Study on Gas Field Optimization Distribution with Parameters Adjustment of the Air Duct Outlet for Mechanized Heading Face in Coal Mine

Science.gov (United States)

Gong, Xiao-Yan; Zhang, Xin-Yi; Wu, Yue; Xia, Zhi-Xin; Li, Ying

2017-12-01

At present, as the increasingly drilling dimensions with cross-section expansion and distance prolong in coal mine, the situation of gas accumulation in mechanized heading face becomes severe. In this paper, optimization research of gas distribution was carried out by adjusting parameters of the air duct outlet, including angle, caliber and the front and rear distance of air duct outlet. Mechanized heading face of Ningtiaota coal mine was taken as the research object, simulated and analyzed the problems of original gas field, the reasonable parameters range of the air duct outlet was determined according to the allowable range of wind speed and the effect of gas dilution, the adjustment range of each parameter of the air duct outlet is preliminarily determined. Base on this, the distribution of gas field under different parameters adjustment of air duct outlet was simulated. The specific parameters under the different distance between the air duct outlet and the mechanized heading face were obtained, and a new method of optimizing the gas distribution by adjusting parameters of the air duct outlet was provided.

Adjusted Empirical Likelihood Method in the Presence of Nuisance Parameters with Application to the Sharpe Ratio

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yuejiao Fu

2018-04-01

Full Text Available The Sharpe ratio is a widely used risk-adjusted performance measurement in economics and finance. Most of the known statistical inferential methods devoted to the Sharpe ratio are based on the assumption that the data are normally distributed. In this article, without making any distributional assumption on the data, we develop the adjusted empirical likelihood method to obtain inference for a parameter of interest in the presence of nuisance parameters. We show that the log adjusted empirical likelihood ratio statistic is asymptotically distributed as the chi-square distribution. The proposed method is applied to obtain inference for the Sharpe ratio. Simulation results illustrate that the proposed method is comparable to Jobson and Korkie’s method (1981 and outperforms the empirical likelihood method when the data are from a symmetric distribution. In addition, when the data are from a skewed distribution, the proposed method significantly outperforms all other existing methods. A real-data example is analyzed to exemplify the application of the proposed method.

Optimizing parameters of a technical system using quality function deployment method

Science.gov (United States)

Baczkowicz, M.; Gwiazda, A.

2015-11-01

The article shows the practical use of Quality Function Deployment (QFD) on the example of a mechanized mining support. Firstly it gives a short description of this method and shows how the designing process, from the constructor point of view, looks like. The proposed method allows optimizing construction parameters and comparing them as well as adapting to customer requirements. QFD helps to determine the full set of crucial construction parameters and then their importance and difficulty of their execution. Secondly it shows chosen technical system and presents its construction with figures of the existing and future optimized model. The construction parameters were selected from the designer point of view. The method helps to specify a complete set of construction parameters, from the point of view, of the designed technical system and customer requirements. The QFD matrix can be adjusted depending on designing needs and not every part of it has to be considered. Designers can choose which parts are the most important. Due to this QFD can be a very flexible tool. The most important is to define relationships occurring between parameters and that part cannot be eliminated from the analysis.

Family functioning and psychosocial adjustment in overweight youngsters

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Stradmeijer, M.; Bosch, J; Koops, W; Seidell, J

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the relationship between family functioning and psychosocial adjustment in Dutch overweight children and adolescents. METHOD: Seventy-three overweight (weight-for-height >P90) and 70 normal-weight youngsters between the ages of 10 and 16 years were recruited by school

Suppression of threshold voltage variability in MOSFETs by adjustment of ion implantation parameters

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Jae Hyun; Chang, Tae-sig; Kim, Minsuk; Woo, Sola; Kim, Sangsig

2018-01-01

In this study, we investigate threshold voltage (VTH) variability of metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors induced by random dopant fluctuation (RDF). Our simulation work demonstrates not only the influence of the implantation parameters such as its dose, tilt angle, energy, and rotation angle on the RDF-induced VTH variability, but also the solution to reduce the effect of this variability. By adjusting the ion implantation parameters, the 3σ (VTH) is reduced from 43.8 mV to 28.9 mV. This 34% reduction is significant, considering that our technique is very cost effective and facilitates easy fabrication, increasing availability.

Effects of sleep bruxism on functional and occlusal parameters: a prospective controlled investigation

Science.gov (United States)

Alicia Ommerborn, Michelle; Giraki, Maria; Schneider, Christine; Michael Fuck, Lars; Handschel, Jörg; Franz, Matthias; Hans-Michael Raab, Wolfgang; Schäfer, Ralf

2012-01-01

This study was conducted to verify the results of a preceding retrospective pilot study by means of a prospective controlled investigation including a larger sample size. Therefore, the aim of this clinical investigation was to analyze the relationship between sleep bruxism and several functional and occlusal parameters. The null hypothesis of this study was that there would be no differences among sleep bruxism subjects and non-sleep bruxism controls regarding several functional and occlusal parameters. Fifty-eight sleep bruxism subjects and 31 controls participated in this study. The diagnosis sleep bruxism was based on clinical criteria of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. Sixteen functional and occlusal parameters were recorded clinically or from dental study casts. Similar to the recently published retrospective pilot study, with a mean slide of 0.77 mm (s.d., 0.69 mm) in the sleep bruxism group and a mean slide of 0.4 mm (s.d., 0.57 mm) in the control group, the evaluation of the mean comparison between the two groups demonstrated a larger slide from centric occlusion to maximum intercuspation in sleep bruxism subjects (Mann–Whitney U-test; P=0.008). However, following Bonferroni adjustment, none of the 16 occlusal and functional variables differed significantly between the sleep bruxism subjects and the non-sleep bruxism controls. The present study shows that the occlusal and functional parameters evaluated do not differ between sleep bruxism subjects and non-sleep bruxism subjects. However, as the literature reveals a possible association between bruxism and certain subgroups of temporomandibular disorders, it appears advisable to incorporate the individual adaptive capacity of the stomatognathic system into future investigations. PMID:22935746

Effects of sleep bruxism on functional and occlusal parameters: a prospective controlled investigation.

Science.gov (United States)

Ommerborn, Michelle Alicia; Giraki, Maria; Schneider, Christine; Fuck, Lars Michael; Handschel, Jörg; Franz, Matthias; Hans-Michael Raab, Wolfgang; Schäfer, Ralf

2012-09-01

This study was conducted to verify the results of a preceding retrospective pilot study by means of a prospective controlled investigation including a larger sample size. Therefore, the aim of this clinical investigation was to analyze the relationship between sleep bruxism and several functional and occlusal parameters. The null hypothesis of this study was that there would be no differences among sleep bruxism subjects and non-sleep bruxism controls regarding several functional and occlusal parameters. Fifty-eight sleep bruxism subjects and 31 controls participated in this study. The diagnosis sleep bruxism was based on clinical criteria of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. Sixteen functional and occlusal parameters were recorded clinically or from dental study casts. Similar to the recently published retrospective pilot study, with a mean slide of 0.77 mm (s.d., 0.69 mm) in the sleep bruxism group and a mean slide of 0.4 mm (s.d., 0.57 mm) in the control group, the evaluation of the mean comparison between the two groups demonstrated a larger slide from centric occlusion to maximum intercuspation in sleep bruxism subjects (Mann-Whitney U-test; P=0.008). However, following Bonferroni adjustment, none of the 16 occlusal and functional variables differed significantly between the sleep bruxism subjects and the non-sleep bruxism controls. The present study shows that the occlusal and functional parameters evaluated do not differ between sleep bruxism subjects and non-sleep bruxism subjects. However, as the literature reveals a possible association between bruxism and certain subgroups of temporomandibular disorders, it appears advisable to incorporate the individual adaptive capacity of the stomatognathic system into future investigations.

Neurologic music therapy improves executive function and emotional adjustment in traumatic brain injury rehabilitation.

Science.gov (United States)

Thaut, Michael H; Gardiner, James C; Holmberg, Dawn; Horwitz, Javan; Kent, Luanne; Andrews, Garrett; Donelan, Beth; McIntosh, Gerald R

2009-07-01

This study examined the immediate effects of neurologic music therapy (NMT) on cognitive functioning and emotional adjustment with brain-injured persons. Four treatment sessions were held, during which participants were given a pre-test, participated in 30 min of NMT that focused on one aspect of rehabilitation (attention, memory, executive function, or emotional adjustment), which was followed by post-testing. Control participants engaged in a pre-test, 30 min of rest, and then a post-test. Treatment participants showed improvement in executive function and overall emotional adjustment, and lessening of depression, sensation seeking, and anxiety. Control participants improved in emotional adjustment and lessening of hostility, but showed decreases in measures of memory, positive affect, and sensation seeking.

Adjusted functional boxplots for spatio-temporal data visualization and outlier detection

KAUST Repository

Sun, Ying; Genton, Marc G.

2011-01-01

This article proposes a simulation-based method to adjust functional boxplots for correlations when visualizing functional and spatio-temporal data, as well as detecting outliers. We start by investigating the relationship between the spatio

A multicriteria framework with voxel-dependent parameters for radiotherapy treatment plan optimization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zarepisheh, Masoud; Uribe-Sanchez, Andres F.; Li, Nan; Jia, Xun; Jiang, Steve B.

2014-01-01

Purpose: To establish a new mathematical framework for radiotherapy treatment optimization with voxel-dependent optimization parameters. Methods: In the treatment plan optimization problem for radiotherapy, a clinically acceptable plan is usually generated by an optimization process with weighting factors or reference doses adjusted for a set of the objective functions associated to the organs. Recent discoveries indicate that adjusting parameters associated with each voxel may lead to better plan quality. However, it is still unclear regarding the mathematical reasons behind it. Furthermore, questions about the objective function selection and parameter adjustment to assure Pareto optimality as well as the relationship between the optimal solutions obtained from the organ-based and voxel-based models remain unanswered. To answer these questions, the authors establish in this work a new mathematical framework equipped with two theorems. Results: The new framework clarifies the different consequences of adjusting organ-dependent and voxel-dependent parameters for the treatment plan optimization of radiation therapy, as well as the impact of using different objective functions on plan qualities and Pareto surfaces. The main discoveries are threefold: (1) While in the organ-based model the selection of the objective function has an impact on the quality of the optimized plans, this is no longer an issue for the voxel-based model since the Pareto surface is independent of the objective function selection and the entire Pareto surface could be generated as long as the objective function satisfies certain mathematical conditions; (2) All Pareto solutions generated by the organ-based model with different objective functions are parts of a unique Pareto surface generated by the voxel-based model with any appropriate objective function; (3) A much larger Pareto surface is explored by adjusting voxel-dependent parameters than by adjusting organ-dependent parameters, possibly

Towards a Collision-Free WLAN: Dynamic Parameter Adjustment in CSMA/E2CA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bellalta Boris

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Carrier sense multiple access with enhanced collision avoidance (CSMA/ECA is a distributed MAC protocol that allows collision-free access to the medium in WLANs. The only difference between CSMA/ECA and the well-known CSMA/CA is that the former uses a deterministic backoff after successful transmissions. Collision-free operation is reached after a transient state during which some collisions may occur. This paper shows that the duration of the transient state can be shortened by appropriately setting the contention parameters. Standard absorbing Markov chain theory is used to describe the behaviour of the system in the transient state and to predict the expected number of slots to reach the collision-free operation. The paper also introduces CSMA/E2CA, in which a deterministic backoff is used two consecutive times after a successful transmission. CSMA/E2CA converges quicker to collision-free operation and delivers higher performance than CSMA/ECA, specially in harsh wireless scenarios with high frame-error rates. The last part of the paper addresses scenarios with a large number of contenders. We suggest dynamic parameter adjustment techniques to accommodate a varying (and potentially high number of contenders. The effectiveness of these adjustments in preventing collisions is validated by means of simulation.

Ergonomic adjustments on a website from the usability of functions: Can deficits impair functionalities?

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Dalila Giovana Pagnoncelli Laperuta

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Current study assesses whether deficits and usability of ergonomics impair the functionality of a university website. The concepts of functionality, usability and ergonomics were foregrounded by contextualizing them within a university profile. Later, a satisfaction survey was proposed to users to measure the satisfaction in the use of the website and to map the problems in usability. In addition, an ergonomic inspection was performed on the site by applying Bastien and Scapin´s ergonomic criteria. After analyzing results by descriptive statistics and content analysis, the ergonomic and usability problems were detected, or rather, feedback deficits, minimum action (navigation, flexibility and experience impaired the excellence of website´s functionality, causing dissatisfaction or abandonment of the website by the users. After the analysis of the results, ergonomic adjustments were suggested for the website. They may be a help in new website projects or adjust products in which usability has not been incorporated to the development process.

Oligopoly games with nonlinear demand and cost functions: Two boundedly rational adjustment processes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Naimzada, Ahmad K.; Sbragia, Lucia

2006-01-01

We consider a Cournot oligopoly game, where firms produce an homogenous good and the demand and cost functions are nonlinear. These features make the classical best reply solution difficult to be obtained, even if players have full information about their environment. We propose two different kinds of repeated games based on a lower degree of rationality of the firms, on a reduced information set and reduced computational capabilities. The first adjustment mechanism is called 'Local Monopolistic Approximation' (LMA). First firms get the correct local estimate of the demand function and then they use such estimate in a linear approximation of the demand function where the effects of the competitors' outputs are ignored. On the basis of this subjective demand function they solve their profit maximization problem. By using the second adjustment process, that belongs to a class of adaptive mechanisms known in the literature as 'Gradient Dynamics' (GD), firms do not solve any optimization problem, but they adjust their production in the direction indicated by their (correct) estimate of the marginal profit. Both these repeated games may converge to a Cournot-Nash equilibrium, i.e. to the equilibrium of the best reply dynamics. We compare the properties of the two different dynamical systems that describe the time evolution of the oligopoly games under the two adjustment mechanisms, and we analyze the conditions that lead to non-convergence and complex dynamic behaviors. The paper extends the results of other authors that consider similar adjustment processes assuming linear cost functions or linear demand functions

Fault detection using parameter transfer functions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Salamun, I; Mavko, B; Stritar, A [University of Ljubljana, Josef Stefan Inst., Ljubljana (Slovenia). Reactor Engineering Div.

1997-12-31

To reduce the number of alarms in NPP many techniques have been proposed for process monitoring and diagnosis. The object of our investigation is a dynamic process with digital signals. The general parametric model defines the transfer function form and it covers all dynamics characteristics between two monitoring parameters. To determine the proper model coefficients we are using recoursing least square methods. The transfer function coefficients define the correlation between two variables in desired time period. During process monitoring just the relation is observed because the number of coefficients and the structure is predefined with transfer function form. During plant operation the transfer functions for important parameters must be calculated and estimated. The estimated values are input parameters for an analytical algorithm. It determines which part of system causes the transient and recognizes it. The proposed methodology allows a computer to monitor the system behaviour and to find out the most probable cause for abnormal condition. (author). 3 refs, 5 figs, 2 tabs.

Fault detection using parameter transfer functions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Salamun, I.; Mavko, B.; Stritar, A.

1996-01-01

To reduce the number of alarms in NPP many techniques have been proposed for process monitoring and diagnosis. The object of our investigation is a dynamic process with digital signals. The general parametric model defines the transfer function form and it covers all dynamics characteristics between two monitoring parameters. To determine the proper model coefficients we are using recoursing least square methods. The transfer function coefficients define the correlation between two variables in desired time period. During process monitoring just the relation is observed because the number of coefficients and the structure is predefined with transfer function form. During plant operation the transfer functions for important parameters must be calculated and estimated. The estimated values are input parameters for an analytical algorithm. It determines which part of system causes the transient and recognizes it. The proposed methodology allows a computer to monitor the system behaviour and to find out the most probable cause for abnormal condition. (author). 3 refs, 5 figs, 2 tabs

Adjustement of multigroup cross sections using fast reactor integral data

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Renke, C.A.C.

1982-01-01

A methodology for the adjustment of multigroup cross section is presented, structured with aiming to compatibility the limitated number of measured values of integral parameters known and disponible, and the great number of cross sections to be adjusted the group of cross section used is that obtained from the Carnaval II calculation system, understanding as formular the sets of calculation methods and data bases. The adjustment is realized, using the INCOAJ computer code, developed in function of one statistical formulation, structural from the bayer considerations, taking in account the measurement processes of cross section and integral parameters defined on statistical bases. (E.G.) [pt

Executive functions and theory of mind as predictors of social adjustment in childhood traumatic brain injury.

Science.gov (United States)

Robinson, Kristen E; Fountain-Zaragoza, Stephanie; Dennis, Maureen; Taylor, H Gerry; Bigler, Erin D; Rubin, Kenneth; Vannatta, Kathryn; Gerhardt, Cynthia A; Stancin, Terry; Yeates, Keith Owen

2014-11-15

This study examined whether executive function and theory of mind mediate the effects of pediatric traumatic brain injury (TBI) on social adjustment, relative to children with orthopedic injury (OI). Participants included 19 children with severe TBI, 41 children with complicated mild/moderate TBI, and 57 children with OI. They completed measures of executive function, as well as cognitive, affective, and conative theory of mind. Parents provided ratings of children's social adjustment. Children with severe TBI performed more poorly than children with OI on executive function and theory of mind tasks and were rated by parents as having more behavioral symptoms and worse communication and social skills. Executive function and theory of mind were positively correlated with social skills and communication skills, and negatively correlated with behavioral symptoms. In multiple mediator models, theory of mind and executive function were not significant direct predictors of any measure of social adjustment, but mediated the association between injury and adjustment for children with severe TBI. Theory of mind was a significant independent mediator when predicting social skills, but executive function was not. TBI in children, particularly severe injury, is associated with poor social adjustment. The impact of TBI on children's social adjustment is likely mediated by its effects on executive function and theory of mind.

Free spectral range adjustment of a silicon rib racetrack resonator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Keča, T; Matavulj, P; Headley, W; Mashanovich, G

2012-01-01

One of the most important parameters that describe the quality of photonic components and devices is the free spectral range (FSR). In this paper, the measured outgoing power of a silicon rib racetrack resonator was compared with calculated transfer functions derived by coupled mode theory. The influence of geometric parameters on the FSR and resonant wavelength has been investigated. By altering the values of the coupling length and racetrack radius, derived transfer functions were adjusted to match experimental data. This procedure gives the possibility of estimating the FSR and resonant wavelength for different geometric parameters and predicting resonator functionality.

Adjusting the specificity of an engine map based on the sensitivity of an engine control parameter relative to a performance variable

Science.gov (United States)

Jiang, Li; Lee, Donghoon; Yilmaz, Hakan; Stefanopoulou, Anna

2014-10-28

Methods and systems for engine control optimization are provided. A first and a second operating condition of a vehicle engine are detected. An initial value is identified for a first and a second engine control parameter corresponding to a combination of the detected operating conditions according to a first and a second engine map look-up table. The initial values for the engine control parameters are adjusted based on a detected engine performance variable to cause the engine performance variable to approach a target value. A first and a second sensitivity of the engine performance variable are determined in response to changes in the engine control parameters. The first engine map look-up table is adjusted when the first sensitivity is greater than a threshold, and the second engine map look-up table is adjusted when the second sensitivity is greater than a threshold.

Steep and Adjustable Transfer Functions of Monolithic SOA-EA 2R-Regenerators

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Öhman, Filip; Kjær, Rasmus; Christiansen, Lotte Jin

2006-01-01

of a semiconductor waveguide with alternating amplifier and absorber sections using quantum-well active material. The steep nonlinearity of the transfer function is achieved by concatenating several sections. We identify the saturation properties of the absorbing media, as dictated by the band-filling and field......Measurements and numerical modeling of a reamplification and reshaping (2R) regenerator demonstrate a steep power transfer function with adjustable threshold. The threshold can be adjusted more than 6 dB by simple control of the reverse bias voltage of the absorber section. The device consists...... screening, as important for the observed transfer functions. The relation of the saturation powers of the gain and absorption sectionsis important for design optimization....

Relationship of cognitive function and adjustment difficulties among children and adolescents with dissociative disorder.

Science.gov (United States)

Ranjan, Rajeev; Mehta, Manju; Sagar, Rajesh; Sarkar, Siddharth

2016-01-01

Although it has been suggested that children and adolescents with dissociative disorder have some cognitive deficits, the association of these cognitive impairments with adjustment difficulties has not been evaluated. The present study aimed to assess the relationship between cognitive functioning and adjustment difficulties in children and adolescents with dissociative disorder. This cross-sectional, descriptive assessment was carried out in the outpatient setting of child and adolescent psychiatric service in a tertiary care hospital. Fifty newly diagnosed children and adolescents with dissociative disorder were included. The cognitive functions were assessed by varied neuropsychological tests, and Bell's adjustment inventory was used for assessing various domains of adjustment. The mean age of the sample which comprised 40% males was 13.0 (±2.4) years. The mean intelligence quotient (IQ) of the sample was 90.6. Impairment in cognitive test was maximum for verbal working memory followed by sustained attention, visual learning and memory, and verbal retention and recall. Adjustment difficulties were greatest in the domains of self, followed by domains of health, school, and family. Significant association was found between the IQ and adjustment in school; visual learning and memory and adjustments in school and overall adjustment; and sustained attention and adjustment of health. Dissociative children have poor cognitive ability which may be related to poor adjustment scores.

Relationship of cognitive function and adjustment difficulties among children and adolescents with dissociative disorder

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rajeev Ranjan

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Background and Aims: Although it has been suggested that children and adolescents with dissociative disorder have some cognitive deficits, the association of these cognitive impairments with adjustment difficulties has not been evaluated. The present study aimed to assess the relationship between cognitive functioning and adjustment difficulties in children and adolescents with dissociative disorder. Methods: This cross-sectional, descriptive assessment was carried out in the outpatient setting of child and adolescent psychiatric service in a tertiary care hospital. Fifty newly diagnosed children and adolescents with dissociative disorder were included. The cognitive functions were assessed by varied neuropsychological tests, and Bell's adjustment inventory was used for assessing various domains of adjustment. Results: The mean age of the sample which comprised 40% males was 13.0 (±2.4 years. The mean intelligence quotient (IQ of the sample was 90.6. Impairment in cognitive test was maximum for verbal working memory followed by sustained attention, visual learning and memory, and verbal retention and recall. Adjustment difficulties were greatest in the domains of self, followed by domains of health, school, and family. Significant association was found between the IQ and adjustment in school; visual learning and memory and adjustments in school and overall adjustment; and sustained attention and adjustment of health. Conclusions: Dissociative children have poor cognitive ability which may be related to poor adjustment scores.

Adjustments of the TaD electron density reconstruction model with GNSS-TEC parameters for operational application purposes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Belehaki Anna

2012-12-01

Full Text Available Validation results on the latest version of TaD model (TaDv2 show realistic reconstruction of the electron density profiles (EDPs with an average error of 3 TECU, similar to the error obtained from GNSS-TEC calculated paremeters. The work presented here has the aim to further improve the accuracy of the TaD topside reconstruction, adjusting the TEC parameter calculated from TaD model with the TEC parameter calculated by GNSS transmitting RINEX files provided by receivers co-located with the Digisondes. The performance of the new version is tested during a storm period demonstrating further improvements in respect to the previous version. Statistical comparison of modeled and observed TEC confirms the validity of the proposed adjustment. A significant benefit of the proposed upgrade is that it facilitates the real-time implementation of TaD. The model needs a reliable measure of the scale height at the peak height, which is supposed to be provided by Digisondes. Oftenly, the automatic scaling software fails to correctly calculate the scale height at the peak, Hm, due to interferences in the receiving signal. Consequently the model estimated topside scale height is wrongly calculated leading to unrealistic results for the modeled EDP. The proposed TEC adjustment forces the model to correctly reproduce the topside scale height, despite the inaccurate values of Hm. This adjustment is very important for the application of TaD in an operational environment.

CALCULATION METHODS OF OPTIMAL ADJUSTMENT OF CONTROL SYSTEM THROUGH DISTURBANCE CHANNEL

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I. M. Golinko

2014-01-01

Full Text Available In the process of automatic control system debugging the great attention is paid to determining formulas’ parameters of optimal dynamic adjustment of regulators, taking into account the dynamics of Objects control. In most cases the known formulas are oriented on design of automatic control system through channel “input-output definition”. But practically in all continuous processes the main task of all regulators is stabilization of output parameters. The Methods of parameters calculation for dynamic adjustment of regulations were developed. These methods allow to optimize the analog and digital regulators, taking into account minimization of regulated influences. There were suggested to use the fact of detuning and maximum value of regulated influence. As the automatic control system optimization with proportional plus reset controllers on disturbance channel is an unimodal task, the main algorithm of optimization is realized by Hooke – Jeeves method. For controllers optimization through channel external disturbance there were obtained functional dependences of parameters calculations of dynamic proportional plus reset controllers from dynamic characteristics of Object control. The obtained dependences allow to improve the work of controllers (regulators of automatic control on external disturbance channel and so it allows to improve the quality of regulation of transient processes. Calculation formulas provide high accuracy and convenience in usage. In suggested method there are no nomographs and this fact expels subjectivity of investigation in determination of parameters of dynamic adjustment of proportional plus reset controllers. Functional dependences can be used for calculation of adjustment of PR controllers in a great range of change of dynamic characteristics of Objects control.

A self-adaptive genetic algorithm to estimate JA model parameters considering minor loops

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lu, Hai-liang; Wen, Xi-shan; Lan, Lei; An, Yun-zhu; Li, Xiao-ping

2015-01-15

A self-adaptive genetic algorithm for estimating Jiles–Atherton (JA) magnetic hysteresis model parameters is presented. The fitness function is established based on the distances between equidistant key points of normalized hysteresis loops. Linearity function and logarithm function are both adopted to code the five parameters of JA model. Roulette wheel selection is used and the selection pressure is adjusted adaptively by deducting a proportional which depends on current generation common value. The Crossover operator is established by combining arithmetic crossover and multipoint crossover. Nonuniform mutation is improved by adjusting the mutation ratio adaptively. The algorithm is used to estimate the parameters of one kind of silicon-steel sheet’s hysteresis loops, and the results are in good agreement with published data. - Highlights: • We present a method to find JA parameters for both major and minor loops. • Fitness function is based on distances between key points of normalized loops. • The selection pressure is adjusted adaptively based on generations.

A self-adaptive genetic algorithm to estimate JA model parameters considering minor loops

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lu, Hai-liang; Wen, Xi-shan; Lan, Lei; An, Yun-zhu; Li, Xiao-ping

2015-01-01

A self-adaptive genetic algorithm for estimating Jiles–Atherton (JA) magnetic hysteresis model parameters is presented. The fitness function is established based on the distances between equidistant key points of normalized hysteresis loops. Linearity function and logarithm function are both adopted to code the five parameters of JA model. Roulette wheel selection is used and the selection pressure is adjusted adaptively by deducting a proportional which depends on current generation common value. The Crossover operator is established by combining arithmetic crossover and multipoint crossover. Nonuniform mutation is improved by adjusting the mutation ratio adaptively. The algorithm is used to estimate the parameters of one kind of silicon-steel sheet’s hysteresis loops, and the results are in good agreement with published data. - Highlights: • We present a method to find JA parameters for both major and minor loops. • Fitness function is based on distances between key points of normalized loops. • The selection pressure is adjusted adaptively based on generations

Application of function-oriented roughness parameters using confocal microscopy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

K. Klauer

2018-06-01

Full Text Available Optical measuring instruments are widely used for the functional characterization of surface topography. However, due to the interaction of the surface with the incident light, effects occur that can influence the measured topography height values and the obtained surface texture parameters. Therefore, we describe a systematic investigation of the influences of optical surface topography measurement on the acquisition of function-oriented roughness parameters. The same evaluation areas of varying cylinder liners which represent a typical application of function-oriented roughness parameters were measured with a confocal microscope and a stylus instrument. Functional surface texture parameters as given in the standards ISO 13565–2, ISO 13565–3 and ISO 25178–2 were evaluated for both measurement methods and compared. The transmission of specific surface features was described and a correlation analysis for the surface topographies obtained with the different measurement methods and their resulting functional roughness parameters was carried out. Keywords: Functional surface characterization, Optical metrology, Topography measurement, Roughness

Imperialist Competitive Algorithm with Dynamic Parameter Adaptation Using Fuzzy Logic Applied to the Optimization of Mathematical Functions

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Emer Bernal

2017-01-01

Full Text Available In this paper we are presenting a method using fuzzy logic for dynamic parameter adaptation in the imperialist competitive algorithm, which is usually known by its acronym ICA. The ICA algorithm was initially studied in its original form to find out how it works and what parameters have more effect upon its results. Based on this study, several designs of fuzzy systems for dynamic adjustment of the ICA parameters are proposed. The experiments were performed on the basis of solving complex optimization problems, particularly applied to benchmark mathematical functions. A comparison of the original imperialist competitive algorithm and our proposed fuzzy imperialist competitive algorithm was performed. In addition, the fuzzy ICA was compared with another metaheuristic using a statistical test to measure the advantage of the proposed fuzzy approach for dynamic parameter adaptation.

An efficient method to generate a perturbed parameter ensemble of a fully coupled AOGCM without flux-adjustment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

P. J. Irvine

2013-09-01

Full Text Available We present a simple method to generate a perturbed parameter ensemble (PPE of a fully-coupled atmosphere-ocean general circulation model (AOGCM, HadCM3, without requiring flux-adjustment. The aim was to produce an ensemble that samples parametric uncertainty in some key variables and gives a plausible representation of the climate. Six atmospheric parameters, a sea-ice parameter and an ocean parameter were jointly perturbed within a reasonable range to generate an initial group of 200 members. To screen out implausible ensemble members, 20 yr pre-industrial control simulations were run and members whose temperature responses to the parameter perturbations were projected to be outside the range of 13.6 ± 2 °C, i.e. near to the observed pre-industrial global mean, were discarded. Twenty-one members, including the standard unperturbed model, were accepted, covering almost the entire span of the eight parameters, challenging the argument that without flux-adjustment parameter ranges would be unduly restricted. This ensemble was used in 2 experiments; an 800 yr pre-industrial and a 150 yr quadrupled CO2 simulation. The behaviour of the PPE for the pre-industrial control compared well to ERA-40 reanalysis data and the CMIP3 ensemble for a number of surface and atmospheric column variables with the exception of a few members in the Tropics. However, we find that members of the PPE with low values of the entrainment rate coefficient show very large increases in upper tropospheric and stratospheric water vapour concentrations in response to elevated CO2 and one member showed an implausible nonlinear climate response, and as such will be excluded from future experiments with this ensemble. The outcome of this study is a PPE of a fully-coupled AOGCM which samples parametric uncertainty and a simple methodology which would be applicable to other GCMs.

Could LC-NE-Dependent Adjustment of Neural Gain Drive Functional Brain Network Reorganization?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carole Guedj

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The locus coeruleus-norepinephrine (LC-NE system is thought to act at synaptic, cellular, microcircuit, and network levels to facilitate cognitive functions through at least two different processes, not mutually exclusive. Accordingly, as a reset signal, the LC-NE system could trigger brain network reorganizations in response to salient information in the environment and/or adjust the neural gain within its target regions to optimize behavioral responses. Here, we provide evidence of the co-occurrence of these two mechanisms at the whole-brain level, in resting-state conditions following a pharmacological stimulation of the LC-NE system. We propose that these two mechanisms are interdependent such that the LC-NE-dependent adjustment of the neural gain inferred from the clustering coefficient could drive functional brain network reorganizations through coherence in the gamma rhythm. Via the temporal dynamic of gamma-range band-limited power, the release of NE could adjust the neural gain, promoting interactions only within the neuronal populations whose amplitude envelopes are correlated, thus making it possible to reorganize neuronal ensembles, functional networks, and ultimately, behavioral responses. Thus, our proposal offers a unified framework integrating the putative influence of the LC-NE system on both local- and long-range adjustments of brain dynamics underlying behavioral flexibility.

Typologies of Family Functioning and Children's Adjustment during the Early School Years

Science.gov (United States)

Sturge-Apple, Melissa L.; Davies, Patrick T.; Cummings, E. Mark

2010-01-01

Guided by family systems theory, the present study sought to identify patterns of family functioning from observational assessments of interparental, parent-child, and triadic contexts. In addition, it charted the implications for patterns of family functioning for children's developmental trajectories of adjustment in the school context across…

Hypergeometric Functions with Integral Parameter Differences

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Karlsson, Per W.

1971-01-01

For a generalized hypergeometric function pFq(z) with positive integral differences between certain numerator and denominator parameters, a formula expressing the pFq(z) as a finite sum of lower-order functions is proved. From this formula, Minton's two summation theorems for p = q + 1, z = 1...

Effectiveness of functional training on cardiorespiratory parameters: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Science.gov (United States)

Rezende Barbosa, Marianne Penachini da Costa de; Oliveira, Vinicius Cunha; Silva, Anne Kastelianne França da; Pérez-Riera, Andrés Ricardo; Vanderlei, Luiz Carlos

2017-07-28

Functional training is a new training vision that was prepared from the gesture imitation of daily activities. Although your use has become popular in clinical practice, the influence of the several cardiorespiratory adjustments performed during the functional training in different populations and conditions is unknown. So, the aim of this systematic review was to gather information in the literature regarding the influence of functional training on cardiorespiratory parameters. We conducted search strategies on MEDLINE, PEDro, EMBASE, SportDiscus and Cochrane to identify randomized controlled trials investigating the effects of functional training on cardiorespiratory parameters. Methodological quality of the included studies was assessed using the PEDro scale. Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) summarized the evidence. Five original studies were included. Effects favoured functional training on oxygen consumption (VO 2 ) at intermediate-term follow-up: weighted mean difference -1·0 (95% CI: 5·4-3·3), P = 0·642, and a small and not clinically important effect observed on VO 2 favouring control at intermediate-term follow-up (i.e. mean difference of 1·30 (95% CI 1·07-1·53), Pfunctional training is better than other interventions to improve cardiovascular parameters. This result encourages new searches about the theme. © 2017 Scandinavian Society of Clinical Physiology and Nuclear Medicine. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Magnetic measurement, sorting optimization and adjustment of SDUV-FEL hybrid undulator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Tao; Jia Qika

2007-01-01

Construction of an undulator includes magnet block measurement, sorting, field measurement and adjustment. Optimizing SDUV-FEL undulator by simulated annealing algorithm using measurement results of the magnet blocks by Helmholtz coil before installing undulator magnets, the cost function can be reduced by three orders of magnitude. The practical parameters of one segment meet the design specifications after adjusting the magnetic field. (authors)

Adjusting the IP $\\beta$ Functions in RHIC

CERN Document Server

Wittmer, W; Pilat, F; Ptitsyn, V; Van Zeijts, J

2004-01-01

The beta functions at the IP can be adjusted without perturbation of other optics functions via several approaches. In this paper we describe a scheme based on a vector knob, which assigns fixed values to the different tuning quadrupoles and scales them by a common multiplier. The values for the knob vector were calculated for a lattice without any errors using MADX. Previous studies for the LHC [1] have shown that this approach can meet the design goals. A specific feature of the RHIC lattice is the nested power supply system. To cope with the resulting problems a detailed response matrix analysis has been carried out and different sets of knobs were calculated and compared. The knobs were tested at RHIC during the 2004 run and preliminary results are discussed. Simultaneously a new approach to measure the beam sizes of both colliding beams at the IP, based on the tunability provided by the knobs, was developed and tested.

Examining the Functional Specification of Two-Parameter Model under Location and Scale Parameter Condition

OpenAIRE

Nakashima, Takahiro

2006-01-01

The functional specification of mean-standard deviation approach is examined under location and scale parameter condition. Firstly, the full set of restrictions imposed on the mean-standard deviation function under the location and scale parameter condition are made clear. Secondly, the examination based on the restrictions mentioned in the previous sentence derives the new properties of the mean-standard deviation function on the applicability of additive separability and the curvature of ex...

Mistral project: identification and parameter adjustment. Theoretical part; Projet Mistral: identification et recalage des modeles. Etude theorique

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Faille, D.; Codrons, B.; Gevers, M.

1996-03-01

This document belongs to the methodological part of the project MISTRAL, which builds a library of power plant models. The model equations are generally obtained from the first principles. The parameters are actually not always easily calculable (at least accurately) from the dimension data. We are therefore investigating the possibility of automatically adjusting the value of those parameters from experimental data. To do that, we must master the optimization algorithms and the techniques that are analyzing the model structure, like the identifiability theory. (authors). 7 refs., 1 fig., 1 append.

CCFpams: Atmospheric stellar parameters from cross-correlation functions

Science.gov (United States)

Malavolta, Luca; Lovis, Christophe; Pepe, Francesco; Sneden, Christopher; Udry, Stephane

2017-07-01

CCFpams allows the measurement of stellar temperature, metallicity and gravity within a few seconds and in a completely automated fashion. Rather than performing comparisons with spectral libraries, the technique is based on the determination of several cross-correlation functions (CCFs) obtained by including spectral features with different sensitivity to the photospheric parameters. Literature stellar parameters of high signal-to-noise (SNR) and high-resolution HARPS spectra of FGK Main Sequence stars are used to calibrate the stellar parameters as a function of CCF areas.

Adjustable Parameter-Based Distributed Fault Estimation Observer Design for Multiagent Systems With Directed Graphs.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Ke; Jiang, Bin; Shi, Peng

2017-02-01

In this paper, a novel adjustable parameter (AP)-based distributed fault estimation observer (DFEO) is proposed for multiagent systems (MASs) with the directed communication topology. First, a relative output estimation error is defined based on the communication topology of MASs. Then a DFEO with AP is constructed with the purpose of improving the accuracy of fault estimation. Based on H ∞ and H 2 with pole placement, multiconstrained design is given to calculate the gain of DFEO. Finally, simulation results are presented to illustrate the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed DFEO design with AP.

Urinary phthalate metabolites and male reproductive function parameters in Chongqing general population, China.

Science.gov (United States)

Han, Xue; Cui, Zhihong; Zhou, Niya; Ma, Mingfu; Li, Lianbing; Li, Yafei; Lin, Hui; Ao, Lin; Shu, Weiqun; Liu, Jinyi; Cao, Jia

2014-03-01

This study was designed to investigate the phthalates exposure levels in general population in Chongqing City of China, and to determine the possible associations between phthalate exposure and male reproductive function parameters. We recruited 232 general men through Chongqing Family Planning Research Institute and Reproductive Center of Chongqing. In a single spot urine sample from each man, phthalate metabolites, including mono-butyl phthalate (MBP), mono-ethyl phthalate (MEP), mono-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (MEHP), mono-benzyl phthalate (MBzP), phthalic acid (PA), and total PA were analyzed using solid phase extraction and coupled with high-performance liquid chromatography and detection by tandem mass spectrometry. Semen parameters were dichotomized based on World Health Organization reference values. Sperm DNA damage were analyzed using the alkaline single-cell gel electrophoresis assay. Reproductive hormones were determined in serum by the radioimmunoassay kit. We observed a weak association between urinary MBP concentration and sperm concentration in Chongqing general population. MBP levels above the median were 1.97 times (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.97-4.04) more likely to have sperm concentration below the reference value. There were no other associations between phthalate metabolites and reproductive function parameters after adjusted for potential risk factors. Our study suggested that general population in Chongqing area of China exposure to the environmental level of phthalate have weak or without adverse effects on the reproduction. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Setting parameters in the cold chain

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Victoria Rodríguez

2011-12-01

Full Text Available Breaks in the cold chain are important economic losses in food and pharmaceutical companies. Many of the failures in the cold chain are due to improper adjustment of equipment parameters such as setting the parameters for theoretical conditions, without a corresponding check in normal operation. The companies that transport refrigeratedproducts must be able to adjust the parameters of the equipment in an easy and quick to adapt their functioning to changing environmental conditions. This article presents the results of a study carried out with a food distribution company. The main objective of the study is to verify the effectiveness of Six Sigma as a methodological toolto adjust the equipment in the cold chain. The second objective is more speciÞ c and is to study the impact of: reducing the volume of storage in the truck, the initial temperature of the storage areain the truck and the frequency of defrost in the transport of refrigerated products.

Influence of cognition, premorbid adjustment and psychotic symptoms on psycho-social functioning in first-episode psychosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Grau, Norma; Rubio-Abadal, Elena; Usall, Judith; Barajas, Ana; Butjosa, Anna; Dolz, Montserrat; Baños, Iris; Sánchez, Bernardo; Rodríguez, Maria José; Peláez, Trinidad; Sammut, Stephanie; Carlson, Janina; Huerta-Ramos, Elena; Ochoa, Susana

2016-08-30

The aim of this study is to evaluate the relationship between psycho-social functioning and symptoms, cognitive function, and premorbid adjustment, in patients with a first-episode psychosis. Clinical data were obtained from 90 patients, who were assessed with the Disability Assessment Scale (DAS-sv), the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS), the Premorbid Adjustment Scale (PAS-S) and with a battery of cognitive tests including Trail Making Tests A and B (TMTA- B), Continous Performance Test (CPT), some subscales of the Wechler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS), and the Verbal Learning Test España-Complutense (TAVEC). The results of the study suggest that psycho-social functioning in first-episode psychosis is significantly related to: positive, negative, excitative, affective and disorganized symptoms, social premorbid adjustment, cognitive flexibility, working memory, short term and long term memory. Of these, those which best explained psycho-social functioning are the positive and excitative symptoms, premorbid adjustment, flexibility and memory. These findings highlight the importance early intervention on cognitive and clinical variables to help provide a better psycho-social functioning in people with a first-episode of psychosis. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

A linguistic approach to solving of the problem of technological adjustment of combines

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lyudmila V. Borisova

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Introduction: The article deals with a linguistic approach to the technological adjustment of difficult harvesters in field conditions. The short characteristic of subject domain is provided. The place of the task of adjustment of the combine harvester working bodies in harvesting is considered. Various groups of signs of the considered task are allocated: external signs of violation of quality of work, regulated parameters of the machine, and parameters of technical condition. The numerical data characterizing interrelations between external signs and parameters of the machine are provided. Materials and Methods: A combine harvester is the difficult dynamic system functioning under constantly changing external conditions. This fact imposes characteristics on the used methods of technological adjustment. Quantitative and qualitative information is used to control harvesting. Availability of different types of uncertainty in considering semantic spaces of factors of the external environment and parameters of the machine allows offering the method of technological adjustment based on an indistinct logical conclusion for the solution of the task. Results: As the analysis result, the decision making methodology for indistinct environment conditions is adapted for the studied subject domain. The generalized scheme of indistinct management of process is offered to technological adjustment of the machine. Models of the studied semantic spaces are considered. Feasibility of use of deductive and inductive conclusions of decisions for various tasks of preliminary setup and adjustment of technological adjustments is shown. The formal and logical scheme of the decision making process based on indistinct expert knowledge is offered. The scheme includes the main stages of the task solution: fazzifikation, composition and defazzifikation. The question of the quantitative assessment of expert knowledge coordination is considered. The examples of the formulation

Monogenic functions with parameters in Clifford analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Le Hung Son.

1990-02-01

In this paper we study some properties of monogenic functions taking values in a Clifford algebra and depending on several parameters. It is proved that the Hartogs extension theorems are valid for these functions and for the multi-monogenic functions, which contain solutions of many important systems of partial differential equations in Theoretical Physics. (author). 4 refs

A New Filled Function Method with One Parameter for Global Optimization

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fei Wei

2013-01-01

Full Text Available The filled function method is an effective approach to find the global minimizer of multidimensional multimodal functions. The conventional filled functions are numerically unstable due to exponential or logarithmic term and sensitive to parameters. In this paper, a new filled function with only one parameter is proposed, which is continuously differentiable and proved to satisfy all conditions of the filled function definition. Moreover, this filled function is not sensitive to parameter, and the overflow can not happen for this function. Based on these, a new filled function method is proposed, and it is numerically stable to the initial point and the parameter variable. The computer simulations indicate that the proposed filled function method is efficient and effective.

Consistent Parameter and Transfer Function Estimation using Context Free Grammars

Science.gov (United States)

Klotz, Daniel; Herrnegger, Mathew; Schulz, Karsten

2017-04-01

This contribution presents a method for the inference of transfer functions for rainfall-runoff models. Here, transfer functions are defined as parametrized (functional) relationships between a set of spatial predictors (e.g. elevation, slope or soil texture) and model parameters. They are ultimately used for estimation of consistent, spatially distributed model parameters from a limited amount of lumped global parameters. Additionally, they provide a straightforward method for parameter extrapolation from one set of basins to another and can even be used to derive parameterizations for multi-scale models [see: Samaniego et al., 2010]. Yet, currently an actual knowledge of the transfer functions is often implicitly assumed. As a matter of fact, for most cases these hypothesized transfer functions can rarely be measured and often remain unknown. Therefore, this contribution presents a general method for the concurrent estimation of the structure of transfer functions and their respective (global) parameters. Note, that by consequence an estimation of the distributed parameters of the rainfall-runoff model is also undertaken. The method combines two steps to achieve this. The first generates different possible transfer functions. The second then estimates the respective global transfer function parameters. The structural estimation of the transfer functions is based on the context free grammar concept. Chomsky first introduced context free grammars in linguistics [Chomsky, 1956]. Since then, they have been widely applied in computer science. But, to the knowledge of the authors, they have so far not been used in hydrology. Therefore, the contribution gives an introduction to context free grammars and shows how they can be constructed and used for the structural inference of transfer functions. This is enabled by new methods from evolutionary computation, such as grammatical evolution [O'Neill, 2001], which make it possible to exploit the constructed grammar as a

Performance of Comorbidity, Risk Adjustment, and Functional Status Measures in Expenditure Prediction for Patients With Diabetes

OpenAIRE

Maciejewski, Matthew L.; Liu, Chuan-Fen; Fihn, Stephan D.

2009-01-01

OBJECTIVE?To compare the ability of generic comorbidity and risk adjustment measures, a diabetes-specific measure, and a self-reported functional status measure to explain variation in health care expenditures for individuals with diabetes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS?This study included a retrospective cohort of 3,092 diabetic veterans participating in a multisite trial. Two comorbidity measures, four risk adjusters, a functional status measure, a diabetes complication count, and baseline ex...

TruMicro Series 2000 sub-400 fs class industrial fiber lasers: adjustment of laser parameters to process requirements

Science.gov (United States)

Kanal, Florian; Kahmann, Max; Tan, Chuong; Diekamp, Holger; Jansen, Florian; Scelle, Raphael; Budnicki, Aleksander; Sutter, Dirk

2017-02-01

and multi-level quad-loop stabilization of the output power of the laser.2 In addition to the well-established platform latest developments addressed single-pulse energies up to 50 μJ and made femtosecond pulse durations available for the TruMicro Series 2000. Beyond these stabilization aspects this laser architecture together with other optical modules and combined with smart laser control software enables process-driven adjustments of the parameters (e. g. repetition rate, multi-pulse functionalities, pulse energy, pulse duration) by external signals, which will be presented in this work.

Design of Safety Parameter Monitoring Function in a Research Reactor Facility

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Park, Jaekwan; Suh, Yongsuk [Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2014-05-15

The primary purpose of the safety parameter monitoring system (SPDS) is to help operating personnel in the control room make quick assessments of the plant safety status. Thus, the basic function of the SPDS is a provision of a continuous indication of plant parameters or derived variables representative of the safety status of the plant. NUREG-0737 Supplement 1 provides details of the functional criteria for the SPDS, as one of the action plan requirements from TMI accident. The system provides various functions as follows: · Alerting based on safety function decision logics, · Success path analysis to achieve the integrity of the safety functions, · 3 layer display architecture - safety function, success path display for each safety function, system summary and equipment details for each safety function, · Integration with computer-based procedure. According to a Notice of the NSSC No. 2012-31, a research reactor facility generating more than 2 MW of power should also be furnished with the SPDS for emergency preparedness. Generally, a research reactor is a small size facility, and its number of instrumentations is fewer than that of NPPs. In particular, it is actually hard to have various and powerful functions from an economic perspective. Therefore, a safety parameter display system optimized for a research reactor facility must be proposed. This paper provides the requirement analysis results and proposes the design of safety parameter monitoring function for a research reactor. The safety parameter monitoring function supporting control room personnel during emergency conditions should be designed in a research reactor facility. The facility size and number of signals are smaller than that of the power plants. Also, it is actually hard to have various and powerful functions of nuclear power plants from an economic perspective. Thus, a safety parameter display system optimized to a research reactor must be proposed. First, we found important design items

Design of Safety Parameter Monitoring Function in a Research Reactor Facility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, Jaekwan; Suh, Yongsuk

2014-01-01

The primary purpose of the safety parameter monitoring system (SPDS) is to help operating personnel in the control room make quick assessments of the plant safety status. Thus, the basic function of the SPDS is a provision of a continuous indication of plant parameters or derived variables representative of the safety status of the plant. NUREG-0737 Supplement 1 provides details of the functional criteria for the SPDS, as one of the action plan requirements from TMI accident. The system provides various functions as follows: · Alerting based on safety function decision logics, · Success path analysis to achieve the integrity of the safety functions, · 3 layer display architecture - safety function, success path display for each safety function, system summary and equipment details for each safety function, · Integration with computer-based procedure. According to a Notice of the NSSC No. 2012-31, a research reactor facility generating more than 2 MW of power should also be furnished with the SPDS for emergency preparedness. Generally, a research reactor is a small size facility, and its number of instrumentations is fewer than that of NPPs. In particular, it is actually hard to have various and powerful functions from an economic perspective. Therefore, a safety parameter display system optimized for a research reactor facility must be proposed. This paper provides the requirement analysis results and proposes the design of safety parameter monitoring function for a research reactor. The safety parameter monitoring function supporting control room personnel during emergency conditions should be designed in a research reactor facility. The facility size and number of signals are smaller than that of the power plants. Also, it is actually hard to have various and powerful functions of nuclear power plants from an economic perspective. Thus, a safety parameter display system optimized to a research reactor must be proposed. First, we found important design items

A Robust and Fast Method to Compute Shallow States without Adjustable Parameters: Simulations for a Silicon-Based Qubit

Science.gov (United States)

Debernardi, Alberto; Fanciulli, Marco

Within the framework of the envelope function approximation we have computed - without adjustable parameters and with a reduced computational effort due to analytical expression of relevant Hamiltonian terms - the energy levels of the shallow P impurity in silicon and the hyperfine and superhyperfine splitting of the ground state. We have studied the dependence of these quantities on the applied external electric field along the [001] direction. Our results reproduce correctly the experimental splitting of the impurity ground states detected at zero electric field and provide reliable predictions for values of the field where experimental data are lacking. Further, we have studied the effect of confinement of a shallow state of a P atom at the center of a spherical Si-nanocrystal embedded in a SiO2 matrix. In our simulations the valley-orbit interaction of a realistically screened Coulomb potential and of the core potential are included exactly, within the numerical accuracy due to the use of a finite basis set, while band-anisotropy effects are taken into account within the effective-mass approximation.

Metric-adjusted skew information

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Liang, Cai; Hansen, Frank

2010-01-01

on a bipartite system and proved superadditivity of the Wigner-Yanase-Dyson skew informations for such states. We extend this result to the general metric-adjusted skew information. We finally show that a recently introduced extension to parameter values 1 ...We give a truly elementary proof of the convexity of metric-adjusted skew information following an idea of Effros. We extend earlier results of weak forms of superadditivity to general metric-adjusted skew information. Recently, Luo and Zhang introduced the notion of semi-quantum states...... of (unbounded) metric-adjusted skew information....

Social Functioning and Adjustment in Chinese Children: The Imprint of Historical Time

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Xinyin; Cen, Guozhen; Li, Dan; He, Yunfeng

2005-01-01

This study examined, in 3 cohorts (1990, 1998, and 2002) of elementary school children (M age10 years), relations between social functioning and adjustment in different phases of the societal transition in China. Data were obtained from multiple sources. The results indicate that sociability-cooperation was associated with peer acceptance and…

Fast determination of plasma parameters through function parametrization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Braams, B.J.; Jilge, W.; Lackner, K.

