WorldWideScience

Sample records for great leap upward

  1. China in space the great leap forward

    CERN Document Server

    Harvey, Brian

    2013-01-01

    The 21st century has seen the emergence, after the Soviet Union and the United States, of the third great space superpower: China. Here, in China in Space - The Great Leap Forward, Brian Harvey takes a contemporary look at the new Chinese space program. China has already launched its first space station, Tiangong; has sent its first spacecraft to the Moon, the Chang e; and has plans to send spaceships to Mars and further afield. China's annual launch rate has already overtaken those of both Europe and the United States. Huge new production plants and launch centers are under construction, to build and launch the new family of Long March 5, 6, and 7 rockets. In Roadmap 2050, the Academy of Sciences indicates that China intends to be the leading spacefaring nation by mid-century, with bases on the Moon and Mars. This book gives an informed, fully up-to-date commentary on all aspects of the Chinese space program, including its history, development, technology, missions, and the personalities involved. It lists a...

  2. The anatomic basis for the acquisition of speech and obstructive sleep apnea: evidence from cephalometric analysis supports The Great Leap Forward hypothesis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Davidson, Terence M; Sedgh, Jacob; Tran, Duyen; Stepnowsky, Carl J

    2005-11-01

    We previously postulated how evolutionary changes in man's upper respiratory tract to facilitate speech, a phenomenon Jared Diamond calls The Great Leap Forward, have predisposed man to obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) [Diamond J. The Third Chimpanzee: the evolution and future of the human animal. New York: HarperCollins Publishers; 1992. p. 21, 23, 32-54, 54-6; Davidson TM. The Great Leap Forward: the anatomic evolution of obstructive sleep apnea. Sleep Medicine 2003;4:185-94]. We grouped these anatomic changes into four categories: klinorynchy, laryngeal descent, craniobase angulation and supralaryngeal vocal tract (SVT) ratio of SVT(H):SVT(V). This study was designed to investigate the relationship between cephalometric measures corresponding to these anatomic changes and OSA. One hundred and twenty-three male subjects presenting with symptoms of OSA underwent unattended multi-channel home sleep studies. We obtained cephalometric measurements from standard lateral cephalograms. Pearson correlation coefficients were calculated between cephalometrics and apnea-hypopnea index (AHI), age, and body mass index (BMI). Our results showed significant correlation between AHI and klinorynchy, laryngeal descent, and craniobase angulation. Overall, our data supports the theory that evolutionary anatomic changes to facilitate speech correlate with OSA severity. The cumulative changes in each cephalometric category trended in the directions hypothesized and support the Great Leap theory of OSA evolution.

  3. Hand Gesture Recognition with Leap Motion

    OpenAIRE

    Du, Youchen; Liu, Shenglan; Feng, Lin; Chen, Menghui; Wu, Jie

    2017-01-01

    The recent introduction of depth cameras like Leap Motion Controller allows researchers to exploit the depth information to recognize hand gesture more robustly. This paper proposes a novel hand gesture recognition system with Leap Motion Controller. A series of features are extracted from Leap Motion tracking data, we feed these features along with HOG feature extracted from sensor images into a multi-class SVM classifier to recognize performed gesture, dimension reduction and feature weight...

  4. Leadership Education for Advancement and Promotion (LEAP)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rankin, Patricia

    2004-05-01

    A NSF ADVANCE Institutional Transformation award funds the Leadership Education for Advancement and Promotion (LEAP) project at the University of Colorado, Boulder (UCB). LEAP is the third year of a five-year program. The purpose of LEAP is to increase the number of women in leadership positions in the sciences and engineering. The author, who is PI of the project, will discuss what approaches the LEAP project is taking at UCB to improve faculty retention and to help faculty be more successful. Questions that will be addressed include 1) Is this a historic problem? 2) Is the playing field level? 3) Why are LEAP programs not aimed solely at women faculty? 4) What helps? 5) What is needed to change an institution? (The NSF (SBE-0123636) funds this work.)

  5. Leap Motion development essentials

    CERN Document Server

    Spiegelmock, Mischa

    2013-01-01

    This book is a fast-paced guide with practical examples that aims to help you understand and master the Leap Motion SDK.This book is for developers who are either involved in game development or who are looking to utilize Leap Motion technology in order to create brand new user interaction experiences to distinguish their products from the mass market. You should be comfortable with high-level languages and object-oriented development concepts in order to get the most out of this book.

  6. Pursuing Qualitative Research From the Global South: "Investigative Research" During China's "Great Leap Forward" (1958-62

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ping-Chun Hsiung

    2015-07-01

    Full Text Available Over the last decade, qualitative researchers have begun to challenge the domination and universalistic claims of the Global North. Nevertheless, it is still unclear what pursuing qualitative research (QR from the Global South might entail. I advance this effort by situating it in the larger context of the decentering endeavor in social science and decolonizing methodologies in aboriginal scholarship. Informed by their locally-grounded approach in the quest for constructing alternative social science accounts and articulating decolonized knowledge, I argue that writing locally-grounded histories is an essential first step to explore methodologies and epistemologies of QR from the Global South. Noting that no national history of QR has been derived from the Global South, I present an example of writing the history of QR by examining MAO Zedong's legacy of "investigative research" (IR. Specifically, I analyze the practices of IR during China's "Great Leap Forward" (1958-62. In conclusion, I discuss the implications of IR to the development of social science research in contemporary China. I lay out key issues in pursuing QR from the Global South and present how such a pursuit is relevant to social science inquiry in the Global North. URN: http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:0114-fqs150325

  7. LEAP2000: tools for sustainable energy analysis

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Heaps, C.; Lazarus, M.; Raskin, P. [SEU-Boston, Boston, MA (USA)

    2000-09-01

    LEAP2000 is a collaborative initiative, led by the Boston Center for the Stockholm Environment Institute, to create a new suite of analytical software and databases for integrated energy-environment analysis. The LEAP2000 software and the Technology and Environmental Database (TED) are described. 5 refs., 5 figs.

  8. The Application of Leap Motion in Astronaut Virtual Training

    Science.gov (United States)

    Qingchao, Xie; Jiangang, Chao

    2017-03-01

    With the development of computer vision, virtual reality has been applied in astronaut virtual training. As an advanced optic equipment to track hand, Leap Motion can provide precise and fluid tracking of hands. Leap Motion is suitable to be used as gesture input device in astronaut virtual training. This paper built an astronaut virtual training based Leap Motion, and established the mathematics model of hands occlusion. At last the ability of Leap Motion to handle occlusion was analysed. A virtual assembly simulation platform was developed for astronaut training, and occlusion gesture would influence the recognition process. The experimental result can guide astronaut virtual training.

  9. New "Tau-Leap" Strategy for Accelerated Stochastic Simulation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ramkrishna, Doraiswami; Shu, Che-Chi; Tran, Vu

    2014-12-10

    The "Tau-Leap" strategy for stochastic simulations of chemical reaction systems due to Gillespie and co-workers has had considerable impact on various applications. This strategy is reexamined with Chebyshev's inequality for random variables as it provides a rigorous probabilistic basis for a measured τ-leap thus adding significantly to simulation efficiency. It is also shown that existing strategies for simulation times have no probabilistic assurance that they satisfy the τ-leap criterion while the use of Chebyshev's inequality leads to a specified degree of certainty with which the τ-leap criterion is satisfied. This reduces the loss of sample paths which do not comply with the τ-leap criterion. The performance of the present algorithm is assessed, with respect to one discussed by Cao et al. ( J. Chem. Phys. 2006 , 124 , 044109), a second pertaining to binomial leap (Tian and Burrage J. Chem. Phys. 2004 , 121 , 10356; Chatterjee et al. J. Chem. Phys. 2005 , 122 , 024112; Peng et al. J. Chem. Phys. 2007 , 126 , 224109), and a third regarding the midpoint Poisson leap (Peng et al., 2007; Gillespie J. Chem. Phys. 2001 , 115 , 1716). The performance assessment is made by estimating the error in the histogram measured against that obtained with the so-called stochastic simulation algorithm. It is shown that the current algorithm displays notably less histogram error than its predecessor for a fixed computation time and, conversely, less computation time for a fixed accuracy. This computational advantage is an asset in repetitive calculations essential for modeling stochastic systems. The importance of stochastic simulations is derived from diverse areas of application in physical and biological sciences, process systems, and economics, etc. Computational improvements such as those reported herein are therefore of considerable significance.

  10. Visibility of changes in light intensity caused by voltage leaps

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Seljeseth, Helge; Mogstad, Olve

    2006-05-01

    Sintef Energy Research was engaged by NVE to evaluate the official requirements on voltage leaps in regulations concerning quality of delivery, and simultaneously conduct tests with a panel of test persons in order to get more detailed evaluations and recommendations to the existing requirements on voltage leaps. Tests and laboratory experiments have been performed on a total of 96 test persons, and the results reveal that voltage leaps even smaller than the 3 percent limit set by Norwegian regulations are visible to most people. The majority of the test persons consider the light conditions as unacceptably bad when light conditions are near the limit of voltage leap. Moreover, 25 percent of the test persons considered the light quality unacceptable when the voltage leap was well under half of the official limit.The results of the experiments indicates a need for narrowing the restrictions on voltage leaps in the Norwegian power network in order to limit the size and frequency of this kind of disturbance in the voltage. Recommendations for regulations are elaborated in chapter 3 (ml)

  11. Multilevel hybrid Chernoff tau-leap

    KAUST Repository

    Moraes, Alvaro

    2015-04-08

    In this work, we extend the hybrid Chernoff tau-leap method to the multilevel Monte Carlo (MLMC) setting. Inspired by the work of Anderson and Higham on the tau-leap MLMC method with uniform time steps, we develop a novel algorithm that is able to couple two hybrid Chernoff tau-leap paths at different levels. Using dual-weighted residual expansion techniques, we also develop a new way to estimate the variance of the difference of two consecutive levels and the bias. This is crucial because the computational work required to stabilize the coefficient of variation of the sample estimators of both quantities is often unaffordable for the deepest levels of the MLMC hierarchy. Our method bounds the global computational error to be below a prescribed tolerance, TOL, within a given confidence level. This is achieved with nearly optimal computational work. Indeed, the computational complexity of our method is of order O(TOL−2), the same as with an exact method, but with a smaller constant. Our numerical examples show substantial gains with respect to the previous single-level approach and the Stochastic Simulation Algorithm.

  12. Multilevel hybrid Chernoff tau-leap

    KAUST Repository

    Moraes, Alvaro; Tempone, Raul; Vilanova, Pedro

    2015-01-01

    In this work, we extend the hybrid Chernoff tau-leap method to the multilevel Monte Carlo (MLMC) setting. Inspired by the work of Anderson and Higham on the tau-leap MLMC method with uniform time steps, we develop a novel algorithm that is able to couple two hybrid Chernoff tau-leap paths at different levels. Using dual-weighted residual expansion techniques, we also develop a new way to estimate the variance of the difference of two consecutive levels and the bias. This is crucial because the computational work required to stabilize the coefficient of variation of the sample estimators of both quantities is often unaffordable for the deepest levels of the MLMC hierarchy. Our method bounds the global computational error to be below a prescribed tolerance, TOL, within a given confidence level. This is achieved with nearly optimal computational work. Indeed, the computational complexity of our method is of order O(TOL−2), the same as with an exact method, but with a smaller constant. Our numerical examples show substantial gains with respect to the previous single-level approach and the Stochastic Simulation Algorithm.

  13. A SOFTWARE TOOL FOR EXPERIMENTAL STUDY LEAP MOTION

    OpenAIRE

    Georgi Krastev; Magdalena Andreeva

    2015-01-01

    The paper aims to present computer application that illustrates Leap Motion controller’s abilities. It is a peripheral and software for PC, which enables control by natural user interface based on gestures. The publication also describes how the controller works and its main advantages/disadvantages. Some apps using leap motion controller are discussed.

