves remains an open question. In this work, we thoroughly examine the coordinate transformation invariance of acoustic waves. We employ a purely physical argument to show how the acoustic velocity vector must transform differently than the E and H fields in Maxwell's equations, which explains why acoustic coordinate transformation invariance was not found in some previous analyses. A first principles analysis of the acoustic equations under arbitrary coordinate transformations confirms that the divergence operator is preserved only if velocity transforms in this physically correct way. This analysis also yields closed-form expressions for the bulk modulus and mass density tensor of the material required to realize an arbitrary coordinate transformation on the acoustic fields, which we show are equivalent to forms presented elsewhere. We demonstrate the computation of these material parameters in two specific cases and show that the change in velocity and pressure gradient vectors under a nonorthogonal coordinate transformation is precisely how these vectors must change from purely physical arguments. This analysis confirms that all of the electromagnetic devices and materials that have been conceived using the coordinate transformation approach are also in principle realizable for acoustic waves. Together with previous work, this analysis also shows how the curl, divergence and gradient operators maintain form under arbitrary coordinate transformations, opening the door to analyzing other wave systems built on these three vector operators.

Finite element simulation of piezoelectric transformers.

Science.gov (United States)

Tsuchiya, T; Kagawa, Y; Wakatsuki, N; Okamura, H

2001-07-01

Piezoelectric transformers are nothing but ultrasonic resonators with two pairs of electrodes provided on the surface of a piezoelectric substrate in which electrical energy is carried in the mechanical form. The input and output electrodes are arranged to provide the impedance transformation, which results in the voltage transformation. As they are operated at a resonance, the electrical equivalent circuit approach has traditionally been developed in a rather empirical way and has been used for analysis and design. The present paper deals with the analysis of the piezoelectric transformers based on the three-dimensional finite element modelling. The PIEZO3D code that we have developed is modified to include the external loading conditions. The finite element approach is now available for a wide variety of the electrical boundary conditions. The equivalent circuit of lumped parameters can also be derived from the finite element method (FEM) solution if required. The simulation of the present transformers is made for the low intensity operation and compared with the experimental results. Demonstration is made for basic Rosen-type transformers in which the longitudinal mode of a plate plays an important role; in which the equivalent circuit of lumped constants has been used. However, there are many modes of vibration associated with the plate, the effect of which cannot always be ignored. In the experiment, the double resonances are sometimes observed in the vicinity of the operating frequency. The simulation demonstrates that this is due to the coupling of the longitudinal mode with the flexural mode. Thus, the simulation provides an invaluable guideline to the transformer design.

Scientific reasoning abilities of nonscience majors in physics-based courses

Science.gov (United States)

Moore, J. Christopher; Rubbo, Louis J.

2012-06-01

We have found that non-STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) majors taking either a conceptual physics or astronomy course at two regional comprehensive institutions score significantly lower preinstruction on the Lawson’s Classroom Test of Scientific Reasoning (LCTSR) in comparison to national average STEM majors. Based on LCTSR score, the majority of non-STEM students can be classified as either concrete operational or transitional reasoners in Piaget’s theory of cognitive development, whereas in the STEM population formal operational reasoners are far more prevalent. In particular, non-STEM students demonstrate significant difficulty with proportional and hypothetico-deductive reasoning. Prescores on the LCTSR are correlated with normalized learning gains on various concept inventories. The correlation is strongest for content that can be categorized as mostly theoretical, meaning a lack of directly observable exemplars, and weakest for content categorized as mostly descriptive, where directly observable exemplars are abundant. Although the implementation of research-verified, interactive engagement pedagogy can lead to gains in content knowledge, significant gains in theoretical content (such as force and energy) are more difficult with non-STEM students. We also observe no significant gains on the LCTSR without explicit instruction in scientific reasoning patterns. These results further demonstrate that differences in student populations are important when comparing normalized gains on concept inventories, and the achievement of significant gains in scientific reasoning requires a reevaluation of the traditional approach to physics for non-STEM students.

Scientific reasoning abilities of nonscience majors in physics-based courses

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

J. Christopher Moore

2012-02-01

Full Text Available We have found that non-STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics majors taking either a conceptual physics or astronomy course at two regional comprehensive institutions score significantly lower preinstruction on the Lawson’s Classroom Test of Scientific Reasoning (LCTSR in comparison to national average STEM majors. Based on LCTSR score, the majority of non-STEM students can be classified as either concrete operational or transitional reasoners in Piaget’s theory of cognitive development, whereas in the STEM population formal operational reasoners are far more prevalent. In particular, non-STEM students demonstrate significant difficulty with proportional and hypothetico-deductive reasoning. Prescores on the LCTSR are correlated with normalized learning gains on various concept inventories. The correlation is strongest for content that can be categorized as mostly theoretical, meaning a lack of directly observable exemplars, and weakest for content categorized as mostly descriptive, where directly observable exemplars are abundant. Although the implementation of research-verified, interactive engagement pedagogy can lead to gains in content knowledge, significant gains in theoretical content (such as force and energy are more difficult with non-STEM students. We also observe no significant gains on the LCTSR without explicit instruction in scientific reasoning patterns. These results further demonstrate that differences in student populations are important when comparing normalized gains on concept inventories, and the achievement of significant gains in scientific reasoning requires a reevaluation of the traditional approach to physics for non-STEM students.

Strengthening moral reasoning through dedicated ethics training in dietetic preparatory programs.

Science.gov (United States)

Hewko, Sarah J; Cooper, Sarah L; Cummings, Greta G

2015-01-01

Moral reasoning skills, associated with the ability to make ethical decisions effectively, must be purposively fostered. Among health professionals, enhanced moral reasoning is linked to superior clinical performance. Research demonstrates that moral reasoning is enhanced through dedicated, discussion-based ethics education offered over a period of 3-12 weeks. Current dietetic students and practicing dietitians seeking to strengthen their moral reasoning skills can undertake elective ethics education. Further research within dietetic preparatory programs is warranted to better inform the development and implementation of ethics courses. Copyright © 2015 Society for Nutrition Education and Behavior. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

PCB transformer fires: the risk in nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Blackmon, K.

1988-01-01

It is estimated that 1/2 of the present nuclear power plants operate with PCB-filled transformer equipment. In an attempt to obtain better estimates of clean-up costs in a nuclear power plant under reasonable-loss scenarios, a study was commissioned. This study was a joint venture between Blackmon-Mooring Steamatic Technologies, Inc., (BMS-TECH) and M and M Protection Consultants. This joint study was conducted at a typical pressurized-water reactor plant consisting of two 1000-MW units. Three specific scenarios were selected and analyzed for this typical power plant. These scenarios were: (1) an electrical failure of a transformer in an isolated switch gear room; (2) a transformer exposed to a 55-gallon transient combustion oil fire in the auxiliary building; and (3) a PCB transformer involved in a major turbine lube fire in the turbine building. Based on results of this study, the insurance carriers for this industry implemented an adjustment in their rate structures for nuclear power plants that have PCB equipment

Evaluating the inverse reasoning account of object discovery.

Science.gov (United States)

Carroll, Christopher D; Kemp, Charles

2015-06-01

People routinely make inferences about unobserved objects. A hotel guest with welts on his arms, for example, will often worry about bed bugs. The discovery of unobserved objects almost always involves a backward inference from some observed effects (e.g., welts) to unobserved causes (e.g., bed bugs). The inverse reasoning account, which is typically formalized as Bayesian inference, posits that the strength of a backward inference is closely connected to the strength of the corresponding forward inference from the unobserved causes to the observed effects. We evaluated the inverse reasoning account of object discovery in three experiments where participants were asked to discover the unobserved "attractors" and "repellers" that controlled a "particle" moving within an arena. Experiments 1 and 2 showed that participants often failed to provide the best explanations for various particle motions, even when the best explanations were simple and when participants enthusiastically endorsed these explanations when presented with them. This failure demonstrates that object discovery is critically dependent on the processes that support hypothesis generation-processes that the inverse reasoning account does not explain. Experiment 3 demonstrated that people sometimes generate explanations that are invalid even according to their own forward inferences, suggesting that the psychological processes that support forward and backward inference are less intertwined than the inverse reasoning account suggests. The experimental findings support an alternative account of object discovery in which people rely on heuristics to generate possible explanations. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A Rigid Image Registration Based on the Nonsubsampled Contourlet Transform and Genetic Algorithms

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nasreddine Taleb

2010-09-01

Full Text Available Image registration is a fundamental task used in image processing to match two or more images taken at different times, from different sensors or from different viewpoints. The objective is to find in a huge search space of geometric transformations, an acceptable accurate solution in a reasonable time to provide better registered images. Exhaustive search is computationally expensive and the computational cost increases exponentially with the number of transformation parameters and the size of the data set. In this work, we present an efficient image registration algorithm that uses genetic algorithms within a multi-resolution framework based on the Non-Subsampled Contourlet Transform (NSCT. An adaptable genetic algorithm for registration is adopted in order to minimize the search space. This approach is used within a hybrid scheme applying the two techniques fitness sharing and elitism. Two NSCT based methods are proposed for registration. A comparative study is established between these methods and a wavelet based one. Because the NSCT is a shift-invariant multidirectional transform, the second method is adopted for its search speeding up property. Simulation results clearly show that both proposed techniques are really promising methods for image registration compared to the wavelet approach, while the second technique has led to the best performance results of all. Moreover, to demonstrate the effectiveness of these methods, these registration techniques have been successfully applied to register SPOT, IKONOS and Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR images. The algorithm has been shown to work perfectly well for multi-temporal satellite images as well, even in the presence of noise.

A rigid image registration based on the nonsubsampled contourlet transform and genetic algorithms.

Science.gov (United States)

Meskine, Fatiha; Chikr El Mezouar, Miloud; Taleb, Nasreddine

2010-01-01

Image registration is a fundamental task used in image processing to match two or more images taken at different times, from different sensors or from different viewpoints. The objective is to find in a huge search space of geometric transformations, an acceptable accurate solution in a reasonable time to provide better registered images. Exhaustive search is computationally expensive and the computational cost increases exponentially with the number of transformation parameters and the size of the data set. In this work, we present an efficient image registration algorithm that uses genetic algorithms within a multi-resolution framework based on the Non-Subsampled Contourlet Transform (NSCT). An adaptable genetic algorithm for registration is adopted in order to minimize the search space. This approach is used within a hybrid scheme applying the two techniques fitness sharing and elitism. Two NSCT based methods are proposed for registration. A comparative study is established between these methods and a wavelet based one. Because the NSCT is a shift-invariant multidirectional transform, the second method is adopted for its search speeding up property. Simulation results clearly show that both proposed techniques are really promising methods for image registration compared to the wavelet approach, while the second technique has led to the best performance results of all. Moreover, to demonstrate the effectiveness of these methods, these registration techniques have been successfully applied to register SPOT, IKONOS and Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) images. The algorithm has been shown to work perfectly well for multi-temporal satellite images as well, even in the presence of noise.

Transform and filtration methods in fluctuation analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Saxe, R.F.

1976-01-01

Digitized fluctuation signals from an ex-core ion-chamber of a PWR were analysed to produce a Power Spectral Density, (PSD), curve by two means: (1) by digital filter techniques and (2) by a Fast Fourier Transform program. For both these methods, the effects of the precision of the input data were investigated and it is shown that reasonably good PSD curves may be obtained using very poor input precision. (author)

Cell of origin of transformed follicular lymphoma

Science.gov (United States)

Kridel, Robert; Mottok, Anja; Farinha, Pedro; Ben-Neriah, Susana; Ennishi, Daisuke; Zheng, Yvonne; Chavez, Elizabeth A.; Shulha, Hennady P.; Tan, King; Chan, Fong Chun; Boyle, Merrill; Meissner, Barbara; Telenius, Adele; Sehn, Laurie H.; Marra, Marco A.; Shah, Sohrab P.; Steidl, Christian; Connors, Joseph M.; Scott, David W.

2015-01-01

Follicular lymphoma (FL) is an indolent disease but transforms in 2% to 3% of patients per year into aggressive, large cell lymphoma, a critical event in the course of the disease associated with increased lymphoma-related mortality. Early transformation cannot be accurately predicted at the time of FL diagnosis and the biology of transformed FL (TFL) is poorly understood. Here, we assembled a cohort of 126 diagnostic FL specimens including 40 patients experiencing transformation (transformation for at least 5 years. In addition, we assembled an overlapping cohort of 155 TFL patients, including 114 cases for which paired samples were available, and assessed temporal changes of routinely available biomarkers, outcome after transformation, as well as molecular subtypes of TFL. We report that the expression of IRF4 is an independent predictor of early transformation (Hazard ratio, 13.3; P transformation predicts favorable prognosis. Moreover, applying the Lymph2Cx digital gene expression assay for diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) cell-of-origin determination to 110 patients with DLBCL-like TFL, we demonstrate that TFL is of the germinal-center B-cell–like subtype in the majority of cases (80%) but that a significant proportion of cases is of the activated B-cell–like (ABC) subtype (16%). These latter cases are commonly negative for BCL2 translocation and arise preferentially from BCL2 translocation-negative and/or IRF4-expressing FLs. Our study demonstrates the existence of molecular heterogeneity in TFL as well as its relationship to the antecedent FL. PMID:26307535

Parseval-Type Relations for Laplace Transform and their Applications

Science.gov (United States)

Herman, S.; Maceli, J.; Rogala, M.; Yurekli, O.

2008-01-01

In the present note, two Parseval-type relations involving the Laplace transform are given. The application of the relations is demonstrated in evaluating improper integrals and Laplace transforms of trigonometric functions.

Model-based reasoning and the control of process plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vaelisuo, Heikki

1993-02-01

prior systematic verification of the algorithms. To handle problems related to power plant control, a CLP(R) constraint describing the properties of saturated steam is developed. Also heat transfer through a wall of a pipe in a heat exchanger is described by a coarse model. From this basis a constraint model of a simplified power plant feedwater system is constructed to demonstrate the principles of constraint reasoning. The emphasis of the report is on presenting the principles of the approach, on demonstrating the potential power of the approach and constraint logic programming in general. The results of the project will be well-defined principles, a prototype implementation, some demonstrations and a specification of a general-purpose tool. Neither the current algorithm nor the ideas presented in this report are yet fully verified. (author)

Combined Sparsifying Transforms for Compressive Image Fusion

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

ZHAO, L.

2013-11-01

Full Text Available In this paper, we present a new compressive image fusion method based on combined sparsifying transforms. First, the framework of compressive image fusion is introduced briefly. Then, combined sparsifying transforms are presented to enhance the sparsity of images. Finally, a reconstruction algorithm based on the nonlinear conjugate gradient is presented to get the fused image. The simulations demonstrate that by using the combined sparsifying transforms better results can be achieved in terms of both the subjective visual effect and the objective evaluation indexes than using only a single sparsifying transform for compressive image fusion.

Connecting the dots and merging meaning: using mixed methods to study primary care delivery transformation.

Science.gov (United States)

Scammon, Debra L; Tomoaia-Cotisel, Andrada; Day, Rachel L; Day, Julie; Kim, Jaewhan; Waitzman, Norman J; Farrell, Timothy W; Magill, Michael K

2013-12-01

To demonstrate the value of mixed methods in the study of practice transformation and illustrate procedures for connecting methods and for merging findings to enhance the meaning derived. An integrated network of university-owned, primary care practices at the University of Utah (Community Clinics or CCs). CC has adopted Care by Design, its version of the Patient Centered Medical Home. Convergent case study mixed methods design. Analysis of archival documents, internal operational reports, in-clinic observations, chart audits, surveys, semistructured interviews, focus groups, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services database, and the Utah All Payer Claims Database. Each data source enriched our understanding of the change process and understanding of reasons that certain changes were more difficult than others both in general and for particular clinics. Mixed methods enabled generation and testing of hypotheses about change and led to a comprehensive understanding of practice change. Mixed methods are useful in studying practice transformation. Challenges exist but can be overcome with careful planning and persistence. © Health Research and Educational Trust.

Correspondence between quantum-optical transform and classical-optical transform explored by developing Dirac's symbolic method

Science.gov (United States)

Fan, Hong-yi; Hu, Li-yun

2012-06-01

By virtue of the new technique of performing integration over Dirac's ket-bra operators, we explore quantum optical version of classical optical transformations such as optical Fresnel transform, Hankel transform, fractional Fourier transform, Wigner transform, wavelet transform and Fresnel-Hadmard combinatorial transform etc. In this way one may gain benefit for developing classical optics theory from the research in quantum optics, or vice-versa. We cannot only find some new quantum mechanical unitary operators which correspond to the known optical transformations, deriving a new theorem for calculating quantum tomogram of density operators, but also can reveal some new classical optical transformations. For examples, we find the generalized Fresnel operator (GFO) to correspond to the generalized Fresnel transform (GFT) in classical optics. We derive GFO's normal product form and its canonical coherent state representation and find that GFO is the loyal representation of symplectic group multiplication rule. We show that GFT is just the transformation matrix element of GFO in the coordinate representation such that two successive GFTs is still a GFT. The ABCD rule of the Gaussian beam propagation is directly demonstrated in the context of quantum optics. Especially, the introduction of quantum mechanical entangled state representations opens up a new area in finding new classical optical transformations. The complex wavelet transform and the condition of mother wavelet are studied in the context of quantum optics too. Throughout our discussions, the coherent state, the entangled state representation of the two-mode squeezing operators and the technique of integration within an ordered product (IWOP) of operators are fully used. All these have confirmed Dirac's assertion: "...for a quantum dynamic system that has a classical analogue, unitary transformation in the quantum theory is the analogue of contact transformation in the classical theory".

The importance of proper crystal-chemical and geometrical reasoning demonstrated using layered single and double hydroxides

Science.gov (United States)

Richardson, Ian G.

2013-01-01

Atomistic modelling techniques and Rietveld refinement of X-ray powder diffraction data are widely used but often result in crystal structures that are not realistic, presumably because the authors neglect to check the crystal-chemical plausibility of their structure. The purpose of this paper is to reinforce the importance and utility of proper crystal-chemical and geometrical reasoning in structural studies. It is achieved by using such reasoning to generate new yet fundamental information about layered double hydroxides (LDH), a large, much-studied family of compounds. LDH phases are derived from layered single hydroxides by the substitution of a fraction (x) of the divalent cations by trivalent. Equations are derived that enable calculation of x from the a parameter of the unit cell and vice versa, which can be expected to be of widespread utility as a sanity test for extant and future structure determinations and computer simulation studies. The phase at x = 0 is shown to be an α form of divalent metal hydroxide rather than the β polymorph. Crystal-chemically sensible model structures are provided for β-Zn(OH)2 and Ni- and Mg-based carbonate LDH phases that have any trivalent cation and any value of x, including x = 0 [i.e. for α-M(OH)2·mH2O phases]. PMID:23719702

Effect of sun radiation on the thermal behavior of distribution transformer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hajidavalloo, Ebrahim; Mohamadianfard, Mohamad

2010-01-01

Performance and life of oil-immersed distribution transformers are strongly dependent on the oil temperature. Transformers, working in regions with high temperature and high solar radiation, usually suffer from excessive heat in summers which results in their early failures. In this paper, the effect of sun radiation on the transformer was investigated by using experimental and analytical methods. Transformer oil temperature was measured in two different modes, with and without sun shield. Effects of different parameters such as direct and indirect solar radiation on the thermal behavior of the transformer were mathematically modeled and the results were compared with experimental findings. Agreements between the experimental and numerical results show that the model can reasonably predict thermal behavior of the transformer. It was found that a sun shield has an important effect on the oil temperature reduction in summer which could be as high as 7 deg. C depending on the load ratio. The amount of temperature reduction by sun shield reduces as the load ratio of transformer increases. By installing a sun shield and reducing oil temperature, transformer life could be increased up to 24% in average.

Martensitic transformation in zirconia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Deville, Sylvain; Guenin, Gerard; Chevalier, Jerome

2004-01-01

We investigate by atomic force microscopy (AFM) the surface relief resulting from martensitic tetragonal to monoclinic phase transformation induced by low temperature autoclave aging in ceria-stabilized zirconia. AFM appears as a very powerful tool to investigate martensite relief quantitatively and with a great precision. The crystallographic phenomenological theory is used to predict the expected relief induced by the transformation, for the particular case of lattice correspondence ABC1, where tetragonal c axis becomes the monoclinic c axis. A model for variants spatial arrangement for this lattice correspondence is proposed and validated by the experimental observations. An excellent agreement is found between the quantitative calculations outputs and the experimental measurements at nanometer scale yielded by AFM. All the observed features are explained fully quantitatively by the calculations, with discrepancies between calculations and quantitative experimental measurements within the measurements and calculations precision range. In particular, the crystallographic orientation of the transformed grains is determined from the local characteristics of transformation induced relief. It is finally demonstrated that the strain energy is the controlling factor of the surface transformation induced by low temperature autoclave treatments in this material

76 FR 68774 - Notice of Submission of Proposed Information Collection to OMB Transformation Initiative: Choice...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-11-07

... Proposed Information Collection to OMB Transformation Initiative: Choice Neighborhoods Demonstration, Small... (HUD) intends to make funding available from the FY 2012 Transformation Initiative for Research Grants... following information: Title of Proposal: Transformation Initiative: Choice Neighborhoods Demonstration...

Perceptual and Action Routines in Diagrammatic Reasoning for Entity-Reidentification

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Banerjee, Bonny; Chandrasekaran, B

2004-01-01

.... In earlier papers, we described a diagrammatic reasoning architecture, and demonstrated the approach for instances of maneuver recognition and information fusion for entity-reidentification problems...

High Accuracy Evaluation of the Finite Fourier Transform Using Sampled Data

Science.gov (United States)

Morelli, Eugene A.

1997-01-01

Many system identification and signal processing procedures can be done advantageously in the frequency domain. A required preliminary step for this approach is the transformation of sampled time domain data into the frequency domain. The analytical tool used for this transformation is the finite Fourier transform. Inaccuracy in the transformation can degrade system identification and signal processing results. This work presents a method for evaluating the finite Fourier transform using cubic interpolation of sampled time domain data for high accuracy, and the chirp Zeta-transform for arbitrary frequency resolution. The accuracy of the technique is demonstrated in example cases where the transformation can be evaluated analytically. Arbitrary frequency resolution is shown to be important for capturing details of the data in the frequency domain. The technique is demonstrated using flight test data from a longitudinal maneuver of the F-18 High Alpha Research Vehicle.

Commissioning of the new AGS MMPS transformers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bajon, E.; Badea, V. S.; Bannon, M.; Bonati, R.; Marneris, I. M.; Porqueddu, R.; Roser, T.; Sandberg, J.; Savatteri, S.

2009-01-01

The Brookhaven AGS Main Magnet Power Supply (MMPS) is a thyristor control supply rated at 5500 Amps. +/-9000 Volts. The peak magnet power is 50 MWatts. The power supply is fed from a motor/generator manufactured by Siemens. During rectify and invert operation the P Bank power supplies are used. During the flattops the F Bank power supplies are used. The P Bank power supplies are fed from two 23 MVA transformers and the F Bank power supplies are fed from two 5.3 MYA transformers. The fundamental frequency of the F Bank power supplies is 1440 Hz, however the fundamental frequency of the P banks was 720 Hz. It was very important to reduce the ripple during rectify to improve polarized proton operations. For this reason and also because the original transformers were 45 years old we replaced these transformers with new ones and we made the fundamental frequency of both P and F banks 1440 Hz. This paper will highlight the major hurdles that were involved during the installation of the new transformers. It will present waveforms while running at different power levels up to 6MW full load. It will show the transition from the F-Bank power supplies to the P-Banks and also show the improvements in ripple made on the P-Bank power supplies

Commissioning of the new AGS MMPS transformers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bajon,E.; Badea, V. S.; Bannon, M.; Bonati, R.; Marneris, I. M.; Porqueddu, r.; Roser, T.; Sandberg, J.; Savatteri, S.

2009-05-04

The Brookhaven AGS Main Magnet Power Supply (MMPS) is a thyristor control supply rated at 5500 Amps. +/-9000 Volts. The peak magnet power is 50 MWatts. The power supply is fed from a motor/generator manufactured by Siemens. During rectify and invert operation the P Bank power supplies are used. During the flattops the F Bank power supplies are used. The P Bank power supplies are fed from two 23 MVA transformers and the F Bank power supplies are fed from two 5.3 MYA transformers. The fundamental frequency of the F Bank power supplies is 1440 Hz, however the fundamental frequency of the P banks was 720 Hz. It was very important to reduce the ripple during rectify to improve polarized proton operations. For this reason and also because the original transformers were 45 years old we replaced these transformers with new ones and we made the fundamental frequency of both P and F banks 1440 Hz. This paper will highlight the major hurdles that were involved during the installation of the new transformers. It will present waveforms while running at different power levels up to 6MW full load. It will show the transition from the F-Bank power supplies to the P-Banks and also show the improvements in ripple made on the P-Bank power supplies.

Lateral prefrontal cortex subregions make dissociable contributions during fluid reasoning.

Science.gov (United States)

Hampshire, Adam; Thompson, Russell; Duncan, John; Owen, Adrian M

2011-01-01

Reasoning is a key component of adaptable "executive" behavior and is known to depend on a network of frontal and parietal brain regions. However, the mechanisms by which this network supports reasoning and adaptable behavior remain poorly defined. Here, we examine the relationship between reasoning, executive control, and frontoparietal function in a series of nonverbal reasoning experiments. Our results demonstrate that, in accordance with previous studies, a network of frontal and parietal brain regions is recruited during reasoning. Our results also reveal that this network can be fractionated according to how different subregions respond when distinct reasoning demands are manipulated. While increased rule complexity modulates activity within a right lateralized network including the middle frontal gyrus and the superior parietal cortex, analogical reasoning demand-or the requirement to remap rules on to novel features-recruits the left inferior rostrolateral prefrontal cortex and the lateral occipital complex. In contrast, the posterior extent of the inferior frontal gyrus, associated with simpler executive demands, is not differentially sensitive to rule complexity or analogical demand. These findings accord well with the hypothesis that different reasoning demands are supported by different frontal and parietal subregions.

Lateral Prefrontal Cortex Subregions Make Dissociable Contributions during Fluid Reasoning

Science.gov (United States)

Thompson, Russell; Duncan, John; Owen, Adrian M.

2011-01-01

Reasoning is a key component of adaptable “executive” behavior and is known to depend on a network of frontal and parietal brain regions. However, the mechanisms by which this network supports reasoning and adaptable behavior remain poorly defined. Here, we examine the relationship between reasoning, executive control, and frontoparietal function in a series of nonverbal reasoning experiments. Our results demonstrate that, in accordance with previous studies, a network of frontal and parietal brain regions is recruited during reasoning. Our results also reveal that this network can be fractionated according to how different subregions respond when distinct reasoning demands are manipulated. While increased rule complexity modulates activity within a right lateralized network including the middle frontal gyrus and the superior parietal cortex, analogical reasoning demand—or the requirement to remap rules on to novel features—recruits the left inferior rostrolateral prefrontal cortex and the lateral occipital complex. In contrast, the posterior extent of the inferior frontal gyrus, associated with simpler executive demands, is not differentially sensitive to rule complexity or analogical demand. These findings accord well with the hypothesis that different reasoning demands are supported by different frontal and parietal subregions. PMID:20483908

Children's reasoning with peers in cooperative and competitive contexts.

Science.gov (United States)

Domberg, Andreas; Köymen, Bahar; Tomasello, Michael

2018-03-01

We report two studies that demonstrate how five- and seven-year-olds adapt their production of arguments to either a cooperative or a competitive context. Two games elicited agreements from peer dyads about placing animals on either of two halves of a playing field owned by either child. Children had to produce arguments to justify these decisions. Played in a competitive context that encouraged placing animals on one's own half, children's arguments showed a bias that was the result of withholding known arguments. In a cooperative context, children produced not only more arguments, but also more 'two-sided' arguments. Also, seven-year-olds demonstrated a more frequent and strategic use of arguments that specifically refuted decisions that would favour their peers. The results suggest that cooperative contexts provide a more motivating context for children to produce arguments. Statement of contribution What is already known on this subject? Reasoning is a social skill that allows people to reach joint decisions. Preschoolers give reasons for their proposals in their peer conversations. By adolescence, children use sophisticated arguments (e.g., refutations and rebuttals). What the present study adds? Cooperation offers a more motivating context for children's argument production. Seven-year-olds are more strategic than five-year-olds in their reasoning with peers. Children's reasoning with others becomes more sophisticated after preschool years. © 2017 The British Psychological Society.

A compact broadband nonsynchronous noncommensurate impedance transformer

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Zhurbenko, Vitaliy; Kim, Kseniya; Narenda, Kumar

2012-01-01

Nonsynchronous noncommensurate impedance transformers consist of a combination of high‐ and low‐impedance transmission lines. High‐impedance lines have narrow tracks in strip and microstrip technology, which allows for high flexibility and miniaturization of the layout in comparison...... to the traditional tapered line transformers. This flexibility of the broadband nonsynchronous noncommensurate impedance transformers is experimentally demonstrated in this article allowing the length reduction by almost three times. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 54:1832–1835, 2012; View...

The lattice correspondence and diffusional-displacive phase transformations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nie, J.F.; Muddle, B.C.

1999-01-01

When a coherent interface is maintained between parent and product phases in a solid state phase transformation, then it is always possible to define a lattice correspondence across this interface and describe the structural change by a homogeneous lattice deformation, S T . For certain transformations, this strain is an invariant plane strain, with the invariant plane defining the planar, coherent interface between parent and product. This group includes the familiar martensitic face-centred cubic to close-packed hexagonal transformation in, for example, cobalt-based alloys, but it is demonstrated here that it also contains transformations giving rise to a broad range of plate-shaped, diffusional precipitation products. For many such transformation products, the transformation strain has a significant shear component and the accommodation of shear strain energy is potentially an important, and often overlooked, factor in both the nucleation and growth of such products. More commonly S T is not an invariant plane strain and, if a planar interface is to be preserved between parent and product, it is necessary to combine S T with a lattice invariant strain to allow a partially-coherent interface that is macroscopically invariant. It is demonstrated that there are diffusional transformation products which also have the geometric and crystallographic features of both of the common forms of partially-coherent martensitic products

Follicular lymphomas and their transformation: Past and current research.

Science.gov (United States)

Mendez, Miriam; Torrente, Maria; Provencio, Mariano

2017-06-01

Follicular lymphoma (FL) is the second most common type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). Histological transformation (HT) refers to the evolution of a clinically indolent NHL to a clinically aggressive one, defined as those lymphomas in which survival is limited to a few months when untreated. Areas covered: HT is associated with rapid progression of lymphadenopathy, infiltration of extranodal sites, development of systemic symptoms, and elevated serum level of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH). It is frequently related to a poor prognosis, and the median survival after transformation is less than 2 years. Transformation to diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL) in patients with FL occurs at an annual rate of approximately 3% for the first 15 years, after which the risk of HT falls for reasons that remain unclear. Expert commentary: Although it has long been assumed that transformation reflects the emergence of an aggressive subclone of cells from the primary FL, recent studies suggest that FL transformation might also arise by divergent evolution from a more immature common progenitor cell. Studies on genomic changes and DNA sequencing have shed some light onto the process of transformation. Nowadays, we know that HT is a complex process where several molecular pathways are involved.

Information processing systems, reasoning modules, and reasoning system design methods

Science.gov (United States)

Hohimer, Ryan E; Greitzer, Frank L; Hampton, Shawn D

2014-03-04

Information processing systems, reasoning modules, and reasoning system design methods are described. According to one aspect, an information processing system includes working memory comprising a semantic graph which comprises a plurality of abstractions, wherein the abstractions individually include an individual which is defined according to an ontology and a reasoning system comprising a plurality of reasoning modules which are configured to process different abstractions of the semantic graph, wherein a first of the reasoning modules is configured to process a plurality of abstractions which include individuals of a first classification type of the ontology and a second of the reasoning modules is configured to process a plurality of abstractions which include individuals of a second classification type of the ontology, wherein the first and second classification types are different.

Information processing systems, reasoning modules, and reasoning system design methods

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hohimer, Ryan E.; Greitzer, Frank L.; Hampton, Shawn D.

2016-08-23

Information processing systems, reasoning modules, and reasoning system design methods are described. According to one aspect, an information processing system includes working memory comprising a semantic graph which comprises a plurality of abstractions, wherein the abstractions individually include an individual which is defined according to an ontology and a reasoning system comprising a plurality of reasoning modules which are configured to process different abstractions of the semantic graph, wherein a first of the reasoning modules is configured to process a plurality of abstractions which include individuals of a first classification type of the ontology and a second of the reasoning modules is configured to process a plurality of abstractions which include individuals of a second classification type of the ontology, wherein the first and second classification types are different.

Information processing systems, reasoning modules, and reasoning system design methods

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hohimer, Ryan E.; Greitzer, Frank L.; Hampton, Shawn D.

2015-08-18

Information processing systems, reasoning modules, and reasoning system design methods are described. According to one aspect, an information processing system includes working memory comprising a semantic graph which comprises a plurality of abstractions, wherein the abstractions individually include an individual which is defined according to an ontology and a reasoning system comprising a plurality of reasoning modules which are configured to process different abstractions of the semantic graph, wherein a first of the reasoning modules is configured to process a plurality of abstractions which include individuals of a first classification type of the ontology and a second of the reasoning modules is configured to process a plurality of abstractions which include individuals of a second classification type of the ontology, wherein the first and second classification types are different.

Finite Countermodel Based Verification for Program Transformation (A Case Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alexei P. Lisitsa

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Both automatic program verification and program transformation are based on program analysis. In the past decade a number of approaches using various automatic general-purpose program transformation techniques (partial deduction, specialization, supercompilation for verification of unreachability properties of computing systems were introduced and demonstrated. On the other hand, the semantics based unfold-fold program transformation methods pose themselves diverse kinds of reachability tasks and try to solve them, aiming at improving the semantics tree of the program being transformed. That means some general-purpose verification methods may be used for strengthening program transformation techniques. This paper considers the question how finite countermodels for safety verification method might be used in Turchin's supercompilation method. We extract a number of supercompilation sub-algorithms trying to solve reachability problems and demonstrate use of an external countermodel finder for solving some of the problems.

Informal reasoning regarding socioscientific issues: The influence of morality and content knowledge

Science.gov (United States)

Sadler, Troy Dow

This study focused on informal reasoning regarding socioscientific issues. It explored how morality and content knowledge influenced the negotiation and resolution of contentious and complex scenarios based on genetic engineering. Two hundred and sixty-nine undergraduate students completed a quantitative test of genetics concepts. A sub-set of the students (n = 30) who completed this instrument and represented divergent levels of content knowledge participated in two individual interviews, during which they discussed their ideas, reactions, and solutions to three gene therapy scenarios and three cloning scenarios. A mixed-methods approach was used to examine patterns of informal reasoning and the influence of morality, the effects of content knowledge on the use of informal reasoning patterns, and the effects of content knowledge on the quality of informal reasoning. Students demonstrated evidence of rationalistic, emotive, and intuitive forms of informal reasoning. Rationalistic informal reasoning described reason-based considerations; emotive informal reasoning described care-based considerations; and intuitive reasoning described considerations based on immediate reactions to the context of a scenario. Participants frequently relied on combinations of these reasoning patterns as they worked to resolve individual socioscientific scenarios. Most of the participants appreciated at least some of the moral implications of their decisions, and these considerations were typically interwoven within an overall pattern of informal reasoning. Although differences in content knowledge were not found to be related to modes of informal reasoning (rationalistic, emotive, and informal), data did indicate that differences in content knowledge were related to variations in informal reasoning quality. Participants, with more advanced understandings of genetics, demonstrated fewer instances of reasoning flaws, as defined by a priori criteria (intra-scenario coherence, inter

The Development of Reasoning about Beliefs: Fact, Preference, and Ideology.