1985-09-01

The method of function parametrization, developed by H. Wind for fast data evaluation in high energy physics, is demonstrated in the context of controlled fusion research. This method relies on a statistical analysis of a large data base of simulated experiments in order to obtain a functional representation for intrinsic physical parameters of a system in terms of the values of the measurements. Rapid determination of characteristic equilibrium parameters of a tokamak discharge is shown to be a particularly indicated application. The method is employed on the ASDEX experiment to determine the following parameters of the plasma: position of the magnetic axis, geometric center, and current center; minor radius, elongation, and area of the plasma column; a normalized safety factor at the plasma boundary; the Shafranov parameter βsub(p)+lsub(i)/2; the flux difference between the plasma boundary and an external reference value; the position of the lower and upper saddle points, and the intersections of the separatrix with the four divertor plates. The relevant measurements consist of three differential poloidal flux measurements, four poloidal field measurements, the current through the multipole shaping coils, and the total plasma current. Function parametrization supplies a very accurate interpretation of these data, which is now used for online data analysis, and is also sufficiently fast to be suitable for real-time control of the plasma. (orig.)

Probabilistic analysis of glass elements with three-parameter Weibull distribution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ramos, A.; Muniz-Calvente, M.; Fernandez, P.; Fernandez Cantel, A.; Lamela, M. J.

2015-01-01

Glass and ceramics present a brittle behaviour so a large scatter in the test results is obtained. This dispersion is mainly due to the inevitable presence of micro-cracks on its surface, edge defects or internal defects, which must be taken into account using an appropriate failure criteria non-deterministic but probabilistic. Among the existing probability distributions, the two or three parameter Weibull distribution is generally used in adjusting material resistance results, although the method of use thereof is not always correct. Firstly, in this work, the results of a large experimental programme using annealed glass specimens of different dimensions based on four-point bending and coaxial double ring tests was performed. Then, the finite element models made for each type of test, the adjustment of the parameters of the three-parameter Weibull distribution function (cdf) (λ: location, β: shape, d: scale) for a certain failure criterion and the calculation of the effective areas from the cumulative distribution function are presented. Summarizing, this work aims to generalize the use of the three-parameter Weibull function in structural glass elements with stress distributions not analytically described, allowing to apply the probabilistic model proposed in general loading distributions. (Author)

Atmospheric stellar parameters from cross-correlation functions

Science.gov (United States)

Malavolta, L.; Lovis, C.; Pepe, F.; Sneden, C.; Udry, S.

2017-08-01

The increasing number of spectra gathered by spectroscopic sky surveys and transiting exoplanet follow-up has pushed the community to develop automated tools for atmospheric stellar parameters determination. Here we present a novel approach that allows the measurement of temperature (Teff), metallicity ([Fe/H]) and gravity (log g) within a few seconds and in a completely automated fashion. Rather than performing comparisons with spectral libraries, our technique is based on the determination of several cross-correlation functions (CCFs) obtained by including spectral features with different sensitivity to the photospheric parameters. We use literature stellar parameters of high signal-to-noise (SNR), high-resolution HARPS spectra of FGK main-sequence stars to calibrate Teff, [Fe/H] and log g as a function of CCF parameters. Our technique is validated using low-SNR spectra obtained with the same instrument. For FGK stars we achieve a precision of σ _{{T_eff}} = 50 K, σlog g = 0.09 dex and σ _{{{[Fe/H]}}} =0.035 dex at SNR = 50, while the precision for observation with SNR ≳ 100 and the overall accuracy are constrained by the literature values used to calibrate the CCFs. Our approach can easily be extended to other instruments with similar spectral range and resolution or to other spectral range and stars other than FGK dwarfs if a large sample of reference stars is available for the calibration. Additionally, we provide the mathematical formulation to convert synthetic equivalent widths to CCF parameters as an alternative to direct calibration. We have made our tool publicly available.

Use of Multi-class Empirical Orthogonal Function for Identification of Hydrogeological Parameters and Spatiotemporal Pattern of Multiple Recharges in Groundwater Modeling

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, C. L.; Hsu, N. S.; Yeh, W. W. G.; Hsieh, I. H.

2017-12-01

This study develops an innovative calibration method for regional groundwater modeling by using multi-class empirical orthogonal functions (EOFs). The developed method is an iterative approach. Prior to carrying out the iterative procedures, the groundwater storage hydrographs associated with the observation wells are calculated. The combined multi-class EOF amplitudes and EOF expansion coefficients of the storage hydrographs are then used to compute the initial gauss of the temporal and spatial pattern of multiple recharges. The initial guess of the hydrogeological parameters are also assigned according to in-situ pumping experiment. The recharges include net rainfall recharge and boundary recharge, and the hydrogeological parameters are riverbed leakage conductivity, horizontal hydraulic conductivity, vertical hydraulic conductivity, storage coefficient, and specific yield. The first step of the iterative algorithm is to conduct the numerical model (i.e. MODFLOW) by the initial guess / adjusted values of the recharges and parameters. Second, in order to determine the best EOF combination of the error storage hydrographs for determining the correction vectors, the objective function is devised as minimizing the root mean square error (RMSE) of the simulated storage hydrographs. The error storage hydrograph are the differences between the storage hydrographs computed from observed and simulated groundwater level fluctuations. Third, adjust the values of recharges and parameters and repeat the iterative procedures until the stopping criterion is reached. The established methodology was applied to the groundwater system of Ming-Chu Basin, Taiwan. The study period is from January 1st to December 2ed in 2012. Results showed that the optimal EOF combination for the multiple recharges and hydrogeological parameters can decrease the RMSE of the simulated storage hydrographs dramatically within three calibration iterations. It represents that the iterative approach that

Polymer density functional theory approach based on scaling second-order direct correlation function.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Shiqi

2006-06-01

A second-order direct correlation function (DCF) from solving the polymer-RISM integral equation is scaled up or down by an equation of state for bulk polymer, the resultant scaling second-order DCF is in better agreement with corresponding simulation results than the un-scaling second-order DCF. When the scaling second-order DCF is imported into a recently proposed LTDFA-based polymer DFT approach, an originally associated adjustable but mathematically meaningless parameter now becomes mathematically meaningful, i.e., the numerical value lies now between 0 and 1. When the adjustable parameter-free version of the LTDFA is used instead of the LTDFA, i.e., the adjustable parameter is fixed at 0.5, the resultant parameter-free version of the scaling LTDFA-based polymer DFT is also in good agreement with the corresponding simulation data for density profiles. The parameter-free version of the scaling LTDFA-based polymer DFT is employed to investigate the density profiles of a freely jointed tangent hard sphere chain near a variable sized central hard sphere, again the predictions reproduce accurately the simulational results. Importance of the present adjustable parameter-free version lies in its combination with a recently proposed universal theoretical way, in the resultant formalism, the contact theorem is still met by the adjustable parameter associated with the theoretical way.

[Role of aerodynamic parameters in voice function assessment].

Science.gov (United States)

Guo, Yong-qing; Lin, Sheng-zhi; Xu, Xin-lin; Zhou, Li; Zhuang, Pei-yun; Jiang, Jack J

2012-10-01

To investigate the application and significance of aerodynamic parameters in voice function assessment. The phonatory aerodynamic system (PAS) was used to collect aerodynamic parameters from subjects with normal voice, vocal fold polyp, vocal fold cyst, and vocal fold immobility. Multivariate statistical analysis was used to compare measurements across groups. Phonation threshold flow (PTF), mean flow rate (MFR), maximum phonation time (MPT), and glottal resistance (GR) in one hundred normal subjects were significantly affected by sex (P efficiency (VE) were not (P > 0.05). PTP, PTF, MFR, SGP, and MPT were significantly different between normal voice and voice disorders (P 0.05). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis found that PTP, PTF, SGP, MFR, MPT, and VE in one hundred thirteen voice dis orders had similar diagnostic utility (P aerodynamic parameters of the three degrees of voice dysfunction due to vocal cord polyps were compared and found to have no significant differences (P > 0.05). PTP, PTF, MFR, SGP and MPT in forty one patients with vocal polyps were significantly different after surgical resection of vocal cord polyps (P aerodynamic parameters can objectively and effectively evaluate the variations of vocal function, and have good auxiliary diagnostic value.

Optimization of nonlinear wave function parameters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shepard, R.; Minkoff, M.; Chemistry

2006-01-01

An energy-based optimization method is presented for our recently developed nonlinear wave function expansion form for electronic wave functions. This expansion form is based on spin eigenfunctions, using the graphical unitary group approach (GUGA). The wave function is expanded in a basis of product functions, allowing application to closed-shell and open-shell systems and to ground and excited electronic states. Each product basis function is itself a multiconfigurational function that depends on a relatively small number of nonlinear parameters called arc factors. The energy-based optimization is formulated in terms of analytic arc factor gradients and orbital-level Hamiltonian matrices that correspond to a specific kind of uncontraction of each of the product basis functions. These orbital-level Hamiltonian matrices give an intuitive representation of the energy in terms of disjoint subsets of the arc factors, they provide for an efficient computation of gradients of the energy with respect to the arc factors, and they allow optimal arc factors to be determined in closed form for subspaces of the full variation problem. Timings for energy and arc factor gradient computations involving expansion spaces of > 10 24 configuration state functions are reported. Preliminary convergence studies and molecular dissociation curves are presented for some small molecules

Quasi-Newton methods for parameter estimation in functional differential equations

Science.gov (United States)

Brewer, Dennis W.

1988-01-01

A state-space approach to parameter estimation in linear functional differential equations is developed using the theory of linear evolution equations. A locally convergent quasi-Newton type algorithm is applied to distributed systems with particular emphasis on parameters that induce unbounded perturbations of the state. The algorithm is computationally implemented on several functional differential equations, including coefficient and delay estimation in linear delay-differential equations.

Adjoint Methods for Adjusting Three-Dimensional Atmosphere and Surface Properties to Fit Multi-Angle Multi-Pixel Polarimetric Measurements

Science.gov (United States)

Martin, William G.; Cairns, Brian; Bal, Guillaume

2014-01-01

This paper derives an efficient procedure for using the three-dimensional (3D) vector radiative transfer equation (VRTE) to adjust atmosphere and surface properties and improve their fit with multi-angle/multi-pixel radiometric and polarimetric measurements of scattered sunlight. The proposed adjoint method uses the 3D VRTE to compute the measurement misfit function and the adjoint 3D VRTE to compute its gradient with respect to all unknown parameters. In the remote sensing problems of interest, the scalar-valued misfit function quantifies agreement with data as a function of atmosphere and surface properties, and its gradient guides the search through this parameter space. Remote sensing of the atmosphere and surface in a three-dimensional region may require thousands of unknown parameters and millions of data points. Many approaches would require calls to the 3D VRTE solver in proportion to the number of unknown parameters or measurements. To avoid this issue of scale, we focus on computing the gradient of the misfit function as an alternative to the Jacobian of the measurement operator. The resulting adjoint method provides a way to adjust 3D atmosphere and surface properties with only two calls to the 3D VRTE solver for each spectral channel, regardless of the number of retrieval parameters, measurement view angles or pixels. This gives a procedure for adjusting atmosphere and surface parameters that will scale to the large problems of 3D remote sensing. For certain types of multi-angle/multi-pixel polarimetric measurements, this encourages the development of a new class of three-dimensional retrieval algorithms with more flexible parametrizations of spatial heterogeneity, less reliance on data screening procedures, and improved coverage in terms of the resolved physical processes in the Earth?s atmosphere.

Penalty parameter of the penalty function method

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Si, Cheng Yong; Lan, Tian; Hu, Junjie

2014-01-01

The penalty parameter of penalty function method is systematically analyzed and discussed. For the problem that Deb's feasibility-based rule doesnot give the detailed instruction as how to rank two solutions when they have the same constraint violation, an improved Deb's feasibility-based rule is...

Convexity Adjustments for ATS Models

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Murgoci, Agatha; Gaspar, Raquel M.

. As a result we classify convexity adjustments into forward adjustments and swaps adjustments. We, then, focus on affine term structure (ATS) models and, in this context, conjecture convexity adjustments should be related of affine functionals. In the case of forward adjustments, we show how to obtain exact...

Leg-adjustment strategies for stable running in three dimensions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Peuker, Frank; Maufroy, Christophe; Seyfarth, André

2012-01-01

The dynamics of the center of mass (CoM) in the sagittal plane in humans and animals during running is well described by the spring-loaded inverted pendulum (SLIP). With appropriate parameters, SLIP running patterns are stable, and these models can recover from perturbations without the need for corrective strategies, such as the application of additional forces. Rather, it is sufficient to adjust the leg to a fixed angle relative to the ground. In this work, we consider the extension of the SLIP to three dimensions (3D SLIP) and investigate feed-forward strategies for leg adjustment during the flight phase. As in the SLIP model, the leg is placed at a fixed angle. We extend the scope of possible reference axes from only fixed horizontal and vertical axes to include the CoM velocity vector as a movement-related reference, resulting in six leg-adjustment strategies. Only leg-adjustment strategies that include the CoM velocity vector produced stable running and large parameter domains of stability. The ability of the model to recover from perturbations along the direction of motion (directional stability) depended on the strategy for lateral leg adjustment. Specifically, asymptotic and neutral directional stability was observed for strategies based on the global reference axis and the velocity vector, respectively. Additional features of velocity-based leg adjustment are running at arbitrary low speed (kinetic energy) and the emergence of large domains of stable 3D running that are smoothly transferred to 2D SLIP stability and even to 1D SLIP hopping. One of the additional leg-adjustment strategies represented a large convex region of parameters where stable and robust hopping and running patterns exist. Therefore, this strategy is a promising candidate for implementation into engineering applications, such as robots, for instance. In a preliminary comparison, the model predictions were in good agreement with the experimental data, suggesting that the 3D SLIP is an

The Assessment of Family Functions, Dyadic Adjustment, and Parental Attitude in Adolescents with Substance Use Disorder.

Science.gov (United States)

Öngel Atar, Ayça; Yalçin, Özhan; Uygun, Ersin; Çiftçi Demirci, Arzu; Erdoğan, Ayten

2016-03-01

Family structure and family attitudes have been reported to be important factors in the development of substance use disorders. In this study, we aimed to assess the relationship between substance use and family functions, parental attitude, and parental dyadic adjustment of adolescents with substance use disorder. The study was conducted on 50 patients, comprising 9 female and 41 male adolescents between the ages of 14 and 18 years, treated at Bakırköy Mental Health Hospital, Substance Abuse Research, Treatment and Education Center for Children Adolescents (ÇEMATEM), Turkey, with the diagnosis of substance use disorder according to DSM-5 and their parents and a control group comprising 50 healthy adolescents without any psychopathology or substance use disorder and their parents. The study was designed as a matched case-control study for age and gender. Sociodemographic Data Form (SDF), Parental Attitude Scale (PAS), Dyadic Adjustment Scale (DAS), and Family Assessment Device (FAD) were applied to both groups. When the study and control groups were compared with regard to the PAS, the study group scores determined for "involvement-acceptance," "psychological autonomy," and "control-supervision" dimensions were significantly lower than the control group scores. Compared with the control group, dyadic adjustment was lower in terms of "dyadic cohesion," "dyadic consensus," and "affectional expression." Living with biological parents and the togetherness of parents were lower in the study group. "Problem solving," "communication," "roles," "affective responsiveness," "affective involvement," "behavior control," and "general functioning" dimension scores according to FAD were also significantly higher in the study group. Compared with togetherness of the controls, the dyadic adjustment of their parents was lower and family functions as perceived by the parents and adolescents were unhealthier in the adolescents using substances. These findings indicate that the

Morphology and function in the empirical analysis of reading adjustment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carpio, Claudio

2010-06-01

Full Text Available The present study evaluated the effects of varying the criterion and the morphology of the percentage of correct response upon reading adjustment tasks. Participants were 20 voluntary students, distributed in four groups, which were differentiated by the certainty - variability of the criterion and the certainty - variability of the morphology of response to satisfy the criterion. All participants were exposed to a first evaluation, training and finally a second evaluation similar to the first one was applied. Results question the role of morphology as a comprehension strategy independent of a functional criterion, domain and of the text itself

Integral parameters for the Godiva benchmark calculated by using theoretical and adjusted fission spectra of 235U

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Caldeira, A.D.

1987-05-01

The theoretical and adjusted Watt spectrum representations for 235 U are used as weighting functions to calculate K eff and θ f 28 /θ f 25 for the benchmark Godiva. The results obtained show that the values of K eff and θ f 28 /θ f 25 are not affected by spectrum form change. (author) [pt

Information sensitivity functions to assess parameter information gain and identifiability of dynamical systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Pant, Sanjay

2018-05-01

A new class of functions, called the 'information sensitivity functions' (ISFs), which quantify the information gain about the parameters through the measurements/observables of a dynamical system are presented. These functions can be easily computed through classical sensitivity functions alone and are based on Bayesian and information-theoretic approaches. While marginal information gain is quantified by decrease in differential entropy, correlations between arbitrary sets of parameters are assessed through mutual information. For individual parameters, these information gains are also presented as marginal posterior variances, and, to assess the effect of correlations, as conditional variances when other parameters are given. The easy to interpret ISFs can be used to (a) identify time intervals or regions in dynamical system behaviour where information about the parameters is concentrated; (b) assess the effect of measurement noise on the information gain for the parameters; (c) assess whether sufficient information in an experimental protocol (input, measurements and their frequency) is available to identify the parameters; (d) assess correlation in the posterior distribution of the parameters to identify the sets of parameters that are likely to be indistinguishable; and (e) assess identifiability problems for particular sets of parameters. © 2018 The Authors.

Hybrid artificial bee colony algorithm for parameter optimization of five-parameter bidirectional reflectance distribution function model.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Qianqian; Zhao, Jing; Gong, Yong; Hao, Qun; Peng, Zhong

2017-11-20

A hybrid artificial bee colony (ABC) algorithm inspired by the best-so-far solution and bacterial chemotaxis was introduced to optimize the parameters of the five-parameter bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) model. To verify the performance of the hybrid ABC algorithm, we measured BRDF of three kinds of samples and simulated the undetermined parameters of the five-parameter BRDF model using the hybrid ABC algorithm and the genetic algorithm, respectively. The experimental results demonstrate that the hybrid ABC algorithm outperforms the genetic algorithm in convergence speed, accuracy, and time efficiency under the same conditions.

Asymmetric adjustment

NARCIS (Netherlands)

2010-01-01

A method of adjusting a signal processing parameter for a first hearing aid and a second hearing aid forming parts of a binaural hearing aid system to be worn by a user is provided. The binaural hearing aid system comprises a user specific model representing a desired asymmetry between a first ear

Rapid adjustment of bird community compositions to local climatic variations and its functional consequences.

Science.gov (United States)

Gaüzère, Pierre; Jiguet, Frédéric; Devictor, Vincent

2015-09-01

The local spatial congruence between climate changes and community changes has rarely been studied over large areas. We proposed one of the first comprehensive frameworks tracking local changes in community composition related to climate changes. First, we investigated whether and how 12 years of changes in the local composition of bird communities were related to local climate variations. Then, we tested the consequences of this climate-induced adjustment of communities on Grinnellian (habitat-related) and Eltonian (function-related) homogenization. A standardized protocol monitoring spatial and temporal trends of birds over France from 2001 to 2012 was used. For each plot and each year, we used the spring temperature and the spring precipitations and calculated three indices reflecting the thermal niche, the habitat specialization, and the functional originality of the species within a community. We then used a moving-window approach to estimate the spatial distribution of the temporal trends in each of these indices and their congruency with local climatic variations. Temperature fluctuations and community dynamics were found to be highly variable in space, but their variations were finely congruent. More interestingly, the community adjustment to temperature variations was nonmonotonous. Instead, unexplained fluctuations in community composition were observed up to a certain threshold of climate change intensity, above which a change in community composition was observed. This shift corresponded to a significant decrease in the relative abundance of habitat specialists and functionally original species within communities, regardless of the direction of temperature change. The investigation of variations in climate and community responses appears to be a central step toward a better understanding of climate change effects on biodiversity. Our results suggest a fine-scale and short-term adjustment of community composition to temperature changes. Moreover

ADJUSTMENT OF MORPHOMETRIC PARAMETERS OF WATER BASINS BASED ON DIGITAL TERRAIN MODELS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Krasil'nikov Vitaliy Mikhaylovich

2012-10-01

Full Text Available The authors argue that effective use of water resources requires accurate morphometric characteristics of water basins. Accurate parameters are needed to analyze their condition, and to assure their appropriate control and operation. Today multiple water basins need their morphometric characteristics to be adjusted and properly stored. The procedure employed so far is based on plane geometric horizontals depicted onto topographic maps. It is described in the procedural guidelines issued in respect of the «Application of water resource regulations governing the operation of waterworks facilities of power plants». The technology described there is obsolete due to the availability of specialized software. The computer technique is based on a digital terrain model. The authors provide an overview of the technique implemented at Rybinsk and Gorkiy water basins in this article. Thus, the digital terrain model generated on the basis of the field data is used at Gorkiy water basin, while the model based on maps and charts is applied at Rybinsk water basin. The authors believe that the software technique can be applied to any other water basin on the basis of the analysis and comparison of morphometric characteristics of the two water basins.

Adjustment of Sentinel-2 Multi-Spectral Instrument (MSI Red-Edge Band Reflectance to Nadir BRDF Adjusted Reflectance (NBAR and Quantification of Red-Edge Band BRDF Effects

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

David P. Roy

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Optical wavelength satellite data have directional reflectance effects over non-Lambertian surfaces, described by the bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF. The Sentinel-2 multi-spectral instrument (MSI acquires data over a 20.6° field of view that have been shown to have non-negligible BRDF effects in the visible, near-infrared, and short wave infrared bands. MSI red-edge BRDF effects have not been investigated. In this study, they are quantified by an examination of 6.6 million (January 2016 and 10.7 million (April 2016 pairs of forward and back scatter reflectance observations extracted over approximately 20° × 10° of southern Africa. Non-negligible MSI red-edge BRDF effects up to 0.08 (reflectance units across the 290 km wide MSI swath are documented. A recently published MODIS BRDF parameter c-factor approach to adjust MSI visible, near-infrared, and short wave infrared reflectance to nadir BRDF-adjusted reflectance (NBAR is adapted for application to the MSI red-edge bands. The red-edge band BRDF parameters needed to implement the algorithm are provided. The parameters are derived by a linear wavelength interpolation of fixed global MODIS red and NIR BRDF model parameters. The efficacy of the interpolation is investigated using POLDER red, red-edge, and NIR BRDF model parameters, and is shown to be appropriate for the c-factor NBAR generation approach. After adjustment to NBAR, red-edge MSI BRDF effects were reduced for the January data (acquired close to the solar principal where BRDF effects are maximal and the April data (acquired close to the orthogonal plane for all the MSI red-edge bands.

Electron work function-a promising guiding parameter for material design.

Science.gov (United States)

Lu, Hao; Liu, Ziran; Yan, Xianguo; Li, Dongyang; Parent, Leo; Tian, Harry

2016-04-14

Using nickel added X70 steel as a sample material, we demonstrate that electron work function (EWF), which largely reflects the electron behavior of materials, could be used as a guide parameter for material modification or design. Adding Ni having a higher electron work function to X70 steel brings more "free" electrons to the steel, leading to increased overall work function, accompanied with enhanced e(-)-nuclei interactions or higher atomic bond strength. Young's modulus and hardness increase correspondingly. However, the free electron density and work function decrease as the Ni content is continuously increased, accompanied with the formation of a second phase, FeNi3, which is softer with a lower work function. The decrease in the overall work function corresponds to deterioration of the mechanical strength of the steel. It is expected that EWF, a simple but fundamental parameter, may lead to new methodologies or supplementary approaches for metallic materials design or tailoring on a feasible electronic base.

Physicochemical and functional parameters of Cochlospermum vitifolium (bototo gum exudate

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maritza Coromoto Martínez

2016-12-01

Full Text Available The physicochemical parameters of Cochlospermum vitifolium they were evaluated and were linked to certain functional properties of industrial interest. The physicochemical parameters were determined by the classic methodology used for carbohydrates and the functional properties, as reported in the literature. The results obtained showed that the gum object of this study is low soluble in water, which corresponds with relatively high values of swelling indexes and water absorption capacity. Also, the intrinsic viscosity of the C. vitifolium exudate was related to a high molar mass, in the order of 106. Its emulsifying capacity is high, which is attributed to hydrophobic groups present in its structure. The gum gels at a minimum concentration, similar to that of the gum karaya (4.5%, but the gel that forms agglomerates, it is not uniform. The C. vitifolium gum exhibits important physicochemical and functional parameters which could serve as a criterion for testing its use in various industries.

Bayesian Parameter Estimation via Filtering and Functional Approximations

KAUST Repository

Matthies, Hermann G.

2016-11-25

The inverse problem of determining parameters in a model by comparing some output of the model with observations is addressed. This is a description for what hat to be done to use the Gauss-Markov-Kalman filter for the Bayesian estimation and updating of parameters in a computational model. This is a filter acting on random variables, and while its Monte Carlo variant --- the Ensemble Kalman Filter (EnKF) --- is fairly straightforward, we subsequently only sketch its implementation with the help of functional representations.

Bayesian Parameter Estimation via Filtering and Functional Approximations

KAUST Repository

Matthies, Hermann G.; Litvinenko, Alexander; Rosic, Bojana V.; Zander, Elmar

2016-01-01

The inverse problem of determining parameters in a model by comparing some output of the model with observations is addressed. This is a description for what hat to be done to use the Gauss-Markov-Kalman filter for the Bayesian estimation and updating of parameters in a computational model. This is a filter acting on random variables, and while its Monte Carlo variant --- the Ensemble Kalman Filter (EnKF) --- is fairly straightforward, we subsequently only sketch its implementation with the help of functional representations.

The impact of premorbid adjustment, neurocognition, and depression on social and role functioning in patients in an early psychosis treatment program.

Science.gov (United States)

Minor, Kyle S; Friedman-Yakoobian, Michelle; Leung, Y Jude; Meyer, Eric C; Zimmet, Suzanna V; Caplan, Brina; Monteleone, Thomas; Bryant, Caitlin; Guyer, Margaret; Keshavan, Matcheri S; Seidman, Larry J

2015-05-01

Functional impairments are debilitating concomitants of psychotic disorders and are present early in the illness course and, commonly, prior to psychosis onset. The factors affecting social and role functioning in early psychosis (EP) following treatment are unclear. We evaluated whether six months of participation in the PREP(R), Boston, EP treatment program, part of a public-academic community mental health center, was related to improvements in social and role functioning and whether premorbid adjustment in adolescence, baseline neurocognition, and depression symptoms predicted functional improvement. The Global Functioning Social and Role scales, MATRICS neurocognitive battery, and Calgary Depression Scale were assessed at baseline and six months during naturalistic treatment, while premorbid adjustment was measured at baseline. All participants were psychotic disorder patients in PREP(R) (n = 46 with social functioning and 47 with role functioning measures at both time points). Large improvements were observed in role functioning (d = 0.84) and medium to large improvements were observed in social functioning (d = 0.70). Models consisting of adolescent premorbid adjustment and change in depression symptoms predicted social and role functioning change, whereas neuropsychological functioning did not. Substantial improvements in social and role functioning were observed among this sample participating in a recovery-based EP program. The impact of clinical factors on social and role functioning was highlighted. Further studies of premorbid adjustment in adolescence and the treatment of depression in EP programs in controlled treatment trials are needed to confirm these findings. © The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists 2015.

Changes in platelet functional parameters and CD62 P expression ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

EB

Objective: To investigate the changes in platelet functional parameters and CD62 P expression in liver cirrhosis as a possible .... bleeding and non-bleeding group with hepatic cirrhosis (±s). Group ... the body's coagulate function requirement.

Non-classicality criteria: Glauber-Sudarshan P function and Mandel ? parameter

Science.gov (United States)

Alexanian, Moorad

2018-01-01

We calculate exactly the quantum mechanical, temporal Wigner quasiprobability density for a single-mode, degenerate parametric amplifier for a system in the Gaussian state, viz., a displaced-squeezed thermal state. The Wigner function allows us to calculate the fluctuations in photon number and the quadrature variance. We contrast the difference between the non-classicality criteria, which is independent of the displacement parameter ?, based on the Glauber-Sudarshan quasiprobability distribution ? and the classical/non-classical behaviour of the Mandel ? parameter, which depends strongly on ?. We find a phase transition as a function of ? such that at the critical point ?, ?, as a function of ?, goes from strictly classical, for ?, to a mixed classical/non-classical behaviour, for ?.

Model parameters for representative wetland plant functional groups

Science.gov (United States)

Williams, Amber S.; Kiniry, James R.; Mushet, David M.; Smith, Loren M.; McMurry, Scott T.; Attebury, Kelly; Lang, Megan; McCarty, Gregory W.; Shaffer, Jill A.; Effland, William R.; Johnson, Mari-Vaughn V.

2017-01-01

Wetlands provide a wide variety of ecosystem services including water quality remediation, biodiversity refugia, groundwater recharge, and floodwater storage. Realistic estimation of ecosystem service benefits associated with wetlands requires reasonable simulation of the hydrology of each site and realistic simulation of the upland and wetland plant growth cycles. Objectives of this study were to quantify leaf area index (LAI), light extinction coefficient (k), and plant nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) concentrations in natural stands of representative plant species for some major plant functional groups in the United States. Functional groups in this study were based on these parameters and plant growth types to enable process-based modeling. We collected data at four locations representing some of the main wetland regions of the United States. At each site, we collected on-the-ground measurements of fraction of light intercepted, LAI, and dry matter within the 2013–2015 growing seasons. Maximum LAI and k variables showed noticeable variations among sites and years, while overall averages and functional group averages give useful estimates for multisite simulation modeling. Variation within each species gives an indication of what can be expected in such natural ecosystems. For P and K, the concentrations from highest to lowest were spikerush (Eleocharis macrostachya), reed canary grass (Phalaris arundinacea), smartweed (Polygonum spp.), cattail (Typha spp.), and hardstem bulrush (Schoenoplectus acutus). Spikerush had the highest N concentration, followed by smartweed, bulrush, reed canary grass, and then cattail. These parameters will be useful for the actual wetland species measured and for the wetland plant functional groups they represent. These parameters and the associated process-based models offer promise as valuable tools for evaluating environmental benefits of wetlands and for evaluating impacts of various agronomic practices in

Quality of life, psychological adjustment, and adaptive functioning of patients with intoxication-type inborn errors of metabolism - a systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

Zeltner, Nina A; Huemer, Martina; Baumgartner, Matthias R; Landolt, Markus A

2014-10-25

In recent decades, considerable progress in diagnosis and treatment of patients with intoxication-type inborn errors of metabolism (IT-IEM) such as urea cycle disorders (UCD), organic acidurias (OA), maple syrup urine disease (MSUD), or tyrosinemia type 1 (TYR 1) has resulted in a growing group of long-term survivors. However, IT-IEM still require intense patient and caregiver effort in terms of strict dietetic and pharmacological treatment, and the threat of metabolic crises is always present. Furthermore, crises can affect the central nervous system (CNS), leading to cognitive, behavioural and psychiatric sequelae. Consequently, the well-being of the patients warrants consideration from both a medical and a psychosocial viewpoint by assessing health-related quality of life (HrQoL), psychological adjustment, and adaptive functioning. To date, an overview of findings on these topics for IT-IEM is lacking. We therefore aimed to systematically review the research on HrQoL, psychological adjustment, and adaptive functioning in patients with IT-IEM. Relevant databases were searched with predefined keywords. Study selection was conducted in two steps based on predefined criteria. Two independent reviewers completed the selection and data extraction. Eleven articles met the inclusion criteria. Studies were of varying methodological quality and used different assessment measures. Findings on HrQoL were inconsistent, with some showing lower and others showing higher or equal HrQoL for IT-IEM patients compared to norms. Findings on psychological adjustment and adaptive functioning were more consistent, showing mostly either no difference or worse adjustment of IT-IEM patients compared to norms. Single medical risk factors for HrQoL, psychological adjustment, or adaptive functioning have been addressed, while psychosocial risk factors have not been addressed. Data on HrQoL, psychological adjustment, and adaptive functioning for IT-IEM are sparse. Studies are inconsistent in

Alcohol use longitudinally predicts adjustment and impairment in college students with ADHD: The role of executive functions.

Science.gov (United States)

Langberg, Joshua M; Dvorsky, Melissa R; Kipperman, Kristen L; Molitor, Stephen J; Eddy, Laura D

2015-06-01

The primary aim of this study was to evaluate whether alcohol consumption longitudinally predicts the adjustment, overall functioning, and grade point average (GPA) of college students with ADHD and to determine whether self-report of executive functioning (EF) mediates these relationships. Sixty-two college students comprehensively diagnosed with ADHD completed ratings at the beginning and end of the school year. Regression analyses revealed that alcohol consumption rated at the beginning of the year significantly predicted self-report of adjustment and overall impairment at the end of the year, above and beyond ADHD symptoms and baseline levels of adjustment/impairment but did not predict GPA. Exploratory multiple mediator analyses suggest that alcohol use impacts impairment primarily through EF deficits in self-motivation. EF deficits in the motivation to refrain from pursuing immediately rewarding behaviors in order to work toward long-term goals appear to be particularly important in understanding why college students with ADHD who consume alcohol have a higher likelihood of experiencing significant negative outcomes. The implications of these findings for the prevention of the negative functional outcomes often experienced by college students with ADHD are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).

Cognitive function is associated with prison behaviour among women in prison but not with subjective perception of adjustment to prison.

Science.gov (United States)

Rocha, Nuno B F; Fonseca, Duarte A; Marques, Alina B; Rocha, Susana A; Hoaken, Peter N S

2015-12-01

There is considerable evidence that aspects of cognitive function, especially executive function, are associated with antisocial behaviour and violence, but most research to date has measured current cognition and previous criminal behaviour. Furthermore, this research has been conducted almost exclusively with male offenders. The aim of this study is to examine relationships between a wide range of cognitive functions and behaviours among women in prison. Our hypotheses were that cognitive functioning would be associated with both more-or-less contemporaneously observed behaviour problems and self-rated adjustment to the environment. Forty-five drug-free imprisoned female offenders were individually assessed on a battery of cognitive measures. Prison staff rated their behaviour on the Prison Behaviour Rating Scale and the women rated their own sense of adjustment to the environment on the Prison Adjustment Questionnaire. Stepwise hierarchical regressions indicated that attention was independently associated with behaviours reflecting tension, depression, isolation, fear, victimisation and worry, whereas processing speed was independently associated with behaviours reflecting lack of energy, mental slowness and lack of awareness of the surrounding environment and total Prison Adjustment Questionnaire score. There was no relationship between cognitive functioning and subjective perception of adjustment to prison. Results indicate that cognition contributes to some of the behavioural problems displayed by inmates in the prison context. Future studies should evaluate the role of programmes to improve cognitive processes in also improving prison behaviour and also test for continuities and discontinuities with post-release integrative success. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

A metallic solution model with adjustable parameter for describing ternary thermodynamic properties from its binary constituents

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fang Zheng; Qiu Guanzhou

2007-01-01

A metallic solution model with adjustable parameter k has been developed to predict thermodynamic properties of ternary systems from those of its constituent three binaries. In the present model, the excess Gibbs free energy for a ternary mixture is expressed as a weighted probability sum of those of binaries and the k value is determined based on an assumption that the ternary interaction generally strengthens the mixing effects for metallic solutions with weak interaction, making the Gibbs free energy of mixing of the ternary system more negative than that before considering the interaction. This point is never considered in the models currently reported, where the only difference in a geometrical definition of molar values of components is considered that do not involve thermodynamic principles but are completely empirical. The current model describes the results of experiments very well, and by adjusting the k value also agrees with those from models used widely in the literature. Three ternary systems, Mg-Cu-Ni, Zn-In-Cd, and Cd-Bi-Pb are recalculated to demonstrate the method of determining k and the precision of the model. The results of the calculations, especially those in Mg-Cu-Ni system, are better than those predicted by the current models in the literature

Large parameter cases of the Gauss hypergeometric function

NARCIS (Netherlands)

N.M. Temme (Nico)

2002-01-01

textabstractWe consider the asymptotic behaviour of the Gauss hypergeometric function when several of the parameters {it a, b, c} are large. We indicate which cases are of interest for orthogonal polynomials (Jacobi, but also Meixner, Krawtchouk, etc.), which results are already available and

Gauge-fixing parameter dependence of two-point gauge-variant correlation functions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhai, C.

1996-01-01

The gauge-fixing parameter ξ dependence of two-point gauge-variant correlation functions is studied for QED and QCD. We show that, in three Euclidean dimensions, or for four-dimensional thermal gauge theories, the usual procedure of getting a general covariant gauge-fixing term by averaging over a class of covariant gauge-fixing conditions leads to a nontrivial gauge-fixing parameter dependence in gauge-variant two-point correlation functions (e.g., fermion propagators). This nontrivial gauge-fixing parameter dependence modifies the large-distance behavior of the two-point correlation functions by introducing additional exponentially decaying factors. These factors are the origin of the gauge dependence encountered in some perturbative evaluations of the damping rates and the static chromoelectric screening length in a general covariant gauge. To avoid this modification of the long-distance behavior introduced by performing the average over a class of covariant gauge-fixing conditions, one can either choose a vanishing gauge-fixing parameter or apply an unphysical infrared cutoff. copyright 1996 The American Physical Society

LSL: a logarithmic least-squares adjustment method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stallmann, F.W.

1982-01-01

To meet regulatory requirements, spectral unfolding codes must not only provide reliable estimates for spectral parameters, but must also be able to determine the uncertainties associated with these parameters. The newer codes, which are more appropriately called adjustment codes, use the least squares principle to determine estimates and uncertainties. The principle is simple and straightforward, but there are several different mathematical models to describe the unfolding problem. In addition to a sound mathematical model, ease of use and range of options are important considerations in the construction of adjustment codes. Based on these considerations, a least squares adjustment code for neutron spectrum unfolding has been constructed some time ago and tentatively named LSL

The Translation between Functional Requirements and Design Parameters for Robust Design

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Göhler, Simon Moritz; Husung, Stephan; Howard, Thomas J.

2016-01-01

The specification of and justification for design parameter (DP) tolerances are primarily based on the acceptable variation of the functions’ performance and the functions’ sensitivity to the design parameters. However, why certain tolerances are needed is often not transparent, especially...... computer aided functional tolerancing. Non-optimal tolerances yield potentials for cost improvements in manufacturing and more consistency of the functional performance of the product. In this contribution a framework is proposed to overcome the observed problems and increase the clarity, transparency...... and traceability of tolerances by analyzing the translation between the DPs and their influence on the final function....

Youths with ADHD with and without Tic Disorders: Comorbid Psychopathology, Executive Function and Social Adjustment

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Yu-Ju; Lai, Meng-Chuan; Gau, Susan Shur-Fen

2012-01-01

Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and tic disorders (TD) commonly co-occur. Clarifying the psychiatric comorbidities, executive functions and social adjustment difficulties in children and adolescents of ADHD with and without TD is informative to understand the developmental psychopathology and to identify their specific clinical…

Parameter Selection Method for Support Vector Regression Based on Adaptive Fusion of the Mixed Kernel Function

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hailun Wang

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Support vector regression algorithm is widely used in fault diagnosis of rolling bearing. A new model parameter selection method for support vector regression based on adaptive fusion of the mixed kernel function is proposed in this paper. We choose the mixed kernel function as the kernel function of support vector regression. The mixed kernel function of the fusion coefficients, kernel function parameters, and regression parameters are combined together as the parameters of the state vector. Thus, the model selection problem is transformed into a nonlinear system state estimation problem. We use a 5th-degree cubature Kalman filter to estimate the parameters. In this way, we realize the adaptive selection of mixed kernel function weighted coefficients and the kernel parameters, the regression parameters. Compared with a single kernel function, unscented Kalman filter (UKF support vector regression algorithms, and genetic algorithms, the decision regression function obtained by the proposed method has better generalization ability and higher prediction accuracy.

Bronchodilator response of advanced lung function parameters depending on COPD severity

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jarenbäck L

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Linnea Jarenbäck,1 Göran Eriksson,1 Stefan Peterson,2 Jaro Ankerst,1 Leif Bjermer,1 Ellen Tufvesson1 1Respiratory Medicine and Allergology, Department of Clinical Sciences Lund, Lund University, 2Regional Cancer Center South, Skåne University Hospital, Lund, Sweden Background: COPD is defined as partly irreversible airflow obstruction. The response pattern of bronchodilators has not been followed in advanced lung function parameters. Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate bronchodilator response pattern in advanced lung function parameters in a continuous fashion along forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1 percent predicted (%p in COPD patients and controls. Patients and methods: Eighty-one smokers/ex-smokers (41 controls and 40 COPD performed spirometry, body plethysmography, impulse oscillometry and single-breath helium dilution carbon monoxide diffusion at baseline, after salbutamol inhalation and then after an additional inhalation of ipratropium. Results: Most pulmonary function parameters showed a linear increase in response to decreased FEV1%p. The subjects were divided into groups of FEV1%p <65 and >65, and the findings from continuous analysis were verified. The exceptions to this linear response were inspiratory capacity (IC, forced vital capacity (FVC, FEV1/FVC and expiratory resistance (Rex, which showed a segmented response relationship to FEV1%p. IC and FVC, with break points (BP of 57 and 58 FEV1%p respectively, showed no response above, but an incresed slope below the BP. In addition, in patients with FEV1%p <65 and >65, response of FEV1%p did not correlate to response of volume parameters. Conclusion: Response of several advanced lung function parameters differs depending on patients’ baseline FEV1%p, and specifically response of volume parameters is most pronounced in COPD patients with FEV1%p <65. Volume and resistance responses do not follow the flow response measured with FEV1 and may thus be used as a

Function Projective Synchronization in Discrete-Time Chaotic System with Uncertain Parameters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen Yong; Li Xin

2009-01-01

The function projective synchronization of discrete-time chaotic systems is presented. Based on backstepping design with three controllers, a systematic, concrete and automatic scheme is developed to investigate function projective synchronization (FPS) of discrete-time chaotic systems with uncertain parameters. With the aid of symbolic-numeric computation, we use the proposed scheme to illustrate FPS between two identical 3D Henon-like maps with uncertain parameters. Numeric simulations are used to verify the effectiveness of our scheme. (general)

Obtaining the Varshni potential function using the 2-body Kaxiras–Pandey parameters

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TEIK-CHENG LIM

2009-12-01

Full Text Available A generalized version of the Varshni potential function was adopted by Kaxiras and Pandey for describing the 2-body energy portion of multi-body condensed matter. The former’s simplicity and resemblance to a Morse potential allows faster computation while the latter’s greater number of parameters allows better curve-fitting of spectroscopic data. This paper shows one set of parameter conversion from the Varshni function to the 2-body portion of the Kaxiras–Pandey function, and vice versa two sets of parameter conversion. The latter two sets reveal good correlation between plotted curves, and were verified by the imposition of equal energy curvatures at equilibrium and equal energy integral from equilibrium to dissociation. These parameter conversions can also be attained more easily by equating the product of indices (for short range and the summation of index reciprocals (for long range.

In Vitro Fertilization and the Family: Quality of Parenting, Family Functioning, and Child Psychosocial Adjustment.

Science.gov (United States)

Hahn, Chun-Shin; DiPietro, Janet A.

2001-01-01

Examined associations between in vitro fertilization (IVF) and parenting quality, family functioning, and emotional/behavioral adjustment of 3- to 7-year-olds. Found that IVF mothers reported greater protectiveness than mothers of naturally conceived children. Teachers rated IVF mothers as displaying greater warmth but not overprotective or…

The role of executive function in children's competent adjustment to middle school.

Science.gov (United States)

Jacobson, Lisa A; Williford, Amanda P; Pianta, Robert C

2011-01-01

Executive function (EF) skills play an important role in children's cognitive and social functioning. These skills develop throughout childhood, concurrently with a number of developmental transitions and challenges. One of these challenges is the transition from elementary into middle-level schools, which has the potential to significantly disrupt children's academic and social trajectories. However, little is known about the role of EF in children's adjustment during this transition. This study investigated the relation between children's EF skills, assessed both before and during elementary school, and sixth grade academic and social competence. In addition, the influences of the type of school setting attended in sixth grade on children's academic and behavioral outcomes were examined. EF assessed prior to and during elementary school significantly predicted sixth grade competence, as rated by teachers and parents, in both academic and social domains, after controlling for background characteristics. The interactions between type of school setting and EF skills were significant: Parents tended to report more behavioral problems and less regulatory control in children with weaker EF skills who were attending middle school. In contrast, teachers reported greater academic and behavioral difficulty in students with poorer EF attending elementary school settings. In conclusion, children's performance-based EF skills significantly affect adjustment to the academic and behavioral demands of sixth grade, with parent report suggesting greater difficulty for children with poorer EF in settings where children are provided with less external supports (e.g., middle school).

Mothers' depressive symptoms in infancy and children's adjustment in grade school: The role of children's sustained attention and executive function.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Yiji; Dix, Theodore

2017-09-01

On the basis of longitudinal data across 9 years, this study examined the contribution of sustained attention and executive function to the poor cognitive and socioemotional adjustment of school-age children whose mothers had depressive symptoms during the child's infancy. Mothers (N = 1,364) reported depressive symptoms across their child's infancy and early childhood. Maternal sensitivity was observed during laboratory interactions at 36 months. At school entry children's sustained attention and executive function were measured with computer-generated tasks. In third grade, cognitive and socioemotional adjustment was assessed with standardized tests and the reports of fathers and teachers. Using structural equation modeling, findings showed that (a) exposure to mothers' depressive symptoms during the child's infancy, independent of later exposure, uniquely predicted children's poor sustained attention and executive function at school entry; (b) deficits in children's sustained attention and executive function occurred because of depressed mothers' tendencies to display insensitive parenting behavior; and (c) these deficits explained in part relations between exposure to mothers' depressive symptoms in infancy and children's poor cognitive and socioemotional adjustment in third grade. Findings highlight the potential importance of children's exposure to mothers' depressive symptoms specifically during the child's infancy for disrupting the development of fundamental cognitive processes that may underlie the adjustment problems children of depressed mothers display in middle childhood. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

Adjustment guidance for cyclotron by real-time display of feasible setting regions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Okamura, Tetsuya; Murakami, Tohru

1990-01-01

A computer aided operation system for start-up of cyclotron is being developed in order to support operators who, through their experiences and intuition, adjust dozens of components to maximize extracted beam current. This paper describes a guidance method using real-time display of feasible setting regions of adjustment parameters. It is a function of the beam adjustment support system. The followings are the key points of this paper. (1) It is proposed that a cyclotron can be modeled as a series of mapping of beam condition. In this model, the adjustment is consider to be a searching process for a mapping which maps the beam condition into the acceptance of cyclotron. (2) The searching process is formulated as a nonlinear minimization problem. In order to solve this problem, a fast search algorithm composed of a line search method (golden section search) and an image processing method (border following) is developed. The solutions are the feasible setting regions. (3) A human interface which displays feasible setting regions and a search history is realized for the beam adjustment support system It enables that the operators and the computers cooperate the operation of beam adjustment. (author)

Dyadic sexual communication in pre-menopausal women with self-reported dyspareunia and their partners: associations with sexual function, sexual distress and dyadic adjustment.

Science.gov (United States)

Pazmany, Els; Bergeron, Sophie; Verhaeghe, Johan; Van Oudenhove, Lukas; Enzlin, Paul

2015-02-01

While there is increasing interest in studying aspects of communication processes in sex research, the association between dyadic sexual communication and relationship and sexuality outcomes has not yet been examined in pre-menopausal women with dyspareunia. To examine the associations between dyadic sexual communication and pain, sexual distress, sexual function and dyadic adjustment in women with self-reported dyspareunia and their male partners. Pre-menopausal women (n=38; M age=24.92, SD=6.12) with self-reported dyspareunia from a community sample and their partners (n=38; M age=26.71, SD=6.59) completed an online survey. The Actor-Partner Interdependence Model was used in order to investigate both actor and partner effects. Both members of the couple completed: (i) the Dyadic Sexual Communication Scale and (ii) the Dyadic Adjustment Scale; women also completed (iii) the Female Sexual Function Index, (iv) the Female Sexual Distress Scale, and (v) a Visual Analogue Scale on pain during intercourse; and men also completed (vi) the International Index of Erectile Functioning. Controlling for relationship duration, women's better dyadic sexual communication was significantly associated with their higher levels of sexual function (P=0.028), lower levels of sexual distress (P=0.003) and higher levels of dyadic adjustment (P=0.005), but not with their pain or men's sexual function or dyadic adjustment. Controlling for relationship duration, men's better dyadic sexual communication was associated with their higher levels of dyadic adjustment (P=0.027) but not with their sexual function, nor with women's sexual function or dyadic adjustment. These findings contribute to the theoretical knowledge on interaction processes in couples with dyspareunia and suggest that it may be important to enhance open and direct communication about sexual matters in couples with dyspareunia. © 2014 International Society for Sexual Medicine.

Improved Conjugate Gradient Bundle Adjustment of Dunhuang Wall Painting Images

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, K.; Huang, X.; You, H.

2017-09-01

Bundle adjustment with additional parameters is identified as a critical step for precise orthoimage generation and 3D reconstruction of Dunhuang wall paintings. Due to the introduction of self-calibration parameters and quasi-planar constraints, the structure of coefficient matrix of the reduced normal equation is banded-bordered, making the solving process of bundle adjustment complex. In this paper, Conjugate Gradient Bundle Adjustment (CGBA) method is deduced by calculus of variations. A preconditioning method based on improved incomplete Cholesky factorization is adopt to reduce the condition number of coefficient matrix, as well as to accelerate the iteration rate of CGBA. Both theoretical analysis and experimental results comparison with conventional method indicate that, the proposed method can effectively conquer the ill-conditioned problem of normal equation and improve the calculation efficiency of bundle adjustment with additional parameters considerably, while maintaining the actual accuracy.

Relationships between Electrokinetic Index of buccal epithelium and some functional and metabolic parameters at men with chronic pyelonephrite

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Iryna G. Kyrylenko

2016-01-01

  Abstracts   Background. Known for a number of parameters of the body, which through regression equations derived can assess biological age. We examined relationships between electrokinetic mobility buccal epithelium cell nuclei, named Electrokinetic Index (EKI, and some functional and metabolic parameters of body. Methods. Under a observations were 23 men by age 24-70 years with chronic pyelonephrite in the phase of remission. We estimated the EKI, state of the vegetative and hormonal regulation as well as metabolism of cholesterol. Results. We confirned closely correlation (r=-0,89 between Metric Age and EKI. Baevskiy’s Adaptation Potential and Stange’s Test together determines EKI on 28%. RMSSD, VLF and Baevskiy’s Stress Index determines EKI on 31%. Plasma Colesterol and Klimov’s Atherogenicity Coefficient determines EKI on 56%. In summary model of multiple regression with stepwise excluding are currently two last parameters as well as Plasma Testosterone and relative Power Spectral VLF HRV, which together determines EKI on 73%: R=0,868; R2=0,754; Adjusted R2=0,730;F(4,4=31,4; χ2(4=58,9; p<10-5. Conclusion. Electrokinetic Index of buccal epithelium really rellects neuro-endocrine regulation and metabolism of Cholesterol.   Keywords: Electrokinetic Index, Biological Age, HRV, Cholesterol, Testosterone, Cortisol, Relationships.