  14. 78 FR 18326 - Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment Request; Upward Bound and Upward Bound Math...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-03-26

    ...; Comment Request; Upward Bound and Upward Bound Math Science Annual Performance Report AGENCY: The Office... considered public records. Title of Collection: Upward Bound and Upward Bound Math Science Annual Performance...) and Upward Bound Math and Science (UBMS) Programs. The Department is requesting a new APR because of...

  15. Energy Leap (Energiesprong). Long-term Plan. Update 2011

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    2011-12-15

    The Dutch government considers the transition process to be necessary and stimulates investments in energy innovations in the built environment. This innovation effort is the programme 'Energy Leap' (Energiesprong), which is being carried out by the Steering Group Experimental Housing (SEV) on behalf of the Dutch Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations (BZK). The programme is derived from the Innovation Agenda for Energy in the Built Environment. The SEV 'Energy Leap' programme aims to make a substantial contribution to the conditions under which the energy transition can be achieved effectively. In this basic plan, it is explained how the market can arrive at this, and which activities will be supported, set up and/or implemented by Energy Leap.

  16. Leap frog in slow motion: Divergent responses of tree species and life stages to climatic warming in Great Basin subalpine forests.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smithers, Brian V; North, Malcolm P; Millar, Constance I; Latimer, Andrew M

    2018-02-01

    In response to climate warming, subalpine treelines are expected to move up in elevation since treelines are generally controlled by growing season temperature. Where treeline is advancing, dispersal differences and early life stage environmental tolerances are likely to affect how species expand their ranges. Species with an establishment advantage will colonize newly available habitat first, potentially excluding species that have slower establishment rates. Using a network of plots across five mountain ranges, we described patterns of upslope elevational range shift for the two dominant Great Basin subalpine species, limber pine and Great Basin bristlecone pine. We found that the Great Basin treeline for these species is expanding upslope with a mean vertical elevation shift of 19.1 m since 1950, which is lower than what we might expect based on temperature increases alone. The largest advances were on limber pine-dominated granitic soils, on west aspects, and at lower latitudes. Bristlecone pine juveniles establishing above treeline share some environmental associations with bristlecone adults. Limber pine above-treeline juveniles, in contrast, are prevalent across environmental conditions and share few environmental associations with limber pine adults. Strikingly, limber pine is establishing above treeline throughout the region without regard to site characteristic such as soil type, slope, aspect, or soil texture. Although limber pine is often rare at treeline where it coexists with bristlecone pine, limber pine juveniles dominate above treeline even on calcareous soils that are core bristlecone pine habitat. Limber pine is successfully "leap-frogging" over bristlecone pine, probably because of its strong dispersal advantage and broader tolerances for establishment. This early-stage dominance indicates the potential for the species composition of treeline to change in response to climate change. More broadly, it shows how species differences in dispersal

  17. Energy Leap (Energiesprong). Long-term Plan. Update 2011

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    2011-12-15

    The Dutch government considers the transition process to be necessary and stimulates investments in energy innovations in the built environment. This innovation effort is the programme 'Energy Leap' (Energiesprong), which is being carried out by the Steering Group Experimental Housing (SEV) on behalf of the Dutch Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations (BZK). The programme is derived from the Innovation Agenda for Energy in the Built Environment. The SEV 'Energy Leap' programme aims to make a substantial contribution to the conditions under which the energy transition can be achieved effectively. In this basic plan, it is explained how the market can arrive at this, and which activities will be supported, set up and/or implemented by Energy Leap.

  18. Hybrid chernoff tau-leap

    KAUST Repository

    Moraes, Alvaro

    2014-01-01

    Markovian pure jump processes model a wide range of phenomena, including chemical reactions at the molecular level, dynamics of wireless communication networks, and the spread of epidemic diseases in small populations. There exist algorithms such as Gillespie\\'s stochastic simulation algorithm (SSA) and Anderson\\'s modified next reaction method (MNRM) that simulate a single path with the exact distribution of the process, but this can be time consuming when many reactions take place during a short time interval. Gillespie\\'s approximated tau-leap method, on the other hand, can be used to reduce computational time, but it may lead to nonphysical values due to a positive one-step exit probability, and it also introduces a time discretization error. Here, we present a novel hybrid algorithm for simulating individual paths which adaptively switches between the SSA and the tau-leap method. The switching strategy is based on a comparison of the expected interarrival time of the SSA and an adaptive time step derived from a Chernoff-type bound for the one-step exit probability. Because this bound is nonasymptotic, we do not need to make any distributional approximation for the tau-leap increments. This hybrid method allows us (i) to control the global exit probability of any simulated path and (ii) to obtain accurate and computable estimates of the expected value of any smooth observable of the process with minimal computational work. We present numerical examples that illustrate the performance of the proposed method. © 2014 Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics.

  19. Leap Motion controller application in augmented reality technology

    OpenAIRE

    Artemčiukas, Edgaras; Sakalauskas, Leonidas

    2014-01-01

    In this work the analysis of interaction techniques, devices and its’ possibilities were accomplished. It was determined that the problem, which many researchers tries to solve – more natural interaction between users and computers. Interaction system in augmented reality environment using Leap Motion controller was developed. To achieve this goal augmented reality NyARToolkit and Leap Motion controller libraries were used. Solution ensures extensive information about hand, finger...

  20. Pengenalan Isyarat Tangan Menggunakan Leap Motion Controller untuk Pertunjukan Boneka Tangan Virtual

    OpenAIRE

    Dzulkarnain, Iskandar; Sumpeno, Surya; Christyowidiasmoro, Christyowidiasmoro

    2016-01-01

    Leap Motion Controller memiliki keterbatasan dalam menangkap gerak isyarat tangan. Keterbatasan tersebut menyebabkan gerakan tangan model boneka virtual tidak seakurat gerakan tangan pelakon. Selain itu, konfigurasi bone model dimensi tiga untuk Leap Motion Controller berbeda dengan konfigurasi bone dimensi tiga pada umumnya. Oleh karena itu, dilakukan pengenalan isyarat tangan menggunakan Leap Motion Controller untuk pertunjukan boneka tangan virtual. Pengenalan isyarat tangan tersebut dilak...

  1. Pengenalan Isyarat Tangan Menggunakan Leap Motion Controller untuk Pertunjukan Boneka Tangan Virtual

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Iskandar Dzulkarnain

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Leap Motion Controller memiliki keterbatasan dalam menangkap gerak isyarat tangan. Keterbatasan tersebut menyebabkan gerakan tangan model boneka virtual tidak seakurat gerakan tangan pelakon. Selain itu, konfigurasi bone model dimensi tiga untuk Leap Motion Controller berbeda dengan konfigurasi bone dimensi tiga pada umumnya. Oleh karena itu, dilakukan pengenalan isyarat tangan menggunakan Leap Motion Controller untuk pertunjukan boneka tangan virtual. Pengenalan isyarat tangan tersebut dilakukan dengan memetakan hasil penjejakan tangan dari Leap Motion Controller ke dalam model prefab tangan Leap SDK. Setelah berhasil dipetakan, konfigurasi bone dari model prefab tangan Leap SDK diadaptasi ke dalam model boneka tangan virtual. Adaptasi tersebut dilakukan dengan mengatur posisi dan orientasi bone pada model dimensi tiga boneka tangan. Setelah posisi dan orientasi bone yang sesuai ditemukan, model dimensi tiga boneka tangan diuji menirukan gerakan boneka tangan asli. Pengujian boneka tangan virtual pada sembarang orang dilakukan untuk mengetahui tingkat kesinkronan gerak mulut atas dan mulut bawah boneka tangan virtual. Dari pengujian sembarang orang, didapatkan hasil 50% setuju dan 5,6% sangat setuju gerak mulut atas sinkron dengan gerak tangan. Sedangkan untuk gerak mulut bawah sinkron dengan gerak tangan didapatkan 16,7% setuju dan 11,1% sangat setuju.

  2. LEAP Phase II, Net Energy Gain From Laser Fields in Vacuum

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Barnes, C.D.; Colby, E.R.; Plettner, T.

    2005-01-01

    The current Laser Electron Acceleration Program (LEAP) seeks to modulate the energy of an electron bunch by interaction of the electrons with a copropagating pair of crossed laser beams at 800 nm. We present an optical injector design for a LEAP cell so that it can be used to give net energy gain to an electron bunch. Unique features of the design are discussed which will allow this net energy gain and which will also provide a robust signature for the LEAP interaction

  3. LEAP Phase II, net energy gain from laser fields in vacuum

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Barnes, Christopher D.; Colby, Eric R.; Plettner, Tomas

    2002-01-01

    The current Laser Electron Acceleration Program (LEAP) seeks to modulate the energy of an electron bunch by interaction of the electrons with a copropagating pair of crossed laser beams at 800 nm. We present an optical injector design for a LEAP cell so that it can be used to give net energy gain to an electron bunch. Unique features of the design are discussed which will allow this net energy gain and which will also provide a robust signature for the LEAP interaction

  4. LEAP: biomarker inference through learning and evaluating association patterns.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jiang, Xia; Neapolitan, Richard E

    2015-03-01

    Single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) high-dimensional datasets are available from Genome Wide Association Studies (GWAS). Such data provide researchers opportunities to investigate the complex genetic basis of diseases. Much of genetic risk might be due to undiscovered epistatic interactions, which are interactions in which combination of several genes affect disease. Research aimed at discovering interacting SNPs from GWAS datasets proceeded in two directions. First, tools were developed to evaluate candidate interactions. Second, algorithms were developed to search over the space of candidate interactions. Another problem when learning interacting SNPs, which has not received much attention, is evaluating how likely it is that the learned SNPs are associated with the disease. A complete system should provide this information as well. We develop such a system. Our system, called LEAP, includes a new heuristic search algorithm for learning interacting SNPs, and a Bayesian network based algorithm for computing the probability of their association. We evaluated the performance of LEAP using 100 1,000-SNP simulated datasets, each of which contains 15 SNPs involved in interactions. When learning interacting SNPs from these datasets, LEAP outperformed seven others methods. Furthermore, only SNPs involved in interactions were found to be probable. We also used LEAP to analyze real Alzheimer's disease and breast cancer GWAS datasets. We obtained interesting and new results from the Alzheimer's dataset, but limited results from the breast cancer dataset. We conclude that our results support that LEAP is a useful tool for extracting candidate interacting SNPs from high-dimensional datasets and determining their probability. © 2015 The Authors. *Genetic Epidemiology published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  5. A syncopated leap-frog algorithm for orbit consistent plasma simulation of materials processing reactors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cobb, J.W.; Leboeuf, J.N.

    1994-01-01

    The authors present a particle algorithm to extend simulation capabilities for plasma based materials processing reactors. The orbit integrator uses a syncopated leap-frog algorithm in cylindrical coordinates, which maintains second order accuracy, and minimizes computational complexity. Plasma source terms are accumulated orbit consistently directly in the frequency and azimuthal mode domains. Finally they discuss the numerical analysis of this algorithm. Orbit consistency greatly reduces the computational cost for a given level of precision. The computational cost is independent of the degree of time scale separation

  6. Avoiding negative populations in explicit Poisson tau-leaping.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cao, Yang; Gillespie, Daniel T; Petzold, Linda R

    2005-08-01

    The explicit tau-leaping procedure attempts to speed up the stochastic simulation of a chemically reacting system by approximating the number of firings of each reaction channel during a chosen time increment tau as a Poisson random variable. Since the Poisson random variable can have arbitrarily large sample values, there is always the possibility that this procedure will cause one or more reaction channels to fire so many times during tau that the population of some reactant species will be driven negative. Two recent papers have shown how that unacceptable occurrence can be avoided by replacing the Poisson random variables with binomial random variables, whose values are naturally bounded. This paper describes a modified Poisson tau-leaping procedure that also avoids negative populations, but is easier to implement than the binomial procedure. The new Poisson procedure also introduces a second control parameter, whose value essentially dials the procedure from the original Poisson tau-leaping at one extreme to the exact stochastic simulation algorithm at the other; therefore, the modified Poisson procedure will generally be more accurate than the original Poisson procedure.