Science.gov (United States)

Heiphetz, Larisa; Spelke, Elizabeth S; Harris, Paul L; Banaji, Mahzarin R

2013-05-01

The beliefs people hold about the social and physical world are central to self-definition and social interaction. The current research analyzes reasoning about three kinds of beliefs: those that concern matters of fact (e.g., dinosaurs are extinct), preference (e.g., green is the prettiest color), and ideology (e.g., there is only one God). The domain of ideology is of unique interest because it is hypothesized to contain elements of both facts and preferences. If adults' distinct reasoning about ideological beliefs is the result of prolonged experience with the physical and social world, children and adults should reveal distinct patterns of differentiating kinds of beliefs, and this difference should be particularly pronounced with respect to ideological beliefs. On the other hand, if adults' reasoning about beliefs is a basic component of social cognition, children and adults should demonstrate similar belief representations and patterns of belief differentiation. Two experiments demonstrate that 5-10 year old children and adults similarly judged religious beliefs to be intermediate between factual beliefs (where two disagreeing people cannot both be right) and preferences (where they can). From the age of 5 years and continuing into adulthood, individuals distinguished ideological beliefs from other types of mental states and demonstrated limited tolerance for belief-based disagreements.

Children’s Belief- and Desire-reasoning in the Temporopartietal Junction: Evidence for Specialization from Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lindsay Caroline Bowman

2015-10-01

Full Text Available Behaviorally, children’s explicit theory-of-mind (ToM proceeds in a progression of mental-state understandings: developmentally, children demonstrate accurate explicit desire-reasoning before accurate explicit belief-reasoning. Given its robust and cross-cultural nature, we hypothesize this progression may be paced in part by maturation/specialization of the brain. Neuroimaging research demonstrates that the right temporoparietal junction (TPJ becomes increasingly selective for ToM reasoning as children age, and as their ToM improves. But this research has narrowly focused on beliefs or on undifferentiated mental-states. A recent ERP study in children included a critical contrast to desire-reasoning, and demonstrated that right posterior potentials differentiated belief-reasoning from desire-reasoning. Taken together, the literature suggests that children’s desire-belief progression may be paced by specialization of the right TPJ for belief-reasoning specifically, beyond desire-reasoning. In the present study, we tested this hypothesis directly by examining children’s belief- and desire-reasoning using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS in conjunction with structural MRI to pinpoint brain activation in the right TPJ. Results showed greatest activation in the right TPJ for belief-reasoning, beyond desire-reasoning, and beyond non-mental reasoning (control. Findings replicate and critically extend prior ERP results, and provide clear evidence for a specific neural mechanism underlying children’s progression from understanding desires to understanding beliefs.

Deconstructing climate misinformation to identify reasoning errors

Science.gov (United States)

Cook, John; Ellerton, Peter; Kinkead, David

2018-02-01

Misinformation can have significant societal consequences. For example, misinformation about climate change has confused the public and stalled support for mitigation policies. When people lack the expertise and skill to evaluate the science behind a claim, they typically rely on heuristics such as substituting judgment about something complex (i.e. climate science) with judgment about something simple (i.e. the character of people who speak about climate science) and are therefore vulnerable to misleading information. Inoculation theory offers one approach to effectively neutralize the influence of misinformation. Typically, inoculations convey resistance by providing people with information that counters misinformation. In contrast, we propose inoculating against misinformation by explaining the fallacious reasoning within misleading denialist claims. We offer a strategy based on critical thinking methods to analyse and detect poor reasoning within denialist claims. This strategy includes detailing argument structure, determining the truth of the premises, and checking for validity, hidden premises, or ambiguous language. Focusing on argument structure also facilitates the identification of reasoning fallacies by locating them in the reasoning process. Because this reason-based form of inoculation is based on general critical thinking methods, it offers the distinct advantage of being accessible to those who lack expertise in climate science. We applied this approach to 42 common denialist claims and find that they all demonstrate fallacious reasoning and fail to refute the scientific consensus regarding anthropogenic global warming. This comprehensive deconstruction and refutation of the most common denialist claims about climate change is designed to act as a resource for communicators and educators who teach climate science and/or critical thinking.

Lecture notes on wavelet transforms

CERN Document Server

Debnath, Lokenath

2017-01-01

This book provides a systematic exposition of the basic ideas and results of wavelet analysis suitable for mathematicians, scientists, and engineers alike. The primary goal of this text is to show how different types of wavelets can be constructed, illustrate why they are such powerful tools in mathematical analysis, and demonstrate their use in applications. It also develops the required analytical knowledge and skills on the part of the reader, rather than focus on the importance of more abstract formulation with full mathematical rigor.  These notes differs from many textbooks with similar titles in that a major emphasis is placed on the thorough development of the underlying theory before introducing applications and modern topics such as fractional Fourier transforms, windowed canonical transforms, fractional wavelet transforms, fast wavelet transforms, spline wavelets, Daubechies wavelets, harmonic wavelets and non-uniform wavelets. The selection, arrangement, and presentation of the material in these ...

Dependence of transformer ratio on the shaper weighting function in transformer-coupled low noise preamplifiers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ripamonti, G.

1987-10-01

The optimum turn-ratio of transformers used for coupling large capacitance detectors to amplifiers is demonstrated to be dependent on the actual weighting function of the following shaper. As an example, the optimum finite cusp shaping with a flat top is considered. For this case, the optimum turn-ratio is found to be dependent on the flat top duration. As finite magnetizing inductance in real transformers produces diverging noise with unipolar shaping, flat-top tripolar zero-area shapers are also considered.

AUTOMATIC MULTILEVEL IMAGE SEGMENTATION BASED ON FUZZY REASONING

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Liang Tang

2011-05-01

Full Text Available An automatic multilevel image segmentation method based on sup-star fuzzy reasoning (SSFR is presented. Using the well-known sup-star fuzzy reasoning technique, the proposed algorithm combines the global statistical information implied in the histogram with the local information represented by the fuzzy sets of gray-levels, and aggregates all the gray-levels into several classes characterized by the local maximum values of the histogram. The presented method has the merits of determining the number of the segmentation classes automatically, and avoiding to calculating thresholds of segmentation. Emulating and real image segmentation experiments demonstrate that the SSFR is effective.

Achieving reasonable conservatism in nuclear safety analyses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jamali, Kamiar

2015-01-01

In the absence of methods that explicitly account for uncertainties, seeking reasonable conservatism in nuclear safety analyses can quickly lead to extreme conservatism. The rate of divergence to extreme conservatism is often beyond the expert analysts’ intuitive feeling, but can be demonstrated mathematically. Too much conservatism in addressing the safety of nuclear facilities is not beneficial to society. Using certain properties of lognormal distributions for representation of input parameter uncertainties, example calculations for the risk and consequence of a fictitious facility accident scenario are presented. Results show that there are large differences between the calculated 95th percentiles and the extreme bounding values derived from using all input variables at their upper-bound estimates. Showing the relationship of the mean values to the key parameters of the output distributions, the paper concludes that the mean is the ideal candidate for representation of the value of an uncertain parameter. The mean value is proposed as the metric that is consistent with the concept of reasonable conservatism in nuclear safety analysis, because its value increases towards higher percentiles of the underlying positively skewed distribution with increasing levels of uncertainty. Insensitivity of the results to the actual underlying distributions is briefly demonstrated. - Highlights: • Multiple conservative assumptions can quickly diverge into extreme conservatism. • Mathematics and attractive properties provide basis for wide use of lognormal distribution. • Mean values are ideal candidates for representation of parameter uncertainties. • Mean values are proposed as reasonably conservative estimates of parameter uncertainties

Emotional reasoning processes and dysphoric mood: cross-sectional and prospective relationships.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

David Berle

Full Text Available Emotional reasoning refers to the use of subjective emotions, rather than objective evidence, to form conclusions about oneself and the world. Emotional reasoning appears to characterise anxiety disorders. We aimed to determine whether elevated levels of emotional reasoning also characterise dysphoria. In Study 1, low dysphoric (BDI-II≤4; n = 28 and high dysphoric (BDI-II ≥14; n = 42 university students were administered an emotional reasoning task relevant for dysphoria. In Study 2, a larger university sample were administered the same task, with additional self-referent ratings, and were followed up 8 weeks later. In Study 1, both the low and high dysphoric participants demonstrated emotional reasoning and there were no significant differences in scores on the emotional reasoning task between the low and high dysphoric groups. In Study 2, self-referent emotional reasoning interpretations showed small-sized positive correlations with depression symptoms. Emotional reasoning tendencies were stable across an 8-week interval although not predictive of subsequent depressive symptoms. Further, anxiety symptoms were independently associated with emotional reasoning and emotional reasoning was not associated with anxiety sensitivity, alexithymia, or deductive reasoning tendencies. The implications of these findings are discussed, including the possibility that while all individuals may engage in emotional reasoning, self-referent emotional reasoning may be associated with increased levels of depressive symptoms.

Emotional reasoning processes and dysphoric mood: cross-sectional and prospective relationships.

Science.gov (United States)

Berle, David; Moulds, Michelle L

2013-01-01

Emotional reasoning refers to the use of subjective emotions, rather than objective evidence, to form conclusions about oneself and the world. Emotional reasoning appears to characterise anxiety disorders. We aimed to determine whether elevated levels of emotional reasoning also characterise dysphoria. In Study 1, low dysphoric (BDI-II≤4; n = 28) and high dysphoric (BDI-II ≥14; n = 42) university students were administered an emotional reasoning task relevant for dysphoria. In Study 2, a larger university sample were administered the same task, with additional self-referent ratings, and were followed up 8 weeks later. In Study 1, both the low and high dysphoric participants demonstrated emotional reasoning and there were no significant differences in scores on the emotional reasoning task between the low and high dysphoric groups. In Study 2, self-referent emotional reasoning interpretations showed small-sized positive correlations with depression symptoms. Emotional reasoning tendencies were stable across an 8-week interval although not predictive of subsequent depressive symptoms. Further, anxiety symptoms were independently associated with emotional reasoning and emotional reasoning was not associated with anxiety sensitivity, alexithymia, or deductive reasoning tendencies. The implications of these findings are discussed, including the possibility that while all individuals may engage in emotional reasoning, self-referent emotional reasoning may be associated with increased levels of depressive symptoms.

Emotional Reasoning Processes and Dysphoric Mood: Cross-Sectional and Prospective Relationships

Science.gov (United States)

Berle, David; Moulds, Michelle L.

2013-01-01

Emotional reasoning refers to the use of subjective emotions, rather than objective evidence, to form conclusions about oneself and the world [1]. Emotional reasoning appears to characterise anxiety disorders. We aimed to determine whether elevated levels of emotional reasoning also characterise dysphoria. In Study 1, low dysphoric (BDI-II≤4; n = 28) and high dysphoric (BDI-II ≥14; n = 42) university students were administered an emotional reasoning task relevant for dysphoria. In Study 2, a larger university sample were administered the same task, with additional self-referent ratings, and were followed up 8 weeks later. In Study 1, both the low and high dysphoric participants demonstrated emotional reasoning and there were no significant differences in scores on the emotional reasoning task between the low and high dysphoric groups. In Study 2, self-referent emotional reasoning interpretations showed small-sized positive correlations with depression symptoms. Emotional reasoning tendencies were stable across an 8-week interval although not predictive of subsequent depressive symptoms. Further, anxiety symptoms were independently associated with emotional reasoning and emotional reasoning was not associated with anxiety sensitivity, alexithymia, or deductive reasoning tendencies. The implications of these findings are discussed, including the possibility that while all individuals may engage in emotional reasoning, self-referent emotional reasoning may be associated with increased levels of depressive symptoms. PMID:23826276

Road Detection by Using a Generalized Hough Transform

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Weifeng Liu

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Road detection plays key roles for remote sensing image analytics. Hough transform (HT is one very typical method for road detection, especially for straight line road detection. Although many variants of Hough transform have been reported, it is still a great challenge to develop a low computational complexity and time-saving Hough transform algorithm. In this paper, we propose a generalized Hough transform (i.e., Radon transform implementation for road detection in remote sensing images. Specifically, we present a dictionary learning method to approximate the Radon transform. The proposed approximation method treats a Radon transform as a linear transform, which then facilitates parallel implementation of the Radon transform for multiple images. To evaluate the proposed algorithm, we conduct extensive experiments on the popular RSSCN7 database for straight road detection. The experimental results demonstrate that our method is superior to the traditional algorithms in terms of accuracy and computing complexity.

The canon of pure reason: Kant on the non-dependent establishment of the practical use and the unity of reason

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Adriano Perin

2010-12-01

Full Text Available http://dx.doi.org/10.5007/1677-2954.2008v7n2p137This paper systematically discusses Kant´s argumentation in the Canon of the Critique of pure reason on the matter of the establishment of the practical use and its outcomes for the problem of the unity of reason. Bearing in mind that there is much disagreement in the literature, not only as to the specificity and function of the chapter of the Canon wi thin the various moments of Kant´s philosophy, but also as to its critical importance, the approach centers essentially on Kant´s own argumentation. The aim of this paper is to show that the Canon anticipates an important thesis of the Critique of Practical Reason, i.e., the self-sufficient legitimation of the practical use of reason in relation to its theoretical use, Moreover, is demonstrated that there are important systenatic differences between Kant´s argumentation in the Canon and in the second Critique, which lead to the uniqueness of the treatment of the problem of the unity of reason in the former text. The first part of the paper briefly presents Kant´s position in the pre-critical period on the legitimation of the practical use of reason. Thereafter, it is sustained that Kant´s search in the Canon for a "source of positive cognition" is particularly connected with his critical thesis of a self-sufficient establishment in the Canon. It is argued that, notwithstanding the anticipation of the refered critical thesis, the establishment of the practical use of reason in the Canon requires a theological consideration of morality. The third part of the paper deals with the problem of the unity of theorical and practical uses of reason in position on the establishment of the practical use reason. I come to the conclusion that the Canon guaranteed by means of a transition from the practical to the theoretical use of reason.

Synthesis of CZTS Nanocrystals and Transformation into CZTSe

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Engberg, Sara Lena Josefin; Li, Zhenggang; Lek, Jun Yan

2014-01-01

) is injected and a transformation from CZTS to CZTSe is observed to occur. Here we present a demonstration that the transformation is possible, a first view on how the morphology of the nanoparticles changes, and our results from optimizing the conversion ratio with respect to temperature. Our X...

Mechanisms of radiation-induced neoplastic cell transformation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yang, T.C.H.; Tobias, C.A.

1984-04-01

Studies with cultured mammalian cells demonstrated clearly that radiation can transform cells directly and can enhance the cell transformation by oncogenic DNA viruses. In general, high-LET heavy-ion radiation can be more effective than X and gamma rays in inducing neoplastic cell transformation. Various experimental results indicate that radiation-induced DNA damage, most likely double-strand breaks, is important for both the initiation of cell transformation and for the enhancement of viral transformation. Some of the transformation and enhancement lesions can be repaired properly in the cell, and the amount of irrepairable lesions produced by a given dose depends on the quality of radiation. An inhibition of repair processes with chemical agents can increase the transformation frequency of cells exposed to radiation and/or oncogenic viruses, suggesting that repair mechanisms may play an important role in the radiation transformation. The progression of radiation-transformed cells appears to be a long and complicated process that can be modulated by some nonmutagenic chemical agents, e.g., DMSO. Normal cells can inhibit the expression of transforming properties of tumorigenic cells through an as yet unknown mechanism. The progression and expression of transformation may involve some epigenetic changes in the irradiated cells. 38 references, 15 figures, 1 table.

Mechanisms of radiation-induced neoplastic cell transformation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang, T.C.H.; Tobias, C.A.

1984-04-01

Studies with cultured mammalian cells demonstrated clearly that radiation can transform cells directly and can enhance the cell transformation by oncogenic DNA viruses. In general, high-LET heavy-ion radiation can be more effective than X and gamma rays in inducing neoplastic cell transformation. Various experimental results indicate that radiation-induced DNA damage, most likely double-strand breaks, is important for both the initiation of cell transformation and for the enhancement of viral transformation. Some of the transformation and enhancement lesions can be repaired properly in the cell, and the amount of irrepairable lesions produced by a given dose depends on the quality of radiation. An inhibition of repair processes with chemical agents can increase the transformation frequency of cells exposed to radiation and/or oncogenic viruses, suggesting that repair mechanisms may play an important role in the radiation transformation. The progression of radiation-transformed cells appears to be a long and complicated process that can be modulated by some nonmutagenic chemical agents, e.g., DMSO. Normal cells can inhibit the expression of transforming properties of tumorigenic cells through an as yet unknown mechanism. The progression and expression of transformation may involve some epigenetic changes in the irradiated cells. 38 references, 15 figures, 1 table

Effects of cognitive training on change in accuracy in inductive reasoning ability.

Science.gov (United States)

Boron, Julie Blaskewicz; Turiano, Nicholas A; Willis, Sherry L; Schaie, K Warner

2007-05-01

We investigated cognitive training effects on accuracy and number of items attempted in inductive reasoning performance in a sample of 335 older participants (M = 72.78 years) from the Seattle Longitudinal Study. We assessed the impact of individual characteristics, including chronic disease. The reasoning training group showed significantly greater gain in accuracy and number of attempted items than did the comparison group; gain was primarily due to enhanced accuracy. Reasoning training effects involved a complex interaction of gender, prior cognitive status, and chronic disease. Women with prior decline on reasoning but no heart disease showed the greatest accuracy increase. In addition, stable reasoning-trained women with heart disease demonstrated significant accuracy gain. Comorbidity was associated with less change in accuracy. The results support the effectiveness of cognitive training on improving the accuracy of reasoning performance.

Classical geometry Euclidean, transformational, inversive, and projective

CERN Document Server

Leonard, I E; Liu, A C F; Tokarsky, G W

2014-01-01

Features the classical themes of geometry with plentiful applications in mathematics, education, engineering, and science Accessible and reader-friendly, Classical Geometry: Euclidean, Transformational, Inversive, and Projective introduces readers to a valuable discipline that is crucial to understanding bothspatial relationships and logical reasoning. Focusing on the development of geometric intuitionwhile avoiding the axiomatic method, a problem solving approach is encouraged throughout. The book is strategically divided into three sections: Part One focuses on Euclidean geometry, which p

Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation of oleaginous yeast Lipomyces species.

Science.gov (United States)

Dai, Ziyu; Deng, Shuang; Culley, David E; Bruno, Kenneth S; Magnuson, Jon K

2017-08-01

Interest in using renewable sources of carbon, especially lignocellulosic biomass, for the production of hydrocarbon fuels and chemicals has fueled interest in exploring various organisms capable of producing hydrocarbon biofuels and chemicals or their precursors. The oleaginous (oil-producing) yeast Lipomyces starkeyi is the subject of active research regarding the production of triacylglycerides as hydrocarbon fuel precursors using a variety of carbohydrate and nutrient sources. The genome of L. starkeyi has been published, which opens the door to production strain improvements through the development and use of the tools of synthetic biology for this oleaginous species. The first step in establishment of synthetic biology tools for an organism is the development of effective and reliable transformation methods with suitable selectable marker genes and demonstration of the utility of the genetic elements needed for expression of introduced genes or deletion of endogenous genes. Chemical-based methods of transformation have been published but suffer from low efficiency. To address these problems, Agrobacterium-mediated transformation was investigated as an alternative method for L. starkeyi and other Lipomyces species. In this study, Agrobacterium-mediated transformation was demonstrated to be effective in the transformation of both L. starkeyi and other Lipomyces species. The deletion of the peroxisomal biogenesis factor 10 gene was also demonstrated in L. starkeyi. In addition to the bacterial antibiotic selection marker gene hygromycin B phosphotransferase, the bacterial β-glucuronidase reporter gene under the control of L. starkeyi translation elongation factor 1α promoter was also stably expressed in six different Lipomyces species. The results from this study demonstrate that Agrobacterium-mediated transformation is a reliable and effective genetic tool for homologous recombination and expression of heterologous genes in L. starkeyi and other Lipomyces

Transformations to diagonal bases in closed-loop quantum learning control experiments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cardoza, David; Trallero-Herrero, Carlos; Langhojer, Florian; Rabitz, Herschel; Weinacht, Thomas

2005-01-01

This paper discusses transformations between bases used in closed-loop learning control experiments. The goal is to transform to a basis in which the number of control parameters is minimized and in which the parameters act independently. We demonstrate a simple procedure for testing whether a unitary linear transformation (i.e., a rotation amongst the control variables) is sufficient to reduce the search problem to a set of globally independent variables. This concept is demonstrated with closed-loop molecular fragmentation experiments utilizing shaped, ultrafast laser pulses

Quantitative Reasoning Learning Progressions for Environmental Science: Developing a Framework

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Robert L. Mayes

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Quantitative reasoning is a complex concept with many definitions and a diverse account in the literature. The purpose of this article is to establish a working definition of quantitative reasoning within the context of science, construct a quantitative reasoning framework, and summarize research on key components in that framework. Context underlies all quantitative reasoning; for this review, environmental science serves as the context.In the framework, we identify four components of quantitative reasoning: the quantification act, quantitative literacy, quantitative interpretation of a model, and quantitative modeling. Within each of these components, the framework provides elements that comprise the four components. The quantification act includes the elements of variable identification, communication, context, and variation. Quantitative literacy includes the elements of numeracy, measurement, proportional reasoning, and basic probability/statistics. Quantitative interpretation includes the elements of representations, science diagrams, statistics and probability, and logarithmic scales. Quantitative modeling includes the elements of logic, problem solving, modeling, and inference. A brief comparison of the quantitative reasoning framework with the AAC&U Quantitative Literacy VALUE rubric is presented, demonstrating a mapping of the components and illustrating differences in structure. The framework serves as a precursor for a quantitative reasoning learning progression which is currently under development.

A DC Transformer

Science.gov (United States)

Youngquist, Robert C.; Ihlefeld, Curtis M.; Starr, Stanley O.

2013-01-01

A component level dc transformer is described in which no alternating currents or voltages are present. It operates by combining features of a homopolar motor and a homopolar generator, both de devices, such that the output voltage of a de power supply can be stepped up (or down) with a corresponding step down (or up) in current. The basic theory for this device is developed, performance predictions are made, and the results from a small prototype are presented. Based on demonstrated technology in the literature, this de transformer should be scalable to low megawatt levels, but it is more suited to high current than high voltage applications. Significant development would be required before it could achieve the kilovolt levels needed for de power transmission.

The Hermite transform-applications

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Martens, J.B.

It is demonstrated how the Hermite transform can be used for image coding and analysis. Hierarchical coding structures based on increasingly specified basic patterns, i.e. general 2-D patterns, general 1-D patterns, and specific 1-D patterns such as edges and corners, are presented. In the image

Understanding clinical reasoning in osteopathy: a qualitative research approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Grace, Sandra; Orrock, Paul; Vaughan, Brett; Blaich, Raymond; Coutts, Rosanne

2016-01-01

Clinical reasoning has been described as a process that draws heavily on the knowledge, skills and attributes that are particular to each health profession. However, the clinical reasoning processes of practitioners of different disciplines demonstrate many similarities, including hypothesis generation and reflective practice. The aim of this study was to understand clinical reasoning in osteopathy from the perspective of osteopathic clinical educators and the extent to which it was similar or different from clinical reasoning in other health professions. This study was informed by constructivist grounded theory. Participants were clinical educators in osteopathic teaching institutions in Australia, New Zealand and the UK. Focus groups and written critical reflections provided a rich data set. Data were analysed using constant comparison to develop inductive categories. According to participants, clinical reasoning in osteopathy is different from clinical reasoning in other health professions. Osteopaths use a two-phase approach: an initial biomedical screen for serious pathology, followed by use of osteopathic reasoning models that are based on the relationship between structure and function in the human body. Clinical reasoning in osteopathy was also described as occurring in a number of contexts (e.g. patient, practitioner and community) and drawing on a range of metaskills (e.g. hypothesis generation and reflexivity) that have been described in other health professions. The use of diagnostic reasoning models that are based on the relationship between structure and function in the human body differentiated clinical reasoning in osteopathy. These models were not used to name a medical condition but rather to guide the selection of treatment approaches. If confirmed by further research that clinical reasoning in osteopathy is distinct from clinical reasoning in other health professions, then osteopaths may have a unique perspective to bring to multidisciplinary

Changes in analogical reasoning in adulthood.

Science.gov (United States)

Clark, E; Gardner, M K; Brown, G; Howell, R J

1990-01-01

This study sought to investigate adult intellectual development through an analysis of a particular type of cognitive ability, verbal analogical reasoning. The performance of 60 individuals between the ages of 20 and 79 was compared on 100 verbal analogies. The subjects consisted of six groups of ten individuals each (five males and five females), matched as a group for education and gender. Solution times and error rates served as the dependent measures. Results showed that there was a significant trend for the older subjects (60- and 70-year-olds) to be slower than the young subjects (20-, 30-, 40-, and 50-year-olds), but not necessarily more error prone. These data suggest that verbal analogical reasoning changes with age. Supplemental data demonstrated a change in other abilities as well (i.e., decline in perceptual-motor speed and spatial skill).

An optical Fourier transform coprocessor with direct phase determination.

Science.gov (United States)

Macfaden, Alexander J; Gordon, George S D; Wilkinson, Timothy D

2017-10-20

The Fourier transform is a ubiquitous mathematical operation which arises naturally in optics. We propose and demonstrate a practical method to optically evaluate a complex-to-complex discrete Fourier transform. By implementing the Fourier transform optically we can overcome the limiting O(nlogn) complexity of fast Fourier transform algorithms. Efficiently extracting the phase from the well-known optical Fourier transform is challenging. By appropriately decomposing the input and exploiting symmetries of the Fourier transform we are able to determine the phase directly from straightforward intensity measurements, creating an optical Fourier transform with O(n) apparent complexity. Performing larger optical Fourier transforms requires higher resolution spatial light modulators, but the execution time remains unchanged. This method could unlock the potential of the optical Fourier transform to permit 2D complex-to-complex discrete Fourier transforms with a performance that is currently untenable, with applications across information processing and computational physics.

Patterns of informal reasoning in the context of socioscientific decision making

Science.gov (United States)

Sadler, Troy D.; Zeidler, Dana L.

2005-01-01

The purpose of this study is to contribute to a theoretical knowledge base through research by examining factors salient to science education reform and practice in the context of socioscientific issues. The study explores how individuals negotiate and resolve genetic engineering dilemmas. A qualitative approach was used to examine patterns of informal reasoning and the role of morality in these processes. Thirty college students participated individually in two semistructured interviews designed to explore their informal reasoning in response to six genetic engineering scenarios. Students demonstrated evidence of rationalistic, emotive, and intuitive forms of informal reasoning. Rationalistic informal reasoning described reason-based considerations; emotive informal reasoning described care-based considerations; and intuitive reasoning described considerations based on immediate reactions to the context of a scenario. Participants frequently relied on combinations of these reasoning patterns as they worked to resolve individual socioscientific scenarios. Most of the participants appreciated at least some of the moral implications of their decisions, and these considerations were typically interwoven within an overall pattern of informal reasoning. These results highlight the need to ensure that science classrooms are environments in which intuition and emotion in addition to reason are valued. Implications and recommendations for future research are discussed.

The soft x-ray transform

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Klukowska, Joanna; Herman, Gabor T; Otón, Joaquin; Marabini, Roberto; Carazo, José-María

2014-01-01

Several new forward models are introduced as mathematical formalizations of the processes that take place during image formation in transmission soft x-ray microscopy, which has the unique capability of imaging whole cells in their native environment with high resolution. Mathematical solutions of some of the associated inverse problems are provided by deriving closed-form formulas specifying the inverse transforms. Numerical experimental results are presented to demonstrate how the inverse transforms can be used to improve the reconstructions computed from data acquired according to the forward models. (paper)

Automated reasoning in man-machine control systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stratton, R.C.; Lusk, E.L.

1983-01-01

This paper describes a project being undertaken at Argonne National Laboratory to demonstrate the usefulness of automated reasoning techniques in the implementation of a man-machine control system being designed at the EBR-II nuclear power plant. It is shown how automated reasoning influences the choice of optimal roles for both man and machine in the system control process, both for normal and off-normal operation. In addition, the requirements imposed by such a system for a rigorously formal specification of operating states, subsystem states, and transition procedures have a useful impact on the analysis phase. The definitions and rules are discussed for a prototype system which is physically simple yet illustrates some of the complexities inherent in real systems

76 FR 42612 - Approval and Promulgation of Air Quality Implementation Plans; Vermont; Reasonably Available...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-07-19

... and Promulgation of Air Quality Implementation Plans; Vermont; Reasonably Available Control Technology... a demonstration that VT meets the requirements of reasonably available control technology (RACT) for... regulation; and new requirements for wood furniture manufacturing operations. Additionally, EPA is proposing...

MTK: An AI tool for model-based reasoning

Science.gov (United States)

Erickson, William K.; Schwartz, Mary R.

1987-01-01

A 1988 goal for the Systems Autonomy Demonstration Project Office of the NASA Ames Research Center is to apply model-based representation and reasoning techniques in a knowledge-based system that will provide monitoring, fault diagnosis, control and trend analysis of the space station Thermal Management System (TMS). A number of issues raised during the development of the first prototype system inspired the design and construction of a model-based reasoning tool called MTK, which was used in the building of the second prototype. These issues are outlined, along with examples from the thermal system to highlight the motivating factors behind them. An overview of the capabilities of MTK is given.

Applications of Fourier transforms to generalized functions

CERN Document Server

Rahman, M

2011-01-01

This book explains how Fourier transforms can be applied to generalized functions. The generalized function is one of the important branches of mathematics and is applicable in many practical fields. Its applications to the theory of distribution and signal processing are especially important. The Fourier transform is a mathematical procedure that can be thought of as transforming a function from its time domain to the frequency domain.The book contains six chapters and three appendices. Chapter 1 deals with preliminary remarks on Fourier series from a general point of view and also contains an introduction to the first generalized function. Chapter 2 is concerned with the generalized functions and their Fourier transforms. Chapter 3 contains the Fourier transforms of particular generalized functions. The author has stated and proved 18 formulas dealing with the Fourier transforms of generalized functions, and demonstrated some important problems of practical interest. Chapter 4 deals with the asymptotic esti...

Cyclic transformation of orbital angular momentum modes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schlederer, Florian; Krenn, Mario; Fickler, Robert; Malik, Mehul; Zeilinger, Anton

2016-01-01

The spatial modes of photons are one realization of a QuDit, a quantum system that is described in a D-dimensional Hilbert space. In order to perform quantum information tasks with QuDits, a general class of D-dimensional unitary transformations is needed. Among these, cyclic transformations are an important special case required in many high-dimensional quantum communication protocols. In this paper, we experimentally demonstrate a cyclic transformation in the high-dimensional space of photonic orbital angular momentum (OAM). Using simple linear optical components, we show a successful four-fold cyclic transformation of OAM modes. Interestingly, our experimental setup was found by a computer algorithm. In addition to the four-cyclic transformation, the algorithm also found extensions to higher-dimensional cycles in a hybrid space of OAM and polarization. Besides being useful for quantum cryptography with QuDits, cyclic transformations are key for the experimental production of high-dimensional maximally entangled Bell-states. (paper)

Numeracy, frequency, and Bayesian reasoning

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gretchen B. Chapman

2009-02-01

Full Text Available Previous research has demonstrated that Bayesian reasoning performance is improved if uncertainty information is presented as natural frequencies rather than single-event probabilities. A questionnaire study of 342 college students replicated this effect but also found that the performance-boosting benefits of the natural frequency presentation occurred primarily for participants who scored high in numeracy. This finding suggests that even comprehension and manipulation of natural frequencies requires a certain threshold of numeracy abilities, and that the beneficial effects of natural frequency presentation may not be as general as previously believed.

Proving the correctness of unfold/fold program transformations using bisimulation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hamilton, Geoff W.; Jones, Neil

2011-01-01

by a labelled transition system whose bisimilarity relation is a congruence that coincides with contextual equivalence. Labelled transition systems are well-suited to represent global program behaviour. On the other hand, unfold/fold program transformations use generalization and folding, and neither is easy......This paper shows that a bisimulation approach can be used to prove the correctness of unfold/fold program transformation algorithms. As an illustration, we show how our approach can be use to prove the correctness of positive supercompilation (due to Sørensen et al). Traditional program equivalence...... to describe contextually, due to use of non-local information. We show that weak bisimulation on labelled transition systems gives an elegant framework to prove contextual equivalence of original and transformed programs. One reason is that folds can be seen in the context of corresponding unfolds....

Forward transformation for high resolution eddy current tomography using whitney elements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Szewczyk, R.; Salach, J.; Nowicki, M.; Ruokolainen, J.; Raback, P.

2014-01-01

Tomographic methods are intensively developed field of non-destructive testing. The main advantage of this type of NDT method is 3D information concerning the shape of the discontinuities in investigated material. On the other hand, the most common tomography method utilizing X-rays creates the significant risks typical to X-ray technique. As a result, Xray tomography is difficult to use in industry. Introduced to the industry in 2007, the eddy current tomography is safe and cost effective. However, in opposite to X-ray tomography, eddy current tomography requires sophisticated and time consuming inverse transformation creating 2D or 3D view of discontinuities. For this reason solutions presented previously are focused on 2D inverse transformation and exhibit limited resolution. For eddy current tomography, the forward tomographic transformation is most important, which is the base of inverse transformation. This paper presents the novel, fast and cost-effective solution utilizing Whitney elements method for such forward transformation. As a result, new possibilities of development in the area of high resolution 3D eddy current tomography are created. (authors)

Implementation of quantum and classical discrete fractional Fourier transforms

Science.gov (United States)

Weimann, Steffen; Perez-Leija, Armando; Lebugle, Maxime; Keil, Robert; Tichy, Malte; Gräfe, Markus; Heilmann, René; Nolte, Stefan; Moya-Cessa, Hector; Weihs, Gregor; Christodoulides, Demetrios N.; Szameit, Alexander

2016-01-01

Fourier transforms, integer and fractional, are ubiquitous mathematical tools in basic and applied science. Certainly, since the ordinary Fourier transform is merely a particular case of a continuous set of fractional Fourier domains, every property and application of the ordinary Fourier transform becomes a special case of the fractional Fourier transform. Despite the great practical importance of the discrete Fourier transform, implementation of fractional orders of the corresponding discrete operation has been elusive. Here we report classical and quantum optical realizations of the discrete fractional Fourier transform. In the context of classical optics, we implement discrete fractional Fourier transforms of exemplary wave functions and experimentally demonstrate the shift theorem. Moreover, we apply this approach in the quantum realm to Fourier transform separable and path-entangled biphoton wave functions. The proposed approach is versatile and could find applications in various fields where Fourier transforms are essential tools. PMID:27006089

Implementation of quantum and classical discrete fractional Fourier transforms.

Science.gov (United States)

Weimann, Steffen; Perez-Leija, Armando; Lebugle, Maxime; Keil, Robert; Tichy, Malte; Gräfe, Markus; Heilmann, René; Nolte, Stefan; Moya-Cessa, Hector; Weihs, Gregor; Christodoulides, Demetrios N; Szameit, Alexander

2016-03-23

Fourier transforms, integer and fractional, are ubiquitous mathematical tools in basic and applied science. Certainly, since the ordinary Fourier transform is merely a particular case of a continuous set of fractional Fourier domains, every property and application of the ordinary Fourier transform becomes a special case of the fractional Fourier transform. Despite the great practical importance of the discrete Fourier transform, implementation of fractional orders of the corresponding discrete operation has been elusive. Here we report classical and quantum optical realizations of the discrete fractional Fourier transform. In the context of classical optics, we implement discrete fractional Fourier transforms of exemplary wave functions and experimentally demonstrate the shift theorem. Moreover, we apply this approach in the quantum realm to Fourier transform separable and path-entangled biphoton wave functions. The proposed approach is versatile and could find applications in various fields where Fourier transforms are essential tools.

Pertinent reasoning

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Britz, K

2010-05-01

Full Text Available In this paper the authors venture beyond one of the fundamental assumptions in the non-monotonic reasoning community, namely that non-monotonic entailment is supra-classical. They investigate reasoning which uses an infra-classical entailment...

Meta-Reasoning: Monitoring and Control of Thinking and Reasoning.