TREE AGE AS ADJUSTMENT FACTOR TO NDVI

OpenAIRE

Elias Fernando Berra; Denise Cybis Fontana; Tatiana Mora Kuplich

2018-01-01

ABSTRACT This study aimed to increase satellite-derived Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) sensitivity to biophysical parameters changes with aid of a forest age-based adjustment factor. This factor is defined as a ratio between stand age and age of rotation, which value multiplied by Landsat-5/TM-derived NDVI generated the so-called adjusted index NDVI_a. Soil Adjusted Vegetation Index (SAVI) was also calculated. The relationship between these vegetation indices (VI) with Eucalypt...

Evaluation of adjustment functions in a heuristic algorithm; Evaluacion de funciones de ajuste en un algoritmo heuristico

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Perusquia del Cueto, R.; Montes T, J. L.; Ortiz S, J. J.; Castillo M, A., E-mail: raul.perusquia@inin.gob.mx [ININ, Carretera Mexico-Toluca s/n, 52750 Ocoyoacac, Estado de Mexico (Mexico)

2011-11-15

At present the techniques of evolution al computation receive an increasing attention in the scientific and technological areas. This situation is due to its enormous potential in the optimization applied to problems of discussed computational complexity. In the nuclear area these techniques are used in diverse problems of combinatory optimization related with designing cores of power reactors. A distinctive characteristic of the evolution al and/or meta-heuristic algorithms is that appeal in each one from their applications to an adjustment function, fitness or of quality. This function allows to discriminate or to evaluate potentials solutions of the problem to solve. The definition of this situation is very important since it allows following the search of the algorithm toward different regions of the search space. In this work the impact that has the election of this function in the quality of the found solution is shown. The optimization technique by ant colonies or Acs (ant colony system) was used applied to the radial design of fuel cells for a boiling water power reactor. The notable results of the Acs allowed to propose the adjustment method of the importance and with this to obtain adjustment functions that guide the search of solutions of collective algorithms efficiently, basic capacity to develop the proposal of emulation of the natural selection and to investigate the possibility that on order of specify goals, to obtain the corresponding decision variables. A variety of re tro-exit (re tro-out) complementary process of feedback (re tro-in) that opens extended application perspectives of be feasible. (Author)

Will carbon motivated border tax adjustments function as a threat?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li Aijun; Zhang Aizhen

2012-01-01

Due to large incremental carbon emissions, China might become an important target country of CBTA (carbon motivated border tax adjustments). To levy CBTA could reduce China’s emissions. Meanwhile, China’s emissions reduction could also be achieved by China’s climate policies (termed as CBTA-emissions-equivalent policies). This paper contributes to the discussion on CBTA by comparing the potential regional effects of CBTA and CBTA-emissions-equivalent policies. The main findings are as follows: (1) CBTA and CBTA-emissions-equivalent policies would result in relocations of outputs across regions and countries, affect the structure of economy and contribute to world’s emissions reduction. (2) There would be significant differences in the regional effects between CBTA and CBTA-emissions-equivalent policies. (3) Compared to carbon tax, CBTA would be a costly and inefficient policy instrument to reduce emissions, but could function as an effective coercion strategy. (4) These policies would result in competitiveness issue and rebound effects, wherein different countries would be affected differently. China is a large economy and energy consumer with high openness to international trade. Looking ahead, the Chinese government should consider the potential interactions between China and other economies when designing tax reforms. - Highlights: ►We compare regional effects of CBTA (carbon motivated border tax adjustments) and CBTA-emissions-equivalent policies. ► We explore the interactions between China and other economies. ► We investigate the potential international externalities and their effects across countries.

Thyroid function and some related biochemical parameters in bilharzial liver disease

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ibrahim, W. Abdel Massih

1983-01-01

Bilharziasis in its different forms is estimated to affect at least 200 million people in the world (W.H.O., 1973). In egypt, it affects 60 - 70% of the rural population (WcMullen, 1963). Bilharzial ova reaches the liver with the portal blood stream causing a fibro - cellular reaction in and around the portal tract resulting in hepatic periportal fibrosis with various clinical stages (Abdalla et al., 1978 b). The effect of liver disease on thyroid function is still a subject of controversy and contradiction. While some reports are published on the effect of non-bilharzial liver disease on thyroid function, there is scanty studies as regards to bilharzial liver diseases . Most of the studies carried out to evaluate thyroid function in bilharzial liver disease, were focused on the estimation of one or two parameters of thyroid function e.g., T 3 and TSH. The available review of literature was focused on some parameters of thyroid function ignoring the others thyroid function tests and not considering the hormone carrier proteins. Thus resulting inconsistent and contradictory results (Ghareeb, 1962; El Haieg and Ibrahim, 1977)

Buncher system parameter optimization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wadlinger, E.A.

1981-01-01

A least-squares algorithm is presented to calculate the RF amplitudes and cavity spacings for a series of buncher cavities each resonating at a frequency that is a multiple of a fundamental frequency of interest. The longitudinal phase-space distribution, obtained by particle tracing through the bunching system, is compared to a desired distribution function of energy and phase. The buncher cavity parameters are adjusted to minimize the difference between these two distributions. Examples are given for zero space charge. The manner in which the method can be extended to include space charge using the 3-D space-charge calculation procedure is indicated

Determination of global heart function parameters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Adam, W.E.; Hoffmann, H.; Sigel, H.; Bitter, F.; Nechwatal, W.; Stauch, M.; Ulm Univ.; Freiburg Univ.

1980-01-01

1. ECG-triggered scintigraphy of the interior of the heart (radioactive ventriculography) is a reliable non-invasive technique for the acquisition of the global and regional function of the left ventricle. 2. The most important global parameter is the output function (OF) of the left ventricle. It can be measured exactly. The decrease of the OF under load is typical for coronary insufficience under load, but is not specifically. 3. A movement disturbance on the ground of a KHK is recognized with highest sensitivity at the decrease of the maximum relaxation velocity of the global left-ventricular time-activity characteristic (fast phase of filling). 4. Regional wall movement disturbances can be measured quantitatively by means of viewing the radioactive nucleid ventriculogramm at the display. 5. The quantitative measurement of the regional function needs an extensive analysis of the local time-activity characteristics of a representative coronary cycle. For this the amplitude and phase and the contraction and relaxation velocity of all time-activity characteristics is determined by Fourier analysis and their spatial distribution is drawn (parametric scan). 6. The parametric scans (distribution of amplitude, phase, contraction and relaxation velocities) describe the regional wall movement in detail, the reliability of its quantitative acquisition has to be approved by further investigations. (orig.) [de

Iterative method of the parameter variation for solution of nonlinear functional equations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Davidenko, D.F.

1975-01-01

The iteration method of parameter variation is used for solving nonlinear functional equations in Banach spaces. The authors consider some methods for numerical integration of ordinary first-order differential equations and construct the relevant iteration methods of parameter variation, both one- and multifactor. They also discuss problems of mathematical substantiation of the method, study the conditions and rate of convergence, estimate the error. The paper considers the application of the method to specific functional equations

IMPROVED CONJUGATE GRADIENT BUNDLE ADJUSTMENT OF DUNHUANG WALL PAINTING IMAGES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

K. Hu

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Bundle adjustment with additional parameters is identified as a critical step for precise orthoimage generation and 3D reconstruction of Dunhuang wall paintings. Due to the introduction of self-calibration parameters and quasi-planar constraints, the structure of coefficient matrix of the reduced normal equation is banded-bordered, making the solving process of bundle adjustment complex. In this paper, Conjugate Gradient Bundle Adjustment (CGBA method is deduced by calculus of variations. A preconditioning method based on improved incomplete Cholesky factorization is adopt to reduce the condition number of coefficient matrix, as well as to accelerate the iteration rate of CGBA. Both theoretical analysis and experimental results comparison with conventional method indicate that, the proposed method can effectively conquer the ill-conditioned problem of normal equation and improve the calculation efficiency of bundle adjustment with additional parameters considerably, while maintaining the actual accuracy.

Adjusting shape-memory properties of amorphous polyether urethanes and radio-opaque composites thereof by variation of physical parameters during programming

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cui, J; Kratz, K; Lendlein, A

2010-01-01

Various composites have been prepared to improve the mechanical properties of shape-memory polymers (SMPs) or to incorporate new functionalities (e.g. magneto-sensitivity) in polymer matrices. In this paper, we systematically investigated the influence of the programming temperature T prog and the applied strain ε m as parameters of the shape-memory creation procedure (SMCP) on the shape-memory properties of an amorphous polyether urethane and radio-opaque composites thereof. Recovery under stress-free conditions was quantified by the shape recovery rate R r and the switching temperature T sw , while the maximum recovery stress σ max was determined at the characteristic temperature T σ,max under constant strain conditions. Excellent shape-memory properties were achieved in all experiments with R r values in between 80 and 98%. σ max could be tailored from 0.4 to 3.7 MPa. T sw and T σ,max could be systematically adjusted from 33 to 71 °C by variation of T prog for each investigated sample. The investigated radio-opaque shape-memory composites will form the material basis for mechanically active scaffolds, which could serve as an intelligent substitute for the extracellular matrix to study the influence of mechanical stimulation of tissue development

Parameters extraction for perovskite solar cells based on Lambert W-function

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Ge Junyu

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The behaviors of the solar cells are decided by the device parameters. Thus, it is necessary to extract these parameters to achieve the optimal working condition. Because the five-parameter model of solar cells has the implicit equation of current-voltage relationship, it is difficult to obtain the parameters with conventional methods. In this work, an optimized method is presented to extract device parameters from the actual test data of photovoltaic cell. Based on Lambert W-function, explicit formulation of the model can be deduced. The proposed technique takes suitable method of selecting sample points, which are used to calculate the values of the model parameters. By comparing with the Quasi-Newton method, the results verify accuracy and reliability of this method.

Adjustment of activity coefficients as a function of changes in temperature, using the SIT

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Giffaut, E.; Vitorge, P.; Capdevila, H.

1993-11-01

The aim of this work is to propose and to check approximations to calculate from only a few experimental measurements, ionic strength, I, and temperature, T, influences on Gibbs energy, G, redox formal potential, E, and standard equilibrium constant, K. Series expansions versus T are first used: S and Cp/2T a are typically the -G first and second order terms. In the same way, -ΔH and T 2 ΔCp/2 are the first and second order terms of R in K expansions versus 1/T. This type of approximation is discussed for the E of the M 4+ /M 3+ , MO 2 2+ /MO 2 + and MO 2 (CO 3 ) 3 4- /MO 2 (CO 3 ) 3 5- couples (M = U or Pu) measured from 5 to 70 deg C, for the standard ΔG of some solid U compounds, calculated from 17 to 117 deg C, and for ΔCp, ΔG and Ig K of the CO 2 (aq)/HCO 3 - equilibrium from 0 to 150 deg C. Excess functions, X ex , are then calculated from activity coefficients, γ: enthalpy, H, or heat capacity, Cp, adjustment as a function of I changes is needed only when the γ adjustment as a function of T changes is needed. The SIT coefficient, ε, variations with T, are small and roughly linear for the above redox equilibria and for chloride electrolytes mean γ: first order expansion seems enough to deduce ε, and then the excess functions G ex , S ex and H ex , in this T range; but second order expansion is more consistent to estimate Cp ex . (authors). 25 refs., 3 tabs., 1 fig

Microwave, infrared and Raman spectra, adjusted r{sub 0} structural parameters, conformational stability, and vibrational assignment of cyclopropylfluorosilane

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Panikar, Savitha S. [Department of Chemistry, University of Missouri-Kansas City, Kansas City, MO 64110 (United States); Guirgis, Gamil A.; Eddens, Matthew T.; Dukes, Horace W. [Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, College of Charleston, Charleston, SC 29424 (United States); Conrad, Andrew R.; Tubergen, Michael J. [Department of Chemistry, Kent State University, Kent, OH 44242 (United States); Gounev, Todor K. [Department of Chemistry, University of Missouri-Kansas City, Kansas City, MO 64110 (United States); Durig, James R., E-mail: durigj@umkc.edu [Department of Chemistry, University of Missouri-Kansas City, Kansas City, MO 64110 (United States)

2013-03-29

Highlights: ► The most stable gauche conformer has been identified from microwave spectra. ► Enthalpy difference has been determined between the two forms. ► Adjusted r{sub 0} structures were obtained for the gauche form. ► Ab initio calculations were performed for the two conformers. - Abstract: FT-microwave, infrared spectra of gas and Raman spectra of liquid for cyclopropylfluorosilane, c-C{sub 3}H{sub 5}SiH{sub 2}F have been recorded. 51 transitions for the {sup 28}Si, {sup 29}Si, and {sup 30}Si isotopomers have been assigned for the gauche conformer. Enthalpy differences in xenon solution by variable temperature infrared spectra between the more stable gauche and lesser stable cis form gave 109 ± 9 cm{sup −1}. From the microwave rotational constants for the three isotopomers ({sup 28}Si, {sup 29}Si, {sup 30}Si) combined with structural parameters predicted from MP2(full)/6-311+G(d, p) calculations, adjusted r{sub 0} structural parameters were obtained for the gauche conformer. The heavy atom distances (Å): Si–C{sub 2} = 1.836(3); C{sub 2}–C{sub 4} = 1.525(3); C{sub 2}–C{sub 5} = 1.519(3); C{sub 4}–C{sub 5} = 1.494(3); Si–F = 1.594(3) and angles (°): ∠CSiF = 111.2(5); ∠SiC{sub 2}C{sub 4} = 117.5(5); ∠SiC{sub 2}C{sub 5} = 119.2(5). To support the vibrational assignments, MP2(full)/6-31G(d) calculations were carried out. Results are discussed and compared to the corresponding properties of some similar molecules.

Probability of detection as a function of multiple influencing parameters

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pavlovic, Mato

2014-10-15

Non-destructive testing is subject to measurement uncertainties. In safety critical applications the reliability assessment of its capability to detect flaws is therefore necessary. In most applications, the flaw size is the single most important parameter that influences the probability of detection (POD) of the flaw. That is why the POD is typically calculated and expressed as a function of the flaw size. The capability of the inspection system to detect flaws is established by comparing the size of reliably detected flaw with the size of the flaw that is critical for the structural integrity. Applications where several factors have an important influence on the POD are investigated in this dissertation. To devise a reliable estimation of the NDT system capability it is necessary to express the POD as a function of all these factors. A multi-parameter POD model is developed. It enables POD to be calculated and expressed as a function of several influencing parameters. The model was tested on the data from the ultrasonic inspection of copper and cast iron components with artificial flaws. Also, a technique to spatially present POD data called the volume POD is developed. The fusion of the POD data coming from multiple inspections of the same component with different sensors is performed to reach the overall POD of the inspection system.

Probability of detection as a function of multiple influencing parameters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pavlovic, Mato

2014-01-01

Non-destructive testing is subject to measurement uncertainties. In safety critical applications the reliability assessment of its capability to detect flaws is therefore necessary. In most applications, the flaw size is the single most important parameter that influences the probability of detection (POD) of the flaw. That is why the POD is typically calculated and expressed as a function of the flaw size. The capability of the inspection system to detect flaws is established by comparing the size of reliably detected flaw with the size of the flaw that is critical for the structural integrity. Applications where several factors have an important influence on the POD are investigated in this dissertation. To devise a reliable estimation of the NDT system capability it is necessary to express the POD as a function of all these factors. A multi-parameter POD model is developed. It enables POD to be calculated and expressed as a function of several influencing parameters. The model was tested on the data from the ultrasonic inspection of copper and cast iron components with artificial flaws. Also, a technique to spatially present POD data called the volume POD is developed. The fusion of the POD data coming from multiple inspections of the same component with different sensors is performed to reach the overall POD of the inspection system.

Availability of thermodynamic system with multiple performance parameters based on vector-universal generating function

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cai Qi; Shang Yanlong; Chen Lisheng; Zhao Yuguang

2013-01-01

Vector-universal generating function was presented to analyze the availability of thermodynamic system with multiple performance parameters. Vector-universal generating function of component's performance was defined, the arithmetic model based on vector-universal generating function was derived for the thermodynamic system, and the calculation method was given for state probability of multi-state component. With the stochastic simulation of the degeneration trend of the multiple factors, the system availability with multiple performance parameters was obtained under composite factors. It is shown by an example that the results of the availability obtained by the binary availability analysis method are somewhat conservative, and the results considering parameter failure based on vector-universal generating function reflect the operation characteristics of the thermodynamic system better. (authors)

The Role of Executive Function in Children’s Competent Adjustment to Middle School

Science.gov (United States)

Jacobson, Lisa A.; Williford, Amanda P.; Pianta, Robert C.

2012-01-01

Executive function (EF) skills play an important role in children’s cognitive and social functioning. These skills develop throughout childhood, concurrently with a number of developmental transitions and challenges. One of these challenges is the transition from elementary into middle-level schools, which has the potential to significantly disrupt children’s academic and social trajectories. However, little is known about the role of EF in children’s adjustment during this transition. This study investigated the relation between children’s EF skills, assessed both before and during elementary school, and sixth grade academic and social competence. In addition, the influences of the type of school setting attended in sixth grade on children’s academic and behavioral outcomes were examined. EF assessed prior to and during elementary school significantly predicted sixth grade competence, as rated by teachers and parents, in both academic and social domains, after controlling for background characteristics. The interactions between type of school setting and EF skills were significant: parents tended to report more behavioral problems and less regulatory control in children with weaker EF skills who were attending middle school. In contrast, teachers reported greater academic and behavioral difficulty in students with poorer EF attending elementary school settings. In conclusion, children’s performance-based EF skills significantly affect adjustment to the academic and behavioral demands of sixth grade, with parent report suggesting greater difficulty for children with poorer EF in settings where children are provided with less external supports (e.g., middle school). PMID:21246422

The analysis and realization of state-matrix parameters of a digital adjuster used for accelerator power system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Long Yindong; Zhao Long; Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing; Qiao Weimin; Jing Lan

2008-01-01

The power-control system of synchronized accelerator must be a high definition and real time system. In this paper we introduced a platform for parameter analysis and realization. As a necessary part of the digital adjustor, it is achieved by the method of state-space equation based on the Cyclone II for improving performance of the accelerator power-control system. With the platform, the object control in a precision range of up to 10 64 can be realized, depending on the optimum arithmetic and the MATLAB functions. In addition, considering the actual environment, the parameters the actual demands can be better met by choosing the parameters, providing a necessary support to achieve the higher definition and better real time adjustor. (authors)

Set up of a method for the adjustment of resonance parameters on integral experiments; Mise au point d`une methode d`ajustement des parametres de resonance sur des experiences integrales

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Blaise, P.

1996-12-18

Resonance parameters for actinides play a significant role in the neutronic characteristics of all reactor types. All the major integral parameters strongly depend on the nuclear data of the isotopes in the resonance-energy regions.The author sets up a method for the adjustment of resonance parameters taking into account the self-shielding effects and restricting the cross section deconvolution problem to a limited energy region. (N.T.).

SELECTION OF LINEAR DEMAND FUNCTION PARAMETERS FOR ENSURING THE CORRECT SUBSTITUTION EFFECT CALCULATION

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

V. Popov

2013-03-01

Full Text Available In the course of microeconomics it is convenient to use additive functions of requirements in educational purposes, in which the volume of requirements is set by the linear function of the price, revenue and other factors. But in arriving at the substitution effect there is a number of problems in which impossible answers come out. The formula adjustment concluded by the author, which will allow to avoid contradictions, is described in the article.

Pedotransfer functions estimating soil hydraulic properties using different soil parameters

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Børgesen, Christen Duus; Iversen, Bo Vangsø; Jacobsen, Ole Hørbye

2008-01-01

Estimates of soil hydraulic properties using pedotransfer functions (PTF) are useful in many studies such as hydrochemical modelling and soil mapping. The objective of this study was to calibrate and test parametric PTFs that predict soil water retention and unsaturated hydraulic conductivity...... parameters. The PTFs are based on neural networks and the Bootstrap method using different sets of predictors and predict the van Genuchten/Mualem parameters. A Danish soil data set (152 horizons) dominated by sandy and sandy loamy soils was used in the development of PTFs to predict the Mualem hydraulic...... conductivity parameters. A larger data set (1618 horizons) with a broader textural range was used in the development of PTFs to predict the van Genuchten parameters. The PTFs using either three or seven textural classes combined with soil organic mater and bulk density gave the most reliable predictions...

ESTIMATION OF PARAMETERS AND RELIABILITY FUNCTION OF EXPONENTIATED EXPONENTIAL DISTRIBUTION: BAYESIAN APPROACH UNDER GENERAL ENTROPY LOSS FUNCTION

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sanjay Kumar Singh

2011-06-01

Full Text Available In this Paper we propose Bayes estimators of the parameters of Exponentiated Exponential distribution and Reliability functions under General Entropy loss function for Type II censored sample. The proposed estimators have been compared with the corresponding Bayes estimators obtained under Squared Error loss function and maximum likelihood estimators for their simulated risks (average loss over sample space.

Influence of PM1 and PM2.5 on lung function parameters in healthy schoolchildren-a panel study.

Science.gov (United States)

Zwozdziak, A; Sówka, I; Willak-Janc, E; Zwozdziak, J; Kwiecińska, K; Balińska-Miśkiewicz, W

2016-12-01

To evaluate lung function responses to short-term indoor PM 1 and PM 2.5 concentrations, we conducted a panel study of healthy schoolchildren aged 13-14 years. The following lung function parameters FVC, FEV 1 , PEF, and mid expiratory flows MEF 25 , MEF 50 , and MEF 75 were measured in 141 schoolchildren of the secondary school in Wroclaw, Poland in years 2009-2010. On days when spirometry tests were conducted, simultaneously, PM 1 and PM 2.5 samples were collected inside the school premises. Information about differentiating factors for children including smoking parents, sex, living close to busy streets, dust, mold, and pollen allergies were collected by means of questionnaires. To account for repeated measurements, the method of generalized estimating equations (GEE) was used. The GEE models for the entire group of children revealed the adverse effects (p < 0.05) of PM 1 and PM 2.5 . Small differences in effects estimates per interquartile range (IQR) of PM 1 and PM 2.5 on MEF 25 (5.1 and 4.8 %), MEF 50 (3.7 and 3.9 %), MEF 75 (3.5 and 3.6 %) and FEV 1 (1.3 and 1.0 %) imply that PM 1 was likely the component of PM 2.5 that might have a principal health effect on these lung function parameters. However, the reduction of FVC and PEF per IQR for PM 2.5 (2.1 and 5.2 %, respectively) was higher than for PM 1 (1.0 and 4.4 %, respectively). Adjustment for potential confounders did not change the unadjusted analysis.

On Parameter Differentiation for Integral Representations of Associated Legendre Functions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Howard S. Cohl

2011-05-01

Full Text Available For integral representations of associated Legendre functions in terms of modified Bessel functions, we establish justification for differentiation under the integral sign with respect to parameters. With this justification, derivatives for associated Legendre functions of the first and second kind with respect to the degree are evaluated at odd-half-integer degrees, for general complex-orders, and derivatives with respect to the order are evaluated at integer-orders, for general complex-degrees. We also discuss the properties of the complex function f: C{−1,1}→C given by f(z=z/((z+1^{1/2}(z−1^{1/2}.

Determination of resonance parameters in QCD by functional analysis methods

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ciulli, S.; Geniet, F.; Papadopoulos, N.A.; Schilcher, K.

1988-01-01

A mathematically rigorous method based on functional analysis is used to determine resonance parameters of an amplitude from its given asymptotic expression in the space-like region. This method is checked on a model amplitude where both the asymptotic expression and the exact function are known. This method is then applied to the determination of the mass and the width of the ρ-meson from the corresponding space-like asymptotic QCD expression. (orig.)

Identification and adjustment of experimental occlusal interference using functional magnetic resonance imaging.

Science.gov (United States)

Oda, Masafumi; Yoshino, Kenichi; Tanaka, Tatsurou; Shiiba, Shunji; Makihara, Eri; Miyamoto, Ikuya; Nogami, Shinnosuke; Kito, Shinji; Wakasugi-Sato, Nao; Matsumoto-Takeda, Shinobu; Nishimura, Shun; Murakami, Keita; Koga, Masahiro; Kawagishi, Shigenori; Yoshioka, Izumi; Masumi, Shin-Ichi; Kimura, Mitsutaka; Morimoto, Yasuhiro

2014-10-10

The purpose of this study was to use functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to quantify changes in brain activity during experimental occlusal interference. Fourteen healthy volunteers performed a rhythmical tapping occlusion task with experimental occlusal interference of the right molar tooth at 0 mm (no occlusion), 0.5 mm, and 0.75 mm. The blood-oxygen-level dependent (BOLD) signal was quantified using statistical parametric mapping and compared between rest periods and task periods. In tapping tasks with experimental occlusal interference of 0.75 mm or 0.5 mm, there was clear activation of the contralateral teeth-related primary sensory cortex and Brodmann's area 46. At 0 and 30 minutes after removal of the experimental occlusal interference, the activation clearly appeared in the bilateral teeth-related primary sensory cortices and Brodmann's area 46. At 60 minutes after the removal of the experimental occlusal interference, the activation of Brodmann's area 46 had disappeared, and only the bilateral teeth-related primary sensory cortices were active. The present results suggest that adjustments for experimental occlusal interference can be objectively evaluated using fMRI. We expect that this method of evaluating adjustments in occlusal interference, combined with fMRI and the tapping task, could be applied clinically in the future.

On certain aspects of reproductive function preservation and social adjustment following complex treatment for Hodgkin's disease in childhood

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Susuleva, N.A.; Il'yashenko, V.V.

1997-01-01

Data on the reproductive status and social adjustment of 443 children exposed to combined treatment of Hodgkin's disease according 3 different programs (from 1976 up to 1994). 1 program consists of chemoradiotherapy, 2 program includes the irradiation of zones of primary injury (cumulative dose up to 40 Gy), 3 program stipulates the irradiation of zones of primary injury at the cumulative dose 30 Gy. 258 patients reach the age of 18. It is shown that the treatment in childhood does not affect considerably the reproductive function and social adjustment

A Note on the Item Information Function of the Four-Parameter Logistic Model

Science.gov (United States)

Magis, David

2013-01-01

This article focuses on four-parameter logistic (4PL) model as an extension of the usual three-parameter logistic (3PL) model with an upper asymptote possibly different from 1. For a given item with fixed item parameters, Lord derived the value of the latent ability level that maximizes the item information function under the 3PL model. The…

Diagnosis function of safety status in the safety parameter display system (SPDS)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Yuanfang

1993-04-01

An automatic diagnosis function of safety status for nuclear power plant adopted in the SPDS is introduced. To guarantee diagnosis diversification, two diagnosis criteria of a design basis accident monitoring and a critical safety function monitoring used in plant emergency operation are provided. As an extensive function, a parameter deviation monitoring used in plant normal operation is also provided

Identification of optimal soil hydraulic functions and parameters for predicting soil moisture

Science.gov (United States)

We examined the accuracy of several commonly used soil hydraulic functions and associated parameters for predicting observed soil moisture data. We used six combined methods formed by three commonly used soil hydraulic functions – i.e., Brooks and Corey (1964) (BC), Campbell (19...

Sensitivity of Calibrated Parameters and Water Resource Estimates on Different Objective Functions and Optimization Algorithms

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Delaram Houshmand Kouchi

2017-05-01

Full Text Available The successful application of hydrological models relies on careful calibration and uncertainty analysis. However, there are many different calibration/uncertainty analysis algorithms, and each could be run with different objective functions. In this paper, we highlight the fact that each combination of optimization algorithm-objective functions may lead to a different set of optimum parameters, while having the same performance; this makes the interpretation of dominant hydrological processes in a watershed highly uncertain. We used three different optimization algorithms (SUFI-2, GLUE, and PSO, and eight different objective functions (R2, bR2, NSE, MNS, RSR, SSQR, KGE, and PBIAS in a SWAT model to calibrate the monthly discharges in two watersheds in Iran. The results show that all three algorithms, using the same objective function, produced acceptable calibration results; however, with significantly different parameter ranges. Similarly, an algorithm using different objective functions also produced acceptable calibration results, but with different parameter ranges. The different calibrated parameter ranges consequently resulted in significantly different water resource estimates. Hence, the parameters and the outputs that they produce in a calibrated model are “conditioned” on the choices of the optimization algorithm and objective function. This adds another level of non-negligible uncertainty to watershed models, calling for more attention and investigation in this area.

Obtention of the parameters of the Voigt function using the least square fit method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Flores Ll, H.; Cabral P, A.; Jimenez D, H.

1990-01-01

The fundamental parameters of the Voigt function are determined: lorentzian wide (Γ L ) and gaussian wide (Γ G ) with an error for almost all the cases inferior to 1% in the intervals 0.01 ≤ Γ L / Γ G ≤1 and 0.3 ≤ Γ G / Γ L ≤1. This is achieved using the least square fit method with an algebraic function, being obtained a simple method to obtain the fundamental parameters of the Voigt function used in many spectroscopies. (Author)

FITS: a function-fitting program

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Balestrini, S.J.; Chezem, C.G.

1982-01-01

FITS is an iterating computer program that adjusts the parameters of a function to fit a set of data points according to the least squares criterion and then lists and plots the results. The function can be programmed or chosen from a library that is provided. The library can be expanded to include up to 99 functions. A general plotting routine, contained in the program but useful in its own right, is described separately in an Appendix.

Sequential and simultaneous SLAR block adjustment. [spline function analysis for mapping

Science.gov (United States)

Leberl, F.

1975-01-01

Two sequential methods of planimetric SLAR (Side Looking Airborne Radar) block adjustment, with and without splines, and three simultaneous methods based on the principles of least squares are evaluated. A limited experiment with simulated SLAR images indicates that sequential block formation with splines followed by external interpolative adjustment is superior to the simultaneous methods such as planimetric block adjustment with similarity transformations. The use of the sequential block formation is recommended, since it represents an inexpensive tool for satisfactory point determination from SLAR images.

An improved parameter estimation and comparison for soft tissue constitutive models containing an exponential function.

Science.gov (United States)

Aggarwal, Ankush

2017-08-01

Motivated by the well-known result that stiffness of soft tissue is proportional to the stress, many of the constitutive laws for soft tissues contain an exponential function. In this work, we analyze properties of the exponential function and how it affects the estimation and comparison of elastic parameters for soft tissues. In particular, we find that as a consequence of the exponential function there are lines of high covariance in the elastic parameter space. As a result, one can have widely varying mechanical parameters defining the tissue stiffness but similar effective stress-strain responses. Drawing from elementary algebra, we propose simple changes in the norm and the parameter space, which significantly improve the convergence of parameter estimation and robustness in the presence of noise. More importantly, we demonstrate that these changes improve the conditioning of the problem and provide a more robust solution in the case of heterogeneous material by reducing the chances of getting trapped in a local minima. Based upon the new insight, we also propose a transformed parameter space which will allow for rational parameter comparison and avoid misleading conclusions regarding soft tissue mechanics.

Adaptive generalized function projective lag synchronization of different chaotic systems with fully uncertain parameters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wu Xiangjun; Lu Hongtao

2011-01-01

Highlights: → Adaptive generalized function projective lag synchronization (AGFPLS) is proposed. → Two uncertain chaos systems are lag synchronized up to a scaling function matrix. → The synchronization speed is sensitively influenced by the control gains. → The AGFPLS scheme is robust against noise perturbation. - Abstract: In this paper, a novel projective synchronization scheme called adaptive generalized function projective lag synchronization (AGFPLS) is proposed. In the AGFPLS method, the states of two different chaotic systems with fully uncertain parameters are asymptotically lag synchronized up to a desired scaling function matrix. By means of the Lyapunov stability theory, an adaptive controller with corresponding parameter update rule is designed for achieving AGFPLS between two diverse chaotic systems and estimating the unknown parameters. This technique is employed to realize AGFPLS between uncertain Lue chaotic system and uncertain Liu chaotic system, and between Chen hyperchaotic system and Lorenz hyperchaotic system with fully uncertain parameters, respectively. Furthermore, AGFPLS between two different uncertain chaotic systems can still be achieved effectively with the existence of noise perturbation. The corresponding numerical simulations are performed to demonstrate the validity and robustness of the presented synchronization method.

Signal detection theory and vestibular perception: III. Estimating unbiased fit parameters for psychometric functions.

Science.gov (United States)

Chaudhuri, Shomesh E; Merfeld, Daniel M

2013-03-01

Psychophysics generally relies on estimating a subject's ability to perform a specific task as a function of an observed stimulus. For threshold studies, the fitted functions are called psychometric functions. While fitting psychometric functions to data acquired using adaptive sampling procedures (e.g., "staircase" procedures), investigators have encountered a bias in the spread ("slope" or "threshold") parameter that has been attributed to the serial dependency of the adaptive data. Using simulations, we confirm this bias for cumulative Gaussian parametric maximum likelihood fits on data collected via adaptive sampling procedures, and then present a bias-reduced maximum likelihood fit that substantially reduces the bias without reducing the precision of the spread parameter estimate and without reducing the accuracy or precision of the other fit parameters. As a separate topic, we explain how to implement this bias reduction technique using generalized linear model fits as well as other numeric maximum likelihood techniques such as the Nelder-Mead simplex. We then provide a comparison of the iterative bootstrap and observed information matrix techniques for estimating parameter fit variance from adaptive sampling procedure data sets. The iterative bootstrap technique is shown to be slightly more accurate; however, the observed information technique executes in a small fraction (0.005 %) of the time required by the iterative bootstrap technique, which is an advantage when a real-time estimate of parameter fit variance is required.

Application of extreme value distribution function in the determination of standard meteorological parameters for nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jiang Haimei; Liu Xinjian; Qiu Lin; Li Fengju

2014-01-01

Based on the meteorological data from weather stations around several domestic nuclear power plants, the statistical results of extreme minimum temperatures, minimum. central pressures of tropical cyclones and some other parameters are calculated using extreme value I distribution function (EV- I), generalized extreme value distribution function (GEV) and generalized Pareto distribution function (GP), respectively. The influence of different distribution functions and parameter solution methods on the statistical results of extreme values is investigated. Results indicate that generalized extreme value function has better applicability than the other two distribution functions in the determination of standard meteorological parameters for nuclear power plants. (authors)

Cooperation in a dynamical adjustment of duopoly game with incomplete information

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ding Zhanwen; Shi Guiping

2009-01-01

In the output competition of Cournot game, the adjustment of output is considered under the circumstances that participants have incomplete information. In this paper, two strategies with output's adjustment are mainly discussed: the tit-for-tat strategy and the tit-for-tat strategy with cooperative intention and their dynamic systems, respectively. The result shows that the tit-for-tat strategy may lead to the cooperation of them, but the stability of adjustment system is sensitive to the parameters; while the tit-for-tat strategy with cooperative intention can make the Pareto Optimality stable within the parameters' certain scope.

Childhood cruelty to animals in China: the relationship with psychological adjustment and family functioning.

Science.gov (United States)

Wong, J; Mellor, D; Richardson, B; Xu, X

2013-09-01

The current study broadened the general scope of research conducted on childhood cruelty to animals by examining the association between psychological adjustment, family functioning and animal cruelty in an Eastern context, China. The mothers and fathers of 729 children attending primary school in Chengdu, China participated in this study. Each parent completed the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire, the Chinese Family Assessment Instrument, and the Children's Attitudes and Behaviours towards Animals questionnaire. Findings from an actor partner interdependence model demonstrated that parents' ratings of family functioning and of their child's externalizing coping style predicted only modest amounts of variance in animal cruelty. In particular, parents' ratings of their child's externalizing coping style most consistently predicted animal cruelty. Family functioning, fathers' ratings in particular, played a minor role, more so for boys compared with girls. This study provided the first insight into childhood animal cruelty in China, and suggests that further research may enhance our understanding of these phenomena. © 2012 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

The Prabhakar or three parameter Mittag-Leffler function: Theory and application

Science.gov (United States)

Garra, Roberto; Garrappa, Roberto

2018-03-01

The Prabhakar function (namely, a three parameter Mittag-Leffler function) is investigated. This function plays a fundamental role in the description of the anomalous dielectric properties in disordered materials and heterogeneous systems manifesting simultaneous nonlocality and nonlinearity and, more generally, in models of Havriliak-Negami type. After reviewing some of the main properties of the function, the asymptotic expansion for large arguments is investigated in the whole complex plane and, with major emphasis, along the negative semi-axis. Fractional integral and derivative operators of Prabhakar type are hence considered and some nonlinear heat conduction equations with memory involving Prabhakar derivatives are studied.

Lung function parameters of healthy Sri Lankan Tamil young adults.

Science.gov (United States)

Balasubramaniam, M; Sivapalan, K; Thuvarathipan, R

2014-06-01

To establish reference norms of lung function parameters for healthy Sri Lankan Tamil young adults. Cross sectional study of Tamil students at the Faculty of Medicine, Jaffna. Healthy non smoking students of Sri Lankan Tamil ethnic group were enrolled. Age, height, weight, BMI and spirometric measurements (Micro Quark) were recorded in 267 participants (137 females and 130 males). Height was significantly correlated with (pTamils. When mean values were compared, these parameters were significantly higher in Tamil males (pTamil females (pTamils. However, our study sample was confined to medical students of 20-28 years which may explain the differences with Sinhalese.

Tuning of the PI Controller Parameters of a PMSG Wind Turbine to Improve Control Performance under Various Wind Speeds

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yun-Su Kim

2015-02-01

Full Text Available This paper presents a method to seek the PI controller parameters of a PMSG wind turbine to improve control performance. Since operating conditions vary with the wind speed, therefore the PI controller parameters should be determined as a function of the wind speed. Small-signal modeling of a PMSG WT is implemented to analyze the stability under various operating conditions and with eigenvalues obtained from the small-signal model of the PMSG WT, which are coordinated by adjusting the PI controller parameters. The parameters to be tuned are chosen by investigating participation factors of state variables, which simplifies the problem by reducing the number of parameters to be tuned. The process of adjusting these PI controller parameters is carried out using particle swarm optimization (PSO. To characterize the improvements in the control method due to the PSO method of tuning the PI controller parameters, the PMSG WT is modeled using the MATLAB/SimPowerSystems libraries with the obtained PI controller parameters.

Regression analysis and transfer function in estimating the parameters of central pulse waves from brachial pulse wave.

Science.gov (United States)

Chai Rui; Li Si-Man; Xu Li-Sheng; Yao Yang; Hao Li-Ling

2017-07-01

This study mainly analyzed the parameters such as ascending branch slope (A_slope), dicrotic notch height (Hn), diastolic area (Ad) and systolic area (As) diastolic blood pressure (DBP), systolic blood pressure (SBP), pulse pressure (PP), subendocardial viability ratio (SEVR), waveform parameter (k), stroke volume (SV), cardiac output (CO) and peripheral resistance (RS) of central pulse wave invasively and non-invasively measured. These parameters extracted from the central pulse wave invasively measured were compared with the parameters measured from the brachial pulse waves by a regression model and a transfer function model. The accuracy of the parameters which were estimated by the regression model and the transfer function model was compared too. Our findings showed that in addition to the k value, the above parameters of the central pulse wave and the brachial pulse wave invasively measured had positive correlation. Both the regression model parameters including A_slope, DBP, SEVR and the transfer function model parameters had good consistency with the parameters invasively measured, and they had the same effect of consistency. The regression equations of the three parameters were expressed by Y'=a+bx. The SBP, PP, SV, CO of central pulse wave could be calculated through the regression model, but their accuracies were worse than that of transfer function model.

One-way Hash function construction based on the chaotic map with changeable-parameter

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xiao Di; Liao Xiaofeng; Deng Shaojiang

2005-01-01

An algorithm for one-way Hash function construction based on the chaotic map with changeable-parameter is proposed in this paper. A piecewise linear chaotic map with changeable-parameter P is chosen, and cipher block chaining mode (CBC) is introduced to ensure that the parameter P in each iteration is dynamically decided by the last-time iteration value and the corresponding message bit in different positions. The final Hash value is obtained by means of the linear transform on the iteration sequence. Theoretical analysis and computer simulation indicate that our algorithm can satisfy all the performance requirements of Hash function in an efficient and flexible manner. It is practicable and reliable, with high potential to be adopted for E-commerce

One-way Hash function construction based on the chaotic map with changeable-parameter

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Xiao Di [College of Computer Science and Engineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044 (China) and College of Mechanical Engineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044 (China)]. E-mail: xiaodi_cqu@hotmail.com; Liao Xiaofeng [College of Computer Science and Engineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044 (China)]. E-mail: xfliao@cqu.edu.cn; Deng Shaojiang [College of Computer Science and Engineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044 (China)

2005-04-01

An algorithm for one-way Hash function construction based on the chaotic map with changeable-parameter is proposed in this paper. A piecewise linear chaotic map with changeable-parameter P is chosen, and cipher block chaining mode (CBC) is introduced to ensure that the parameter P in each iteration is dynamically decided by the last-time iteration value and the corresponding message bit in different positions. The final Hash value is obtained by means of the linear transform on the iteration sequence. Theoretical analysis and computer simulation indicate that our algorithm can satisfy all the performance requirements of Hash function in an efficient and flexible manner. It is practicable and reliable, with high potential to be adopted for E-commerce.

A 16.3 pJ/pulse low-complexity and energy-efficient transmitter with adjustable pulse parameters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jiang Jun; Zhao Yi; Shao Ke; Chen Hu; Xia Lingli; Hong Zhiliang

2011-01-01

This paper presents a novel, fully integrated transmitter for 3-5 GHz pulsed UWB. The BPSK modulation transmitter has been implemented in SMIC CMOS 0.13 μm technology with a 1.2-V supply voltage and a die size of 0.8 x 0.95 mm 2 . This transmitter is based on the impulse response filter method, which uses a tunable R paralleled with a LC frequency selection network to realize continuously adjustable pulse parameters, including bandwidth, width and amplitude. Due to the extremely low duty of the pulsed UWB, a proposed output buffer is employed to save power consumption significantly. Finally, measurement results show that the transmitter consumes only 16.3 pJ/pulse to achieve a pulse repetition rate of 100 Mb/s. Generated pulses strictly comply with the FCC spectral mask. The continuously variable pulse width is from 900 to 1.5 ns and the amplitude with the minimum 178 mVpp and the maximum 432 mVpp can be achieved. (semiconductor integrated circuits)

An improved algorithm for the determination of the system parameters of a visual binary by least squares

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xu, Yu-Lin.

1988-01-01

The problem of computing the orbit of a visual binary from a set of observed positions is reconsidered. It is a least squares adjustment problem, if the observational errors follow a bias-free multivariate Gaussian distribution and the covariance matrix of the observations is assumed to be known. The condition equations are constructed to satisfy both the conic section equation and the area theorem, which are nonlinear in both the observations and the adjustment parameters. The traditional least squares algorithm, which employs condition equations that are solved with respect to the uncorrelated observations and either linear in the adjustment parameters or linearized by developing them in Taylor series by first-order approximation, is inadequate in the orbit problem. Not long ago, a completely general solution was published by W. H. Jefferys, who proposed a rigorous adjustment algorithm for models in which the observations appear nonlinearly in the condition equations and may be correlated, and in which construction of the normal equations and the residual function involves no approximation. This method was successfully applied in this problem. The normal equations were first solved by Newton's scheme. Newton's method was modified to yield a definitive solution in the case the normal approach fails, by combination with the method of steepest descent and other sophisticated algorithms. Practical examples show that the modified Newton scheme can always lead to a final solution. The weighting of observations, the orthogonal parameters and the efficiency of a set of adjustment parameters are also considered

Rural-urban disparity in lung function parameters of Nigerian children

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The socio-demographic, nutritional status as well as lung function parameters measured using incentive Spirometry (MIR Spirolab III srl, Italy) of the children were obtained and compared among the rural and urban children. Results: A total of 250 children (128 rural and 122 urban) aged 9 to 17 years participated in the ...

Calibration technique and study on metrological characteristics of a high-voltage inverse square-law function generator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Popov, V.P.; Semenov, A.L.

1987-01-01

The calibration technique is described, and the metrological characteristics of a high-voltage generator of the inverse-quadratic function (HGF), being a functional unit of the diagnostic system of an electrodynamic analyser of a ionic component of a laser plasma, is analysed. The results of HGF testing in the range of time constants of the τ=(5-25)μs function are given. Analysis of metrologic and experimental characteristics shows, that HGF with automatic calibration has quite high accurate parameters. The high accuracy of function generation is provided with the possibility of calibration and adjustment conduction under experimental working conditions. Increase of the generated pulse amplitude to several tens of kilovelts is possible. Besides, the possibility of timely function adjustment to the necessary parameter (τ) increases essentially the HGF functional possibilities

Linear regression methods a ccording to objective functions

OpenAIRE

Yasemin Sisman; Sebahattin Bektas

2012-01-01

The aim of the study is to explain the parameter estimation methods and the regression analysis. The simple linear regressionmethods grouped according to the objective function are introduced. The numerical solution is achieved for the simple linear regressionmethods according to objective function of Least Squares and theLeast Absolute Value adjustment methods. The success of the appliedmethods is analyzed using their objective function values.

Bayesian Estimation of the Scale Parameter of Inverse Weibull Distribution under the Asymmetric Loss Functions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Farhad Yahgmaei

2013-01-01

Full Text Available This paper proposes different methods of estimating the scale parameter in the inverse Weibull distribution (IWD. Specifically, the maximum likelihood estimator of the scale parameter in IWD is introduced. We then derived the Bayes estimators for the scale parameter in IWD by considering quasi, gamma, and uniform priors distributions under the square error, entropy, and precautionary loss functions. Finally, the different proposed estimators have been compared by the extensive simulation studies in corresponding the mean square errors and the evolution of risk functions.

Internal pressure and solubility parameter as a function of pressure

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Verdier, Sylvain Charles Roland; Andersen, Simon Ivar

2005-01-01

The main goal of this work was to measure the solubility parameter of a complex mixture, such as a crude oil, especially as a function of pressure. Thus, its definition is explained, as well as the main approximations generally used in literature. Then, the internal pressure is investigated, since...... pure compounds (four hydrocarbons and I alcohol) were investigated at 303.15 K and up to 30 MPa, as well as a dead crude oil. The "physical" solubility parameter is slightly increasing with pressure (up to 0.8 MPa1/2 for cyclohexane) and, at 0.1 MPa, the difference with literature data is less than 1...

Estimation of the reliability function for two-parameter exponentiated Rayleigh or Burr type X distribution

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anupam Pathak

2014-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract: Problem Statement: The two-parameter exponentiated Rayleigh distribution has been widely used especially in the modelling of life time event data. It provides a statistical model which has a wide variety of application in many areas and the main advantage is its ability in the context of life time event among other distributions. The uniformly minimum variance unbiased and maximum likelihood estimation methods are the way to estimate the parameters of the distribution. In this study we explore and compare the performance of the uniformly minimum variance unbiased and maximum likelihood estimators of the reliability function R(t=P(X>t and P=P(X>Y for the two-parameter exponentiated Rayleigh distribution. Approach: A new technique of obtaining these parametric functions is introduced in which major role is played by the powers of the parameter(s and the functional forms of the parametric functions to be estimated are not needed.  We explore the performance of these estimators numerically under varying conditions. Through the simulation study a comparison are made on the performance of these estimators with respect to the Biasness, Mean Square Error (MSE, 95% confidence length and corresponding coverage percentage. Conclusion: Based on the results of simulation study the UMVUES of R(t and ‘P’ for the two-parameter exponentiated Rayleigh distribution found to be superior than MLES of R(t and ‘P’.

Evaluation of selected parameters of rat liver and kidney function ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The effects of administration of yohimbine, an aphrodisiac on some functional parameters of rat liver and kidney were investigated. White male albino rats weighing between 200-250g were grouped into two such that one group was orally administered with 14mg/kg body weight on daily basis for 15days while the control ...

Estimation of CN Parameter for Small Agricultural Watersheds Using Asymptotic Functions

OpenAIRE

Tomasz Kowalik; Andrzej Walega

2015-01-01

This paper investigates a possibility of using asymptotic functions to determine the value of curve number (CN) parameter as a function of rainfall in small agricultural watersheds. It also compares the actually calculated CN with its values provided in the Soil Conservation Service (SCS) National Engineering Handbook Section 4: Hydrology (NEH-4) and Technical Release 20 (TR-20). The analysis showed that empirical CN values presented in the National Engineering Handbook tables differed from t...

Quality parameters analysis of optical imaging systems with enhanced focal depth using the Wigner distribution function

Science.gov (United States)

Zalvidea; Colautti; Sicre

2000-05-01

An analysis of the Strehl ratio and the optical transfer function as imaging quality parameters of optical elements with enhanced focal length is carried out by employing the Wigner distribution function. To this end, we use four different pupil functions: a full circular aperture, a hyper-Gaussian aperture, a quartic phase plate, and a logarithmic phase mask. A comparison is performed between the quality parameters and test images formed by these pupil functions at different defocus distances.

Calculation of parameters of radial-piston reducer based on the use of functional semantic networks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pashkevich V.M.

2016-12-01

Full Text Available The questions of сalculation of parameters of radial-piston reducer are considered in this article. It is used the approach which is based technologies of functional semantic networks. It is considered possibility applications of functional se-mantic networks for calculation of parameters of radial-piston reducer. Semantic networks to calculate the mass of the radial piston reducer are given.

Adaptation of model proteins from cold to hot environments involves continuous and small adjustments of average parameters related to amino acid composition.

Science.gov (United States)

De Vendittis, Emmanuele; Castellano, Immacolata; Cotugno, Roberta; Ruocco, Maria Rosaria; Raimo, Gennaro; Masullo, Mariorosario

2008-01-07

The growth temperature adaptation of six model proteins has been studied in 42 microorganisms belonging to eubacterial and archaeal kingdoms, covering optimum growth temperatures from 7 to 103 degrees C. The selected proteins include three elongation factors involved in translation, the enzymes glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase and superoxide dismutase, the cell division protein FtsZ. The common strategy of protein adaptation from cold to hot environments implies the occurrence of small changes in the amino acid composition, without altering the overall structure of the macromolecule. These continuous adjustments were investigated through parameters related to the amino acid composition of each protein. The average value per residue of mass, volume and accessible surface area allowed an evaluation of the usage of bulky residues, whereas the average hydrophobicity reflected that of hydrophobic residues. The specific proportion of bulky and hydrophobic residues in each protein almost linearly increased with the temperature of the host microorganism. This finding agrees with the structural and functional properties exhibited by proteins in differently adapted sources, thus explaining the great compactness or the high flexibility exhibited by (hyper)thermophilic or psychrophilic proteins, respectively. Indeed, heat-adapted proteins incline toward the usage of heavier-size and more hydrophobic residues with respect to mesophiles, whereas the cold-adapted macromolecules show the opposite behavior with a certain preference for smaller-size and less hydrophobic residues. An investigation on the different increase of bulky residues along with the growth temperature observed in the six model proteins suggests the relevance of the possible different role and/or structure organization played by protein domains. The significance of the linear correlations between growth temperature and parameters related to the amino acid composition improved when the analysis was

Structural Parameters of Star Clusters: Signal to Noise Effects

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Narbutis D.

2015-09-01

Full Text Available We study the impact of photometric signal to noise on the accuracy of derived structural parameters of unresolved star clusters using MCMC model fitting techniques. Star cluster images were simulated as a smooth surface brightness distribution following a King profile convolved with a point spread function. The simulation grid was constructed by varying the levels of sky background and adjusting the cluster’s flux to a specified signal to noise. Poisson noise was introduced to a set of cluster images with the same input parameters at each node of the grid. Model fitting was performed using “emcee” algorithm. The presented posterior distributions of the parameters illustrate their uncertainty and degeneracies as a function of signal to noise. By defining the photometric aperture containing 80% of the cluster’s flux, we find that in all realistic sky background level conditions a signal to noise ratio of ~50 is necessary to constrain the cluster’s half-light radius to an accuracy better than ~20%. The presented technique can be applied to synthetic images simulating various observations of extragalactic star clusters.