  7. Evaluering av Leap Motion kontrollern för visualisering av musik

    OpenAIRE

    Uvman, Oliver

    2016-01-01

    An experiment was carried out, attempting to ascertain whether the Leap Motion Controller can be a useful input device for dynamically controlling graphic visualizations, e.g. by artists who use video and interactive visual arts to enhance music performances. The Leap Motion Controller was found to be too unreliable to be used as the primary controller in a professional visual arts performance.

  8. Interim report on nodel evaluation methodology and the evaluation of LEAP

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Alsmiller, R.G. Jr.; Barish, J.; Bjornstad, D.

    1980-04-01

    This report describes progress made at ORNL toward development and demonstration of a methodology for evaluating energy-economic modeling codes and important results derived from these codes. To bolster traditional evaluation methods with more-quantitative procedures of interest to the Energy Information Administration, ORNL is applying sensitivity theory as part of a comprehensive effort to quantify the importance of various data and model parameters to the key results that are of interest. The Long-Term Energy Analysis Program (LEAP) was chosen as the initial focus for the research. LEAP is an energy-economy model which resides in the Long-Term Energy Analysis Division (LTEAD) of the Integrative Analysis Group in the Office of Applied Analysis, EIA. LTEAD developed Model 22C of LEAP for two reasons: (1) to prepare projections through the year 2020, which were needed for the 1978 EIA Annual Report to Congress and (2) to develop a base for analyses of specific options for Federal action. LEAP Model 22C and its uses are described to provide the background for this interim description of the model evaluation effort at ORNL. 19 figures, 10 tables.

  9. 3D hra s technologií Leap Motion

    OpenAIRE

    Mainuš, Matěj

    2014-01-01

    Cílem této bakalářské práce bylo navrhnout a implementovat 3D hru labyrint ovládanou pomocí gest rukou. Pro rozpoznávání pohybu a gest hra využívá technologii Leap Motion, aplikace samotná je vytvořena v herním enginu Unity. Výsledkem práce je multiplatformní 3D hra s vlastní knihovnou, která integruje Leap Motion SDK do Unity a eliminuje chyby v detekci rukou. The goal of this bachelor's thesis is to design and create a 3D labyrinth game controlled by hand gestures. This is achieved by us...

  10. Improvement of blow down model for LEAP code

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Itooka, Satoshi; Fujimata, Kazuhiro

    2003-03-01

    In Japan Nuclear Cycle Development Institute, the improvement of analysis method for overheating tube rapture was studied for the accident of sodium-water reactions in the steam generator of a fast breeder reactor and the evaluation of heat transfer condition in the tube were carried out based on study of critical heat flux (CHF) and post-CHF heat transfer equation in Light Water Reactors. In this study, the improvement of blow down model for the LEAP code was carried out taking into consideration the above-mentioned evaluation of heat transfer condition. Improvements of the LEAP code were following items. Calculations and verification were performed with the improved LEAP code in order to confirm the code functions. The addition of critical heat flux (CHF) by the formula of Katto and the formula of Tong. The addition of post-CHF heat transfer equation by the formula of Condie-BengstonIV and the formula of Groeneveld 5.9. The physical properties of the water and steam are expanded to the critical conditions of the water. The expansion of the total number of section and the improvement of the input form. The addition of the function to control the valve setting by the PID control model. (author)

  11. Drift-Implicit Multi-Level Monte Carlo Tau-Leap Methods for Stochastic Reaction Networks

    KAUST Repository

    Ben Hammouda, Chiheb

    2015-05-12

    In biochemical systems, stochastic e↵ects can be caused by the presence of small numbers of certain reactant molecules. In this setting, discrete state-space and stochastic simulation approaches were proved to be more relevant than continuous state-space and deterministic ones. These stochastic models constitute the theory of stochastic reaction networks (SRNs). Furthermore, in some cases, the dynamics of fast and slow time scales can be well separated and this is characterized by what is called sti↵ness. For such problems, the existing discrete space-state stochastic path simulation methods, such as the stochastic simulation algorithm (SSA) and the explicit tau-leap method, can be very slow. Therefore, implicit tau-leap approxima- tions were developed to improve the numerical stability and provide more e cient simulation algorithms for these systems. One of the interesting tasks for SRNs is to approximate the expected values of some observables of the process at a certain fixed time T. This is can be achieved using Monte Carlo (MC) techniques. However, in a recent work, Anderson and Higham in 2013, proposed a more computationally e cient method which combines multi-level Monte Carlo (MLMC) technique with explicit tau-leap schemes. In this MSc thesis, we propose new fast stochastic algorithm, particularly designed 5 to address sti↵ systems, for approximating the expected values of some observables of SRNs. In fact, we take advantage of the idea of MLMC techniques and drift-implicit tau-leap approximation to construct a drift-implicit MLMC tau-leap estimator. In addition to accurately estimating the expected values of a given observable of SRNs at a final time T , our proposed estimator ensures the numerical stability with a lower cost than the MLMC explicit tau-leap algorithm, for systems including simultane- ously fast and slow species. The key contribution of our work is the coupling of two drift-implicit tau-leap paths, which is the basic brick for

  12. Analysis of the accuracy and robustness of the leap motion controller.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Weichert, Frank; Bachmann, Daniel; Rudak, Bartholomäus; Fisseler, Denis

    2013-05-14

    The Leap Motion Controller is a new device for hand gesture controlled user interfaces with declared sub-millimeter accuracy. However, up to this point its capabilities in real environments have not been analyzed. Therefore, this paper presents a first study of a Leap Motion Controller. The main focus of attention is on the evaluation of the accuracy and repeatability. For an appropriate evaluation, a novel experimental setup was developed making use of an industrial robot with a reference pen allowing a position accuracy of 0.2 mm. Thereby, a deviation between a desired 3D position and the average measured positions below 0.2 mm has been obtained for static setups and of 1.2 mm for dynamic setups. Using the conclusion of this analysis can improve the development of applications for the Leap Motion controller in the field of Human-Computer Interaction.

  13. LEAP 1992: Conference summary

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dover, C.B.

    1992-12-01

    We present a summary of the many new results in antiproton (bar p) physics presented at the LEAP '92 conference, in the areas of meson spectroscopy, bar NN scattering, annihilation and spin observables, strangeness and charm production, bar N annihilation in nuclei, atomic physics with very low energy bar p's, the exploration of fundamental symmetries and interactions with bar p (CP, T, CPT, gravitation), and the prospects for new bar p facilities at ultralow energies or energies above the LEAR regime (≥ 2 GeV/c)

  14. Analysis of the Accuracy and Robustness of the Leap Motion Controller

    OpenAIRE

    Weichert, Frank; Bachmann, Daniel; Rudak, Bartholomäus; Fisseler, Denis

    2013-01-01

    The Leap Motion Controller is a new device for hand gesture controlled user interfaces with declared sub-millimeter accuracy. However, up to this point its capabilities in real environments have not been analyzed. Therefore, this paper presents a first study of a Leap Motion Controller. The main focus of attention is on the evaluation of the accuracy and repeatability. For an appropriate evaluation, a novel experimental setup was developed making use of an industrial robot with a reference pe...

  15. Analysis of the Accuracy and Robustness of the Leap Motion Controller

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Denis Fisseler

    2013-05-01

    Full Text Available The Leap Motion Controller is a new device for hand gesture controlled user interfaces with declared sub-millimeter accuracy. However, up to this point its capabilities in real environments have not been analyzed. Therefore, this paper presents a first study of a Leap Motion Controller. The main focus of attention is on the evaluation of the accuracy and repeatability. For an appropriate evaluation, a novel experimental setup was developed making use of an industrial robot with a reference pen allowing a position accuracy of 0.2 mm. Thereby, a deviation between a desired 3D position and the average measured positions below 0.2mmhas been obtained for static setups and of 1.2mmfor dynamic setups. Using the conclusion of this analysis can improve the development of applications for the Leap Motion controller in the field of Human-Computer Interaction.

  16. LEAP: A balloon-borne search for low-energy cosmic ray antiprotons

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moats, Anne Rosalie Myers

    The LEAP (Low Energy Antiproton) experiment is a search for cosmic ray antiprotons in the 120 MeV to 1.2 GeV kinetic energy range. The motivation for this project was the result announced by Buffington et al. (1981) that indicated an anomalously high antiproton flux below 300 MeV; this result has compelled theorists to propose sources of primary antiprotons above the small secondary antiproton flux produced by high energy cosmic ray collisions with nuclei in the interstellar medium. LEAP consisted of the NMSU magnet spectrometer, a time-of-flight system designed at NASA-Goddard, two scintillation detectors, and a Cherenkov counter. Analysis of flight data performed by the high energy astrophysics group at Goddard Space Flight Center revealed no antiproton candidates found in the 120 MeV to 360 MeV range; 3 possible antiproton candidate events were found in the 500 MeV to 1.2 GeV range in an analysis done here at the University of Arizona. However, since it will be necessary to sharpen the calibration on all of the LEAP systems in order to positively identify these events as antiprotons, only an upper limit has been determined at present. Thus, combining the analyses performed at the University of Arizona and NASA-Goddard, 90 percent confidence upper limits of 3.5 x 10-5 in the 120 MeV to 360 MeV range and 2.3 x 10-4 in the 500 MeV to 1.2 GeV range for the antiproton/proton ratio is indicated by the LEAP results. LEAP disagrees sharply with the results of the Buffington group, indicating a low antiproton flux at these energies. Thus, a purely secondary antiproton flux may be adequate at low energies.

  17. Initial Experiments with the Leap Motion as a User Interface in Robotic Endonasal Surgery.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Travaglini, T A; Swaney, P J; Weaver, Kyle D; Webster, R J

    The Leap Motion controller is a low-cost, optically-based hand tracking system that has recently been introduced on the consumer market. Prior studies have investigated its precision and accuracy, toward evaluating its usefulness as a surgical robot master interface. Yet due to the diversity of potential slave robots and surgical procedures, as well as the dynamic nature of surgery, it is challenging to make general conclusions from published accuracy and precision data. Thus, our goal in this paper is to explore the use of the Leap in the specific scenario of endonasal pituitary surgery. We use it to control a concentric tube continuum robot in a phantom study, and compare user performance using the Leap to previously published results using the Phantom Omni. We find that the users were able to achieve nearly identical average resection percentage and overall surgical duration with the Leap.

  18. Initial Experiments with the Leap Motion as a User Interface in Robotic Endonasal Surgery

    Science.gov (United States)

    Travaglini, T. A.; Swaney, P. J.; Weaver, Kyle D.; Webster, R. J.