Science.gov (United States)

Ackerman, Rakefet; Thompson, Valerie A

2017-08-01

Meta-Reasoning refers to the processes that monitor the progress of our reasoning and problem-solving activities and regulate the time and effort devoted to them. Monitoring processes are usually experienced as feelings of certainty or uncertainty about how well a process has, or will, unfold. These feelings are based on heuristic cues, which are not necessarily reliable. Nevertheless, we rely on these feelings of (un)certainty to regulate our mental effort. Most metacognitive research has focused on memorization and knowledge retrieval, with little attention paid to more complex processes, such as reasoning and problem solving. In that context, we recently developed a Meta-Reasoning framework, used here to review existing findings, consider their consequences, and frame questions for future research. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Challenge towards plant recombinant protein expression: instability in nuclear and chloroplast transformation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Amiri, M.; Jalali-Javaran, M.; Ehsani, P.; Haddad, R.

2016-07-01

It is crucial to maintain the stability of transgene and its expression level. It seems the transformation method and the target organ can influence this instability. To this aim, two transformation systems, Agrobacterium-mediated and particle bombardment systems which have been applied to introduce tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) into nuclear and chloroplast respectively, have been compared to determine transformation efficiency and tPA expression and stability. The presence of tPA gene in transformants has been confirmed by PCR analysis. The gene expression in nuclear transformants and homoplasmy in transplastomic plants have been assayed by ELISA and southern blot, respectively. Some of the Agrobacterium-derived transformants have shown the heritability and stability of the integrated T-DNA harboring the transgene which encodes the tissue plasminogen activator and instability of its expression in T1 generation. Using Southern blot analysis of bombardment-mediated transformants has surprisingly led to detecting the inheritability of tPA. There are several factors lead to silencing of transgene in transgenic plants which should be considered. Possible reasons for these silencing are like vector designing, methylation, copy number, and genome rearrangement.

Challenge towards plant recombinant protein expression: instability in nuclear and chloroplast transformation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Amiri, M.; Jalali-Javaran, M.; Ehsani, P.; Haddad, R.

2016-01-01

It is crucial to maintain the stability of transgene and its expression level. It seems the transformation method and the target organ can influence this instability. To this aim, two transformation systems, Agrobacterium-mediated and particle bombardment systems which have been applied to introduce tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) into nuclear and chloroplast respectively, have been compared to determine transformation efficiency and tPA expression and stability. The presence of tPA gene in transformants has been confirmed by PCR analysis. The gene expression in nuclear transformants and homoplasmy in transplastomic plants have been assayed by ELISA and southern blot, respectively. Some of the Agrobacterium-derived transformants have shown the heritability and stability of the integrated T-DNA harboring the transgene which encodes the tissue plasminogen activator and instability of its expression in T1 generation. Using Southern blot analysis of bombardment-mediated transformants has surprisingly led to detecting the inheritability of tPA. There are several factors lead to silencing of transgene in transgenic plants which should be considered. Possible reasons for these silencing are like vector designing, methylation, copy number, and genome rearrangement.

Battery Charge Equalizer with Transformer Array

Science.gov (United States)

Davies, Francis

2013-01-01

High-power batteries generally consist of a series connection of many cells or cell banks. In order to maintain high performance over battery life, it is desirable to keep the state of charge of all the cell banks equal. A method provides individual charging for battery cells in a large, high-voltage battery array with a minimum number of transformers while maintaining reasonable efficiency. This is designed to augment a simple highcurrent charger that supplies the main charge energy. The innovation will form part of a larger battery charge system. It consists of a transformer array connected to the battery array through rectification and filtering circuits. The transformer array is connected to a drive circuit and a timing and control circuit that allow individual battery cells or cell banks to be charged. The timing circuit and control circuit connect to a charge controller that uses battery instrumentation to determine which battery bank to charge. It is important to note that the innovation can charge an individual cell bank at the same time that the main battery charger is charging the high-voltage battery. The fact that the battery cell banks are at a non-zero voltage, and that they are all at similar voltages, can be used to allow charging of individual cell banks. A set of transformers can be connected with secondary windings in series to make weighted sums of the voltages on the primaries.

Public Reason Renaturalized

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tønder, Lars

2014-01-01

. The article develops this argument via a sensorial orientation to politics that not only re-frames existing critiques of neo-Kantianism but also includes an alternative, renaturalized conception of public reason, one that allows us to overcome the disconnect between the account we give of reason and the way......This article takes up recent discussions of nature and the sensorium in order to rethink public reason in deeply divided societies. The aim is not to reject the role of reason-giving but rather to infuse it with new meaning, bringing the reasonable back to its sensorially inflected circumstances...... it is mobilized in a world of deep pluralism. The article concludes with a discussion of how a renaturalized conception of public reason might change the positioning of contemporary democratic theory vis-a-vis the struggle for empowerment and pluralization in an age of neo-liberalism and state-surveillance....

Learning clinical reasoning.

Science.gov (United States)

Pinnock, Ralph; Welch, Paul

2014-04-01

Errors in clinical reasoning continue to account for significant morbidity and mortality, despite evidence-based guidelines and improved technology. Experts in clinical reasoning often use unconscious cognitive processes that they are not aware of unless they explain how they are thinking. Understanding the intuitive and analytical thinking processes provides a guide for instruction. How knowledge is stored is critical to expertise in clinical reasoning. Curricula should be designed so that trainees store knowledge in a way that is clinically relevant. Competence in clinical reasoning is acquired by supervised practice with effective feedback. Clinicians must recognise the common errors in clinical reasoning and how to avoid them. Trainees can learn clinical reasoning effectively in everyday practice if teachers provide guidance on the cognitive processes involved in making diagnostic decisions. © 2013 The Authors. Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health © 2013 Paediatrics and Child Health Division (Royal Australasian College of Physicians).

Deficiencies of the cryptography based on multiple-parameter fractional Fourier transform.

Science.gov (United States)

Ran, Qiwen; Zhang, Haiying; Zhang, Jin; Tan, Liying; Ma, Jing

2009-06-01

Methods of image encryption based on fractional Fourier transform have an incipient flaw in security. We show that the schemes have the deficiency that one group of encryption keys has many groups of keys to decrypt the encrypted image correctly for several reasons. In some schemes, many factors result in the deficiencies, such as the encryption scheme based on multiple-parameter fractional Fourier transform [Opt. Lett.33, 581 (2008)]. A modified method is proposed to avoid all the deficiencies. Security and reliability are greatly improved without increasing the complexity of the encryption process. (c) 2009 Optical Society of America.

Surface tension in soap films: revisiting a classic demonstration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Behroozi, F

2010-01-01

We revisit a classic demonstration for surface tension in soap films and introduce a more striking variation of it. The demonstration shows how the film, pulling uniformly and normally on a loose string, transforms it into a circular arc under tension. The relationship between the surface tension and the string tension is analysed and presented in a useful graphical form. (letters and comments)

Surface tension in soap films: revisiting a classic demonstration

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Behroozi, F [Department of Physics, University of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls, IA 50614 (United States)], E-mail: behroozi@uni.edu

2010-01-15

We revisit a classic demonstration for surface tension in soap films and introduce a more striking variation of it. The demonstration shows how the film, pulling uniformly and normally on a loose string, transforms it into a circular arc under tension. The relationship between the surface tension and the string tension is analysed and presented in a useful graphical form. (letters and comments)

Maximum-likelihood method for numerical inversion of Mellin transform

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Iqbal, M.

1997-01-01

A method is described for inverting the Mellin transform which uses an expansion in Laguerre polynomials and converts the Mellin transform to Laplace transform, then the maximum-likelihood regularization method is used to recover the original function of the Mellin transform. The performance of the method is illustrated by the inversion of the test functions available in the literature (J. Inst. Math. Appl., 20 (1977) 73; Math. Comput., 53 (1989) 589). Effectiveness of the method is shown by results obtained through demonstration by means of tables and diagrams

Defeasibility in Legal Reasoning

OpenAIRE

SARTOR, Giovanni

2009-01-01

I shall first introduce the idea of reasoning, and of defeasible reasoning in particular. I shall then argue that cognitive agents need to engage in defeasible reasoning for coping with a complex and changing environment. Consequently, defeasibility is needed in practical reasoning, and in particular in legal reasoning

Starvation marrow – gelatinous transformation of bone marrow

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Eric Osgood

2014-09-01

Full Text Available Gelatinous bone marrow transformation (GMT, also known as starvation marrow, represents a rare pathological entity of unclear etiology, in which bone marrow histopathology demonstrates hypoplasia, fat atrophy, and gelatinous infiltration. The finding of gelatinous marrow transformation lacks disease specificity; rather, it is an indicator of severe illness and a marker of poor nutritional status, found in patients with eating disorders, acute febrile illnesses, acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, alcoholism, malignancies, and congestive heart failure. We present a middle-aged woman with a history of alcoholism, depression, and anorexia nervosa who presented with failure to thrive and macrocytic anemia, with bone marrow examination demonstrative of gelatinous transformation, all of which resolved with appropriate treatment. To our knowledge, there are very few cases of GMT which have been successfully treated; thus, our case highlights the importance of proper supportive management.

The impact of natural transformation on adaptation in spatially structured bacterial populations.

Science.gov (United States)

Moradigaravand, Danesh; Engelstädter, Jan

2014-06-20

Recent studies have demonstrated that natural transformation and the formation of highly structured populations in bacteria are interconnected. In spite of growing evidence about this connection, little is known about the dynamics of natural transformation in spatially structured bacterial populations. In this work, we model the interdependency between the dynamics of the bacterial gene pool and those of environmental DNA in space to dissect the effect of transformation on adaptation. Our model reveals that even with only a single locus under consideration, transformation with a free DNA fragment pool results in complex adaptation dynamics that do not emerge in previous models focusing only on the gene shuffling effect of transformation at multiple loci. We demonstrate how spatial restriction on population growth and DNA diffusion in the environment affect the impact of transformation on adaptation. We found that in structured bacterial populations intermediate DNA diffusion rates predominantly cause transformation to impede adaptation by spreading deleterious alleles in the population. Overall, our model highlights distinctive evolutionary consequences of bacterial transformation in spatially restricted compared to planktonic bacterial populations.

Design Transformations for Rule-based Procedural Modeling

KAUST Repository

Lienhard, Stefan; Lau, Cheryl; Mü ller, Pascal; Wonka, Peter; Pauly, Mark

2017-01-01

We introduce design transformations for rule-based procedural models, e.g., for buildings and plants. Given two or more procedural designs, each specified by a grammar, a design transformation combines elements of the existing designs to generate new designs. We introduce two technical components to enable design transformations. First, we extend the concept of discrete rule switching to rule merging, leading to a very large shape space for combining procedural models. Second, we propose an algorithm to jointly derive two or more grammars, called grammar co-derivation. We demonstrate two applications of our work: we show that our framework leads to a larger variety of models than previous work, and we show fine-grained transformation sequences between two procedural models.

Design Transformations for Rule-based Procedural Modeling

KAUST Repository

Lienhard, Stefan

2017-05-24

We introduce design transformations for rule-based procedural models, e.g., for buildings and plants. Given two or more procedural designs, each specified by a grammar, a design transformation combines elements of the existing designs to generate new designs. We introduce two technical components to enable design transformations. First, we extend the concept of discrete rule switching to rule merging, leading to a very large shape space for combining procedural models. Second, we propose an algorithm to jointly derive two or more grammars, called grammar co-derivation. We demonstrate two applications of our work: we show that our framework leads to a larger variety of models than previous work, and we show fine-grained transformation sequences between two procedural models.

Roadmap on transformation optics

Science.gov (United States)

McCall, Martin; Pendry, John B.; Galdi, Vincenzo; Lai, Yun; Horsley, S. A. R.; Li, Jensen; Zhu, Jian; Mitchell-Thomas, Rhiannon C.; Quevedo-Teruel, Oscar; Tassin, Philippe; Ginis, Vincent; Martini, Enrica; Minatti, Gabriele; Maci, Stefano; Ebrahimpouri, Mahsa; Hao, Yang; Kinsler, Paul; Gratus, Jonathan; Lukens, Joseph M.; Weiner, Andrew M.; Leonhardt, Ulf; Smolyaninov, Igor I.; Smolyaninova, Vera N.; Thompson, Robert T.; Wegener, Martin; Kadic, Muamer; Cummer, Steven A.

2018-06-01

Transformation optics asks, using Maxwell’s equations, what kind of electromagnetic medium recreates some smooth deformation of space? The guiding principle is Einstein’s principle of covariance: that any physical theory must take the same form in any coordinate system. This requirement fixes very precisely the required electromagnetic medium. The impact of this insight cannot be overestimated. Many practitioners were used to thinking that only a few analytic solutions to Maxwell’s equations existed, such as the monochromatic plane wave in a homogeneous, isotropic medium. At a stroke, transformation optics increases that landscape from ‘few’ to ‘infinity’, and to each of the infinitude of analytic solutions dreamt up by the researcher, there corresponds an electromagnetic medium capable of reproducing that solution precisely. The most striking example is the electromagnetic cloak, thought to be an unreachable dream of science fiction writers, but realised in the laboratory a few months after the papers proposing the possibility were published. But the practical challenges are considerable, requiring meta-media that are at once electrically and magnetically inhomogeneous and anisotropic. How far have we come since the first demonstrations over a decade ago? And what does the future hold? If the wizardry of perfect macroscopic optical invisibility still eludes us in practice, then what compromises still enable us to create interesting, useful, devices? While three-dimensional (3D) cloaking remains a significant technical challenge, much progress has been made in two dimensions. Carpet cloaking, wherein an object is hidden under a surface that appears optically flat, relaxes the constraints of extreme electromagnetic parameters. Surface wave cloaking guides sub-wavelength surface waves, making uneven surfaces appear flat. Two dimensions is also the setting in which conformal and complex coordinate transformations are realisable, and the possibilities in

Zirconia - the cinderella transformation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hannink, R.H.J.

1999-01-01

Zirconia and its alloys have formed a turning point in mechanical property developments of engineering ceramics. This can be stated primarily because zirconia alloys were one of the first ceramic systems in which it was demonstrated that the mechanical properties could be tailored using careful control of composition, powder processing and thermal treatment. For the improved mechanical properties to be captured in zirconia-based or containing ceramics, control of the tetragonal to monoclinic transformation is required. Through microstructural control, zirconia-based ceramics can be tailored to form some of the strongest and toughest ceramics yet developed. By carefully controlling the use of various dopants (alloying additions), a variety of microstructures can be produced all of which may exhibit transformation toughening. While success in capturing the benefits of transformation toughening relies on adequate powder processing techniques, this review is restricted to outlining the phase control and behaviour that make zirconia and its alloys such a scientifically fascinating and rewarding system for study and a commercially appealing ceramic material

The Bargmann transform and canonical transformations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Villegas-Blas, Carlos

2002-01-01

This paper concerns a relationship between the kernel of the Bargmann transform and the corresponding canonical transformation. We study this fact for a Bargmann transform introduced by Thomas and Wassell [J. Math. Phys. 36, 5480-5505 (1995)]--when the configuration space is the two-sphere S 2 and for a Bargmann transform that we introduce for the three-sphere S 3 . It is shown that the kernel of the Bargmann transform is a power series in a function which is a generating function of the corresponding canonical transformation (a classical analog of the Bargmann transform). We show in each case that our canonical transformation is a composition of two other canonical transformations involving the complex null quadric in C 3 or C 4 . We also describe quantizations of those two other canonical transformations by dealing with spaces of holomorphic functions on the aforementioned null quadrics. Some of these quantizations have been studied by Bargmann and Todorov [J. Math. Phys. 18, 1141-1148 (1977)] and the other quantizations are related to the work of Guillemin [Integ. Eq. Operator Theory 7, 145-205 (1984)]. Since suitable infinite linear combinations of powers of the generating functions are coherent states for L 2 (S 2 ) or L 2 (S 3 ), we show finally that the studied Bargmann transforms are actually coherent states transforms

Clifford Algebras and Spinorial Representation of Linear Canonical Transformations in Quantum Theory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Raoelina Andriambololona; Ranaivoson, R.T.R.; Rakotoson, H.

2017-11-01

This work is a continuation of previous works that we have done concerning linear canonical transformations and a phase space representation of quantum theory. It is mainly focused on the description of an approach which permits to establish spinorial representation of linear canonical transformations. It begins with an introduction section in which the reason and context of the content are discussed. The introduction section is followed by a brief recall about Clifford algebra and spin group. The description of the approach is started with the presentation of an adequate parameterization of linear canonical transformations which permits to represent them with special pseudo-orthogonal transformations in an operators space. The establishment of the spinorial representation is deduced using relation between special pseudo-orthogonal groups and spin groups. The cases of one dimension quantum mechanics and general multidimensional theory are both studied. The case of linear canonical transformation related to Minkowski space is particularly studied and it is shown that Lorentz transformation may be considered as particular case of linear canonical transformation. Some results from the spinorial representation are also exploited to define operators which may be used to establish equations for fields if one considers the possibility of envisaging a field theory which admits as main symmetry group the group constituted by linear canonical transformations.

Structural logical relations with case analysis and equality reasoning

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rasmussen, Ulrik Terp; Filinski, Andrzej

2013-01-01

requires the assertion logic to be extended with reasoning principles not present in the original presentation of the formalization method. We address this by generalizing the assertion logic to include dependent sorts, and demonstrate that the original cut elimination proof continues to apply without...

Examination of Spectral Transformations on Spectral Mixture Analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Deng, Y.; Wu, C.

2018-04-01

While many spectral transformation techniques have been applied on spectral mixture analysis (SMA), few study examined their necessity and applicability. This paper focused on exploring the difference between spectrally transformed schemes and untransformed scheme to find out which transformed scheme performed better in SMA. In particular, nine spectrally transformed schemes as well as untransformed scheme were examined in two study areas. Each transformed scheme was tested 100 times using different endmember classes' spectra under the endmember model of vegetation- high albedo impervious surface area-low albedo impervious surface area-soil (V-ISAh-ISAl-S). Performance of each scheme was assessed based on mean absolute error (MAE). Statistical analysis technique, Paired-Samples T test, was applied to test the significance of mean MAEs' difference between transformed and untransformed schemes. Results demonstrated that only NSMA could exceed the untransformed scheme in all study areas. Some transformed schemes showed unstable performance since they outperformed the untransformed scheme in one area but weakened the SMA result in another region.

Effect of the top coat on the phase transformation of thermally grown oxide in thermal barrier coatings

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhao, X. [Materials Science Centre, School of Materials, University of Manchester, Manchester M1 7HS (United Kingdom); Hashimoto, T. [Materials Science Centre, School of Materials, University of Manchester, Manchester M1 7HS (United Kingdom); Xiao, P. [Materials Science Centre, School of Materials, University of Manchester, Manchester M1 7HS (United Kingdom)]. E-mail: ping.xiao@manchester.ac.uk

2006-12-15

The phase transformation of the thermally grown oxide (TGO) formed on a Pt enriched {gamma} + {gamma}' bond coat in electron beam physical vapour deposited thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) was studied by photo-stimulaluminescence spectroscopy. The presence of the TBC retards the {theta} to {alpha} transformation of the TGO and leads to a higher oxidation rate. The reasons for these phenomena are discussed.

Episodic Reasoning for Vision-Based Human Action Recognition

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maria J. Santofimia

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Smart Spaces, Ambient Intelligence, and Ambient Assisted Living are environmental paradigms that strongly depend on their capability to recognize human actions. While most solutions rest on sensor value interpretations and video analysis applications, few have realized the importance of incorporating common-sense capabilities to support the recognition process. Unfortunately, human action recognition cannot be successfully accomplished by only analyzing body postures. On the contrary, this task should be supported by profound knowledge of human agency nature and its tight connection to the reasons and motivations that explain it. The combination of this knowledge and the knowledge about how the world works is essential for recognizing and understanding human actions without committing common-senseless mistakes. This work demonstrates the impact that episodic reasoning has in improving the accuracy of a computer vision system for human action recognition. This work also presents formalization, implementation, and evaluation details of the knowledge model that supports the episodic reasoning.

A REVIEW WAVELET TRANSFORM AND FUZZY K-MEANS BASED IMAGE DE-NOISING METHOD

OpenAIRE

Nidhi Patel*, Asst. Prof. Pratik Kumar Soni

2017-01-01

The research area of image processing technique using fuzzy k-means and wavelet transform. The enormous amount of data necessary for images is a main reason for the growth of many areas within the research field of computer imaging such as image processing and compression. In order to get this in requisites of the concerned research work, wavelet transforms and k-means clustering is applied. This can be done in order to discover more possible combinations that may lead to the finest de-noisin...

Theory of mind reasoning in schizophrenia patients and non-psychotic relatives.

Science.gov (United States)

Cassetta, Briana; Goghari, Vina

2014-08-15

Research consistently demonstrates that schizophrenia patients have theory of mind (ToM) impairments. Additionally, there is some evidence that family members of schizophrenia patients also demonstrate impairments in ToM, suggesting a genetic vulnerability for the disorder. This study assessed ToM abilities (i.e., sarcasm comprehension) in schizophrenia patients and their first-degree biological relatives during video-taped social interactions, to be representative of real-world interactions and to assess for disease-specific and/or genetic liability effects. Additionally, we assessed whether ToM abilities predicted social and global functioning in schizophrenia patients, and whether symptoms were associated with ToM deficits. Schizophrenia patients demonstrated impairments in sarcasm comprehension compared to controls and relatives, whereas relatives showed intact comprehension. Symptoms of schizophrenia significantly predicted worse ToM abilities. Furthermore, in schizophrenia patients, impaired ToM reasoning predicted worse social and global functioning. Given schizophrenia patients demonstrated impairments in ToM reasoning in a task that resembles real-life interactions, this might be a key area for remediation. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

A feasibility study on wavelet transform for reactivity coefficient estimation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shimazu, Yoichiro

2000-01-01

Recently, a new method using Fourier transform has been introduced in place of the conventional method in order to reduce the time required for the measurement of moderator temperature coefficient in domestic PWRs. The basic concept of these methods is to eliminate noise in the reactivity signal. From this point of view, wavelet analysis is also known as an effective method. In this paper, we tried to apply this method to estimate reactivity coefficients of a nuclear reactor. The basic idea of the reactivity coefficient estimation is to analyze the ratios themselves of the corresponding expansion coefficients of the wavelet transform of the signals of reactivity and the relevant parameter. The concept requires no inverse wavelet transform. Based on numerical simulations, it is found that the method can reasonably estimate reactivity coefficient, for example moderator temperature coefficient, with less length of time sequence data than those required for Fourier transform method. We will continue this study to examine the validity of the estimation procedure for the actual reactor data and further to estimate the other reactivity coefficients. (author)

Using Computer Simulations for Promoting Model-based Reasoning. Epistemological and Educational Dimensions

Science.gov (United States)

Develaki, Maria

2017-11-01

Scientific reasoning is particularly pertinent to science education since it is closely related to the content and methodologies of science and contributes to scientific literacy. Much of the research in science education investigates the appropriate framework and teaching methods and tools needed to promote students' ability to reason and evaluate in a scientific way. This paper aims (a) to contribute to an extended understanding of the nature and pedagogical importance of model-based reasoning and (b) to exemplify how using computer simulations can support students' model-based reasoning. We provide first a background for both scientific reasoning and computer simulations, based on the relevant philosophical views and the related educational discussion. This background suggests that the model-based framework provides an epistemologically valid and pedagogically appropriate basis for teaching scientific reasoning and for helping students develop sounder reasoning and decision-taking abilities and explains how using computer simulations can foster these abilities. We then provide some examples illustrating the use of computer simulations to support model-based reasoning and evaluation activities in the classroom. The examples reflect the procedure and criteria for evaluating models in science and demonstrate the educational advantages of their application in classroom reasoning activities.

Differentiating between precursor and control variables when analyzing reasoned action theories.

Science.gov (United States)

Hennessy, Michael; Bleakley, Amy; Fishbein, Martin; Brown, Larry; Diclemente, Ralph; Romer, Daniel; Valois, Robert; Vanable, Peter A; Carey, Michael P; Salazar, Laura

2010-02-01

This paper highlights the distinction between precursor and control variables in the context of reasoned action theory. Here the theory is combined with structural equation modeling to demonstrate how age and past sexual behavior should be situated in a reasoned action analysis. A two wave longitudinal survey sample of African-American adolescents is analyzed where the target behavior is having vaginal sex. Results differ when age and past behavior are used as control variables and when they are correctly used as precursors. Because control variables do not appear in any form of reasoned action theory, this approach to including background variables is not correct when analyzing data sets based on the theoretical axioms of the Theory of Reasoned Action, the Theory of Planned Behavior, or the Integrative Model.

Impact of transformational leadership on nurse work outcomes.

Science.gov (United States)

Brewer, Carol S; Kovner, Christine T; Djukic, Maja; Fatehi, Farida; Greene, William; Chacko, Thomas P; Yang, Yulin

2016-11-01

To examine the effect of transformational leadership on early career nurses' intent to stay, job satisfaction and organizational commitment. Lack of leadership support is one of the top reasons staff nurses leave. Current studies reported mixed results about the impact of transformational leadership on key nurse outcomes. However, little is known whether leadership directly or indirectly affects satisfaction, organizational commitment and intent to stay. This study was a cross-sectional study of nurses who had been licensed for 7·5-8·5 years which was part of a 10-year longitudinal panel design. The analytic sample was 1037 nationally representative newly licensed Registered Nurses. Data were collected from January-March 2013. We used a probit model to model the relationship between transformational leadership and intent to stay, organizational commitment and job satisfaction. Transformational leadership did not have a significant impact on intent to stay and job satisfaction, but significantly associated with organizational commitment. Organizational commitment, job satisfaction, mentor support, promotional opportunities and age were positively associated with intent to stay, while ethnicity, non-local job opportunities and work settings were negatively associated with intent to stay. Transformational leadership had no direct relationship with intent to stay and job satisfaction and had a small direct positive effect on organizational commitment. Transformational leadership has potential to slow attrition and retain nurses by creating a positive work environment that supports nurses. Any improvement in job satisfaction and organizational commitment would positively increase the change in probability for intent to stay. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Transformation of benzalkonium chloride under nitrate reducing conditions.

Science.gov (United States)

Tezel, Ulas; Pavlostathis, Spyros G

2009-03-01

The effect and transformation potential of benzalkonium chlorides (BAC) under nitrate reducing conditions were investigated at concentrations up to 100 mg/L in batch assays using a mixed, mesophilic (35 degrees C) methanogenic culture. Glucose was used as the carbon and energy source and the initial nitrate concentration was 70 mg N/L Dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonia (DNRA) and to dinitrogen (DNRN) were observed at BAC concentrations up to 25 mg/L At and above 50 mg BAC/L, DNRA was inhibited and DNRN was incomplete resulting in accumulation of nitrous oxide. Long-term inhibition of methanogenesis and accumulation of volatile fatty acids were observed at and above 50 mg BAC/L Over 99% of the added BAC was recovered from all cultures except the one amended with 100 mg BAC/L where 37% of the initially added BAC was transformed during the 100 day incubation period. Abiotic and biotic assays performed with 100 mg/L of BAC and 5 mM (in the liquid phase) of either nitrate, nitrite, or nitric oxide demonstrated that BAC transformation was abiotic and followed the modified Hofmann degradation pathway, i.e., bimolecular nucleophilic substitution with nitrite. Alkyl dimethyl amines (tertiary amines) were produced at equamolar levels to BAC transformed, but were not further degraded. This is the first report demonstrating the transformation of BAC under nitrate reducing conditions and elucidating the BAC transformation pathway.

Registered nurses' clinical reasoning skills and reasoning process: A think-aloud study.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, JuHee; Lee, Young Joo; Bae, JuYeon; Seo, Minjeong

2016-11-01

As complex chronic diseases are increasing, nurses' prompt and accurate clinical reasoning skills are essential. However, little is known about the reasoning skills of registered nurses. This study aimed to determine how registered nurses use their clinical reasoning skills and to identify how the reasoning process proceeds in the complex clinical situation of hospital setting. A qualitative exploratory design was used with a think-aloud method. A total of 13 registered nurses (mean years of experience=11.4) participated in the study, solving an ill-structured clinical problem based on complex chronic patients cases in a hospital setting. Data were analyzed using deductive content analysis. Findings showed that the registered nurses used a variety of clinical reasoning skills. The most commonly used skill was 'checking accuracy and reliability.' The reasoning process of registered nurses covered assessment, analysis, diagnosis, planning/implementation, and evaluation phase. It is critical that registered nurses apply appropriate clinical reasoning skills in complex clinical practice. The main focus of registered nurses' reasoning in this study was assessing a patient's health problem, and their reasoning process was cyclic, rather than linear. There is a need for educational strategy development to enhance registered nurses' competency in determining appropriate interventions in a timely and accurate fashion. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Direct Monitoring and Control of Transformer Temperature in Order to Avoid its Breakdown Using FOS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Deepika YADAV

2008-09-01

Full Text Available This manuscript focuses on Direct Monitoring & Control of Transformer Temperature in order to avoid its Breakdown Using FOS (fiber optic sensor. Although there are various reasons for failure of transformer operation but mainly it is due to conductor loss and hysteresis losses which causes temperature rise in the internal structures of the transformer leading to burning of windings. A system for monitoring the temperature of transformers is required. Existing sensors cannot be used for monitoring the temperature of transformers because they are sensitive to electrical signals and can cause sparking which can trigger fire since there is oil in transformers cooling coils. Distributed FOS based on microbend is simulated on MATLAB7.5 in order to check the effectiveness of this sensor. Results in the form of graphs i.e., intensity modulation vs. the temperature has been shown in the manuscript.

Reasoning about Grover's Quantum Search Algorithm using Probabilistic wp

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Butler, M.J.; Hartel, Pieter H.

Grover's search algorithm is designed to be executed on a quantum mechanical computer. In this paper, the probabilistic wp-calculus is used to model and reason about Grover's algorithm. It is demonstrated that the calculus provides a rigorous programming notation for modelling this and other quantum

Stereotypical Reasoning: Logical Properties

OpenAIRE

Lehmann, Daniel

2002-01-01

Stereotypical reasoning assumes that the situation at hand is one of a kind and that it enjoys the properties generally associated with that kind of situation. It is one of the most basic forms of nonmonotonic reasoning. A formal model for stereotypical reasoning is proposed and the logical properties of this form of reasoning are studied. Stereotypical reasoning is shown to be cumulative under weak assumptions.

Automated reasoning applications to design validation and sneak function analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stratton, R.C.

1984-01-01

Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) is actively involved in the LMFBR Man-Machine Integration (MMI) Safety Program. The objective of this program is to enhance the operational safety and reliability of fast-breeder reactors by optimum integration of men and machines through the application of human factors principles and control engineering to the design, operation, and the control environment. ANL is developing methods to apply automated reasoning and computerization in the validation and sneak function analysis process. This project provides the element definitions and relations necessary for an automated reasoner (AR) to reason about design validation and sneak function analysis. This project also provides a demonstration of this AR application on an Experimental Breeder Reactor-II (EBR-II) system, the Argonne Cooling System

Conceptualising Transformation and Interrogating Elitism: The Bale Scholarship Programme

Science.gov (United States)

Botsis, Hannah; Dominguez-Whitehead, Yasmine; Liccardo, Sabrina

2013-01-01

In this article, we consider the extent to which a scholarship programme at the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) engages with the challenges of transformation. This scholarship programme highlights the transformative potential of a programme that focuses on excellence for a previously under-represented group, but also demonstrates how this…

Reasoning in explanation-based decision making.

Science.gov (United States)

Pennington, N; Hastie, R

1993-01-01

A general theory of explanation-based decision making is outlined and the multiple roles of inference processes in the theory are indicated. A typology of formal and informal inference forms, originally proposed by Collins (1978a, 1978b), is introduced as an appropriate framework to represent inferences that occur in the overarching explanation-based process. Results from the analysis of verbal reports of decision processes are presented to demonstrate the centrality and systematic character of reasoning in a representative legal decision-making task.

In-reactor precipitation and ferritic transformation in neutron--irradiated stainless steels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Porter, D.L.; Wood, E.L.

1978-01-01

Ferritic transformation (γ → α) was observed in Type 304L, 20% cold-worked AISI 316, and solution-annealed AISI 316 stainless steels subjected to fast neutron irradiation. Each material demonstrated an increasing propensity for transformation with increasing irradiation temperature between 400 and 550 0 C. Irradiation-induced segregation of Ni solute to precipitates was found not to influence the transformation kinetics in 304L. Similar composition data from 316 materials demonstrates a much greater temperature dependence of precipitation reactions in the process of matrix Ni depletion during neutron irradiation. The 316 data establishes a strong link between such depletion and the observed γ → α transformation. Moreover, the lack of correlation between precipitate-related Ni depletion and the γ → α transformation in 304L can be related to the fact that irradiation-induced voids nucleate very quickly in 304L steel during irradiation. These voids present preferential sites for Ni segregation through a defect trapping mechanism, and hence Ni segregates to voids rather than to precipitates, as evidenced by observed stable γ shells around voids in areas of complete transformation

Neural correlates of depth of strategic reasoning in medial prefrontal cortex

Science.gov (United States)

Coricelli, Giorgio; Nagel, Rosemarie

2009-01-01

We used functional MRI (fMRI) to investigate human mental processes in a competitive interactive setting—the “beauty contest” game. This game is well-suited for investigating whether and how a player's mental processing incorporates the thinking process of others in strategic reasoning. We apply a cognitive hierarchy model to classify subject's choices in the experimental game according to the degree of strategic reasoning so that we can identify the neural substrates of different levels of strategizing. According to this model, high-level reasoners expect the others to behave strategically, whereas low-level reasoners choose based on the expectation that others will choose randomly. The data show that high-level reasoning and a measure of strategic IQ (related to winning in the game) correlate with the neural activity in the medial prefrontal cortex, demonstrating its crucial role in successful mentalizing. This supports a cognitive hierarchy model of human brain and behavior. PMID:19470476

Memory Transformation Enhances Reinforcement Learning in Dynamic Environments.

Science.gov (United States)

Santoro, Adam; Frankland, Paul W; Richards, Blake A

2016-11-30

Over the course of systems consolidation, there is a switch from a reliance on detailed episodic memories to generalized schematic memories. This switch is sometimes referred to as "memory transformation." Here we demonstrate a previously unappreciated benefit of memory transformation, namely, its ability to enhance reinforcement learning in a dynamic environment. We developed a neural network that is trained to find rewards in a foraging task where reward locations are continuously changing. The network can use memories for specific locations (episodic memories) and statistical patterns of locations (schematic memories) to guide its search. We find that switching from an episodic to a schematic strategy over time leads to enhanced performance due to the tendency for the reward location to be highly correlated with itself in the short-term, but regress to a stable distribution in the long-term. We also show that the statistics of the environment determine the optimal utilization of both types of memory. Our work recasts the theoretical question of why memory transformation occurs, shifting the focus from the avoidance of memory interference toward the enhancement of reinforcement learning across multiple timescales. As time passes, memories transform from a highly detailed state to a more gist-like state, in a process called "memory transformation." Theories of memory transformation speak to its advantages in terms of reducing memory interference, increasing memory robustness, and building models of the environment. However, the role of memory transformation from the perspective of an agent that continuously acts and receives reward in its environment is not well explored. In this work, we demonstrate a view of memory transformation that defines it as a way of optimizing behavior across multiple timescales. Copyright © 2016 the authors 0270-6474/16/3612228-15$15.00/0.