Automatic parameter estimation of multicompartmental neuron models via minimization of trace error with control adjustment.

Science.gov (United States)

Brookings, Ted; Goeritz, Marie L; Marder, Eve

2014-11-01

We describe a new technique to fit conductance-based neuron models to intracellular voltage traces from isolated biological neurons. The biological neurons are recorded in current-clamp with pink (1/f) noise injected to perturb the activity of the neuron. The new algorithm finds a set of parameters that allows a multicompartmental model neuron to match the recorded voltage trace. Attempting to match a recorded voltage trace directly has a well-known problem: mismatch in the timing of action potentials between biological and model neuron is inevitable and results in poor phenomenological match between the model and data. Our approach avoids this by applying a weak control adjustment to the model to promote alignment during the fitting procedure. This approach is closely related to the control theoretic concept of a Luenberger observer. We tested this approach on synthetic data and on data recorded from an anterior gastric receptor neuron from the stomatogastric ganglion of the crab Cancer borealis. To test the flexibility of this approach, the synthetic data were constructed with conductance models that were different from the ones used in the fitting model. For both synthetic and biological data, the resultant models had good spike-timing accuracy. Copyright © 2014 the American Physiological Society.

Headphone-To-Ear Transfer Function Estimation Using Measured Acoustic Parameters

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jinlin Liu

2018-06-01

Full Text Available This paper proposes to use an optimal five-microphone array method to measure the headphone acoustic reflectance and equivalent sound sources needed in the estimation of headphone-to-ear transfer functions (HpTFs. The performance of this method is theoretically analyzed and experimentally investigated. With the measured acoustic parameters HpTFs for different headphones and ear canal area functions are estimated based on a computational acoustic model. The estimation results show that HpTFs vary considerably with headphones and ear canals, which suggests that individualized compensations for HpTFs are necessary for headphones to reproduce desired sounds for different listeners.

The impact of highway base-saturation flow rate adjustment on Kuwait's transport and environmental parameters estimation.

Science.gov (United States)

AlRukaibi, Fahad; AlKheder, Sharaf; Al-Rukaibi, Duaij; Al-Burait, Abdul-Aziz

2018-03-23

Traditional transportation systems' management and operation mainly focused on improving traffic mobility and safety without imposing any environmental concerns. Transportation and environmental issues are interrelated and affected by the same parameters especially at signalized intersections. Additionally, traffic congestion at signalized intersections has a major contribution in the environmental problem as related to vehicle emission, fuel consumption, and delay. Therefore, signalized intersections' design and operation is an important parameter to minimize the impact on the environment. The design and operation of signalized intersections are highly dependent on the base saturation flow rate (BSFR). Highway Capacity Manual (HCM) uses a base-saturation flow rate of 1900-passenger car/h/lane for areas with a population intensity greater than or equal to 250,000 and a value of 1750-passenger car/h/lane for less populated areas. The base-saturation flow rate value in HCM is derived from a field data collected in developed countries. The adopted value in Kuwait is 1800passengercar/h/lane, which is the value that used in this analysis as a basis for comparison. Due to the difference in behavior between drivers in developed countries and their fellows in Kuwait, an adjustment was made to the base-saturation flow rate to represent Kuwait's traffic and environmental conditions. The reduction in fuel consumption and vehicles' emission after modifying the base-saturation flow rate (BSFR increased by 12.45%) was about 34% on average. Direct field measurements of the saturation flow rate were used while using the air quality mobile lab to calculate emissions' rates. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Probabilistic analysis of glass elements with three-parameter Weibull distribution; Analisis probabilistico de elementos de vidrio recocido mediante una distribucion triparametrica Weibull

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ramos, A.; Muniz-Calvente, M.; Fernandez, P.; Fernandez Cantel, A.; Lamela, M. J.

2015-10-01

Glass and ceramics present a brittle behaviour so a large scatter in the test results is obtained. This dispersion is mainly due to the inevitable presence of micro-cracks on its surface, edge defects or internal defects, which must be taken into account using an appropriate failure criteria non-deterministic but probabilistic. Among the existing probability distributions, the two or three parameter Weibull distribution is generally used in adjusting material resistance results, although the method of use thereof is not always correct. Firstly, in this work, the results of a large experimental programme using annealed glass specimens of different dimensions based on four-point bending and coaxial double ring tests was performed. Then, the finite element models made for each type of test, the adjustment of the parameters of the three-parameter Weibull distribution function (cdf) (λ: location, β: shape, d: scale) for a certain failure criterion and the calculation of the effective areas from the cumulative distribution function are presented. Summarizing, this work aims to generalize the use of the three-parameter Weibull function in structural glass elements with stress distributions not analytically described, allowing to apply the probabilistic model proposed in general loading distributions. (Author)

Functional parameter screening for predicting durability of rolling sliding contacts with different surface finishes

Science.gov (United States)

Dimkovski, Z.; Lööf, P.-J.; Rosén, B.-G.; Nilsson, P. H.

2018-06-01

The reliability and lifetime of machine elements such as gears and rolling bearings depend on their wear and fatigue resistance. In order to screen the wear and surface damage, three finishing processes: (i) brushing, (ii) manganese phosphating and (iii) shot peening were applied on three disc pairs and long-term tested on a twin-disc tribometer. In this paper, the elastic contact of the disc surfaces (measured after only few revolutions) was simulated and a number of functional and roughness parameters were correlated. The functional parameters consisted of subsurface stresses at different depths and a new parameter called ‘pressure spikes’ factor’. The new parameter is derived from the pressure distribution and takes into account the proximity and magnitude of the pressure spikes. Strong correlations were found among the pressure spikes’ factor and surface peak/height parameters. The orthogonal shear stresses and Von Mises stresses at the shallowest depths under the surface have shown the highest correlations but no good correlations were found when the statistics of the whole stress fields was analyzed. The use of the new parameter offers a fast way to screen the durability of the contacting surfaces operating at similar conditions.

Fitting of alpha-efficiency versus quenching parameter by exponential functions in liquid scintillation counting

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sosa, M.; Manjón, G.; Mantero, J.; García-Tenorio, R.

2014-01-01

The objective of this work is to propose an exponential fit for the low alpha-counting efficiency as a function of a sample quenching parameter using a Quantulus liquid scintillation counter. The sample quenching parameter in a Quantulus is the Spectral Quench Parameter of the External Standard (SQP(E)), which is defined as the number of channel under which lies the 99% of Compton spectrum generated by a gamma emitter ( 152 Eu). Although in the literature one usually finds a polynomial fitting of the alpha counting efficiency, it is shown here that an exponential function is a better description. - Highlights: • We have studied the quenching in alpha measurement by liquid scintillation counting. • We have reviewed typical fitting of alpha counting efficiency versus quenching parameter. • Exponential fitting of data is proposed as better fitting. • We consider exponential fitting has a physical basis

Fitting of alpha-efficiency versus quenching parameter by exponential functions in liquid scintillation counting

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sosa, M. [Departamento de Ingeniería Física, Campus León, Universidad de Guanajuato, 37150 León, Guanajuato (Mexico); Universidad de Sevilla, Departamento de Física Aplicada II, E.T.S. Arquitectura, Av. Reina Mercedes, 2, 41012 Sevilla (Spain); Manjón, G., E-mail: manjon@us.es [Universidad de Sevilla, Departamento de Física Aplicada II, E.T.S. Arquitectura, Av. Reina Mercedes, 2, 41012 Sevilla (Spain); Mantero, J.; García-Tenorio, R. [Universidad de Sevilla, Departamento de Física Aplicada II, E.T.S. Arquitectura, Av. Reina Mercedes, 2, 41012 Sevilla (Spain)

2014-05-01

The objective of this work is to propose an exponential fit for the low alpha-counting efficiency as a function of a sample quenching parameter using a Quantulus liquid scintillation counter. The sample quenching parameter in a Quantulus is the Spectral Quench Parameter of the External Standard (SQP(E)), which is defined as the number of channel under which lies the 99% of Compton spectrum generated by a gamma emitter ({sup 152}Eu). Although in the literature one usually finds a polynomial fitting of the alpha counting efficiency, it is shown here that an exponential function is a better description. - Highlights: • We have studied the quenching in alpha measurement by liquid scintillation counting. • We have reviewed typical fitting of alpha counting efficiency versus quenching parameter. • Exponential fitting of data is proposed as better fitting. • We consider exponential fitting has a physical basis.

Title: Potassium application regulates nitrogen metabolism and osmotic adjustment in cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) functional leaf under drought stress.

Science.gov (United States)

Zahoor, Rizwan; Zhao, Wenqing; Abid, Muhammad; Dong, Haoran; Zhou, Zhiguo

2017-08-01

To evaluate the role of potassium (K) in maintaining nitrogen metabolism and osmotic adjustment development of cotton functional leaves to sustain growth under soil drought and rewatering conditions, the plants of two cotton cultivars Siza 3 (low-K sensitive) and Simian 3 (low-K tolerant), were grown under three different K rates (K0, K1, and K2; 0, 150, and 300kgK 2 Oha -1 , respectively) and exposed to drought stress with 40±5% soil relative water content (SRWC). The drought stress was applied at flowering stage by withholding water for eight days followed by rewatering to a well-watered level (75±5% SRWC). The results showed that drought-stressed plants of both cultivars showed a decrease in leaf relative water content (RWC) and osmotic potential in the functional leaves and developed osmotic adjustment with an increase in the contents of free amino acids, soluble sugars, inorganic K, and nitrate as compared to well-watered plants. In drought-stressed plants, nitrogen-metabolizing enzyme activities of nitrogen reductase (NR), glutamine synthetase (GS), and glutamate synthase (GOGAT) were diminished significantly (P≤0.05) along with decreased chlorophyll content and soluble proteins. However, drought-stressed plants under K application not only exhibited higher osmotic adjustment with greater accumulation of osmolytes but also regulated nitrogen metabolism by maintaining higher enzyme activities, soluble proteins, and chlorophyll content in functional leaves as compared to the plants without K application. Siza 3 showed better stability in enzyme activities and resulted in 89% higher seed cotton yield under K2 as compared to K0 in drought-stressed plants, whereas this increase was 53% in the case of Simian 3. The results of the study suggested that K application enhances cotton plants' potential for sustaining high nitrogen-metabolizing enzyme activities and related components to supplement osmotic adjustment under soil drought conditions. Copyright © 2017

FITS: a function-fitting program

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Balestrini, S.J.; Chezem, C.G.

1982-08-01

FITS is an iterating computer program that adjusts the parameters of a function to fit a set of data points according to the least squares criterion and then lists and plots the results. The function can be programmed or chosen from a library that is provided. The library can be expanded to include up to 99 functions. A general plotting routine, contained in the program but useful in its own right, is described separately in Appendix A. An example problem file and its solution is given in Appendix B.

Comparison of Regression Analysis and Transfer Function in Estimating the Parameters of Central Pulse Waves from Brachial Pulse Wave.

Science.gov (United States)

Chai, Rui; Xu, Li-Sheng; Yao, Yang; Hao, Li-Ling; Qi, Lin

2017-01-01

This study analyzed ascending branch slope (A_slope), dicrotic notch height (Hn), diastolic area (Ad) and systolic area (As) diastolic blood pressure (DBP), systolic blood pressure (SBP), pulse pressure (PP), subendocardial viability ratio (SEVR), waveform parameter (k), stroke volume (SV), cardiac output (CO), and peripheral resistance (RS) of central pulse wave invasively and non-invasively measured. Invasively measured parameters were compared with parameters measured from brachial pulse waves by regression model and transfer function model. Accuracy of parameters estimated by regression and transfer function model, was compared too. Findings showed that k value, central pulse wave and brachial pulse wave parameters invasively measured, correlated positively. Regression model parameters including A_slope, DBP, SEVR, and transfer function model parameters had good consistency with parameters invasively measured. They had same effect of consistency. SBP, PP, SV, and CO could be calculated through the regression model, but their accuracies were worse than that of transfer function model.

Understanding heart rate alarm adjustment in the intensive care units through an analytical approach.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Richard L Fidler

Full Text Available Heart rate (HR alarms are prevalent in ICU, and these parameters are configurable. Not much is known about nursing behavior associated with tailoring HR alarm parameters to individual patients to reduce clinical alarm fatigue.To understand the relationship between heart rate (HR alarms and adjustments to reduce unnecessary heart rate alarms.Retrospective, quantitative analysis of an adjudicated database using analytical approaches to understand behaviors surrounding parameter HR alarm adjustments. Patients were sampled from five adult ICUs (77 beds over one month at a quaternary care university medical center. A total of 337 of 461 ICU patients had HR alarms with 53.7% male, mean age 60.3 years, and 39% non-Caucasian. Default HR alarm parameters were 50 and 130 beats per minute (bpm. The occurrence of each alarm, vital signs, and physiologic waveforms was stored in a relational database (SQL server.There were 23,624 HR alarms for analysis, with 65.4% exceeding the upper heart rate limit. Only 51% of patients with HR alarms had parameters adjusted, with a median upper limit change of +5 bpm and -1 bpm lower limit. The median time to first HR parameter adjustment was 17.9 hours, without reduction in alarms occurrence (p = 0.57.HR alarms are prevalent in ICU, and half of HR alarm settings remain at default. There is a long delay between HR alarms and parameters changes, with insufficient changes to decrease HR alarms. Increasing frequency of HR alarms shortens the time to first adjustment. Best practice guidelines for HR alarm limits are needed to reduce alarm fatigue and improve monitoring precision.

Extendable linearised adjustment model for deformation analysis

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hiddo Velsink

2015-01-01

Author supplied: "This paper gives a linearised adjustment model for the affine, similarity and congruence transformations in 3D that is easily extendable with other parameters to describe deformations. The model considers all coordinates stochastic. Full positive semi-definite covariance matrices

Extendable linearised adjustment model for deformation analysis

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Velsink, H.

2015-01-01

This paper gives a linearised adjustment model for the affine, similarity and congruence transformations in 3D that is easily extendable with other parameters to describe deformations. The model considers all coordinates stochastic. Full positive semi-definite covariance matrices and correlation

Differential Adjustment Among Rural Adolescents Exposed to Family Violence

Science.gov (United States)

Sianko, Natallia; Hedge, Jasmine M.; McDonell, James R.

2016-01-01

This study examines differences in psychological adjustment in a sample of rural adolescents who have been exposed to family violence. Self-report questionnaires were administered to 580 adolescents and their primary caregivers. The results revealed that over two thirds of the study participants (68.8%) had been exposed to violence in their families. As hypothesized, cluster analysis identified several profiles among adolescents, distinguished by their psychological and emotional functioning: well adjusted (46.2%), moderately adjusted (44.3%), and struggling (9.5%). Discriminant function analysis confirmed the groupings and revealed that family functioning was among the most influential factors explaining adjustment differences. Multivariate analyses of variance (MANOVAs) further showed that adolescents from each of the three adjustment profiles reported significantly different levels of family social support, parental involvement, and perceived neighborhood safety. Overall, the results confirm heterogeneity of adolescent adaptation in the aftermath of family violence and provide insights into family and neighborhood factors that account for variability in adolescents’ reactions to violence. Implications for future research and practical interventions are discussed. PMID:27106255

Differential Adjustment Among Rural Adolescents Exposed to Family Violence.

Science.gov (United States)

Sianko, Natallia; Hedge, Jasmine M; McDonell, James R

2016-04-22

This study examines differences in psychological adjustment in a sample of rural adolescents who have been exposed to family violence. Self-report questionnaires were administered to 580 adolescents and their primary caregivers. The results revealed that over two thirds of the study participants (68.8%) had been exposed to violence in their families. As hypothesized, cluster analysis identified several profiles among adolescents, distinguished by their psychological and emotional functioning: well adjusted (46.2%), moderately adjusted (44.3%), and struggling (9.5%). Discriminant function analysis confirmed the groupings and revealed that family functioning was among the most influential factors explaining adjustment differences. Multivariate analyses of variance (MANOVAs) further showed that adolescents from each of the three adjustment profiles reported significantly different levels of family social support, parental involvement, and perceived neighborhood safety. Overall, the results confirm heterogeneity of adolescent adaptation in the aftermath of family violence and provide insights into family and neighborhood factors that account for variability in adolescents' reactions to violence. Implications for future research and practical interventions are discussed. © The Author(s) 2016.

On Adjusting the H-P Filter for the Frequency of Observations

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Uhlig, H.F.H.V.S.; Ravn, M.

1997-01-01

This paper studies how the HP-Filter should be adjusted, when changing the frequency of observations. The usual choices in the literature are to adjust the smoothing parameter by multiplying it with either the square of the observation frequency ratios or simply with the observation frequency. In

Research Facility for Mechanical Press Closed Gap Adjuster

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. A. Ancifirov

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The article describes an example of the research facility for closed gap adjustment mechanism based on the KD2128 closed-die forging press. Its rated force with a servo drive used is 630kN. The servo drive consists of a motor with nominal power of 1.57kW and a frequency converter with power of 7.5kW, which has functions of the programmable logic controller.The article notes that such a facility is expedient and useful for practical classes on forging-andstamping machines at the BMSTU Department of «Technology processing by pressure» to demonstrate the capabilities of existing technological facility, learn a design of forging-andstamping machine units, solve the problems of automatic control, monitoring, and diagnostics in blank manufacturing.The article presents a detailed facility diagram of the closed gap adjustment mechanism and its photograph, describes the mechanism and its basic parameters, gives characteristics of the synchronous motor to drive the mechanism, reviews practical works, which the research facility may provide.Based on the four experiments the article estimates an efficiency of the research facilityuse under consideration, especially when modeling a servo motor shaft under the maximum load. The relevant diagrams confirm experimental results, namely: control current, angle of motor shaft and its speed versus time. Thus, upon the diagram analysis it can be noted that the research facility design allows providing kinematics and dynamics of the press closed gap adjuster.This article describes how to determine the closed gap adjusting accuracy of the press. Eight experiments have been conducted to evaluate a working out control signal to the linear movement of the press punch when using the research facility. It is noted that the linear positioning accuracy of the press punch reaches the hundredth parts of a millimeter of the adjustment value that is sufficient to achieve the required precision when performing operations such as

Evaluation of trauma care using TRISS method: the role of adjusted misclassification rate and adjusted w-statistic.

Science.gov (United States)

Llullaku, Sadik S; Hyseni, Nexhmi Sh; Bytyçi, Cen I; Rexhepi, Sylejman K

2009-01-15

Major trauma is a leading cause of death worldwide. Evaluation of trauma care using Trauma Injury and Injury Severity Score (TRISS) method is focused in trauma outcome (deaths and survivors). For testing TRISS method TRISS misclassification rate is used. Calculating w-statistic, as a difference between observed and TRISS expected survivors, we compare our trauma care results with the TRISS standard. The aim of this study is to analyze interaction between misclassification rate and w-statistic and to adjust these parameters to be closer to the truth. Analysis of components of TRISS misclassification rate and w-statistic and actual trauma outcome. The component of false negative (FN) (by TRISS method unexpected deaths) has two parts: preventable (Pd) and non-preventable (nonPd) trauma deaths. Pd represents inappropriate trauma care of an institution; otherwise nonpreventable trauma deaths represents errors in TRISS method. Removing patients with preventable trauma deaths we get an Adjusted misclassification rate: (FP + FN - Pd)/N or (b+c-Pd)/N. Substracting nonPd from FN value in w-statistic formula we get an Adjusted w-statistic: [FP-(FN - nonPd)]/N, respectively (FP-Pd)/N, or (b-Pd)/N). Because adjusted formulas clean method from inappropriate trauma care, and clean trauma care from the methods error, TRISS adjusted misclassification rate and adjusted w-statistic gives more realistic results and may be used in researches of trauma outcome.

Re-estimating temperature-dependent consumption parameters in bioenergetics models for juvenile Chinook salmon

Science.gov (United States)

Plumb, John M.; Moffitt, Christine M.

2015-01-01

Researchers have cautioned against the borrowing of consumption and growth parameters from other species and life stages in bioenergetics growth models. In particular, the function that dictates temperature dependence in maximum consumption (Cmax) within the Wisconsin bioenergetics model for Chinook Salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha produces estimates that are lower than those measured in published laboratory feeding trials. We used published and unpublished data from laboratory feeding trials with subyearling Chinook Salmon from three stocks (Snake, Nechako, and Big Qualicum rivers) to estimate and adjust the model parameters for temperature dependence in Cmax. The data included growth measures in fish ranging from 1.5 to 7.2 g that were held at temperatures from 14°C to 26°C. Parameters for temperature dependence in Cmax were estimated based on relative differences in food consumption, and bootstrapping techniques were then used to estimate the error about the parameters. We found that at temperatures between 17°C and 25°C, the current parameter values did not match the observed data, indicating that Cmax should be shifted by about 4°C relative to the current implementation under the bioenergetics model. We conclude that the adjusted parameters for Cmax should produce more accurate predictions from the bioenergetics model for subyearling Chinook Salmon.

Systematics of excitation functions for (n, charged particle) reactions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhao Zhixiang; Zhou Delin

1986-06-01

On the bases of evaporation model considering the preequilibrium emission under some approximations, the analytical expressions including two adjustable parameters have been derived for excitation functions of (n, charged particle) reactions. Fitting these expressions to the available measured data, these parameters have been extracted and the systematic behaviour of the parameters have been studied. More accurate predictions than before could be obtained by using these expressions and systematic parameters. In the present work the neutron energy is considered up to about 20 MeV and the target mass region is 23< A<197

Analysis and prediction of the alpha-function parameters used in cubic equations of state

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Privata, Romain; Viscontea, Maxime; Zazoua-Khames, Anis

2015-01-01

and compared regarding their ability to reproduce vapor pressure, heat of vaporization, liquid heat capacity, liquid density and second virial coefficient data. To reach this objective, extensive databanks of alpha function parameters were created. In particular, pitfalls of Twu-type alpha functions were...

Adaptive function project synchronization of Roessler hyperchaotic system with uncertain parameters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Luo Runzi

2008-01-01

This Letter addresses the function project synchronization problem of two Roessler hyperchaotic in the presence of unknown system parameters. Based on Lyapunov stability theory an adaptive control law is proposed to make the states of two identical Roessler hyperchaotic systems asymptotically synchronized. Numerical simulations are presented to show the effectiveness of the proposed schemes

Modified polarimetric bidirectional reflectance distribution function with diffuse scattering: surface parameter estimation

Science.gov (United States)

Zhan, Hanyu; Voelz, David G.

2016-12-01

The polarimetric bidirectional reflectance distribution function (pBRDF) describes the relationships between incident and scattered Stokes parameters, but the familiar surface-only microfacet pBRDF cannot capture diffuse scattering contributions and depolarization phenomena. We propose a modified pBRDF model with a diffuse scattering component developed from the Kubelka-Munk and Le Hors et al. theories, and apply it in the development of a method to jointly estimate refractive index, slope variance, and diffuse scattering parameters from a series of Stokes parameter measurements of a surface. An application of the model and estimation approach to experimental data published by Priest and Meier shows improved correspondence with measurements of normalized Mueller matrix elements. By converting the Stokes/Mueller calculus formulation of the model to a degree of polarization (DOP) description, the estimation results of the parameters from measured DOP values are found to be consistent with a previous DOP model and results.

Adjustment of the 235U Fission Spectrum

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

GRIFFIN, PATRICK J.; WILLIAMS, J.G.

1999-01-01

The latest nuclear data are used to examine the sensitivity of the least squares adjustment of the 235 U fission spectrum to the measured reaction rates, dosimetry cross sections, and prior spectrum covariance matrix. All of these parameters were found to be very important in the spectrum adjustment. The most significant deficiency in the nuclear data is the absence of a good prior covariance matrix. Covariance matrices generated from analytic models of the fission spectra have been used in the past. This analysis reveals some unusual features in the covariance matrix produced with this approach. Specific needs are identified for improved nuclear data to better determine the 235 U spectrum. An improved 235 U covariance matrix and adjusted spectrum are recommended for use in radiation transport sensitivity analyses

Effect of window function for measurement of ultrasonic nonlinear parameter using fast fourier transform of tone-burst signal

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Kyoung Jun; Kim, Jong Beom; Song, Dong Gil; Jhang, Kyung Young [Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, Hanyang University, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

2015-08-15

In ultrasonic nonlinear parameter measurement using the fast Fourier transform(FFT) of tone-burst signals, the side lobe and leakage on spectrum because of finite time and non-periodicity of signals makes it difficult to measure the harmonic magnitudes accurately. The window function made it possible to resolve this problem. In this study, the effect of the Hanning and Turkey window functions on the experimental measurement of nonlinear parameters was analyzed. In addition, the effect of changes in tone burst signal number with changes in the window function on the experimental measurement was analyzed. The result for both window functions were similar and showed that they enabled reliable nonlinear parameter measurement. However, in order to restore original signal amplitude, the amplitude compensation coefficient should be considered for each window function. On a separate note, the larger number of tone bursts was advantageous for stable nonlinear parameter measurement, but this effect was more advantageous in the case of the Hanning window than the Tukey window.

Optimization of the dressing parameters in cylindrical grinding based on a generalized utility function

Science.gov (United States)

Aleksandrova, Irina

2016-01-01

The existing studies, concerning the dressing process, focus on the major influence of the dressing conditions on the grinding response variables. However, the choice of the dressing conditions is often made, based on the experience of the qualified staff or using data from reference books. The optimal dressing parameters, which are only valid for the particular methods and dressing and grinding conditions, are also used. The paper presents a methodology for optimization of the dressing parameters in cylindrical grinding. The generalized utility function has been chosen as an optimization parameter. It is a complex indicator determining the economic, dynamic and manufacturing characteristics of the grinding process. The developed methodology is implemented for the dressing of aluminium oxide grinding wheels by using experimental diamond roller dressers with different grit sizes made of medium- and high-strength synthetic diamonds type ??32 and ??80. To solve the optimization problem, a model of the generalized utility function is created which reflects the complex impact of dressing parameters. The model is built based on the results from the conducted complex study and modeling of the grinding wheel lifetime, cutting ability, production rate and cutting forces during grinding. They are closely related to the dressing conditions (dressing speed ratio, radial in-feed of the diamond roller dresser and dress-out time), the diamond roller dresser grit size/grinding wheel grit size ratio, the type of synthetic diamonds and the direction of dressing. Some dressing parameters are determined for which the generalized utility function has a maximum and which guarantee an optimum combination of the following: the lifetime and cutting ability of the abrasive wheels, the tangential cutting force magnitude and the production rate of the grinding process. The results obtained prove the possibility of control and optimization of grinding by selecting particular dressing

Clinical significance of sleep bruxism on several occlusal and functional parameters.

Science.gov (United States)

Ommerborn, Michelle A; Giraki, Maria; Schneider, Christine; Fuck, Lars Michael; Zimmer, Stefan; Franz, Matthias; Raab, Wolfgang Hans-michael; Schaefer, Ralf

2010-10-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between various functional and occlusal parameters and sleep bruxism. Thirty-nine (39) sleep bruxism patients and 30 controls participated in this investigation. The assessment of sleep bruxism was performed using the Bruxcore Bruxism-Monitoring Device (BBMD) combined with a new computer-based analyzing method. Sixteen functional and/or occlusal parameters were recorded. With a mean slide of 0.95 mm in the sleep bruxism group and a mean slide of 0.42 mm in the control group (Mann Whitney U test; p<0.003), results solely demonstrated a significant group difference regarding the length of a slide from centric occlusion to maximum intercuspation. The results suggest that the slightly pronounced slide could be of clinical importance in the development of increased wear facets in patients with current sleep bruxism activity. Following further evaluation including polysomnographic recordings, the BBMD combined with this new analyzing technique seems to be a clinically feasible instrument that allows the practitioner to quantify abrasion over a short period.

CPU time optimization and precise adjustment of the Geant4 physics parameters for a VARIAN 2100 C/D gamma radiotherapy linear accelerator simulation using GAMOS

Science.gov (United States)

Arce, Pedro; Lagares, Juan Ignacio

2018-02-01

We have verified the GAMOS/Geant4 simulation model of a 6 MV VARIAN Clinac 2100 C/D linear accelerator by the procedure of adjusting the initial beam parameters to fit the percentage depth dose and cross-profile dose experimental data at different depths in a water phantom. Thanks to the use of a wide range of field sizes, from 2  ×  2 cm2 to 40  ×  40 cm2, a small phantom voxel size and high statistics, fine precision in the determination of the beam parameters has been achieved. This precision has allowed us to make a thorough study of the different physics models and parameters that Geant4 offers. The three Geant4 electromagnetic physics sets of models, i.e. Standard, Livermore and Penelope, have been compared to the experiment, testing the four different models of angular bremsstrahlung distributions as well as the three available multiple-scattering models, and optimizing the most relevant Geant4 electromagnetic physics parameters. Before the fitting, a comprehensive CPU time optimization has been done, using several of the Geant4 efficiency improvement techniques plus a few more developed in GAMOS.

Foot Type Biomechanics Part 2: are structure and anthropometrics related to function?

Science.gov (United States)

Mootanah, Rajshree; Song, Jinsup; Lenhoff, Mark W; Hafer, Jocelyn F; Backus, Sherry I; Gagnon, David; Deland, Jonathan T; Hillstrom, Howard J

2013-03-01

Many foot pathologies are associated with specific foot types. If foot structure and function are related, measurement of either could assist with differential diagnosis of pedal pathologies. Biomechanical measures of foot structure and function are related in asymptomatic healthy individuals. Sixty-one healthy subjects' left feet were stratified into cavus (n=12), rectus (n=27) and planus (n=22) foot types. Foot structure was assessed by malleolar valgus index, arch height index, and arch height flexibility. Anthropometrics (height and weight), age, and walking speed were measured. Foot function was assessed by center of pressure excursion index, peak plantar pressure, maximum force, and gait pattern parameters. Foot structure and anthropometric variables were entered into stepwise linear regression models to identify predictors of function. Measures of foot structure and anthropometrics explained 10-37% of the model variance (adjusted R(2)) for gait pattern parameters. When walking speed was included, the adjusted R(2) increased to 45-77% but foot structure was no longer a factor. Foot structure and anthropometrics predicted 7-47% of the model variance for plantar pressure and 16-64% for maximum force parameters. All multivariate models were significant (pFoot structure and function are related in asymptomatic healthy individuals. The structural parameters employed are basic measurements that do not require ionizing radiation and could be used in a clinical setting. Further research is needed to identify additional predictive parameters (plantar soft tissue characteristics, skeletal alignment, and neuromuscular control) and to include individuals with pathology. Copyright © 2012. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Adjustment model of thermoluminescence experimental data

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moreno y Moreno, A.; Moreno B, A.

2002-01-01

This model adjusts the experimental results for thermoluminescence according to the equation: I (T) = I (a i * exp (-1/b i * (T-C i )) where: a i , b i , c i are the i-Th peak adjusted to a gaussian curve. The adjustments of the curve can be operated manual or analytically using the macro function and the solver.xla complement installed previously in the computational system. In this work it is shown: 1. The information of experimental data from a LiF curve obtained from the Physics Institute of UNAM which the data adjustment model is operated in the macro type. 2. A LiF curve of four peaks obtained from Harshaw information simulated in Microsoft Excel, discussed in previous works, as a reference not in macro. (Author)

Relationship Between Resilience, Adjustment, and Psychological Functioning After Traumatic Brain Injury: A Preliminary Report.

Science.gov (United States)

Lukow, Herman R; Godwin, Emilie E; Marwitz, Jennifer H; Mills, Ana; Hsu, Nancy H; Kreutzer, Jeffrey S

2015-01-01

To examine the relationship between resilience, psychological distress, adjustment, and community participation after traumatic brain injury (TBI). Large university health system. Adult survivors of mild to severe TBI (N = 96). Descriptive, preliminary. The Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (10-item version) was used to assess resilience, the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI-18) was used to characterize psychological distress, and the Mayo-Portland Adaptability Index (MPAI-4) was used to measure ability, adjustment, and participation. Resilience scores were substantially lower than those of the general population. Significant relationships were found between resilience, psychological distress, and adjustment. Partial correlations (adjusting for the other MPAI-4 indices) showed significant correlation (P MPAI-4 Adjustment and resilience. Partial correlations (adjusting for the other BSI-18 scales) also showed significance for Depression (P < .01) and resilience. Resilience scores differed significantly (P < .001) between individuals meeting BSI-18 caseness criteria for psychological distress (n = 55) and those not meeting criteria (n = 41). Individuals with TBI are at risk for low resilience, which was found to correlate with psychological distress and psychosocial maladjustment. Developing interventions to strengthen resilience skills has the potential to improve postinjury psychosocial adjustment, an important area for future research.

Case Study: On Objective Functions for the Peak Flow Calibration and for the Representative Parameter Estimation of the Basin

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jungwook Kim

2018-05-01

Full Text Available The objective function is usually used for verification of the optimization process between observed and simulated flows for the parameter estimation of rainfall–runoff model. However, it does not focus on peak flow and on representative parameter for various rain storm events of the basin, but it can estimate the optimal parameters by minimizing the overall error of observed and simulated flows. Therefore, the aim of this study is to suggest the objective functions that can fit peak flow in hydrograph and estimate the representative parameter of the basin for the events. The Streamflow Synthesis And Reservoir Regulation (SSARR model was employed to perform flood runoff simulation for the Mihocheon stream basin in Geum River, Korea. Optimization was conducted using three calibration methods: genetic algorithm, pattern search, and the Shuffled Complex Evolution method developed at the University of Arizona (SCE-UA. Two objective functions of the Sum of Squared of Residual (SSR and the Weighted Sum of Squared of Residual (WSSR suggested in this study for peak flow optimization were applied. Since the parameters estimated using a single rain storm event do not represent the parameters for various rain storms in the basin, we used the representative objective function that can minimize the sum of objective functions of the events. Six rain storm events were used for the parameter estimation. Four events were used for the calibration and the other two for validation; then, the results by SSR and WSSR were compared. Flow runoff simulation was carried out based on the proposed objective functions, and the objective function of WSSR was found to be more useful than that of SSR in the simulation of peak flow runoff. Representative parameters that minimize the objective function for each of the four rain storm events were estimated. The calibrated observed and simulated flow runoff hydrographs obtained from applying the estimated representative

Five adjustable parameter fit of quark and lepton masses and mixings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nielsen, H.B.; Takanishi, Y.

2002-05-01

We develop a model of ours fitting the quark and lepton masses and mixing angles by removing from the model a Higgs field previously introduced to organise a large atmospheric mixing angle for neutrino oscillations. Due to the off-diagonal elements dominating in the see-saw neutrino mass matrix the large atmospheric mixing angle comes essentially by itself. It turns out that we have now only five adjustable Higgs field vacuum expectation values needed to fit all the masses and mixings order of magnitudewise taking into account the renormalisation group runnings in all sectors. The CHOOZ angle comes out close to the experimental bound. (orig.)

Delayed heart rate recovery after exercise as a risk factor of incident type 2 diabetes mellitus after adjusting for glycometabolic parameters in men.

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Tae Yang; Jee, Jae Hwan; Bae, Ji Cheol; Hong, Won-Jung; Jin, Sang-Man; Kim, Jae Hyeon; Lee, Moon-Kyu

2016-10-15

Some studies have reported that delayed heart rate recovery (HRR) after exercise is associated with incident type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). This study aimed to investigate the longitudinal association of delayed HRR following a graded exercise treadmill test (GTX) with the development of T2DM including glucose-associated parameters as an adjusting factor in healthy Korean men. Analyses including fasting plasma glucose, HOMA-IR, HOMA-β, and HbA1c as confounding factors and known confounders were performed. HRR was calculated as peak heart rate minus heart rate after a 1-min rest (HRR 1). Cox proportional hazards model was used to quantify the independent association between HRR and incident T2DM. During 9082 person-years of follow-up between 2006 and 2012, there were 180 (10.1%) incident cases of T2DM. After adjustment for age, BMI, systolic BP, diastolic BP, smoking status, peak heart rate, peak oxygen uptake, TG, LDL-C, HDL-C, fasting plasma glucose, HOMA-IR, HOMA-β, and HbA1c, the hazard ratios (HRs) [95% confidence interval (CI)] of incident T2DM comparing the second and third tertiles to the first tertile of HRR 1 were 0.867 (0.609-1.235) and 0.624 (0.426-0.915), respectively (p for trend=0.017). As a continuous variable, in the fully-adjusted model, the HR (95% CI) of incident T2DM associated with each 1 beat increase in HRR 1 was 0.980 (0.960-1.000) (p=0.048). This study demonstrated that delayed HRR after exercise predicts incident T2DM in men, even after adjusting for fasting glucose, HOMA-IR, HOMA-β, and HbA1c. However, only HRR 1 had clinical significance. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

DaMoScope and its internet graphics for the visual control of adjusting mathematical models describing experimental data

Science.gov (United States)

Belousov, V. I.; Ezhela, V. V.; Kuyanov, Yu. V.; Tkachenko, N. P.

2015-12-01

The experience of using the dynamic atlas of the experimental data and mathematical models of their description in the problems of adjusting parametric models of observable values depending on kinematic variables is presented. The functional possibilities of an image of a large number of experimental data and the models describing them are shown by examples of data and models of observable values determined by the amplitudes of elastic scattering of hadrons. The Internet implementation of an interactive tool DaMoScope and its interface with the experimental data and codes of adjusted parametric models with the parameters of the best description of data are schematically shown. The DaMoScope codes are freely available.

DaMoScope and its internet graphics for the visual control of adjusting mathematical models describing experimental data

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Belousov, V. I.; Ezhela, V. V.; Kuyanov, Yu. V., E-mail: Yu.Kuyanov@gmail.com; Tkachenko, N. P. [Institute for High Energy Physics, National Research Center Kurchatov Institute, COMPAS Group (Russian Federation)

2015-12-15

The experience of using the dynamic atlas of the experimental data and mathematical models of their description in the problems of adjusting parametric models of observable values depending on kinematic variables is presented. The functional possibilities of an image of a large number of experimental data and the models describing them are shown by examples of data and models of observable values determined by the amplitudes of elastic scattering of hadrons. The Internet implementation of an interactive tool DaMoScope and its interface with the experimental data and codes of adjusted parametric models with the parameters of the best description of data are schematically shown. The DaMoScope codes are freely available.

DaMoScope and its internet graphics for the visual control of adjusting mathematical models describing experimental data

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Belousov, V. I.; Ezhela, V. V.; Kuyanov, Yu. V.; Tkachenko, N. P.

2015-01-01

The experience of using the dynamic atlas of the experimental data and mathematical models of their description in the problems of adjusting parametric models of observable values depending on kinematic variables is presented. The functional possibilities of an image of a large number of experimental data and the models describing them are shown by examples of data and models of observable values determined by the amplitudes of elastic scattering of hadrons. The Internet implementation of an interactive tool DaMoScope and its interface with the experimental data and codes of adjusted parametric models with the parameters of the best description of data are schematically shown. The DaMoScope codes are freely available

Improved Estimates of Thermodynamic Parameters

Science.gov (United States)

Lawson, D. D.

1982-01-01

Techniques refined for estimating heat of vaporization and other parameters from molecular structure. Using parabolic equation with three adjustable parameters, heat of vaporization can be used to estimate boiling point, and vice versa. Boiling points and vapor pressures for some nonpolar liquids were estimated by improved method and compared with previously reported values. Technique for estimating thermodynamic parameters should make it easier for engineers to choose among candidate heat-exchange fluids for thermochemical cycles.

On the Relationship Between Transfer Function-derived Response Times and Hydrograph Analysis Timing Parameters: Are there Similarities?

Science.gov (United States)

Bansah, S.; Ali, G.; Haque, M. A.; Tang, V.

2017-12-01

The proportion of precipitation that becomes streamflow is a function of internal catchment characteristics - which include geology, landscape characteristics and vegetation - and influence overall storage dynamics. The timing and quantity of water discharged by a catchment are indeed embedded in event hydrographs. Event hydrograph timing parameters, such as the response lag and time of concentration, are important descriptors of how long it takes the catchment to respond to input precipitation and how long it takes the latter to filter through the catchment. However, the extent to which hydrograph timing parameters relate to average response times derived from fitting transfer functions to annual hydrographs is unknown. In this study, we used a gamma transfer function to determine catchment average response times as well as event-specific hydrograph parameters across a network of eight nested watersheds ranging from 0.19 km2 to 74.6 km2 prairie catchments located in south central Manitoba (Canada). Various statistical analyses were then performed to correlate average response times - estimated using the parameters of the fitted gamma transfer function - to event-specific hydrograph parameters. Preliminary results show significant interannual variations in response times and hydrograph timing parameters: the former were in the order of a few hours to days, while the latter ranged from a few days to weeks. Some statistically significant relationships were detected between response times and event-specific hydrograph parameters. Future analyses will involve the comparison of statistical distributions of event-specific hydrograph parameters with that of runoff response times and baseflow transit times in order to quantity catchment storage dynamics across a range of temporal scales.

Generalized dislocated lag function projective synchronization of fractional order chaotic systems with fully uncertain parameters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Cong; Zhang, Hong-li; Fan, Wen-hui

2017-01-01

In this paper, we propose a new method to improve the safety of secure communication. This method uses the generalized dislocated lag projective synchronization and function projective synchronization to form a new generalized dislocated lag function projective synchronization. Moreover, this paper takes the examples of fractional order Chen system and Lü system with uncertain parameters as illustration. As the parameters of the two systems are uncertain, the nonlinear controller and parameter update algorithms are designed based on the fractional stability theory and adaptive control method. Moreover, this synchronization form and method of control are applied to secure communication via chaotic masking modulation. Many information signals can be recovered and validated. Finally, simulations are used to show the validity and feasibility of the proposed scheme.

Evaluation of trauma care using TRISS method: the role of adjusted misclassification rate and adjusted w-statistic

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bytyçi Cen I

2009-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Major trauma is a leading cause of death worldwide. Evaluation of trauma care using Trauma Injury and Injury Severity Score (TRISS method is focused in trauma outcome (deaths and survivors. For testing TRISS method TRISS misclassification rate is used. Calculating w-statistic, as a difference between observed and TRISS expected survivors, we compare our trauma care results with the TRISS standard. Aim The aim of this study is to analyze interaction between misclassification rate and w-statistic and to adjust these parameters to be closer to the truth. Materials and methods Analysis of components of TRISS misclassification rate and w-statistic and actual trauma outcome. Results The component of false negative (FN (by TRISS method unexpected deaths has two parts: preventable (Pd and non-preventable (nonPd trauma deaths. Pd represents inappropriate trauma care of an institution; otherwise nonpreventable trauma deaths represents errors in TRISS method. Removing patients with preventable trauma deaths we get an Adjusted misclassification rate: (FP + FN - Pd/N or (b+c-Pd/N. Substracting nonPd from FN value in w-statistic formula we get an Adjusted w-statistic: [FP-(FN - nonPd]/N, respectively (FP-Pd/N, or (b-Pd/N. Conclusion Because adjusted formulas clean method from inappropriate trauma care, and clean trauma care from the methods error, TRISS adjusted misclassification rate and adjusted w-statistic gives more realistic results and may be used in researches of trauma outcome.

An improved chaos-based secure communication technique using a novel encryption function with an embedded cipher key

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zaher, Ashraf A. [Physics Department, Science College, Kuwait University, P.O. Box 5969, Safat 13060 (Kuwait)], E-mail: ashraf.zaher@ku.edu.kw

2009-12-15

In this paper, a secure communication technique, using a chaotic system with a single adjustable parameter and a single observable time series, is proposed. The chosen chaotic system, which is a variant of the famous Rikitake model, has a special structure for which the adjustable parameter appears in the dynamic equation of the observable time series. This particular structure is used to build a synchronization-based state observer that is decoupled from the adaptive parameter identifier. A local Lyapunov function is used to design the parameter identifier, with an adjustable convergence rate that guarantees the stability of the overall system. A two-channel transmission method is used to exemplify the suggested technique where the secret message is encoded using a nonlinear function of both the chaotic states and the adjustable parameter of the chaotic system that acts as a secret key. Simulations show that, at the receiver, the signal can be efficiently retrieved only if the secret key is known, even when both the receiver and the transmitter are in perfect synchronization. The proposed technique is demonstrated to have improved security and privacy against intruders, when compared to other techniques reported in the literature, while being simple to implement using both analog and digital hardware. In addition, the chosen chaotic system is shown to be flexible in accommodating the transmission of signals with variable bandwidths, which promotes the superiority and versatility of the suggested secure communication technique.

An improved chaos-based secure communication technique using a novel encryption function with an embedded cipher key

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zaher, Ashraf A.

2009-01-01

In this paper, a secure communication technique, using a chaotic system with a single adjustable parameter and a single observable time series, is proposed. The chosen chaotic system, which is a variant of the famous Rikitake model, has a special structure for which the adjustable parameter appears in the dynamic equation of the observable time series. This particular structure is used to build a synchronization-based state observer that is decoupled from the adaptive parameter identifier. A local Lyapunov function is used to design the parameter identifier, with an adjustable convergence rate that guarantees the stability of the overall system. A two-channel transmission method is used to exemplify the suggested technique where the secret message is encoded using a nonlinear function of both the chaotic states and the adjustable parameter of the chaotic system that acts as a secret key. Simulations show that, at the receiver, the signal can be efficiently retrieved only if the secret key is known, even when both the receiver and the transmitter are in perfect synchronization. The proposed technique is demonstrated to have improved security and privacy against intruders, when compared to other techniques reported in the literature, while being simple to implement using both analog and digital hardware. In addition, the chosen chaotic system is shown to be flexible in accommodating the transmission of signals with variable bandwidths, which promotes the superiority and versatility of the suggested secure communication technique.

Fisher matrix forecast on cosmological parameters from the dark energy survey 2-point angular correlation function

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sobreira, F.; Rosenfeld, R. [Universidade Estadual Paulista Julio de Mesquita Filho (IFT/UNESP), Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil). Inst. Fisica Teorica; Simoni, F. de; Costa, L.A.N. da; Gaia, M.A.G.; Ramos, B.; Ogando, R.; Makler, M. [Laboratorio Interinstitucional de e-Astronomia (LIneA), Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil)

2011-07-01

Full text: We study the cosmological constraints expected for the upcoming project Dark Energy Survey (DES) with the full functional form of the 2-point angular correlation function. The angular correlation function model applied in this work includes the effects of linear redshift-space distortion, photometric redshift errors (assumed to be Gaussian) and non-linearities prevenient from gravitational infall. The Fisher information matrix is constructed with the full covariance matrix, which takes the correlation between nearby redshift shells in a proper manner. The survey was sliced into 20 redshift shells in the range 0:4 {<=} z {<=} 1:40 with a variable angular scale in order to search only the scale around the signal from the baryon acoustic oscillation, therefore well within the validity of the non-linear model employed. We found that under those assumptions and with a flat {Lambda}CDM WMAP7 fiducial model, the DES will be able to constrain the dark energy equation of state parameter w with a precision of {approx} 20% and the cold dark matter with {approx} 11% when marginalizing over the other 25 parameters (bias is treated as a free parameter for each shell). When applying WMAP7 priors on {Omega}{sub baryon}, {Omega} c{sub dm}, n{sub s}, and HST priors on the Hubble parameter, w is constrained with {approx} 9% precision. This shows that the full shape of the angular correlation function with DES data will be a powerful probe to constrain cosmological parameters. (author)

Associations between results of post-stroke NDT-Bobath rehabilitation in gait parameters, ADL and hand functions.

Science.gov (United States)

Mikołajewska, Emilia

2013-01-01

In patients after a stroke there are variable disorders. These patients often need rehabilitation in more than one area beceause of multiple limitations of the ability to perform everyday activities. The aim of the study was to assess correlations - statistical relationships between observed gait parameters, ADL and hand functions - results of rehabilitation of patients after ischaemic stroke according to the NDTBobath method for adults. The investigated group consisted of 60 patients after ischaemic stroke, who participated in the rehabilitation programme. 10 sessions of the NDT-Bobath therapy were provided in 2 weeks (10 days of the therapy). The calculation of correlations was made based on changes of parameters: Bobath Scale (to assess hand functions), Barthel Index (to assess ADL), gait velocity, cadence and stride lenght. Measurements were performed in every patient twice: on admission (before the therapy) and after last session of the therapy to assess rehabilitation effects. The main statistically relevant corellations observed in the study were as follows: in the whole group of patients: poor and moderate (negative) correlation between changes of gait parameters and Bobath Scale and Barthel Index, moderate and severe (negative) correlation between changes of gait parameters and Bobath Scale and Barthel Index in the group of women, correlation between changes in Bobath Scale and Barthel Index in the group of patients with left side of paresis, (negative) correlation between changes of gait parameters and Bobath Scale in group of patients younger than 68 years, moderate, high and very high correlations between changes in gait parameters in groups of women, men, younger than 68 years and older than 68 years. There have been observed statistically significant and favourable changes in the health status of patients, described by gait parameters, changes in hand functions and ADL. Based on the presented correlations there is an assumption that it is hard to

Bayesian Estimation of Two-Parameter Weibull Distribution Using Extension of Jeffreys' Prior Information with Three Loss Functions

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Chris Bambey Guure

2012-01-01

Full Text Available The Weibull distribution has been observed as one of the most useful distribution, for modelling and analysing lifetime data in engineering, biology, and others. Studies have been done vigorously in the literature to determine the best method in estimating its parameters. Recently, much attention has been given to the Bayesian estimation approach for parameters estimation which is in contention with other estimation methods. In this paper, we examine the performance of maximum likelihood estimator and Bayesian estimator using extension of Jeffreys prior information with three loss functions, namely, the linear exponential loss, general entropy loss, and the square error loss function for estimating the two-parameter Weibull failure time distribution. These methods are compared using mean square error through simulation study with varying sample sizes. The results show that Bayesian estimator using extension of Jeffreys' prior under linear exponential loss function in most cases gives the smallest mean square error and absolute bias for both the scale parameter α and the shape parameter β for the given values of extension of Jeffreys' prior.

Comprehensive Study of Z-Cut Highly Integrated LiNbO3 Optical Modulator with Adjustable Chirp Parameters

Science.gov (United States)

Palodiya, Vikram; Raghuwanshi, Sanjeev Kumar

2017-12-01

In this paper, the domain inversion is used in a simple fashion to improve the performance of a Z-cut highly integrated LiNbO3 optical modulator (LNOM). The Z-cut modulator having ≤ 3 V switching voltage and bandwidth of 15 GHz for an external modulator in which traveling-wave electrode length L_{m} imposed the modulating voltage, the product of V_π and L_{m} is fixed for a given electro-optic material (EOM). An investigation to achieve a low V_π by both magnitude of the electro-optic coefficient (EOC) for a wide variety of EOMs has been reported. The Sellmeier equation (SE) for the extraordinary index of congruent LiNbO3 is derived. The predictions related to phase matching are accurate between room temperature and 250 °C and wavelength ranging from 0.4 to 5 μm. The SE predicts more accurate refractive indices (RI) at long wavelengths. The different overlaps between the waveguides for the Z-cut structure are shown to yield a chirp parameter that can able to adjust 0-0.7. Theoretical results are perfectly verified by simulated results.

Adjustable thermal resistor by reversibly folding a graphene sheet.

Science.gov (United States)

Song, Qichen; An, Meng; Chen, Xiandong; Peng, Zhan; Zang, Jianfeng; Yang, Nuo

2016-08-11

Phononic (thermal) devices such as thermal diodes, thermal transistors, thermal logic gates, and thermal memories have been studied intensively. However, tunable thermal resistors have not been demonstrated yet. Here, we propose an instantaneously adjustable thermal resistor based on folded graphene. Through theoretical analysis and molecular dynamics simulations, we study the phonon-folding scattering effect and the dependence of thermal resistivity on the length between two folds and the overall length. Furthermore, we discuss the possibility of realizing instantaneously adjustable thermal resistors in experiment. Our studies bring new insights into designing thermal resistors and understanding the thermal modulation of 2D materials by adjusting basic structure parameters.