    2016-01-01

    The Leap Motion controller is a low-cost, optically-based hand tracking system that has recently been introduced on the consumer market. Prior studies have investigated its precision and accuracy, toward evaluating its usefulness as a surgical robot master interface. Yet due to the diversity of potential slave robots and surgical procedures, as well as the dynamic nature of surgery, it is challenging to make general conclusions from published accuracy and precision data. Thus, our goal in this paper is to explore the use of the Leap in the specific scenario of endonasal pituitary surgery. We use it to control a concentric tube continuum robot in a phantom study, and compare user performance using the Leap to previously published results using the Phantom Omni. We find that the users were able to achieve nearly identical average resection percentage and overall surgical duration with the Leap. PMID:26752501

  19. Leaping Shampoo and the Stable Kaye Effect

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Versluis, Michel; Blom, C.; van der Meer, Roger M.; van der Weele, J.P.; Lohse, Detlef

    2006-01-01

    The 'Leaping Shampoo' video reveals the underlying physical mechanisms of the so-called Kaye effect. The spectacular effect is a classic textbook example to illustrate the rich dynamics of complex fluids and was first described by A. Kaye in a 1963 Nature paper, however, no published discussion or

  20. Evaluation of the leap motion controller as a new contact-free pointing device.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bachmann, Daniel; Weichert, Frank; Rinkenauer, Gerhard

    2014-12-24

    This paper presents a Fitts' law-based analysis of the user's performance in selection tasks with the Leap Motion Controller compared with a standard mouse device. The Leap Motion Controller (LMC) is a new contact-free input system for gesture-based human-computer interaction with declared sub-millimeter accuracy. Up to this point, there has hardly been any systematic evaluation of this new system available. With an error rate of 7.8% for the LMC and 2.8% for the mouse device, movement times twice as large as for a mouse device and high overall effort ratings, the Leap Motion Controller's performance as an input device for everyday generic computer pointing tasks is rather limited, at least with regard to the selection recognition provided by the LMC.

  1. Does urban sprawl hold down upward mobility?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ewing, R.; Hamidi, Shima; Grace, James B.; Wei, Y.

    2016-01-01

    Contrary to the general perception, the United States has a much more class-bound society than other wealthy countries. The chance of upward mobility for Americans is just half that of the citizens of the Denmark and many other European countries. In addition to other influences, the built environment may contribute to the low rate of upward mobility in the U.S. This study tests the relationship between urban sprawl and upward mobility for commuting zones in the U.S. We examine potential pathways through which sprawl may have an effect on mobility. We use structural equation modeling to account for both direct and indirect effects of sprawl on upward mobility. We find that upward mobility is significantly higher in compact areas than sprawling areas. The direct effect, which we attribute to better job accessibility in more compact commuting zones, is stronger than the indirect effects. Of the indirect effects, only one, through the mediating variable income segregation, is significant.

  2. High Upward Fluxes of Formic Acid from a Boreal Forest Canopy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schobesberger, Siegfried; Lopez-Hilifiker, Felipe D.; Taipale, Ditte; Millet, Dylan B.; D'Ambro, Emma L.; Rantala, Pekka; Mammarella, Ivan; Zhou, Putian; Wolfe, Glenn M.; Lee, Ben H.; hide

    2016-01-01

    Eddy covariance fluxes of formic acid, HCOOH, were measured over a boreal forest canopy in spring/summer 2014. The HCOOH fluxes were bidirectional but mostly upward during daytime, in contrast to studies elsewhere that reported mostly downward fluxes. Downward flux episodes were explained well by modeled dry deposition rates. The sum of net observed flux and modeled dry deposition yields an upward gross flux of HCOOH, which could not be quantitatively explained by literature estimates of direct vegetative soil emissions nor by efficient chemical production from other volatile organic compounds, suggesting missing or greatly underestimated HCOOH sources in the boreal ecosystem. We implemented a vegetative HCOOH source into the GEOS-Chem chemical transport model to match our derived gross flux and evaluated the updated model against airborne and spaceborne observations. Model biases in the boundary layer were substantially reduced based on this revised treatment, but biases in the free troposphere remain unexplained.

  3. Evaluation of the Leap Motion Controller as a New Contact-Free Pointing Device

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Daniel Bachmann

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available This paper presents a Fitts’ law-based analysis of the user’s performance in selection tasks with the Leap Motion Controller compared with a standard mouse device. The Leap Motion Controller (LMC is a new contact-free input system for gesture-based human-computer interaction with declared sub-millimeter accuracy. Up to this point, there has hardly been any systematic evaluation of this new system available. With an error rate of 7.8% for the LMC and 2.8% for the mouse device, movement times twice as large as for a mouse device and high overall effort ratings, the Leap Motion Controller’s performance as an input device for everyday generic computer pointing tasks is rather limited, at least with regard to the selection recognition provided by the LMC.

  4. Multilevel hybrid split-step implicit tau-leap

    KAUST Repository

    Ben Hammouda, Chiheb

    2016-06-17

    In biochemically reactive systems with small copy numbers of one or more reactant molecules, the dynamics is dominated by stochastic effects. To approximate those systems, discrete state-space and stochastic simulation approaches have been shown to be more relevant than continuous state-space and deterministic ones. In systems characterized by having simultaneously fast and slow timescales, existing discrete space-state stochastic path simulation methods, such as the stochastic simulation algorithm (SSA) and the explicit tau-leap (explicit-TL) method, can be very slow. Implicit approximations have been developed to improve numerical stability and provide efficient simulation algorithms for those systems. Here, we propose an efficient Multilevel Monte Carlo (MLMC) method in the spirit of the work by Anderson and Higham (SIAM Multiscal Model. Simul. 10(1), 2012). This method uses split-step implicit tau-leap (SSI-TL) at levels where the explicit-TL method is not applicable due to numerical stability issues. We present numerical examples that illustrate the performance of the proposed method. © 2016 Springer Science+Business Media New York

  5. Model for neural signaling leap statistics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chevrollier, Martine; Oria, Marcos

    2011-01-01

    We present a simple model for neural signaling leaps in the brain considering only the thermodynamic (Nernst) potential in neuron cells and brain temperature. We numerically simulated connections between arbitrarily localized neurons and analyzed the frequency distribution of the distances reached. We observed qualitative change between Normal statistics (with T 37.5 0 C, awaken regime) and Levy statistics (T = 35.5 0 C, sleeping period), characterized by rare events of long range connections.

  6. Model for neural signaling leap statistics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chevrollier, Martine; Oriá, Marcos

    2011-03-01

    We present a simple model for neural signaling leaps in the brain considering only the thermodynamic (Nernst) potential in neuron cells and brain temperature. We numerically simulated connections between arbitrarily localized neurons and analyzed the frequency distribution of the distances reached. We observed qualitative change between Normal statistics (with T = 37.5°C, awaken regime) and Lévy statistics (T = 35.5°C, sleeping period), characterized by rare events of long range connections.

  7. Dual-Polarization Radar Observations of Upward Lightning-Producing Storms

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lueck, R.; Helsdon, J. H.; Warner, T.

    2013-12-01

    The Upward Lightning Triggering Study (UPLIGHTS) seeks to determine how upward lightning, which originates from the tips of tall objects, is triggered by nearby flash activity. As a component of this study we analyze standard and dual-polarization weather radar data. The Correlation Coefficient (CC) in particular can be used to identify and quantify the melting layer associated with storms that produce upward lightning. It has been proposed that positive charge generation due to aggregate shedding at the melting layer results in a positive charge region just above the cloud base. This positive charge region may serve as a positive potential well favorable for negative leader propagation, which initiate upward positive leaders from tall objects. We characterize the horizontal coverage, thickness and height of the melting layer in addition to cloud base heights when upward lightning occurs to determine trends and possible threshold criteria relating to upward lightning production. Furthermore, we characterize storm type and morphology using relevant schemes as well as precipitation type using the Hydrometer Classification Algorithm (HCA) for upward lightning-producing storms. Ice-phase hydrometeors have been shown to be a significant factor in thunderstorm electrification. Only a small fraction of storms produce upward lightning, so null cases will be examined and compared as well.

  8. The capabilities and constraints of the LEAP (Long-range Energy Alternatives Planning System) for development of energy matrix; As potencialidades e restricoes do LEAP (Long-range Energy Alternatives Planning System) para o desenvolvimento de matriz energetica

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Santos, Afonso Henriques Moreira [MS Consultoria Ltda, Itajuba, MG (Brazil); Universidade Federal de Itajuba (UNIFEI), MG (Brazil); Cruz, Ricardo Alexandre Passos da; Magalhaes, Ricardo Nogueira [IX Consultoria e Representacoes Ltda, Itajuba, MG (Brazil)

    2010-07-01

    This paper seeks to introduce and discuss the main features of the LEAP model preparing energy matrixes, in the medium and long term energy planning context. These characteristics are analyzed and compared to other known simulation models used worldwide, checking potentialities and existing barriers of using the LEAP program (author)

  9. Low Emissions Alternative Power (LEAP) Project Office Business Team of the Aeropropulsion Research Program Office (ARPO) Org. 0140

    Science.gov (United States)

    Buttler, Jennifer A.

    2004-01-01

    The program for which I am working at this summer is Propulsion and Power/Low Emissions Alternative Power (P&P/LEAP). It invests in a fundamental TRL 1-6 research and technology portfolio that will enable the future of: Alternative fuels and/or alternative propulsion systems, non-combustion (electric) propulsion systems. P&P/LEAP will identify and capitalize on the highest potential concepts generated both internal and external to the Agency. During my 2004 summer at NASA Glenn Research Center, I worked with my mentor Barbara Mader, in the Project Office with the Business Team completing various tasks for the project and personnel. The LEAP project is a highly matrixed organization. The Project Office is responsible for the goals advocacy and dollar (budget) of the LEAP project. The objectives of the LEAP Project are to discover new energy sources and develop unconventional engines and power systems directed towards greatly reduced emissions, enable new vehicle concepts for public mobility, new science missions and national security. The Propulsion and PowerLow Emissions Alternative Power directly supports the environmental, mobility, national security objectives of the Vehicle Systems Program and the Aeronautics Technology Theme. Technology deliverables include the demonstration through integrated ground tests, a constant volume combustor in an engine system, and UAV/small transport aircraft all electric power system. My mentor serves as a key member of the management team for the Aeropropulsion Research Program Office (ARPO). She has represented the office on numerous occasions, and is a member of a number of center-wide panels/teams, such as the Space management Committee and is chair to the Business Process Consolidation Team. She is responsible for the overall coordination of resources for the Propulsion and Power Project - from advocacy to implementation. The goal for my summer at NASA was to document processes and archive program documents from the past

  10. Model for neural signaling leap statistics

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chevrollier, Martine; Oria, Marcos, E-mail: oria@otica.ufpb.br [Laboratorio de Fisica Atomica e Lasers Departamento de Fisica, Universidade Federal da ParaIba Caixa Postal 5086 58051-900 Joao Pessoa, Paraiba (Brazil)

    2011-03-01

    We present a simple model for neural signaling leaps in the brain considering only the thermodynamic (Nernst) potential in neuron cells and brain temperature. We numerically simulated connections between arbitrarily localized neurons and analyzed the frequency distribution of the distances reached. We observed qualitative change between Normal statistics (with T 37.5{sup 0}C, awaken regime) and Levy statistics (T = 35.5{sup 0}C, sleeping period), characterized by rare events of long range connections.