Progress of cereal transformation technology mediated by Agrobacterium tumefaciens

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yukoh eHiei

2014-11-01

Full Text Available Monocotyledonous plants were believed to be not transformable by the soil bacterium Agrobacterium tumefaciens until two decades ago, although convenient protocols for infection of leaf disks and subsequent regeneration of transgenic plants had been well established in a number of dicotyledonous species by then. This belief was reinforced by the fact that monocotyledons are mostly outside the host range of crown gall disease caused by the bacterium and by the failures in trials in monocotyledons to mimic the transformation protocols for dicotyledons. However, a key reason for the failure could have been the lack of active cell divisions at the wound sites, which are the basis of tissue culture and transformation in dicotyledons, in monocotyledons. The complexity and narrow optimal windows of critical factors, such as genotypes of plants, conditions of the plants from which explants are prepared, tissue culture methods and culture media, pre-treatments of explants, strains of A. tumefaciens, inducers of virulence genes, transformation vectors, selection marker genes and selective agents, kept technical hurdles high. Eventually it was determined that rice and maize could be transformed by co-cultivating cells of callus cultures or immature embryos, which are actively dividing or about to divide, with A. tumefaciens. Subsequently, these initial difficulties were resolved one by one by many research groups, and the major cereals are now transformed quite efficiently. As many as 15 independent transgenic events may be regenerated from a single piece of immature embryo of rice. Maize transformation protocols are well established, and almost all transgenic events deregulated for commercialization after 2003 were generated by Agrobacterium-mediated transformation. Wheat, barley and sorghum are also among those plants that can be efficiently transformed by A. tumefaciens.

More safety in the medium-voltage network by casting resin transformers; Mehr Sicherheit im Mittelspannungs-Netz durch Giessharztransformatoren

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tschaetsch, H.U.

2006-07-15

Drying transformers or casting resin transformers are employed at places where oil-isolated transformers may not be used for safety reasons. Characteristics such as operational safety and long life span ensure greatest possible safety with wind power stations, in water protection zones, in multi-storied buildings and in each subway railway station or rapid-transit railway station. A further substantial characteristic is in demand: the very good fire behaviour. Drying transformers not only are difficulty inflammable, but also go out by one self. In addition the transformers are maintenance-free, have a compact design, are easily installable and make no high requirements to the maintenance staff. Drying transformers are ecologically beneficial and can be recycled well. Therefore, drying transformers are indispensable in the public and industrial power supply.

Using AberOWL for fast and scalable reasoning over BioPortal ontologies

KAUST Repository

Slater, Luke

2016-08-08

Background: Reasoning over biomedical ontologies using their OWL semantics has traditionally been a challenging task due to the high theoretical complexity of OWL-based automated reasoning. As a consequence, ontology repositories, as well as most other tools utilizing ontologies, either provide access to ontologies without use of automated reasoning, or limit the number of ontologies for which automated reasoning-based access is provided. Methods: We apply the AberOWL infrastructure to provide automated reasoning-based access to all accessible and consistent ontologies in BioPortal (368 ontologies). We perform an extensive performance evaluation to determine query times, both for queries of different complexity and for queries that are performed in parallel over the ontologies. Results and conclusions: We demonstrate that, with the exception of a few ontologies, even complex and parallel queries can now be answered in milliseconds, therefore allowing automated reasoning to be used on a large scale, to run in parallel, and with rapid response times.

The fuzzy Hough Transform-feature extraction in medical images

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Philip, K.P.; Dove, E.L.; Stanford, W.; Chandran, K.B.; McPherson, D.D.; Gotteiner, N.L.

1994-01-01

Identification of anatomical features is a necessary step for medical image analysis. Automatic methods for feature identification using conventional pattern recognition techniques typically classify an object as a member of a predefined class of objects, but do not attempt to recover the exact or approximate shape of that object. For this reason, such techniques are usually not sufficient to identify the borders of organs when individual geometry varies in local detail, even though the general geometrical shape is similar. The authors present an algorithm that detects features in an image based on approximate geometrical models. The algorithm is based on the traditional and generalized Hough Transforms but includes notions from fuzzy set theory. The authors use the new algorithm to roughly estimate the actual locations of boundaries of an internal organ, and from this estimate, to determine a region of interest around the organ. Based on this rough estimate of the border location, and the derived region of interest, the authors find the final estimate of the true borders with other image processing techniques. The authors present results that demonstrate that the algorithm was successfully used to estimate the approximate location of the chest wall in humans, and of the left ventricular contours of a dog heart obtained from cine-computed tomographic images. The authors use this fuzzy Hough Transform algorithm as part of a larger procedures to automatically identify the myocardial contours of the heart. This algorithm may also allow for more rapid image processing and clinical decision making in other medical imaging applications

Analysis of students’ mathematical reasoning

Science.gov (United States)

Sukirwan; Darhim; Herman, T.

2018-01-01

The reasoning is one of the mathematical abilities that have very complex implications. This complexity causes reasoning including abilities that are not easily attainable by students. Similarly, studies dealing with reason are quite diverse, primarily concerned with the quality of mathematical reasoning. The objective of this study was to determine the quality of mathematical reasoning based perspective Lithner. Lithner looked at how the environment affects the mathematical reasoning. In this regard, Lithner made two perspectives, namely imitative reasoning and creative reasoning. Imitative reasoning can be memorized and algorithmic reasoning. The Result study shows that although the students generally still have problems in reasoning. Students tend to be on imitative reasoning which means that students tend to use a routine procedure when dealing with reasoning. It is also shown that the traditional approach still dominates on the situation of students’ daily learning.

Designing power transformers for Sizewell 'B' as quality products

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

White, A.; Poole, C.W.

1992-01-01

At the beginning of 1990, Nuclear Electric plc., then a Division of the CEGB, placed a contract with GEC ALSTHOM Transformers Limited of Stafford for the design, supply and installation of the main transformers for the Sizewell B electrical system. The following transformers are being provided under this contract; two Generator Transformers, two Station Transformers, two Unit Transformers and two Fault Limiting Reactors. The main objective of this paper is to describe the quality assurance philosophies applied to the design of these transformers to ensure that the performance requirements were met in full and to describe how these philosophies were converted into a practical working system. The paper does not set out to present a detailed technical appreciation of the transformers themselves but rather, to demonstrate that by addressing quality in the design and design processes, reliable and efficient items of high value, capital equipment result from the partnership in quality between supplier and customer. (Author)

Backlund transformations as canonical transformations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Villani, A.; Zimerman, A.H.

1977-01-01

Toda and Wadati as well as Kodama and Wadati have shown that the Backlund transformations, for the exponential lattice equation, sine-Gordon equation, K-dV (Korteweg de Vries) equation and modifies K-dV equation, are canonical transformation. It is shown that the Backlund transformation for the Boussinesq equation, for a generalized K-dV equation, for a model equation for shallow water waves and for the nonlinear Schroedinger equation are also canonical transformations [pt

Differentiating Between Precursor and Control Variables When Analyzing Reasoned Action Theories

OpenAIRE

Hennessy, Michael; Bleakley, Amy; Fishbein, Martin; Brown, Larry; DiClemente, Ralph; Romer, Daniel; Valois, Robert; Vanable, Peter A.; Carey, Michael P.; Salazar, Laura

2009-01-01

This paper highlights the distinction between precursor and control variables in the context of reasoned action theory. Here the theory is combined with structural equation modeling to demonstrate how age and past sexual behavior should be situated in a reasoned action analysis. A two wave longitudinal survey sample of African-American adolescents is analyzed where the target behavior is having vaginal sex. Results differ when age and past behavior are used as control variables and when they ...

Reasoning in Design: Idea Generation Condition Effects on Reasoning Processes and Evaluation of Ideas

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Cramer-Petersen, Claus Lundgaard; Ahmed-Kristensen, Saeema

2015-01-01

to investigate idea generation sessions of two industry cases. Reasoning was found to appear in sequences of alternating reasoning types where the initiating reasoning type was decisive. The study found that abductive reasoning led to more radical ideas, whereas deductive reasoning led to ideas being for project...... requirements, but having a higher proportion being rejected as not valuable. The study sheds light on the conditions that promote these reasoning types. The study is one of the first of its kind and advances an understanding of reasoning in design by empirical means and suggests a relationship between......Reasoning is at the core of design activity and thinking. Thus, understanding and explaining reasoning in design is fundamental to understand and support design practice. This paper investigates reasoning in design and its relationship to varying foci at the stage of idea generation and subsequent...

Insight into the dielectric response of transformer oil-based nanofluids

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ming Dong

2017-02-01

Full Text Available The oil-based nanofluids with greater dielectric strength have attracted much attention as a crucial insulating materials in high-voltage oil-immersed power equipment. In fact, the different microstructures of the transformer oil-based nanofluids (TNFs would result in different dielectric properties. In this work, the broadband dielectric spectroscopy measurement was used to establish the linkage between the electric double layer (EDL and dielectric response properties of TNFs which was performed at 298K temperature and with frequency range from 10-2Hz∼106Hz. The modified Havriliak-Negami (HN model function was used to analyze the measured results. The results demonstrate that both the real and imaginary parts of dielectric spectra of two kinds of oil are composed of the conductivity and polarization process. Compared with pure oil, two polarization process could be observed for the TNFs, explained by the EDL structure reasonably. The introduction of the EDL structure provides an idea to account for the insulating strength improvement of TNFs for the first time.

Electromechanical stress in transformers caused by three-phase short-circuits; Estresse eletromecanico em transformadores causado por curtos-circuitos trifasicos

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rosentino, A.J.J. Pereira; Delaiba, A.C.; Saraiva, E.; Oliveira, J.C. de; Lynce, M. [Universidade Federal de Uberlandia (UFU), MG (Brazil). Fac. de Engenharia Eletrica], Emails: arnaldoufu@gmail.com, delaiba@ufu.br, elise.saraiva@yahoo.com.br, jcoliveira@ufu.br, lynce@ufu.br; Bronzeado, H. de S. [Companhia Hidro Eletrica do Sao Francisco (CHESF), Recife, PE (Brazil)], Emails: herivelto.bronzeado@gmail.com, hebron@chesf.gov.br

2009-07-01

One of the reasons for internal failures of transformers is the weakness of the isolation of its conductors/coils due to vibrations caused by electromechanics forces produced by the high short-circuit currents. In this context, this paper presents a methodology to estimate the electromechanical stress in transformers caused by three-phase short circuits. Details of the characteristics of radial and axial forces that can occur in concentric windings of transformers, focusing mainly on the axial are presented. It is presented the preliminary description of techniques for diagnosis and monitoring of transformers in the face of mechanical stress caused by short circuit. This study considers the transformers core involved.

Electrochemical sensor for predicting transformer overload by phenol measurement

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bosworth, Timothy; Setford, Steven; Saini, Selwayan [Cranfield Centre for Analytical Science, Cranfield University, Silsoe, Beds MK45 4DT (United Kingdom); Heywood, Richard [National Grid Company Plc, Kelvin Avenue, Leatherhead, Surrey KT22 7ST (United Kingdom)

2003-03-10

Transformer overload is a significant problem to the power transmission industry, with severe safety and cost implications. Overload may be predicted by measuring phenol levels in the transformer-insulating oil, arising from the thermolytic degradation of phenol-formaldehyde resins. The development of two polyphenol oxidase (PPO) sensors, based on monitoring the enzymatic consumption of oxygen using an oxygen electrode, or reduction of enzymatically generated o-quinone at a screen-printed electrode (SPE), for the measurement of phenol in transformer oil is reported. Ex-service oils were prepared either by extraction into aqueous electrolyte-buffer, or by direct dilution in propan-2-ol, the latter method being more amenable to simple at-line operation. The oxygen electrode, with a sensitivity of 2.87 nA {mu}g{sup -1} ml{sup -1}, RSD of 7.0-19.9% and accuracy of {+-}8.3% versus the industry standard International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) method, proved superior to the SPE (sensitivity: 3.02 nA {mu}g{sup -1} ml{sup -1}; RSD: 8.9-18.3%; accuracy: {+-}7.9%) and was considerably more accurate at low phenol concentrations. However, the SPE approach is more amenable to field-based usage for reasons of device simplicity. The method has potential as a rapid and simple screening tool for the at-site monitoring of phenol in transformer oils, thereby reducing incidences of transformer failure.

INSTITUTIONAL TRANSFORMATION IN COUNTRIES OF CEE: EXPERIENCE FOR UKRAINE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Galyna\tPOCHENCHUK

2015-12-01

Full Text Available In the article the experience of post-socialist countries of Central and Eastern Europe on the transformational changes that have been implemented in the political, socio-economic and ideological spheres is considered. The unprecedentness is determined by the scope and timing of reform. The author reviews the main conceptual models of realization of market transformations. The features of centrally-planned or command economy and main stages of market reforms with regard to processes that took place in the reformed countries are characterized. It is determined that the first phase concerned the dismantling of the previous social system and its institutions, so that it was not only started the formation of market structures and the introduction of democratic principles, but also significant negative trends in the economy and social sphere. The second stage of reforms in CEE related to the acquisition of the membership in Member States and relevant preparatory and adaptational measures. Critical importance of institutional reforms to establish an effective functioning of democratic market economy is explained. Based on the analysis of institutional transformations that took place in the reform process in Central and Eastern Europe the main institutional changes in various fields are summarized. With the experience of CEE countries the narrow places of transformation processes in Ukraine are identified and necessary directions for further transformation are reasonably grounded.

[Experimental analysis of some determinants of inductive reasoning].

Science.gov (United States)

Ono, K

1989-02-01

Three experiments were conducted from a behavioral perspective to investigate the determinants of inductive reasoning and to compare some methodological differences. The dependent variable used in these experiments was the threshold of confident response (TCR), which was defined as "the minimal sample size required to establish generalization from instances." Experiment 1 examined the effects of population size on inductive reasoning, and the results from 35 college students showed that the TCR varied in proportion to the logarithm of population size. In Experiment 2, 30 subjects showed distinct sensitivity to both prior probability and base-rate. The results from 70 subjects who participated in Experiment 3 showed that the TCR was affected by its consequences (risk condition), and especially, that humans were sensitive to a loss situation. These results demonstrate the sensitivity of humans to statistical variables in inductive reasoning. Furthermore, methodological comparison indicated that the experimentally observed values of TCR were close to, but not as precise as the optimal values predicted by Bayes' model. On the other hand, the subjective TCR estimated by subjects was highly discrepant from the observed TCR. These findings suggest that various aspects of inductive reasoning can be fruitfully investigated not only from subjective estimations such as probability likelihood but also from an objective behavioral perspective.

Transformer modeling for low- and mid-frequency electromagnetic transients simulation

Science.gov (United States)

Lambert, Mathieu

In this work, new models are developed for single-phase and three-phase shell-type transformers for the simulation of low-frequency transients, with the use of the coupled leakage model. This approach has the advantage that it avoids the use of fictitious windings to connect the leakage model to a topological core model, while giving the same response in short-circuit as the indefinite admittance matrix (BCTRAN) model. To further increase the model sophistication, it is proposed to divide windings into coils in the new models. However, short-circuit measurements between coils are never available. Therefore, a novel analytical method is elaborated for this purpose, which allows the calculation in 2-D of short-circuit inductances between coils of rectangular cross-section. The results of this new method are in agreement with the results obtained from the finite element method in 2-D. Furthermore, the assumption that the leakage field is approximately 2-D in shell-type transformers is validated with a 3-D simulation. The outcome of this method is used to calculate the self and mutual inductances between the coils of the coupled leakage model and the results are showing good correspondence with terminal short-circuit measurements. Typically, leakage inductances in transformers are calculated from short-circuit measurements and the magnetizing branch is calculated from no-load measurements, assuming that leakages are unimportant for the unloaded transformer and that magnetizing current is negligible during a short-circuit. While the core is assumed to have an infinite permeability to calculate short-circuit inductances, and it is a reasonable assumption since the core's magnetomotive force is negligible during a short-circuit, the same reasoning does not necessarily hold true for leakage fluxes in no-load conditions. This is because the core starts to saturate when the transformer is unloaded. To take this into account, a new analytical method is developed in this

Different strategies in solving series completion inductive reasoning problems : An fMRI and computational study

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Liang, Peipeng; Jia, Xiuqin; Taatgen, Niels A.; Zhong, Ning; Li, Kuncheng

Neural correlate of human inductive reasoning process is still unclear. Number series and letter series completion are two typical inductive reasoning tasks, and with a common core component of rule induction. Previous studies have demonstrated that different strategies are adopted in number series

Darboux transformation for two-level system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bagrov, V.; Baldiotti, M.; Gitman, D.; Shamshutdinova, V. [Instituto de Fisica, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Caixa Postal 66318-CEP, 05315-970 Sao Paulo, S.P. (Brazil)

2005-06-01

We develop the Darboux procedure for the case of the two-level system. In particular, it is demonstrated that one can construct the Darboux intertwining operator that does not violate the specific structure of the equations of the two-level system, transforming only one real potential into another real potential. We apply the obtained Darboux transformation to known exact solutions of the two-level system. Thus, we find three classes of new solutions for the two-level system and the corresponding new potentials that allow such solutions. (Abstract Copyright [2005], Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Assessing Use of Cognitive Heuristic Representativeness in Clinical Reasoning

Science.gov (United States)

Payne, Velma L.; Crowley, Rebecca S.

2008-01-01

We performed a pilot study to investigate use of the cognitive heuristic Representativeness in clinical reasoning. We tested a set of tasks and assessments to determine whether subjects used the heuristics in reasoning, to obtain initial frequencies of heuristic use and related cognitive errors, and to collect cognitive process data using think-aloud techniques. The study investigates two aspects of the Representativeness heuristic - judging by perceived frequency and representativeness as causal beliefs. Results show that subjects apply both aspects of the heuristic during reasoning, and make errors related to misapplication of these heuristics. Subjects in this study rarely used base rates, showed significant variability in their recall of base rates, demonstrated limited ability to use provided base rates, and favored causal data in diagnosis. We conclude that the tasks and assessments we have developed provide a suitable test-bed to study the cognitive processes underlying heuristic errors. PMID:18999140

Clifford Continuous Wavelet Transforms in Ll0,2 and Ll0,3

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bernstein, S.

2008-01-01

We consider Clifford-valued functions defined on R n . From the viewpoint of square integrable group representations a continuous wavelet transform is an irreducible continuous unitary representation of the affin group on the real line but also on R n . We will demonstrate that different Clifford continuous wavelet transforms can be obtained inside the calculus with similar properties than the real valued transform. Nevertheless, the Clifford wavelet transform is neither just a special vector transform nor just a wavelet transform applied to each component of the Clifford-valued function.

Historical reasoning: towards a framework for analyzing students' reasoning about the past

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Drie, J.; van Boxtel, C.

2008-01-01

This article explores historical reasoning, an important activity in history learning. Based upon an extensive review of empirical literature on students’ thinking and reasoning about history, a theoretical framework of historical reasoning is proposed. The framework consists of six components:

CP violation with an unbroken CP transformation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ratz, Michael [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of California,Irvine, California 92697-4575 (United States); Trautner, Andreas [Bethe Center for Theoretical Physics und Physikalisches Institut der Universität Bonn,Nussallee 12, 53115 Bonn (Germany)

2017-02-21

A CP conserving SU(3) gauge theory is spontaneously broken to T{sub 7} by the vacuum expectation value (VEV) of a 15-plet. Even though the SU(3)-CP transformation is not broken by the VEV, the theory exhibits physical CP violation in the broken phase. This is because the SU(3)-CP transformation corresponds to the unique order-two outer automorphism of T{sub 7}, which is not a physical CP transformation for the T{sub 7} states, and there is no other possible CP transformation. We explicitly demonstrate that CP is violated by calculating a CP odd decay asymmetry in the broken phase. This scenario provides us with a natural protection for topological vacuum terms, ensuring that θ G{sub μν}G̃{sup μν} is absent even though CP is violated for the physical states of the model.

Box-Cox transformation for resolving Peelle's Pertinent Puzzle in curve fitting

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oh, Soo-Youl

2003-01-01

Incorporating the Box-Cox transformation into a least-squares method is presented as one of resolutions of an anomaly known as Peelle's Pertinent Puzzle. The transformation is a strategy to make non-normal distribution data resemble normal data. A procedure is proposed: transform the measured raw data with an optimized Box-Cox transformation parameter, fit the transformed data using a usual curve fitting method, then inverse-transform the fitted results to final estimates. The generalized least-squares method utilized in GMA is adopted as the curve fitting tool for the test of proposed procedure. In the procedure, covariance matrices are correspondingly transformed and inverse-transformed with the aid of error propagation law. In addition to a sensible answer to the Peelle's problem itself, the procedure resulted in reasonable estimates of 6 Li(n,t) cross sections in several to 800 keV energy region. Meanwhile, comparisons of the present procedure with that of Chiba and Smith show that both procedures yield estimates so close each other for the sample evaluation on 6 Li(n,t) above as well as for the Peelle's problem. Two procedures, however, are conceptually very different and further discussions would be needed for a consensus on this issue of resolving the Puzzle. It is also pointed out that the transformation is applicable not only to a least-squares method but also to other parameter estimation method such as a usual Bayesian approach formulated with an assumption of normality of the probability density function. (author)

Dilatancy of Shear Transformations in a Colloidal Glass

Science.gov (United States)

Lu, Y. Z.; Jiang, M. Q.; Lu, X.; Qin, Z. X.; Huang, Y. J.; Shen, J.

2018-01-01

Shear transformations, as fundamental rearrangement events operating in local regions, hold the key of plastic flow of amorphous solids. Despite their importance, the dynamic features of shear transformations are far from clear, which is the focus of the present study. Here, we use a colloidal glass under shear as the prototype to directly observe the shear-transformation events in real space. By tracing the colloidal-particle rearrangements, we quantitatively determine two basic properties of shear transformations: local shear strain and dilatation (or free volume). It is revealed that the local free volume undergoes a significantly temporary increase prior to shear transformations, eventually leading to a jump of local shear strain. We clearly demonstrate that shear transformations have no memory of the initial free volume of local regions. Instead, their emergence strongly depends on the dilatancy ability of these local regions, i.e., the dynamic creation of free volume. More specifically, the particles processing the high dilatancy ability directly participate in subsequent shear transformations. These results experimentally enrich Argon's statement about the dilatancy nature of shear transformations and also shed insight into the structural origin of amorphous plasticity.

Metacognition and reasoning

Science.gov (United States)

Fletcher, Logan; Carruthers, Peter

2012-01-01

This article considers the cognitive architecture of human meta-reasoning: that is, metacognition concerning one's own reasoning and decision-making. The view we defend is that meta-reasoning is a cobbled-together skill comprising diverse self-management strategies acquired through individual and cultural learning. These approximate the monitoring-and-control functions of a postulated adaptive system for metacognition by recruiting mechanisms that were designed for quite other purposes. PMID:22492753

Transforming Spatial Reasoning Skills in the Upper-Level Undergraduate Geoscience Classroom Through Curricular Materials Informed by Cognitive Science Research

Science.gov (United States)

Ormand, C. J.; Shipley, T. F.; Dutrow, B. L.; Goodwin, L. B.; Hickson, T. A.; Tikoff, B.; Atit, K.; Gagnier, K. M.; Resnick, I.

2014-12-01

Spatial visualization is an essential skill in the STEM disciplines, including the geosciences. Undergraduate students, including geoscience majors in upper-level courses, bring a wide range of spatial skill levels to the classroom. Students with weak spatial skills may be unable to understand fundamental concepts and to solve geological problems with a spatial component. However, spatial thinking skills are malleable. As a group of geoscience faculty members and cognitive psychologists, we have developed a set of curricular materials for Mineralogy, Sedimentology & Stratigraphy, and Structural Geology courses. These materials are designed to improve students' spatial skills, and in particular to improve students' abilities to reason about spatially complex 3D geological concepts and problems. Teaching spatial thinking in the context of discipline-based exercises has the potential to transform undergraduate STEM education by removing one significant barrier to success in the STEM disciplines. The curricular materials we have developed are based on several promising teaching strategies that have emerged from cognitive science research on spatial thinking. These strategies include predictive sketching, making visual comparisons, gesturing, and the use of analogy. We have conducted a three-year study of the efficacy of these materials in strengthening the spatial skills of students in upper-level geoscience courses at three universities. Our methodology relies on a pre- and post-test study design, with several tests of spatial thinking skills administered at the beginning and end of each semester. In 2011-2012, we used a "business as usual" approach to gather baseline data, measuring how much students' spatial thinking skills improved in response to the existing curricula. In the two subsequent years we have incorporated our new curricular materials, which can be found on the project website: http://serc.carleton.edu/spatialworkbook/activities.html Structural Geology

A case-based reasoning tool for breast cancer knowledge management with data mining concepts and techniques

Science.gov (United States)

Demigha, Souâd.

2016-03-01

The paper presents a Case-Based Reasoning Tool for Breast Cancer Knowledge Management to improve breast cancer screening. To develop this tool, we combine both concepts and techniques of Case-Based Reasoning (CBR) and Data Mining (DM). Physicians and radiologists ground their diagnosis on their expertise (past experience) based on clinical cases. Case-Based Reasoning is the process of solving new problems based on the solutions of similar past problems and structured as cases. CBR is suitable for medical use. On the other hand, existing traditional hospital information systems (HIS), Radiological Information Systems (RIS) and Picture Archiving Information Systems (PACS) don't allow managing efficiently medical information because of its complexity and heterogeneity. Data Mining is the process of mining information from a data set and transform it into an understandable structure for further use. Combining CBR to Data Mining techniques will facilitate diagnosis and decision-making of medical experts.

The Assessment of RSG-GAS Operation by Using Two Transformers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Marsahala, Yan Bony

2007-01-01

These papers discussed the possibility to use only 2 of 3 units of transformers BHT for reactor operation power supply of RSG-GAS. The basic idea is that the maximum power loaded by electrical system for RSG-GAS is only 1994 KVA and the power supplied by PLN is 3000 KVA. It means, by using two units of transformers, with each capacity of 1500 KVA, are quite sufficient. The problems are the electric power distribution system of RSG-GAS was designed for three distribution lines. Therefore, the modifications of the circuit for power distribution boards BHA, BHB and BHC are required. The assessment results showed that the modification can be carried out by changing the distribution circuit mode on primary side becomes ring system by adding the coupler between two bus bars. So, the possibilities to use 2 of 3 units of transformer for reactor operation are reasonable to be considered. (author)

Transforming insect electromyograms into pneumatic muscle control

Science.gov (United States)

Rutter, Brandon; Mu, Laiyong; Ritzmann, Roy; Quinn, Roger

2006-05-01

Robots can serve as hardware models for testing biological hypotheses. Both for this reason and to improve the state of the art of robotics, we strive to incorporate biological principles of insect locomotion into robotic designs. Previous research has resulted in a line of robots with leg designs based on walking and climbing movements of the cockroach Blaberus discoidalis. The current version, Robot V, uses muscle-like Braided Pneumatic Actuators (BPAs). In this paper, we use recorded electromyograms (EMGs) to drive robot joint motion. A muscle activation model was developed that transforms EMGs recorded from behaving cockroaches into appropriate commands for the robot. The transform is implemented by multiplying the EMG by an input gain thus generating an input pressure signal, which is used to drive a one-way closed loop pressure controller. The actuator then can be modeled as a capacitance with input rectification. The actuator exhaust valve is given a leak rate, making the transform a leaky integrator for air pressure, which drives the output force of the actuator. We find parameters of this transform by minimizing the difference between the robot motion produced and that observed in the cockroach. Although we have not reproduced full-amplitude cockroach motion using this robot, results from evaluation on reduced-amplitude cockroach angle data strongly suggest that braided pneumatic actuators can be used as part of a physical model of a biological system.

Brief Report: Theory of Mind, Relational Reasoning, and Social Responsiveness in Children with and without Autism--Demonstration of Feasibility for a Larger-Scale Study

Science.gov (United States)

Pruett, John R., Jr.; Kandala, Sridhar; Petersen, Steven E.; Povinelli, Daniel J.

2015-01-01

Understanding the underpinnings of social responsiveness and theory of mind (ToM) will enhance our knowledge of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). We hypothesize that higher-order relational reasoning (higher-order RR: reasoning necessitating integration of relationships among multiple variables) is necessary but not sufficient for ToM, and that…

Network Transformations in Economy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bolychev O.

2014-09-01

Full Text Available In the context of ever-increasing market competition, networked interactions play a special role in the economy. The network form of entrepreneurship is increasingly viewed as an effective organizational structure to create a market value embedded in innovative business solutions. The authors study the characteristics of a network as an economic category and emphasize certain similarities between Rus sian and international approaches to identifying interactions of economic systems based on the network principle. The paper focuses on the types of networks widely used in the economy. The authors analyze the transformation of business networks along two lines: from an intra- to an inter-firm network and from an inter-firm to an inter-organizational network. The possible forms of network formation are described depending on the strength of connections and the type of integration. The drivers and reasons behind process of transition from a hierarchical model of the organizational structure to a network type are identified. The authors analyze the advantages of creating inter-firm networks and discuss the features of inter-organizational networks as compares to inter-firm ones. The article summarizes the reasons for and advantages of participation in inter-rganizational networks and identifies the main barriers to the formation of inter-organizational network.

Analysis and Countermeasure Study on DC Bias of Main Transformer in a City

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, PengChao; Wang, Hongtao; Song, Xinpu; Gu, Jun; Liu, yong; Wu, weili

2017-07-01

According to the December 2015 Guohua Beijing thermal power transformer DC magnetic bias phenomenon, the monitoring data of 24 hours of direct current is analyzed. We find that the maximum DC current is up to 25 and is about 30s for the trend cycle, on this basis, then, of the geomagnetic storm HVDC and subway operation causes comparison of the mechanism, and make a comprehensive analysis of the thermal power plant’s geographical location, surrounding environment and electrical contact etc.. The results show that the main reason for the DC bias of Guohua thermal power transformer is the operation of the subway, and the change of the DC bias current is periodic. Finally, of Guohua thermal power transformer DC magnetic bias control method is studied, the simulation results show that the method of using neutral point with small resistance or capacitance can effectively inhibit the main transformer neutral point current.

Logical reasoning versus information processing in the dual-strategy model of reasoning.

Science.gov (United States)

Markovits, Henry; Brisson, Janie; de Chantal, Pier-Luc

2017-01-01

One of the major debates concerning the nature of inferential reasoning is between counterexample-based strategies such as mental model theory and statistical strategies underlying probabilistic models. The dual-strategy model, proposed by Verschueren, Schaeken, & d'Ydewalle (2005a, 2005b), which suggests that people might have access to both kinds of strategy has been supported by several recent studies. These have shown that statistical reasoners make inferences based on using information about premises in order to generate a likelihood estimate of conclusion probability. However, while results concerning counterexample reasoners are consistent with a counterexample detection model, these results could equally be interpreted as indicating a greater sensitivity to logical form. In order to distinguish these 2 interpretations, in Studies 1 and 2, we presented reasoners with Modus ponens (MP) inferences with statistical information about premise strength and in Studies 3 and 4, naturalistic MP inferences with premises having many disabling conditions. Statistical reasoners accepted the MP inference more often than counterexample reasoners in Studies 1 and 2, while the opposite pattern was observed in Studies 3 and 4. Results show that these strategies must be defined in terms of information processing, with no clear relations to "logical" reasoning. These results have additional implications for the underlying debate about the nature of human reasoning. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

Brief reasons for living inventory: a psychometric investigation.

Science.gov (United States)

Cwik, Jan Christopher; Siegmann, Paula; Willutzki, Ulrike; Nyhuis, Peter; Wolter, Marcus; Forkmann, Thomas; Glaesmer, Heide; Teismann, Tobias

2017-11-06

The present study aimed at validating the German version of the Brief Reasons for Living inventory (BRFL). Validity and reliability were established in a community (n = 339) and a clinical sample (n = 272). Convergent and discriminant validity were investigated, and confirmatory factor analyses were conducted for the complete BRFL as well as for a 10-item version excluding conditional items on child-related concerns. Furthermore, it was assessed how BRFL scores moderate the association between depression and suicide ideation. Results indicated an adequate fit of the data to the original factor structure. The total scale and the subscales of the German version of the BRFL had sufficient internal consistency, as well as good convergent and divergent validity. The BRFL demonstrated clinical utility by differentiating between participants with vs. without suicide ideation. Reasons for living proved to moderate the association between depression and suicide ideation. Results provide preliminary evidence that the BRFL may be a reliable and valid measure of adaptive reasons for living that can be used in clinic and research settings.

An Inquiry-Based Quantitative Reasoning Course for Business Students

Science.gov (United States)

Piercey, Victor; Militzer, Erin

2017-01-01

Quantitative Reasoning for Business is a two-semester sequence that serves as an alternative to elementary and intermediate algebra for first-year business students with weak mathematical preparation. Students who take the sequence have been retained at a higher rate and demonstrated a larger reduction in math anxiety than those who take the…

Face recognition using slow feature analysis and contourlet transform

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Yuehao; Peng, Lingling; Zhe, Fuchuan

2018-04-01

In this paper we propose a novel face recognition approach based on slow feature analysis (SFA) in contourlet transform domain. This method firstly use contourlet transform to decompose the face image into low frequency and high frequency part, and then takes technological advantages of slow feature analysis for facial feature extraction. We named the new method combining the slow feature analysis and contourlet transform as CT-SFA. The experimental results on international standard face database demonstrate that the new face recognition method is effective and competitive.

In-reactor precipitation and ferritic transformation in neutron-irradiated stainless steels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Porter, D.L.; Wood, E.L.

1979-01-01

Ferritic transformation (γ→α) was observed in type 304L, 20% cold-worked AISI 316, and solution-annealed AISI 316 stainless steels when subjected to fast neutron irradiation. Each material demonstrated an increasing propensity for transformation with increasing irradiation temperature between 40 and 550 0 C. Irradiation-induced segregation of Ni solute to precipitates was found not to be a controlling factor in the transformation kinetics in 304L. Similar composition data from 316 materials demonstrates a much greater dependence of matrix Ni depletion by precipitation reactions during neutron irradiation. The 316 data establishes a strong link between such depletion and the observed γ→α transformation. Moreover, the lack of correlation between precipitate-related Ni depletion and the γ→α transformation in 304L can be related to the fact that irradiation-induced voids nucleate very quickly in 304L steel during irradiation. These voids present competing sites for Ni segregation through a defect drag mechanism, and hence Ni segregates to voids rather than to precipitates, as evidenced by observed stable γ shells around voids in areas of complete transformation. (Auth.)

Experimental demonstration of illusion optics with ``external cloaking'' effects

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Chao; Liu, Xiao; Liu, Guochang; Li, Fang; Fang, Guangyou

2011-08-01

A metamaterial "illusion optics" with "complementary medium" and "restoring medium" is designed by using inductor-capacitor (L-C) network medium. The unprecedented effects of "external cloaking" and "transforming one object to appear as another" are demonstrated experimentally. We also demonstrate that the non-resonant nature of the L-C network decreases the sensitivity of the "external cloaking" effect to the variation of the frequency and results in an acceptable bandwidth of the whole device.

Analogical reasoning in baboons (Papio papio): flexible reencoding of the source relation depending on the target relation.

Science.gov (United States)

Fagot, Joël; Maugard, Anaïs

2013-09-01

Analogical reasoning is a cornerstone of human cognition, but the extent and limits of analogical reasoning in animals remains unclear. Recent studies have demonstrated that apes and monkeys can match relations with relations, suggesting that these species have the basic abilities for analogical reasoning. However, analogical reasoning in humans entails two additional cognitive processes that remain unexplored in animals. These include the ability to (1) flexibly reencode the relations instantiated by the source domain as a function of the relational properties of the target domain, and (2) to match relations across different stimulus dimensions. Using a two-dimensional relational matching-to-sample task, the present study demonstrates that these two abilities are in the scope of baboons, given appropriate training. These findings unveil the richness of the cognitive processes implicated during analogical reasoning in nonhuman primates and further reduce the apparent gap between animal and human cognition.

A nationwide survey of patient centered medical home demonstration projects.