Turboelectric Aircraft Drive Key Performance Parameters and Functional Requirements

Science.gov (United States)

Jansen, Ralph H.; Brown, Gerald V.; Felder, James L.; Duffy, Kirsten P.

2016-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to propose specific power and efficiency as the key performance parameters for a turboelectric aircraft power system and investigate their impact on the overall aircraft. Key functional requirements are identified that impact the power system design. Breguet range equations for a base aircraft and a turboelectric aircraft are found. The benefits and costs that may result from the turboelectric system are enumerated. A break-even analysis is conducted to find the minimum allowable electric drive specific power and efficiency that can preserve the range, initial weight, operating empty weight, and payload weight of the base aircraft.

Allowable variance set on left ventricular function parameter

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhou Li'na; Qi Zhongzhi; Zeng Yu; Ou Xiaohong; Li Lin

2010-01-01

Purpose: To evaluate the influence of allowable Variance settings on left ventricular function parameter of the arrhythmia patients during gated myocardial perfusion imaging. Method: 42 patients with evident arrhythmia underwent myocardial perfusion SPECT, 3 different allowable variance with 20%, 60%, 100% would be set before acquisition for every patients,and they will be acquired simultaneously. After reconstruction by Astonish, end-diastole volume(EDV) and end-systolic volume (ESV) and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) would be computed with Quantitative Gated SPECT(QGS). Using SPSS software EDV, ESV, EF values of analysis of variance. Result: there is no statistical difference between three groups. Conclusion: arrhythmia patients undergo Gated myocardial perfusion imaging, Allowable Variance settings on EDV, ESV, EF value does not have a statistical meaning. (authors)

Multi-Response Optimization of WEDM Process Parameters Using Taguchi Based Desirability Function Analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Majumder, Himadri; Maity, Kalipada

2018-03-01

Shape memory alloy has a unique capability to return to its original shape after physical deformation by applying heat or thermo-mechanical or magnetic load. In this experimental investigation, desirability function analysis (DFA), a multi-attribute decision making was utilized to find out the optimum input parameter setting during wire electrical discharge machining (WEDM) of Ni-Ti shape memory alloy. Four critical machining parameters, namely pulse on time (TON), pulse off time (TOFF), wire feed (WF) and wire tension (WT) were taken as machining inputs for the experiments to optimize three interconnected responses like cutting speed, kerf width, and surface roughness. Input parameter combination TON = 120 μs., TOFF = 55 μs., WF = 3 m/min. and WT = 8 kg-F were found to produce the optimum results. The optimum process parameters for each desired response were also attained using Taguchi’s signal-to-noise ratio. Confirmation test has been done to validate the optimum machining parameter combination which affirmed DFA was a competent approach to select optimum input parameters for the ideal response quality for WEDM of Ni-Ti shape memory alloy.

Cognitive Models of Risky Choice: Parameter Stability and Predictive Accuracy of Prospect Theory

Science.gov (United States)

Glockner, Andreas; Pachur, Thorsten

2012-01-01

In the behavioral sciences, a popular approach to describe and predict behavior is cognitive modeling with adjustable parameters (i.e., which can be fitted to data). Modeling with adjustable parameters allows, among other things, measuring differences between people. At the same time, parameter estimation also bears the risk of overfitting. Are…

Functional Dyspepsia in Adults: Diagnosis and Treatment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yu.I. Reshetilov

2013-11-01

Full Text Available The objective of the work was to determine the dynamics of clinical symptoms of functional dyspepsia in adults under the influence of treatment using M-cholinolytic (scopolamine butylbromide. We examined 45 patients with functional dyspepsia, 30 of them received M-cholinolytic (scopolamine butylbromide in addition to integrated treatment. As a result of administration of this drug, clinical and instrumental parameters improved. In adjustment of drug dosage and duration of its administration, side effects weren’t detected.

Heuristic lipophilicity potential for computer-aided rational drug design: Optimizations of screening functions and parameters

Science.gov (United States)

Du, Qishi; Mezey, Paul G.

1998-09-01

In this research we test and compare three possible atom-basedscreening functions used in the heuristic molecular lipophilicity potential(HMLP). Screening function 1 is a power distance-dependent function, b_{{i}} /| {R_{{i}}- r} |^γ, screening function 2is an exponential distance-dependent function, biexp(-| {R_i- r} |/d_0 , and screening function 3 is aweighted distance-dependent function, {{sign}}( {b_i } ){{exp}}ξ ( {| {R_i- r} |/| {b_i } |} )For every screening function, the parameters (γ ,d0, and ξ are optimized using 41 common organic molecules of 4 types of compounds:aliphatic alcohols, aliphatic carboxylic acids, aliphatic amines, andaliphatic alkanes. The results of calculations show that screening function3 cannot give chemically reasonable results, however, both the powerscreening function and the exponential screening function give chemicallysatisfactory results. There are two notable differences between screeningfunctions 1 and 2. First, the exponential screening function has largervalues in the short distance than the power screening function, thereforemore influence from the nearest neighbors is involved using screeningfunction 2 than screening function 1. Second, the power screening functionhas larger values in the long distance than the exponential screeningfunction, therefore screening function 1 is effected by atoms at longdistance more than screening function 2. For screening function 1, thesuitable range of parameter d0 is 1.5 < d0 < 3.0, and d0 = 2.0 is recommended. HMLP developed in this researchprovides a potential tool for computer-aided three-dimensional drugdesign.

Impact of operator on determining functional parameters of nuclear medicine procedures.

Science.gov (United States)

Mohammed, A M; Naddaf, S Y; Mahdi, F S; Al-Mutawa, Q I; Al-Dossary, H A; Elgazzar, A H

2006-01-01

The study was designed to assess the significance of the interoperator variability in the estimation of functional parameters for four nuclear medicine procedures. Three nuclear medicine technologists with varying years of experience processed the following randomly selected 20 cases with diverse functions of each study type: renography, renal cortical scans, myocardial perfusion gated single-photon emission computed tomography (MP-GSPECT) and gated blood pool ventriculography (GBPV). The technologists used the same standard processing routines and were blinded to the results of each other. The means of the values and the means of differences calculated case by case were statistically analyzed by one-way ANOVA. The values were further analyzed using Pearson correlation. The range of the mean values and standard deviation of relative renal function obtained by the three technologists were 50.65 +/- 3.9 to 50.92 +/- 4.4% for renography, 51.43 +/- 8.4 to 51.55 +/- 8.8% for renal cortical scans, 57.40 +/- 14.3 to 58.30 +/- 14.9% for left ventricular ejection fraction from MP-GSPECT and 54.80 +/- 12.8 to 55.10 +/- 13.1% for GBPV. The difference was not statistically significant, p > 0.9. The values showed a high correlation of more than 0.95. Calculated case by case, the mean of differences +/- SD was found to range from 0.42 +/- 0.36% in renal cortical scans to 1.35 +/- 0.87% in MP-GSPECT with a maximum difference of 4.00%. The difference was not statistically significant, p > 0.19. The estimated functional parameters were reproducible and operator independent as long as the standard processing instructions were followed. Copyright 2006 S. Karger AG, Basel.

An optical system for controlling ion source parameters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Baifang; Liu Zhenhao; Jiang Yi; Xu Zhengjia

1999-01-01

An optical control system used for adjusting the source's parameters of an ion separator is described. There are two slice microcomputers at HV terminal and the ground respectively. These microcomputers communicate each other with the full-duplex mode through two pieces of optical fiber, in which many parameters are time-share transmitted in the form of optical pulse. This system can stabilize the arc current and temperature, adjust and display all parameters and has safe-guard ability. At HV terminal, the optical coupling technique is used for connecting the CPU and the ion source, and at the ground the CPU can communicate with a control microcomputer

A Memristor Model with Piecewise Window Function

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

J. Yu

2013-12-01

Full Text Available In this paper, we present a memristor model with piecewise window function, which is continuously differentiable and consists of three nonlinear pieces. By introducing two parameters, the shape of this window function can be flexibly adjusted to model different types of memristors. Using this model, one can easily obtain an expression of memristance depending on charge, from which the numerical value of memristance can be readily calculated for any given charge, and eliminate the error occurring in the simulation of some existing window function models.

Adjustment method for embedded metrology engine in an EM773 series microcontroller.

Science.gov (United States)

Blazinšek, Iztok; Kotnik, Bojan; Chowdhury, Amor; Kačič, Zdravko

2015-09-01

This paper presents the problems of implementation and adjustment (calibration) of a metrology engine embedded in NXP's EM773 series microcontroller. The metrology engine is used in a smart metering application to collect data about energy utilization and is controlled with the use of metrology engine adjustment (calibration) parameters. The aim of this research is to develop a method which would enable the operators to find and verify the optimum parameters which would ensure the best possible accuracy. Properly adjusted (calibrated) metrology engines can then be used as a base for variety of products used in smart and intelligent environments. This paper focuses on the problems encountered in the development, partial automatisation, implementation and verification of this method. Copyright © 2015 ISA. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Rational quadratic trigonometric Bézier curve based on new basis with exponential functions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wu Beibei

2017-06-01

Full Text Available We construct a rational quadratic trigonometric Bézier curve with four shape parameters by introducing two exponential functions into the trigonometric basis functions in this paper. It has the similar properties as the rational quadratic Bézier curve. For given control points, the shape of the curve can be flexibly adjusted by changing the shape parameters and the weight. Some conics can be exactly represented when the control points, the shape parameters and the weight are chosen appropriately. The C0, C1 and C2 continuous conditions for joining two constructed curves are discussed. Some examples are given.

Metabolic parameters and cognitive function in a cohort of older diabetic patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Herghelegiu, Anna Marie; Nacu, Raluca Mihaela; Prada, Gabriel Ioan

2016-12-01

Dementia is one of the most disabling conditions associated with old age. With increasing life expectancy, prevalence of both dementia and diabetes is rising. The complex pathological relationship between diabetes mellitus (DM) and dementia has been studied, but is not yet fully understood. The main objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between metabolic parameters and the cognitive function in older diabetics. A total number of 360 diabetic subjects, age 65 years and over, and 300 older people controls were included. Clinical and biological parameters, together with the cognitive function, were assessed every 6 months over a 18-month period, for each study participant. By employing a multivariate linear regression analysis, several significant relationships have been identified: between Clock Drawing Test (CDT) scores and HbA1c (R 2  = 0.68); between CDT scores (R 2  = 0.51) and overall MMSE scores (R 2  = 0.43) on one hand, and DM duration in years, on the other hand; also between CDT scores and BMI (R 2  = 0.59). There was no significant association between fasting serum glucose (FSG), total serum cholesterol, LDL cholesterol or triglycerides levels and cognitive function scores (p > 0.05). The close detailed monitoring of the cognitive function and a rigorous metabolic control are important, especially in the very early stages of DM. Addressing factors such as weight control in older diabetic patients could contribute to better cognitive outcomes.

Derivation of the acceptance and self-worth adjustment scale.

Science.gov (United States)

Tabrett, Daryl R; Latham, Keziah

2010-11-01

The original 55-item Nottingham Adjustment Scale (NAS) is a first generation self-report instrument constructed using classical test theory to evaluate adjustment to vision loss. This study assesses the function of the NAS using Rasch analysis in a sample of adults with visual impairment and presents a revised second-generation instrument. Ninety-nine subjects with established vision loss (median onset 5 years) were administered the NAS. Rasch analysis was performed to: (1) determine optimum response scale function, (2) aid item reduction, (3) determine reliability indices and item targeting, (4) assess unidimensionality using Rasch-based principal component analysis, (5) assess differential item functioning (notable defined as >1.0 logit), and (6) formulate person measures to correlate with Geriatric Depression Scale scores and distance visual acuity to indicate convergent and discriminant validity, respectively. Response categories exhibited underutilization, which when repaired improved response scale functioning and ordered structural calibrations. Misfitting items were removed iteratively until all items had mean-square infit and outfit values of 0.70 to 1.30. However, principal component analysis confirmed insufficient unidimensionality (two contrasts identified, eigenvalues 2.4 and 2.3). Removal of these contrasts and two further iterations restored unidimensionality. Despite item mistargeting (1.58 logits), the revised 19-item instrument demonstrated good person (0.85) and item (0.96) reliability coefficients, good convergent and discriminant validity, and no systematic differential item functioning. The resultant 19-item instrument was termed the Acceptance and Self-Worth Adjustment Scale (AS-WAS). In those with established vision loss, the 19-item Acceptance and Self-Worth Adjustment Scale is a reliable and valid instrument that estimates the level of adjustment concerned with acceptance, attitudes, self-esteem, self-efficacy, and locus of control. An

Marital Adjustment and Psychological Distress in Japan

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Angela; Robustelli, Briana L.; Whisman, Mark A.

2016-01-01

This study was conducted to examine the association between marital adjustment and psychological distress in a large, probability sample of married adults in Japan (N = 710) from the Midlife Development in Japan (MIDJA) study. Results indicate that positive and negative dimensions of marital adjustment were significantly associated with dimensional and categorical measures of psychological distress. Furthermore, the associations between marital adjustment and psychological distress remained significant when statistically controlling for neuroticism, quality of friend and family relationships, and demographic variables. These results demonstrate that the well-established association between marital adjustment and psychological distress found in European-American countries is also found in Japan. Findings support continued research on marital functioning and psychological distress in East Asian countries. PMID:28082761

Topics in data adjustment theory and applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hwang, R.N.

1988-01-01

The methodologies of the uncertainty analysis and data adjustment have been well-developed and widely used abroad since the early 70's. With limited amount of covariance data on the differential cross section and the integral experiments available at the time, their accomplishments are, indeed, astounding. The fundamental adjustment equations, however, remain qualitatively unchanged. For the past few year, extensive efforts on these subjects have also begun at ANL in order to utilize the massive amount of integral experiments accumulated over years to provide the basis for improving the reactor parameters encountered in various design calculations. Pertinent covariance matrices and sensitivity matrices of the existing integral experiments have been evaluated and systematically compiled in the data files along with the cross section covariance data derived from the ENDF-B/V for the 21 group structure currently under consideration. A production code GMADJ that provides the adjusted quantities for a large number of cross section types has been developed by Poenitz for routine applications. The primary purpose of the present paper is to improve understanding of the application oriented issues important to the data adjustment theory and the subsequent usage of the adjusted quantities in the design calculations in support of these activities. 30 refs., 12 figs., 5 tabs

A simple signaling rule for variable life-adjusted display derived from an equivalent risk-adjusted CUSUM chart.

Science.gov (United States)

Wittenberg, Philipp; Gan, Fah Fatt; Knoth, Sven

2018-04-17

The variable life-adjusted display (VLAD) is the first risk-adjusted graphical procedure proposed in the literature for monitoring the performance of a surgeon. It displays the cumulative sum of expected minus observed deaths. It has since become highly popular because the statistic plotted is easy to understand. But it is also easy to misinterpret a surgeon's performance by utilizing the VLAD, potentially leading to grave consequences. The problem of misinterpretation is essentially caused by the variance of the VLAD's statistic that increases with sample size. In order for the VLAD to be truly useful, a simple signaling rule is desperately needed. Various forms of signaling rules have been developed, but they are usually quite complicated. Without signaling rules, making inferences using the VLAD alone is difficult if not misleading. In this paper, we establish an equivalence between a VLAD with V-mask and a risk-adjusted cumulative sum (RA-CUSUM) chart based on the difference between the estimated probability of death and surgical outcome. Average run length analysis based on simulation shows that this particular RA-CUSUM chart has similar performance as compared to the established RA-CUSUM chart based on the log-likelihood ratio statistic obtained by testing the odds ratio of death. We provide a simple design procedure for determining the V-mask parameters based on a resampling approach. Resampling from a real data set ensures that these parameters can be estimated appropriately. Finally, we illustrate the monitoring of a real surgeon's performance using VLAD with V-mask. Copyright © 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Noninvasive measurement of carboxyhemoglobin levels for adjustment of diffusion capacity measured during pulmonary function testing.

Science.gov (United States)

Mahoney, Anne M; Stimpson, Claudia L; Scott, Karen L; Hampson, Neil B

2007-12-01

The diffusing capacity of the lungs for carbon monoxide (D(LCO)) is commonly measured during pulmonary function testing (PFT). Although adjustment of the measured D(LCO) for an elevated baseline carboxyhemoglobin level is recommended, carboxyhemoglobin is not routinely measured, which may reduce the accuracy of D(LCO) measurements. We sought to assess the utility of routine carboxyhemoglobin measurement and subsequent D(LCO) correction in patients referred for PFT. We retrospectively reviewed 100 consecutive PFT results, including D(LCO) assessment. We used a pulse CO-oximeter (recently approved by the Food and Drug Administration) to noninvasively measure baseline carboxyhemoglobin (S(pCO)). We used simple descriptive statistics to compare the S(pCO) values. In subjects with elevated S(pCO) (> 2%) we adjusted the percent-of-predicted D(LCO). Interpretation of D(LCO) was categorized according to the American Thoracic Society classification scheme for respiratory impairment. The self-reported smokers had higher average S(pCO) than did self-reported nonsmokers (1.6% vs 3.5%, p carboxyhemoglobin is easy to perform during PFT. When precise measurement of D(LCO) is important, noninvasive measurement of carboxyhemoglobin may be of value. If routine S(pCO) measurement is considered, the highest yield is among current smokers.

Photon albedo coefficients as functions of μ/Zeff parameter

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ljubenov Vladan L.

2013-01-01

Full Text Available This paper presents the results of the analyses of photon reflection from planar targets for normal photon incidence and for different shielding materials (water, concrete, aluminum, iron, and copper, in the range of the initial photon energies from 20 keV to 300 keV. Calculations of photon reflection parameters based on the results of Monte Carlo simulations of the photon transport have been performed using MCNP4C code. Integral reflection coefficients, presented as functions of the ratio of total cross-section of photons and effective atomic number of target material, show universal behaviour for all the analyzed shielding materials in the selected energy domain.

Foot length is a functional parameter for assessment of height.

Science.gov (United States)

Krishan, Kewal; Kanchan, Tanuj

2013-03-01

Stature estimation is considered as an important parameter in the examination of unknown human remains and during the analysis of evidence in crime scene investigations. During mass disasters isolated foot can be found enclosed in the shoes while footprints may be recovered at the crime scenes. Foot length and footprint length can provide valuable estimates of stature. The present communication makes a few pertinent observations on a recently published article in 'The Foot' entitled 'Foot length-a functional parameter for assessment of height, The Foot 2012, 22(1):31-34' and presents an insight into the literature available on the subject which is likely to be of value to future researchers in the field of Forensic Podiatry. The foot length and the footprint length of individuals differ from each other and hence, the research observations made in a study on foot prints cannot be applied to foot dimensions. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Facial motion parameter estimation and error criteria in model-based image coding

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Yunhai; Yu, Lu; Yao, Qingdong

2000-04-01

Model-based image coding has been given extensive attention due to its high subject image quality and low bit-rates. But the estimation of object motion parameter is still a difficult problem, and there is not a proper error criteria for the quality assessment that are consistent with visual properties. This paper presents an algorithm of the facial motion parameter estimation based on feature point correspondence and gives the motion parameter error criteria. The facial motion model comprises of three parts. The first part is the global 3-D rigid motion of the head, the second part is non-rigid translation motion in jaw area, and the third part consists of local non-rigid expression motion in eyes and mouth areas. The feature points are automatically selected by a function of edges, brightness and end-node outside the blocks of eyes and mouth. The numbers of feature point are adjusted adaptively. The jaw translation motion is tracked by the changes of the feature point position of jaw. The areas of non-rigid expression motion can be rebuilt by using block-pasting method. The estimation approach of motion parameter error based on the quality of reconstructed image is suggested, and area error function and the error function of contour transition-turn rate are used to be quality criteria. The criteria reflect the image geometric distortion caused by the error of estimated motion parameters properly.

A Gaussian mixture model based cost function for parameter estimation of chaotic biological systems

Science.gov (United States)

Shekofteh, Yasser; Jafari, Sajad; Sprott, Julien Clinton; Hashemi Golpayegani, S. Mohammad Reza; Almasganj, Farshad

2015-02-01

As we know, many biological systems such as neurons or the heart can exhibit chaotic behavior. Conventional methods for parameter estimation in models of these systems have some limitations caused by sensitivity to initial conditions. In this paper, a novel cost function is proposed to overcome those limitations by building a statistical model on the distribution of the real system attractor in state space. This cost function is defined by the use of a likelihood score in a Gaussian mixture model (GMM) which is fitted to the observed attractor generated by the real system. Using that learned GMM, a similarity score can be defined by the computed likelihood score of the model time series. We have applied the proposed method to the parameter estimation of two important biological systems, a neuron and a cardiac pacemaker, which show chaotic behavior. Some simulated experiments are given to verify the usefulness of the proposed approach in clean and noisy conditions. The results show the adequacy of the proposed cost function.

Player Modeling for Intelligent Difficulty Adjustment

Science.gov (United States)

Missura, Olana; Gärtner, Thomas

In this paper we aim at automatically adjusting the difficulty of computer games by clustering players into different types and supervised prediction of the type from short traces of gameplay. An important ingredient of video games is to challenge players by providing them with tasks of appropriate and increasing difficulty. How this difficulty should be chosen and increase over time strongly depends on the ability, experience, perception and learning curve of each individual player. It is a subjective parameter that is very difficult to set. Wrong choices can easily lead to players stopping to play the game as they get bored (if underburdened) or frustrated (if overburdened). An ideal game should be able to adjust its difficulty dynamically governed by the player’s performance. Modern video games utilise a game-testing process to investigate among other factors the perceived difficulty for a multitude of players. In this paper, we investigate how machine learning techniques can be used for automatic difficulty adjustment. Our experiments confirm the potential of machine learning in this application.

Studies on eletron scattering by hydrogen atoms through of a correlationed wave function

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jacchieri, S.G.

1982-01-01

A correlationed wave function dependent of two adjustable parameters ( α e β), aiming describe a system formed by an electron and a hydrogen atom is studied. Some elastic differential cross-sections for several values of α and β parameters, scattering angle of 2 0 to 140 0 and energies of 50 eV and 680 eV are presented. (M.J.C.) [pt

The functional dependence of the total hazard from an air pollution incidence on the environmental parameters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Skibin, D.

1980-01-01

A general case of release to the atmosphere of a pollutant is considered. In hazards evaluation the processes involved are usually estimated conservatively so as to maximize the computed doses. The present work helps to identify the worst cases. In addition, a model of the total dose is presented and its variations are studied as a function of wind speed, deposition velocity and source height. The value of each parameter giving the highest total dose as a function of the model's parameters is determined. (H.K.)

Reflow Process Parameters Analysis and Reliability Prediction Considering Multiple Characteristic Values

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Guo Yu

2016-01-01

Full Text Available As a major step surface mount technology, reflow process is the key factor affecting the quality of the final product. The setting parameters and characteristic value of temperature curve shows a nonlinear relationship. So parameter impacts on characteristic values are analyzed and the parameters adjustment process based on orthogonal experiment is proposed in the paper. First, setting parameters are determined and the orthogonal test is designed according to production conditions. Then each characteristic value for temperature profile is calculated. Further, multi-index orthogonal experiment is analyzed for acquiring the setting parameters which impacts the PCBA product quality greater. Finally, reliability prediction is carried out considering the main influencing parameters for providing a theoretical basis of parameters adjustment and product quality evaluation in engineering process.

Reinforcement learning design-based adaptive tracking control with less learning parameters for nonlinear discrete-time MIMO systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Yan-Jun; Tang, Li; Tong, Shaocheng; Chen, C L Philip; Li, Dong-Juan

2015-01-01

Based on the neural network (NN) approximator, an online reinforcement learning algorithm is proposed for a class of affine multiple input and multiple output (MIMO) nonlinear discrete-time systems with unknown functions and disturbances. In the design procedure, two networks are provided where one is an action network to generate an optimal control signal and the other is a critic network to approximate the cost function. An optimal control signal and adaptation laws can be generated based on two NNs. In the previous approaches, the weights of critic and action networks are updated based on the gradient descent rule and the estimations of optimal weight vectors are directly adjusted in the design. Consequently, compared with the existing results, the main contributions of this paper are: 1) only two parameters are needed to be adjusted, and thus the number of the adaptation laws is smaller than the previous results and 2) the updating parameters do not depend on the number of the subsystems for MIMO systems and the tuning rules are replaced by adjusting the norms on optimal weight vectors in both action and critic networks. It is proven that the tracking errors, the adaptation laws, and the control inputs are uniformly bounded using Lyapunov analysis method. The simulation examples are employed to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm.

Modulating functions method for parameters estimation in the fifth order KdV equation

KAUST Repository

Asiri, Sharefa M.

2017-07-25

In this work, the modulating functions method is proposed for estimating coefficients in higher-order nonlinear partial differential equation which is the fifth order Kortewegde Vries (KdV) equation. The proposed method transforms the problem into a system of linear algebraic equations of the unknowns. The statistical properties of the modulating functions solution are described in this paper. In addition, guidelines for choosing the number of modulating functions, which is an important design parameter, are provided. The effectiveness and robustness of the proposed method are shown through numerical simulations in both noise-free and noisy cases.

Kinematic synthesis of adjustable robotic mechanisms

Science.gov (United States)

Chuenchom, Thatchai

1993-01-01

Conventional hard automation, such as a linkage-based or a cam-driven system, provides high speed capability and repeatability but not the flexibility required in many industrial applications. The conventional mechanisms, that are typically single-degree-of-freedom systems, are being increasingly replaced by multi-degree-of-freedom multi-actuators driven by logic controllers. Although this new trend in sophistication provides greatly enhanced flexibility, there are many instances where the flexibility needs are exaggerated and the associated complexity is unnecessary. Traditional mechanism-based hard automation, on the other hand, neither can fulfill multi-task requirements nor are cost-effective mainly due to lack of methods and tools to design-in flexibility. This dissertation attempts to bridge this technological gap by developing Adjustable Robotic Mechanisms (ARM's) or 'programmable mechanisms' as a middle ground between high speed hard automation and expensive serial jointed-arm robots. This research introduces the concept of adjustable robotic mechanisms towards cost-effective manufacturing automation. A generalized analytical synthesis technique has been developed to support the computational design of ARM's that lays the theoretical foundation for synthesis of adjustable mechanisms. The synthesis method developed in this dissertation, called generalized adjustable dyad and triad synthesis, advances the well-known Burmester theory in kinematics to a new level. While this method provides planar solutions, a novel patented scheme is utilized for converting prescribed three-dimensional motion specifications into sets of planar projections. This provides an analytical and a computational tool for designing adjustable mechanisms that satisfy multiple sets of three-dimensional motion specifications. Several design issues were addressed, including adjustable parameter identification, branching defect, and mechanical errors. An efficient mathematical scheme for

The correlation function for density perturbations in an expanding universe. IV - The evolution of the correlation function. [galaxy distribution

Science.gov (United States)

Mcclelland, J.; Silk, J.

1979-01-01

The evolution of the two-point correlation function for the large-scale distribution of galaxies in an expanding universe is studied on the assumption that the perturbation densities lie in a Gaussian distribution centered on any given mass scale. The perturbations are evolved according to the Friedmann equation, and the correlation function for the resulting distribution of perturbations at the present epoch is calculated. It is found that: (1) the computed correlation function gives a satisfactory fit to the observed function in cosmological models with a density parameter (Omega) of approximately unity, provided that a certain free parameter is suitably adjusted; (2) the power-law slope in the nonlinear regime reflects the initial fluctuation spectrum, provided that the density profile of individual perturbations declines more rapidly than the -2.4 power of distance; and (3) both positive and negative contributions to the correlation function are predicted for cosmological models with Omega less than unity.

Modified adjustable suture hang-back recession: Description of technique and comparison with conventional adjustable hang-back recession

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Siddharth Agrawal

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Purpose: This study aims to describe and compare modified hang-back recession with the conventional hang-back recession in large angle comitant exotropia (XT. Methods: A prospective, interventional, double-blinded, randomized study on adult patients (>18 years undergoing single eye recession-resection for large angle (>30 prism diopters constant comitant XT was conducted between January 2011 and December 2015. Patients in Group A underwent modified hang-back lateral rectus recession with adjustable knot while in Group B underwent conventional hang-back recession with an adjustable knot. Outcome parameters studied were readjustment rate, change in deviation at 6 weeks, complications and need for resurgery at 6 months. Results: The groups were comparable in terms of age and preoperative deviation. The patients with the modified hang back (Group A fared significantly better (P < 0.05 than those with conventional hang back (Group B in terms of lesser need for adjustment, greater correction in deviation at 6 weeks and lesser need for resurgery at 6 months. Conclusion: This modification offers several advantages, significantly reduces resurgery requirement and has no added complications.

Effects of environmental and water quality parameters on the functioning of copepod assemblages in tropical estuaries

Science.gov (United States)

Araujo, Adriana V.; Dias, Cristina O.; Bonecker, Sérgio L. C.

2017-07-01

We examined changes in the functioning of copepod assemblages with increasing pollution in estuaries, using sampling standardization of the salinity range to enable comparisons. Copepod assemblages were analyzed in four southeast Brazilian estuaries with different water quality levels and hydrodynamic characteristics over two years. We obtained mesozooplankton samples together with environmental and water quality parameters in the estuaries, every two months under predetermined salinities ranging from 15 to 25. The values of parameters, except species size, associated with the functioning of the copepod assemblages (biomass, productivity, and turnover rate) did not differ among estuaries. However, in the more polluted estuaries, the biomass and productivity of copepod assemblages of mesozooplankton were negatively correlated with concentration of pollution indicator parameters. Conversely, in the less polluted estuaries some degree of enrichment still seems to increase the system biomass and productivity, as these parameters were inversely related to indicators of improved water quality. The pollution level of estuaries distorted the relationship between temperature and the efficiency of converting energy to organic matter. In the less polluted estuaries, the relationship between turnover rate and temperature was over 70%, while in the most polluted estuaries, this relationship was only approximately 50%. Our results demonstrated that the functioning of assemblages in the estuaries was affected differently by increasing pollution depending on the water quality level of the system. Thus, investigating the functioning of assemblages can be a useful tool for the analysis of estuarine conditions.

Risk adjusted receding horizon control of constrained linear parameter varying systems

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Sznaier, M.; Lagoa, C.; Stoorvogel, Antonie Arij; Li, X.

2005-01-01

In the past few years, control of Linear Parameter Varying Systems (LPV) has been the object of considerable attention, as a way of formalizing the intuitively appealing idea of gain scheduling control for nonlinear systems. However, currently available LPV techniques are both computationally

Premorbid adjustment and neuropsychological performance in schizophrenia.

Science.gov (United States)

Silverstein, Marshall L; Mavrolefteros, George; Close, David

2002-01-01

To examine the relationship between premorbid adjustment and neuropsychological deficit in schizophrenia, this report examined retrospective ratings of social and school adjustment during three age epochs (childhood, early adolescence, and late adolescence) as predictors of neurocognitive performance in 61 clinically and pharmacologically stabilized schizophrenia outpatients. Results indicated greater cognitive deficits when premorbid adjustment was unfavorable, particularly for measures of attention and executive functions. Premorbid number and quality of peer relationships and psychosocial adaptation to the school environment were more closely related to neuropsychological performance during adulthood than were premorbid withdrawal and premorbid academic performance. Early onset of poor premorbid adjustment rather than deterioration from childhood to adolescence was associated with greater neuropsychological disturbance in adulthood. It is suggested that childhood onset of premorbid deficits in selective areas of social and academic adjustment appears to influence the cognitive performance seen in adult schizophrenia. This study is consistent with findings from other related reports; it extends these findings to a larger and clinically stabilized sample.

Phosphonic acids aid composition adjustment in the synthesis of Cu_2_+_xZn_1_−_xSnSe_4_−_y nanoparticles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ibáñez, Maria; Berestok, Taisiia; Dobrozhan, Oleksandr; LaLonde, Aaron; Izquierdo-Roca, Victor; Shavel, Alexey; Pérez-Rodríguez, Alejandro; Snyder, G. Jeffrey; Cabot, Andreu

2016-01-01

The functional properties of quaternary I_2–II–IV–VI_4 nanomaterials, with potential interest in various technological fields, are highly sensitive to compositional variations, which is a challenging parameter to adjust. Here we demonstrate the presence of phosphonic acids to aid controlling the reactivity of the II element monomer to be incorporated in quaternary Cu_2ZnSnSe_4 nanoparticles and thus to provide a more reliable way to adjust the final nanoparticle metal ratios. Furthermore, we demonstrate the composition control in such multivalence nanoparticles to allow modifying charge carrier concentrations in nanomaterials produced from the assembly of these building blocks.

Assessment of input function distortions on kinetic model parameters in simulated dynamic 82Rb PET perfusion studies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Meyer, Carsten; Peligrad, Dragos-Nicolae; Weibrecht, Martin

2007-01-01

Cardiac 82 rubidium dynamic PET studies allow quantifying absolute myocardial perfusion by using tracer kinetic modeling. Here, the accurate measurement of the input function, i.e. the tracer concentration in blood plasma, is a major challenge. This measurement is deteriorated by inappropriate temporal sampling, spillover, etc. Such effects may influence the measured input peak value and the measured blood pool clearance. The aim of our study is to evaluate the effect of input function distortions on the myocardial perfusion as estimated by the model. To this end, we simulate noise-free myocardium time activity curves (TACs) with a two-compartment kinetic model. The input function to the model is a generic analytical function. Distortions of this function have been introduced by varying its parameters. Using the distorted input function, the compartment model has been fitted to the simulated myocardium TAC. This analysis has been performed for various sets of model parameters covering a physiologically relevant range. The evaluation shows that ±10% error in the input peak value can easily lead to ±10-25% error in the model parameter K 1 , which relates to myocardial perfusion. Variations in the input function tail are generally less relevant. We conclude that an accurate estimation especially of the plasma input peak is crucial for a reliable kinetic analysis and blood flow estimation

Adaptive function projective synchronization of two-cell Quantum-CNN chaotic oscillators with uncertain parameters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sudheer, K. Sebastian; Sabir, M.

2009-01-01

This work investigates function projective synchronization of two-cell Quantum-CNN chaotic oscillators using adaptive method. Quantum-CNN oscillators produce nano scale chaotic oscillations under certain conditions. By Lyapunove stability theory, the adaptive control law and the parameter update law are derived to make the state of two chaotic systems function projective synchronized. Numerical simulations are presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed adaptive controllers.

Cognitive functioning is more closely related to real-life mobility than to laboratory-based mobility parameters

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Giannouli, Eleftheria; Bock, Otmar; Zijlstra, Wiebren

2018-01-01

Increasing evidence indicates that mobility depends on cognitive resources, but the exact relationships between various cognitive functions and different mobility parameters still need to be investigated. This study examines the hypothesis that cognitive functioning is more closely related to

Adjusting inkjet printhead parameters to deposit drugs into micro-sized reservoirs

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mau Robert

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Drug delivery systems (DDS ensure that therapeutically effective drug concentrations are delivered locally to the target site. For that reason, it is common to coat implants with a degradable polymer which contains drugs. However, the use of polymers as a drug carrier has been associated with adverse side effects. For that reason, several technologies have been developed to design polymer-free DDS. In literature it has been shown that micro-sized reservoirs can be applied as drug reservoirs. Inkjet techniques are capable of depositing drugs into these reservoirs. In this study, two different geometries of micro-sized reservoirs have been laden with a drug (ASA using a drop-on-demand inkjet printhead. Correlations between the characteristics of the drug solution, the operating parameters of the printhead and the geometric parameters of the reservoir are shown. It is indicated that wettability of the surface play a key role for drug deposition into micro-sized reservoirs.

Tuning of the PI Controller Parameters of a PMSG Wind Turbine to Improve Control Performance under Various Wind Speeds

OpenAIRE

Yun-Su Kim; Il-Yop Chung; Seung-Il Moon

2015-01-01

This paper presents a method to seek the PI controller parameters of a PMSG wind turbine to improve control performance. Since operating conditions vary with the wind speed, therefore the PI controller parameters should be determined as a function of the wind speed. Small-signal modeling of a PMSG WT is implemented to analyze the stability under various operating conditions and with eigenvalues obtained from the small-signal model of the PMSG WT, which are coordinated by adjusting the PI con...

Lidar inelastic multiple-scattering parameters of cirrus particle ensembles determined with geometrical-optics crystal phase functions.

Science.gov (United States)

Reichardt, J; Hess, M; Macke, A

2000-04-20

Multiple-scattering correction factors for cirrus particle extinction coefficients measured with Raman and high spectral resolution lidars are calculated with a radiative-transfer model. Cirrus particle-ensemble phase functions are computed from single-crystal phase functions derived in a geometrical-optics approximation. Seven crystal types are considered. In cirrus clouds with height-independent particle extinction coefficients the general pattern of the multiple-scattering parameters has a steep onset at cloud base with values of 0.5-0.7 followed by a gradual and monotonic decrease to 0.1-0.2 at cloud top. The larger the scattering particles are, the more gradual is the rate of decrease. Multiple-scattering parameters of complex crystals and of imperfect hexagonal columns and plates can be well approximated by those of projected-area equivalent ice spheres, whereas perfect hexagonal crystals show values as much as 70% higher than those of spheres. The dependencies of the multiple-scattering parameters on cirrus particle spectrum, base height, and geometric depth and on the lidar parameters laser wavelength and receiver field of view, are discussed, and a set of multiple-scattering parameter profiles for the correction of extinction measurements in homogeneous cirrus is provided.

Parameter Search Algorithms for Microwave Radar-Based Breast Imaging: Focal Quality Metrics as Fitness Functions.

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O'Loughlin, Declan; Oliveira, Bárbara L; Elahi, Muhammad Adnan; Glavin, Martin; Jones, Edward; Popović, Milica; O'Halloran, Martin

2017-12-06

Inaccurate estimation of average dielectric properties can have a tangible impact on microwave radar-based breast images. Despite this, recent patient imaging studies have used a fixed estimate although this is known to vary from patient to patient. Parameter search algorithms are a promising technique for estimating the average dielectric properties from the reconstructed microwave images themselves without additional hardware. In this work, qualities of accurately reconstructed images are identified from point spread functions. As the qualities of accurately reconstructed microwave images are similar to the qualities of focused microscopic and photographic images, this work proposes the use of focal quality metrics for average dielectric property estimation. The robustness of the parameter search is evaluated using experimental dielectrically heterogeneous phantoms on the three-dimensional volumetric image. Based on a very broad initial estimate of the average dielectric properties, this paper shows how these metrics can be used as suitable fitness functions in parameter search algorithms to reconstruct clear and focused microwave radar images.

One-parameter families of supersymmetric isospectral potentials from Riccati solutions in function composition form

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rosu, Haret C., E-mail: hcr@ipicyt.edu.mx [IPICYT, Instituto Potosino de Investigacion Cientifica y Tecnologica, Camino a la presa San José 2055, Col. Lomas 4a Sección, 78216 San Luis Potosí, S.L.P. (Mexico); Mancas, Stefan C., E-mail: mancass@erau.edu [Department of Mathematics, Embry–Riddle Aeronautical University, Daytona Beach, FL 32114-3900 (United States); Chen, Pisin, E-mail: pisinchen@phys.ntu.edu.tw [Leung Center for Cosmology and Particle Astrophysics (LeCosPA) and Department of Physics, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan (China)

2014-04-15

In the context of supersymmetric quantum mechanics, we define a potential through a particular Riccati solution of the composition form (F∘f)(x)=F(f(x)) and obtain a generalized Mielnik construction of one-parameter isospectral potentials when we use the general Riccati solution. Some examples for special cases of F and f are given to illustrate the method. An interesting result is obtained in the case of a parametric double well potential generated by this method, for which it is shown that the parameter of the potential controls the heights of the localization probability in the two wells, and for certain values of the parameter the height of the localization probability can be higher in the smaller well. -- Highlights: •Function-composition generalization of parametric isospectral potentials is presented. •Mielnik one-parameter family of harmonic potentials is obtained as a particular case. •Graphical discussion of regular and singular regions in the parameter space is given.

Design and construction the identification of nitriding plasma process parameters using personal computer based on serial communication

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Frida Iswinning Diah; Slamet Santosa

2012-01-01

Design and construction the identification of process parameters using personal computer based on serial communication PLC M-series has been done. The function of this device is to identify the process parameters of a system (plan), to which then be analyzed and conducted a follow-up given to the plan by the user. The main component of this device is the M-Series T100MD1616 PLC and personal computer (PC). In this device the data plan parameters obtained from the corresponding sensor outputs in the form of voltage or current. While the analog parameter data is adjusted to the ADC analog input of the PLC using a signal conditioning system. Then, as the parameter is processed by the PLC then sent to a PC via RS232 to be displayed in the form of graphs or tables and stored in the database. Software to program the database is created using Visual Basic Programming V-6. The device operation test is performed for the measurement of temperature parameter and vacuum level on the plasma nitriding machine. The results indicate that the device has functioning as an identification device parameters process of plasma nitriding machine. (author)

Modified Moment, Maximum Likelihood and Percentile Estimators for the Parameters of the Power Function Distribution

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Azam Zaka

2014-10-01

Full Text Available This paper is concerned with the modifications of maximum likelihood, moments and percentile estimators of the two parameter Power function distribution. Sampling behavior of the estimators is indicated by Monte Carlo simulation. For some combinations of parameter values, some of the modified estimators appear better than the traditional maximum likelihood, moments and percentile estimators with respect to bias, mean square error and total deviation.

Extended SOA to Enable Web Service Discovery on Non Functional Parameters

OpenAIRE

Vandan Tiwari Dr. Nirmal Dagdee Dr. Aruna Tiwari Divesh Dixit

2012-01-01

The current Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) standards, namely the concept of Web services and service registry lacks mechanism for managing the services’ nonfunctional properties of Web Services. Currently there is no standard that is capable of accurately representing quality of service parameters of web services. Such non functional properties are expressed by the term “Quality of Service (QoS)”. QoS for Web services is an important decisive factor for service selection. Therefore it is...

Positive Adjustment in Parents Rearing Children with Down Syndrome.

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Flaherty, Evelyn M.; Glidden, Laraine Masters

2000-01-01

Compared adjustment in adoptive and biological parents rearing 1- to 12-year-olds with Down syndrome. Found that birth mothers and fathers were functioning quite similarly to adoptive mothers and fathers on family strengths, marital adjustment, and resources and stress. Birth mothers displayed higher personal burden than adoptive mothers, with the…

Sensitivity functions for uncertainty analysis: Sensitivity and uncertainty analysis of reactor performance parameters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Greenspan, E.

1982-01-01

This chapter presents the mathematical basis for sensitivity functions, discusses their physical meaning and information they contain, and clarifies a number of issues concerning their application, including the definition of group sensitivities, the selection of sensitivity functions to be included in the analysis, and limitations of sensitivity theory. Examines the theoretical foundation; criticality reset sensitivities; group sensitivities and uncertainties; selection of sensitivities included in the analysis; and other uses and limitations of sensitivity functions. Gives the theoretical formulation of sensitivity functions pertaining to ''as-built'' designs for performance parameters of the form of ratios of linear flux functionals (such as reaction-rate ratios), linear adjoint functionals, bilinear functions (such as reactivity worth ratios), and for reactor reactivity. Offers a consistent procedure for reducing energy-dependent or fine-group sensitivities and uncertainties to broad group sensitivities and uncertainties. Provides illustrations of sensitivity functions as well as references to available compilations of such functions and of total sensitivities. Indicates limitations of sensitivity theory originating from the fact that this theory is based on a first-order perturbation theory

Functional dependence of resonant harmonics on nanomechanical parameters in dynamic mode atomic force microscopy.

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Gramazio, Federico; Lorenzoni, Matteo; Pérez-Murano, Francesc; Rull Trinidad, Enrique; Staufer, Urs; Fraxedas, Jordi

2017-01-01

We present a combined theoretical and experimental study of the dependence of resonant higher harmonics of rectangular cantilevers of an atomic force microscope (AFM) as a function of relevant parameters such as the cantilever force constant, tip radius and free oscillation amplitude as well as the stiffness of the sample's surface. The simulations reveal a universal functional dependence of the amplitude of the 6th harmonic (in resonance with the 2nd flexural mode) on these parameters, which can be expressed in terms of a gun-shaped function. This analytical expression can be regarded as a practical tool for extracting qualitative information from AFM measurements and it can be extended to any resonant harmonics. The experiments confirm the predicted dependence in the explored 3-45 N/m force constant range and 2-345 GPa sample's stiffness range. For force constants around 25 N/m, the amplitude of the 6th harmonic exhibits the largest sensitivity for ultrasharp tips (tip radius below 10 nm) and polymers (Young's modulus below 20 GPa).

Real-time adjustment of ventricular restraint therapy in heart failure.

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Ghanta, Ravi K; Lee, Lawrence S; Umakanthan, Ramanan; Laurence, Rita G; Fox, John A; Bolman, Ralph Morton; Cohn, Lawrence H; Chen, Frederick Y

2008-12-01

Current ventricular restraint devices do not allow for either the measurement or adjustment of ventricular restraint level. Periodic adjustment of restraint level post-device implantation may improve therapeutic efficacy. We evaluated the feasibility of an adjustable quantitative ventricular restraint (QVR) technique utilizing a fluid-filled polyurethane epicardial balloon to measure and adjust restraint level post-implantation guided by physiologic parameters. QVR balloons were implanted in nine ovine with post-infarction dilated heart failure. Restraint level was defined by the maximum restraint pressure applied by the balloon to the epicardium at end-diastole. An access line connected the balloon lumen to a subcutaneous portacath to allow percutaneous access. Restraint level was adjusted while left ventricular (LV) end-diastolic volume (EDV) and cardiac output was assessed with simultaneous transthoracic echocardiography. All nine ovine successfully underwent QVR balloon implantation. Post-implantation, restraint level could be measured percutaneously in real-time and dynamically adjusted by instillation and withdrawal of fluid from the balloon lumen. Using simultaneous echocardiography, restraint level could be adjusted based on LV EDV and cardiac output. After QVR therapy for 21 days, LV EDV decreased from 133+/-15 ml to 113+/-17 ml (p<0.05). QVR permits real-time measurement and physiologic adjustment of ventricular restraint therapy after device implantation.

Complex mode indication function and its applications to spatial domain parameter estimation

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Shih, C. Y.; Tsuei, Y. G.; Allemang, R. J.; Brown, D. L.

1988-10-01

This paper introduces the concept of the Complex Mode Indication Function (CMIF) and its application in spatial domain parameter estimation. The concept of CMIF is developed by performing singular value decomposition (SVD) of the Frequency Response Function (FRF) matrix at each spectral line. The CMIF is defined as the eigenvalues, which are the square of the singular values, solved from the normal matrix formed from the FRF matrix, [ H( jω)] H[ H( jω)], at each spectral line. The CMIF appears to be a simple and efficient method for identifying the modes of the complex system. The CMIF identifies modes by showing the physical magnitude of each mode and the damped natural frequency for each root. Since multiple reference data is applied in CMIF, repeated roots can be detected. The CMIF also gives global modal parameters, such as damped natural frequencies, mode shapes and modal participation vectors. Since CMIF works in the spatial domain, uneven frequency spacing data such as data from spatial sine testing can be used. A second-stage procedure for accurate damped natural frequency and damping estimation as well as mode shape scaling is also discussed in this paper.

Effect of Mitral Annular Calcium on Left Ventricular Diastolic Parameters.

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Codolosa, Jose N; Koshkelashvili, Nikoloz; Alnabelsi, Talal; Goykhman, Igor; Romero-Corral, Abel; Pressman, Gregg S

2016-03-01

Assessment of left ventricular (LV) diastolic function by Doppler flow imaging and tissue Doppler is an integral part of the echocardiographic examination. Mitral annular calcium (MAC) is frequently encountered on echocardiography. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of MAC, quantitatively measured by computed tomography scan, on echocardiographic LV diastolic parameters. We included 155 patients aged ≥65 years. Computed tomography reconstructions of the mitral annulus were created, and calcium identified and quantified by Agatston technique. Calcium locations were assigned using an overlaid template depicting the annular segments in relation to surrounding anatomic structures. Echocardiographic assessment of diastolic function was performed in standard fashion. Mean age was 77 years; 49% were men; and 43% were black. Patients with MAC had lower septal e' (p = 0.003), lateral e' (p = 0.04), and average e' (p = 0.01) compared with those without MAC. They also had a higher E-wave velocity (p = 0.01) and E/e' ratio (p <0.001). When evaluated by severity of MAC, and after adjustment for multiple clinical factors, there was a graded (inverse) relation between MAC severity and septal e' (p = 0.01), lateral e' (p = 0.01), and average e' (p = 0.01). In conclusion, LV diastolic parameters, as measured by Doppler echocardiography, are altered in the presence of MAC. This could be due to direct effects of MAC on annular function or might reflect truly reduced diastolic function. Interpretation of diastolic parameters in patients with MAC should be performed with caution. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The Effect of Error in Item Parameter Estimates on the Test Response Function Method of Linking.

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Kaskowitz, Gary S.; De Ayala, R. J.

2001-01-01

Studied the effect of item parameter estimation for computation of linking coefficients for the test response function (TRF) linking/equating method. Simulation results showed that linking was more accurate when there was less error in the parameter estimates, and that 15 or 25 common items provided better results than 5 common items under both…

An adjustable Brownian heat engine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Asfaw, Mesfin; Bekele, Mulugeta

2002-09-01

A microscopic heat engine is modeled as a Brownian particle in a sawtooth potential (with load) moving through a highly viscous medium driven by the thermal kick it gets from alternately placed hot and cold heat reservoirs. We found a closed form expression for the current as a function of the parameters characterizing the model. Depending on the values these model parameters take, the engine is also found to function as a refrigerator. Expressions for the efficiency as well as for the refrigerator performance are also reported. Study of how these quantities depend on the model parameters enabled us in identifying the points in the parameter space where the engine performs either with maximum power or with optimized efficiency. The corresponding efficiencies of the engine are then compared with those of the endoreversible and Carnot engines. (author)

Sensitivity analysis of respiratory parameter uncertainties: impact of criterion function form and constraints.

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Lutchen, K R

1990-08-01

A sensitivity analysis based on weighted least-squares regression is presented to evaluate alternative methods for fitting lumped-parameter models to respiratory impedance data. The goal is to maintain parameter accuracy simultaneously with practical experiment design. The analysis focuses on predicting parameter uncertainties using a linearized approximation for joint confidence regions. Applications are with four-element parallel and viscoelastic models for 0.125- to 4-Hz data and a six-element model with separate tissue and airway properties for input and transfer impedance data from 2-64 Hz. The criterion function form was evaluated by comparing parameter uncertainties when data are fit as magnitude and phase, dynamic resistance and compliance, or real and imaginary parts of input impedance. The proper choice of weighting can make all three criterion variables comparable. For the six-element model, parameter uncertainties were predicted when both input impedance and transfer impedance are acquired and fit simultaneously. A fit to both data sets from 4 to 64 Hz could reduce parameter estimate uncertainties considerably from those achievable by fitting either alone. For the four-element models, use of an independent, but noisy, measure of static compliance was assessed as a constraint on model parameters. This may allow acceptable parameter uncertainties for a minimum frequency of 0.275-0.375 Hz rather than 0.125 Hz. This reduces data acquisition requirements from a 16- to a 5.33- to 8-s breath holding period. These results are approximations, and the impact of using the linearized approximation for the confidence regions is discussed.