  11. A self-consistent upward leader propagation model

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Becerra, Marley; Cooray, Vernon

    2006-01-01

    The knowledge of the initiation and propagation of an upward moving connecting leader in the presence of a downward moving lightning stepped leader is a must in the determination of the lateral attraction distance of a lightning flash by any grounded structure. Even though different models that simulate this phenomenon are available in the literature, they do not take into account the latest developments in the physics of leader discharges. The leader model proposed here simulates the advancement of positive upward leaders by appealing to the presently understood physics of that process. The model properly simulates the upward continuous progression of the positive connecting leaders from its inception to the final connection with the downward stepped leader (final jump). Thus, the main physical properties of upward leaders, namely the charge per unit length, the injected current, the channel gradient and the leader velocity are self-consistently obtained. The obtained results are compared with an altitude triggered lightning experiment and there is good agreement between the model predictions and the measured leader current and the experimentally inferred spatial and temporal location of the final jump. It is also found that the usual assumption of constant charge per unit length, based on laboratory experiments, is not valid for lightning upward connecting leaders

  12. Expression of chicken LEAP-2 in the reproductive organs and embryos and in response to Salmonella enterica infection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Michailidis, Georgios

    2010-06-01

    In recent years host antimicrobial peptides and proteins have been recognised as key mediators of the innate immune response in many vertebrate species, providing the first line of defense against potential pathogens. In chickens a number of cationic antimicrobial peptides have been recently identified. However, although these peptides have been studied extensively in the avian gastrointestinal tract, little is known about their function in the chicken reproductive organs and embryos. Chicken Liver Expressed Antimicrobial Peptide-2 (cLEAP-2) has been previously reported to function in protecting birds against microbial attack. The aim of this study was to investigate the expression of cLEAP-2 gene in the chicken reproductive organs, as well as in chicken embryos during embryonic development, and to determine whether cLEAP-2 expression in the chicken reproductive organs was constitutive or induced as a response to Salmonella enteritidis infection. RNA was extracted from ovary, oviduct, testis and epididymis of sexually mature healthy and Salmonella infected birds, as well as from chicken embryos until day ten of embryonic development. Expression analysis data revealed that cLEAP-2 was expressed in the chicken ovary, testis and epididymis as well as in embryos during early embryonic development. Quantitative real-time PCR analysis revealed that cLEAP-2 expression was constitutive in the chicken epididymis, but was significantly up regulated in the chicken gonads, following Salmonella infection. In addition, expression of cLEAP-2 during chicken embryogenesis appeared to be developmentally regulated. These data provide evidence to suggest a key role of cLEAP-2 in the protection of the chicken reproductive organs and the developing embryos from Salmonella colonization.

  13. Leap Motion Device Used to Control a Real Anthropomorphic Gripper

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ionel Staretu

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available This paper presents for the first time the use of the Leap Motion device to control an anthropomorphic gripper with five fingers. First, a description of the Leap Motion device is presented, highlighting its main functional characteristics, followed by testing of its use for capturing the movements of a human hand's fingers in different configurations. Next, the HandCommander soft module and the Interface Controller application are described. The HandCommander is a software module created to facilitate interaction between a human hand and the GraspIT virtual environment, and the Interface Controller application is required to send motion data to the virtual environment and to test the communication protocol. For the test, a prototype of an anthropomorphic gripper with five fingers was made, including a proper hardware system of command and control, which is briefly presented in this paper. Following the creation of the prototype, the command system performance test was conducted under real conditions, evaluating the recognition efficiency of the objects to be gripped and the efficiency of the command and control strategies for the gripping process. The gripping test is exemplified by the gripping of an object, such as a screw spanner. It was found that the command system, both in terms of capturing human hand gestures with the Leap Motion device and effective object gripping, is operational. Suggestive figures are presented as examples.

  14. SparseLeap: Efficient Empty Space Skipping for Large-Scale Volume Rendering

    KAUST Repository

    Hadwiger, Markus; Al-Awami, Ali K.; Beyer, Johanna; Agus, Marco; Pfister, Hanspeter

    2017-01-01

    Recent advances in data acquisition produce volume data of very high resolution and large size, such as terabyte-sized microscopy volumes. These data often contain many fine and intricate structures, which pose huge challenges for volume rendering, and make it particularly important to efficiently skip empty space. This paper addresses two major challenges: (1) The complexity of large volumes containing fine structures often leads to highly fragmented space subdivisions that make empty regions hard to skip efficiently. (2) The classification of space into empty and non-empty regions changes frequently, because the user or the evaluation of an interactive query activate a different set of objects, which makes it unfeasible to pre-compute a well-adapted space subdivision. We describe the novel SparseLeap method for efficient empty space skipping in very large volumes, even around fine structures. The main performance characteristic of SparseLeap is that it moves the major cost of empty space skipping out of the ray-casting stage. We achieve this via a hybrid strategy that balances the computational load between determining empty ray segments in a rasterization (object-order) stage, and sampling non-empty volume data in the ray-casting (image-order) stage. Before ray-casting, we exploit the fast hardware rasterization of GPUs to create a ray segment list for each pixel, which identifies non-empty regions along the ray. The ray-casting stage then leaps over empty space without hierarchy traversal. Ray segment lists are created by rasterizing a set of fine-grained, view-independent bounding boxes. Frame coherence is exploited by re-using the same bounding boxes unless the set of active objects changes. We show that SparseLeap scales better to large, sparse data than standard octree empty space skipping.

  15. SparseLeap: Efficient Empty Space Skipping for Large-Scale Volume Rendering

    KAUST Repository

    Hadwiger, Markus

    2017-08-28

    Recent advances in data acquisition produce volume data of very high resolution and large size, such as terabyte-sized microscopy volumes. These data often contain many fine and intricate structures, which pose huge challenges for volume rendering, and make it particularly important to efficiently skip empty space. This paper addresses two major challenges: (1) The complexity of large volumes containing fine structures often leads to highly fragmented space subdivisions that make empty regions hard to skip efficiently. (2) The classification of space into empty and non-empty regions changes frequently, because the user or the evaluation of an interactive query activate a different set of objects, which makes it unfeasible to pre-compute a well-adapted space subdivision. We describe the novel SparseLeap method for efficient empty space skipping in very large volumes, even around fine structures. The main performance characteristic of SparseLeap is that it moves the major cost of empty space skipping out of the ray-casting stage. We achieve this via a hybrid strategy that balances the computational load between determining empty ray segments in a rasterization (object-order) stage, and sampling non-empty volume data in the ray-casting (image-order) stage. Before ray-casting, we exploit the fast hardware rasterization of GPUs to create a ray segment list for each pixel, which identifies non-empty regions along the ray. The ray-casting stage then leaps over empty space without hierarchy traversal. Ray segment lists are created by rasterizing a set of fine-grained, view-independent bounding boxes. Frame coherence is exploited by re-using the same bounding boxes unless the set of active objects changes. We show that SparseLeap scales better to large, sparse data than standard octree empty space skipping.

  16. The laboratory environmental algae pond simulator (LEAPS) photobioreactor: Validation using outdoor pond cultures of Chlorella sorokiniana and Nannochloropsis salina

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Huesemann, M.; Williams, P.; Edmundson, S.; Chen, P.; Kruk, R.; Cullinan, V.; Crowe, B.; Lundquist, T.

    2017-09-01

    A bench-scale photobioreactor system, termed Laboratory Environmental Algae Pond Simulator (LEAPS), was designed and constructed to simulate outdoor pond cultivation for a wide range of geographical locations and seasons. The LEAPS consists of six well-mixed glass column photobioreactors sparged with CO2-enriched air to maintain a set-point pH, illuminated from above by a programmable multicolor LED lighting (0 to 2,500 µmol/m2-sec), and submerged in a temperature controlled water-bath (-2 °C to >60 °C). Measured incident light intensities and water temperatures deviated from the respective light and temperature set-points on average only 2.3% and 0.9%, demonstrating accurate simulation of light and temperature conditions measured in outdoor ponds. In order to determine whether microalgae strains cultured in the LEAPS exhibit the same linear phase biomass productivity as in outdoor ponds, Chlorella sorokiniana and Nannochloropsis salina were cultured in the LEAPS bioreactors using light and temperature scripts measured previously in the respective outdoor pond studies. For Chlorella sorokiniana, the summer season biomass productivity in the LEAPS was 6.6% and 11.3% lower than in the respective outdoor ponds in Rimrock, Arizona, and Delhi, California; however, these differences were not statistically significant. For Nannochloropsis salina, the winter season biomass productivity in the LEAPS was statistically significantly higher (15.2%) during the 27 day experimental period than in the respective outdoor ponds in Tucson, Arizona. However, when considering only the first 14 days, the LEAPS biomass productivity was only 9.2% higher than in the outdoor ponds, a difference shown to be not statistically significant. Potential reasons for the positive or negative divergence in LEAPS performance, relative to outdoor ponds, are discussed. To demonstrate the utility of the LEAPS in predicting productivity, two other strains – Scenedesmus obliquus and Stichococcus minor

  17. Evaluation of the Leap Motion Controller as a New Contact-Free Pointing Device

    OpenAIRE

    Bachmann, Daniel; Weichert, Frank; Rinkenauer, Gerhard

    2014-01-01

    This paper presents a Fitts' law-based analysis of the user's performance in selection tasks with the Leap Motion Controller compared with a standard mouse device. The Leap Motion Controller (LMC) is a new contact-free input system for gesture-based human-computer interaction with declared sub-millimeter accuracy. Up to this point, there has hardly been any systematic evaluation of this new system available. With an error rate of 7.8 % for the LMC and 2.8% for the mouse device, movement times...

  18. Mechanical characterization of densely welded Apache Leap tuff

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fuenkajorn, K.; Daemen, J.J.K.

    1991-06-01

    An empirical criterion is formulated to describe the compressive strength of the densely welded Apache Leap tuff. The criterion incorporates the effects of size, L/D ratio, loading rate and density variations. The criterion improves the correlation between the test results and the failure envelope. Uniaxial and triaxial compressive strengths, Brazilian tensile strength and elastic properties of the densely welded brown unit of the Apache Leap tuff have been determined using the ASTM standard test methods. All tuff samples are tested dry at room temperature (22 ± 2 degrees C), and have the core axis normal to the flow layers. The uniaxial compressive strength is 73.2 ± 16.5 MPa. The Brazilian tensile strength is 5.12 ± 1.2 MPa. The Young's modulus and Poisson's ratio are 22.6 ± 5.7 GPa and 0.20 ± 0.03. Smoothness and perpendicularity do not fully meet the ASTM requirements for all samples, due to the presence of voids and inclusions on the sample surfaces and the sample preparation methods. The investigations of loading rate, L/D radio and cyclic loading effects on the compressive strength and of the size effect on the tensile strength are not conclusive. The Coulomb strength criterion adequately represents the failure envelope of the tuff under confining pressures from 0 to 62 MPa. Cohesion and internal friction angle are 16 MPa and 43 degrees. The brown unit of the Apache Leap tuff is highly heterogeneous as suggested by large variations of the test results. The high intrinsic variability of the tuff is probably caused by the presence of flow layers and by nonuniform distributions of inclusions, voids and degree of welding. Similar variability of the properties has been found in publications on the Topopah Spring tuff at Yucca Mountain. 57 refs., 32 figs., 29 tabs

  19. LEAP [Low-Energy Antiproton]: A balloon-borne search for low-energy cosmic-ray antiprotons

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Moats, A.R.M.

    1989-01-01

    The LEAP (Low-Energy Antiproton) experiment is a search for cosmic-ray antiprotons in the 120 MeV to 1.2 GeV kinetic energy range. The motivation for this project was the result announced by Buffington et. al. (1981) that indicated an anomalously high antiproton flux below 300 MeV; this result has compelled theorists to propose sources of primary antiprotons above the small secondary antiproton flux produced by high energy cosmic-ray collisions with nuclei in the interstellar medium. LEAP consisted of the NMSU magnetic spectrometer, a time-of-flight system designed at Goddard Space Flight Center, two scintillation detectors, and a Cherenkov counter designed and built at the University of Arizona. Analysis of flight data performed by the high-energy astrophysics group at Goddard Space Flight Center revealed no antiproton candidates found in the 120 MeV to 360 MeV range; 3 possible antiproton candidate events were found in the 500 MeV to 1.2 GeV range in an analysis done here at the University of Arizona. However, since it will be necessary to sharpen the calibration on all of the LEAP systems in order to positively identify these events as antiprotons, only an upper limit has been determined at present. Thus, combining the analyses performed at the University of Arizona and Goddard Space Flight Center, 90% confidence upper limits of 3.5 x 10 -5 in the 120 MeV to 360 MeV range and 2.3 x 10 -4 in the 500 MeV to 1.2 GeV range for the antiproton/proton ratio is indicated by the LEAP results. LEAP disagrees sharply with the results of the Buffington group, indicating a low antiproton flux at these energies

  20. EFEKTIFITAS IMPLEMENTASI MODEL QUANTUM LEAP DALAM MENINGKATKAN PANGSA PASAR

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Suroyya Favourita H

    2017-03-01

    Full Text Available The aim of this research was to find out the difference of fund and credit market share before quantum leapmodel implementation and one year after implementation. This research had been done at the Bank X(Persero Tbk. in region 06 Surabaya. It consists of 29 branches as population and respondents. It used thetool of t-test and ANOVA to compare fund and credit market share before and after implementation. Theresult of this research showed that fund declines after implementation. This condition was strengthened byhypothesis test result. So, it was shown that there was no significance differences between before and afterimplementation. Company ability in credit contribution improved, the change was regarded as significantbetween before and after implementation. Based on market share data result, it could be concluded that thecompany ability in getting fund decline in average, so quantum leap model was not effectively improvesfund market share. In contrary, quantum leap model effectively improves credit market share.