Science.gov (United States)

Bitton, Asaf; Martin, Carina; Landon, Bruce E

2010-06-01

The patient centered medical home has received considerable attention as a potential way to improve primary care quality and limit cost growth. Little information exists that systematically compares PCMH pilot projects across the country. Cross-sectional key-informant interviews. Leaders from existing PCMH demonstration projects with external payment reform. We used a semi-structured interview tool with the following domains: project history, organization and participants, practice requirements and selection process, medical home recognition, payment structure, practice transformation, and evaluation design. A total of 26 demonstrations in 18 states were interviewed. Current demonstrations include over 14,000 physicians caring for nearly 5 million patients. A majority of demonstrations are single payer, and most utilize a three component payment model (traditional fee for service, per person per month fixed payments, and bonus performance payments). The median incremental revenue per physician per year was $22,834 (range $720 to $91,146). Two major practice transformation models were identified--consultative and implementation of the chronic care model. A majority of demonstrations did not have well-developed evaluation plans. Current PCMH demonstration projects with external payment reform include large numbers of patients and physicians as well as a wide spectrum of implementation models. Key questions exist around the adequacy of current payment mechanisms and evaluation plans as public and policy interest in the PCMH model grows.

Disgust and biological descriptions bias logical reasoning during legal decision-making.

Science.gov (United States)

Capestany, Beatrice H; Harris, Lasana T

2014-01-01

Legal decisions often require logical reasoning about the mental states of people who perform gruesome behaviors. We use functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to examine how brain regions implicated in logical reasoning are modulated by emotion and social cognition during legal decision-making. Participants read vignettes describing crimes that elicit strong or weak disgust matched on punishment severity using the US Federal Sentencing Guidelines. An extraneous sentence at the end of each vignette described the perpetrator's personality using traits or biological language, mimicking the increased use of scientific evidence presented in courts. Behavioral results indicate that crimes weak in disgust receive significantly less punishment than the guidelines recommend. Neuroimaging results indicate that brain regions active during logical reasoning respond less to crimes weak in disgust and biological descriptions of personality, demonstrating the impact of emotion and social cognition on logical reasoning mechanisms necessary for legal decision-making.

The Effect of Psychological Distance on Children's Reasoning about Future Preferences.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Wendy S C; Atance, Cristina M

2016-01-01

Young preschool-aged children often have difficulty thinking about the future, but tend to reason better about another person's future than their own. This benefit may reflect psychological distance from one's own emotions, beliefs, and states that may bias thinking. In adults, reasoning for others who are more socially distant (i.e., dissimilar, unfamiliar other) is associated with wiser and more adaptive reasoning. The current studies examined whether this effect of social distance could be demonstrated in young children's future thinking. In a future preferences task, 3- and 4-year-olds were shown 5 pairs of child and adult items and selected which ones they would prefer when grown-up. Children answered for themselves, a socially close peer, or a socially distant peer. Social distance was manipulated by varying similarity in Study 1 and familiarity in Study 2. In Study 1, reasoning for similar and dissimilar peers was significantly more accurate than reasoning for the self, but reasoning for similar and dissimilar peers did not differ. In Study 2, scores showed a step-wise increase from self, familiar peer, to unfamiliar peer, but only reasoning for an unfamiliar peer was significantly better more accurate than reasoning for the self. Reasoning for a familiar peer did not differ from reasoning for the self or for an unfamiliar peer. These results suggest that, like adults, children benefit from psychological distance when reasoning for others, but are less sensitive to degrees of social distance, showing no graded effects on performance in Study 1 and weak effects in Study 2. Stronger adult-like effects may only emerge with increasing age and development of other socio-cognitive skills.

The Wigner transform and the semi-classical approximations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shlomo, S.

1985-01-01

The Wigner transform provides a reformulation of quantum mechanics in terms of classical concepts. Some properties of the Wigner transform of the density matrix which justify its interpretation as the quantum-mechanical analog of the classical phase-space distribution function are presented. Considering some applications, it is demonstrated that the Wigner distribution function serves as a good starting point for semi-classical approximations to properties of the (nuclear) many-body system

Transformation-invariant visual representations in self-organizing spiking neural networks.

Science.gov (United States)

Evans, Benjamin D; Stringer, Simon M

2012-01-01

The ventral visual pathway achieves object and face recognition by building transformation-invariant representations from elementary visual features. In previous computer simulation studies with rate-coded neural networks, the development of transformation-invariant representations has been demonstrated using either of two biologically plausible learning mechanisms, Trace learning and Continuous Transformation (CT) learning. However, it has not previously been investigated how transformation-invariant representations may be learned in a more biologically accurate spiking neural network. A key issue is how the synaptic connection strengths in such a spiking network might self-organize through Spike-Time Dependent Plasticity (STDP) where the change in synaptic strength is dependent on the relative times of the spikes emitted by the presynaptic and postsynaptic neurons rather than simply correlated activity driving changes in synaptic efficacy. Here we present simulations with conductance-based integrate-and-fire (IF) neurons using a STDP learning rule to address these gaps in our understanding. It is demonstrated that with the appropriate selection of model parameters and training regime, the spiking network model can utilize either Trace-like or CT-like learning mechanisms to achieve transform-invariant representations.

Transform-invariant visual representations in self-organizing spiking neural networks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Benjamin eEvans

2012-07-01

Full Text Available The ventral visual pathway achieves object and face recognition by building transform-invariant representations from elementary visual features. In previous computer simulation studies with rate-coded neural networks, the development of transform invariant representations has been demonstrated using either of two biologically plausible learning mechanisms, Trace learning and Continuous Transformation (CT learning. However, it has not previously been investigated how transform invariant representations may be learned in a more biologically accurate spiking neural network. A key issue is how the synaptic connection strengths in such a spiking network might self-organize through Spike-Time Dependent Plasticity (STDP where the change in synaptic strength is dependent on the relative times of the spikes emitted by the pre- and postsynaptic neurons rather than simply correlated activity driving changes in synaptic efficacy. Here we present simulations with conductance-based integrate-and-fire (IF neurons using a STDP learning rule to address these gaps in our understanding. It is demonstrated that with the appropriate selection of model pa- rameters and training regime, the spiking network model can utilize either Trace-like or CT-like learning mechanisms to achieve transform-invariant representations.

Cost Optimal Design of a Single-Phase Dry Power Transformer

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Raju Basak

2015-08-01

Full Text Available The Dry type transformers are preferred to their oil-immersed counterparts for various reasons, particularly because their operation is hazardless. The application of dry transformers was limited to small ratings in the earlier days. But now these are being used for considerably higher ratings.  Therefore, their cost-optimal design has gained importance. This paper deals with the design procedure for achieving cost optimal design of a dry type single-phase power transformer of small rating, subject to usual design constraints on efficiency and voltage regulation. The selling cost for the transformer has been taken as the objective function. Only two key variables have been chosen, the turns/volt and the height: width ratio of window, which affects the cost function to high degrees. Other variables have been chosen on the basis of designers’ experience. Copper has been used as conductor material and CRGOS as core material to achieve higher efficiency, lower running cost and compact design. The electrical and magnetic loadings have been kept at their maximum values without violating the design constraints. The optimal solution has been obtained by the method of exhaustive search using nested loops.

Domain-specific reasoning: social contracts, cheating, and perspective change.

Science.gov (United States)

Gigerenzer, G; Hug, K

1992-05-01

What counts as human rationality: reasoning processes that embody content-independent formal theories, such as propositional logic, or reasoning processes that are well designed for solving important adaptive problems? Most theories of human reasoning have been based on content-independent formal rationality, whereas adaptive reasoning, ecological or evolutionary, has been little explored. We elaborate and test an evolutionary approach. Cosmides' (1989) social contract theory, using the Wason selection task. In the first part, we disentangle the theoretical concept of a "social contract" from that of a "cheater-detection algorithm". We demonstrate that the fact that a rule is perceived as a social contract--or a conditional permission or obligation, as Cheng and Holyoak (1985) proposed--is not sufficient to elicit Cosmides' striking results, which we replicated. The crucial issue is not semantic (the meaning of the rule), but pragmatic: whether a person is cued into the perspective of a party who can be cheated. In the second part, we distinguish between social contracts with bilateral and unilateral cheating options. Perspective change in contracts with bilateral cheating options turns P & not-Q responses into not-P & Q responses. The results strongly support social contract theory, contradict availability theory, and cannot be accounted for by pragmatic reasoning schema theory, which lacks the pragmatic concepts of perspectives and cheating detection.

Transformer Protection Using the Wavelet Transform

OpenAIRE

ÖZGÖNENEL, Okan; ÖNBİLGİN, Güven; KOCAMAN, Çağrı

2014-01-01

This paper introduces a novel approach for power transformer protection algorithm. Power system signals such as current and voltage have traditionally been analysed by the Fast Fourier Transform. This paper aims to prove that the Wavelet Transform is a reliable and computationally efficient tool for distinguishing between the inrush currents and fault currents. The simulated results presented clearly show that the proposed technique for power transformer protection facilitates the a...

Application of wavelet transform in seismic signal processing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ghasemi, M. R.; Mohammadzadeh, A.; Salajeghe, E.

2005-01-01

Wavelet transform is a new tool for signal analysis which can perform a simultaneous signal time and frequency representations. Under Multi Resolution Analysis, one can quickly determine details for signals and their properties using Fast Wavelet Transform algorithms. In this paper, for a better physical understanding of a signal and its basic algorithms, Multi Resolution Analysis together with wavelet transforms in a form of Digital Signal Processing will be discussed. For a Seismic Signal Processing, sets of Orthonormal Daubechies Wavelets are suggested. when dealing with the application of wavelets in SSP, one may discuss about denoising from the signal and data compression existed in the signal, which is important in seismic signal data processing. Using this techniques, EL-Centro and Nagan signals were remodeled with a 25% of total points, resulted in a satisfactory results with an acceptable error drift. Thus a total of 1559 and 2500 points for EL-centro and Nagan seismic curves each, were reduced to 389 and 625 points respectively, with a very reasonable error drift, details of which are recorded in the paper. Finally, the future progress in signal processing, based on wavelet theory will be appointed

DWDM-TO-OTDM Conversion by Time-Domain Optical Fourier Transformation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mulvad, Hans Christian Hansen; Hu, Hao; Galili, Michael

2011-01-01

We propose DWDM-OTDM conversion by time-domain optical Fourier transformation. Error-free conversion of a 16×10 Gbit/s 50 GHz-spacing DWDM data signal to a 160 Gbit/s OTDM signal with a 2.1 dB average penalty is demonstrated.......We propose DWDM-OTDM conversion by time-domain optical Fourier transformation. Error-free conversion of a 16×10 Gbit/s 50 GHz-spacing DWDM data signal to a 160 Gbit/s OTDM signal with a 2.1 dB average penalty is demonstrated....

Spatial transformation-enabled electromagnetic devices: from radio frequencies to optical wavelengths

Science.gov (United States)

Jiang, Zhi Hao; Turpin, Jeremy P.; Morgan, Kennith; Lu, Bingqian; Werner, Douglas H.

2015-01-01

Transformation optics provides scientists and engineers with a new powerful design paradigm to manipulate the flow of electromagnetic waves in a user-defined manner and with unprecedented flexibility, by controlling the spatial distribution of the electromagnetic properties of a medium. Using this approach, over the past decade, various previously undiscovered physical wave phenomena have been revealed and novel electromagnetic devices have been demonstrated throughout the electromagnetic spectrum. In this paper, we present versatile theoretical and experimental investigations on designing transformation optics-enabled devices for shaping electromagnetic wave radiation and guidance, at both radio frequencies and optical wavelengths. Different from conventional coordinate transformations, more advanced and versatile coordinate transformations are exploited here to benefit diverse applications, thereby providing expanded design flexibility, enhanced device performance, as well as reduced implementation complexity. These design examples demonstrate the comprehensive capability of transformation optics in controlling electromagnetic waves, while the associated novel devices will open up new paths towards future integrated electromagnetic component synthesis and design, from microwave to optical spectral regimes. PMID:26217054

Spatial transformation-enabled electromagnetic devices: from radio frequencies to optical wavelengths.

Science.gov (United States)

Jiang, Zhi Hao; Turpin, Jeremy P; Morgan, Kennith; Lu, Bingqian; Werner, Douglas H

2015-08-28

Transformation optics provides scientists and engineers with a new powerful design paradigm to manipulate the flow of electromagnetic waves in a user-defined manner and with unprecedented flexibility, by controlling the spatial distribution of the electromagnetic properties of a medium. Using this approach, over the past decade, various previously undiscovered physical wave phenomena have been revealed and novel electromagnetic devices have been demonstrated throughout the electromagnetic spectrum. In this paper, we present versatile theoretical and experimental investigations on designing transformation optics-enabled devices for shaping electromagnetic wave radiation and guidance, at both radio frequencies and optical wavelengths. Different from conventional coordinate transformations, more advanced and versatile coordinate transformations are exploited here to benefit diverse applications, thereby providing expanded design flexibility, enhanced device performance, as well as reduced implementation complexity. These design examples demonstrate the comprehensive capability of transformation optics in controlling electromagnetic waves, while the associated novel devices will open up new paths towards future integrated electromagnetic component synthesis and design, from microwave to optical spectral regimes. © 2015 The Author(s) Published by the Royal Society. All rights reserved.

Experimental demonstration of continuous variable cloning with phase-conjugate inputs

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sabuncu, Metin; Andersen, Ulrik Lund; Leuchs, G.

2007-01-01

We report the first experimental demonstration of continuous variable cloning of phase-conjugate coherent states as proposed by Cerf and Iblisdir [Phys. Rev. Lett. 87, 247903 (2001)]. In contrast to this proposal, the cloning transformation is accomplished using only linear optical components......, homodyne detection, and feedforward. As a result of combining phase conjugation with a joint measurement strategy, superior cloning is demonstrated with cloning fidelities reaching 89%....

The museum foyer as a transformative space of communication

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Laursen, Ditte; Kristiansen, Erik; Drotner, Kirsten

2016-01-01

has four transformative functions, and we ask the following question: How do people entering the museum practise these transformative functions so as to become visitors – and become non-visitors again on leaving? Answers are provided through an empirical analysis of the foyer as a transformative...... communicative space. Based on qualitative studies of four divergent Danish museums and a science centre, we demonstrate that the foyer’s communicative space supports transformative functions consisting of multiple phases before and after the visit itself, namely arrival–orientation–service–preparation (before......This article explores how we may study physical museum foyers as multilayered spaces of communication. Based on a critical examination of ways in which the museum foyer is conceptualised in the research literature, we define the foyer as a transformative space of communication for visitors which...

Verbal and perceptual analogical reasoning and proportional metaphor comprehension in young children.

Science.gov (United States)

Nippold, M A; Sullivan, M P

1987-09-01

In contrast to the common assumption that young children have little or no ability to reason by analogy or to comprehend proportional metaphors, the present study demonstrated that children as young as age 5 years have an emerging ability to solve both verbal and perceptual proportional analogy problems and to detect the meanings of proportional metaphoric sentences. These results were largely because the experimental tasks were designed to minimize the number of factors that would restrict the performance of young children. The results indicated that the years between 5 and 7 mark a steady improvement in analogical reasoning and proportional metaphor comprehension, but that children ages 5, 6, and 7 display a wide-ranging ability in these areas. It was also found that perceptual analogical reasoning was statistically related to verbal analogical reasoning and to proportional metaphor comprehension, and that perceptual analogical reasoning and proportional metaphor comprehension were both statistically related to receptive vocabulary development.

Implementation of an Integrated, Portable Transformer Condition Monitoring Instrument in the Classroom and On-Site

Science.gov (United States)

Chatterjee, B.; Dey, D.; Chakravorti, S.

2010-01-01

The development of integrated, portable, transformer condition monitoring (TCM) equipment for classroom demonstrations as well as for student exercises conducted in the field is discussed. Demonstrations include experimentation with real-world transformers to illustrate concepts such as polarization and depolarization current through oil-paper…

Hierarchical coarse-graining transform.

Science.gov (United States)

Pancaldi, Vera; King, Peter R; Christensen, Kim

2009-03-01

We present a hierarchical transform that can be applied to Laplace-like differential equations such as Darcy's equation for single-phase flow in a porous medium. A finite-difference discretization scheme is used to set the equation in the form of an eigenvalue problem. Within the formalism suggested, the pressure field is decomposed into an average value and fluctuations of different kinds and at different scales. The application of the transform to the equation allows us to calculate the unknown pressure with a varying level of detail. A procedure is suggested to localize important features in the pressure field based only on the fine-scale permeability, and hence we develop a form of adaptive coarse graining. The formalism and method are described and demonstrated using two synthetic toy problems.

Magnetically self-insulated transformers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Novac, B.M.; Smith, I.R.; Brown, J.

2002-01-01

Magnetic insulation is the only practicable form of insulation for much equipment used in ultrahigh pulsed-power work, including transmission lines and plasma opening switches. It has not however so far been successfully exploited in the transformers that are necessarily involved, and the first proposed design that appeared more than 30 years ago raised apparently insuperable problems. The two novel arrangements for a magnetically insulated transformer described in this paper overcome the problems faced by the earlier designs and also offer considerable scope for development in a number of important areas. Theoretical justification is given for their insulating properties, and this is confirmed by proof-of-principle results obtained from a small-scale experimental prototype in which magnetic insulation was demonstrated at up to 100 kV. (author)

Reverse ray tracing for transformation optics.

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, Chia-Yu; Lin, Chun-Hung

2015-06-29

Ray tracing is an important technique for predicting optical system performance. In the field of transformation optics, the Hamiltonian equations of motion for ray tracing are well known. The numerical solutions to the Hamiltonian equations of motion are affected by the complexities of the inhomogeneous and anisotropic indices of the optical device. Based on our knowledge, no previous work has been conducted on ray tracing for transformation optics with extreme inhomogeneity and anisotropicity. In this study, we present the use of 3D reverse ray tracing in transformation optics. The reverse ray tracing is derived from Fermat's principle based on a sweeping method instead of finding the full solution to ordinary differential equations. The sweeping method is employed to obtain the eikonal function. The wave vectors are then obtained from the gradient of that eikonal function map in the transformed space to acquire the illuminance. Because only the rays in the points of interest have to be traced, the reverse ray tracing provides an efficient approach to investigate the illuminance of a system. This approach is useful in any form of transformation optics where the material property tensor is a symmetric positive definite matrix. The performance and analysis of three transformation optics with inhomogeneous and anisotropic indices are explored. The ray trajectories and illuminances in these demonstration cases are successfully solved by the proposed reverse ray tracing method.

Context and clinical reasoning : Understanding the medical student perspective.

Science.gov (United States)

McBee, Elexis; Ratcliffe, Temple; Schuwirth, Lambert; O'Neill, Daniel; Meyer, Holly; Madden, Shelby J; Durning, Steven J

2018-04-27

Studies have shown that a physician's clinical reasoning performance can be influenced by contextual factors. We explored how the clinical reasoning performance of medical students was impacted by contextual factors in order to expand upon previous findings in resident and board certified physicians. Using situated cognition as the theoretical framework, our aim was to evaluate the verbalized clinical reasoning processes of medical students in order to describe what impact the presence of contextual factors has on their reasoning performance. Seventeen medical student participants viewed three video recordings of clinical encounters portraying straightforward diagnostic cases in internal medicine with explicit contextual factors inserted. Participants completed a computerized post-encounter form as well as a think-aloud protocol. Three authors analyzed verbatim transcripts from the think-aloud protocols using a constant comparative approach. After iterative coding, utterances were analyzed and grouped into categories and themes. Six categories and ten associated themes emerged, which demonstrated overlap with findings from previous studies in resident and attending physicians. Four overlapping categories included emotional disturbances, behavioural inferences about the patient, doctor-patient relationship, and difficulty with closure. Two new categories emerged to include anchoring and misinterpretation of data. The presence of contextual factors appeared to impact clinical reasoning performance in medical students. The data suggest that a contextual factor can be innate to the clinical scenario, consistent with situated cognition theory. These findings build upon our understanding of clinical reasoning performance from both a theoretical and practical perspective.

Foundations for Streaming Model Transformations by Complex Event Processing.

Science.gov (United States)

Dávid, István; Ráth, István; Varró, Dániel

2018-01-01

Streaming model transformations represent a novel class of transformations to manipulate models whose elements are continuously produced or modified in high volume and with rapid rate of change. Executing streaming transformations requires efficient techniques to recognize activated transformation rules over a live model and a potentially infinite stream of events. In this paper, we propose foundations of streaming model transformations by innovatively integrating incremental model query, complex event processing (CEP) and reactive (event-driven) transformation techniques. Complex event processing allows to identify relevant patterns and sequences of events over an event stream. Our approach enables event streams to include model change events which are automatically and continuously populated by incremental model queries. Furthermore, a reactive rule engine carries out transformations on identified complex event patterns. We provide an integrated domain-specific language with precise semantics for capturing complex event patterns and streaming transformations together with an execution engine, all of which is now part of the Viatra reactive transformation framework. We demonstrate the feasibility of our approach with two case studies: one in an advanced model engineering workflow; and one in the context of on-the-fly gesture recognition.

Transformation from student to occupational therapist: Using the Delphi technique to identify the threshold concepts of occupational therapy.

Science.gov (United States)

Nicola-Richmond, Kelli M; Pépin, Geneviève; Larkin, Helen

2016-04-01

Understanding and facilitating the transformation from occupational therapy student to practitioner is central to the development of competent and work-ready graduates. However, the pivotal concepts and capabilities that need to be taught and learnt in occupational therapy are not necessarily explicit. The threshold concepts theory of teaching and learning proposes that every discipline has a set of transformational concepts that students must acquire in order to progress. As students acquire the threshold concepts, they develop a transformed way of understanding content related to their course of study which contributes to their developing expertise. The aim of this study was to identify the threshold concepts of occupational therapy. The Delphi technique, a data collection method that aims to demonstrate consensus in relation to important questions, was used with three groups comprising final year occupational therapy students (n = 11), occupational therapy clinicians (n = 21) and academics teaching occupational therapy (n = 10) in Victoria, Australia. Participants reached consensus regarding 10 threshold concepts for the occupational therapy discipline. These are: understanding and applying the models and theories of occupational therapy; occupation; evidence-based practice; clinical reasoning; discipline specific skills and knowledge; practising in context; a client-centred approach; the occupational therapist role; reflective practice and; a holistic approach. The threshold concepts identified provide valuable information for the discipline. They can potentially inform the development of competencies for occupational therapy and provide guidance for teaching and learning activities to facilitate the transformation to competent practitioner. © 2015 Occupational Therapy Australia.

Histological transformation after acquired resistance to epidermal growth factor tyrosine kinase inhibitors.

Science.gov (United States)

Shao, Yi; Zhong, Dian-Sheng

2018-04-01

Non-small-cell lung cancer patients with sensitive epidermal growth factor receptor mutations generally respond well to tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs). However, acquired resistance will eventually develop place after 8-16 months. Several mechanisms contribute to the resistance including T790M mutation, c-Met amplification, epithelial mesenchymal transformation and PIK3CA mutation; however, histological transformation is a rare mechanism. The patterns and mechanisms underlying histological transformation need to be explored. We searched PubMed, EMBASE and search engines Google Scholar, Medical Matrix for literature related to histological transformation. Case reports, cases series, and clinical and basic medical research articles were reviewed. Sixty-one articles were included in this review. Cases of transformation to small-cell lung cancer, squamous cell carcinoma, large-cell neuroendocrine carcinoma and sarcoma after TKI resistance have all been reported. As the clinical course differed dramatically between cases, a new treatment scheme needs to be recruited. The mechanisms underlying histological transformation have not been fully elucidated and probably relate to cancer stem cells, driver genetic alterations under selective pressure or the heterogeneity of the tumor. When TKI resistance develops, we recommend that patients undergo a second biopsy to determine the reason, guide the next treatment and predict the prognosis.

Measurement of prosocial reasoning among Chinese adolescents.

Science.gov (United States)

Lai, Frank H Y; Siu, Andrew M H; Chan, Chewtyn C H; Shek, Daniel T L

2012-01-01

This study attempted to develop a standardized instrument for assessment of prosocial reasoning in Chinese populations. The Prosocial Reasoning Objective Measure (PROM) was translated, and a two-stage study was conducted to evaluate the psychometric properties of the translated instrument. The content validity, cultural relevance, and reading level of the translated instrument were evaluated by an expert panel. Upon revisions according to the expert opinions, the Chinese PROM demonstrated good content validity, "good-to-very good test-retest" reliability, and internal consistency. However, only partial support to the convergent validity of the Chinese PROM was found. In the first stage of the study (n = 50), the PROM scores had high positive correlations with empathy and negative correlations with personal distress and fantasy. These results were consistent with theoretical expectations, although this is also a concern that empathy had a close-to-unity correlation with PROM score in the small sample study of stage 1. In the second stage of the study (n = 566), the relationship between PROM scores and prosocial behavior appeared to be weak. Results suggest that there were many personal, family, or social factors that were linked to prosocial behavior, and prosocial reasoning might only contribute to a small proportion of variation in prosocial behavior among adolescents.

Measurement of Prosocial Reasoning among Chinese Adolescents

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Frank H. Y. Lai

2012-01-01

Full Text Available This study attempted to develop a standardized instrument for assessment of prosocial reasoning in Chinese populations. The Prosocial Reasoning Objective Measure (PROM was translated, and a two-stage study was conducted to evaluate the psychometric properties of the translated instrument. The content validity, cultural relevance, and reading level of the translated instrument were evaluated by an expert panel. Upon revisions according to the expert opinions, the Chinese PROM demonstrated good content validity, “good-to-very good test-retest” reliability, and internal consistency. However, only partial support to the convergent validity of the Chinese PROM was found. In the first stage of the study (=50, the PROM scores had high positive correlations with empathy and negative correlations with personal distress and fantasy. These results were consistent with theoretical expectations, although this is also a concern that empathy had a close-to-unity correlation with PROM score in the small sample study of stage 1. In the second stage of the study (=566, the relationship between PROM scores and prosocial behavior appeared to be weak. Results suggest that there were many personal, family, or social factors that were linked to prosocial behavior, and prosocial reasoning might only contribute to a small proportion of variation in prosocial behavior among adolescents.

Modelling Mathematical Reasoning in Physics Education

Science.gov (United States)

Uhden, Olaf; Karam, Ricardo; Pietrocola, Maurício; Pospiech, Gesche

2012-04-01

Many findings from research as well as reports from teachers describe students' problem solving strategies as manipulation of formulas by rote. The resulting dissatisfaction with quantitative physical textbook problems seems to influence the attitude towards the role of mathematics in physics education in general. Mathematics is often seen as a tool for calculation which hinders a conceptual understanding of physical principles. However, the role of mathematics cannot be reduced to this technical aspect. Hence, instead of putting mathematics away we delve into the nature of physical science to reveal the strong conceptual relationship between mathematics and physics. Moreover, we suggest that, for both prospective teaching and further research, a focus on deeply exploring such interdependency can significantly improve the understanding of physics. To provide a suitable basis, we develop a new model which can be used for analysing different levels of mathematical reasoning within physics. It is also a guideline for shifting the attention from technical to structural mathematical skills while teaching physics. We demonstrate its applicability for analysing physical-mathematical reasoning processes with an example.

The Relationship between Principal Transformational Leadership Practices and Teacher Retention

Science.gov (United States)

Lazzaro, Kristen Elaine

2009-01-01

A transformational leader has the ability to raise the level of human conduct and the ethical considerations of an organization. In this sense, a leader who demonstrates transformational qualities will be able to increase the commitment and capacity of the individuals who work within the organization. It appears from the literature that the…

Two-dimensional fourier transform spectrometer

Science.gov (United States)

DeFlores, Lauren; Tokmakoff, Andrei

2013-09-03

The present invention relates to a system and methods for acquiring two-dimensional Fourier transform (2D FT) spectra. Overlap of a collinear pulse pair and probe induce a molecular response which is collected by spectral dispersion of the signal modulated probe beam. Simultaneous collection of the molecular response, pulse timing and characteristics permit real time phasing and rapid acquisition of spectra. Full spectra are acquired as a function of pulse pair timings and numerically transformed to achieve the full frequency-frequency spectrum. This method demonstrates the ability to acquire information on molecular dynamics, couplings and structure in a simple apparatus. Multi-dimensional methods can be used for diagnostic and analytical measurements in the biological, biomedical, and chemical fields.

Emotional and cognitive stimuli differentially engage the default network during inductive reasoning

OpenAIRE

Eldaief, Mark C.; Deckersbach, Thilo; Carlson, Lindsay E.; Beucke, Jan C.; Dougherty, Darin D.

2011-01-01

The brain’s default network (DN) is comprised of several cortical regions demonstrating robust intrinsic connectivity at rest. The authors sought to examine the differential effects of emotional reasoning and reasoning under certainty upon the DN through the employment of an event-related fMRI design in healthy participants. Participants were presented with syllogistic arguments which were organized into a 2 × 2 factorial design in which the first factor was emotional salience and the second ...

Oncogenic transformation with radiation and chemicals: review

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hall, E.J.; Hei, T.K.

1985-01-01

Quantitative in vitro assay systems for oncogenic transformation are a powerful research tool. They may be based on short-term cultures of hamster embryo cells, or established cell lines of mouse origin. While X-ray-induced transformation of human cells has been demonstrated, it has proved difficult to develop quantitative assay systems based on cells of human origin. The presently available quantitative assays have two quite distinct basic uses. First, they may be useful to accumulate data which is essentially pragmatic in nature. For example, they may be used to compare and contrast the oncogenic potential of chemotherapeutic agents or hypoxic cell sensitizers used or proposed in the clinic. They may be used to identify compounds that inhibit or suppress the transformation incidence resulting from known oncogenic agents, or they may be used to demonstrate the interaction between two different agents, such as radiation and asbestos. Second, they may prove to be invaluable in the study of the basic mechanisms of carcinogenesis, inasmuch as they represent models of tumourigenesis in which the various steps can be manipulated and modified more readily and in a controlled way. (author)

Multiresolution signal decomposition transforms, subbands, and wavelets

CERN Document Server

Akansu, Ali N; Haddad, Paul R

2001-01-01

The uniqueness of this book is that it covers such important aspects of modern signal processing as block transforms from subband filter banks and wavelet transforms from a common unifying standpoint, thus demonstrating the commonality among these decomposition techniques. In addition, it covers such ""hot"" areas as signal compression and coding, including particular decomposition techniques and tables listing coefficients of subband and wavelet filters and other important properties.The field of this book (Electrical Engineering/Computer Science) is currently booming, which is, of course

Transformation of benign fibroadenoma to malignant phyllodes tumor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sanders, Linda M; Daigle, Megan E; Tortora, Matthew; Panasiti, Ryane

2015-01-01

The transformation of a benign fibroadenoma into a phyllodes tumor is uncommon and unpredictable. We report the case of a 40-year-old woman with a core biopsy proven fibroadenoma that underwent transformation into a malignant phyllodes tumor after 3 years of size stability. We present ultrasound and magnetic resonance images, as well as pathology slides from core biopsy and surgical excision, to illustrate this transformation. It has been suggested that phyllodes tumors may be misdiagnosed as fibroadenomas by core biopsy. However, in this case, pathology supports correct initial diagnosis of fibroadenoma and demonstrates a portion of the original fibroadenoma along the periphery of the malignant phyllodes tumor

The effect of transformational leadership and job autonomy on promotive and prohibitive voice

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Svendsen, Mari; Unterrainer, Christine; Jønsson, Thomas Faurholt

2018-01-01

Although there is a vast amount of research on leadership and improvement-oriented voice behavior, the amount of cross-lagged research on leadership that also incorporates more challenging forms of voice is sparse. This paper reports on a two-wave study of white-collar workers in a Norwegian...... medical technology company, investigating the relationship among employees’ perceived transformational leadership behaviors, job autonomy, and promotive and prohibitive voice. Testing our results cross-lagged, we demonstrate that perceived transformational leadership is significantly related...... to prohibitive voice over time, whereas this effect worked in the opposite direction for promotive voice. We also explore the boundary conditions of transformational leadership, demonstrating that perceived job autonomy strengthens the effect of transformational leadership on prohibitive voice. Implications...

Box-Cox transformation for resolving the Peelle's Pertinent Puzzle in a curve fitting

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oh, S. Y.; Seo, C. G.

2004-01-01

Incorporating the Box-Cox transformation into a curve fitting is presented as one of methods for resolving an anomaly known as the Peelle's Pertinent Puzzle in the nuclear data community. The Box-Cox transformation is a strategy to make non-normal distribution data resemble normal distribution data. The proposed method consists of the following steps: transform the raw data to be fitted with the optimized Box-Cox transformation parameter, fit the transformed data using a conventional curve fitting tool, the least-squares method in this study, then inverse-transform the fitted results to the final estimates. Covariance matrices are correspondingly transformed and inverse-transformed with the aid of the law of error propagation. In addition to a sensible answer to the Puzzle, the proposed method resulted in reasonable estimates for a test evaluation with pseudo-experimental 6 Li(n, t) cross sections in several to 800 keV energy region, while the GMA code resulted in systematic underestimates that characterize the Puzzle. Meanwhile, it is observed that the present method and the Chiba-Smith method yield almost the same estimates for the test evaluation on 6 Li(n, t). Conceptually, however, two methods are very different from each other and further discussions are needed for a consensus on the issue of how to resolve the Puzzle. (authors)

Robust Learning Control Design for Quantum Unitary Transformations.

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Chengzhi; Qi, Bo; Chen, Chunlin; Dong, Daoyi

2017-12-01

Robust control design for quantum unitary transformations has been recognized as a fundamental and challenging task in the development of quantum information processing due to unavoidable decoherence or operational errors in the experimental implementation of quantum operations. In this paper, we extend the systematic methodology of sampling-based learning control (SLC) approach with a gradient flow algorithm for the design of robust quantum unitary transformations. The SLC approach first uses a "training" process to find an optimal control strategy robust against certain ranges of uncertainties. Then a number of randomly selected samples are tested and the performance is evaluated according to their average fidelity. The approach is applied to three typical examples of robust quantum transformation problems including robust quantum transformations in a three-level quantum system, in a superconducting quantum circuit, and in a spin chain system. Numerical results demonstrate the effectiveness of the SLC approach and show its potential applications in various implementation of quantum unitary transformations.

Wide Input Range Power Converters Using a Variable Turns Ratio Transformer

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ouyang, Ziwei; Andersen, Michael A. E.

2016-01-01

A new integrated transformer with variable turns ratio is proposed to enable dc-dc converters operating over a wide input voltage range. The integrated transformer employs a new geometry of magnetic core with “four legs”, two primary windings with orthogonal arrangement, and “8” shape connection...... of diagonal secondary windings, in order to make the transformer turns ratio adjustable by controlling the phase between the two current excitations subjected to the two primary windings. Full-bridge boost dc-dc converter is employed with the proposed transformer to demonstrate the feasibility of the variable...

Time-Domain Optical Fourier Transformation for OTDM-DWDM and DWDM-OTDM Conversion

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mulvad, Hans Christian Hansen; Palushani, Evarist; Galili, Michael

2011-01-01

Applications of time-domain optical Fourier transformation (OFT) in ultra-high-speed optical time-division multiplexed systems (OTDM) are reviewed, with emphasis on the recent demonstrations of OFT-based conversion between the OTDM and DWDM formats.......Applications of time-domain optical Fourier transformation (OFT) in ultra-high-speed optical time-division multiplexed systems (OTDM) are reviewed, with emphasis on the recent demonstrations of OFT-based conversion between the OTDM and DWDM formats....

Reasoning with alternative explanations in physics: The cognitive accessibility rule

Science.gov (United States)

Heckler, Andrew F.; Bogdan, Abigail M.