Switched modified function projective synchronization of hyperchaotic Qi system with uncertain parameters

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Sebastian Sudheer, K.; Sabir, M.

2010-12-01

This work is involved with switched modified function projective synchronization of two identical Qi hyperchaotic systems using adaptive control method. Switched synchronization of chaotic systems in which a state variable of the drive system synchronize with a different state variable of the response system is a promising type of synchronization as it provides greater security in secure communication. Modified function projective synchronization with the unpredictability of scaling functions can enhance security. Recently formulated hyperchaotic Qi system in the hyperchaotic mode has an extremely broad frequency bandwidth of high magnitudes, verifying its unusual random nature and indicating its great potential for some relevant engineering applications such as secure communications. By Lyapunove stability theory, the adaptive control law and the parameter update law are derived to make the state of two chaotic systems modified function projective synchronized. Synchronization under the effect of noise is also considered. Numerical simulations are presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed adaptive controllers.

Beta Function Quintessence Cosmological Parameters and Fundamental Constants I: Power and Inverse Power Law Dark Energy Potentials

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Thompson, Rodger I.

2018-04-01

This investigation explores using the beta function formalism to calculate analytic solutions for the observable parameters in rolling scalar field cosmologies. The beta function in this case is the derivative of the scalar ϕ with respect to the natural log of the scale factor a, β (φ )=d φ /d ln (a). Once the beta function is specified, modulo a boundary condition, the evolution of the scalar ϕ as a function of the scale factor is completely determined. A rolling scalar field cosmology is defined by its action which can contain a range of physically motivated dark energy potentials. The beta function is chosen so that the associated "beta potential" is an accurate, but not exact, representation of the appropriate dark energy model potential. The basic concept is that the action with the beta potential is so similar to the action with the model potential that solutions using the beta action are accurate representations of solutions using the model action. The beta function provides an extra equation to calculate analytic functions of the cosmologies parameters as a function of the scale factor that are that are not calculable using only the model action. As an example this investigation uses a quintessence cosmology to demonstrate the method for power and inverse power law dark energy potentials. An interesting result of the investigation is that the Hubble parameter H is almost completely insensitive to the power of the potentials and that ΛCDM is part of the family of quintessence cosmology power law potentials with a power of zero.

Research on Environmental Adjustment of Cloud Ranch Based on BP Neural Network PID Control

Science.gov (United States)

Ren, Jinzhi; Xiang, Wei; Zhao, Lin; Wu, Jianbo; Huang, Lianzhen; Tu, Qinggang; Zhao, Heming

2018-01-01

In order to make the intelligent ranch management mode replace the traditional artificial one gradually, this paper proposes a pasture environment control system based on cloud server, and puts forward the PID control algorithm based on BP neural network to control temperature and humidity better in the pasture environment. First, to model the temperature and humidity (controlled object) of the pasture, we can get the transfer function. Then the traditional PID control algorithm and the PID one based on BP neural network are applied to the transfer function. The obtained step tracking curves can be seen that the PID controller based on BP neural network has obvious superiority in adjusting time and error, etc. This algorithm, calculating reasonable control parameters of the temperature and humidity to control environment, can be better used in the cloud service platform.

Genetic value of herd life adjusted for milk production.

Science.gov (United States)

Allaire, F R; Gibson, J P

1992-05-01

Cow herd life adjusted for lactational milk production was investigated as a genetic trait in the breeding objective. Under a simple model, the relative economic weight of milk to adjusted herd life on a per genetic standard deviation basis was equal to CVY/dCVL where CVY and CVL are the genetic coefficients of variation of milk production and adjusted herd life, respectively, and d is the depreciation per year per cow divided by the total fixed costs per year per cow. The relative economic value of milk to adjusted herd life at the prices and parameters for North America was about 3.2. An increase of 100-kg milk was equivalent to 2.2 mo of adjusted herd life. Three to 7% lower economic gain is expected when only improved milk production is sought compared with a breeding objective that included both production and adjusted herd life for relative value changed +/- 20%. A favorable economic gain to cost ratio probably exists for herd life used as a genetic trait to supplement milk in the breeding objective. Cow survival records are inexpensive, and herd life evaluations from such records may not extend the generation interval when such an evaluation is used in bull sire selection.

Correlation Between Haematological Parameters, Kidney Function Tests and Liver Function Tests in Plasmodium Falciparum and Vivax Malaria

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mitul Chhatriwala

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract: Malaria remains a major cause of morbidity and mortality in India. Plasmodium falciparum remains the main culprit although cases with vivax malaria are on the rise. Severe malaria as defined by the WHO criteria has high rate of complications and mortality. In our study we recruited microscopy positive falciparum and vivax malaria patients. Haematological and biochemical laboratory investigations were carried out in recruited patients. Both parameters were found to be significantly derailed in falciparum cases as compared to vivax. A direct correlation has been observed between kidney function tests (serum creatinine,serum urea and direct bilirubin levels across all cases of malaria. Hence these parameters can be used to identify and monitor the progress of cases of severe malaria as significant proportion of patients fulfilled the criteria of severe malaria in the cohort.

The empty wagons adjustment algorithm of Chinese heavy-haul railway

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Jinchuan; Yang, Hao; Wei, Yuguang; Shang, Pan

2016-01-01

The paper studied the problem of empty wagons adjustment of Chinese heavy-haul railway. Firstly, based on the existing study of the empty wagons adjustment of heavy-haul railway in the world, Chinese heavy-haul railway was analyzed, especially the mode of transportation organization and characteristics of empty wagons adjustment. Secondly, the optimization model was set up to solve the empty wagons adjustment of heavy-haul railway and the model took the minimum idling period as the function goal. Finally, through application and solution of one case, validity and practicability of model and algorithm had been proved. So, the model could offer decision support to transport enterprises on adjusting empty wagons.

Matrix elements of N-particle explicitly correlated Gaussian basis functions with complex exponential parameters.

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Bubin, Sergiy; Adamowicz, Ludwik

2006-06-14

In this work we present analytical expressions for Hamiltonian matrix elements with spherically symmetric, explicitly correlated Gaussian basis functions with complex exponential parameters for an arbitrary number of particles. The expressions are derived using the formalism of matrix differential calculus. In addition, we present expressions for the energy gradient that includes derivatives of the Hamiltonian integrals with respect to the exponential parameters. The gradient is used in the variational optimization of the parameters. All the expressions are presented in the matrix form suitable for both numerical implementation and theoretical analysis. The energy and gradient formulas have been programmed and used to calculate ground and excited states of the He atom using an approach that does not involve the Born-Oppenheimer approximation.

Matrix elements of N-particle explicitly correlated Gaussian basis functions with complex exponential parameters

Science.gov (United States)

Bubin, Sergiy; Adamowicz, Ludwik

2006-06-01

In this work we present analytical expressions for Hamiltonian matrix elements with spherically symmetric, explicitly correlated Gaussian basis functions with complex exponential parameters for an arbitrary number of particles. The expressions are derived using the formalism of matrix differential calculus. In addition, we present expressions for the energy gradient that includes derivatives of the Hamiltonian integrals with respect to the exponential parameters. The gradient is used in the variational optimization of the parameters. All the expressions are presented in the matrix form suitable for both numerical implementation and theoretical analysis. The energy and gradient formulas have been programed and used to calculate ground and excited states of the He atom using an approach that does not involve the Born-Oppenheimer approximation.

Histochemical and functional parameters in Nordic combination athletes.

Science.gov (United States)

Matolín, S; Vaverka, F; Lunák, J; Novák, J; Horák, V; Krejcí, P

1994-01-01

Bioptic samples from the vastus lateralis muscle were analyzed in a group of Czechoslovak representatives in the Nordic combination (ski-jumping and 15 km cross-country skiing). The distribution of individual muscle fibre types (FG, FOG and SO) was detected and correlated with values obtained by motor and functional performance tests. Histochemical analysis of the bioptic samples revealed a considerably heterogeneous distribution of muscle fibre types in the group studied. No typical profilation for this sport discipline was found. Weak correlation between the proportion of fast muscle fibres and explosive strength parameters was ascertained. The correlation between the proportion of slow muscle fibres and the capacity of O2 utilization (VO2max) was statistically significant. Strong correlation between the proportion of fast twitch fibres and relative maximal strength of knee extensors (N/kg) was disclosed. A non-linear relation between the area of fast twitch fibres and vigour of take-off was found.

New schemes in the adjustment of bendable, elliptical mirrors using a long trace profiler

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rah, S.

1997-08-01

The Long Trace Profiler (LTP), an instrument for measuring the slope profile of long X-ray mirrors, has been used for adjusting bendable mirrors. Often an elliptical profile is desired for the mirror surface, since many synchrotron applications involve imaging a point source to a point image. Several techniques have been used in the past for adjusting the profile measured in height or slope of a bendable mirror. Underwood et al. have used collimated X-rays for achieving desired surface shape for bent glass optics. Non linear curve fitting using the simplex algorithm was later used to determine the best fit ellipse to the surface under test. A more recent method uses a combination of least squares polynomial fitting to the measured slope function in order to enable rapid adjustment to the desired shape. The mirror has mechanical adjustments corresponding to the first and second order terms of the desired slope polynomial, which correspond to defocus and coma, respectively. The higher order terms are realized by shaping the width of the mirror to produce the optimal elliptical surface when bent. The difference between desired and measured surface slope profiles allows us to make methodical adjustments to the bendable mirror based on changes in the signs and magnitudes of the polynomial coefficients. This technique gives rapid convergence to the desired shape of the measured surface, even when we have no information about the bender, other than the desired shape of the optical surface. Nonlinear curve fitting can be used at the end of the process for fine adjustments, and to determine the over all best fit parameters of the surface. This technique could be generalized to other shapes such as toroids

Vitamin D and Male Sexual Function: A Transversal and Longitudinal Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Tirabassi, Giacomo; Sudano, Maurizio; Salvio, Gianmaria; Cutini, Melissa; Muscogiuri, Giovanna; Corona, Giovanni; Balercia, Giancarlo

2018-01-01

The effects of vitamin D on sexual function are very unclear. Therefore, we aimed at evaluating the possible association between vitamin D and sexual function and at assessing the influence of vitamin D administration on sexual function. We retrospectively studied 114 men by evaluating clinical, biochemical, and sexual parameters. A subsample ( n = 41) was also studied longitudinally before and after vitamin D replacement therapy. In the whole sample, after performing logistic regression models, higher levels of 25(OH) vitamin D were significantly associated with high values of total testosterone and of all the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF) questionnaire parameters. On the other hand, higher levels of total testosterone were positively and significantly associated with high levels of erectile function and IIEF total score. After vitamin D replacement therapy, total and free testosterone increased and erectile function improved, whereas other sexual parameters did not change significantly. At logistic regression analysis, higher levels of vitamin D increase (Δ-) were significantly associated with high values of Δ-erectile function after adjustment for Δ-testosterone. Vitamin D is important for the wellness of male sexual function, and vitamin D administration improves sexual function.

Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulator with controllable pulse parameters

Science.gov (United States)

Peterchev, Angel V.; Murphy, David L.; Lisanby, Sarah H.

2011-06-01

The characteristics of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) pulses influence the physiological effect of TMS. However, available TMS devices allow very limited adjustment of the pulse parameters. We describe a novel TMS device that uses a circuit topology incorporating two energy storage capacitors and two insulated-gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) modules to generate near-rectangular electric field pulses with adjustable number, polarity, duration, and amplitude of the pulse phases. This controllable pulse parameter TMS (cTMS) device can induce electric field pulses with phase widths of 10-310 µs and positive/negative phase amplitude ratio of 1-56. Compared to conventional monophasic and biphasic TMS, cTMS reduces energy dissipation up to 82% and 57% and decreases coil heating up to 33% and 41%, respectively. We demonstrate repetitive TMS trains of 3000 pulses at frequencies up to 50 Hz with electric field pulse amplitude and width variability less than the measurement resolution (1.7% and 1%, respectively). Offering flexible pulse parameter adjustment and reduced power consumption and coil heating, cTMS enhances existing TMS paradigms, enables novel research applications and could lead to clinical applications with potentially enhanced potency.

Associations of child adjustment with parent and family functioning: comparison of families of women with and without breast cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

Vannatta, Kathryn; Ramsey, Rachelle R; Noll, Robert B; Gerhardt, Cynthia A

2010-01-01

To examine the impact of maternal breast cancer on the emotional and behavioral functioning of school-age children; evaluate whether child adjustment is associated with variations in distress, marital satisfaction, and parenting behavior evidenced by mothers and fathers; and determine whether these associations differ from families that are not contending with cancer. Participants included 40 children (age 8-16 years) of mothers with breast cancer along with their parents as well as 40 families of comparison classmates not affected by parental illness. Questionnaires assessing the domains of interest were administered in families' homes. Mothers with breast cancer and their spouses reported higher levels of distress than comparison parents; child internalizing problems were inversely associated with parental adjustment in both groups. No group differences were found in any indicators of family functioning, including parent-child relationships. Warm and supportive parenting by both mothers and fathers were associated with lower levels of child internalizing behavior, but only in families affected by breast cancer. These results suggest that children of mothers with breast cancer, such as most children, may be at risk for internalizing behavior when parents are distressed. These children may particularly benefit from interactions with mothers and fathers who are warm and supportive, and maintenance of positive parenting may partially account for the apparent resilience of these youth.

A Plant Control Technology Using Reinforcement Learning Method with Automatic Reward Adjustment

Science.gov (United States)

Eguchi, Toru; Sekiai, Takaaki; Yamada, Akihiro; Shimizu, Satoru; Fukai, Masayuki

A control technology using Reinforcement Learning (RL) and Radial Basis Function (RBF) Network has been developed to reduce environmental load substances exhausted from power and industrial plants. This technology consists of the statistic model using RBF Network, which estimates characteristics of plants with respect to environmental load substances, and RL agent, which learns the control logic for the plants using the statistic model. In this technology, it is necessary to design an appropriate reward function given to the agent immediately according to operation conditions and control goals to control plants flexibly. Therefore, we propose an automatic reward adjusting method of RL for plant control. This method adjusts the reward function automatically using information of the statistic model obtained in its learning process. In the simulations, it is confirmed that the proposed method can adjust the reward function adaptively for several test functions, and executes robust control toward the thermal power plant considering the change of operation conditions and control goals.

Positioning accuracy analysis of adjusting target mechanism of three-dimensional attitude

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ma Li; Wang Kun; Sun Linzhi; Zhou Shasha

2012-01-01

A novel adjusting target mechanism of three-dimensional attitude is presented according to the characteristics of the target transport subsystem in inertial confinement fusion (ICF). The mechanism consists of a tangent mechanism adjusting rotation angle and a set of orthogonal tangent mechanism adjusting two-dimensional deflection angles. The structural parameters of the adjusting target mechanism are analyzed according to principle errors, structure errors and motion errors of following. The analysis results indicate that the system error of the adjusting target mechanism is influenced by the displacement of the linear actuators, the actuator ball radius, the working radius of the tangent mechanism, the angle error of the inclined installation hole, the centralization error of the actuators, the orthogonal error of the two tangent mechanism, and the angle errors of the inclined target rod inclined rotation shaft. The errors of the inclined target rod and inclined rotation shaft are the two greatest impact factors, the spherical contact error is the next. By means of precise assembly and control system compensation, the accuracy of the adjusting target mechanism can be less than 0.1 mrad. (authors)

Methodological aspects of journaling a dynamic adjusting entry model

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vlasta Kašparovská

2011-01-01

Full Text Available This paper expands the discussion of the importance and function of adjusting entries for loan receivables. Discussion of the cyclical development of adjusting entries, their negative impact on the business cycle and potential solutions has intensified during the financial crisis. These discussions are still ongoing and continue to be relevant to members of the professional public, banking regulators and representatives of international accounting institutions. The objective of this paper is to evaluate a method of journaling dynamic adjusting entries under current accounting law. It also expresses the authors’ opinions on the potential for consistently implementing basic accounting principles in journaling adjusting entries for loan receivables under a dynamic model.

Modal parameter identification based on combining transmissibility functions and blind source separation techniques

Science.gov (United States)

Araújo, Iván Gómez; Sánchez, Jesús Antonio García; Andersen, Palle

2018-05-01

Transmissibility-based operational modal analysis is a recent and alternative approach used to identify the modal parameters of structures under operational conditions. This approach is advantageous compared with traditional operational modal analysis because it does not make any assumptions about the excitation spectrum (i.e., white noise with a flat spectrum). However, common methodologies do not include a procedure to extract closely spaced modes with low signal-to-noise ratios. This issue is relevant when considering that engineering structures generally have closely spaced modes and that their measured responses present high levels of noise. Therefore, to overcome these problems, a new combined method for modal parameter identification is proposed in this work. The proposed method combines blind source separation (BSS) techniques and transmissibility-based methods. Here, BSS techniques were used to recover source signals, and transmissibility-based methods were applied to estimate modal information from the recovered source signals. To achieve this combination, a new method to define a transmissibility function was proposed. The suggested transmissibility function is based on the relationship between the power spectral density (PSD) of mixed signals and the PSD of signals from a single source. The numerical responses of a truss structure with high levels of added noise and very closely spaced modes were processed using the proposed combined method to evaluate its ability to identify modal parameters in these conditions. Colored and white noise excitations were used for the numerical example. The proposed combined method was also used to evaluate the modal parameters of an experimental test on a structure containing closely spaced modes. The results showed that the proposed combined method is capable of identifying very closely spaced modes in the presence of noise and, thus, may be potentially applied to improve the identification of damping ratios.

Properties of global- and local-ancestry adjustments in genetic association tests in admixed populations.

Science.gov (United States)

Martin, Eden R; Tunc, Ilker; Liu, Zhi; Slifer, Susan H; Beecham, Ashley H; Beecham, Gary W

2018-03-01

Population substructure can lead to confounding in tests for genetic association, and failure to adjust properly can result in spurious findings. Here we address this issue of confounding by considering the impact of global ancestry (average ancestry across the genome) and local ancestry (ancestry at a specific chromosomal location) on regression parameters and relative power in ancestry-adjusted and -unadjusted models. We examine theoretical expectations under different scenarios for population substructure; applying different regression models, verifying and generalizing using simulations, and exploring the findings in real-world admixed populations. We show that admixture does not lead to confounding when the trait locus is tested directly in a single admixed population. However, if there is more complex population structure or a marker locus in linkage disequilibrium (LD) with the trait locus is tested, both global and local ancestry can be confounders. Additionally, we show the genotype parameters of adjusted and unadjusted models all provide tests for LD between the marker and trait locus, but in different contexts. The local ancestry adjusted model tests for LD in the ancestral populations, while tests using the unadjusted and the global ancestry adjusted models depend on LD in the admixed population(s), which may be enriched due to different ancestral allele frequencies. Practically, this implies that global-ancestry adjustment should be used for screening, but local-ancestry adjustment may better inform fine mapping and provide better effect estimates at trait loci. © 2017 WILEY PERIODICALS, INC.

Convexity Adjustments

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

M. Gaspar, Raquel; Murgoci, Agatha

2010-01-01

A convexity adjustment (or convexity correction) in fixed income markets arises when one uses prices of standard (plain vanilla) products plus an adjustment to price nonstandard products. We explain the basic and appealing idea behind the use of convexity adjustments and focus on the situations...

Borel summability in the disorder parameter of the averaged Green's function for Gaussian disorder

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Constantinescu, F.; Kloeckner, K.; Scharffenberger, U.

1985-01-01

In this note we prove Borel summability in the disorder parameter of the averaged Green's function of tight binding models Hsub(v)=-Δ+V with Gaussian disorder. Using this, we can reconstruct the density of states rho(E)sub(γ) from the Borel sums. (orig./WL)

Adjusts of control rod cross sections and its utilization in power distribution calculations for Angra-1 reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pina, C.M. de

1981-01-01

One of the most important part in neutronics calculations is the study of core behavior with inserted control rods. The first stage of this calculations consists in generating equivalent microscopic cross sections for the basic cells containing fuel or absorbed material. The cross sections will be then adjusted. The choice of parameters that help in those adjustments, were obtained by the comparisons of data coming from the control rod supercell calculations with the Hammer and Citation computer codes. The effect of those adjustments in core integral parameters was evaluated; in this work only the core power two-dimensional distribution calculations with the D bank completely inserted, is studied. (E.G.) [pt

Phosphonic acids aid composition adjustment in the synthesis of Cu{sub 2+x}Zn{sub 1−x}SnSe{sub 4−y} nanoparticles

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ibáñez, Maria; Berestok, Taisiia; Dobrozhan, Oleksandr [Catalonia Institute for Energy Research (IREC) (Spain); LaLonde, Aaron [California Institute of Technology, Materials Science (United States); Izquierdo-Roca, Victor; Shavel, Alexey; Pérez-Rodríguez, Alejandro [Catalonia Institute for Energy Research (IREC) (Spain); Snyder, G. Jeffrey [California Institute of Technology, Materials Science (United States); Cabot, Andreu, E-mail: acabot@irec.cat [Catalonia Institute for Energy Research (IREC) (Spain)

2016-08-15

The functional properties of quaternary I{sub 2}–II–IV–VI{sub 4} nanomaterials, with potential interest in various technological fields, are highly sensitive to compositional variations, which is a challenging parameter to adjust. Here we demonstrate the presence of phosphonic acids to aid controlling the reactivity of the II element monomer to be incorporated in quaternary Cu{sub 2}ZnSnSe{sub 4} nanoparticles and thus to provide a more reliable way to adjust the final nanoparticle metal ratios. Furthermore, we demonstrate the composition control in such multivalence nanoparticles to allow modifying charge carrier concentrations in nanomaterials produced from the assembly of these building blocks.

Color Fringe Correction by the Color Difference Prediction Using the Logistic Function.

Science.gov (United States)

Jang, Dong-Won; Park, Rae-Hong

2017-05-01

This paper proposes a new color fringe correction method that preserves the object color well by the color difference prediction using the logistic function. We observe two characteristics between normal edge (NE) and degraded edge (DE) due to color fringe: 1) the DE has relatively smaller R-G and B-G correlations than the NE and 2) the color difference in the NE can be fitted by the logistic function. The proposed method adjusts the color difference of the DE to the logistic function by maximizing the R-G and B-G correlations in the corrected color fringe image. The generalized logistic function with four parameters requires a high computational load to select the optimal parameters. In experiments, a one-parameter optimization can correct color fringe gracefully with a reduced computational load. Experimental results show that the proposed method restores well the original object color in the DE, whereas existing methods give monochromatic or distorted color.

Friendship Expectations and Children's Friendship-Related Behavior and Adjustment

Science.gov (United States)

MacEvoy, Julie Paquette; Papadakis, Alison A.; Fedigan, Shea K.; Ash, Sarah E.

2016-01-01

Although relationship expectations are thought to influence all social interactions, little is known about the function of children's friendship expectations. This study examined the associations among children's friendship expectations and their behavior within their friendships, their friendship adjustment, and their socioemotional functioning.…

Control parameter optimization for AP1000 reactor using Particle Swarm Optimization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Pengfei; Wan, Jiashuang; Luo, Run; Zhao, Fuyu; Wei, Xinyu

2016-01-01

Highlights: • The PSO algorithm is applied for control parameter optimization of AP1000 reactor. • Key parameters of the MSHIM control system are optimized. • Optimization results are evaluated though simulations and quantitative analysis. - Abstract: The advanced mechanical shim (MSHIM) core control strategy is implemented in the AP1000 reactor for core reactivity and axial power distribution control simultaneously. The MSHIM core control system can provide superior reactor control capabilities via automatic rod control only. This enables the AP1000 to perform power change operations automatically without the soluble boron concentration adjustments. In this paper, the Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) algorithm has been applied for the parameter optimization of the MSHIM control system to acquire better reactor control performance for AP1000. System requirements such as power control performance, control bank movement and AO control constraints are reflected in the objective function. Dynamic simulations are performed based on an AP1000 reactor simulation platform in each iteration of the optimization process to calculate the fitness values of particles in the swarm. The simulation platform is developed in Matlab/Simulink environment with implementation of a nodal core model and the MSHIM control strategy. Based on the simulation platform, the typical 10% step load decrease transient from 100% to 90% full power is simulated and the objective function used for control parameter tuning is directly incorporated in the simulation results. With successful implementation of the PSO algorithm in the control parameter optimization of AP1000 reactor, four key parameters of the MSHIM control system are optimized. It has been demonstrated by the calculation results that the optimized MSHIM control system parameters can improve the reactor power control capability and reduce the control rod movement without compromising AO control. Therefore, the PSO based optimization

Modulating Function-Based Method for Parameter and Source Estimation of Partial Differential Equations

KAUST Repository

Asiri, Sharefa M.

2017-10-08

Partial Differential Equations (PDEs) are commonly used to model complex systems that arise for example in biology, engineering, chemistry, and elsewhere. The parameters (or coefficients) and the source of PDE models are often unknown and are estimated from available measurements. Despite its importance, solving the estimation problem is mathematically and numerically challenging and especially when the measurements are corrupted by noise, which is often the case. Various methods have been proposed to solve estimation problems in PDEs which can be classified into optimization methods and recursive methods. The optimization methods are usually heavy computationally, especially when the number of unknowns is large. In addition, they are sensitive to the initial guess and stop condition, and they suffer from the lack of robustness to noise. Recursive methods, such as observer-based approaches, are limited by their dependence on some structural properties such as observability and identifiability which might be lost when approximating the PDE numerically. Moreover, most of these methods provide asymptotic estimates which might not be useful for control applications for example. An alternative non-asymptotic approach with less computational burden has been proposed in engineering fields based on the so-called modulating functions. In this dissertation, we propose to mathematically and numerically analyze the modulating functions based approaches. We also propose to extend these approaches to different situations. The contributions of this thesis are as follows. (i) Provide a mathematical analysis of the modulating function-based method (MFBM) which includes: its well-posedness, statistical properties, and estimation errors. (ii) Provide a numerical analysis of the MFBM through some estimation problems, and study the sensitivity of the method to the modulating functions\\' parameters. (iii) Propose an effective algorithm for selecting the method\\'s design parameters

EXPERIMENTAL DETERMINATION OF DOUBLE VIBE FUNCTION PARAMETERS IN DIESEL ENGINES WITH BIODIESEL

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Radivoje B Pešić

2010-01-01

Full Text Available A zero-dimensional, one zone model of engine cycle for steady-state regimes of engines and a simplified procedure for indicator diagrams analysis have been developed at the Laboratory for internal combustion engines, fuels and lubricants of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering in Kragujevac. In addition to experimental research, thermodynamic modeling of working process of diesel engine with direct injection has been presented in this paper. The simplified procedure for indicator diagrams analysis has been applied, also. The basic problem, a selection of shape parameters of double Vibe function used for modeling the engine operation process, has been solved. The influence of biodiesel fuel and engine working regimes on the start of combustion, combustion duration and shape parameter of double Vibe was determined by a least square fit of experimental heat release curve.

The economics of labor adjustment : mind the gap

OpenAIRE

Russell W. Cooper; Jonathan L. Willis

2001-01-01

We study the inferences about labor adjustment costs obtained by the 'gap methodology' of Caballero and Engel [1993] and Caballero, Engel and Haltiwanger [1997]. In that approach, the policy function of a manufacturing plant is assumed to depend on the gap between a target and the current level of employment. Using time series observations, these studies reject the quadratic cost of adjustment model and find that aggregate employment dynamics depend on the cross sectional distribution of empl...

Adjustment problems and residential care environment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jan Sebastian Novotný

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Problem: Residential care environment represents a specific social space that is associated with a number of negative consequences, covering most aspects of children and youth functioning. The paper analyzes of the presence of adjustment problems among adolescents from institutional care environment and compares this results with a population of adolescents who grew up in a family. Methods: The sample consisted of two groups of adolescents. The first group included 285 adolescents currently growing up in an residential care environment, aged 13 to 21 (M = 16.23, SD = 1.643. The second group consisted of 214 adolescents growing up in a family, aged 15 to 20 (M = 17.07, SD = 1.070. We used a questionnaire Youth Self Report. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and MANOVA. Results: Results showed that adolescents in residential care exhibit higher average values in all adjustment problems. Also, in the context of diagnostic categories are the residential care adolescents more frequently in non-normal range (borderline and clinical, primarily in the border range. The greatest differences were reflected in the Thought problems and Rule-breaking behavior. MANOVA showed a significant multivariate effect between groups of adolescents, Hotelling's T = .803, F(8, 490 = 49.202, p <.001, d = .445 (large effect. Univariate analysis further showed a significant effect for Withdrawn/depressed (p = .044, d = .089, small effect, Somatic complaints (p = .002, d = .139, medium effect, Social problems (p = 004, d = .127, a small effect, Thought problems (p <.001, d = .633, strong effect, Attention problems (p <.001, d = .320,strong effect, Rule-breaking behavior (p <.001 , d = .383, strong effect, and Aggressive behavior (p = 015, d = .110, small effect. Results for the dimension of Anxious/depressed were not significant (p = .159. Discussion: The results didn’t confirmed the assumption that more than 30% of residential care adolescents have adjustment

The swimming program effects on the gross motor function, mental adjustment to the aquatic environment, and swimming skills in children with cerebral palsy: A pilot study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jorgić Bojan

2012-01-01

Full Text Available The aim of this research was to determine the swimming program effects on the gross motor function, mental adjustment to the aquatic environment and the ability to move in the water and swim in children with cerebral palsy. The sample consisted of seven children (4 boys and 3 girls with spastic cerebral palsy and an average age of 9y 5mo ± 1y 3 mo. The swimming program lasted 6 weeks, with two swimming sessions per week. Each session lasted 45 minutes. The swimming program included the application of the Halliwick Method and swimming exercises which are used in a healthy population. The GMFM test was used for the assessment of gross motor functions. The WOTA2 test was applied to assess mental adjustment and swimming skills. The Wilcoxon matched pairs test was used to determine the statistically significant differences between the initial and final measuring. The results have indicated that there was statistically significant differences in the E dimension (p=0.04 and the total score T (p=0.03 of the GMFM test, then for mental adjustment to the aquatic environment WMA (p=0.02, ability to move in water andswimming skills WSW (p=0.03 and the overall result WTO (p=0.02 of the WOTA2 test. The applied swimming program had a statistically significant effect on the improvement in walking, running and jumping as well as the overall gross motor functions of children with cerebral palsy. The applied program also contributed to a statistically significant influence on the increase in mental adjustment to the aquatic environment and the ability to move in water and swim.

Executive function influences sedentary behavior: A longitudinal study

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Paul D. Loprinzi

2016-10-01

Full Text Available Background: No study has evaluated the effects of executive function on follow-up sedentary behavior, which was this study’s purpose. Methods: A longitudinal design was employed among 18 young adult college students (Mage = 23.7 years; 88.9% female. Accelerometer-determined sedentary behavior and physical activity, along with executive function, were assessed at baseline. Approximately 8 weeks later, re-assessment of accelerometer-determined sedentary behavior and physical activity occurred. Executive function was assessed using the Parametric Go/No-Go (PGNG computer task. From this, 2 primary executive function outcome parameters were evaluated, including the Simple Rule and Repeating Rule. Results: After adjusting for baseline sedentary behavior, age, gender, body mass index and baseline moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA, for every 25% increase in the number of correctly identified targets for the Repeating rule at the baseline assessment, participants engaged in 91.8 fewer minutes of sedentary behavior at the follow-up assessment (β = -91.8; 95% CI: -173.5, -10.0; P = 0.03. Results were unchanged when also adjusting for total baseline or follow-up physical activity. Conclusion: Greater executive function is associated with less follow-up sedentary behavior.

Parallax adjustment algorithm based on Susan-Zernike moments

Science.gov (United States)

Deng, Yan; Zhang, Kun; Shen, Xiaoqin; Zhang, Huiyun

2018-02-01

Precise parallax detection through definition evaluation and the adjustment of the assembly position of the objective lens or the reticle are important means of eliminating the parallax of the telescope system, so that the imaging screen and the reticle are clearly focused at the same time. An adaptive definition evaluation function based on Susan-Zernike moments is proposed. First, the image is preprocessed by the Susan operator to find the potential boundary edge. Then, the Zernike moments operator is used to determine the exact region of the reticle line with sub-pixel accuracy. The image definition is evaluated only in this related area. The evaluation function consists of the gradient difference calculated by the Zernike moments operator. By adjusting the assembly position of the objective lens, the imaging screen and the reticle will be simultaneously in the state of maximum definition, so the parallax can be eliminated. The experimental results show that the definition evaluation function proposed in this paper has the advantages of good focusing performance, strong anti-interference ability compared with the other commonly used definition evaluation functions.

The Effects of Smoking on Anterior Segment Parameters, Retinal Nerve Fiber Layer, and Pupillary Functions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bengü Ekinci Köktekir

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Objectives: To evaluate the alterations in the anterior segment parameters, retinal nerve fiber layer, and pupillary functions in smokers. Materials and Methods: In this case-control study, 45 eyes of 45 smokers and 45 eyes of 45 non-smoker control subjects were evaluated. All patients underwent measurement of anterior segment parameters with optical low coherence reflectometry (OLCR, mesopic and photopic pupillary diameter with an aberrometer device, retinal nerve fiber layer thickness with optical coherence tomography, and dry-eye assessment with Schirmer’s test. The results were compared with independent t-test by SPSS 16.0 Inc., and a p-value lower than 0.05 was determined as significant. Results: There was a significant difference between both groups in terms of mesopic pupil diameters that were measured with both OLCR and aberrometer device (p=0.03 and 0.02, respectively. Schirmer scores were also significantly decreased in smokers (p=0.001. The other measured parameters demonstrated no difference between smokers and non-smokers (p>0.05 for all. Conclusion: Smoking may affect pupillary functions, especially the mesopic pupillary diameter, and may cause a deficiency in pupil response under dark circumstances. (Turk J Ophthalmol 2014; 44: 11-4

Family function, Parenting Style and Broader Autism Phenotype as Predicting Factors of Psychological Adjustment in Typically Developing Siblings of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders.

Science.gov (United States)

Mohammadi, Mohammadreza; Zarafshan, Hadi

2014-04-01

Siblings of children with autism are at a greater risk of experiencing behavioral and social problems. Previous researches had focused on environmental variables such as family history of autism spectrum disorders (ASDs), behavior problems in the child with an ASD, parental mental health problems, stressful life events and "broader autism phenotype" (BAP), while variables like parenting style and family function that are shown to influence children's behavioral and psychosocial adjustment are overlooked. The aim of the present study was to reveal how parenting style and family function as well as BAP effect psychological adjustment of siblings of children with autism. The Participants included 65 parents who had one child with an Autism Spectrum Disorder and one typically developing child. Of the children with ASDs, 40 were boys and 25 were girls; and they were diagnosed with ASDs by a psychiatrist based on DSM-IV-TR criteria and Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (ADI-R). The Persian versions of the six scales were used to collect data from the families. Pearson's correlation test and regression analysis were used to determine which variables were related to the psychological adjustment of sibling of children with ASDs and which variables predicted it better. Significant relationships were found between Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) total difficulties, prosocial behaviors and ASDs symptoms severity, parenting styles and some aspects of family function. In addition, siblings who had more BAP characteristics had more behavior problems and less prosocial behavior. Behavioral problems increased and prosocial behavior decreased with permissive parenting style. Besides, both of authoritarian and authoritative parenting styles led to a decrease in behavioral problems and an increase in prosocial behaviors. Our findings revealed that some aspects of family function (affective responsiveness, roles, problem solving and behavior control) were significantly

Identifiability of altimetry-based rating curve parameters in function of river morphological parameters

Science.gov (United States)

Paris, Adrien; André Garambois, Pierre; Calmant, Stéphane; Paiva, Rodrigo; Walter, Collischonn; Santos da Silva, Joecila; Medeiros Moreira, Daniel; Bonnet, Marie-Paule; Seyler, Frédérique; Monnier, Jérôme

2016-04-01

Estimating river discharge for ungauged river reaches from satellite measurements is not straightforward given the nonlinearity of flow behavior with respect to measurable and non measurable hydraulic parameters. As a matter of facts, current satellite datasets do not give access to key parameters such as river bed topography and roughness. A unique set of almost one thousand altimetry-based rating curves was built by fit of ENVISAT and Jason-2 water stages with discharges obtained from the MGB-IPH rainfall-runoff model in the Amazon basin. These rated discharges were successfully validated towards simulated discharges (Ens = 0.70) and in-situ discharges (Ens = 0.71) and are not mission-dependent. The rating curve writes Q = a(Z-Z0)b*sqrt(S), with Z the water surface elevation and S its slope gained from satellite altimetry, a and b power law coefficient and exponent and Z0 the river bed elevation such as Q(Z0) = 0. For several river reaches in the Amazon basin where ADCP measurements are available, the Z0 values are fairly well validated with a relative error lower than 10%. The present contribution aims at relating the identifiability and the physical meaning of a, b and Z0given various hydraulic and geomorphologic conditions. Synthetic river bathymetries sampling a wide range of rivers and inflow discharges are used to perform twin experiments. A shallow water model is run for generating synthetic satellite observations, and then rating curve parameters are determined for each river section thanks to a MCMC algorithm. Thanks to twin experiments, it is shown that rating curve formulation with water surface slope, i.e. closer from Manning equation form, improves parameter identifiability. The compensation between parameters is limited, especially for reaches with little water surface variability. Rating curve parameters are analyzed for riffle and pools for small to large rivers, different river slopes and cross section shapes. It is shown that the river bed

Dolphins adjust species-specific frequency parameters to compensate for increasing background noise.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Elena Papale

Full Text Available An increase in ocean noise levels could interfere with acoustic communication of marine mammals. In this study we explored the effects of anthropogenic and natural noise on the acoustic properties of a dolphin communication signal, the whistle. A towed array with four elements was used to record environmental background noise and whistles of short-beaked common-, Atlantic spotted- and striped-dolphins in the Canaries archipelago. Four frequency parameters were measured from each whistle, while Sound Pressure Levels (SPL of the background noise were measured at the central frequencies of seven one-third octave bands, from 5 to 20 kHz. Results show that dolphins increase the whistles' frequency parameters with lower variability in the presence of anthropogenic noise, and increase the end frequency of their whistles when confronted with increasing natural noise. This study provides the first evidence that the synergy among SPLs has a role in shaping the whistles' structure of these three species, with respect to both natural and anthropogenic noise.

Dolphins adjust species-specific frequency parameters to compensate for increasing background noise.

Science.gov (United States)

Papale, Elena; Gamba, Marco; Perez-Gil, Monica; Martin, Vidal Martel; Giacoma, Cristina

2015-01-01

An increase in ocean noise levels could interfere with acoustic communication of marine mammals. In this study we explored the effects of anthropogenic and natural noise on the acoustic properties of a dolphin communication signal, the whistle. A towed array with four elements was used to record environmental background noise and whistles of short-beaked common-, Atlantic spotted- and striped-dolphins in the Canaries archipelago. Four frequency parameters were measured from each whistle, while Sound Pressure Levels (SPL) of the background noise were measured at the central frequencies of seven one-third octave bands, from 5 to 20 kHz. Results show that dolphins increase the whistles' frequency parameters with lower variability in the presence of anthropogenic noise, and increase the end frequency of their whistles when confronted with increasing natural noise. This study provides the first evidence that the synergy among SPLs has a role in shaping the whistles' structure of these three species, with respect to both natural and anthropogenic noise.

Dolphins Adjust Species-Specific Frequency Parameters to Compensate for Increasing Background Noise

Science.gov (United States)

Papale, Elena; Gamba, Marco; Perez-Gil, Monica; Martin, Vidal Martel; Giacoma, Cristina

2015-01-01

An increase in ocean noise levels could interfere with acoustic communication of marine mammals. In this study we explored the effects of anthropogenic and natural noise on the acoustic properties of a dolphin communication signal, the whistle. A towed array with four elements was used to record environmental background noise and whistles of short-beaked common-, Atlantic spotted- and striped-dolphins in the Canaries archipelago. Four frequency parameters were measured from each whistle, while Sound Pressure Levels (SPL) of the background noise were measured at the central frequencies of seven one-third octave bands, from 5 to 20 kHz. Results show that dolphins increase the whistles’ frequency parameters with lower variability in the presence of anthropogenic noise, and increase the end frequency of their whistles when confronted with increasing natural noise. This study provides the first evidence that the synergy among SPLs has a role in shaping the whistles' structure of these three species, with respect to both natural and anthropogenic noise. PMID:25853825

Modified Parameters of Harmony Search Algorithm for Better Searching

Science.gov (United States)

Farraliza Mansor, Nur; Abal Abas, Zuraida; Samad Shibghatullah, Abdul; Rahman, Ahmad Fadzli Nizam Abdul

2017-08-01

The scheduling and rostering problems are deliberated as integrated due to they depend on each other whereby the input of rostering problems is a scheduling problems. In this research, the integrated scheduling and rostering bus driver problems are defined as maximising the balance of the assignment of tasks in term of distribution of shifts and routes. It is essential to achieve is fairer among driver because this can bring to increase in driver levels of satisfaction. The latest approaches still unable to address the fairness problem that has emerged, thus this research proposes a strategy to adopt an amendment of a harmony search algorithm in order to address the fairness issue and thus the level of fairness will be escalate. The harmony search algorithm is classified as a meta-heuristics algorithm that is capable of solving hard and combinatorial or discrete optimisation problems. In this respect, the three main operators in HS, namely the Harmony Memory Consideration Rate (HMCR), Pitch Adjustment Rate (PAR) and Bandwidth (BW) play a vital role in balancing local exploitation and global exploration. These parameters influence the overall performance of the HS algorithm, and therefore it is crucial to fine-tune them. The contributions to this research are the HMCR parameter using step function while the fret spacing concept on guitars that is associated with mathematical formulae is also applied in the BW parameter. The model of constant step function is introduced in the alteration of HMCR parameter. The experimental results revealed that our proposed approach is superior than parameter adaptive harmony search algorithm. In conclusion, this proposed approach managed to generate a fairer roster and was thus capable of maximising the balancing distribution of shifts and routes among drivers, which contributed to the lowering of illness, incidents, absenteeism and accidents.

Ratiometric fluorescence polarization as a cytometric functional parameter: theory and practice

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yishai, Yitzhak; Fixler, Dror; Cohen-Kashi, Meir; Zurgil, Naomi; Deutsch, Mordechai

2003-01-01

The use of ratiometric fluorescence polarization (RFP) as a functional parameter in monitoring cellular activation is suggested, based on the physical phenomenon of fluorescence polarization dependency on emission wavelengths in multiple (at least binary) solutions. The theoretical basis of this dependency is thoroughly discussed and examined via simulation. For simulation, aimed to imitate a fluorophore-stained cell, real values of the fluorescence spectrum and polarization of different single fluorophore solutions were used. The simulation as well as the experimentally obtained values of RFP indicated the high sensitivity of this measure. Finally, the RFP parameter was utilized as a cytometric measure in three exemplary cellular bioassays. In the first, the apoptotic effect of oxLDL in a human Jurkat FDA-stained T cell line was monitored by RFP. In the second, the interaction between cell surface membrane receptors of human T lymphocyte cells was monitored by RFP measurements as a complementary means to the fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) technique. In the third bioassay, cellular thiol level of FDA- and CMFDA-labelled Jurkat T cells was monitored via RFP

A New Scale Factor Adjustment Method for Magnetic Force Feedback Accelerometer

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xiangqing Huang

2017-10-01

Full Text Available A new and simple method to adjust the scale factor of a magnetic force feedback accelerometer is presented, which could be used in developing a rotating accelerometer gravity gradient instrument (GGI. Adjusting and matching the acceleration-to-current transfer function of the four accelerometers automatically is one of the basic and necessary technologies for rejecting the common mode accelerations in the development of GGI. In order to adjust the scale factor of the magnetic force rebalance accelerometer, an external current is injected and combined with the normal feedback current; they are then applied together to the torque coil of the magnetic actuator. The injected current could be varied proportionally according to the external adjustment needs, and the change in the acceleration-to-current transfer function then realized dynamically. The new adjustment method has the advantages of no extra assembly and ease of operation. Changes in the scale factors range from 33% smaller to 100% larger are verified experimentally by adjusting the different external coefficients. The static noise of the used accelerometer is compared under conditions with and without the injecting current, and the experimental results find no change at the current noise level, which further confirms the validity of the presented method.

A New Scale Factor Adjustment Method for Magnetic Force Feedback Accelerometer.

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Xiangqing; Deng, Zhongguang; Xie, Yafei; Li, Zhu; Fan, Ji; Tu, Liangcheng

2017-10-27

A new and simple method to adjust the scale factor of a magnetic force feedback accelerometer is presented, which could be used in developing a rotating accelerometer gravity gradient instrument (GGI). Adjusting and matching the acceleration-to-current transfer function of the four accelerometers automatically is one of the basic and necessary technologies for rejecting the common mode accelerations in the development of GGI. In order to adjust the scale factor of the magnetic force rebalance accelerometer, an external current is injected and combined with the normal feedback current; they are then applied together to the torque coil of the magnetic actuator. The injected current could be varied proportionally according to the external adjustment needs, and the change in the acceleration-to-current transfer function then realized dynamically. The new adjustment method has the advantages of no extra assembly and ease of operation. Changes in the scale factors range from 33% smaller to 100% larger are verified experimentally by adjusting the different external coefficients. The static noise of the used accelerometer is compared under conditions with and without the injecting current, and the experimental results find no change at the current noise level, which further confirms the validity of the presented method.

Sequential designs for sensitivity analysis of functional inputs in computer experiments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fruth, J.; Roustant, O.; Kuhnt, S.

2015-01-01

Computer experiments are nowadays commonly used to analyze industrial processes aiming at achieving a wanted outcome. Sensitivity analysis plays an important role in exploring the actual impact of adjustable parameters on the response variable. In this work we focus on sensitivity analysis of a scalar-valued output of a time-consuming computer code depending on scalar and functional input parameters. We investigate a sequential methodology, based on piecewise constant functions and sequential bifurcation, which is both economical and fully interpretable. The new approach is applied to a sheet metal forming problem in three sequential steps, resulting in new insights into the behavior of the forming process over time. - Highlights: • Sensitivity analysis method for functional and scalar inputs is presented. • We focus on the discovery of most influential parts of the functional domain. • We investigate economical sequential methodology based on piecewise constant functions. • Normalized sensitivity indices are introduced and investigated theoretically. • Successful application to sheet metal forming on two functional inputs

Cardiac MRI in children and adolescents who have undergone surgical repair of right-sided congenital heart disease. Automated left ventricular volumes and function analysis and effects of different manual adjustments

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rompel, O.; Janka, R.; May, M.S.; Lell, M.M.; Uder, M.; Hammon, M. [University Hospital Erlangen (Germany). Dept. of Radiology; Gloeckler, M.; Dittrich, S. [University Hospital Erlangen (Germany). Dept. of Pediatric Cardiology; Cesnjevar, R. [University Hospital Erlangen (Germany). Dept. of Pediatric Cardiac Surgery

2015-12-15

To evaluate automated segmentation and the effects of different manual adjustments regarding left ventricular parameter quantification in cardiac magnetic resonance (MR) data on children and adolescents who have undergone surgical repair of right-sided congenital heart disease (CHD). Dedicated software (syngo.via, Siemens AG) was used to automatically segment and/or manually adjust the end-diastolic volume (EDV), end-systolic volume (ESV), stroke volume (SV), myocardial mass (MM) and ejection fraction (EF) before/after manual apex/base adjustment (ADJ-step 1) and after manual apex/base/myocardial contour adjustment (ADJ-step 2; reference standard). MR data of 40 patients (13.1 ± 3.1y, 4-17y) with repaired CHD with decreased pulmonary blood flow (CHD-DPBF) were evaluated. Intra- and inter-rater reliability was determined for 10 randomly selected patients. The software correctly detected the left ventricle in 38/40 (95 %) patients. EDV after automated segmentation: 119.1 ± 44.0ml; after ADJ-step 1: 115.8 ± 39.5 ml; after ADJ-step 2: 116.2 ± 39.4 ml. The corresponding results for ESV were 52.0 ± 18.5/49.6 ± 16.9/49.7 ± 16.4 ml; for SV 67.1 ± 28.5/66.2 ± 25.4/66.5 ± 25.5 ml; for EF 55.5 ± 7.3/56.7 ± 6.6/56.7 ± 6.3%; for MM 83.7 ± 35.9/76.2 ± 28.3/74.6 ± 27.2 g. Significant differences were found for ESV/MM/EF comparing the automated segmentation results with these after ADJ-step 1 and ADJ-step 2. No significant differences were found when comparing all results of ADJ-step 1 and ADJ-step 2 or when comparing EDV/SV results. Intra- and inter-rater reliability was excellent. The mean time effort was 63.4 ± 6.9 s for the automated segmentation, 74.2 ± 8.9 s for ADJ-step 1 and 269.5 ± 39.4 s for ADJ-step 2. Automated left ventricular volumes and function analysis in children and adolescents with surgically treated CHD proved to be feasible with excellent intra- and inter-rater reliability. Automated segmentation with manual apex/base adjustment provided

Cardiac MRI in children and adolescents who have undergone surgical repair of right-sided congenital heart disease. Automated left ventricular volumes and function analysis and effects of different manual adjustments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rompel, O.; Janka, R.; May, M.S.; Lell, M.M.; Uder, M.; Hammon, M.; Gloeckler, M.; Dittrich, S.; Cesnjevar, R.

2015-01-01

To evaluate automated segmentation and the effects of different manual adjustments regarding left ventricular parameter quantification in cardiac magnetic resonance (MR) data on children and adolescents who have undergone surgical repair of right-sided congenital heart disease (CHD). Dedicated software (syngo.via, Siemens AG) was used to automatically segment and/or manually adjust the end-diastolic volume (EDV), end-systolic volume (ESV), stroke volume (SV), myocardial mass (MM) and ejection fraction (EF) before/after manual apex/base adjustment (ADJ-step 1) and after manual apex/base/myocardial contour adjustment (ADJ-step 2; reference standard). MR data of 40 patients (13.1 ± 3.1y, 4-17y) with repaired CHD with decreased pulmonary blood flow (CHD-DPBF) were evaluated. Intra- and inter-rater reliability was determined for 10 randomly selected patients. The software correctly detected the left ventricle in 38/40 (95 %) patients. EDV after automated segmentation: 119.1 ± 44.0ml; after ADJ-step 1: 115.8 ± 39.5 ml; after ADJ-step 2: 116.2 ± 39.4 ml. The corresponding results for ESV were 52.0 ± 18.5/49.6 ± 16.9/49.7 ± 16.4 ml; for SV 67.1 ± 28.5/66.2 ± 25.4/66.5 ± 25.5 ml; for EF 55.5 ± 7.3/56.7 ± 6.6/56.7 ± 6.3%; for MM 83.7 ± 35.9/76.2 ± 28.3/74.6 ± 27.2 g. Significant differences were found for ESV/MM/EF comparing the automated segmentation results with these after ADJ-step 1 and ADJ-step 2. No significant differences were found when comparing all results of ADJ-step 1 and ADJ-step 2 or when comparing EDV/SV results. Intra- and inter-rater reliability was excellent. The mean time effort was 63.4 ± 6.9 s for the automated segmentation, 74.2 ± 8.9 s for ADJ-step 1 and 269.5 ± 39.4 s for ADJ-step 2. Automated left ventricular volumes and function analysis in children and adolescents with surgically treated CHD proved to be feasible with excellent intra- and inter-rater reliability. Automated segmentation with manual apex/base adjustment provided

Premorbid functioning of patients with first-episode nonaffective psychosis: a comparison of deterioration in academic and social performance, and clinical correlates of Premorbid Adjustment Scale scores.