  1. Python Leap Second Management and Implementation of Precise Barycentric Correction (barycorrpy)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kanodia, Shubham; Wright, Jason

    2018-01-01

    We announce barycorrpy (BCPy) , a Python implementation to calculate precise barycentric corrections well below the 1 cm/s level, following the algorithm of Wright and Eastman (2014). This level of precision is required in the search for 1 Earth mass planets in the Habitable Zones of Sun-like stars by the Radial Velocity (RV) method, where the maximum semi-amplitude is about 9 cm/s. We have developed BCPy to be used in the pipeline for the next generation Doppler Spectrometers - Habitable-zone Planet Finder (HPF) and NEID. In this work, we also develop an automated leap second management routine to improve upon the one available in Astropy. It checks for and downloads a new leap second file before converting from the UT time scale to TDB.

  2. Evaluation of a portable markerless finger position capture device: accuracy of the Leap Motion controller in healthy adults.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tung, James Y; Lulic, Tea; Gonzalez, Dave A; Tran, Johnathan; Dickerson, Clark R; Roy, Eric A

    2015-05-01

    Although motion analysis is frequently employed in upper limb motor assessment (e.g. visually-guided reaching), they are resource-intensive and limited to laboratory settings. This study evaluated the reliability and accuracy of a new markerless motion capture device, the Leap Motion controller, to measure finger position. Testing conditions that influence reliability and agreement between the Leap and a research-grade motion capture system were examined. Nine healthy young adults pointed to 15 targets on a computer screen under two conditions: (1) touching the target (touch) and (2) 4 cm away from the target (no-touch). Leap data was compared to an Optotrak marker attached to the index finger. Across all trials, root mean square (RMS) error of the Leap system was 17.30  ±  9.56 mm (mean ± SD), sampled at 65.47  ±  21.53 Hz. The % viable trials and mean sampling rate were significantly lower in the touch condition (44% versus 64%, p motion capture systems, the Leap Motion controller is sufficiently reliable for measuring motor performance in pointing tasks that do not require high positional accuracy (e.g. reaction time, Fitt's, trails, bimanual coordination).

  3. Trust as a Leap of Hope for Transaction Value

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Li, Peter Ping

    2015-01-01

    trustor’s propensity to trust as well as above and beyond trustor confident expectation of trustee’s trustworthiness (either due to trustee’s trait-like characters or due to institutional assurance). In this sense, trust should be reframed as a leap of hope to enhance transaction value by taking advantage...

  4. Tool path planning of hole-making operations in ejector plate of injection mould using modified shuffled frog leaping algorithm

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Amol M. Dalavi

    2016-07-01

    Full Text Available Optimization of hole-making operations in manufacturing industry plays a vital role. Tool travel and tool switch planning are the two major issues in hole-making operations. Many industrial applications such as moulds, dies, engine block, automotive parts etc. requires machining of large number of holes. Large number of machining operations like drilling, enlargement or tapping/reaming are required to achieve the final size of individual hole, which gives rise to number of possible sequences to complete hole-making operations on the part depending upon the location of hole and tool sequence to be followed. It is necessary to find the optimal sequence of operations which minimizes the total processing cost of hole-making operations. In this work, therefore an attempt is made to reduce the total processing cost of hole-making operations by applying relatively new optimization algorithms known as shuffled frog leaping algorithm and proposed modified shuffled frog leaping algorithm for the determination of optimal sequence of hole-making operations. An industrial application example of ejector plate of injection mould is considered in this work to demonstrate the proposed approach. The obtained results by the shuffled frog leaping algorithm and proposed modified shuffled frog leaping algorithm are compared with each other. It is seen from the obtained results that the results of proposed modified shuffled frog leaping algorithm are superior to those obtained using shuffled frog leaping algorithm.

  5. Evaluation of upward migration around a deep injection well

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chia, Yeeping; Chiu, J.

    1994-01-01

    The long-term containment of injected wastes in the deep subsurface is expected to be achieved under suitable geologic and hydrologic conditions and by the use of competent engineering practices. Field experiences, however, indicate that waste containment may be affected by hydrologic conduits around the injection well. To assess the potential effects of these conduits, upward migration of injected waste is examined through the use of numerical models under various conditions. Test results indicate that without any preferential hydrologic conduits, most of the injected waste moves laterally in the injection interval, whereas only a small amount of waste migrates upward into the containment interval. When vertical fractures in the disturbed zone or defects in the cement seal around the wellbore exist, the contaminant can move rapidly upward along these conduits to an overlying aquifer, from which it migrates in the lateral direction. The contamination of the overlying aquifer that results from the upward migration of injected waste through these conduits cannot be impeded by a thick, low-permeability containment interval. However, when permeable interbeds exist within the containment interval, a significant portion of the waste migrating upward can be diverted laterally before reaching the overlying aquifer. The front of built-up pressure can reach the aquifer or permeable interbed immediately overlying the injection interval through the preferential hydrologic conduits shortly after the injection starts, but it cannot move farther upward because of pressure dissipation in the permeable formation. This study suggests that the injected waste has the potential to migrate upward into overlying formations through preferential migration conduits around the wellbore

  6. Upward counterfactual thinking and depression: A meta-analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Broomhall, Anne Gene; Phillips, Wendy J; Hine, Donald W; Loi, Natasha M

    2017-07-01

    This meta-analysis examined the strength of association between upward counterfactual thinking and depressive symptoms. Forty-two effect sizes from a pooled sample of 13,168 respondents produced a weighted average effect size of r=.26, pdesign (cross-sectional versus longitudinal). Significant effect size heterogeneity was observed across sample types, methods of assessing upward counterfactual thinking, and types of depression scale. Significant positive effects were found in studies that employed samples of bereaved individuals, older adults, terminally ill patients, or university students, but not adolescent mothers or mixed samples. Both number-based and Likert-based upward counterfactual thinking assessments produced significant positive effects, with the latter generating a larger effect. All depression scales produced significant positive effects, except for the Psychiatric Epidemiology Research Interview. Research and theoretical implications are discussed in relation to cognitive theories of depression and the functional theory of upward counterfactual thinking, and important gaps in the extant research literature are identified. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  7. DESIGN REVIEW OF CAD MODELS USING A NUI LEAP MOTION SENSOR

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    GÎRBACIA Florin

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available Natural User Interfaces (NUI is a relatively new area of research that aims to develop humancomputer interfaces, natural and intuitive, using voice commands, hand movements and gesture recognition, similar to communication between people which also implies body language and gestures. In this paper is presented a natural designed workspace which acquires the user's motion using a Leap Motion sensor and visualizes the CAD models using a CAVE-like 3D visualisation system. The user can modify complex CAD models using bimanual gesture commands in a 3D virtual environment. The developed bimanual gestures for rotate, pan, zoom and explode are presented. From the conducted experiments is established that Leap Motion NUI sensor provides an intuitive tool for design review of CAD models, performed even by users with no experience in CAD systems and virtual environments.

  8. Optimal inverse magnetorheological damper modeling using shuffled frog-leaping algorithm–based adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system approach

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xiufang Lin

    2016-08-01

    Full Text Available Magnetorheological dampers have become prominent semi-active control devices for vibration mitigation of structures which are subjected to severe loads. However, the damping force cannot be controlled directly due to the inherent nonlinear characteristics of the magnetorheological dampers. Therefore, for fully exploiting the capabilities of the magnetorheological dampers, one of the challenging aspects is to develop an accurate inverse model which can appropriately predict the input voltage to control the damping force. In this article, a hybrid modeling strategy combining shuffled frog-leaping algorithm and adaptive-network-based fuzzy inference system is proposed to model the inverse dynamic characteristics of the magnetorheological dampers for improving the modeling accuracy. The shuffled frog-leaping algorithm is employed to optimize the premise parameters of the adaptive-network-based fuzzy inference system while the consequent parameters are tuned by a least square estimation method, here known as shuffled frog-leaping algorithm-based adaptive-network-based fuzzy inference system approach. To evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed approach, the inverse modeling results based on the shuffled frog-leaping algorithm-based adaptive-network-based fuzzy inference system approach are compared with those based on the adaptive-network-based fuzzy inference system and genetic algorithm–based adaptive-network-based fuzzy inference system approaches. Analysis of variance test is carried out to statistically compare the performance of the proposed methods and the results demonstrate that the shuffled frog-leaping algorithm-based adaptive-network-based fuzzy inference system strategy outperforms the other two methods in terms of modeling (training accuracy and checking accuracy.

  9. Enrofloxacin and Probiotic Lactobacilli Influence PepT1 and LEAP-2 mRNA Expression in Poultry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pavlova, Ivelina; Milanova, Aneliya; Danova, Svetla; Fink-Gremmels, Johanna

    2016-12-01

    Expression of peptide transporter 1 (PepT1) and liver-expressed antimicrobial peptide 2 (LEAP-2) in chickens can be influenced by food deprivation, pathological conditions and drug administration. Effect of three putative probiotic Lactobacillus strains and enrofloxacin on the expression of PepT1 and LEAP-2 mRNA was investigated in Ross 308 chickens. One-day-old chicks (n = 24) were allocated to following groups: control (without treatment); group treated with probiotics via feed; group treated with a combination of probiotics and enrofloxacin; and a group given enrofloxacin only. The drug was administered at a dose of 10 mg kg -1 , via drinking water for 5 days. Samples from liver, duodenum and jejunum were collected 126 h after the start of the treatment. Expression levels of PepT1 and LEAP-2 were determined by real-time polymerase chain reaction and were statistically evaluated by Mann-Whitney test. Enrofloxacin administered alone or in combination with probiotics provoked a statistically significant up-regulation of PepT1 mRNA levels in the measured organ sites. These changes can be attributed to a tendency of improvement in utilization of dietary peptide and in body weight gain. LEAP-2 mRNA expression levels did not change significantly in enrofloxacin-treated chickens in comparison with control group.

  10. The Characters of Leap Years in Qing Calendars (1644-1911)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lu, Dalong

    In Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) three different calendars had been put into use which titles are Xiyang Xinfa Lishu (Treatise on Astronomy and Calendrical Science according to the New Method in West 1645-1666) Yuzhi Lixiang Kaocheng (Compendium of Calendrical Science and Astronomy compiled by Imperial Order 1725-1742) and Yuzhi Lixiang Kaocheng Houbian (Sequel Compendium of Calendrical Science and Astronomy compiled by Imperial Order 1742-1911). The characters of leap years in the three calendars are different for the last one which is selected the year of 1723 as it epoch and named as Guimao Yuan Li. This calendar is based on the 33-year pattern of leap years (there is a rather exact accord between days and years over this interval with eight days being intercalated per 33 years) and is slightly different from the former two calendars. Therefore the calendars of Qing Dynasty complied by Western Jesuits and Chinese astronomers can be regarded as the remarkable achievements in the history of calendar in the world.