2018-06-01

A critical component of scientific reasoning is the consideration of alternative explanations. Recognizing that decades of cognitive psychology research have demonstrated that relative cognitive accessibility, or "what comes to mind," strongly affects how people reason in a given context, we articulate a simple "cognitive accessibility rule", namely that alternative explanations are considered less frequently when an explanation with relatively high accessibility is offered first. In a series of four experiments, we test the cognitive accessibility rule in the context of consideration of alternative explanations for six physical scenarios commonly found in introductory physics curricula. First, we administer free recall and recognition tasks to operationally establish and distinguish between the relative accessibility and availability of common explanations for the physical scenarios. Then, we offer either high or low accessibility explanations for the physical scenarios and determine the extent to which students consider alternatives to the given explanations. We find two main results consistent across algebra- and calculus-based university level introductory physics students for multiple answer formats. First, we find evidence that, at least for some contexts, most explanatory factors are cognitively available to students but not cognitively accessible. Second, we empirically verify the cognitive accessibility rule and demonstrate that the rule is strongly predictive, accounting for up to 70% of the variance of the average student consideration of alternative explanations across scenarios. Overall, we find that cognitive accessibility can help to explain biases in the consideration of alternatives in reasoning about simple physical scenarios, and these findings lend support to the growing number of science education studies demonstrating that tasks relevant to science education curricula often involve rapid, automatic, and potentially predictable processes and

High-throughput Agrobacterium-mediated barley transformation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Snape John W

2008-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Plant transformation is an invaluable tool for basic plant research, as well as a useful technique for the direct improvement of commercial crops. Barley (Hordeum vulgare is the fourth most abundant cereal crop in the world. It also provides a useful model for the study of wheat, which has a larger and more complex genome. Most existing barley transformation methodologies are either complex or have low ( Results A robust, simple and reproducible barley transformation protocol has been developed that yields average transformation efficiencies of 25%. This protocol is based on the infection of immature barley embryos with Agrobacterium strain AGL1, carrying vectors from the pBract series that contain the hpt gene (conferring hygromycin resistance as a selectable marker. Results of large scale experiments utilising the luc (firefly luciferase gene as a reporter are described. The method presented here has been used to produce hundreds of independent, transgenic plant lines and we show that a large proportion of these lines contain single copies of the luc gene. Conclusion This protocol demonstrates significant improvements in both efficiency and ease of use over existing barley transformation methods. This opens up opportunities for the development of functional genomics resources in barley.

Divergent effects of transformational and passive leadership on employee safety.

Science.gov (United States)

Kelloway, E Kevin; Mullen, Jane; Francis, Lori

2006-01-01

The authors concurrently examined the impact of safety-specific transformational leadership and safety-specific passive leadership on safety outcomes. First, the authors demonstrated via confirmatory factor analysis that safety-specific transformational leadership and safety-specific passive leadership are empirically distinct constructs. Second, using hierarchical regression, the authors illustrated, contrary to a stated corollary of transformational leadership theory (B. M. Bass, 1997), that passive leadership contributes incrementally to the prediction of organizationally relevant outcomes, in this case safety-related variables, beyond transformational leadership alone. Third, further analyses via structural equation modeling showed that both transformational and passive leadership have opposite effects on safety climate and safety consciousness, and these variables, in turn, predict safety events and injuries. Implications for research and application are discussed. Copyright 2006 APA.

A Matter of Balance: Motor Control is Related to Children’s Spatial and Proportional Reasoning Skills

Science.gov (United States)

Frick, Andrea; Möhring, Wenke

2016-01-01

Recent research has shown close links between spatial and mathematical thinking and between spatial abilities and motor skills. However, longitudinal research examining the relations between motor, spatial, and mathematical skills is rare, and the nature of these relations remains unclear. The present study thus investigated the relation between children’s motor control and their spatial and proportional reasoning. We measured 6-year-olds’ spatial scaling (i.e., the ability to reason about different-sized spaces), their mental transformation skills, and their ability to balance on one leg as an index for motor control. One year later (N = 126), we tested the same children’s understanding of proportions. We also assessed several control variables (verbal IQ and socio-economic status) as well as inhibitory control, visuo-spatial and verbal working memory. Stepwise hierarchical regressions showed that, after accounting for effects of control variables, children’s balance skills significantly increased the explained variance in their spatial performance and proportional reasoning. Our results suggest specific relations between balance skills and spatial as well as proportional reasoning skills that cannot be explained by general differences in executive functioning or intelligence. PMID:26793157

Comparing transformation methods for DNA microarray data

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zwinderman Aeilko H

2004-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background When DNA microarray data are used for gene clustering, genotype/phenotype correlation studies, or tissue classification the signal intensities are usually transformed and normalized in several steps in order to improve comparability and signal/noise ratio. These steps may include subtraction of an estimated background signal, subtracting the reference signal, smoothing (to account for nonlinear measurement effects, and more. Different authors use different approaches, and it is generally not clear to users which method they should prefer. Results We used the ratio between biological variance and measurement variance (which is an F-like statistic as a quality measure for transformation methods, and we demonstrate a method for maximizing that variance ratio on real data. We explore a number of transformations issues, including Box-Cox transformation, baseline shift, partial subtraction of the log-reference signal and smoothing. It appears that the optimal choice of parameters for the transformation methods depends on the data. Further, the behavior of the variance ratio, under the null hypothesis of zero biological variance, appears to depend on the choice of parameters. Conclusions The use of replicates in microarray experiments is important. Adjustment for the null-hypothesis behavior of the variance ratio is critical to the selection of transformation method.

Phase retrieval from the magnitude of the Fourier transforms of nonperiodic objects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Miao, J.; Sayre, D.; Chapman, H.N.

1998-01-01

It is suggested that, given the magnitude of Fourier transforms sampled at the Bragg density, the phase problem is underdetermined by a factor of 2 for 1D, 2D, and 3D objects. It is therefore unnecessary to oversample the magnitude of Fourier transforms by 2x in each dimension (i.e., oversampling by 4x for 2D and 8x for 3D) in retrieving the phase of 2D and 3D objects. Our computer phasing experiments accurately retrieved the phase from the magnitude of the Fourier transforms of 2D and 3D complex-valued objects by using positivity constraints on the imaginary part of the objects and loose supports, with the oversampling factor much less than 4 for 2D and 8 for 3D objects. Under the same conditions we also obtained reasonably good reconstructions of 2D and 3D complex-valued objects from the magnitude of their Fourier transforms with added noise and a central stop. copyright 1998 Optical Society of America

Clinical reasoning: concept analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Simmons, Barbara

2010-05-01

This paper is a report of a concept analysis of clinical reasoning in nursing. Clinical reasoning is an ambiguous term that is often used synonymously with decision-making and clinical judgment. Clinical reasoning has not been clearly defined in the literature. Healthcare settings are increasingly filled with uncertainty, risk and complexity due to increased patient acuity, multiple comorbidities, and enhanced use of technology, all of which require clinical reasoning. Data sources. Literature for this concept analysis was retrieved from several databases, including CINAHL, PubMed, PsycINFO, ERIC and OvidMEDLINE, for the years 1980 to 2008. Rodgers's evolutionary method of concept analysis was used because of its applicability to concepts that are still evolving. Multiple terms have been used synonymously to describe the thinking skills that nurses use. Research in the past 20 years has elucidated differences among these terms and identified the cognitive processes that precede judgment and decision-making. Our concept analysis defines one of these terms, 'clinical reasoning,' as a complex process that uses cognition, metacognition, and discipline-specific knowledge to gather and analyse patient information, evaluate its significance, and weigh alternative actions. This concept analysis provides a middle-range descriptive theory of clinical reasoning in nursing that helps clarify meaning and gives direction for future research. Appropriate instruments to operationalize the concept need to be developed. Research is needed to identify additional variables that have an impact on clinical reasoning and what are the consequences of clinical reasoning in specific situations.

Transformation as a Design Process and Runtime Architecture for High Integrity Software

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bespalko, S.J.; Winter, V.L.

1999-04-05

We have discussed two aspects of creating high integrity software that greatly benefit from the availability of transformation technology, which in this case is manifest by the requirement for a sophisticated backtracking parser. First, because of the potential for correctly manipulating programs via small changes, an automated non-procedural transformation system can be a valuable tool for constructing high assurance software. Second, modeling the processing of translating data into information as a, perhaps, context-dependent grammar leads to an efficient, compact implementation. From a practical perspective, the transformation process should begin in the domain language in which a problem is initially expressed. Thus in order for a transformation system to be practical it must be flexible with respect to domain-specific languages. We have argued that transformation applied to specification results in a highly reliable system. We also attempted to briefly demonstrate that transformation technology applied to the runtime environment will result in a safe and secure system. We thus believe that the sophisticated multi-lookahead backtracking parsing technology is central to the task of being in a position to demonstrate the existence of HIS.

Assessing the use of cognitive heuristic representativeness in clinical reasoning.

Science.gov (United States)

Payne, Velma L; Crowley, Rebecca S; Crowley, Rebecca

2008-11-06

We performed a pilot study to investigate use of the cognitive heuristic Representativeness in clinical reasoning. We tested a set of tasks and assessments to determine whether subjects used the heuristics in reasoning, to obtain initial frequencies of heuristic use and related cognitive errors, and to collect cognitive process data using think-aloud techniques. The study investigates two aspects of the Representativeness heuristic - judging by perceived frequency and representativeness as causal beliefs. Results show that subjects apply both aspects of the heuristic during reasoning, and make errors related to misapplication of these heuristics. Subjects in this study rarely used base rates, showed significant variability in their recall of base rates, demonstrated limited ability to use provided base rates, and favored causal data in diagnosis. We conclude that the tasks and assessments we have developed provide a suitable test-bed to study the cognitive processes underlying heuristic errors.

Biomolecular surface construction by PDE transform.

Science.gov (United States)

Zheng, Qiong; Yang, Siyang; Wei, Guo-Wei

2012-03-01

This work proposes a new framework for the surface generation based on the partial differential equation (PDE) transform. The PDE transform has recently been introduced as a general approach for the mode decomposition of images, signals, and data. It relies on the use of arbitrarily high-order PDEs to achieve the time-frequency localization, control the spectral distribution, and regulate the spatial resolution. The present work provides a new variational derivation of high-order PDE transforms. The fast Fourier transform is utilized to accomplish the PDE transform so as to avoid stringent stability constraints in solving high-order PDEs. As a consequence, the time integration of high-order PDEs can be done efficiently with the fast Fourier transform. The present approach is validated with a variety of test examples in two-dimensional and three-dimensional settings. We explore the impact of the PDE transform parameters, such as the PDE order and propagation time, on the quality of resulting surfaces. Additionally, we utilize a set of 10 proteins to compare the computational efficiency of the present surface generation method and a standard approach in Cartesian meshes. Moreover, we analyze the present method by examining some benchmark indicators of biomolecular surface, that is, surface area, surface-enclosed volume, solvation free energy, and surface electrostatic potential. A test set of 13 protein molecules is used in the present investigation. The electrostatic analysis is carried out via the Poisson-Boltzmann equation model. To further demonstrate the utility of the present PDE transform-based surface method, we solve the Poisson-Nernst-Planck equations with a PDE transform surface of a protein. Second-order convergence is observed for the electrostatic potential and concentrations. Finally, to test the capability and efficiency of the present PDE transform-based surface generation method, we apply it to the construction of an excessively large biomolecule, a

Cognitive Success: Instrumental Justifications of Normative Systems of Reasoning

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gerhard eSchurz

2014-07-01

Full Text Available In the first part of the paper (sec. 1-4, I argue that Elqayam and Evan's (2011 distinction between normative and instrumental conceptions of cognitive rationality corresponds to deontological versus teleological accounts in meta-ethics. I suggest that Elqayam and Evans' distinction be replaced by the distinction between a-priori intuition-based versus a-posteriori success-based accounts of cognitive rationality. The value of cognitive success lies in its instrumental rationality for almost-all practical purposes. In the second part (sec. 5-7, I point out that the Elqayam and Evans's distinction between normative and instrumental rationality is coupled with a second distinction: between logically general versus locally adaptive accounts of rationality. I argue that these are two independent distinctions should be treated as independent dimensions. I also demonstrate that logically general systems of reasoning can be instrumentally justified. However, such systems can only be cognitively successful if they are paired with successful inductive reasoning, which is the area where the program of adaptive (ecological rationality emerged, because there are no generally optimal inductive reasoning methods. I argue that the practical necessity of reasoning under changing environments constitutes a dilemma for ecological rationality, which I attempt to solve a dual account of rationality.

Cognitive success: instrumental justifications of normative systems of reasoning

Science.gov (United States)

Schurz, Gerhard

2014-01-01

In the first part of the paper (sec. 1–4), I argue that Elqayam and Evan's (2011) distinction between normative and instrumental conceptions of cognitive rationality corresponds to deontological vs. teleological accounts in meta-ethics. I suggest that Elqayam and Evans' distinction be replaced by the distinction between a-priori intuition-based vs. a-posteriori success-based accounts of cognitive rationality. The value of cognitive success lies in its instrumental rationality for almost-all practical purposes. In the second part (sec. 5–7), I point out that the Elqayam and Evans's distinction between normative and instrumental rationality is coupled with a second distinction: between logically general vs. locally adaptive accounts of rationality. I argue that these are two independent distinctions that should be treated as independent dimensions. I also demonstrate that logically general systems of reasoning can be instrumentally justified. However, such systems can only be cognitively successful if they are paired with successful inductive reasoning, which is the area where the program of adaptive (ecological) rationality emerged, because there are no generally optimal inductive reasoning methods. I argue that the practical necessity of reasoning under changing environments constitutes a dilemma for ecological rationality, which I attempt to solve within a dual account of rationality. PMID:25071624

Cognitive success: instrumental justifications of normative systems of reasoning.

Science.gov (United States)

Schurz, Gerhard

2014-01-01

In the first part of the paper (sec. 1-4), I argue that Elqayam and Evan's (2011) distinction between normative and instrumental conceptions of cognitive rationality corresponds to deontological vs. teleological accounts in meta-ethics. I suggest that Elqayam and Evans' distinction be replaced by the distinction between a-priori intuition-based vs. a-posteriori success-based accounts of cognitive rationality. The value of cognitive success lies in its instrumental rationality for almost-all practical purposes. In the second part (sec. 5-7), I point out that the Elqayam and Evans's distinction between normative and instrumental rationality is coupled with a second distinction: between logically general vs. locally adaptive accounts of rationality. I argue that these are two independent distinctions that should be treated as independent dimensions. I also demonstrate that logically general systems of reasoning can be instrumentally justified. However, such systems can only be cognitively successful if they are paired with successful inductive reasoning, which is the area where the program of adaptive (ecological) rationality emerged, because there are no generally optimal inductive reasoning methods. I argue that the practical necessity of reasoning under changing environments constitutes a dilemma for ecological rationality, which I attempt to solve within a dual account of rationality.

Cancer Stem-Like Cells Accumulated in Nickel-Induced Malignant Transformation

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Lei; Fan, Jia; Hitron, John Andrew; Son, Young-Ok; Wise, James T.F.; Roy, Ram Vinod; Kim, Donghern; Dai, Jin; Pratheeshkumar, Poyil; Zhang, Zhuo; Shi, Xianglin

2016-01-01

Nickel compounds are known as human carcinogens. Chronic environmental exposure to nickel is a worldwide health concern. Although the mechanisms of nickel-induced carcinogenesis are not well understood, recent studies suggest that stem cells/cancer stem cells are likely important targets. This study examines the role of cancer stem cells in nickel-induced cell transformation. The nontransformed human bronchial epithelial cell line (Beas-2B) was chronically exposed to nickel chloride for 12 months to induce cell transformation. Nickel induced Beas-2B cell transformation, and cancer stem-like cells were enriched in nickel-transformed cell (BNiT) population. The BNiT cancer stem-like cells demonstrated enhanced self-renewal and distinctive differentiation properties. In vivo tumorigenesis studies show that BNiT cancer stem-like cells possess a high tumor-initiating capability. It was also demonstrated that superoxide dismutase 1 was involved in the accumulation of cancer stem-like cells; the regulation of superoxide dismutase 1 expression was different in transformed stem-like cells and nontransformed. Overall, the accumulation of stem-like cells and their enhanced stemness functions contribute to nickel-induced tumorigenesis. Our study provides additional insight into the mechanisms by which metals or other chemicals can induce carcinogenesis. PMID:26962057

Transforming growth factor alpha and epidermal growth factor in laryngeal carcinomas demonstrated by immunohistochemistry

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Christensen, M E; Therkildsen, M H; Poulsen, Steen Seier

1993-01-01

the basal cell layer. The present investigation and our previous results confirm the existence of EGF receptors, TGF-alpha and EGF in laryngeal carcinomas. In addition, we conclude that the conditions do exist for growth factors to act through an autocrine system in poorly differentiated tumours and through......Fifteen laryngeal squamous cell carcinomas were investigated for the presence of transforming growth factor alpha (TGF-alpha) and epidermal growth factor (EGF) using immunohistochemical methods. In a recent study the same material was characterized for epidermal growth factor receptors (EGF...... receptors) which were confined predominantly to the undifferentiated cells. The expression of this growth factor system in malignant cells may play a role in carcinogenesis and/or tumour growth. All carcinomas were positive for TGF-alpha and 12 were positive for EGF. In moderately-to-well differentiated...

A new model for Assessment and Optimization of Number of Spare Transformers and their Locations in Distribution Systems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M Sedaghati

2015-12-01

Full Text Available In this paper, a new model has been presented to determine the number of spare transformers and their locations for distribution stations. The number of spare transformers must be so that they need minimum investment. Furthermore, they must be sufficient for replacing with transformers that have been damaged. For this reason, in this paper a new purpose function has been presented to maximize profit in distribution company’s budgeting and planning. For determining the number of spares that must be available in a stock room, this paper considers the number of spares and transformer’s fault at the same time. The number of spare transformers is determined so that at least one spare transformer will be available for replacing with the failed transformers. This paper considers time required for purchasing or repairing a failed transformer to determine the number of required spare transformers. Furthermore, whatever the number of spare equipment are increased, cost of maintenance will be increased, so an economic comparison must be done between reduced costs from reducing of outage time and increased costs from spare transformers existence.

Design and application of multilayer monolithic microwave integrated circuit transformers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Economides, S.B

1999-07-01

The design and performance of planar spiral transformers, using multilayer GaAs and silicon MMIC technology, are presented. This multilayer technology gives new opportunities for improving the performance of planar transformers, couplers and baluns. Planar transformers have high parasitic resistance and capacitance and low levels of coupling. Using multilayer technology these problems are overcome by applying a multilayer structure of three metal layers separated by two polyimide dielectric layers. The improvements gained by placing the conductors on different metal layers, and using conductors raised on polyimide layers for low capacitance, have been investigated. The circuits were fabricated using a novel experimental fabrication process, which uses entirely standard materials and techniques and is compatible with BJT's and silicon-germanium HBT's. The transformers were all characterised up to 20 GHz using RF-on-wafer measurements. They demonstrated good performance, considering the experimental nature of in-house multilayer technology and the difficulties in simulating these three-dimensional new geometries. With high resistivity substrates, the silicon components achieved virtually the same performance as their gallium arsenide counterparts. The transformers were then used in simulations of transformer-coupled HBT amplifier circuits, to demonstrate their capabilities. It was shown that these circuits present good performance compared to standard off-the shelf component circuits and are very promising for use in most multilayer MMIC applications. The structures were further used in coupling configurations, and applied in balun circuits and pushpull amplifiers. The spiral transformer coupler can operate at low frequencies without using up much chip area. In a balun configuration, the balun can compensate for coupling and phase imbalance and operates over 5 to 15 GHz. The spiral coupler does not always need multilayer processing, so the balun may be

Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation of oleaginous yeast Lipomyces species

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dai, Ziyu; Deng, Shuang; Culley, David E.; Bruno, Kenneth S.; Magnuson, Jon K.

2017-06-19

Background: Because of interest in the production of renewable bio-hydrocarbon fuels, various living organisms have been explored for their potential use in producing fuels and chemicals. The oil-producing (oleaginous) yeast Lipomyces starkeyi is the subject of active research regarding the production of lipids using a wide variety of carbon and nutrient sources. The genome of L. starkeyi has been published, which opens the door to production strain improvements using the tools of synthetic biology and metabolic engineering. However, using these tools for strain improvement requires the establishment of effective and reliable transformation methods with suitable selectable markers (antibiotic resistance or auxotrophic marker genes) and the necessary genetic elements (promoters and terminators) for expression of introduced genes. Chemical-based methods have been published, but suffer from low efficiency or the requirement for targeting to rRNA loci. To address these problems, Agrobacterium-mediated transformation was investigated as an alternative method for L. starkeyi and other Lipomyces species. Results: In this study, Agrobacterium-mediated transformation was demonstrated to be effective in the transformation of both L. starkeyi and other Lipomyces species and that the introduced DNA can be reliably integrated into the chromosomes of these species. The gene deletion of Ku70 and Pex10 was also demonstrated in L. starkeyi. In addition to the bacterial antibiotic selection marker gene hygromycin B phosphotransferase, the bacterial -glucuronidase reporter gene under the control of L. starkeyi translation elongation factor 1 promoter was also stably expressed in seven different Lipomyces species. Conclusion: The results from this study clearly demonstrate that Agrobacterium-mediated transformation is a reliable genetic tool for gene deletion and integration and expression of heterologous genes in L. starkeyi and other Lipomyces species.

Heuristic reasoning and relative incompleteness

OpenAIRE

Treur, J.

1993-01-01

In this paper an approach is presented in which heuristic reasoning is interpreted as strategic reasoning. This type of reasoning enables one to derive which hypothesis to investigate, and which observable information to acquire next (to be able to verify the chosen hypothesis). A compositional architecture for reasoning systems that perform such heuristic reasoning is introduced, called SIX (for Strategic Interactive eXpert systems). This compositional architecture enables user interaction a...

Inductive Reasoning and Writing

Science.gov (United States)

Rooks, Clay; Boyd, Robert

2003-01-01

Induction, properly understood, is not merely a game, nor is it a gimmick, nor is it an artificial way of explaining an element of reasoning. Proper understanding of inductive reasoning--and the various types of reasoning that the authors term inductive--enables the student to evaluate critically other people's writing and enhances the composition…

Measuring Relational Reasoning

Science.gov (United States)

Alexander, Patricia A.; Dumas, Denis; Grossnickle, Emily M.; List, Alexandra; Firetto, Carla M.

2016-01-01

Relational reasoning is the foundational cognitive ability to discern meaningful patterns within an informational stream, but its reliable and valid measurement remains problematic. In this investigation, the measurement of relational reasoning unfolded in three stages. Stage 1 entailed the establishment of a research-based conceptualization of…

The organizational transformative power of nurse residency programs.

Science.gov (United States)

Kramer, Marlene; Maguire, Pat; Halfer, Diana; Budin, Wendy C; Hall, Debra S; Goodloe, Lauren; Klaristenfeld, Jessica; Teasley, Susan; Forsey, Lynn; Lemke, Johanna

2012-01-01

Residency programs for newly licensed registered nurses (NLRNs) have been strongly advocated by the Institute of Medicine, American Organization of Nurse Executives, and other professional organizations. Their cost-effectiveness as well as their impact on NLRN retention, job and practice satisfaction, improved performance, and reduction in environmental reality shock has been demonstrated. This qualitative study sought answers to the question: what people, components, processes and activities of Nurse Residency Programs (NRPs), and the work environment are instrumental in the transition and integration of NLRNs into the professional practice role and into professional communities? In the course of interviewing 907 nurses-NLRNs, experienced nurses, managers, and educators-practicing on clinical units with confirmed "very healthy work environments" in 20 Magnet hospitals, it became evident that not only did NRPs positively impact the professional socialization of NLRNs, they led to transformative changes in the organization and in the practice of other health care professionals. The organizational transformative changes described by the interviewees are presented for each of the 7 major challenges identified by NLRNs-delegation, prioritization, managing patient care delivery, autonomous decision-making, collaboration with other disciplines, constructive conflict resolution, and utilizing feedback to restore self-confidence. If it can be demonstrated that these transformative changes stimulated by NRPs also lead to improved patient outcomes, NRPs may be the most significant organization transformation instituted by nurse leaders in recent years.

On Derek Parfit' s Objectivist Theory of Reasons for Action:Desire-based or Value-based?

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Zhang Jieting

2017-01-01

The issue of the sources of normativity has been a very hot topic in contem-porary Anglo-American ethics. Some scholars believe that the normativity should be interpre-ted as a reason-implying concept and it can be analyzed further as moral reasons. So,to better understand the sources of normativity,we have to explore the sources of the reasons further. Generally,there are two competing views on the sources of reasons:subjectivism and objectiv-ism. Subjectivism argues that the reasons for action are ultimately based on desires or facts a-bout desires. Objectivism argues that the reasons are given by the objects,determined by the value of the relevant facts about desired objects. Parfit proposed an objectivist theory of reasons for action,and he tried to prove that reasons are external,objective,and value-based,through his three arguments,i. e. ,the agony argument,the all or none argument,and the incoherence argument. He finally demonstrated that what can determine reasons for action are facts rather than desires.

Chaos-assisted broadband momentum transformation in optical microresonators

Science.gov (United States)

Jiang, Xuefeng; Shao, Linbo; Zhang, Shu-Xin; Yi, Xu; Wiersig, Jan; Wang, Li; Gong, Qihuang; Lončar, Marko; Yang, Lan; Xiao, Yun-Feng

2017-10-01

The law of momentum conservation rules out many desired processes in optical microresonators. We report broadband momentum transformations of light in asymmetric whispering gallery microresonators. Assisted by chaotic motions, broadband light can travel between optical modes with different angular momenta within a few picoseconds. Efficient coupling from visible to near-infrared bands is demonstrated between a nanowaveguide and whispering gallery modes with quality factors exceeding 10 million. The broadband momentum transformation enhances the device conversion efficiency of the third-harmonic generation by greater than three orders of magnitude over the conventional evanescent-wave coupling. The observed broadband and fast momentum transformation could promote applications such as multicolor lasers, broadband memories, and multiwavelength optical networks.

Simple optical setup implementation for digital Fourier transform holography

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

De Oliveira, G N [Pos-graduacao em Engenharia Mecanica, TEM/PGMEC, Universidade Federal Fluminense, Rua Passo da Patria, 156, Niteroi, R.J., Cep.: 24.210-240 (Brazil); Rodrigues, D M C; Dos Santos, P A M, E-mail: pams@if.uff.br [Instituto de Fisica, Laboratorio de Optica Nao-linear e Aplicada, Universidade Federal Fluminense, Av. Gal. Nilton Tavares de Souza, s/n, Gragoata, Niteroi, R.J., Cep.:24.210-346 (Brazil)

2011-01-01

In the present work a simple implementation of Digital Fourier Transform Holography (DFTH) setup is discussed. This is obtained making a very simple modification in the classical setup arquiteture of the Fourier Transform holography. It is also demonstrated the easy and practical viability of the setup in an interferometric application for mechanical parameters determination. The work is also proposed as an interesting advanced introductory training for graduated students in digital holography.

The influence of the martensitic transformation on the fatigue of an AISI type 316 metastable stainless steel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pacheco, D.J; Sousa e Silva, A.S. de; Monteiro, S.N.

The influence of the martensitic transformation on the process of pulse tension fatigue of a AISI type 316 metastable stainless steel was studied at 25 0 and 196 0 c. The fatigue tests were performed on annealed and cold worked specimens in order to separate the effects of static transformation, dynamic transformation and work hardening. The fatigue limits obtained from the corresponding Wohler curves were compared for the different test conditions. The results showed that the fatigue is not affected by the dynamically induced martensite. On the other hand the static martensite, previously induced, appears to decrease the resistance to fatigue. The reasons for these effects are discussed. (Author) [pt

Food: Transformation in Social Networks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Daria N. Karpova

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The modem network and digitalized society is full of social changes in various accustomed spheres of our lives including transformation in food practices. The author gives an example of the easiest way how to book food virtually and get it home this day according to tastes of a customer. Moreover the article represents new forms of specific societies existed in the Internet called food-blogs. This, on the author's mind, changes the traditional mechanism of people's choice. Food-blogs are analyzed through the prism of multifunctionalism and dynamics of food and trust. When the process of food preparing and eating attains new communicative functions. Moreover the author notes some social reasons why one user choses this or that food-blog. For instance, the popularity of blogger and network users trust, mostly «blinded». Beside the point, the conception of «trust» used in the text is based on science works of contemporary sociologist P. Sztompka. Both socialized and communicative functions of food are described through theories of R. Bart and G. Simmel. It is underlined in the text that food transforms and gains new qualities notin traditional ways we used to think but in social and cultural construction in virtual space and through network communication.

Understanding the transformative aspects of the Wilderness and Protected Lands experience upon human health

Science.gov (United States)

Alan Ewert; Jillisa Overholt; Alison Voight; Chun Chieh Wang

2011-01-01

Wilderness and Protected Landscapes (WPLs) have long been considered special areas for a variety of reasons including baseline data, impact analyses, protected zones, and other tangible and intangible values. Another salient, and some would argue, a more important value offered through WPLs is that of human transformation. Accordingly, three theories have provided the...

Why does the martensitic transformation temperature strongly depend on composition?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ren, X.; Otsuka, K.

2000-01-01

The reason for the strong composition and heat-treatment dependence of the martensitic transformation temperature was investigated by a simple Landau-type model. Assuming the anharmonic and coupling coefficients are insensitive to composition, we obtained an important result martensitic transformation occurs at a critical elastic constant c' and a critical TA 2 phonon energy ω η 2 , which are independent of alloy composition. This result gained support from a large body of experimental data of Cu-based alloys. Since c' and phonon energy are strongly dependent on composition, the constancy of c' at Ms demands that the (transformation) temperature must exhibit an opposite effect to compensate the composition effect. Therefore, the lower the c', the higher the Ms is. Because the temperature dependence of c' is weak (due to the 1 st order nature of the transformation), the big c' change by a slight composition change must be compensated by a large change in temperature. Thus Ms has strong composition dependence. The effect of quench is to increase point defects, being equivalent to a composition change, thus has a strong effect on Ms. From the present study, we can conclude that the strong composition dependence of Ms is mainly a harmonic effect. (orig.)

Coherent time-stretch transformation for real-time capture of wideband signals.

Science.gov (United States)

Buckley, Brandon W; Madni, Asad M; Jalali, Bahram

2013-09-09

Time stretch transformation of wideband waveforms boosts the performance of analog-to-digital converters and digital signal processors by slowing down analog electrical signals before digitization. The transform is based on dispersive Fourier transformation implemented in the optical domain. A coherent receiver would be ideal for capturing the time-stretched optical signal. Coherent receivers offer improved sensitivity, allow for digital cancellation of dispersion-induced impairments and optical nonlinearities, and enable decoding of phase-modulated optical data formats. Because time-stretch uses a chirped broadband (>1 THz) optical carrier, a new coherent detection technique is required. In this paper, we introduce and demonstrate coherent time stretch transformation; a technique that combines dispersive Fourier transform with optically broadband coherent detection.

A phase-field study of the physical concepts of martensitic transformations in steels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yeddu, Hemantha Kumar; Borgenstam, Annika; Hedström, Peter; Ågren, John

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► Critical driving forces associated with martensitic transformation are estimated. ► Plastic relaxation rate affects the transformation and microstructure evolution. ► Low relaxation rate promotes multi-domained martensitic microstructure. ► High relaxation rate promotes growth of a single martensite domain. ► The model predicts the final habit plane of martensite to be (−2 1 1) γ . - Abstract: A 3D elastoplastic phase-field model is employed to study various driving forces associated with martensitic transformations, plastic deformation behavior as well as the habit plane concept. Usage of thermodynamic parameters corresponding to Fe–0.3%C alloy in conjunction with anisotropic physical parameters of steels as the simulation parameters have yielded the results in reasonable agreement with experimental observations. From the simulation results, it is concluded that there exist three critical driving forces that control the transformation and also that the plastic deformation behavior of the material greatly affects the transformation. The model predicts the initial habit plane of the first infinitesimal unit of martensite as (−1 1 1). The model also predicts that, as the transformation progresses, the above mentioned martensite domain rotates and finally orients along the new habit plane of (−2 1 1).

Aerosolization and Atmospheric Transformation of Engineered Nanoparticles

Science.gov (United States)

Tiwari, Andrea J.

While research on the environmental impacts of engineered nanoparticles (ENPs) is growing, the potential for them to be chemically transformed in the atmosphere has been largely ignored. The overall objective of this work was to assess the atmospheric transformation of carbonaceous nanoparticles (CNPs). The research focuses on C60 fullerene because it is an important member of the carbonaceous nanoparticle (CNP) family and is used in a wide variety of applications. The first specific objective was to review the potential of atmospheric transformations to alter the environmental impacts of CNPs. We described atmospheric processes that were likely to physically or chemically alter aerosolized CNPs and demonstrated their relevance to CNP behavior and toxicity in the aqueous and terrestrial environment. In order to investigate the transformations of CNP aerosols under controlled conditions, we developed an aerosolization technique that produces nano-scale aerosols without using solvents, which can alter the surface chemistry of the aerosols. We demonstrated the technique with carbonaceous (C60) and metal oxide (TiO2, CeO2) nanoparticle powders. All resulting aerosols exhibited unimodal size distributions and mode particle diameters below 100 nm. We used the new aerosolization technique to investigate the reaction between aerosolized C60 and atmospherically realistic levels of ozone (O3) in terms of reaction products, reaction rate, and oxidative stress potential. We identified C60O, C60O2, and C60O3 as products of the C60-O3 reaction. We demonstrated that the oxidative stress potential of C 60 may be enhanced by exposure to O3. We found the pseudo-first order reaction rate to be 9 x 10-6 to 2 x 10 -5 s-1, which is several orders of magnitude lower than the rate for several PAH species under comparable conditions. This research has demonstrated that a thorough understanding of atmospheric chemistry of ENPs is critical for accurate prediction of their environmental

The Christological Ontology of Reason

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nissen, Ulrik Becker

2006-01-01

Taking the startingpoint in an assertion of an ambiguity in the Lutheran tradition’s assessment of reason, the essay argues that the Kantian unreserved confidence in reason is criticised in Bonhoeffer. Based upon a Christological understanding of reason, Bonhoeffer endorses a view of reason which...... is treated in the essay. Here it is argued that Bonhoeffer may be appropriated in attempting to outline a Christological ontology of reason holding essential implications for the sources and conditions of public discourse....

Syntactic Language Extension via an Algebra of Languages and Transformations

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andersen, Jacob; Brabrand, Claus

2010-01-01

We propose an algebra of languages and transformations as a means for extending languages syntactically. The algebra provides a layer of high-level abstractions built on top of languages (captured by context-free grammars) and transformations (captured by constructive catamorphisms). The algebra...... is self-contained in that any term of the algebra specifying a transformation can be reduced to a catamorphism, before the transformation is run. Thus, the algebra comes “for free” without sacrificing the strong safety and efficiency properties of constructive catamorphisms. The entire algebra...... as presented in the paper is implemented as the Banana Algebra Tool which may be used to syntactically extend languages in an incremental and modular fashion via algebraic composition of previously defined languages and transformations. We demonstrate and evaluate the tool via several kinds of extensions....

Energy transformation and flow topology in an elbow draft tube

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Štefan D.

2012-06-01

Full Text Available Paper presents a computational study of energy transformation in two geometrical configurations of Kaplan turbine elbow draft tube. Pressure recovery, hydraulic efficiency and loss coefficient are evaluated for a series of flow rates and swirl numbers corresponding to operating regimes of the turbine. These integral characteristics are then correlated with local flow field properties identified by extraction of topological features. Main focus is to find the reasons for hydraulic efficiency drop of the elbow draft tube.

A relation connecting scale transformation, Galilean transformation and Baecklund transformation for the nonlinear Schroedinger equation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Steudel, H.

1980-01-01

It is shown that the two-parameter manifold of Baecklund transformations known for the nonlinear Schroedinger equation can be generated from one Baecklund transformation with specified parameters by use of scale transformation and Galilean transformation. (orig.)

Steady at the wheel: conservative sex and the benefits of bacterial transformation

Science.gov (United States)

Ambur, Ole Herman; Engelstädter, Jan; Johnsen, Pål J.