Science.gov (United States)

Monte, Ralph C; Goulding, Sandra M; Compton, Michael T

2008-09-01

Motivated by a previous study among male veterans [Allen, D.N., Frantom, L.V., Strauss, G.P., van Kammen, D.P., 2005. Differential patterns of premorbid academic and social deterioration in patients with schizophrenia. Schizophr. Res. 75, 389-397], the present analysis examined: (1) patterns of premorbid academic and social functioning during childhood, early adolescence, and late adolescence, and (2) associations between these premorbid functioning dimensions and a number of clinical variables. Data on premorbid functioning were collected using the Premorbid Adjustment Scale (PAS) in 95 hospitalized first-episode patients. Analyses were similar to those conducted by Allen and colleagues (2005). Deterioration was evident in both academic and social functioning from childhood to early adolescence, along with a pronounced/accelerated deterioration in academic functioning from early adolescence to late adolescence, occurring in both male and female patients. Age at onset of prodromal symptoms was predicted by childhood/early adolescent/late adolescent academic functioning scores, and age at onset of psychotic symptoms was significantly associated only with childhood academic functioning. Severity of negative symptoms was predicted by childhood and late adolescent social functioning scores, and severity of general psychopathology symptoms was predicted by late adolescent academic functioning, as well as childhood and late adolescent social functioning scores. Consistent with prior findings, deterioration in premorbid functioning appears to be more pronounced in the academic than social dimension of the PAS. Some PAS scores are predictive of ages at onset of prodrome/psychosis and severity of psychotic symptoms. Ongoing research on premorbid adjustment in schizophrenia may have implications for future prevention goals.

The impact of personality on adult patients' adjustability to orthodontic appliances.

Science.gov (United States)

Cooper-Kazaz, Rena; Ivgi, Inbal; Canetti, Laura; Bachar, Eytan; Tsur, Boaz; Chaushu, Stella; Shalish, Miriam

2013-01-01

To evaluate the impact of psychological traits on patients' choice of orthodontic appliances and their adjustability to orthodontic treatment. The sample consisted of 68 adult patients divided into three groups (28 buccal, 19 lingual, and 21 clear aligners). Prior to treatment participants filled out the Brief Symptom Inventory to assess symptoms of mental distress and the Narcissistic Vulnerability Scale to assess narcissistic personality traits. During the first week after appliance delivery and on day 14, patients completed a Health-Related Quality of Life questionnaire to assess their perception of pain and four areas of dysfunction. The correlation between personality traits and patients' reaction to treatment was evaluated. Somatization was the only trait that affected the choice of lingual and clear aligner appliance. Reduced self-esteem regulation was associated with increased pain in all patients, while exploitation was associated with pain in lingual patients. Narcissistic vulnerability slightly influenced patients' adaptability to orthodontic appliances. Although adjustability to lingual appliances was the most difficult, only two parameters were affected by personality features. In the buccal group, adjustability was affected by numerous parameters. Adaptation to the clear aligner appliance was relatively uneventful and least affected by psychological features. Anxious individuals tend to prefer lingual and clear aligner appliances. The selection of lingual and clear aligner appliances governs the patient's response and recovery process, leaving little room for the effect of psychological features. On the other hand, the buccal appliance allows for greater impact of personality traits on adjustability.

Optimization of parameters for fitting linear accelerator photon beams using a modified CBEAM model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ayyangar, K.; Daftari, I.; Palta, J.; Suntharalingam, N.

1989-01-01

Measured beam profiles and central-axis depth-dose data for 6- and 25-MV photon beams are used to generate a dose matrix which represents the full beam. A corresponding dose matrix is also calculated using the modified CBEAM model. The calculational model uses the usual set of three parameters to define the intensity at beam edges and the parameter that accounts for collimator transmission. An additional set of three parameters is used for the primary profile factor, expressed as a function of distance from the central axis. An optimization program has been adapted to automatically adjust these parameters to minimize the χ 2 between the measured and calculated data. The average values of the parameters for small (6x6 cm 2 ), medium (10x10 cm 2 ), and large (20x20 cm 2 ) field sizes are found to represent the beam adequately for all field sizes. The calculated and the measured doses at any point agree to within 2% for any field size in the range 4x4 to 40x40 cm 2

Parameter constraints of grazing response functions. Implications for phytoplankton bloom initiation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jordi Solé

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Phytoplankton blooms are events of production and accumulation of phytoplankton biomass that influence ecosystem dynamics and may also have effects on socio-economic activities. Among the biological factors that affect bloom dynamics, prey selection by zooplankton may play an important role. Here we consider the initial state of development of an algal bloom and analyse how a reduced grazing pressure can allow an algal species with a lower intrinsic growth rate than a competitor to become dominant. We use a simple model with two microalgal species and one zooplankton grazer to derive general relationships between phytoplankton growth and zooplankton grazing. These relationships are applied to two common grazing response functions in order to deduce the mathematical constraints that the parameters of these functions must obey to allow the dominance of the lower growth rate competitor. To assess the usefulness of the deduced relationships in a more general framework, the results are applied in the context of a multispecies ecosystem model (ERSEM.

The electronic work function of the different faces of tungsten

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Modinos, A.

1978-01-01

A semi-empirical theory of the electronic work function of the different faces of tungsten is presented. All the parameters entering the theory, except one, are estimated independently. The one adjustable parameter relates to the isotropic contribution to the work function, and, can, in principle, be determined from a self-consistent calculation of the band-structure of the energy levels in the bulk of the metal. The calculated values for the work function are in reasonably good agreement with available experimental data for practically all of the crystallographic planes with the exception of the (100) plane. For the latter, the calculated value is 0.3 eV above the experimental value. It is suggested that a negative contribution to the surface dipole potential from surface states, that exist on this plane, may be the reason of this discrepancy. (Auth.)

Analysis of methods to determine the latency of online movement adjustments

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Oostwoud Wijdenes, L.; Brenner, E.; Smeets, J.B.J.

2014-01-01

When studying online movement adjustments, one of the interesting parameters is their latency. We set out to compare three different methods of determining the latency: the threshold, confidence interval, and extrapolation methods. We simulated sets of movements with different movement times and

Lambert W-function based exact representation for double diode model of solar cells: Comparison on fitness and parameter extraction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gao, Xiankun; Cui, Yan; Hu, Jianjun; Xu, Guangyin; Yu, Yongchang

2016-01-01

Highlights: • Lambert W-function based exact representation (LBER) is presented for double diode model (DDM). • Fitness difference between LBER and DDM is verified by reported parameter values. • The proposed LBER can better represent the I–V and P–V characteristics of solar cells. • Parameter extraction difference between LBER and DDM is validated by two algorithms. • The parameter values extracted from LBER are more accurate than those from DDM. - Abstract: Accurate modeling and parameter extraction of solar cells play an important role in the simulation and optimization of PV systems. This paper presents a Lambert W-function based exact representation (LBER) for traditional double diode model (DDM) of solar cells, and then compares their fitness and parameter extraction performance. Unlike existing works, the proposed LBER is rigorously derived from DDM, and in LBER the coefficients of Lambert W-function are not extra parameters to be extracted or arbitrary scalars but the vectors of terminal voltage and current of solar cells. The fitness difference between LBER and DDM is objectively validated by the reported parameter values and experimental I–V data of a solar cell and four solar modules from different technologies. The comparison results indicate that under the same parameter values, the proposed LBER can better represent the I–V and P–V characteristics of solar cells and provide a closer representation to actual maximum power points of all module types. Two different algorithms are used to compare the parameter extraction performance of LBER and DDM. One is our restart-based bound constrained Nelder-Mead (rbcNM) algorithm implemented in Matlab, and the other is the reported R_c_r-IJADE algorithm executed in Visual Studio. The comparison results reveal that, the parameter values extracted from LBER using two algorithms are always more accurate and robust than those from DDM despite more time consuming. As an improved version of DDM, the

Modulating functions-based method for parameters and source estimation in one-dimensional partial differential equations

KAUST Repository

Asiri, Sharefa M.

2016-10-20

In this paper, modulating functions-based method is proposed for estimating space–time-dependent unknowns in one-dimensional partial differential equations. The proposed method simplifies the problem into a system of algebraic equations linear in unknown parameters. The well-posedness of the modulating functions-based solution is proved. The wave and the fifth-order KdV equations are used as examples to show the effectiveness of the proposed method in both noise-free and noisy cases.

Estimation of time- and state-dependent delays and other parameters in functional differential equations

Science.gov (United States)

Murphy, K. A.

1990-01-01

A parameter estimation algorithm is developed which can be used to estimate unknown time- or state-dependent delays and other parameters (e.g., initial condition) appearing within a nonlinear nonautonomous functional differential equation. The original infinite dimensional differential equation is approximated using linear splines, which are allowed to move with the variable delay. The variable delays are approximated using linear splines as well. The approximation scheme produces a system of ordinary differential equations with nice computational properties. The unknown parameters are estimated within the approximating systems by minimizing a least-squares fit-to-data criterion. Convergence theorems are proved for time-dependent delays and state-dependent delays within two classes, which say essentially that fitting the data by using approximations will, in the limit, provide a fit to the data using the original system. Numerical test examples are presented which illustrate the method for all types of delay.

Pre Design of Beam Parameter Control System for Electron Beam Machine (EBM) 350 keV/10 mA in the Center for Accelerator and Material Process Technology - BATAN Yogyakarta

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sutanto

2009-01-01

Pre design of beam parameter control system for Electron Beam Machine (EBM) 350 keV/10 mA had an objective to find a control system algorithm for EBM in The Center For Accelerator and Material Process Technology (Pusat Teknologi dan Proses Bahan/PTAPB) - BATAN Yogyakarta. The design was based on the beam parameter model of EBM. The model shown a relationship between the dose parameter setting and the beam energy setting which it was being a problem in setting the beam parameters.The control system algorithm was found by getting compensator equations from the beam parameter model of EBM. The equations would omit the relation between the radiation dose parameter and beam energy parameter, so that the parameters could be adjusted easily. The result of the control system algorithm examine based on simulation shown that the setting of beam parameter value could be done by giving the accelerating voltage value and the filament current value as the operator had determined the value. The value of radiation dose and beam energy would be adjusted as its function of the filament current value and the accelerating voltage value. (author)

Impulse Oscillometry and Spirometry Small-Airway Parameters in Mild to Moderate Bronchiectasis.

Science.gov (United States)

Guan, Wei-Jie; Yuan, Jing-Jing; Gao, Yong-Hua; Li, Hui-Min; Zheng, Jin-Ping; Chen, Rong-Chang; Zhong, Nan-Shan

2016-11-01

Both impulse oscillometry and spirometry can reflect small-airway disorders. The objective of this work was to investigate the diagnostic value of impulse oscillometry and spirometry small-airway parameters and their correlation with radiology, disease severity, and sputum bacteriology in mild to moderate bronchiectasis (bronchiectasis severity index spirometry, and sputum culture were performed. Correlation between small-airway parameters and clinical indices was determined, adjusting for age, sex, body mass index, and smoking history. Sensitivity analyses were repeated when excluding subjects with bronchiectasis severity index ≥9 or HRCT score ≥13. Impulse oscillometry and spirometry small-airway parameters could discriminate mild to moderate bronchiectasis from healthy subjects and correlated significantly with HRCT score and the number of bronchiectatic lobes and the bronchiectasis severity index (all P Spirometry, but not impulse oscillometry, small-airway parameters differed statistically between subjects with isolated peripheral-airway bronchiectasis and those with peripheral plus central-airway bronchiectasis (all P spirometry small-airway parameters have similar diagnostic value in reflecting peripheral-airway disorders and correlate with the HRCT scores, the bronchiectasis severity index, and the number of bronchiectatic lobes in mild to moderate bronchiectasis. Assessment of small-airway parameters should be incorporated in future lung function investigations in bronchiectasis. Copyright © 2016 by Daedalus Enterprises.

Inadmissibility of Usual and Mixed Estimators of Two Ordered Gamma Scale Parameters Under Reflected Gamma Loss Function

OpenAIRE

Z. Meghnatisi; N. Nematollahi

2009-01-01

Let Xi1, · · · , Xini be a random sample from a gamma distribution with known shape parameter νi > 0 and unknown scale parameter βi > 0, i = 1, 2, satisfying 0 < β1 6 β2. We consider the class of mixed estimators for estimation of β1 and β2 under reflected gamma loss function. It has been shown that the minimum risk equivariant estimator of βi, i = 1, 2, which is admissible when no information on the ordering of parameters are given, is inadmissible and dominated by a cla...

Attachment security, personality, and adjustment of elementary school children.

Science.gov (United States)

Goldner, Limor; Scharf, Miri

2013-01-01

Children's development is assumed to be closely related to their attachment security and their personality. The authors' aim was to examine the joint contribution of attachment security and personality traits to children's adjustment by examining diverse children's outcomes (emotional symptoms, social functioning, and behavioral problems) and using various perspectives (children, parents, and teachers). The sample comprised 247 8-12-year-old children from low socioeconomic status neighborhoods. Personality and attachment contribute to the different domains of adjustment. In cases of moderation, attachment security moderates the implications of personality traits on children's adjustment. The findings highlight the contribution of positive personality tendencies in playing down the difficulties of insecurely attached children.

Parameters and error of a theoretical model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moeller, P.; Nix, J.R.; Swiatecki, W.

1986-09-01

We propose a definition for the error of a theoretical model of the type whose parameters are determined from adjustment to experimental data. By applying a standard statistical method, the maximum-likelihoodlmethod, we derive expressions for both the parameters of the theoretical model and its error. We investigate the derived equations by solving them for simulated experimental and theoretical quantities generated by use of random number generators. 2 refs., 4 tabs

The distribution of waves in the inner magnetosphere as a function of solar wind parameters

Science.gov (United States)

Aryan, Homayon; Balikhin, Michael A.; Agapitov, Oleksiy; Krasnoselskikh, Vladimir; Yearby, Keith

Energetic electrons within the Earth’s radiation belts represent a serious hazard to geostationary satellites. The interactions of electrons with chorus waves play an important role in both the acceleration and loss of radiation belt electrons. Studies of the evolution of energetic electron fluxes rely heavily on numerical codes in order to model energy and pitch angle diffusion due to electron interaction with plasma waves in the frame of quasilinear approximation. Application of these codes requires knowledge of statistical wave models to present wave distributions in the magnetosphere. A number of such models are based on CRESS, Cluster, THEMIS and other mission data. These models present wave distributions as a function of L-shell, magnetic local time, magnetic latitude and geomagnetic activity expressed by geomagnetic indices (Kp or Ae). However, it has been shown by G. Reeves and co-authors that only 50% of geomagnetic storms increase flux of relativistic electrons at GEO while 20% cause a decrease. This emphasizes the importance of including solar wind parameters in addition to geomagnetic indices. The present study examines almost four years (01, January, 2004 to 29, September, 2007) of STAFF (Spatio-Temporal Analysis of Field Fluctuation) data from Double Star TC1 combined with geomagnetic indices and solar wind parameters from OMNI database in order to present a comprehensive model of chorus wave intensities as a function of L-shell, magnetic local time, magnetic latitude, geomagnetic indices and solar wind parameters. The results show that chorus emission is not only sub-storm dependent but also dependent upon solar wind parameters with solar wind velocity evidently the most influential solar wind parameter. The largest peak intensities are observed for lower band chorus during active conditions, high solar wind velocity, low density and high pressure.

Tuning permanent magnets with adjustable field clamps

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schermer, R.I.

1987-01-01

The effective length of a permanent-magnet assembly can be varied by adjusting the geometrical parameters of a field clamp. This paper presents measurements on a representative dipole and quadrupole as the field clamp is withdrawn axially or radially. The detailed behavior depends upon the magnet multipolarity and geometry. As a rule-of-thumb, a 3-mm-thick iron plate placed at one end plane of the magnet will shorten the length by one-third of the magnet bore radius

Aqua/Aura Updated Inclination Adjust Maneuver Performance Prediction Model

Science.gov (United States)

Boone, Spencer

2017-01-01

This presentation will discuss the updated Inclination Adjust Maneuver (IAM) performance prediction model that was developed for Aqua and Aura following the 2017 IAM series. This updated model uses statistical regression methods to identify potential long-term trends in maneuver parameters, yielding improved predictions when re-planning past maneuvers. The presentation has been reviewed and approved by Eric Moyer, ESMO Deputy Project Manager.

A novel flow-based parameter of collateral function assessed by intracoronary thermodilution.

Science.gov (United States)

Lindner, Markus; Felix, Stephan B; Empen, Klaus; Reffelmann, Thorsten

2014-04-01

Currently, many methods for quantitation of coronary collateral function are based on intracoronary pressure measurements distal of an occluded balloon, which do not fully account for the dynamic nature of collateral flow. Therefore, a flow-based parameter of coronary collateral function based upon principles of thermodilution was evaluated. In 26 patients with a high-grade coronary artery stenosis, intracoronary hemodynamics were analyzed by the RadiAnalyzer system (St Jude Medical), including fractional flow reserve (FFR), index of microcirculatory resistance (IMR), and the pressure-based collateral flow index (CFI) during balloon occlusion and hyperemia (intravenous adenosine). Moreover, immediately after an intracoronary bolus of room-temperature saline, the balloon was occluded and the intracoronary temperature distal to the balloon was analyzed over time. The slope of the temperature-time curve was calculated after logarithmic transformation as an index of collateral blood flow (CBFI). The coefficient of variation between two measurements of CBFI amounted to 11 ± 2%. In patients with CFI ≥0.25, CBFI amounted to 0.55 ± 0.09, whereas in those with CFI function, and should be evaluated in further studies.

Study to use graded cobalt adjuster in 540 MWe PHWR

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Raj, Manish; Fernando, M.P.S.; Pradhan, A.S.; Kumar, A.N.

2007-01-01

Full text: There are 17 adjusters in 540 MWe PHWR, which are essentially provided for xenon override function. They also provide flux flattening being in the central region of the reactor core. The present design of adjusters consists of stainless steel tube. The adjuster rods are grouped into 8 banks for movement. Since adjusters are normally fully inserted during reactor operation, they are best suited for production of cobalt 60. The nickel-plated cobalt in the form of either slugs or pellet are used for the design of cobalt pencils. The number of pencils can be varied to optimize the reactivity load and cobalt 60 production requirement. The worth and activity of cobalt adjusters have been worked out considering different pin configuration for the adjuster assembly. To start with we have assumed all adjusters throughout its length are of the same configuration. The flux depression factors within the cobalt pencils have been considered in the estimations of the specific and total cobalt 60 activities. The option of using graded cobalt adjusters, where different pin configuration along the length is considered for better flux flattening

Parameter-dependent PWQ Lyapunov function stability criteria for uncertain piecewise linear systems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Morten Hovd

2018-01-01

Full Text Available The calculation of piecewise quadratic (PWQ Lyapunov functions is addressed in view of stability analysis of uncertain piecewise linear dynamics. As main contribution, the linear matrix inequality (LMI approach proposed in (Johansson and Rantzer, 1998 for the stability analysis of PWL and PWA dynamics is extended to account for parametric uncertainty based on a improved relaxation technique. The results are applied for the analysis of a Phase Locked Loop (PLL benchmark and the ability to guarantee a stability region in the parameter space well beyond the state of the art is demonstrated.

Impact parameter and source selected correlation functions with a 4π multidetector

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gourio, D.; Reposeur, T.; Assenard, M.; Germain, M.; Ardouin, D.; Eudes, P.; Lautridou, P.; Laville, J.L.; Lebrun, C.; Metivier, V.

1997-01-01

For the first time in the domain of (light charged) particle interferometry in nuclear physics, a complete study of proton an deuteron correlation functions is presented with both impact parameter and emission source selections. The correlations were determined for the system 129 Xe + nat Sn at 45 and 50 AMeV using the 4π multidetector INDRA at GANIL as an event selector as well as a particle correlator. Very short emission times are found for all the selections indicating possible contributions from a fast and preequilibrium process. (author)

Importance theory for lumped-parameter systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cady, K.B.; Kenton, M.A.; Ward, J.C.; Piepho, M.G.

1981-01-01

A general sensitivity theory has been developed for nonlinear lumped parameter system simulations. The point of departure is general perturbation theory for nonlinear systems. Importance theory as developed here allows the calculation of the sensitivity of a response function to any physical or design parameter; importance of any equation or term or physical effect in the system model on the response function; variance of the response function caused by the variances and covariances of all physical parameters; and approximate effect on the response function of missing physical phenomena or incorrect parameters

The development of the spatially correlated adjustment wavelet filter for atomic force microscopy data

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sikora, Andrzej, E-mail: sikora@iel.wroc.pl [Electrotechnical Institute, Division of Electrotechnology and Materials Science, M. Skłodowskiej-Curie 55/61, 50-369 Wrocław (Poland); Rodak, Aleksander [Faculty of Electronics, Wrocław University of Technology, Janiszewskiego 11/17, 50-372 Wrocław (Poland); Unold, Olgierd [Institute of Computer Engineering, Control and Robotics, Faculty of Electronics, Wrocław University of Technology, Janiszewskiego 11/17, 50-372 Wrocław (Poland); Klapetek, Petr [Czech Metrology Institute, Okružní 31, 638 00 Brno (Czech Republic)

2016-12-15

In this paper a novel approach for the practical utilization of the 2D wavelet filter in terms of the artifacts removal from atomic force microscopy measurements results is presented. The utilization of additional data such as summary photodiode signal map is implemented in terms of the identification of the areas requiring the data processing, filtering settings optimization and the verification of the process performance. Such an approach allows to perform the filtering parameters adjustment by average user, while the straightforward method requires an expertise in this field. The procedure was developed as the function of the Gwyddion software. The examples of filtering the phase imaging and Electrostatic Force Microscopy measurement result are presented. As the wavelet filtering feature may remove a local artifacts, its superior efficiency over similar approach with 2D Fast Fourier Transformate based filter (2D FFT) can be noticed. - Highlights: • A novel approach to 2D wavelet-based filter for atomic force microscopy is shown. • The additional AFM measurement signal is used to adjust the filter. • Efficient removal of the local interference phenomena caused artifacts is presented.

The development of the spatially correlated adjustment wavelet filter for atomic force microscopy data

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sikora, Andrzej; Rodak, Aleksander; Unold, Olgierd; Klapetek, Petr

2016-01-01

In this paper a novel approach for the practical utilization of the 2D wavelet filter in terms of the artifacts removal from atomic force microscopy measurements results is presented. The utilization of additional data such as summary photodiode signal map is implemented in terms of the identification of the areas requiring the data processing, filtering settings optimization and the verification of the process performance. Such an approach allows to perform the filtering parameters adjustment by average user, while the straightforward method requires an expertise in this field. The procedure was developed as the function of the Gwyddion software. The examples of filtering the phase imaging and Electrostatic Force Microscopy measurement result are presented. As the wavelet filtering feature may remove a local artifacts, its superior efficiency over similar approach with 2D Fast Fourier Transformate based filter (2D FFT) can be noticed. - Highlights: • A novel approach to 2D wavelet-based filter for atomic force microscopy is shown. • The additional AFM measurement signal is used to adjust the filter. • Efficient removal of the local interference phenomena caused artifacts is presented.

The Use of Asymptotic Functions for Determining Empirical Values of CN Parameter in Selected Catchments of Variable Land Cover

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wałęga Andrzej

2017-12-01

Full Text Available The aim of the study was to assess the applicability of asymptotic functions for determining the value of CN parameter as a function of precipitation depth in mountain and upland catchments. The analyses were carried out in two catchments: the Rudawa, left tributary of the Vistula, and the Kamienica, right tributary of the Dunajec. The input material included data on precipitation and flows for a multi-year period 1980–2012, obtained from IMGW PIB in Warsaw. Two models were used to determine empirical values of CNobs parameter as a function of precipitation depth: standard Hawkins model and 2-CN model allowing for a heterogeneous nature of a catchment area.

Arterial function parameters in patients with metabolic syndrome and severe hypertriglyceridemia.

Science.gov (United States)

Rinkūnienė, Egidija; Butkutė, Eglė; Puronaitė, Roma; Petrulionienė, Žaneta; Dženkevičiūtė, Vilma; Kasiulevičius, Vytautas; Laucevičius, Aleksandras

Hypertriglyceridemia (hTG) is 1 of the dyslipidemia manifestations in patients with metabolic syndrome (MetS). However, for several decades, the role of hTG in cardiovascular risk was not well established. The aim of this study was to assess the parameters of the vascular structure and function in patients with MetS and different degree of hTG. Patients (aged 40-65 years) with MetS were divided into 3 groups by triglyceride (TG) levels according to National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III Guidelines: severe hTG (TG ≥ 500 mg/dL), moderate hTG (TG 200-499 mg/dL), and a control (TG severe TG was observed in 9.6% (n = 100) of patients. Overall TG concentration was 231.17 ± 184.23 mg/dL; in severe hTG group, TG concentration was 795.36 ± 368.45 mg/dL, in moderate hTG group 285.20 ± 70.86 mg/dL, and 112.48 ± 24.80 mg/dL in control group. AIxHR75 and IMT were the lowest in the severe hTG group (P severe hTG have lower IMT and AIxHR75 and higher PWV and mean arterial pressure. Many factors could affect arterial parameters, and more research are needed to investigate arterial parameters and hTG connection. Copyright © 2017 National Lipid Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Multicomponent Exercise Improves Physical Functioning but Not Cognition and Hemodynamic Parameters in Elderly Osteoarthritis Patients Regardless of Hypertension

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hélio José Coelho-Júnior

2018-01-01

Full Text Available The present study aimed to investigate the impact of a 6-month multicomponent exercise program (MCEP on physical function, cognition, and hemodynamic parameters of elderly normotensive (NTS and hypertensive (HTS osteoarthritis patients. A total of 99 elderly osteoarthritis patients (44 NTS and 55 HTS were recruited and submitted to functional, cognitive, and hemodynamic evaluations before and after six months of a MCEP. The program of exercise was performed twice a week at moderate intensity. The physical exercises aggregated functional and walking exercises. Results indicate that 6 months of MCEP were able to improve one-leg stand and mobility (walking speeds of osteoarthritis patients regardless of hypertension. On the other hand, cognitive and hemodynamic parameters were not altered after the MCEP. The findings of the present study demonstrate that 6 months of MCEP were able to improve the physical functioning (i.e., usual and maximal walking speed and balance of osteoarthritis patients regardless of hypertensive condition.

Family function, Parenting Style and Broader Autism Phenotype as Predicting Factors of Psychological Adjustment in Typically Developing Siblings of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mohammadreza Mohammadi

2014-06-01

Full Text Available Siblings of children with autism are at a greater risk of experiencing behavioral and social problems. Previous researches had focused on environmental variables such as family history of autism spectrum disorders (ASDs, behavior problems in the child with an ASD, parental mental health problems, stressful life events and "broader autism phenotype" (BAP, while variables like parenting style and family function that are shown to influence children's behavioral and psychosocial adjustment are overlooked. The aim of the present study was to reveal how parenting style and family function as well as BAP effect psychological adjustment of siblings of children with autism.The Participants included 65 parents who had one child with an Autism Spectrum Disorder and one typically developing child. Of the children with ASDs, 40 were boys and 25 were girls; and they were diagnosed with ASDs by a psychiatrist based on DSM-IV-TR criteria and Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (ADI-R. The Persian versions of the six scales were used to collect data from the families. Pearson's correlation test and regression analysis were used to determine which variables were related to the psychological adjustment of sibling of children with ASDs and which variables predicted it better.Significant relationships were found between Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ total difficulties, prosocial behaviors and ASDs symptoms severity, parenting styles and some aspects of family function. In addition, siblings who had more BAP characteristics had more behavior problems and less prosocial behavior. Behavioral problems increased and prosocial behavior decreased with permissive parenting style. Besides, both of authoritarian and authoritative parenting styles led to a decrease in behavioral problems and an increase in prosocial behaviors. Our findings revealed that some aspects of family function (affective responsiveness, roles, problem solving and behavior control were

Study of gain variation as a function of physical parameters of GEM foil

CERN Document Server

Das, Supriya

2015-01-01

The ALICE experiment at LHC has planned to upgrade the TPC by replacing the MWPC with GEM based detecting elements to restrict the IBF to a tolerable value. However the variation of the gain as a function of physical parameters of industrially produced large size GEM foils is needed to be studied as a part of the QA procedure for the detector. The size of the electron avalanche and consequently the gain for GEM based detectors depend on the electric field distribution inside the holes. Geometry of a hole plays an important role in defining the electric field inside it. In this work we have studied the variation of the gain as a function of the hole diameters using Garfield++ simulation package.

EVALUATION OF ADJUSTABLE SUTURE TECHNIQUE IN OUTCOME OF PTOSIS SURGERY

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nagaraju

2015-10-01

Full Text Available AIM: To evaluate the outcome of adjustable suture technique in ptosis surgery. INTRODUCTION : Surgical management of blepharoptosis is indicated in multiple situations and the post - operative outcomes can be as variable as the indications for surgery. Adjustable suture techniques in ptosis repair have been introduced and variable efficacies have been reported. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective case review of medical records from June 2010 to May 2011 (12 months of 5 eyes of 5 consecutive patients operated by a single surgeon at a Tertiary Eye care center in South India were reviewed. The clinical profile of patients included was r ecorded and results of adjustable suture technique described by Borman and collegues for these patients was reported. RESULTS: 5 eyes of 5 patients underwent adjustable suture ptosis repair in the study duration. 4 patients with moderate and 1 with severe ptosis, all having good levator function were diagnosed to have c ongenital ptosis in 3 cases and a cquired involutional ptosis in 2 cases. All 5 cases had a satisfactory outcome at day 4 post - operative after adjustment of lid height in the out - patient clini c. 1 patient with acquired involutional ptosis, identified with levator dehiscence intra - operatively had overcorrection at 6 months warranting re - surgery while the other 4 patients had satisfactory cosmetic lid height and functional outcome at 6 months fol low up after the adjustable suture technique for ptosis repair. CONCLUSION: Use of adjustable sutures in ptosis surgery can eliminate the intraoperative lid factors that can lead to unpredictable results. The technique described is easy to adapt and perfor m and can give repeatable and well acceptable results in the properly selected cases

Higher Lipoprotein (a Levels Are Associated with Better Pulmonary Function in Community-Dwelling Older People - Data from the Berlin Aging Study II.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nikolaus Buchmann

Full Text Available Reduced pulmonary function and elevated serum cholesterol levels are recognized risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Currently, there is some controversy concerning relationships between cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, serum triglycerides and lung function. However, most previous studies compared patients suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD with healthy controls, and only a small number examined this relationship in population-based cohorts. Moreover, lipoprotein a [Lp(a], another lipid parameter independently associated with cardiovascular diseases, appears not to have been addressed at all in studies of lung function at the population level. Here, we determined relationships between lung function and several lipid parameters including Lp(a in 606 older community-dwelling participants (55.1% women, 68±4 years old from the Berlin Aging Study II (BASE-II. We found a significantly lower forced expiration volume in 1 second (FEV1 in men with low Lp(a concentrations (t-test. This finding was further substantiated by linear regression models adjusting for known covariates, showing that these associations are statistically significant in both men and women. According to the highest adjusted model, men and women with Lp(a levels below the 20th percentile had 217.3ml and 124.2ml less FEV1 and 239.0ml and 135.2ml less FVC, respectively, compared to participants with higher Lp(a levels. The adjusted models also suggest that the known strong correlation between pro-inflammatory parameters and lung function has only a marginal impact on the Lp(a-pulmonary function association. Our results do not support the hypothesis that higher Lp(a levels are responsible for the increased CVD risk in people with reduced lung function, at least not in the group of community-dwelling older people studied here.

Analytical fits to the synchrotron functions

Science.gov (United States)

Fouka, Mourad; Ouichaoui, Saad

2013-06-01

Accurate fitting formulae to the synchrotron function, F(x), and its complementary function, G(x), are performed and presented. The corresponding relative errors are less than 0.26% and 0.035% for F(x) and G(x), respectively. To this end we have, first, fitted the modified Bessel functions, K5/3(x) and K2/3(x). For all the fitted functions, the general fit expression is the same, and is based on the well known asymptotic forms for low and large values of x for each function. It consists of multiplying each asymptotic form by a function that tends to unity or zero for low and large values of x. Simple formulae are suggested in this paper, depending on adjustable parameters. The latter have been determined by adopting the Levenberg-Marquardt algorithm. The proposed formulae should be of great utility and simplicity for computing spectral powers and the degree of polarization for synchrotron radiation, both for laboratory and astrophysical applications.

Lunar neutron source function

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kornblum, J.J.

1974-01-01

The search for a quantitative neutron source function for the lunar surface region is justified because it contributes to our understanding of the history of the lunar surface and of nuclear process occurring on the moon since its formation. A knowledge of the neutron source function and neutron flux distribution is important for the interpretation of many experimental measurements. This dissertation uses the available pertinent experimental measurements together with theoretical calculations to obtain an estimate of the lunar neutron source function below 15 MeV. Based upon reasonable assumptions a lunar neutron source function having adjustable parameters is assumed for neutrons below 15 MeV. The lunar neutron source function is composed of several components resulting from the action of cosmic rays with lunar material. A comparison with previous neutron calculations is made and significant differences are discussed. Application of the results to the problem of lunar soil histories is examined using the statistical model for soil development proposed by Fireman. The conclusion is drawn that the moon is losing mass

Psychological Adjustment of Siblings of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder in Hong Kong.

Science.gov (United States)

Chan, J Yn; Lai, K Yc

2016-12-01

Findings about the psychological adjustment of siblings of children with autism spectrum disorder have been inconsistent in western literature and little is known among non-western societies. This study explored the psychological adjustment of siblings of children with autism spectrum disorder in Hong Kong. A total of 116 families with siblings of children with autism spectrum disorders co-morbid with learning disability were included in the study. Parents completed questionnaires about sibling emotional and behavioural adjustment, and their own mental well-being, quality of life, and family functioning. Siblings completed a questionnaire on their relationship with the autistic proband. Parent ratings did not reveal any significant negative impact on the emotional and behavioural adjustment of the typically developing siblings of children with autism spectrum disorder, but there were concerns about their peer relationships and weak prosocial behaviours. When cut-off scores were used to screen for risk of mental health problems, a quarter of the siblings warranted further assessment. Parents' quality of life and family functioning were significant predictors of sibling adjustment. In managing children with autism spectrum disorder, it is necessary to bear in mind the adjustment of their siblings, especially their peer relationships and prosocial behaviour. Adopting a holistic approach to address the psychosocial needs of the parents can facilitate sibling adjustment.

Estimation of CN Parameter for Small Agricultural Watersheds Using Asymptotic Functions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tomasz Kowalik

2015-03-01

Full Text Available This paper investigates a possibility of using asymptotic functions to determine the value of curve number (CN parameter as a function of rainfall in small agricultural watersheds. It also compares the actually calculated CN with its values provided in the Soil Conservation Service (SCS National Engineering Handbook Section 4: Hydrology (NEH-4 and Technical Release 20 (TR-20. The analysis showed that empirical CN values presented in the National Engineering Handbook tables differed from the actually observed values. Calculations revealed a strong correlation between the observed CN and precipitation (P. In three of the analyzed watersheds, a typical pattern of the observed CN stabilization during abundant precipitation was perceived. It was found that Model 2, based on a kinetics equation, most effectively described the P-CN relationship. In most cases, the observed CN in the investigated watersheds was similar to the empirical CN, corresponding to average moisture conditions set out by NEH-4. Model 2 also provided the greatest stability of CN at 90% sampled event rainfall.

Assessing parameter variability in a photosynthesis model within and between plant functional types using global Fluxnet eddy covariance data

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Groenendijk, M.; Dolman, A.J.; Molen, van der M.K.; Leuning, R.; Arneth, A.; Delpierre, N.; Gash, J.H.C.; Lindroth, A.; Richardson, A.D.; Verbeeck, H.; Wohlfahrt, G.

2011-01-01

The vegetation component in climate models has advanced since the late 1960s from a uniform prescription of surface parameters to plant functional types (PFTs). PFTs are used in global land-surface models to provide parameter values for every model grid cell. With a simple photosynthesis model we

Significant correlation of P-wave parameters with left atrial volume index and left ventricular diastolic function.

Science.gov (United States)

Tsai, Wei-Chung; Lee, Kun-Tai; Wu, Ming-Tsang; Chu, Chih-Sheng; Lin, Tsung-Hsien; Hsu, Po-Chao; Su, Ho-Ming; Voon, Wen-Chol; Lai, Wen-Ter; Sheu, Sheng-Hsiung

2013-07-01

The 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) is a commonly used tool to access left atrial enlargement, which is a marker of left ventricular diastolic dysfunction (LVDD). The aim of this study was to evaluate any association of the P-wave measurements in ECG with left atrial volume (LAV) index and LVDD. This study enrolled 270 patients. In this study, 4 ECG P-wave parameters corrected by heart rate, that is, corrected P-wave maximum duration (PWdurMaxC), corrected P-wave dispersion (PWdisperC), corrected P-wave area (PWareaC) and corrected mean P-wave duration (meanPWdurC), were measured. LAV and left ventricular diastolic parameters were measured from echocardiography. LVDD was defined as a pseudonormal or restrictive mitral inflow pattern. The 4 P-wave parameters were significantly correlated with the LAV index after adjusting for age, sex, diabetes, hypertension, coronary artery disease, body mass index and diastolic blood pressure in multivariate analysis. The standardized β coefficients of PWdurMaxC, PWdisperC, meanPWdurC and PWareaC were 0.338, 0.298, 0.215 and 0.296, respectively. The 4 P-wave parameters were also significantly correlated with LVDD after multivariate logistic regression analysis. The odds ratios (95% confidence intervals) of PWdurMaxC, PWdisperC, meanPWdurC and PWareaC were 1.03 (1.01-1.04), 1.02 (1.04-1.04), 1.04 (1.02-1.07) and 1.01 (1.00-1.02), respectively. This study demonstrated that PWdurMaxC, PWdisperC, meanPWdurC and PWareaC were important determinants of the LAV index and LVDD. Therefore, screening patients by means of the 12-lead ECG may be helpful in identifying a high-risk group of increased LAV index and LVDD.

Determining the parameters of Weibull function to estimate the wind power potential in conditions of limited source meteorological data

Science.gov (United States)

Fetisova, Yu. A.; Ermolenko, B. V.; Ermolenko, G. V.; Kiseleva, S. V.

2017-04-01

We studied the information basis for the assessment of wind power potential on the territory of Russia. We described the methodology to determine the parameters of the Weibull function, which reflects the density of distribution of probabilities of wind flow speeds at a defined basic height above the surface of the earth using the available data on the average speed at this height and its repetition by gradations. The application of the least square method for determining these parameters, unlike the use of graphical methods, allows performing a statistical assessment of the results of approximation of empirical histograms by the Weibull formula. On the basis of the computer-aided analysis of the statistical data, it was shown that, at a fixed point where the wind speed changes at different heights, the range of parameter variation of the Weibull distribution curve is relatively small, the sensitivity of the function to parameter changes is quite low, and the influence of changes on the shape of speed distribution curves is negligible. Taking this into consideration, we proposed and mathematically verified the methodology of determining the speed parameters of the Weibull function at other heights using the parameter computations for this function at a basic height, which is known or defined by the average speed of wind flow, or the roughness coefficient of the geological substrate. We gave examples of practical application of the suggested methodology in the development of the Atlas of Renewable Energy Resources in Russia in conditions of deficiency of source meteorological data. The proposed methodology, to some extent, may solve the problem related to the lack of information on the vertical profile of repeatability of the wind flow speeds in the presence of a wide assortment of wind turbines with different ranges of wind-wheel axis heights and various performance characteristics in the global market; as a result, this methodology can become a powerful tool for

A system and method for adjusting and presenting stereoscopic content

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

2013-01-01

on the basis of one or more vision specific parameters (0M, ThetaMuAlphaChi, ThetaMuIotaNu, DeltaTheta) indicating abnormal vision for the user. In this way, presenting stereoscopic content is enabled that is adjusted specifically to the given person. This may e.g. be used for training purposes or for improved...

Estimating the parameters of stochastic differential equations using a criterion function based on the Kolmogorov-Smirnov statistic

OpenAIRE

McDonald, A. David; Sandal, Leif Kristoffer

1998-01-01

Estimation of parameters in the drift and diffusion terms of stochastic differential equations involves simulation and generally requires substantial data sets. We examine a method that can be applied when available time series are limited to less than 20 observations per replication. We compare and contrast parameter estimation for linear and nonlinear first-order stochastic differential equations using two criterion functions: one based on a Chi-square statistic, put forward by Hurn and Lin...

Improvement of a new rotation function for molecular replacement by designing new scoring functions and dynamic correlation coefficient

Science.gov (United States)

Jiang, Fan; Ding, Wei

2010-10-01

A previously published new rotation function has been improved by using a dynamic correlation coefficient as well as two new scoring functions of relative entropy and mean-square-residues to make the rotation function more robust and independent of a specific set of weights for scoring and ranking. The previously described new rotation function calculates the rotation function of molecular replacement by matching the search model directly with the Patterson vector map. The signal-to-noise ratio for the correct match was increased by averaging all the matching peaks. Several matching scores were employed to evaluate the goodness of matching. These matching scores were then combined into a single total score by optimizing a set of weights using the linear regression method. It was found that there exists an optimal set of weights that can be applied to the global rotation search and the correct solution can be ranked in the top 100 or less. However, this set of optimal weights in general is dependent on the search models and the crystal structures with different space groups and cell parameters. In this work, we try to solve this problem by designing a dynamic correlation coefficient. It is shown that the dynamic correlation coefficient works for a variety of space groups and cell parameters in the global search of rotation function. We also introduce two new matching scores: relative entropy and mean-square-residues. Last but not least, we discussed a valid method for the optimization of the adjustable parameters for matching vectors.

Improvement of a new rotation function for molecular replacement by designing new scoring functions and dynamic correlation coefficient

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fan, Jiang; Wei, Ding

2010-01-01

A previously published new rotation function has been improved by using a dynamic correlation coefficient as well as two new scoring functions of relative entropy and mean-square-residues to make the rotation function more robust and independent of a specific set of weights for scoring and ranking. The previously described new rotation function calculates the rotation function of molecular replacement by matching the search model directly with the Patterson vector map. The signal-to-noise ratio for the correct match was increased by averaging all the matching peaks. Several matching scores were employed to evaluate the goodness of matching. These matching scores were then combined into a single total score by optimizing a set of weights using the linear regression method. It was found that there exists an optimal set of weights that can be applied to the global rotation search and the correct solution can be ranked in the top 100 or less. However, this set of optimal weights in general is dependent on the search models and the crystal structures with different space groups and cell parameters. In this work, we try to solve this problem by designing a dynamic correlation coefficient. It is shown that the dynamic correlation coefficient works for a variety of space groups and cell parameters in the global search of rotation function. We also introduce two new matching scores: relative entropy and mean-square-residues. Last but not least, we discussed a valid method for the optimization of the adjustable parameters for matching vectors. (condensed matter: structure, thermal and mechanical properties)

ORACLE: an adjusted cross-section and covariance library for fast-reactor analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yeivin, Y.; Marable, J.H.; Weisbin, C.R.; Wagschal, J.J.

1980-01-01

Benchmark integral-experiment values from six fast critical-reactor assemblies and two standard neutron fields are combined with corresponding calculations using group cross sections based on ENDF/B-V in a least-squares data adjustment using evaluated covariances from ENDF/B-V and supporting covariance evaluations. Purpose is to produce an adjusted cross-section and covariance library which is based on well-documented data and methods and which is suitable for fast-reactor design. By use of such a library, data- and methods-related biases of calculated performance parameters should be reduced and uncertainties of the calculated values minimized. Consistency of the extensive data base is analyzed using the chi-square test. This adjusted library ORACLE will be available shortly

Benchmarking antibiotic use in Finnish acute care hospitals using patient case-mix adjustment.

Science.gov (United States)

Kanerva, Mari; Ollgren, Jukka; Lyytikäinen, Outi

2011-11-01

It is difficult to draw conclusions about the prudence of antibiotic use in different hospitals by directly comparing usage figures. We present a patient case-mix adjustment model of antibiotic use to rank hospitals while taking patient characteristics into account. Data on antibiotic use were collected during the national healthcare-associated infection (HAI) prevalence survey in 2005 in Finland in all 5 tertiary care, all 15 secondary care and 10 (25% of 40) other acute care hospitals. The use of antibiotics was measured using use-days/100 patient-days during a 7day period and the prevalence of patients receiving at least two antimicrobials during the study day. Case-mix-adjusted antibiotic use was calculated by using multivariate models and an indirect standardization method. Parameters in the model included age, sex, severity of underlying diseases, intensive care, haematology, preceding surgery, respirator, central venous and urinary catheters, community-associated infection, HAI and contact isolation due to methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. The ranking order changed one position in 12 (40%) hospitals and more than two positions in 13 (43%) hospitals when the case-mix-adjusted figures were compared with those observed. In 24 hospitals (80%), the antibiotic use density observed was lower than expected by the case-mix-adjusted use density. The patient case-mix adjustment of antibiotic use ranked the hospitals differently from the ranking according to observed use, and may be a useful tool for benchmarking hospital antibiotic use. However, the best set of easily and widely available parameters that would describe both patient material and hospital activities remains to be determined.

Partition function as a Laplace transform of a positive measure in the strength parameter

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bessis, D.

1980-01-01

We shall consider the partition function Z(lambda), of an N-body system whose Hamiltonian reads: H = H/sub O/ + lambdaH/sub I/. H/sub O/ is an exactly solvable Hamiltonian, one for which, for example all thermodynamical quantities can be calculated. H/sub I/ is the perturbation. We are interested in the analytic properties in the strength parameter lambda of the partition function Z(lambda) = Tr e/sup -ν[H 0 + lambdaH/sub I/]/ where for convenience the volume V and inverse temperature ν dependence has been suppressed on the left hand side. The representation for Z(lambda) is given and discussed, and applications are described

Development of the adjusted nuclear cross-section library based on JENDL-3.2 for large FBR

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yokoyama, Kenji; Ishikawa, Makoto; Numata, Kazuyuki

1999-04-01

JNC (and PNC) had developed the adjusted nuclear cross-section library in which the results of the JUPITER experiments were reflected. Using this adjusted library, the distinct improvement of the accuracy in nuclear design of FBR cores had been achieved. As a recent research, JNC develops a database of other integral data in addition to the JUPITER experiments, aiming at further improvement for accuracy and reliability. In 1991, the adjusted library based on JENDL-2, JFS-3-J2 (ADJ91R), was developed, and it has been used on the design research for FBR. As an evaluated nuclear library, however, JENDL-3.2 is recently used. Therefore, the authors developed an adjusted library based on JENDL-3.2 which is called JFS-3-J3.2(ADJ98). It is known that the adjusted library based on JENDL-2 overestimated the sodium void reactivity worth by 10-20%. It is expected that the adjusted library based on JENDL-3.2 solve the problem. The adjusted library JFS-3-J3.2(ADJ98) was produced with the same method as the adjusted library JFS-3-J2(ADJ91R) and used more integral parameters of JUPITER experiments than the adjusted library JFS-3-J2(ADJ91R). This report also describes the design accuracy estimation on a 600 MWe class FBR with the adjusted library JFS-3-J3.2(ADJ98). Its main nuclear design parameters (multiplication factor, burn-up reactivity loss, breeding ratio, etc.) except the sodium void reactivity worth which are calculated with the adjusted library JFS-3-J3.2(ADJ98) are almost the same as those predicted with JFS-3-J2(ADJ91R). As for the sodium void reactivity, the adjusted library JFS-3-J3.2(ADJ98) estimates about 4% smaller than the JFS-3-J2(ADJ91R) because of the change of the basic nuclear library from JENDL-2 to JENDL-3.2. (author)

NET SALARY ADJUSTMENT

CERN Multimedia

Finance Division

2001-01-01

On 15 June 2001 the Council approved the correction of the discrepancy identified in the net salary adjustment implemented on 1st January 2001 by retroactively increasing the scale of basic salaries to achieve the 2.8% average net salary adjustment approved in December 2000. We should like to inform you that the corresponding adjustment will be made to your July salary. Full details of the retroactive adjustments will consequently be shown on your pay slip.

Metric adjusted skew information

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hansen, Frank

2008-01-01

) that vanishes for observables commuting with the state. We show that the skew information is a convex function on the manifold of states. It also satisfies other requirements, proposed by Wigner and Yanase, for an effective measure-of-information content of a state relative to a conserved observable. We...... establish a connection between the geometrical formulation of quantum statistics as proposed by Chentsov and Morozova and measures of quantum information as introduced by Wigner and Yanase and extended in this article. We show that the set of normalized Morozova-Chentsov functions describing the possible......We extend the concept of Wigner-Yanase-Dyson skew information to something we call "metric adjusted skew information" (of a state with respect to a conserved observable). This "skew information" is intended to be a non-negative quantity bounded by the variance (of an observable in a state...

Which functional parameters can help differentiate severe asthma from COPD?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ricardo Marques Dias

2010-03-01

Full Text Available The aim of this study was to identify the respiratory function parameters that help in the accurate diagnosis of asthma and COPD. We studied 20 asthma and 30 COPD patients who underwent lung function tests including spirometry and plethysmography both with bronchodilator test and diffusion with carbon monoxide (DLCO. The tests were performed according to International Guidelines (ATS/ERS. The asthma patients were younger (mean age = 48 than those in the COPD group (mean age = 59 and this group also had more female patients (65% than the COPD group (40%. The results showed a more severe obstruction in the asthma group: FEV1/FVC = 59% versus 66% for COPD. There was also a greater bronchodilator response as shown by changes in absolute and percentage values for FEV1 in the asthma group. Average DLCO values were normal in the asthma group (103%P and lower in the COPD (69%. In plethysmography the asthma group had a higher residual volume (%P and a higher airway resistance. We concluded that many functional parameters were useful in distinguishing the asthma and COPD groups. In individual analysis, DLCO was the parameter which best aided in an accurate diagnosis in both groups, with a higher specificity for COPD. The bronchodilator response measured by changes in FEV1 showed a higher sensitivity for asthma. Thus, these two tests are highlighted in the differential diagnosis of obstructive diseases. Resumo: Com o objectivo de identificar parâmetros funcionais respiratórios que contribuam para o diagnóstico diferencial entre asma e DPOC, estudámos 20 asmáticos e 30 bronquíticos, com ou sem enfisema, com os exames usuais de função pulmonar: espirografia, pletismografia e DLCO, pré e pós-broncodilatação para os dois primeiros exames. Os grupos apresentam diferenças significativas na sua constituição. Os asmáticos são mais jovens, média de 48 anos, contra 59 anos no grupo com DPOC, e o

MPC for LPV Systems Based on Parameter-Dependent Lyapunov Function with Perturbation on Control Input Strategy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pornchai Bumroongsri

2012-04-01

Full Text Available In this paper, the model predictive control (MPC algorithm for linear parameter varying (LPV systems is proposed. The proposed algorithm consists of two steps. The first step is derived by using parameter-dependent Lyapunov function and the second step is derived by using the perturbation on control input strategy. In order to achieve good control performance, the bounds on the rate of variation of the parameters are taken into account in the controller synthesis. An overall algorithm is proved to guarantee robust stability. The controller design is illustrated with two case studies of continuous stirred-tank reactors. Comparisons with other MPC algorithms for LPV systems have been undertaken. The results show that the proposed algorithm can achieve better control performance.

A New Fuzzy Harmony Search Algorithm Using Fuzzy Logic for Dynamic Parameter Adaptation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cinthia Peraza

2016-10-01

Full Text Available In this paper, a new fuzzy harmony search algorithm (FHS for solving optimization problems is presented. FHS is based on a recent method using fuzzy logic for dynamic adaptation of the harmony memory accepting (HMR and pitch adjustment (PArate parameters that improve the convergence rate of traditional harmony search algorithm (HS. The objective of the method is to dynamically adjust the parameters in the range from 0.7 to 1. The impact of using fixed parameters in the harmony search algorithm is discussed and a strategy for efficiently tuning these parameters using fuzzy logic is presented. The FHS algorithm was successfully applied to different benchmarking optimization problems. The results of simulation and comparison studies demonstrate the effectiveness and efficiency of the proposed approach.