  11. Draft genome sequence of Xylella fastidiosa subsp. fastidiosa strain Stag’s Leap

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xylella fastidiosa subsp. fastidiosa causes Pierce’s disease of grapevine. Presented here is the draft genome sequence of the Stag’s Leap strain, previously used in pathogenicity/virulence assays to evaluate grapevine germplasm bearing Pierce’s disease....

  12. Unreal Interactive Puppet Game Development Using Leap Motion

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, An-Pin; Huang, Fay; Jhu, Jing-Siang

    2018-04-01

    This paper proposed a novel puppet play method utilizing recent technology. An interactive puppet game has been developed based on the theme of a famous Chinese classical novel. This project was implemented using Unreal Engine, which is a leading software of integrated tools for developers to design and build games. On the other hand, Leap Motion Controller is a sensor device for recognizing hand movements and gestures. It is commonly used in systems which require close-range finger-based user interaction. In order to manipulate puppets’ movements, the developed program employs the Leap Motion SDK, which provides a friendly way to add motion-controlled 3D hands to an Unreal game. The novelty of our project is to replace 3D model of rigged hands by two 3D humanoid rigged characters. The challenges of this task are two folds. First, the skeleton structure of a human hand and a humanoid character (i.e., puppets) are totally different. Making the puppets to follow the hand poses of the user and yet ensuring reasonable puppets’ movements has not been discussed in the literatures nor in the developer forums. Second, there are only a limited number of built-in recognizable hand gestures. More recognizable hand gestures need to be created for the interactive game. This paper reports the proposed solutions to these challenges.

  13. Effects of Geometry and Kinematics on Animals Leaping Out of Water

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chang, Brian; Myeong, Jihye; Virot, Emmanuel; Kim, Ho-Young; Jung, Sunghwan

    2017-11-01

    Leaping out of water is a phenomenon exhibited by a variety of aquatic and semi-aquatic animals, such as frogs and whales. In this study, we aim to elucidate the effects of geometric and kinematic conditions on the propulsive and drag force required for an animal to jump through the water interface. A simple mechanism was designed to measure the propulsive thrust produced by a flapping appendage. In a separate experiment to measure the opposing drag, simplified models of animals are 3D printed and fitted with pressure sensors. The model is accelerated from rest and covers a range of Re from 103 to 105. Using a high-speed camera and pressure sensors, we observed a deformation of the free surface prior to water exit, and correlated this to the drag force. Finally, we discuss a scaling law to describe the general physics which allow animals to leap out of water. NSF EAPSI.

  14. Medium- and Long-term Prediction of LOD Change by the Leap-step Autoregressive Model

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Qijie

    2015-08-01

    The accuracy of medium- and long-term prediction of length of day (LOD) change base on combined least-square and autoregressive (LS+AR) deteriorates gradually. Leap-step autoregressive (LSAR) model can significantly reduce the edge effect of the observation sequence. Especially, LSAR model greatly improves the resolution of signals’ low-frequency components. Therefore, it can improve the efficiency of prediction. In this work, LSAR is used to forecast the LOD change. The LOD series from EOP 08 C04 provided by IERS is modeled by both the LSAR and AR models. The results of the two models are analyzed and compared. When the prediction length is between 10-30 days, the accuracy improvement is less than 10%. When the prediction length amounts to above 30 day, the accuracy improved obviously, with the maximum being around 19%. The results show that the LSAR model has higher prediction accuracy and stability in medium- and long-term prediction.

  15. Field-aligned current signatures during the March 13-14, 1989, great magnetic storm

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fujii, R.; Fukunishi, H.; Kokubun, S.; Sugiura, M.; Tohyama, F.; Hayakawa, H.; Tsuruda, K.; Okada, T.

    1992-01-01

    Characteristics of field-aligned currents (FACs) in the evening and morning regions during the March 13-14, 1989, great magnetic storm have been determined using magnetic and electric field data obtained from the EXOS D spacecraft. This storm began with an SSC at 0128 UT on March 13, and the second SSC occurred at 0747 UT on the same day. The storm continued until March 14. The equatorward boundary of the FAC region began to move equatorward right after the first SSC in both the evening and morning sectors, but the poleward boundary did not immediately respond to the SSC. The equatorward boundary of the FAC system reached as low as below 48 degree invariant latitude, which corresponds to L = 2.2, and the latitudinal width of the FAC region increased greatly, particularly in the morning sector (∼33 degree in invariant latitude). In the evening sector the conventional current system characterized by a pair of upward region 1 and downward region 2 FACs changed into complicated patterns consisting of many pairs of upward and downward FACs with the development of the storm, particularly around 22 UT on March 13 when an intense eastward electrojet was observed as low as 50 degree invariant latitude on the ground. In the morning sector an additional large-scale upward FAC was observed poleward of the conventional downward region 1 and upward region 2 FAC system throughout the storm. In addition, a pair of FACs with a narrow latitudinal width (∼1.5 degree) was observed at the poleward boundary of the extra upward FAC

  16. Virtual reality-based assessment of basic laparoscopic skills using the Leap Motion controller.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lahanas, Vasileios; Loukas, Constantinos; Georgiou, Konstantinos; Lababidi, Hani; Al-Jaroudi, Dania

    2017-12-01

    The majority of the current surgical simulators employ specialized sensory equipment for instrument tracking. The Leap Motion controller is a new device able to track linear objects with sub-millimeter accuracy. The aim of this study was to investigate the potential of a virtual reality (VR) simulator for assessment of basic laparoscopic skills, based on the low-cost Leap Motion controller. A simple interface was constructed to simulate the insertion point of the instruments into the abdominal cavity. The controller provided information about the position and orientation of the instruments. Custom tools were constructed to simulate the laparoscopic setup. Three basic VR tasks were developed: camera navigation (CN), instrument navigation (IN), and bimanual operation (BO). The experiments were carried out in two simulation centers: MPLSC (Athens, Greece) and CRESENT (Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia). Two groups of surgeons (28 experts and 21 novices) participated in the study by performing the VR tasks. Skills assessment metrics included time, pathlength, and two task-specific errors. The face validity of the training scenarios was also investigated via a questionnaire completed by the participants. Expert surgeons significantly outperformed novices in all assessment metrics for IN and BO (p assessment of basic laparoscopic skills. The proposed system allowed the evaluation of dexterity of the hand movements. Future work will involve comparison studies with validated simulators and development of advanced training scenarios on current Leap Motion controller.

  17. Study protocol: translating and implementing psychosocial interventions in aged home care the lifestyle engagement activity program (LEAP) for life

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-01-01

    Background Tailored psychosocial activity-based interventions have been shown to improve mood, behaviour and quality of life for nursing home residents. Occupational therapist delivered activity programs have shown benefits when delivered in home care settings for people with dementia. The primary aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of LEAP (Lifestyle Engagement Activity Program) for Life, a training and practice change program on the engagement of home care clients by care workers. Secondary aims are to evaluate the impact of the program on changes in client mood and behaviour. Methods/design The 12 month LEAP program has three components: 1) engaging site management and care staff in the program; 2) employing a LEAP champion one day a week to support program activities; 3) delivering an evidence-based training program to care staff. Specifically, case managers will be trained and supported to set meaningful social or recreational goals with clients and incorporate these into care plans. Care workers will be trained in and encouraged to practise good communication, promote client independence and choice, and tailor meaningful activities using Montessori principles, reminiscence, music, physical activity and play. LEAP Champions will be given information about theories of organisational change and trained in interpersonal skills required for their role. LEAP will be evaluated in five home care sites including two that service ethnic minority groups. A quasi experimental design will be used with evaluation data collected four times: 6-months prior to program commencement; at the start of the program; and then after 6 and 12 months. Mixed effect models will enable comparison of change in outcomes for the periods before and during the program. The primary outcome measure is client engagement. Secondary outcomes for clients are satisfaction with care, dysphoria/depression, loneliness, apathy and agitation; and work satisfaction for care workers. A process

  18. Utility Assessment of Specificity in Upward Feedback Instruments for Leadership Development

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Wardak, Theresa

    2003-01-01

    ...) and the other is the recently developed, non-proprietary Upward Feedback Instrument (2002). The Upward Feedback Instrument was designed to measure leadership behaviors at a more specific level...

  19. The long-term forecast of Taiwan's energy supply and demand: LEAP model application

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Huang, Yophy; Bor, Yunchang Jeffrey; Peng, Chieh-Yu

    2011-01-01

    The long-term forecasting of energy supply and demand is an extremely important topic of fundamental research in Taiwan due to Taiwan's lack of natural resources, dependence on energy imports, and the nation's pursuit of sustainable development. In this article, we provide an overview of energy supply and demand in Taiwan, and a summary of the historical evolution and current status of its energy policies, as background to a description of the preparation and application of a Long-range Energy Alternatives Planning System (LEAP) model of Taiwan's energy sector. The Taiwan LEAP model is used to compare future energy demand and supply patterns, as well as greenhouse gas emissions, for several alternative scenarios of energy policy and energy sector evolution. Results of scenarios featuring 'business-as-usual' policies, aggressive energy-efficiency improvement policies, and on-schedule retirement of Taiwan's three existing nuclear plants are provided and compared, along with sensitivity cases exploring the impacts of lower economic growth assumptions. A concluding section provides an interpretation of the implications of model results for future energy and climate policies in Taiwan. - Research highlights: → The LEAP model is useful for international energy policy comparison. → Nuclear power plants have significant, positive impacts on CO 2 emission. → The most effective energy policy is to adopt demand-side management. → Reasonable energy pricing provides incentives for energy efficiency and conservation. → Financial crisis has less impact on energy demand than aggressive energy policy.

  20. 34 CFR 645.1 - What is the Upward Bound Program?

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... participants the skills and motivation necessary to complete a program of secondary education and to enter and... the following three types of projects: (1) Regular Upward Bound projects. (2) Upward Bound Math and... Education Regulations of the Offices of the Department of Education (Continued) OFFICE OF POSTSECONDARY...

  1. Two upward lightning at the Eagle Nest tower

    OpenAIRE

    Montañá Puig, Juan; Van der Velde, Oscar Arnoud; Romero Durán, David; March Nomen, Víctor; Solà de Las Fuentes, Gloria; Pineda Ruegg, Nicolau; Soula, Serge; Hermoso Alameda, Blas

    2012-01-01

    A new instrument composed by a high speed camera, two high energy detectors, a E-field antenna and a VHF antenna were installed at the Eagle Nest tower (northeast of Spain) during summer 2011. With this equipment several lightning flashes to the tower and its vicinity have been observed. This paper presents two examples: the first was an upward negative leader triggered by a close c1oud-to-ground flash and the second was an upward negative flash not associated with previous lightning activity...

  2. Simulation of upward flux from shallow water-table using UPFLOW model

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. H. Ali

    2013-11-01

    Full Text Available The upward movement of water by capillary rise from shallow water-table to the root zone is an important incoming flux. For determining exact amount of irrigation requirement, estimation of capillary flux or upward flux is essential. Simulation model can provide a reliable estimate of upward flux under variable soil and climatic conditions. In this study, the performance of model UPFLOW to estimate upward flux was evaluated. Evaluation of model performance was performed with both graphical display and statistical criteria. In distribution of simulated capillary rise values against observed field data, maximum data points lie around the 1:1 line, which means that the model output is reliable and reasonable. The coefficient of determination between observed and simulated values was 0.806 (r = 0.93, which indicates a good inter-relation between observed and simulated values. The relative error, model efficiency, and index of agreement were found as 27.91%, 85.93% and 0.96, respectively. Considering the graphical display of observed and simulated upward flux and statistical indicators, it can be concluded that the overall performance of the UPFLOW model in simulating actual upward flux from a crop field under variable water-table condition is satisfactory. Thus, the model can be used to estimate capillary rise from shallow water-table for proper estimation of irrigation requirement, which would save valuable water from over-irrigation.