2016-01-01

Many bacteria are highly sexual, but the reasons for their promiscuity remain obscure. Did bacterial sex evolve to maximize diversity and facilitate adaptation in a changing world, or does it instead help to retain the bacterial functions that work right now? In other words, is bacterial sex innovative or conservative? Our aim in this review is to integrate experimental, bioinformatic and theoretical studies to critically evaluate these alternatives, with a main focus on natural genetic transformation, the bacterial equivalent of eukaryotic sexual reproduction. First, we provide a general overview of several hypotheses that have been put forward to explain the evolution of transformation. Next, we synthesize a large body of evidence highlighting the numerous passive and active barriers to transformation that have evolved to protect bacteria from foreign DNA, thereby increasing the likelihood that transformation takes place among clonemates. Our critical review of the existing literature provides support for the view that bacterial transformation is maintained as a means of genomic conservation that provides direct benefits to both individual bacterial cells and to transformable bacterial populations. We examine the generality of this view across bacteria and contrast this explanation with the different evolutionary roles proposed to maintain sex in eukaryotes.  This article is part of the themed issue ‘Weird sex: the underappreciated diversity of sexual reproduction’. PMID:27619692

Steady at the wheel: conservative sex and the benefits of bacterial transformation.

Science.gov (United States)

Ambur, Ole Herman; Engelstädter, Jan; Johnsen, Pål J; Miller, Eric L; Rozen, Daniel E

2016-10-19

Many bacteria are highly sexual, but the reasons for their promiscuity remain obscure. Did bacterial sex evolve to maximize diversity and facilitate adaptation in a changing world, or does it instead help to retain the bacterial functions that work right now? In other words, is bacterial sex innovative or conservative? Our aim in this review is to integrate experimental, bioinformatic and theoretical studies to critically evaluate these alternatives, with a main focus on natural genetic transformation, the bacterial equivalent of eukaryotic sexual reproduction. First, we provide a general overview of several hypotheses that have been put forward to explain the evolution of transformation. Next, we synthesize a large body of evidence highlighting the numerous passive and active barriers to transformation that have evolved to protect bacteria from foreign DNA, thereby increasing the likelihood that transformation takes place among clonemates. Our critical review of the existing literature provides support for the view that bacterial transformation is maintained as a means of genomic conservation that provides direct benefits to both individual bacterial cells and to transformable bacterial populations. We examine the generality of this view across bacteria and contrast this explanation with the different evolutionary roles proposed to maintain sex in eukaryotes. This article is part of the themed issue 'Weird sex: the underappreciated diversity of sexual reproduction'. © 2016 The Author(s).

Answer First: Applying the Heuristic-Analytic Theory of Reasoning to Examine Student Intuitive Thinking in the Context of Physics

Science.gov (United States)

Kryjevskaia, Mila; Stetzer, MacKenzie R.; Grosz, Nathaniel

2014-01-01

We have applied the heuristic-analytic theory of reasoning to interpret inconsistencies in student reasoning approaches to physics problems. This study was motivated by an emerging body of evidence that suggests that student conceptual and reasoning competence demonstrated on one task often fails to be exhibited on another. Indeed, even after…

A New Look to a Classic Issue: Reasoning and Academic Achievement at Secondary School.

Science.gov (United States)

Gómez-Veiga, Isabel; Vila Chaves, José O; Duque, Gonzalo; García Madruga, Juan A

2018-01-01

Higher-order thinking abilities such as abstract reasoning and meaningful school learning occur sequentially. The fulfillment of these tasks demands that people activate and use all of their working memory resources in a controlled and supervised way. The aims of this work were: (a) to study the interplay between two new reasoning measures, one mathematical (Cognitive Reflection Test) and the other verbal (Deductive Reasoning Test), and a third classical visuo-spatial reasoning measure (Raven Progressive Matrices Test); and (b) to investigate the relationship between these measures and academic achievement. Fifty-one 4th grade secondary school students participated in the experiment and completed the three reasoning tests. Academic achievement measures were the final numerical scores in seven basic subjects. The results demonstrated that cognitive reflection, visual, and verbal reasoning are intimately related and predicts academic achievement. This work confirms that abstract reasoning constitutes the most important higher-order cognitive ability that underlies academic achievement. It also reveals the importance of dual processes, verbal deduction and metacognition in ordinary teaching and learning at school.

A New Look to a Classic Issue: Reasoning and Academic Achievement at Secondary School

Science.gov (United States)

Gómez-Veiga, Isabel; Vila Chaves, José O.; Duque, Gonzalo; García Madruga, Juan A.

2018-01-01

Higher-order thinking abilities such as abstract reasoning and meaningful school learning occur sequentially. The fulfillment of these tasks demands that people activate and use all of their working memory resources in a controlled and supervised way. The aims of this work were: (a) to study the interplay between two new reasoning measures, one mathematical (Cognitive Reflection Test) and the other verbal (Deductive Reasoning Test), and a third classical visuo-spatial reasoning measure (Raven Progressive Matrices Test); and (b) to investigate the relationship between these measures and academic achievement. Fifty-one 4th grade secondary school students participated in the experiment and completed the three reasoning tests. Academic achievement measures were the final numerical scores in seven basic subjects. The results demonstrated that cognitive reflection, visual, and verbal reasoning are intimately related and predicts academic achievement. This work confirms that abstract reasoning constitutes the most important higher-order cognitive ability that underlies academic achievement. It also reveals the importance of dual processes, verbal deduction and metacognition in ordinary teaching and learning at school. PMID:29643823

A New Look to a Classic Issue: Reasoning and Academic Achievement at Secondary School

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Isabel Gómez-Veiga

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Higher-order thinking abilities such as abstract reasoning and meaningful school learning occur sequentially. The fulfillment of these tasks demands that people activate and use all of their working memory resources in a controlled and supervised way. The aims of this work were: (a to study the interplay between two new reasoning measures, one mathematical (Cognitive Reflection Test and the other verbal (Deductive Reasoning Test, and a third classical visuo-spatial reasoning measure (Raven Progressive Matrices Test; and (b to investigate the relationship between these measures and academic achievement. Fifty-one 4th grade secondary school students participated in the experiment and completed the three reasoning tests. Academic achievement measures were the final numerical scores in seven basic subjects. The results demonstrated that cognitive reflection, visual, and verbal reasoning are intimately related and predicts academic achievement. This work confirms that abstract reasoning constitutes the most important higher-order cognitive ability that underlies academic achievement. It also reveals the importance of dual processes, verbal deduction and metacognition in ordinary teaching and learning at school.

Nurse Leadership and Informatics Competencies: Shaping Transformation of Professional Practice.

Science.gov (United States)

Kennedy, Margaret Ann; Moen, Anne

2017-01-01

Nurse leaders must demonstrate capacities and develop specific informatics competencies in order to provide meaningful leadership and support ongoing transformation of the healthcare system. Concurrently, staff informatics competencies must be planned and fostered to support critical principles of transformation and patient safety in practice, advance evidence-informed practice, and enable nursing to flourish in complex digital environments across the healthcare continuum. In addition to nurse leader competencies, two key aspects of leadership and informatics competencies will be addressed in this chapter - namely, the transformation of health care and preparation of the nursing workforce.

Teaching for Ethical Reasoning

Science.gov (United States)

Sternberg, Robert J.

2012-01-01

This article argues for the importance of teaching for ethical reasoning. Much of our teaching is in vain if it is not applied to life in an ethical manner. The article reviews lapses in ethical reasoning and the great costs they have had for society. It proposes that ethical reasoning can be taught across the curriculum. It presents an eight-step…

The Importance of Nonlinear Transformations Use in Medical Data Analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Shachar, Netta; Mitelpunkt, Alexis; Kozlovski, Tal; Galili, Tal; Frostig, Tzviel; Brill, Barak; Marcus-Kalish, Mira; Benjamini, Yoav

2018-05-11

The accumulation of data and its accessibility through easier-to-use platforms will allow data scientists and practitioners who are less sophisticated data analysts to get answers by using big data for many purposes in multiple ways. Data scientists working with medical data are aware of the importance of preprocessing, yet in many cases, the potential benefits of using nonlinear transformations is overlooked. Our aim is to present a semi-automated approach of symmetry-aiming transformations tailored for medical data analysis and its advantages. We describe 10 commonly encountered data types used in the medical field and the relevant transformations for each data type. Data from the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative study, Parkinson's disease hospital cohort, and disease-simulating data were used to demonstrate the approach and its benefits. Symmetry-targeted monotone transformations were applied, and the advantages gained in variance, stability, linearity, and clustering are demonstrated. An open source application implementing the described methods was developed. Both linearity of relationships and increase of stability of variability improved after applying proper nonlinear transformation. Clustering simulated nonsymmetric data gave low agreement to the generating clusters (Rand value=0.681), while capturing the original structure after applying nonlinear transformation to symmetry (Rand value=0.986). This work presents the use of nonlinear transformations for medical data and the importance of their semi-automated choice. Using the described approach, the data analyst increases the ability to create simpler, more robust and translational models, thereby facilitating the interpretation and implementation of the analysis by medical practitioners. Applying nonlinear transformations as part of the preprocessing is essential to the quality and interpretability of results. ©Netta Shachar, Alexis Mitelpunkt, Tal Kozlovski, Tal Galili, Tzviel Frostig, Barak

76 FR 39115 - Notice of Proposed Information Collection: Transformation Initiative Family Self-Sufficiency...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-07-05

... Information Collection: Transformation Initiative Family Self-Sufficiency Demonstration Small Grants AGENCY... information: Title of Proposal: Notice of Funding Availability for the Transformation Initiative Family Self..., think tanks, consortia, Institutions of higher education accredited by a national or regional...

Repositioning Skill Acquisition For The Transformation Of Nigerian Economy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dr. Peter Ashlame Agu

2015-08-01

Full Text Available Since the past two decades or so the question of functionality of Nigerian educational products has been an issue of concern and a subject of discussion among educational analysts. This is against the backdrop that many students who graduate with admirable certificates from the nations reputable institutions are often unable to apply the acquired knowledge and skills to work situations. Contemporary societies all over the world require that preparation for work must become an integral part of a persons total educational experience. One reason for this requirement is to equip their citizenry with employable skills to enable them produce and use the goods and services which any society needs for its socio-economic growth. This paper therefore examines the role of skill acquisition in the transformation of Nigerian economy and proffers suggestions on how it can be repositioned to transform Nigerian education.

Z-transform Zeros in Mixed Phase Deconvolution of Speech

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pedersen, Christian Fischer

2013-01-01

The present thesis addresses mixed phase deconvolution of speech by z-transform zeros. This includes investigations into stability, accuracy, and time complexity of a numerical bijection between time domain and the domain of z-transform zeros. Z-transform factorization is by no means esoteric......, but employing zeros of the z-transform (ZZT) as a signal representation, analysis, and processing domain per se, is only scarcely researched. A notable property of this domain is the translation of time domain convolution into union of sets; thus, the ZZT domain is appropriate for convolving and deconvolving...... discrimination achieves mixed phase deconvolution and equivalates complex cepstrum based deconvolution by causality, which has lower time and space complexities as demonstrated. However, deconvolution by ZZT prevents phase wrapping. Existence and persistence of ZZT domain immiscibility of the opening and closing...

A Nationwide Survey of Patient Centered Medical Home Demonstration Projects

Science.gov (United States)

Bitton, Asaf; Martin, Carina

2010-01-01

Background The patient centered medical home has received considerable attention as a potential way to improve primary care quality and limit cost growth. Little information exists that systematically compares PCMH pilot projects across the country. Design Cross-sectional key-informant interviews. Participants Leaders from existing PCMH demonstration projects with external payment reform. Measurements We used a semi-structured interview tool with the following domains: project history, organization and participants, practice requirements and selection process, medical home recognition, payment structure, practice transformation, and evaluation design. Results A total of 26 demonstrations in 18 states were interviewed. Current demonstrations include over 14,000 physicians caring for nearly 5 million patients. A majority of demonstrations are single payer, and most utilize a three component payment model (traditional fee for service, per person per month fixed payments, and bonus performance payments). The median incremental revenue per physician per year was $22,834 (range $720 to $91,146). Two major practice transformation models were identified—consultative and implementation of the chronic care model. A majority of demonstrations did not have well-developed evaluation plans. Conclusion Current PCMH demonstration projects with external payment reform include large numbers of patients and physicians as well as a wide spectrum of implementation models. Key questions exist around the adequacy of current payment mechanisms and evaluation plans as public and policy interest in the PCMH model grows. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s11606-010-1262-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users. PMID:20467907

Transformer ratio enhancement experiment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gai, W.; Power, J. G.; Kanareykin, A.; Neasheva, E.; Altmark, A.

2004-01-01

Recently, a multibunch scheme for efficient acceleration based on dielectric wakefield accelerator technology was outlined in J.G. Power, W. Gai, A. Kanareykin, X. Sun. PAC 2001 Proceedings, pp. 114-116, 2002. In this paper we present an experimental program for the design, development and demonstration of an Enhanced Transformer Ratio Dielectric Wakefield Accelerator (ETR-DWA). The principal goal is to increase the transformer ratio R, the parameter that characterizes the energy transfer efficiency from the accelerating structure to the accelerated electron beam. We present here an experimental design of a 13.625 GHz dielectric loaded accelerating structure, a laser multisplitter producing a ramped bunch train, and simulations of the bunch train parameters required. Experimental results of the accelerating structure bench testing and ramped pulsed train generation with the laser multisplitter are shown as well. Using beam dynamic simulations, we also obtain the focusing FODO lattice parameters

Answer first: Applying the heuristic-analytic theory of reasoning to examine student intuitive thinking in the context of physics

OpenAIRE

Mila Kryjevskaia; MacKenzie R. Stetzer; Nathaniel Grosz

2014-01-01

We have applied the heuristic-analytic theory of reasoning to interpret inconsistencies in student reasoning approaches to physics problems. This study was motivated by an emerging body of evidence that suggests that student conceptual and reasoning competence demonstrated on one task often fails to be exhibited on another. Indeed, even after instruction specifically designed to address student conceptual and reasoning difficulties identified by rigorous research, many undergraduate physics s...

Model-Based Reasoning

Science.gov (United States)

Ifenthaler, Dirk; Seel, Norbert M.

2013-01-01

In this paper, there will be a particular focus on mental models and their application to inductive reasoning within the realm of instruction. A basic assumption of this study is the observation that the construction of mental models and related reasoning is a slowly developing capability of cognitive systems that emerges effectively with proper…

Transforming to Lorentz gauge on de Sitter

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Miao, S. P.; Tsamis, N.C.; Woodard, R.P.

2009-01-01

We demonstrate that certain gauge fixing functionals cannot be added to the action on backgrounds such as de Sitter, in which a linearization instability is present. We also construct the field-dependent gauge transformation that carries the electromagnetic vector potential from a convenient, non-de

Time-dependent changes in mortality and transformation risk in MDS.

Science.gov (United States)

Pfeilstöcker, Michael; Tuechler, Heinz; Sanz, Guillermo; Schanz, Julie; Garcia-Manero, Guillermo; Solé, Francesc; Bennett, John M; Bowen, David; Fenaux, Pierre; Dreyfus, Francois; Kantarjian, Hagop; Kuendgen, Andrea; Malcovati, Luca; Cazzola, Mario; Cermak, Jaroslav; Fonatsch, Christa; Le Beau, Michelle M; Slovak, Marilyn L; Levis, Alessandro; Luebbert, Michael; Maciejewski, Jaroslaw; Machherndl-Spandl, Sigrid; Magalhaes, Silvia M M; Miyazaki, Yasushi; Sekeres, Mikkael A; Sperr, Wolfgang R; Stauder, Reinhard; Tauro, Sudhir; Valent, Peter; Vallespi, Teresa; van de Loosdrecht, Arjan A; Germing, Ulrich; Haase, Detlef; Greenberg, Peter L

2016-08-18

In myelodysplastic syndromes (MDSs), the evolution of risk for disease progression or death has not been systematically investigated despite being crucial for correct interpretation of prognostic risk scores. In a multicenter retrospective study, we described changes in risk over time, the consequences for basal prognostic scores, and their potential clinical implications. Major MDS prognostic risk scoring systems and their constituent individual predictors were analyzed in 7212 primary untreated MDS patients from the International Working Group for Prognosis in MDS database. Changes in risk of mortality and of leukemic transformation over time from diagnosis were described. Hazards regarding mortality and acute myeloid leukemia transformation diminished over time from diagnosis in higher-risk MDS patients, whereas they remained stable in lower-risk patients. After approximately 3.5 years, hazards in the separate risk groups became similar and were essentially equivalent after 5 years. This fact led to loss of prognostic power of different scoring systems considered, which was more pronounced for survival. Inclusion of age resulted in increased initial prognostic power for survival and less attenuation in hazards. If needed for practicability in clinical management, the differing development of risks suggested a reasonable division into lower- and higher-risk MDS based on the IPSS-R at a cutoff of 3.5 points. Our data regarding time-dependent performance of prognostic scores reflect the disparate change of risks in MDS subpopulations. Lower-risk patients at diagnosis remain lower risk whereas initially high-risk patients demonstrate decreasing risk over time. This change of risk should be considered in clinical decision making. © 2016 by The American Society of Hematology.

Demonstration of deterministic and high fidelity squeezing of quantum information

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Yoshikawa, J-I.; Hayashi, T-; Akiyama, T.

2007-01-01

, and an ancillary squeezed vacuum state, thus direct interaction between a strong pump and the quantum state is circumvented. We demonstrate three different squeezing levels for a coherent state input. This scheme is highly suitable for the fault-tolerant squeezing transformation in a continuous variable quantum...... computer....

From Fourier Transforms to Singular Eigenfunctions for Multigroup Transport

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ganapol, B.D.

2001-01-01

A new Fourier transform approach to the solution of the multigroup transport equation with anisotropic scattering and isotropic source is presented. Through routine analytical continuation, the inversion contour is shifted from the real line to produce contributions from the poles and cuts in the complex plane. The integrand along the branch cut is then recast in terms of matrix continuum singular eigenfunctions, demonstrating equivalence of Fourier transform inversion and the singular eigenfunction expansion. The significance of this paper is that it represents the initial step in revealing the intimate connection between the Fourier transform and singular eigenfunction approaches as well as serves as a basis for a numerical algorithm

A balance principle approach for modeling phase transformation kinetics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lusk, M.; Krauss, G.; Jou, H.J.

1995-01-01

A balance principle is offered to model volume fraction kinetics of phase transformation kinetics at a continuum level. This microbalance provides a differential equation for transformation kinetics which is coupled to the differential equations governing the mechanical and thermal aspects of the process. Application here is restricted to diffusive transformations for the sake of clarity, although the principle is discussed for martensitic phase transitions as well. Avrami-type kinetics are shown to result from a special class of energy functions. An illustrative example using a 0.5% C Chromium steel demonstrates how TTT and CCT curves can be generated using a particularly simple effective energy function. (orig.)

How People Reason: A Grounded Theory Study of Scientific Reasoning about Global Climate Change

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Shiyu

Scientific reasoning is crucial in both scientific inquiry and everyday life. While the majority of researchers have studied "how people reason" by focusing on their cognitive processes, factors related to the underpinnings of scientific reasoning are still under-researched. The present study aimed to develop a grounded theory that captures not only the cognitive processes during reasoning but also their underpinnings. In particular, the grounded theory and phenomenographic methodologies were integrated to explore how undergraduate students reason about competing theories and evidence on global climate change. Twenty-six undergraduate students were recruited through theoretical sampling. Constant comparative analysis of responses from interviews and written assessments revealed that participants were mostly drawn to the surface features when reasoning about evidence. While prior knowledge might not directly contribute to participants' performance on evidence evaluation, it affected their level of engagement when reading and evaluating competing arguments on climate issues. More importantly, even though all participants acknowledged the relative correctness of multiple perspectives, they predominantly favored arguments that supported their own beliefs with weak scientific reasoning about the opposing arguments. Additionally, factors such as personal interests, religious beliefs, and reading capacity were also found to have bearings on the way participants evaluated evidence and arguments. In all, this work contributes to the current endeavors in exploring the nature of scientific reasoning. Taking a holistic perspective, it provides an in-depth discussion of factors that may affect or relate to scientific reasoning processes. Furthermore, in comparison with traditional methods used in the literature, the methodological approach employed in this work brought an innovative insight into the investigation of scientific reasoning. Last but not least, this research may

Nuclear research center transformation experience

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Diaz, J. L.; Jimenez, J. M.

2001-01-01

As consequence of the changes in the energy polities of each countries in the 80th. many of the Nuclear Research Centres suffered a transformation (more of less deep) in other Research and Development Centres with a wider spectrum that the exclusively nuclear one. This year is the 50 anniversary of the Spanish Centre of Nuclear Research-Junta de Energia Nuclear.The JEN the same as other suffered a deep renovation to become the CIEMAT Centro de Investigaciones Energeticas Medioambientales y Tecnologicas (Research Centre for Energy, Environment and Technology). This paper is focussed on the evolution of JEN to CIEMAT besides analysing the reach of this re-foundation considering the political reasons and technical aspect that justified it and the laws in those it is based on. (Author)

Demonstration Platform for near-zero energy buildings - small houses; Demonstrationsplattform foer naeranollenergibyggnader - smaahus

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ruud, Svein; Fahlen, Per; Axell, Monica; Kovacs, Peter; Ylmen, Peter; Staahl, Fredrik

2011-07-01

On behalf of the Swedish Energy Agency, SP has investigated and recommended how one could form a platform for demonstration of single family houses as nearly zero energy houses. SP suggests that TMF, the national trade and employers' association of the wood processing and furniture industry in Sweden, should administrate this platform. The reason being that members of TMF produce almost 80% of all single family houses in Sweden. TMF also has the capacity to launch a demonstration platform in a reasonable short time. SP has also compiled a set on technical criteria regarding properties related to energy use that should be met by demonstration projects within the platform. One presumption has been that a house that meets the criteria in the south of Sweden also should meet the criteria in the north of Sweden. The reason being to promote an industrialized and cost effective building process. Another ambition has been not to disfavor smaller single family houses. The main criteria are on very energy efficient building envelopes and very efficient building services systems. The criteria are therefore more detailed than the current Swedish building regulations

A phylogenetic transform enhances analysis of compositional microbiota data.

Science.gov (United States)

Silverman, Justin D; Washburne, Alex D; Mukherjee, Sayan; David, Lawrence A

2017-02-15

Surveys of microbial communities (microbiota), typically measured as relative abundance of species, have illustrated the importance of these communities in human health and disease. Yet, statistical artifacts commonly plague the analysis of relative abundance data. Here, we introduce the PhILR transform, which incorporates microbial evolutionary models with the isometric log-ratio transform to allow off-the-shelf statistical tools to be safely applied to microbiota surveys. We demonstrate that analyses of community-level structure can be applied to PhILR transformed data with performance on benchmarks rivaling or surpassing standard tools. Additionally, by decomposing distance in the PhILR transformed space, we identified neighboring clades that may have adapted to distinct human body sites. Decomposing variance revealed that covariation of bacterial clades within human body sites increases with phylogenetic relatedness. Together, these findings illustrate how the PhILR transform combines statistical and phylogenetic models to overcome compositional data challenges and enable evolutionary insights relevant to microbial communities.

Neural Correlates of Post-Conventional Moral Reasoning: A Voxel-Based Morphometry Study

Science.gov (United States)

Prehn, Kristin; Korczykowski, Marc; Rao, Hengyi; Fang, Zhuo; Detre, John A.; Robertson, Diana C.

2015-01-01

Going back to Kohlberg, moral development research affirms that people progress through different stages of moral reasoning as cognitive abilities mature. Individuals at a lower level of moral reasoning judge moral issues mainly based on self-interest (personal interests schema) or based on adherence to laws and rules (maintaining norms schema), whereas individuals at the post-conventional level judge moral issues based on deeper principles and shared ideals. However, the extent to which moral development is reflected in structural brain architecture remains unknown. To investigate this question, we used voxel-based morphometry and examined the brain structure in a sample of 67 Master of Business Administration (MBA) students. Subjects completed the Defining Issues Test (DIT-2) which measures moral development in terms of cognitive schema preference. Results demonstrate that subjects at the post-conventional level of moral reasoning were characterized by increased gray matter volume in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex and subgenual anterior cingulate cortex, compared with subjects at a lower level of moral reasoning. Our findings support an important role for both cognitive and emotional processes in moral reasoning and provide first evidence for individual differences in brain structure according to the stages of moral reasoning first proposed by Kohlberg decades ago. PMID:26039547

Neural correlates of post-conventional moral reasoning: a voxel-based morphometry study.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kristin Prehn

Full Text Available Going back to Kohlberg, moral development research affirms that people progress through different stages of moral reasoning as cognitive abilities mature. Individuals at a lower level of moral reasoning judge moral issues mainly based on self-interest (personal interests schema or based on adherence to laws and rules (maintaining norms schema, whereas individuals at the post-conventional level judge moral issues based on deeper principles and shared ideals. However, the extent to which moral development is reflected in structural brain architecture remains unknown. To investigate this question, we used voxel-based morphometry and examined the brain structure in a sample of 67 Master of Business Administration (MBA students. Subjects completed the Defining Issues Test (DIT-2 which measures moral development in terms of cognitive schema preference. Results demonstrate that subjects at the post-conventional level of moral reasoning were characterized by increased gray matter volume in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex and subgenual anterior cingulate cortex, compared with subjects at a lower level of moral reasoning. Our findings support an important role for both cognitive and emotional processes in moral reasoning and provide first evidence for individual differences in brain structure according to the stages of moral reasoning first proposed by Kohlberg decades ago.

Neural correlates of post-conventional moral reasoning: a voxel-based morphometry study.

Science.gov (United States)

Prehn, Kristin; Korczykowski, Marc; Rao, Hengyi; Fang, Zhuo; Detre, John A; Robertson, Diana C

2015-01-01

Going back to Kohlberg, moral development research affirms that people progress through different stages of moral reasoning as cognitive abilities mature. Individuals at a lower level of moral reasoning judge moral issues mainly based on self-interest (personal interests schema) or based on adherence to laws and rules (maintaining norms schema), whereas individuals at the post-conventional level judge moral issues based on deeper principles and shared ideals. However, the extent to which moral development is reflected in structural brain architecture remains unknown. To investigate this question, we used voxel-based morphometry and examined the brain structure in a sample of 67 Master of Business Administration (MBA) students. Subjects completed the Defining Issues Test (DIT-2) which measures moral development in terms of cognitive schema preference. Results demonstrate that subjects at the post-conventional level of moral reasoning were characterized by increased gray matter volume in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex and subgenual anterior cingulate cortex, compared with subjects at a lower level of moral reasoning. Our findings support an important role for both cognitive and emotional processes in moral reasoning and provide first evidence for individual differences in brain structure according to the stages of moral reasoning first proposed by Kohlberg decades ago.

Optimal control landscape for the generation of unitary transformations with constrained dynamics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hsieh, Michael; Wu, Rebing; Rabitz, Herschel; Lidar, Daniel

2010-01-01

The reliable and precise generation of quantum unitary transformations is essential for the realization of a number of fundamental objectives, such as quantum control and quantum information processing. Prior work has explored the optimal control problem of generating such unitary transformations as a surface-optimization problem over the quantum control landscape, defined as a metric for realizing a desired unitary transformation as a function of the control variables. It was found that under the assumption of nondissipative and controllable dynamics, the landscape topology is trap free, which implies that any reasonable optimization heuristic should be able to identify globally optimal solutions. The present work is a control landscape analysis, which incorporates specific constraints in the Hamiltonian that correspond to certain dynamical symmetries in the underlying physical system. It is found that the presence of such symmetries does not destroy the trap-free topology. These findings expand the class of quantum dynamical systems on which control problems are intrinsically amenable to a solution by optimal control.

Transformation of carbon tetrachloride and chloroform by trichloroethene respiring anaerobic mixed cultures and supernatant.

Science.gov (United States)

Vickstrom, Kyle E; Azizian, Mohammad F; Semprini, Lewis

2017-09-01

Carbon tetrachloride (CT) and chloroform (CF) were transformed in batch reactor experiments conducted with anaerobic dechlorinating cultures and supernatant (ADC + S) harvested from continuous flow reactors. The Evanite (EV) and Victoria/Stanford (VS) cultures, capable of respiring trichloroethene (TCE), 1,2-cis-dichloroethene (cDCE), and vinyl chloride (VC) to ethene (ETH), were grown in continuous flow reactors receiving an influent feed of saturated TCE (10 mM; 60 mEq) and formate (45 mM; 90 mEq) but no CT or CF. Cells and supernatant were harvested from the chemostats and inoculated into batch reactors at the onset of each experiment. CT transformation was complete following first order kinetics with CF, DCM and CS 2 as the measurable transformation products, representing 20-40% of the original mass of CT, with CO 2 likely the unknown transformation product. CF was transformed to DCM and likely CO 2 at an order of magnitude rate lower than CT, while DCM was not further transformed. An analytical first order model including multiple key reactions effectively simulated CT transformation, product formation and transformation, and provided reasonable estimates of transformation rate coefficients. Biotic and abiotic treatments indicated that CT was mainly transformed via abiotic processes. However, the presence of live cells was associated with the transformation of CF to DCM. In biotic tests both TCE and CT were simultaneously transformed, with TCE transformed to ETH and approximately 15-53% less CF formed via CT transformation. A 14-day exposure to CF (CF max  = 1.4 μM) reduced all rates of chlorinated ethene respiration by a factor of 10 or greater. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Coupling between scattering channels with SUSY transformations for equal thresholds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pupasov, Andrey M; Samsonov, Boris F; Sparenberg, Jean-Marc; Baye, Daniel

2009-01-01

Supersymmetric (SUSY) transformations of the multichannel Schroedinger equation with equal thresholds and arbitrary partial waves in all channels are studied. The structures of the transformation function and the superpotential are analysed. Relations between Jost and scattering matrices of superpartner potentials are obtained. In particular, we show that a special type of SUSY transformation allows us to introduce a coupling between scattering channels starting from a potential with an uncoupled scattering matrix. The possibility for this coupling to be trivial is discussed. We show that the transformation introduces bound and virtual states with a definite degeneracy at the factorization energy. A detailed study of the potential and scattering matrices is given for the 2 x 2 case. The possibility of inverting coupled-channel scattering data by such a SUSY transformation is demonstrated by several examples (s-s, s-p and s-d partial waves)

Experimental heat treatment of silcrete implies analogical reasoning in the Middle Stone Age.

Science.gov (United States)

Wadley, Lyn; Prinsloo, Linda C

2014-05-01

Siliceous rocks that were not heated to high temperatures during their geological formation display improved knapping qualities when they are subjected to controlled heating. Experimental heat treatment of South African silcrete, using open fires of the kind used during the Middle Stone Age, shows that the process needed careful management, notwithstanding recent arguments to the contrary. Silcrete blocks fractured when heated on the surface of open fires or on coal beds, but were heated without mishap when buried in sand below a fire. Three silcrete samples, a control, a block heated underground with maximum temperature between 400 and 500 °C and a block heated in an open fire with maximum temperature between 700 and 800 °C, were analysed with X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), X-ray fluorescence (XRF), optical microscopy, and both Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and Raman spectroscopy. The results show that the volume expansion during the thermally induced α- to β-quartz phase transformation and the volume contraction during cooling play a major role in the heat treatment of silcrete. Rapid heating or cooling through the phase transformation at 573 °C will cause fracture of the silcrete. Successful heat treatment requires controlling surface fire temperatures in order to obtain the appropriate underground temperatures to stay below the quartz inversion temperature. Heat treatment of rocks is a transformative technology that requires skilled use of fire. This process involves analogical reasoning, which is an attribute of complex cognition. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Transformation optics beyond the manipulation of light trajectories.

Science.gov (United States)

Ginis, Vincent; Tassin, Philippe

2015-08-28

Since its inception in 2006, transformation optics has become an established tool to understand and design electromagnetic systems. It provides a geometrical perspective into the properties of light waves without the need for a ray approximation. Most studies have focused on modifying the trajectories of light rays, e.g. beam benders, lenses, invisibility cloaks, etc. In this contribution, we explore transformation optics beyond the manipulation of light trajectories. With a few well-chosen examples, we demonstrate that transformation optics can be used to manipulate electromagnetic fields up to an unprecedented level. In the first example, we introduce an electromagnetic cavity that allows for deep subwavelength confinement of light. The cavity is designed with transformation optics even though the concept of trajectory ceases to have any meaning in a structure as small as this cavity. In the second example, we show that the properties of Cherenkov light emitted in a transformation-optical material can be understood and modified from simple geometric considerations. Finally, we show that optical forces--a quadratic function of the fields--follow the rules of transformation optics too. By applying a folded coordinate transformation to a pair of waveguides, optical forces can be enhanced just as if the waveguides were closer together. With these examples, we open up an entirely new spectrum of devices that can be conceived using transformation optics. © 2015 The Author(s) Published by the Royal Society. All rights reserved.

Charge sniffer for electrostatics demonstrations

Science.gov (United States)

Dinca, Mihai P.

2011-02-01

An electronic electroscope with a special design for demonstrations and experiments on static electricity is described. It operates as an electric charge sniffer by detecting slightly charged objects when they are brought to the front of its sensing electrode. The sniffer has the advantage of combining high directional sensitivity with a logarithmic bar display. It allows for the identification of electric charge polarity during charge separation by friction, peeling, electrostatic induction, batteries, or secondary coils of power transformers. Other experiments in electrostatics, such as observing the electric field of an oscillating dipole and the distance dependence of the electric field generated by simple charge configurations, are also described.

Are there reasons to challenge a symbolic computationalist approach in explaining deductive reasoning?

Science.gov (United States)

Faiciuc, Lucia E

2008-06-01

The majority of the existing theories explaining deductive reasoning could be included in a classic computationalist approach of the cognitive processes. In fact, deductive reasoning could be seen to be the pinnacle of the symbolic computationalism, its last fortress to be defended in the face of new, dynamic, and ecological perspectives over cognition. But are there weak points in that position regarding deductive reasoning? What would be the reasons for which new perspectives could gain in credibility? What could be their most important tenets? The answers given to those questions in the paper include two main points. The first one is that the present empirical data could not sustain unambiguously one view over the other, that they are obtained in artificial experimental conditions, and that there are data that are not easily explainable using the traditional computationalist paradigm. The second one is that approaching the deductive reasoning from dynamic and ecological perspectives could have significant advantages. The most obvious one is the possibility to integrate more easily the research regarding the deductive reasoning with the results obtained in other domains of the psychology (especially in what respects the lower cognitive processes), in artificial intelligence or in neurophysiology. The reasons for that would be that such perspectives, as they are sketched in the paper, would imply, essentially, processes of second-order pattern formation and recognition (as it is the case for perception), embodied cognition, and dynamic processes as the brain ones are.

The Christological Ontology of Reason

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nissen, Ulrik Becker

2006-01-01

Taking the startingpoint in an assertion of an ambiguity in the Lutheran tradition’s assessment of reason, the essay argues that the Kantian unreserved confidence in reason is criticised in Bonhoeffer. Based upon a Christological understanding of reason, Bonhoeffer endorses a view of reason which...... is specifically Christian and yet maintains a universality. With a focus on Bonhoeffer’s »Ethik« as the hermeneutical key to his theology, Bonhoeffer’s notion is also discussed in the light of contemporary Christian ethics. In this part it is particularly the role of reason within a public dis-course which...

OTDM-WDM Conversion Based on Time-Domain Optical Fourier Transformation with Spectral Compression

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mulvad, Hans Christian Hansen; Palushani, Evarist; Galili, Michael

2011-01-01

We propose a scheme enabling direct serial-to-parallel conversion of OTDM data tributaries onto a WDM grid, based on optical Fourier transformation with spectral compression. Demonstrations on 320 Gbit/s and 640 Gbit/s OTDM data are shown.......We propose a scheme enabling direct serial-to-parallel conversion of OTDM data tributaries onto a WDM grid, based on optical Fourier transformation with spectral compression. Demonstrations on 320 Gbit/s and 640 Gbit/s OTDM data are shown....

Tracing Young Children's Scientific Reasoning

Science.gov (United States)

Tytler, Russell; Peterson, Suzanne

2003-08-01

This paper explores the scientific reasoning of 14 children across their first two years of primary school. Children's view of experimentation, their approach to exploration, and their negotiation of competing knowledge claims, are interpreted in terms of categories of epistemological reasoning. Children's epistemological reasoning is distinguished from their ability to control variables. While individual children differ substantially, they show a relatively steady growth in their reasoning, with some contextual variation. A number of these children are reasoning at a level well in advance of curriculum expectations, and it is argued that current recommended practice in primary science needs to be rethought. The data is used to explore the relationship between reasoning and knowledge, and to argue that the generation and exploration of ideas must be the key driver of scientific activity in the primary school.