Evaluation of single-stage adjustable strabismus surgery under conscious sedation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sharma Pradeep

2009-01-01

Full Text Available Purpose: To evaluate the feasibility and stability of ocular alignment after single-stage adjustable strabismus surgery (SSASS performed under topical anesthesia. Materials and Methods: Forty-five patients of concomitant exodeviations were randomized into three groups of 15 cases each and were operated with three different techniques: Group I - conventional surgery, Group II - two-stage adjustable suture technique with suture adjustment performed 6h postoperatively and Group III- SSASS under topical anesthesia and intravenous conscious sedation with midazolam and fentanyl. Intraoperative suture adjustment was done by giving a cross target to the patient on the ceiling at the end of the procedure. Surgical results were compared among the three groups at three months follow-up. Intraoperative hemodynamic parameters and patients′ experience of the surgery (by questionnaire were also compared. Results: Mean preoperative deviation for distance in Groups I, II, III was -41.67 prism diopter (pd ±9.0, -38.93 pd ±11.05 and -41.87 pd ±8.91 ( P =0.6 respectively. At three months, mean correction achieved for distance was +31.87 pd ±11.71, +35.47 pd ±10.86 and +42.80 pd ±10.71 respectively which was significantly different between Group III and Group I ( P =0.03. Intraoperatively all hemodynamic parameters remained stable and comparable ( P =0. 5 in all groups. Intraoperative pain ( P < 0.001 and time taken for surgery ( P < 0.001 was more in the SSASS group. Amount of exodrift was 10-12 pd, comparable in all three groups ( P = 0.5. Conclusions: SSASS, performed under topical anesthesia, is safe and has better outcomes than conventional recession-resection surgery for concomitant exodeviation. An overcorrection of about 10-12 pd is recommended to check the exodrift and achieve stable alignment.

Study of EBSD Experiment Parameters Influence on Computation of Polycrystalline Pole Figures and Orientation Distribution Function

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Antonova Anastasia O.

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Mathematical model for a polycrystalline specimen and EBSD experiment is proposed. As the measurement parameters, the scanning step and the threshold disorientation angle are considered. To study the impact of the measurement parameters Pole Figures and Orientation Distribution Function of model specimen and corresponding ones, calculated from model EBSD measurements, are compared. The real EBSD experiment was also performed. The results of the model experiment are correlated with such detected in the real EBSD data. The most significant results are formulated in the given work.

A study of school adjustment, self-concept, self-esteem, general wellbeing and parent child relationship in Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis.

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Yadav, Anita; Yadav, T P

2013-03-01

To assess school adjustment, self-concept, self-esteem, general wellbeing and parent-child relationship in children with Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA)and to study the correlation of these parameters with chronicity of disease, number of active joints, laboratory parameters of disease activity and JIA subtypes. A total of 64 children (32 cases and 32 controls) were recruited for analysis. Self report questionnaires which included PGI General Wellbeing Measure, Adjustment Inventory for School Students, Parent Child Relationship Scale, Self Esteem Inventory and Self Concept Questionnaires were used to assess all the enrolled subjects. Cases had significantly lower general physical well being (p self-esteem, self-concept, adjustment in school, general wellbeing and evokes disturbed parent-child relationship.

Prediction of the time course of callus stiffness as a function of mechanical parameters in experimental rat fracture healing studies--a numerical study.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tim Wehner

Full Text Available Numerous experimental fracture healing studies are performed on rats, in which different experimental, mechanical parameters are applied, thereby prohibiting direct comparison between each other. Numerical fracture healing simulation models are able to predict courses of fracture healing and offer support for pre-planning animal experiments and for post-hoc comparison between outcomes of different in vivo studies. The aims of this study are to adapt a pre-existing fracture healing simulation algorithm for sheep and humans to the rat, to corroborate it using the data of numerous different rat experiments, and to provide healing predictions for future rat experiments. First, material properties of different tissue types involved were adjusted by comparing experimentally measured callus stiffness to respective simulated values obtained in three finite element (FE models. This yielded values for Young's moduli of cortical bone, woven bone, cartilage, and connective tissue of 15,750 MPa, 1,000 MPa, 5 MPa, and 1 MPa, respectively. Next, thresholds in the underlying mechanoregulatory tissue differentiation rules were calibrated by modifying model parameters so that predicted fracture callus stiffness matched experimental data from a study that used rigid and flexible fixators. This resulted in strain thresholds at higher magnitudes than in models for sheep and humans. The resulting numerical model was then used to simulate numerous fracture healing scenarios from literature, showing a considerable mismatch in only 6 of 21 cases. Based on this corroborated model, a fit curve function was derived which predicts the increase of callus stiffness dependent on bodyweight, fixation stiffness, and fracture gap size. By mathematically predicting the time course of the healing process prior to the animal studies, the data presented in this work provides support for planning new fracture healing experiments in rats. Furthermore, it allows one to transfer and

Perceptions of Personal and Familial Adjustment by Children from Intact, Single-Parent, and Reconstituted Families.

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Nunn, Gerald D.; And Others

1983-01-01

Investigated children's (N=566) personal and familial adjustment as a function of familial configuration and gender. The results revealed less positive adjustment among children from divorced families. Males appeared to be favorably affected within the single-parent configuration, while females were more favorably adjusted within the reconstituted…

Inadmissibility of Usual and Mixed Estimators of Two Ordered Gamma Scale Parameters Under Reflected Gamma Loss Function

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Z. Meghnatisi

2009-06-01

Full Text Available Let Xi1, · · · , Xini be a random sample from a gamma distribution with known shape parameter νi > 0 and unknown scale parameter βi > 0, i = 1, 2, satisfying 0 < β1 6 β2. We consider the class of mixed estimators for estimation of β1 and β2 under reflected gamma loss function. It has been shown that the minimum risk equivariant estimator of βi, i = 1, 2, which is admissible when no information on the ordering of parameters are given, is inadmissible and dominated by a class of mixed estimators when it is known that the parameters are ordered. Also, the inadmissible estimators in the class of mixed estimators are derived. Finally the results are extended to some subclass of exponential family

Vocal parameters and voice-related quality of life in adult women with and without ovarian function.

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Ferraz, Pablo Rodrigo Rocha; Bertoldo, Simão Veras; Costa, Luanne Gabrielle Morais; Serra, Emmeliny Cristini Nogueira; Silva, Eduardo Magalhães; Brito, Luciane Maria Oliveira; Chein, Maria Bethânia da Costa

2013-05-01

To identify the perceptual and acoustic parameters of voice in adult women with and without ovarian function and its impact on quality of life related to voice. Cross-sectional and analytical study with 106 women divided into, two groups: G1, with ovarian function (n=43) and G2, without physiological ovarian function (n=63). The women were instructed to sustain the vowel "a" and the sounds of /s/ and /z/ in habitual pitch and loudness. They were also asked to classify their voices and answer the voice-related quality of life (V-RQOL) questionnaire. The perceptual analysis of the vocal samples was performed by three speech-language pathologists using the GRBASI (G: grade; R: roughness; B: breathness; A: asthenia; S: strain; I: instability) scale. The acoustic analysis was carried out with the software VoxMetria 2.7h (CTS Informatica). The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. In the perceptual analysis, both groups showed a mild deviation for the parameters roughness, strain, and instability, but only G2 showed a mild impact for the overall degree of dysphonia. The mean of fundamental frequency was significantly lower for the G2, with a difference of 17.41Hz between the two groups. There was no impact on V-RQOL in any of the V-RQOL domains for this group. With the menopause, there is a change in women's voices, impacting on some voice parameters. However, there is no direct impact on their quality of life related to voice. Copyright © 2013 The Voice Foundation. Published by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

BASACF, Integral Neutron Spectra Adjustment and Dosimetry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tichy, Milos

1996-01-01

1 - Description of program or function: Adjustment of a neutron spectrum based on integral detector measurements and calculation of an integral dosimetric quantity (integral flux, d.p.a., dose equivalent) and its variance. The program requires measured data (activities and their covariance matrix) and a priori information (spectrum, dosimetry cross sections, integral quantity conversion factor and their covariance matrices). All a priori covariance matrices can be read in from a file prepared by some other code or can be generated by means of three different methods (by subroutines included in the program). A subroutine which can normalize the a priori flux to measured data is also included. The program provides also adjusted dosimetry cross sections (with covariance matrix) so that it can be used for an adjustment of cross sections (or response functions of e.g. Bonner balls) by measurements in well-known neutron spectra. 2 - Method of solution: Bayesian theorem on conditional probability applied to linearized relation between activities, dosimetry cross sections and flux. All probability distributions are supposed to be normal and this supposition leads to minimizing of the same functional as least squares method (STAY'SL). This task is solved by a covariance filter method which avoids any matrix inversion and is numerically robust and stable. 3 - Restrictions on the complexity of the problem: This version can use 45 energy groups and 5 detectors and occupies 310 kB of main memory. This restriction can be modified according to available memory. The covariance matrix of activities is supposed diagonal. A solution is produced for any set of input data but in the case of non-consistent data, when measured activities do not match the a priori flux, the solution is not very meaningful

Adjustment of nursing home quality indicators

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Hirdes John P

2010-04-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background This manuscript describes a method for adjustment of nursing home quality indicators (QIs defined using the Center for Medicaid & Medicare Services (CMS nursing home resident assessment system, the Minimum Data Set (MDS. QIs are intended to characterize quality of care delivered in a facility. Threats to the validity of the measurement of presumed quality of care include baseline resident health and functional status, pattern of comorbidities, and facility case mix. The goal of obtaining a valid facility-level estimate of true quality of care should include adjustment for resident- and facility-level sources of variability. Methods We present a practical and efficient method to achieve risk adjustment using restriction and indirect and direct standardization. We present information on validity by comparing QIs estimated with the new algorithm to one currently used by CMS. Results More than half of the new QIs achieved a "Moderate" validation level. Conclusions Given the comprehensive approach and the positive findings to date, research using the new quality indicators is warranted to provide further evidence of their validity and utility and to encourage their use in quality improvement activities.

Predictive value of different conventional and non-conventional MRI-parameters for specific domains of cognitive function in multiple sclerosis.

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Pinter, Daniela; Khalil, Michael; Pichler, Alexander; Langkammer, Christian; Ropele, Stefan; Marschik, Peter B; Fuchs, Siegrid; Fazekas, Franz; Enzinger, Christian

2015-01-01

While many studies correlated cognitive function with changes in brain morphology in multiple sclerosis (MS), few of them used a multi-parametric approach in a single dataset so far. We thus here assessed the predictive value of different conventional and quantitative MRI-parameters both for overall and domain-specific cognitive performance in MS patients from a single center. 69 patients (17 clinically isolated syndrome, 47 relapsing-remitting MS, 5 secondary-progressive MS) underwent the "Brief Repeatable Battery of Neuropsychological Tests" assessing overall cognition, cognitive efficiency and memory function as well as MRI at 3 Tesla to obtain T2-lesion load (T2-LL), normalized brain volume (global brain volume loss), normalized cortical volume (NCV), normalized thalamic volume (NTV), normalized hippocampal volume (NHV), normalized caudate nuclei volume (NCNV), basal ganglia R2* values (iron deposition) and magnetization transfer ratios (MTRs) for cortex and normal appearing brain tissue (NABT). Regression models including clinical, demographic variables and MRI-parameters explained 22-27% of variance of overall cognition, 17-26% of cognitive efficiency and 22-23% of memory. NCV, T2-LL and MTR of NABT were the strongest predictors of overall cognitive function. Cognitive efficiency was best predicted by NCV, T2-LL and iron deposition in the basal ganglia. NTV was the strongest predictor for memory function and NHV was particularly related to memory function. The predictive value of distinct MRI-parameters differs for specific domains of cognitive function, with a greater impact of cortical volume, focal and diffuse white matter abnormalities on overall cognitive function, an additional role of basal ganglia iron deposition on cognitive efficiency, and thalamic and hippocampal volume on memory function. This suggests the usefulness of using multiparametric MRI to assess (micro)structural correlates of different cognitive constructs.

Preliminary assessment of adjuster system performance in CANDU-6 RUFIC core

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Soon Young; Suk, Ho Chun

2002-07-01

Four operational transients in CANDU-6 RUFIC core have been simulated to assess the adjuster system performance. These transients included startup after a short shutdown, startup after a poison-out shutdown, shim mode operation, and a stepback to 60% full power. Also, an alternative adjuster-banking scheme has been assessed in this report. The alternative adjuster-banking scheme involves rods in Bank 1 and Bank 7 being re-distributed within the two banks. In the alternative adjuster-banking scheme, Bank 1 becomes the heaviest one. The results of the preliminary assessment indicated that the adjuster system as currently designed and installed in the NU core will adequately meet the functional requirements in the RUFIC core. Comparing to the adjuster system performance in the NU core, the total worth of the adjuster in the RUFIC core is reduced, leading to less xenon override capability and shimming capability. However, the overall performance is expected to still be satisfactory. The overall results from the transient studied indicated that the alternative banking scheme does show some better performance characteristics and merits further detailed studies

Resting metabolic rate, pulmonary functions, and body composition parameters in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

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Alpaslan, Ahmet Hamdi; Ucok, Kagan; Coşkun, Kerem Şenol; Genc, Abdurrahman; Karabacak, Hatice; Guzel, Halil Ibrahim

2017-03-01

Several studies of school-aged children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have found a higher prevalence of overweight/obesity compared with the general population. However, the scientific literature contains insufficient evidence to establish clear conclusions on pulmonary functions, resting metabolic rate (RMR), and body composition in children with ADHD. This study therefore investigates the pulmonary functions tests (PFTs), RMR, and body composition parameters in children with ADHD and evaluates their quality of life. Forty children with ADHD and 40 healthy controls participated in the study. The children's parents completed Conners' parent rating scale (CPRS) and the pediatric quality of life (PedsQL), and their teachers completed Conners' Teacher rating scale (CTRS). The child participants also completed the PedsQL. RMR, PFTs, and body composition parameters were investigated. No significant differences in age, gender, and socioeconomic level were found. All CPRS subscales, except anxiety and psychosomatic conditions, were significantly different (p ADHD group. The results showed that the ADHD group's quality of life is worse than the control group. Body mass index, body composition parameters, RMR, and PFTs were not statistically different between the children with ADHD and the healthy controls. Further studies with complex designs are needed to confirm the results.

Metabolic syndrome parameters in adolescents may be determinants for the future periodontal diseases.

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Lee, Kyeong-Soo; Lee, Sang Gyu; Kim, Eun-Kyong; Jin, Hye-Jung; Im, Sang-Uk; Lee, Hee-Kyung; Merchant, Anwar T; Song, Keun-Bae; Choi, Youn-Hee

2015-02-01

The prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MetS) increases even in adolescents. The evidence that MetS is associated with the periodontal diseases in adolescents has been understudied. Therefore, our aim was to assess the association between MetS parameters and gingivitis in adolescents. A total of 941 participants (590 boys, 351 girls), aged 12-18 years was selected from the Fourth Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, a cross-sectional and nationally representative survey, which had had information on waist circumference, blood pressure, serum triglyceride, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, and the fasting blood sugar and community periodontal Index (CPI). The number of positive parameters of MetS showed significant positive correlation with gingivitis; adjusted and crude ORs with one positive parameters of MetS were 1.92 (95% CI: 1.21-3.04) and 1.88(95% CI: 1.28-2.76), respectively. And adjusted OR with three or more positive parameters of MetS was 3.29 (95% CI: 1.24-8.71). Among five parameters of MetS, Low HDL-cholesterol showed significant association with gingivitis (crude OR 2.12, 95% CI 1.20-3.73; adjusted OR 1.96, 95% CI 1.24-3.12). Having more positive parameters of MetS and low HDL-cholesterol parameter had an independent relationship with the prevalence of gingivitis, which may be determinants for the future periodontal diseases even in adolescents. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Econometric estimation of investment utilization, adjustment costs, and technical efficiency in Danish pig farms using hyperbolic distance functions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Henningsen, Arne; Fabricius, Ole; Olsen, Jakob Vesterlund

2014-01-01

Based on a theoretical microeconomic model, we econometrically estimate investment utilization, adjustment costs, and technical efficiency in Danish pig farms based on a large unbalanced panel dataset. As our theoretical model indicates that adjustment costs are caused both by increased inputs...... of investment activities by the maximum likelihood method so that we can estimate the adjustment costs that occur in the year of the investment and the three following years. Our results show that investments are associated with significant adjustment costs, especially in the year in which the investment...

Biological data assimilation for parameter estimation of a phytoplankton functional type model for the western North Pacific

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Hoshiba, Yasuhiro; Hirata, Takafumi; Shigemitsu, Masahito; Nakano, Hideyuki; Hashioka, Taketo; Masuda, Yoshio; Yamanaka, Yasuhiro

2018-06-01

Ecosystem models are used to understand ecosystem dynamics and ocean biogeochemical cycles and require optimum physiological parameters to best represent biological behaviours. These physiological parameters are often tuned up empirically, while ecosystem models have evolved to increase the number of physiological parameters. We developed a three-dimensional (3-D) lower-trophic-level marine ecosystem model known as the Nitrogen, Silicon and Iron regulated Marine Ecosystem Model (NSI-MEM) and employed biological data assimilation using a micro-genetic algorithm to estimate 23 physiological parameters for two phytoplankton functional types in the western North Pacific. The estimation of the parameters was based on a one-dimensional simulation that referenced satellite data for constraining the physiological parameters. The 3-D NSI-MEM optimized by the data assimilation improved the timing of a modelled plankton bloom in the subarctic and subtropical regions compared to the model without data assimilation. Furthermore, the model was able to improve not only surface concentrations of phytoplankton but also their subsurface maximum concentrations. Our results showed that surface data assimilation of physiological parameters from two contrasting observatory stations benefits the representation of vertical plankton distribution in the western North Pacific.

Mexican-origin parents' work conditions and adolescents' adjustment.

Science.gov (United States)

Wheeler, Lorey A; Updegraff, Kimberly A; Crouter, Ann

2015-06-01

Mexican-origin parents' work experiences are a distal extrafamilial context for adolescents' adjustment. This 2-wave multiinformant study examined the prospective mechanisms linking parents' work conditions (i.e., self-direction, work pressure, workplace discrimination) to adolescents' adjustment (i.e., educational expectations, depressive symptoms, risky behavior) across the transition to high school drawing on work socialization and spillover models. We examined the indirect effects of parental work conditions on adolescent adjustment through parents' psychological functioning (i.e., depressive symptoms, role overload) and aspects of the parent-adolescent relationship (i.e., parental solicitation, parent-adolescent conflict), as well as moderation by adolescent gender. Participants were 246 predominantly immigrant, Mexican-origin, 2-parent families who participated in home interviews when adolescents were approximately 13 and 15 years of age. Results supported the positive impact of fathers' occupational self-direction on all 3 aspects of adolescents' adjustment through decreased father-adolescent conflict, after controlling for family socioeconomic status and earner status, and underemployment. Parental work pressure and discrimination were indirectly linked to adolescents' adjustment, with different mechanisms emerging for mothers and fathers. Adolescents' gender moderated the associations between fathers' self-direction and girls' depressive symptoms, and fathers' experiences of discrimination and boys' risk behavior. Results suggest that Mexican-origin mothers' and fathers' perceptions of work conditions have important implications for multiple domains of adolescents' adjustment across the transition to high school. (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).

Least Squares Adjustment: Linear and Nonlinear Weighted Regression Analysis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, Allan Aasbjerg

2007-01-01

This note primarily describes the mathematics of least squares regression analysis as it is often used in geodesy including land surveying and satellite positioning applications. In these fields regression is often termed adjustment. The note also contains a couple of typical land surveying...... and satellite positioning application examples. In these application areas we are typically interested in the parameters in the model typically 2- or 3-D positions and not in predictive modelling which is often the main concern in other regression analysis applications. Adjustment is often used to obtain...... the clock error) and to obtain estimates of the uncertainty with which the position is determined. Regression analysis is used in many other fields of application both in the natural, the technical and the social sciences. Examples may be curve fitting, calibration, establishing relationships between...

Kidney Disease Measures and Left Ventricular Structure and Function: The Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Matsushita, Kunihiro; Kwak, Lucia; Sang, Yingying; Ballew, Shoshana H; Skali, Hicham; Shah, Amil M; Coresh, Josef; Solomon, Scott

2017-09-22

Heart failure is one of the most important complications of chronic kidney disease (CKD). However, few studies comprehensively investigated left ventricular (LV) structure and function in relation to 2 key CKD measures, estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and urine albumin/creatinine ratio (ACR). Among 4175 ARIC (Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities) participants (aged 66-90 years during 2011-2013), we quantified the association of eGFR and ACR with echocardiogram parameters of LV mass, size, systolic function, and diastolic function. Adjusting for demographic variables, both CKD measures were significantly associated with most echocardiogram parameters. Additionally accounting for other potential confounders, we observed significantly higher LV mass index according to reduced eGFR (82.3 [95% confidence interval (CI), 77.6-87.0] g/m 2 for eGFR function, significant differences were observed for some parameters, particularly at eGFR function were robustly associated with albuminuria. These results have implications for pathophysiological processes behind cardiorenal syndrome and targeted cardiac assessment in patients with CKD. © 2017 The Authors. Published on behalf of the American Heart Association, Inc., by Wiley.

Reflector modelization for neutronic diffusion and parameters identification

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Argaud, J.P.

1993-04-01

Physical parameters of neutronic diffusion equations can be adjusted to decrease calculations-measurements errors. The reflector being always difficult to modelize, we choose to elaborate a new reflector model and to use the parameters of this model as adjustment coefficients in the identification procedure. Using theoretical results, and also the physical behaviour of neutronic flux solutions, the reflector model consists then in its replacement by boundary conditions for the diffusion equations on the core only. This theoretical result of non-local operator relations leads then to some discrete approximations by taking into account the multiscaled behaviour, on the core-reflector interface, of neutronic diffusion solutions. The resulting model of this approach is then compared with previous reflector modelizations, and first results indicate that this new model gives the same representation of reflector for the core than previous. (author). 12 refs

The Impact of Endurance Training on Functional Parameters During the Preparation Phase among Cross-Country Skiers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Žiška Peter

2016-05-01

Full Text Available In the study, we have tried to demonstrate the effect of endurance training on changes in functional parameters during the preparation phase (12-week mesocycle among cross-country skiers. The group consisted of 10 male cross-country skiers (age: 21.4 ±5 year who completed control (1st 6 week mesocycle and experimental period (2nd 6 week mesocycle.We focused on the following time-varying parameters: changes in maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max, the level of aerobic (AeT and anaerobic thresholds (AT, maximum heart rate (HRmax and performance on the running treadmill. The intra-individual monitoring of each athlete revealed statistical significance of VO2max (mid_VO2max = 69.48 ± 5.72 l.kg-1.min-1, post_ VO2max = 70.96 ± 5.67 ml.kg-1.min-1; p≤0.05 and the level of AT (mid_AT = 86.2 ± 5.43 %, post_AT = 87.8 ± 5.59 %; p≤0.01 the performance on the running treadmill (mid_t = 14:54 ± 1:43 min., post_t = 15:30 ± 1:50 min.; p≤0.05.The significant changes were recorded in the AeT(pre_AeT = 70.3 ± 7.56 %, mid_AeT = 72.5 ± 7.59 %; p≤0.05 in theHRmax(pre_HRmax = 190 ± 8.04 bpm, mid_HRmax = 189 bpm, post_HRmax = 188 ± 7.34 bpm; p = n.s. during control period. We assume that the significant differences occurred as a result of adaptation changes due to training stimuli, which were induced by changes in functional parameters. Increased training volume in zone lower level of oxygen regime (A1, upper level of oxygen regime (A2 and upper level of lactate tolerance(T2 during experimental period elicited changes which reflected the increase functional parameters and performance on the running treadmill compared to that of control period.

Effect of Recumbent Body Positions on Dynamic Lung Function Parameters in Healthy Young Subjects.

Science.gov (United States)

Pal, Arvind Kumar; Tiwari, Sunita; Verma, Dileep Kumar

2017-05-01

The change in body position can alter pulmonary functions parameters, therefore it is important to understand the physiological basis of these alteration. Ideally, spirometry is done in sitting position until the subject is unable to do so. Hospitalized patients often assume recumbent body positions irrespective of underlying pathology. Hence, need arises to find out best recumbent body positions for the benefit of these patients to make breathing comfortable for them. The aim of this study was to find out whether the change from the supine position to crook lying and Fowler's position (45° dorsal elevation) causes change in spirometric parameters. The present work was carried out at Department of Physiology, King George's Medical University, Lucknow. A total 131 apparently healthy individuals were enrolled in this cross-sectional study. Lung function was assessed using a PC-based spirometer according to American Thoracic Society guideline in the supine, crook lying and Fowler's position (45° dorsal elevation). The study consisted of 131 subjects (male 66%, female 34%), with mean age of 20.15±2.71 years and BMI 21.20±3.28 Kg/m 2 . Repeated measures ANOVA with post hoc Bonferroni test was used to compare the mean values between each body position. Compared with the other two positions, Fowler's position showed significantly (p<0.05) higher values for FVC, FEV 1 , PEF, FEF 25-75% . Recumbent body position influences spirometric parameters in young healthy subjects. We demonstrated that spirometric values are higher in the Fowler's position than in the supine or crook lying position. The results of this study will help in the selection of the best alternative position for the spirometry in bed ridden patients.

Assessment of Characteristic Function Modulus of Vibroacoustic Signal Given a Limit State Parameter of Diagnosed Equipment

Science.gov (United States)

Kostyukov, V. N.; Naumenko, A. P.; Kudryavtseva, I. S.

2018-01-01

Improvement of distinguishing criteria, determining defects of machinery and mechanisms, by vibroacoustic signals is a recent problem for technical diagnostics. The work objective is assessment of instantaneous values by methods of statistical decision making theory and risk of regulatory values of characteristic function modulus. The modulus of the characteristic function is determined given a fixed parameter of the characteristic function. It is possible to determine the limits of the modulus, which correspond to different machine’s condition. The data of the modulus values are used as diagnostic features in the vibration diagnostics and monitoring systems. Using such static decision-making methods as: minimum number of wrong decisions, maximum likelihood, minimax, Neumann-Pearson characteristic function modulus limits are determined, separating conditions of a diagnosed object.

Relationship between muscle strength parameters and functional capacity in persons with mild to moderate degree multiple sclerosis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kjølhede, Tue; Vissing, Kristian; Langeskov-Christensen, Daniel

2015-01-01

BACKGROUND: Maximal muscle strength has been shown to be an important predictor of functional capacity for persons with multiple sclerosis (PwMS). Another muscle strength parameter known to be important for functional capacity in other patient groups is rate of force development (RFD) in knee...... is the better predictor of walking performance in persons with mild to moderate multiple sclerosis. RFD, although also important for functional capacity, is a less strong predictor. Maximal strength of the knee extensors, rather than the knee flexors, predicted performance in the stairclimb and 5STS tests....

Polyoxylglycerides and glycerides: effects of manufacturing parameters on API stability, excipient functionality and processing.

Science.gov (United States)

Jannin, Vincent; Rodier, Jean-David; Musakhanian, Jasmine

2014-05-15

Lipid-based formulations are a viable option to address modern drug delivery challenges such as increasing the oral bioavailability of poorly water-soluble active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), or sustaining the drug release of molecules intended for chronic diseases. Esters of fatty acids and glycerol (glycerides) and polyethylene-glycols (polyoxylglycerides) are two main classes of lipid-based excipients used by oral, dermal, rectal, vaginal or parenteral routes. These lipid-based materials are more and more commonly used in pharmaceutical drug products but there is still a lack of understanding of how the manufacturing processes, processing aids, or additives can impact the chemical stability of APIs within the drug product. In that regard, this review summarizes the key parameters to look at when formulating with lipid-based excipients in order to anticipate a possible impact on drug stability or variation of excipient functionality. The introduction presents the chemistry of natural lipids, fatty acids and their properties in relation to the extraction and refinement processes. Then, the key parameters during the manufacturing process influencing the quality of lipid-based excipients are provided. Finally, their critical characteristics are discussed in relation with their intended functionality and ability to interact with APIs and others excipients within the formulation. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Data registration without explicit correspondence for adjustment of camera orientation parameter estimation

Science.gov (United States)

Barsai, Gabor

Creating accurate, current digital maps and 3-D scenes is a high priority in today's fast changing environment. The nation's maps are in a constant state of revision, with many alterations or new additions each day. Digital maps have become quite common. Google maps, Mapquest and others are examples. These also have 3-D viewing capability. Many details are now included, such as the height of low bridges, in the attribute data for the objects displayed on digital maps and scenes. To expedite the updating of these datasets, they should be created autonomously, without human intervention, from data streams. Though systems exist that attain fast, or even real-time performance mapping and reconstruction, they are typically restricted to creating sketches from the data stream, and not accurate maps or scenes. The ever increasing amount of image data available from private companies, governments and the internet, suggest the development of an automated system is of utmost importance. The proposed framework can create 3-D views autonomously; which extends the functionality of digital mapping. The first step to creating 3-D views is to reconstruct the scene of the area to be mapped. To reconstruct a scene from heterogeneous sources, the data has to be registered: either to each other or, preferably, to a general, absolute coordinate system. Registering an image is based on the reconstruction of the geometric relationship of the image to the coordinate system at the time of imaging. Registration is the process of determining the geometric transformation parameters of a dataset in one coordinate system, the source, with respect to the other coordinate system, the target. The advantages of fusing these datasets by registration manifests itself by the data contained in the complementary information that different modality datasets have. The complementary characteristics of these systems can be fully utilized only after successful registration of the photogrammetric and

Estimating the subjective value of future rewards: comparison of adjusting-amount and adjusting-delay procedures.

Science.gov (United States)

Holt, Daniel D; Green, Leonard; Myerson, Joel

2012-07-01

The present study examined whether equivalent discounting of delayed rewards is observed with different experimental procedures. If the underlying decision-making process is the same, then similar patterns of results should be observed regardless of procedure, and similar estimates of the subjective value of future rewards (i.e., indifference points) should be obtained. Two experiments compared discounting on three types of procedure: adjusting-delay (AD), adjusting-immediate-amount (AIA), and adjusting-delayed-amount (ADA). For the two procedures for which discounting functions can be established (i.e., AD and AIA), a hyperboloid provided good fits to the data at both the group and individual levels, and individuals' discounting on one procedure tended to be correlated with their discounting on the other. Notably, the AIA procedure produced the more consistent estimates of the degree of discounting, and in particular, discounting on the AIA procedure was unaffected by the order in which choices were presented. Regardless of which of the three procedures was used, however, similar patterns of results were obtained: Participants systematically discounted the value of delayed rewards, and robust magnitude effects were observed. Although each procedure may have its own advantages and disadvantages, use of all three types of procedure in the present study provided converging evidence for common decision-making processes underlying the discounting of delayed rewards. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Estimation of probability density functions of damage parameter for valve leakage detection in reciprocating pump used in nuclear power plants

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Jong Kyeom; Kim, Tae Yun; Kim, Hyun Su; Chai, Jang Bom; Lee, Jin Woo [Div. of Mechanical Engineering, Ajou University, Suwon (Korea, Republic of)

2016-10-15

This paper presents an advanced estimation method for obtaining the probability density functions of a damage parameter for valve leakage detection in a reciprocating pump. The estimation method is based on a comparison of model data which are simulated by using a mathematical model, and experimental data which are measured on the inside and outside of the reciprocating pump in operation. The mathematical model, which is simplified and extended on the basis of previous models, describes not only the normal state of the pump, but also its abnormal state caused by valve leakage. The pressure in the cylinder is expressed as a function of the crankshaft angle, and an additional volume flow rate due to the valve leakage is quantified by a damage parameter in the mathematical model. The change in the cylinder pressure profiles due to the suction valve leakage is noticeable in the compression and expansion modes of the pump. The damage parameter value over 300 cycles is calculated in two ways, considering advance or delay in the opening and closing angles of the discharge valves. The probability density functions of the damage parameter are compared for diagnosis and prognosis on the basis of the probabilistic features of valve leakage.

Estimation of probability density functions of damage parameter for valve leakage detection in reciprocating pump used in nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Jong Kyeom; Kim, Tae Yun; Kim, Hyun Su; Chai, Jang Bom; Lee, Jin Woo

2016-01-01

This paper presents an advanced estimation method for obtaining the probability density functions of a damage parameter for valve leakage detection in a reciprocating pump. The estimation method is based on a comparison of model data which are simulated by using a mathematical model, and experimental data which are measured on the inside and outside of the reciprocating pump in operation. The mathematical model, which is simplified and extended on the basis of previous models, describes not only the normal state of the pump, but also its abnormal state caused by valve leakage. The pressure in the cylinder is expressed as a function of the crankshaft angle, and an additional volume flow rate due to the valve leakage is quantified by a damage parameter in the mathematical model. The change in the cylinder pressure profiles due to the suction valve leakage is noticeable in the compression and expansion modes of the pump. The damage parameter value over 300 cycles is calculated in two ways, considering advance or delay in the opening and closing angles of the discharge valves. The probability density functions of the damage parameter are compared for diagnosis and prognosis on the basis of the probabilistic features of valve leakage

Estimation of Probability Density Functions of Damage Parameter for Valve Leakage Detection in Reciprocating Pump Used in Nuclear Power Plants

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jong Kyeom Lee

2016-10-01

Full Text Available This paper presents an advanced estimation method for obtaining the probability density functions of a damage parameter for valve leakage detection in a reciprocating pump. The estimation method is based on a comparison of model data which are simulated by using a mathematical model, and experimental data which are measured on the inside and outside of the reciprocating pump in operation. The mathematical model, which is simplified and extended on the basis of previous models, describes not only the normal state of the pump, but also its abnormal state caused by valve leakage. The pressure in the cylinder is expressed as a function of the crankshaft angle, and an additional volume flow rate due to the valve leakage is quantified by a damage parameter in the mathematical model. The change in the cylinder pressure profiles due to the suction valve leakage is noticeable in the compression and expansion modes of the pump. The damage parameter value over 300 cycles is calculated in two ways, considering advance or delay in the opening and closing angles of the discharge valves. The probability density functions of the damage parameter are compared for diagnosis and prognosis on the basis of the probabilistic features of valve leakage.

Multi Objective Optimization of Weld Parameters of Boiler Steel Using Fuzzy Based Desirability Function

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M. Satheesh

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The high pressure differential across the wall of pressure vessels is potentially dangerous and has caused many fatal accidents in the history of their development and operation. For this reason the structural integrity of weldments is critical to the performance of pressure vessels. In recent years much research has been conducted to the study of variations in welding parameters and consumables on the mechanical properties of pressure vessel steel weldments to optimize weld integrity and ensure pressure vessels are safe. The quality of weld is a very important working aspect for the manufacturing and construction industries. Because of high quality and reliability, Submerged Arc Welding (SAW is one of the chief metal joining processes employed in industry. This paper addresses the application of desirability function approach combined with fuzzy logic analysis to optimize the multiple quality characteristics (bead reinforcement, bead width, bead penetration and dilution of submerged arc welding process parameters of SA 516 Grade 70 steels(boiler steel. Experiments were conducted using Taguchi’s L27 orthogonal array with varying the weld parameters of welding current, arc voltage, welding speed and electrode stickout. By analyzing the response table and response graph of the fuzzy reasoning grade, optimal parameters were obtained. Solutions from this method can be useful for pressure vessel manufacturers and operators to search an optimal solution of welding condition.

Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Is Associated with the Morphologic and Functional Parameters in Patients with Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy

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Radek Pudil

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Background. Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM is mostly autosomal dominant disease of the myocardium, which is characterized by myocardial hypertrophy. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF is involved in myocyte function, growth, and survival. The aim of study was to analyze the clinical significance of VEGF in structural and functional changes in patient with HCM. Methods. In a group of 21 patients with nonobstructive HCM, we assessed serum VEGF and analyzed its association with morphological and functional parameters. Compared to healthy controls, serum VEGF was increased: 199 (IQR: 120.4–260.8 ng/L versus 20 (IQR: 14.8–37.7 ng/L, P<0.001. VEGF levels were associated with left atrium diameter (r=0.51, P=0.01, left ventricle ejection fraction (r=-0.56, P=0.01, fractional shortening (r=-0.54, P=0.02, left ventricular mass (r=0.61, P=0.03, LV mass index (r=0.46, P=0.04, vena cava inferior diameter (r=0.65, P=0.01, and peak gradient of tricuspid regurgitation (r=0.46, P=0.03. Conclusions. Increased VEGF level is associated with structural and functional parameters in patients with HCM and serves as a potential tool for diagnostic process of these patients.

Predictive value of different conventional and non-conventional MRI-parameters for specific domains of cognitive function in multiple sclerosis

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Daniela Pinter

2015-01-01

Conclusions: The predictive value of distinct MRI-parameters differs for specific domains of cognitive function, with a greater impact of cortical volume, focal and diffuse white matter abnormalities on overall cognitive function, an additional role of basal ganglia iron deposition on cognitive efficiency, and thalamic and hippocampal volume on memory function. This suggests the usefulness of using multiparametric MRI to assess (microstructural correlates of different cognitive constructs.

Multivariate spatial Gaussian mixture modeling for statistical clustering of hemodynamic parameters in functional MRI

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fouque, A.L.; Ciuciu, Ph.; Risser, L.; Fouque, A.L.; Ciuciu, Ph.; Risser, L.

2009-01-01

In this paper, a novel statistical parcellation of intra-subject functional MRI (fMRI) data is proposed. The key idea is to identify functionally homogenous regions of interest from their hemodynamic parameters. To this end, a non-parametric voxel-based estimation of hemodynamic response function is performed as a prerequisite. Then, the extracted hemodynamic features are entered as the input data of a Multivariate Spatial Gaussian Mixture Model (MSGMM) to be fitted. The goal of the spatial aspect is to favor the recovery of connected components in the mixture. Our statistical clustering approach is original in the sense that it extends existing works done on univariate spatially regularized Gaussian mixtures. A specific Gibbs sampler is derived to account for different covariance structures in the feature space. On realistic artificial fMRI datasets, it is shown that our algorithm is helpful for identifying a parsimonious functional parcellation required in the context of joint detection estimation of brain activity. This allows us to overcome the classical assumption of spatial stationarity of the BOLD signal model. (authors)

Determination of the S-wave scattering shape parameter P from the zero-energy wave function

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kermode, M.W.; van Dijk, W.

1990-01-01

We show that for S-wave scattering at an energy k 2 by a local potential which supports no more than one bound state, the shape parameter P and coefficients of higher powers of k 2 in the effective range expansion function cotδ=-1/a+1/2 r 0 k 2 -Pr 0 3 k 3 +Qr 0 5 k 6 +..., where δ is the phase shift, may be obtained from the zero-energy wave function, u 0 (r). Thus δ itself may be determined from u 0 . We show that Pr 0 3 =∫ 0 R [β(r)u 0 2 (r)-bar β(r)bar u 0 2 (r)]dr, where r 0 is the effective range, β(r) is determined from an integral involving the wave function, and bar β(r) is a simple function of r which involves the scattering length and effective range

Proximal Alternating Direction Method with Relaxed Proximal Parameters for the Least Squares Covariance Adjustment Problem

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Minghua Xu

2014-01-01

Full Text Available We consider the problem of seeking a symmetric positive semidefinite matrix in a closed convex set to approximate a given matrix. This problem may arise in several areas of numerical linear algebra or come from finance industry or statistics and thus has many applications. For solving this class of matrix optimization problems, many methods have been proposed in the literature. The proximal alternating direction method is one of those methods which can be easily applied to solve these matrix optimization problems. Generally, the proximal parameters of the proximal alternating direction method are greater than zero. In this paper, we conclude that the restriction on the proximal parameters can be relaxed for solving this kind of matrix optimization problems. Numerical experiments also show that the proximal alternating direction method with the relaxed proximal parameters is convergent and generally has a better performance than the classical proximal alternating direction method.

To tune or not to tune : recommending when to adjust SVM hyper-parameters via Meta-learning

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Gomes Mantovani, R.; Rossi, A.L.D.; Vanschoren, J.; Bischl, B.; Carvalho, A.C.P.L.F.

2015-01-01

Many classification algorithms, such as Neural Networks and Support Vector Machines, have a range of hyper-parameters that may strongly affect the predictive performance of the models induced by them. Hence, it is recommended to define the values of these hyper-parameters using optimization

Postural adjustments are modulated by manual task complexity

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Luis Augusto Teixeira

2009-09-01

Full Text Available Daily life activities of humans are characterized by dual tasks, in which a manual task is performed concomitantly with a postural task. Based on the assumption that both manual and postural tasks require attentional resources, no consensus exists as to how the central nervous system modulates postural adjustments in dual tasks. The aim of the present study was to analyze the effect of a manual task requiring attentional resources on shoulder and ankle adjustments as a function of the direction and predictability of postural perturbation. The participants (n=6 were evaluated during the performance of a simple and a complex manual task, while the base of support was moved backward or forward. Latency of activation of the tibialis anterior and gastroc-nemius muscles and angular acceleration of the shoulder were analyzed. The results showed that execution of the complex manual task delayed postural adjustment. Moreover, this delay occurred differently depending on the direction of postural perturbation. The delay in postural adjustment occurred proximally in the case of anterior displacement of the platform, and distally in the case of posterior displacement. Postural adjustments were more affected by the attentional task than by the predictability of platform displacement. These results are consistent with the concept of an integrated control between manual actions and the maintenance of static posture.

Adjustment problems and residential care environment

OpenAIRE

Jan Sebastian Novotný

2015-01-01

Problem: Residential care environment represents a specific social space that is associated with a number of negative consequences, covering most aspects of children and youth functioning. The paper analyzes of the presence of adjustment problems among adolescents from institutional care environment and compares this results with a population of adolescents who grew up in a family. Methods: The sample consisted of two groups of adolescents. The first group included 285 adolescents currently g...

Coherent molecular transistor: control through variation of the gate wave function.

Science.gov (United States)

Ernzerhof, Matthias

2014-03-21

In quantum interference transistors (QUITs), the current through the device is controlled by variation of the gate component of the wave function that interferes with the wave function component joining the source and the sink. Initially, mesoscopic QUITs have been studied and more recently, QUITs at the molecular scale have been proposed and implemented. Typically, in these devices the gate lead is subjected to externally adjustable physical parameters that permit interference control through modifications of the gate wave function. Here, we present an alternative model of a molecular QUIT in which the gate wave function is directly considered as a variable and the transistor operation is discussed in terms of this variable. This implies that we specify the gate current as well as the phase of the gate wave function component and calculate the resulting current through the source-sink channel. Thus, we extend on prior works that focus on the phase of the gate wave function component as a control parameter while having zero or certain discrete values of the current. We address a large class of systems, including finite graphene flakes, and obtain analytic solutions for how the gate wave function controls the transistor.

Coherent molecular transistor: Control through variation of the gate wave function

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ernzerhof, Matthias

2014-01-01

In quantum interference transistors (QUITs), the current through the device is controlled by variation of the gate component of the wave function that interferes with the wave function component joining the source and the sink. Initially, mesoscopic QUITs have been studied and more recently, QUITs at the molecular scale have been proposed and implemented. Typically, in these devices the gate lead is subjected to externally adjustable physical parameters that permit interference control through modifications of the gate wave function. Here, we present an alternative model of a molecular QUIT in which the gate wave function is directly considered as a variable and the transistor operation is discussed in terms of this variable. This implies that we specify the gate current as well as the phase of the gate wave function component and calculate the resulting current through the source-sink channel. Thus, we extend on prior works that focus on the phase of the gate wave function component as a control parameter while having zero or certain discrete values of the current. We address a large class of systems, including finite graphene flakes, and obtain analytic solutions for how the gate wave function controls the transistor

39 CFR 3010.25 - Limitation on unused rate adjustment authority rate adjustments.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... only be applied together with inflation-based limitation rate adjustments or when inflation-based... used in lieu of an inflation-based limitation rate adjustment. ... 39 Postal Service 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Limitation on unused rate adjustment authority...

The effects of physical training on cardiovascular parameters, lipid disorders and endothelial function

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Ranković Goran

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Bacground/Aim. Regular physical activity is widely accepted as factor that reduces all-cause mortality and improves a number of health outcomes. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of aerobic exercise training on cardiovascular parameters, lipid profile and endothelial function in patients with stable coronary artery disease (CAD. Methods. The study included seventy patients with stable CAD. All the patients were divided into two groups: the group I - 33 patients with CAD and with regular aerobic physical training during cardiovascular rehabilitation program phase II for 3 weeks in our rehabilitation center and 3 weeks after that in their home setting, and the group II (control - 37 patients with CAD and sedentary lifestyle. Exercise training consisted of continual aerobic exercise for 45 minutes on a treadmill, room bicycle or walking, three times a week. We determined lipid and cardiovascular parameters and nitric oxide (NO concentration at the beginning and after a six-week of training. Results. There were no significant differences in body weight, waist circumference and waist/hip ratio at the start and at the end of physical training program. Physical training significantly reduced body mass index after six weeks compared to the initial and control values. Physical training significantly reduced systolic and diastolic blood pressure and heart rate after a six-week training period (p < 0.05. Heart rate was significantly lower after a training period as compared to the control (p < 0.05. A significant reduction of triglyceride and increased high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C concentration after cardiovascular rehabilitation were registered (p < 0.05. The concentration of triglycerides was significantly lower while NO and HDL-C were higher after six weeks in the exercise training group (p < 0.05. Conclusion. Dynamic training can improve blood pressure in patients with moderate to severe hypertension and reduce the

Analysis Method of Combine Harvesters Technical Level by Functional and Structural Parameters

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E. V. Zhalnin

2018-01-01

Full Text Available The analysis of modern methods of evaluation of the grain harvesters technical level revealed a discrepancy in various criteria: comparative parameters, dimensionless series, the names of firms, the power of the motor, the width of the capture of the harvester, the capacity at the location of the manufacturer plant, advertising brands. (Purpose of research This led to a variety in the name of harvester models, which significantly complicates the assessment of their technical level, complicates the choice of agricultural necessary to him fashion, does not give the perception of the continuity of the change of generations of combines, makes it impossible to analyze trends in their development, does not disclose the technological essence of a model, but - most importantly - combines can not be compared with each other. The figures in the name of the harvester model are not related functionally to the main parameters and performance capabilities. (Materials and methods The close correlation in the form of a linear equation between their design parameters and the capacity of combines was revealed. Verification of this equation in the process of operation of the combine showed that it statistically stable and the estimates are always within the confidence interval with an error of 5-8 percent. It was found that four parameters of the variety of factors, that affect the performance of the harvester per hour net time, having most close correlation with it are: the motor power and the square of the separation concave, straw walkers and sieves for cleaning. (Results and discussion On the basis of the revealed correlation dependence we proposed a new method of assessment of the technical level of combines, which is based on the throughput (kg/s of the wetted material and the size series, indicating the nominal productivity of the combine in centners of grain harvested in 1 hour of basic time. The methodological background and mathematical apparatus

Selection and verification of safety parameters in safety parameter display system for nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Yuangfang

1992-02-01

The method and results for safety parameter selection and its verification in safety parameter display system of nuclear power plants are introduced. According to safety analysis, the overall safety is divided into six critical safety functions, and a certain amount of safety parameters which can represent the integrity degree of each function and the causes of change are strictly selected. The verification of safety parameter selection is carried out from the view of applying the plant emergency procedures and in the accident man oeuvres on a full scale nuclear power plant simulator

Proactive and Preventive Coping in Adjustment to College

Science.gov (United States)

Gan, Yiqun; Hu, Yueqin; Zhang, Yiwen

2010-01-01

The current study compared the relative importance of proactive coping and preventive coping in the adjustment to university life among 403 freshmen at a Chinese university and evaluated the function of proactive coping in the stress process. Participants completed the Future-Oriented Coping Inventory (Gan, Yang, Zhou, & Zhang, 2007), the…

Rigorous Asymptotics for the Lamé and Mathieu Functions and their Respective Eigenvalues with a Large Parameter

Science.gov (United States)

Ogilvie, Karen; Olde Daalhuis, Adri B.

2015-11-01

By application of the theory for second-order linear differential equations with two turning points developed in [Olver F.W.J., Philos. Trans. Roy. Soc. London Ser. A 278 (1975), 137-174], uniform asymptotic approximations are obtained in the first part of this paper for the Lamé and Mathieu functions with a large real parameter. These approximations are expressed in terms of parabolic cylinder functions, and are uniformly valid in their respective real open intervals. In all cases explicit bounds are supplied for the error terms associated with the approximations. Approximations are also obtained for the large order behaviour for the respective eigenvalues. We restrict ourselves to a two term uniform approximation. Theoretically more terms in these approximations could be computed, but the coefficients would be very complicated. In the second part of this paper we use a simplified method to obtain uniform asymptotic expansions for these functions. The coefficients are just polynomials and satisfy simple recurrence relations. The price to pay is that these asymptotic expansions hold only in a shrinking interval as their respective parameters become large; this interval however encapsulates all the interesting oscillatory behaviour of the functions. This simplified method also gives many terms in asymptotic expansions for these eigenvalues, derived simultaneously with the coefficients in the function expansions. We provide rigorous realistic error bounds for the function expansions when truncated and order estimates for the error when the eigenvalue expansions are truncated. With this paper we confirm that many of the formal results in the literature are correct.

Relationship adjustment, depression, and anxiety during pregnancy and the postpartum period.

Science.gov (United States)

Whisman, Mark A; Davila, Joanne; Goodman, Sherryl H

2011-06-01

The associations between relationship adjustment and symptoms of depression and anxiety were evaluated in a sample of pregnant married or cohabiting women (N = 113) who were at risk for perinatal depression because of a prior history of major depression. Women completed self-report measures of relationship adjustment, depressive symptoms, and anxiety symptoms monthly during pregnancy and for the first six months following the birth of their child. Multilevel modeling was used to examine concurrent and time-lagged within-subjects effects for relationship adjustment and depressive and anxiety symptoms. Results revealed that (a) relationship adjustment was associated with both depressive symptoms and anxiety symptoms in concurrent analyses; (b) relationship adjustment was predictive of subsequent anxiety symptoms but not subsequent depressive symptoms in lagged analyses; and (c) depressive symptoms were predictive of subsequent relationship adjustment in lagged analyses with symptoms of depression and anxiety examined simultaneously. These results support the continued investigation into the cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between relationship functioning and depressive and anxiety symptoms in women during pregnancy and the postpartum period. 2011 APA, all rights reserved

Optimizing chirped laser pulse parameters for electron acceleration in vacuum

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Akhyani, Mina; Jahangiri, Fazel; Niknam, Ali Reza; Massudi, Reza, E-mail: r-massudi@sbu.ac.ir [Laser and Plasma Research Institute, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran 1983969411 (Iran, Islamic Republic of)

2015-11-14

Electron dynamics in the field of a chirped linearly polarized laser pulse is investigated. Variations of electron energy gain versus chirp parameter, time duration, and initial phase of laser pulse are studied. Based on maximizing laser pulse asymmetry, a numerical optimization procedure is presented, which leads to the elimination of rapid fluctuations of gain versus the chirp parameter. Instead, a smooth variation is observed that considerably reduces the accuracy required for experimentally adjusting the chirp parameter.

HOW TO STEER THE TRANSMISSION RATIO OF PLANETARY CONTINUOUSLY ADJUSTABLE GEAR TRAIN

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. M. Dankov