Minimally inconsistent reasoning in Semantic Web.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Xiaowang

2017-01-01

Reasoning with inconsistencies is an important issue for Semantic Web as imperfect information is unavoidable in real applications. For this, different paraconsistent approaches, due to their capacity to draw as nontrivial conclusions by tolerating inconsistencies, have been proposed to reason with inconsistent description logic knowledge bases. However, existing paraconsistent approaches are often criticized for being too skeptical. To this end, this paper presents a non-monotonic paraconsistent version of description logic reasoning, called minimally inconsistent reasoning, where inconsistencies tolerated in the reasoning are minimized so that more reasonable conclusions can be inferred. Some desirable properties are studied, which shows that the new semantics inherits advantages of both non-monotonic reasoning and paraconsistent reasoning. A complete and sound tableau-based algorithm, called multi-valued tableaux, is developed to capture the minimally inconsistent reasoning. In fact, the tableaux algorithm is designed, as a framework for multi-valued DL, to allow for different underlying paraconsistent semantics, with the mere difference in the clash conditions. Finally, the complexity of minimally inconsistent description logic reasoning is shown on the same level as the (classical) description logic reasoning.

Can Forest Transformation Help Reducing Floods in Forested Watersheds?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wahl, Niels Arne; Wöllecke, B.; Benz, O.

2005-01-01

of the management practice of forest transformation in forested areas on soil hydraulic properties is presented and discussed as a means of preventing such disasters at a reasonable cost and during a foreseeable period. Investigations were carried out in northeastern Germany on forest stands differing in tree...... populations and stand structure. It was found that infiltration capacity and hydraulic conductivity K exhibit overall low values nevertheless the tree species. This finding appears to be related to water repellency, the predominating texture, and a poor macroporosity. During the different stages of forest...

Turkish Preservice Science Teachers' Informal Reasoning Regarding Socioscientific Issues and the Factors Influencing Their Informal Reasoning

Science.gov (United States)

Topçu, Mustafa Sami; Yılmaz-Tüzün, Özgül; Sadler, Troy D.

2011-06-01

The purpose of the study is to explore Turkish preservice science teachers' informal reasoning regarding socioscientific issues and the factors influencing their informal reasoning. The researchers engaged 39 preservice science teachers in informal reasoning interview and moral decision-making interview protocols. Of the seven socioscientific issues, three issues were related to gene therapy, another three were related to human cloning, and one was related to global warming. The data were analyzed using an interpretive qualitative research approach. The characteristic of informal reasoning was determined as multidimensional, and the patterns of informal reasoning emerged as rationalistic, emotive, and intuitive reasoning. The factors influencing informal reasoning were: personal experiences, social considerations, moral-ethical considerations, and technological concerns.

Leading the health service into the future: transforming the NHS through transforming ourselves

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mansoor Akhtar

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Background: Leadership development impacts on quality of care and on workplace cultures for staff. Clinical leadership embracing transformational and other collective leadership approaches is a key enabler for developing effective workplace cultures at the micro-systems level. Following the development of a shared purpose and values framework, an internal interprofessional clinical leadership programme was set up to grow a critical community of transformational leaders across one NHS organisation in England. This programme had been unsuccessful in engaging medical doctors for more than two years. Aims and objectives: This paper shares how a dedicated, practice development-based clinical leadership programme set out to support medical doctors across one organisation with their leadership journey, equipping them to become transformational and collective leaders, and facilitators with the skills to develop and sustain person-centred, safe and effective workplace cultures. Methods: Practice development methodology, with its collaborative, inclusive and participative approach to developing person-centred cultures, combined with clinical leadership strategies, formed the basis of the programme. It emphasised the use of active and action learning, drawing on the workplace as the main resource for learning, development and improvement. Self-assessment and collective thinking about clinical leadership, together with collaborative analysis of evaluation data, led to the synthesis of insights through the use of reflection and action planning. Findings: These are presented at two levels: Five individual reflections by authors to illustrate their leadership journeys, which also demonstrate the use of a range of tools and their impact. Insights and learning include recognition of the benefits of peer support and networking, development of a disciplined approach to learning, and self-management A collaborative reflection and critique that embraced a sense of

EDITORIAL: Focus on Cloaking and Transformation Optics

Science.gov (United States)

Leonhardt, Ulf; Smith, David R.

2008-11-01

'Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic', as the late Arthur C Clarke wrote. So what does it take to do magic by technology? Transformation optics has developed some tantalizing ideas and the first practical demonstrations of 'pure and applied magic'. Transformation optics gathers an unusual mix of scientists, ranging from practically-minded engineers to imaginative theoretical physicists and mathematicians or hybrids of all three. The engineers have been developing new materials with extraordinary electromagnetic properties, from materials for microwaves, to be used in radar or wireless technology, to materials for terahertz radiation and visible light. These materials typically are composites—they consist of artificial structures much smaller than the wavelength that act like man-made atoms, apart being much larger in size. The properties of these artificial atoms depend on their shapes and sizes and so they are tunable, in contrast to most real atoms or molecules. This degree of control is what makes these materials—called metamaterials—so interesting. Such new-won freedom invites the other side of the spectrum of scientists, the theorists, to dream. Just imagine there are no practical limits on electromagnetic materials—what could we do with them? One exciting application of metamaterials has been Veselago's idea of negative refraction, dating back to the 1960s. Metamaterials have breathed life into Veselago's idea, culminating in recent optical demonstrations (see for example [1,2]). Another application is cloaking, developing ideas and first experimental demonstrations for invisibility devices [3]. It turns out that both negative refraction and cloaking are examples where materials seem to transform the geometry of space. Any optical material appears to change light's perception of space, as countless optical illusions prove, but the materials of transformation optics act in more specific ways: they appear to perform

Online Feature Transformation Learning for Cross-Domain Object Category Recognition.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Xuesong; Zhuang, Yan; Wang, Wei; Pedrycz, Witold

2017-06-09

In this paper, we introduce a new research problem termed online feature transformation learning in the context of multiclass object category recognition. The learning of a feature transformation is viewed as learning a global similarity metric function in an online manner. We first consider the problem of online learning a feature transformation matrix expressed in the original feature space and propose an online passive aggressive feature transformation algorithm. Then these original features are mapped to kernel space and an online single kernel feature transformation (OSKFT) algorithm is developed to learn a nonlinear feature transformation. Based on the OSKFT and the existing Hedge algorithm, a novel online multiple kernel feature transformation algorithm is also proposed, which can further improve the performance of online feature transformation learning in large-scale application. The classifier is trained with k nearest neighbor algorithm together with the learned similarity metric function. Finally, we experimentally examined the effect of setting different parameter values in the proposed algorithms and evaluate the model performance on several multiclass object recognition data sets. The experimental results demonstrate the validity and good performance of our methods on cross-domain and multiclass object recognition application.

Prototypes reflect normative perceptions: implications for the development of reasoned action theory.

Science.gov (United States)

Hennessy, Michael; Bleakley, Amy; Ellithorpe, Morgan

2018-03-01

The reasoned action approach is one of the most successful behavioral theories in the history of social psychology. This study outlines the theoretical principles of reasoned action and considers when it is appropriate to augment it with a new variable. To demonstrate, we use survey data collected from a 4 to 17 year old U.S. adolescents to test how the 'prototype' variables fit into reasoned action approach. Through confirmatory factor analysis, we find that the prototype measures are normative pressure measures and when treated as a separate theoretical construct, prototype identity is not completely mediated by the proximal predictors of behavioral intention. We discuss the assumptions of the two theories and finally consider the distinction between augmenting a specific theory versus combining measures derived from different theoretical perspectives.

Structure in the 3D Galaxy Distribution. III. Fourier Transforming the Universe: Phase and Power Spectra

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Scargle, Jeffrey D.; Way, M. J.; Gazis, P. R., E-mail: Jeffrey.D.Scargle@nasa.gov, E-mail: Michael.J.Way@nasa.gov, E-mail: PGazis@sbcglobal.net [NASA Ames Research Center, Astrobiology and Space Science Division, Moffett Field, CA 94035 (United States)

2017-04-10

We demonstrate the effectiveness of a relatively straightforward analysis of the complex 3D Fourier transform of galaxy coordinates derived from redshift surveys. Numerical demonstrations of this approach are carried out on a volume-limited sample of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey redshift survey. The direct unbinned transform yields a complex 3D data cube quite similar to that from the Fast Fourier Transform of finely binned galaxy positions. In both cases, deconvolution of the sampling window function yields estimates of the true transform. Simple power spectrum estimates from these transforms are roughly consistent with those using more elaborate methods. The complex Fourier transform characterizes spatial distributional properties beyond the power spectrum in a manner different from (and we argue is more easily interpreted than) the conventional multipoint hierarchy. We identify some threads of modern large-scale inference methodology that will presumably yield detections in new wider and deeper surveys.

Structure in the 3D Galaxy Distribution. III. Fourier Transforming the Universe: Phase and Power Spectra

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Scargle, Jeffrey D.; Way, M. J.; Gazis, P. R.

2017-01-01

We demonstrate the effectiveness of a relatively straightforward analysis of the complex 3D Fourier transform of galaxy coordinates derived from redshift surveys. Numerical demonstrations of this approach are carried out on a volume-limited sample of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey redshift survey. The direct unbinned transform yields a complex 3D data cube quite similar to that from the Fast Fourier Transform of finely binned galaxy positions. In both cases, deconvolution of the sampling window function yields estimates of the true transform. Simple power spectrum estimates from these transforms are roughly consistent with those using more elaborate methods. The complex Fourier transform characterizes spatial distributional properties beyond the power spectrum in a manner different from (and we argue is more easily interpreted than) the conventional multipoint hierarchy. We identify some threads of modern large-scale inference methodology that will presumably yield detections in new wider and deeper surveys.

Classification of displacive transformations: what is a martensitic transformation?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Christian, J.W.; Olson, G.B.; Cohen, M.

1995-01-01

The displacive transformation classification proposed at ICOMAT 79 is reviewed in light of recent progress in mechanistic understanding. Issues considered include distinctions between shuffle transformation vs. self-accommodating shear, dilatation vs. shear-dominant transformation, and nucleated vs. continuous transformation. (orig.)

The role of embodied simulation in mental transformation of whole-body images: evidence from Parkinson's disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Conson, Massimiliano; Trojano, Luigi; Vitale, Carmine; Mazzarella, Elisabetta; Allocca, Roberto; Barone, Paolo; Grossi, Dario; Santangelo, Gabriella

2014-02-01

It has been repeatedly demonstrated that mentally performing an action and mentally transforming body-parts entail simulation of one's own body movements, consistent with predictions of embodied cognition theories. However, the involvement of embodied simulation in mental transformation of whole-body images is still disputed. Here, we assessed own body transformation in Parkinson's disease (PD) patients with symptoms most affecting the left or the right body side. PD patients were required to perform left-right judgments on front-facing or back-facing human figures, and a letter rotation task. Results demonstrated that PD patients were selectively impaired in judging the side of back-facing human figures corresponding to their own most affected side, but performed as well as healthy subjects on mental transformation of front-facing bodies and on letter rotation. These findings demonstrate a parallel impairment between motor and mental simulation mechanisms in PD patients, thus highlighting the specific contribution of embodied cognition to mental transformation of whole-body images. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Experienced speech-language pathologists' responses to ethical dilemmas: an integrated approach to ethical reasoning.

Science.gov (United States)

Kenny, Belinda; Lincoln, Michelle; Balandin, Susan

2010-05-01

To investigate the approaches of experienced speech-language pathologists (SLPs) to ethical reasoning and the processes they use to resolve ethical dilemmas. Ten experienced SLPs participated in in-depth interviews. A narrative approach was used to guide participants' descriptions of how they resolved ethical dilemmas. Individual narrative transcriptions were analyzed by using the participant's words to develop an ethical story that described and interpreted their responses to dilemmas. Key concepts from individual stories were then coded into group themes to reflect participants' reasoning processes. Five major themes reflected participants' approaches to ethical reasoning: (a) focusing on the well-being of the client, (b) fulfilling professional roles and responsibilities, (c) attending to professional relationships, (d) managing resources, and (e) integrating personal and professional values. SLPs demonstrated a range of ethical reasoning processes: applying bioethical principles, casuistry, and narrative reasoning when managing ethical dilemmas in the workplace. The results indicate that experienced SLPs adopted an integrated approach to ethical reasoning. They supported clients' rights to make health care choices. Bioethical principles, casuistry, and narrative reasoning provided useful frameworks for facilitating health professionals' application of codes of ethics to complex professional practice issues.

Minimally inconsistent reasoning in Semantic Web.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xiaowang Zhang

Full Text Available Reasoning with inconsistencies is an important issue for Semantic Web as imperfect information is unavoidable in real applications. For this, different paraconsistent approaches, due to their capacity to draw as nontrivial conclusions by tolerating inconsistencies, have been proposed to reason with inconsistent description logic knowledge bases. However, existing paraconsistent approaches are often criticized for being too skeptical. To this end, this paper presents a non-monotonic paraconsistent version of description logic reasoning, called minimally inconsistent reasoning, where inconsistencies tolerated in the reasoning are minimized so that more reasonable conclusions can be inferred. Some desirable properties are studied, which shows that the new semantics inherits advantages of both non-monotonic reasoning and paraconsistent reasoning. A complete and sound tableau-based algorithm, called multi-valued tableaux, is developed to capture the minimally inconsistent reasoning. In fact, the tableaux algorithm is designed, as a framework for multi-valued DL, to allow for different underlying paraconsistent semantics, with the mere difference in the clash conditions. Finally, the complexity of minimally inconsistent description logic reasoning is shown on the same level as the (classical description logic reasoning.

Transformation of standardized clinical models based on OWL technologies: from CEM to OpenEHR archetypes.

Science.gov (United States)

Legaz-García, María del Carmen; Menárguez-Tortosa, Marcos; Fernández-Breis, Jesualdo Tomás; Chute, Christopher G; Tao, Cui

2015-05-01

The semantic interoperability of electronic healthcare records (EHRs) systems is a major challenge in the medical informatics area. International initiatives pursue the use of semantically interoperable clinical models, and ontologies have frequently been used in semantic interoperability efforts. The objective of this paper is to propose a generic, ontology-based, flexible approach for supporting the automatic transformation of clinical models, which is illustrated for the transformation of Clinical Element Models (CEMs) into openEHR archetypes. Our transformation method exploits the fact that the information models of the most relevant EHR specifications are available in the Web Ontology Language (OWL). The transformation approach is based on defining mappings between those ontological structures. We propose a way in which CEM entities can be transformed into openEHR by using transformation templates and OWL as common representation formalism. The transformation architecture exploits the reasoning and inferencing capabilities of OWL technologies. We have devised a generic, flexible approach for the transformation of clinical models, implemented for the unidirectional transformation from CEM to openEHR, a series of reusable transformation templates, a proof-of-concept implementation, and a set of openEHR archetypes that validate the methodological approach. We have been able to transform CEM into archetypes in an automatic, flexible, reusable transformation approach that could be extended to other clinical model specifications. We exploit the potential of OWL technologies for supporting the transformation process. We believe that our approach could be useful for international efforts in the area of semantic interoperability of EHR systems. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the American Medical Informatics Association. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

H2RM: A Hybrid Rough Set Reasoning Model for Prediction and Management of Diabetes Mellitus

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rahman Ali

2015-07-01

Full Text Available Diabetes is a chronic disease characterized by high blood glucose level that results either from a deficiency of insulin produced by the body, or the body’s resistance to the effects of insulin. Accurate and precise reasoning and prediction models greatly help physicians to improve diagnosis, prognosis and treatment procedures of different diseases. Though numerous models have been proposed to solve issues of diagnosis and management of diabetes, they have the following drawbacks: (1 restricted one type of diabetes; (2 lack understandability and explanatory power of the techniques and decision; (3 limited either to prediction purpose or management over the structured contents; and (4 lack competence for dimensionality and vagueness of patient’s data. To overcome these issues, this paper proposes a novel hybrid rough set reasoning model (H2RM that resolves problems of inaccurate prediction and management of type-1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM and type-2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM. For verification of the proposed model, experimental data from fifty patients, acquired from a local hospital in semi-structured format, is used. First, the data is transformed into structured format and then used for mining prediction rules. Rough set theory (RST based techniques and algorithms are used to mine the prediction rules. During the online execution phase of the model, these rules are used to predict T1DM and T2DM for new patients. Furthermore, the proposed model assists physicians to manage diabetes using knowledge extracted from online diabetes guidelines. Correlation-based trend analysis techniques are used to manage diabetic observations. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed model outperforms the existing methods with 95.9% average and balanced accuracies.

H2RM: A Hybrid Rough Set Reasoning Model for Prediction and Management of Diabetes Mellitus.

Science.gov (United States)

Ali, Rahman; Hussain, Jamil; Siddiqi, Muhammad Hameed; Hussain, Maqbool; Lee, Sungyoung

2015-07-03

Diabetes is a chronic disease characterized by high blood glucose level that results either from a deficiency of insulin produced by the body, or the body's resistance to the effects of insulin. Accurate and precise reasoning and prediction models greatly help physicians to improve diagnosis, prognosis and treatment procedures of different diseases. Though numerous models have been proposed to solve issues of diagnosis and management of diabetes, they have the following drawbacks: (1) restricted one type of diabetes; (2) lack understandability and explanatory power of the techniques and decision; (3) limited either to prediction purpose or management over the structured contents; and (4) lack competence for dimensionality and vagueness of patient's data. To overcome these issues, this paper proposes a novel hybrid rough set reasoning model (H2RM) that resolves problems of inaccurate prediction and management of type-1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) and type-2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). For verification of the proposed model, experimental data from fifty patients, acquired from a local hospital in semi-structured format, is used. First, the data is transformed into structured format and then used for mining prediction rules. Rough set theory (RST) based techniques and algorithms are used to mine the prediction rules. During the online execution phase of the model, these rules are used to predict T1DM and T2DM for new patients. Furthermore, the proposed model assists physicians to manage diabetes using knowledge extracted from online diabetes guidelines. Correlation-based trend analysis techniques are used to manage diabetic observations. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed model outperforms the existing methods with 95.9% average and balanced accuracies.

US effort on HTS power transformers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mehta, S., E-mail: shirish.pmehta@spx.com [Waukesha Electric Systems, 400 S. Praire Avenue, Waukesha, WI 53186 (United States)

2011-11-15

Fault Current Limiting HTS Transformer development program plan is presented. Benefits of FCL HTS Transformers for power delivery system. Independent program review process is described. Transformer specifications, site requirement described. Waukesha Electric Systems has been working in HTS power transformers development program under the auspices of US Government Department of Energy since 1994. This presentation will describe various milestones for this program and program history along with the lessons learned along the way. Our motivations for working on this development program based on man benefits offered by HTS power transformers to power delivery systems will be discussed. Based on various issues encountered during execution of many HTS projects, DOE has set up an independent program review process that is lead by team of experts. This team reviews are integral part of all DOE HTS projects. Success of all projects would be greatly enhanced by identifying critical issues early in the program. Requiring appropriate actions to mitigate the issues before processing further will lead to proactive interrogation and incorporation of expert's ideas in the project plans. Working of this review process will be also described in this presentation. Waukesha Electric Systems team including: Superpower-Inc, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, University of Houston Center for Superconductivity and Southern California Edison company was awarded a cost share grant by US Government in 2010 for development of a fault current limiting HTS power transformer. This multi year's program will require design, manufacture, installation, and monitoring of a 28 MVA tree phase transformer installed at Irvine CA. Smart Grid demonstration site. Transformer specifications along with requirements for fault current limiting and site requirement will be discussed. Design and development of various sub systems in support of this program including: HTS conductor performance specification

US effort on HTS power transformers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mehta, S.

2011-01-01

Fault Current Limiting HTS Transformer development program plan is presented. Benefits of FCL HTS Transformers for power delivery system. Independent program review process is described. Transformer specifications, site requirement described. Waukesha Electric Systems has been working in HTS power transformers development program under the auspices of US Government Department of Energy since 1994. This presentation will describe various milestones for this program and program history along with the lessons learned along the way. Our motivations for working on this development program based on man benefits offered by HTS power transformers to power delivery systems will be discussed. Based on various issues encountered during execution of many HTS projects, DOE has set up an independent program review process that is lead by team of experts. This team reviews are integral part of all DOE HTS projects. Success of all projects would be greatly enhanced by identifying critical issues early in the program. Requiring appropriate actions to mitigate the issues before processing further will lead to proactive interrogation and incorporation of expert's ideas in the project plans. Working of this review process will be also described in this presentation. Waukesha Electric Systems team including: Superpower-Inc, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, University of Houston Center for Superconductivity and Southern California Edison company was awarded a cost share grant by US Government in 2010 for development of a fault current limiting HTS power transformer. This multi year's program will require design, manufacture, installation, and monitoring of a 28 MVA tree phase transformer installed at Irvine CA. Smart Grid demonstration site. Transformer specifications along with requirements for fault current limiting and site requirement will be discussed. Design and development of various sub systems in support of this program including: HTS conductor performance specification

Level of evidence for reasonable assurance guides to prediction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schweitzer, D.G.; Sastre, C.

1987-04-01

Over the past years, the DOE Contractors have produced a great deal of work that has been extensively reviewed and criticized by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), the Materials Review Board (MRB) of the DOE, the Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards (ACRS), and the technical support group at Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL). Common aspects of the reviews and criticisms have provided information on the level of evidence required by the scientific community to defend performance claims. Important indicators of the type of evidence that the NRC will require for favorable decisions of reasonable assurance also can be obtained from 10 CFR 60 and its rationale, from NRC guides and Technical Position papers, from past reviews of the DOE programs by NRC Contractors, and from the use of reasonable assurance by the NRC in its 1984 Waste Confidence Decision. This report describes general concepts related to the acceptability and unacceptability of the level of evidence needed to defend claims with reasonable assurance. The concepts were formulated on the basis of analyses of the NRC position papers, and of common aspects of the reviews and criticisms dealing with compliance demonstration

A fourier transform quality measure for iris images

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Makinana, S

2014-08-01

Full Text Available to ensure that good quality images are selected for feature extraction, in order to improve iris recognition system. In addition, this research proposes a measure of iris image quality using a Fourier Transform. The experimental results demonstrate...

The investigation of a compact auto-connected wire-wrapped pulsed transformer.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Yuwei; Zhang, Jiande; Chen, Dongqun; Cao, Shengguang; Li, Da; Zhang, Tianyang

2012-05-01

For the power conditioning circuit used to deliver power efficiently from flux compression generator (FCG) to the load with high impedance, an air-cored and wire-wrapped transformer convenient in coaxial connection to the other parts is investigated. To reduce the size and enhance the performance, an auto-connection is adopted. A fast and simple model is used to calculate the electrical parameters of the transformer. To evaluate the high voltage capability, the voltages across turns and the electric field distribution in the transformer are investigated. The calculated and the measured electrical parameters of the transformer show good agreements. And the safe operating voltage is predicted to exceed 500 kV. In the preliminary experiments, the transformer is tested in a power conditioning circuit with a capacitive power supply. It is demonstrated that the output voltage of the transformer reaches -342 kV under the input voltage of -81 kV.

Developmental Differences in Relational Reasoning among Primary and Secondary School Students

Science.gov (United States)

Jablansky, Sophie; Alexander, Patricia A.; Dumas, Denis; Compton, Vicki

2016-01-01

Relational reasoning, the ability to discern meaningful patterns within a stream of information, is considered a critical capacity for students. However, little is known about how this ability is demonstrated by children of different ages in the context of discourse with a more knowledgeable other. Thus, this study sought to investigate the ways…

Adversarial reasoning: challenges and approaches

Science.gov (United States)

Kott, Alexander; Ownby, Michael

2005-05-01

This paper defines adversarial reasoning as computational approaches to inferring and anticipating an enemy's perceptions, intents and actions. It argues that adversarial reasoning transcends the boundaries of game theory and must also leverage such disciplines as cognitive modeling, control theory, AI planning and others. To illustrate the challenges of applying adversarial reasoning to real-world problems, the paper explores the lessons learned in the CADET -- a battle planning system that focuses on brigade-level ground operations and involves adversarial reasoning. From this example of current capabilities, the paper proceeds to describe RAID -- a DARPA program that aims to build capabilities in adversarial reasoning, and how such capabilities would address practical requirements in Defense and other application areas.

Scientific reasoning during adolescence: The influence of instruction in science knowledge and reasoning strategies

Science.gov (United States)

Linn, M. C.; Clement, C.; Pulos, S.; Sullivan, P.

The mechanism linking instruction in scientific topics and instruction in logical reasoning strategies is not well understood. This study assesses the role of science topic instruction combined with logical reasoning strategy instruction in teaching adolescent students about blood pressure problems. Logical reasoning instruction for this study emphasizes the controlling-variables strategy. Science topic instruction emphasizes variables affecting blood pressure. Subjects receiving logical reasoning instruction link their knowledge of blood pressure variables to their knowledge of controlling variables more effectively than those receiving science topic instruction alone - their specific responses show how they attempt to integrate their understanding.Received: 15 April 1988

A critical review of the research literature on Six Sigma, Lean and StuderGroup's Hardwiring Excellence in the United States: the need to demonstrate and communicate the effectiveness of transformation strategies in healthcare

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gamm Larry D

2009-07-01

ensure the validity of the conclusions, demonstrate sustainability, investigate changes in organizational culture, or even how one strategy interfaced with other concurrent and subsequent transformation efforts. While informative results can be gleaned from less rigorous studies, improved design and analysis can more effectively guide healthcare leaders who are motivated to transform their organizations and convince others of the need to employ such strategies. Demanding more exacting evaluation of projects consultants, or partnerships with health management researchers in academic settings, can support such efforts.

A critical review of the research literature on Six Sigma, Lean and StuderGroup's Hardwiring Excellence in the United States: the need to demonstrate and communicate the effectiveness of transformation strategies in healthcare.

Science.gov (United States)

Vest, Joshua R; Gamm, Larry D

2009-07-01

U.S. healthcare organizations are confronted with numerous and varied transformational strategies promising improvements along all dimensions of quality and performance. This article examines the peer-reviewed literature from the U.S. for evidence of effectiveness among three current popular transformational strategies: Six Sigma, Lean/Toyota Production System, and Studer's Hardwiring Excellence. The English language health, healthcare management, and organizational science literature (up to December 2007) indexed in Medline, Web of Science, ABI/Inform, Cochrane Library, CINAHL, and ERIC was reviewed for studies on the aforementioned transformation strategies in healthcare settings. Articles were included if they: appeared in a peer-reviewed journal; described a specific intervention; were not classified as a pilot study; provided quantitative data; and were not review articles. Nine references on Six Sigma, nine on Lean/Toyota Production System, and one on StuderGroup meet the study's eligibility criteria. The reviewed studies universally concluded the implementations of these transformation strategies were successful in improving a variety of healthcare related processes and outcomes. Additionally, the existing literature reflects a wide application of these transformation strategies in terms of both settings and problems. However, despite these positive features, the vast majority had methodological limitations that might undermine the validity of the results. Common features included: weak study designs, inappropriate analyses, and failures to rule out alternative hypotheses. Furthermore, frequently absent was any attention to changes in organizational culture or substantial evidence of lasting effects from these efforts. Despite the current popularity of these strategies, few studies meet the inclusion criteria for this review. Furthermore, each could have been improved substantially in order to ensure the validity of the conclusions, demonstrate

Quasi-phase transformation in ferromagnetic semiconductors with two-charged donors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kovalenko, A.A.; Nagaev, Eh.L.

1978-01-01

Effect of term inversion of two-charged donors 1s2s → 1s 2 on properties of ferromagnetic semiconductors, has been investigated. Term inversion is accompanied by changes in local magnetic ordering in the donor area and takes place as spread phase transformation of the first type in the system of n 2 atoms, enveloped by donor 2s-orbit. It is a reason for creating not only heat capacity peak at Tsub(c), but another peak at inversion temperature Tsub(i) as well. At temperatures T > Tsub(i) introduction of external magnetic field can lead to a reverse term inversion 1s 2 → 1s2s, under that condition crystal magnetization should clearly increase. Term inversion tells upon electric properties of crystals: in Ti inversion point, the energy of conductivity activation of ungenerate semiconductors changes abruptly. In the case of larger concentrations of donors, term inversion can lead to metal-insulator transformation. Analysis of experimental data on magnetic susceptibility of EuO crystals with oxygen vacancies, shows that transformation in these crystals takes place according to a different mechanism

Heuristic reasoning and relative incompleteness

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Treur, J.

1993-01-01

In this paper an approach is presented in which heuristic reasoning is interpreted as strategic reasoning. This type of reasoning enables one to derive which hypothesis to investigate, and which observable information to acquire next (to be able to verify the chosen hypothesis). A compositional

Photoinduced electro-optics measurements of biosilica transformation to cristobalite

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fuchs, Ido [Department of Chemistry and the Institute of Nanotechnology, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan 52900 (Israel); Aluma, Yaniv; Ilan, Micha [Department of Zoology, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 6997801 (Israel); Kityk, Iwan [Institute of Electronic Systems, Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Czestochowa University, Czestochowa 42-201 (Poland); Mastai, Yitzhak, E-mail: Yitzhak.Mastai@biu.ac.il [Department of Chemistry and the Institute of Nanotechnology, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan 52900 (Israel)

2015-03-15

In this paper we studied the photoinduced electro optics effects in the thermal transformation process of biosilica to cristobalite, at a relatively low temperature and ambient pressure. This process was characterized by a variety of standards techniques with emphasis on linear electro optic effect measurements. Overall we demonstrated that photoinduced electro optics measurements are very sensitive to the transformation from amorphous structure of silica in the natural sponge samples to laminar string morphology of cristobalite. With this technique we could probe the change in the samples chirality from achiral bio silica to chiral cristobalite structure. Furthermore it is shown that natural biosilica have photoinduced linear electro optics respond indicating the chiral natural of biosilica. - Graphical abstract: The phase transformation of biosilica from marine sponges to Cristobalite under thermal treatment was investigated using photoinduced electro optics measurements. The figure shows the changes of the electro-optic coefficient of cristobalite and biosilica. - Highlights: • We examine phase transformation of biosilica. • We report transition from amorphous biosilica to crystalline Cristobalite. • Biosilica transformation to Cristobalite at temperature of 850 °C. • Biosilica transformation is studied with photoinduced measurements. • We examine changes in the photoinduced linear electro optics properties.

Photoinduced electro-optics measurements of biosilica transformation to cristobalite

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fuchs, Ido; Aluma, Yaniv; Ilan, Micha; Kityk, Iwan; Mastai, Yitzhak

2015-01-01

In this paper we studied the photoinduced electro optics effects in the thermal transformation process of biosilica to cristobalite, at a relatively low temperature and ambient pressure. This process was characterized by a variety of standards techniques with emphasis on linear electro optic effect measurements. Overall we demonstrated that photoinduced electro optics measurements are very sensitive to the transformation from amorphous structure of silica in the natural sponge samples to laminar string morphology of cristobalite. With this technique we could probe the change in the samples chirality from achiral bio silica to chiral cristobalite structure. Furthermore it is shown that natural biosilica have photoinduced linear electro optics respond indicating the chiral natural of biosilica. - Graphical abstract: The phase transformation of biosilica from marine sponges to Cristobalite under thermal treatment was investigated using photoinduced electro optics measurements. The figure shows the changes of the electro-optic coefficient of cristobalite and biosilica. - Highlights: • We examine phase transformation of biosilica. • We report transition from amorphous biosilica to crystalline Cristobalite. • Biosilica transformation to Cristobalite at temperature of 850 °C. • Biosilica transformation is studied with photoinduced measurements. • We examine changes in the photoinduced linear electro optics properties

3D seismic denoising based on a low-redundancy curvelet transform

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cao, Jingjie; Zhao, Jingtao; Hu, Zhiying

2015-01-01

Contamination of seismic signal with noise is one of the main challenges during seismic data processing. Several methods exist for eliminating different types of noises, but optimal random noise attenuation remains difficult. Based on multi-scale, multi-directional locality of curvelet transform, the curvelet thresholding method is a relatively new method for random noise elimination. However, the high redundancy of a 3D curvelet transform makes its computational time and memory for massive data processing costly. To improve the efficiency of the curvelet thresholding denoising, a low-redundancy curvelet transform was introduced. The redundancy of the low-redundancy curvelet transform is approximately one-quarter of the original transform and the tightness of the original transform is also kept, thus the low-redundancy curvelet transform calls for less memory and computational resource compared with the original one. Numerical results on 3D synthetic and field data demonstrate that the low-redundancy curvelet denoising consumes one-quarter of the CPU time compared with the original curvelet transform using iterative thresholding denoising when comparable results are obtained. Thus, the low-redundancy curvelet transform is a good candidate for massive seismic denoising. (paper)

Implementation of Transformative Sustainability Learning into Engineering Curricular

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yuliana Lavrysh

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Nowadays an engineering profession is the most promising in terms of sustainability. Yet, there is a question if higher educational establishments are ready and possess necessary resources to prepare graduates in a sufficient way to create a life-sustainable future. Therefore, universities recognize the education for sustainable development as an essential and timely process of engineering training. The paper presents the characteristics of transformative sustainability learning as a key factor of advanced life-learning engineering education. The analysis of theoretical background signifies that the transformative sustainability learning concept is based on the theory of person’s transformations depending on such personality traits as the life experience, cognitive development, and critical reflection skills which foster personality changes towards sustainability. Thus, we can state that transformative sustainability learning (TSL integrates such fields as transformative learning and Education for Sustainable Development and the combination impacts personal and societal transformations. This fact provides us with the opportunity to suggest the (TSL concepts implementation into engineering educational process as an approach that enhances students’ motivation to studying, understanding of sustainability issues and high order thinking skills. If students experience personality transformations, we can find out the pedagogical strategy attributed to these transformations. Having conducted interviews and observations the teaching process at the university, we outlined the most used TSL pedagogical strategies at technical university (placed-based, problem-based, enquiry and service learning assessed their efficacy, found out the barriers to successful implementation and suggested recommendations to overcome the barriers. Our paper demonstrates potential of TSL implementation as it not only benefits for students but also enhances sustainability

Preservice Science Teachers' Epistemological Beliefs and Informal Reasoning Regarding Socioscientific Issues

Science.gov (United States)

Ozturk, Nilay; Yilmaz-Tuzun, Ozgul

2017-12-01

This study investigated preservice elementary science teachers' (PSTs) informal reasoning regarding socioscientific issues (SSI), their epistemological beliefs, and the relationship between informal reasoning and epistemological beliefs. From several SSIs, nuclear power usage was selected for this study. A total of 647 Turkish PSTs enrolled in three large universities in Turkey completed the open-ended questionnaire, which assessed the participants' informal reasoning about the target SSI, and Schommer's (1990) Epistemological Questionnaire. The participants' epistemological beliefs were assessed quantitatively and their informal reasoning was assessed both qualitatively and quantitatively. The findings revealed that PSTs preferred to generate evidence-based arguments rather than intuitive-based arguments; however, they failed to generate quality evidence and present different types of evidence to support their claims. Furthermore, among the reasoning quality indicators, PSTs mostly generated supportive argument construction. Regarding the use of reasoning modes, types of risk arguments and political-oriented arguments emerged as the new reasoning modes. The study demonstrated that the PSTs had different epistemological beliefs in terms of innate ability, omniscient authority, certain knowledge, and quick learning. Correlational analyses revealed that there was a strong negative correlation between the PSTs' certain knowledge and counterargument construction, and there were negative correlations between the PSTs' innate ability, certain knowledge, and quick learning dimensions of epistemological beliefs and their total argument construction. This study has implications for both science teacher education and the practice of science education. For example, PST teacher education programs should give sufficient importance to training teachers that are skillful and knowledgeable regarding SSIs. To achieve this, specific SSI-related courses should form part of science