  3. Draft Genome Sequence of Xylella fastidiosa subsp. fastidiosa Strain Stag?s Leap

    OpenAIRE

    Chen, J.; Wu, F.; Zheng, Z.; Deng, X.; Burbank, L. P.; Stenger, D. C.

    2016-01-01

    Xylella fastidiosa subsp. fastidiosa causes Pierce?s disease of grapevine. Presented here is the draft genome sequence of the Stag?s Leap strain, previously used in pathogenicity/virulence assays to evaluate grapevine germplasm bearing Pierce?s disease resistance and a phenotypic assessment of knockout mutants to determine gene function.

  4. Nonlinear Rayleigh wave inversion based on the shuffled frog-leaping algorithm

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sun, Cheng-Yu; Wang, Yan-Yan; Wu, Dun-Shi; Qin, Xiao-Jun

    2017-12-01

    At present, near-surface shear wave velocities are mainly calculated through Rayleigh wave dispersion-curve inversions in engineering surface investigations, but the required calculations pose a highly nonlinear global optimization problem. In order to alleviate the risk of falling into a local optimal solution, this paper introduces a new global optimization method, the shuffle frog-leaping algorithm (SFLA), into the Rayleigh wave dispersion-curve inversion process. SFLA is a swarm-intelligence-based algorithm that simulates a group of frogs searching for food. It uses a few parameters, achieves rapid convergence, and is capability of effective global searching. In order to test the reliability and calculation performance of SFLA, noise-free and noisy synthetic datasets were inverted. We conducted a comparative analysis with other established algorithms using the noise-free dataset, and then tested the ability of SFLA to cope with data noise. Finally, we inverted a real-world example to examine the applicability of SFLA. Results from both synthetic and field data demonstrated the effectiveness of SFLA in the interpretation of Rayleigh wave dispersion curves. We found that SFLA is superior to the established methods in terms of both reliability and computational efficiency, so it offers great potential to improve our ability to solve geophysical inversion problems.

  5. Towards automatic global error control: Computable weak error expansion for the tau-leap method

    KAUST Repository

    Karlsson, Peer Jesper; Tempone, Raul

    2011-01-01

    This work develops novel error expansions with computable leading order terms for the global weak error in the tau-leap discretization of pure jump processes arising in kinetic Monte Carlo models. Accurate computable a posteriori error approximations are the basis for adaptive algorithms, a fundamental tool for numerical simulation of both deterministic and stochastic dynamical systems. These pure jump processes are simulated either by the tau-leap method, or by exact simulation, also referred to as dynamic Monte Carlo, the Gillespie Algorithm or the Stochastic Simulation Slgorithm. Two types of estimates are presented: an a priori estimate for the relative error that gives a comparison between the work for the two methods depending on the propensity regime, and an a posteriori estimate with computable leading order term. © de Gruyter 2011.

  6. Technique of the biomechanical analysis of execution of upward jump piked

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nataliya Batieieva

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available Purpose: the biomechanical analysis of execution of upward jump piked. Material & Methods: the following methods of the research were used: theoretical analysis and synthesis of data of special scientific and methodical literature; photographing, video filming, biomechanical computer analysis, pedagogical observation. Students (n=8 of the chair of national choreography of the department of choreographic art of Kiev national university of culture and art took part in carrying out the biomechanical analysis of execution of upward jump piked. Results: the biomechanical analysis of execution of upward jump piked is carried out, the kinematic characteristics (way, speed, acceleration, effort of the general center of weight (GCW and center of weight (CW of biolinks of body of the executor are received (feet, shins, hips, shoulder, forearm, hands. Biokinematic models (phases are constructed. Power characteristics are defined – mechanical work and kinetic energy of links of legs and hands at execution of upward jump piked. Conclusions: it is established that the technique of execution of upward jump piked considerably influences the level of technical training of the qualified sportsmen in gymnastics (sports, in aerobic gymnastics (aerobics, diving and dancing sports.

  7. Two-phase upward air water flow in a prismatic channel with rectangular base

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Carvalho Tofani, P. de

    1984-01-01

    Two-phase liquid-gas mixtures provide suitable means to simulate water-water vapor flows, which may occur in nuclear reactor cores. The mastery of physical transport phenomena is of great importance, as far as the analysis of such thermal systems is concerned. Within the framework of thermal-hydraulic programs, experiments have been carried out to investigate the two-phase upward air-water flow structure, in a rectangular test section, by using independent measuring techniques, which comprise direct viewing and photography, electrical probes and gamma-ray attenuation. In this paper, flow pattern maps and correlations for flow pattern transitions, void fraction profiles, liquid film thickness and superficial average void fraction are proposed and compared to available data. (Author) [pt

  8. Development of LEAP-JET code for sodium-water reaction analysis. Validation by sodium-water reaction tests (SWAT-1R)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Seino, Hiroshi; Hamada, Hirotsugu

    2004-03-01

    The sodium-water reaction event in an FBR steam generator (SG) has influence on the safety, economical efficiency, etc. of the plant, so that the selection of design base leak (DBL) of the SG is considered as one of the important matters. The clarification of the sodium-water reaction phenomenon and the development of an analysis model are necessary to estimate the sodium-water reaction event with high accuracy and rationality in selecting the DBL. The reaction jet model is pointed out as a part of the necessary improvements to evaluate the overheating tube rupture of large SGs, since the behavior of overheating tube rupture is largely affected by the reaction jet conditions outside the tube. Therefore, LEAP-JET has been developed as an analysis code for the simulation of sodium-water reactions. This document shows the validation of the LEAP-JET code by the Sodium-Water Reaction Test (SWAT-1R). The following results have been obtained: (1) The reaction rate constant, K, is estimated at between 0.001≤K≤0.1 from the LEAP-JET analysis of the SWAT-1R data. (2) The analytical results on the high-temperature region and the behaviors of reaction consumption (Na, H 2 O) and products (H 2 , NaOH, Na 2 O) are considered to be physically reasonable. (3) The LEAP-JET analysis shows the tendency of overestimation in the maximum temperature and temperature distribution of the reaction jet. (4) In the LEAP-JET analysis, the numerical calculation becomes unstably, especially in the mesh containing quite small sodium mass. Therefore, it is necessary to modify the computational algorism to stabilize it and obtain the optimum value of K in sodium-water reactions. (author)

  9. The Great Barrier Reef:The chronological record from a new borehole

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Braithwaite, C.J.; Dalmasso, H.; Gilmour, M.A.; Harkness, D.D.; Henderson, G.M.; Kay, R.L.F.; Kroon, D.; Montaggioni, L.F.; Wilson, P.A.

    2004-01-01

    A new borehole, 210 mbsf (meters below sea floor) deep, drilled in Ribbon Reef 5 on the Great Barrier Reef off Cooktown, NE Australia, reveals a shallowing-upwards succession, the younger part of which is punctuated by a series of erosion surfaces. Nine depositional units have been defined by

  10. Multilevel Drift-Implicit Tau-Leap

    KAUST Repository

    Ben Hammouda, Chiheb

    2016-01-06

    The dynamics of biochemical reactive systems with small copy numbers of one or more reactant molecules is dominated by stochastic effects. For those systems, discrete state-space and stochastic simulation approaches were proved to be more relevant than continuous state-space and deterministic ones. In systems characterized by having simultaneously fast and slowtimescales, the existing discrete space-state stochastic path simulation methods such as the stochastic simulation algorithm (SSA) and the explicit tauleap method can be very slow. Implicit approximations were developed in the literature to improve numerical stability and provide efficient simulation algorithms for those systems. In this work, we propose an efficient Multilevel Monte Carlo method in the spirit of the work by Anderson and Higham (2012) that uses drift-implicit tau-leap approximations at levels where the explicit tauleap method is not applicable due to numerical stability issues. We present numerical examples that illustrate the performance of the proposed method.

  11. The last glacial inception in continental northwestern Europe: characterization and timing of the Late Eemian Aridity Pulse (LEAP) recorded in multiple Belgian speleothems.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vansteenberge, Stef; Verheyden, Sophie; Quinif, Yves; Genty, Dominique; Blamart, Dominique; Deprez, Maxim; Van Stappen, Jeroen; Cnudde, Veerle; Cheng, Hai; Edwards, R. Lawrence; Claeys, Philippe

    2017-04-01

    Interglacial-glacial transitions represent important turnovers in the climate system. In contrast with glacial terminations, they are described as a more gradual cooling. So far, the last interglacial has yielded a wealth of knowledge regarding climate dynamics during past warm periods. On top of the assumed gradual temperature drop starting at 119 ka, evidence for the presence of a drastic drying/cooling event in northern Europe has been observed. In lake records from Germany, a distinct shift in pollen assembly at 117.5 ka is interpreted as the consequence of a short dry event lasting 470 years, defined as the Late Eemian Aridity Pulse (LEAP, Sirocko et al., 2005). In a Belgian stalagmite from Han-sur-Lesse Cave, the LEAP is characterized by a 5‰ increase in δ13C occurring in just 200 years. The δ13C enrichment is dated at 117.5 ka and associated with a vegetation change above the cave, induced by a drying and/or cooling event (Vansteenberge et al., 2016). Also, within North Atlantic sediment cores, an increase in ice rafted debris was linked to the occurrence of a colder period at 117 ka (Irvali et al., 2016). Its coevality with the LEAP indicates a likely more regional extent than previously thought. Up to now, no independent chronology exists and little is known about the continental climatic expression of the LEAP. This study aims at 1) constructing an improved and independent chronology for the LEAP event, 2) characterizing this event in terms of its climatic expression and 3) placing the LEAP within the context of an interglacial-glacial transition. For this, two additional speleothems (Han-8, RSM-17) from two different Belgian caves (Han-sur-Lesse, Remouchamps) are added to the existing Han-9 dataset. Exceptionally high growth rates (0.5 mm yr-1) and a presumed annual layering of the RSM-17 sample enable an annual to decadal resolution to investigate the LEAP. U-Th age models covering the glacial inception are constructed with 25 dates on the three

  12. Upwards Intensifiers in the English, German and Croatian Language

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anita Pavić Pintarić

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available This paper investigates the upwards intensifiers (adverbs of intensifying in the English, German and Croatian language. Intensity as an important human cognitive category, and language expressivity is differently treated in grammars and dictionaries of all three languages, especially with respect to different degrees of intensity. In this paper we argue that it is possible to model a typology of upwards adverb intensifiers in the three languages, according to their morphosyntactic and semantic aspects. When it comes to intensifiers, it is necessary to describe which collocates are modified by intensifiers and which semantic fields the collocates belong to. The results of the corpus analysis based on Harry Potter novels show that all the three languages express the category of the upwards intensity in the same way: the number of intensifiers is similar, the collocates mostly belong to the same semantic fields and word classes, they have similar syntactic functions.

  13. EDITORIAL: Quanta and leaps

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dobson, Ken

    2000-11-01

    oscillating light `waves' had to be quantized as well. Several articles in this issue of Physics Education celebrate the first year of the quantum, 1900. I am grateful and beholden to Board Member and co-editor Gren Ireson for his contacts and nomination of the various contributors. It does seem strange, however, a full century after its discovery full of its amazing success that the essential quantum nature of practically everything is still kept hidden from school students, in the UK at least. Let's see what happens in the coming century. Now for another quantum leap. This is the last issue of Physics Education that I shall have the honour of editing. In fact, I shall leap into historical obscurity as the very last honorary editor. Great efforts by your Editorial Board - over a fair number of years! - have resulted in a radical reorganizing of both the journal and the way it is produced. It's been an interesting five years, a time of falling numbers but quite radical innovations in post-16 physics education. IoPP and the IoP are working together to revitalize what may have been seen by many as a staid if respectable and authoritative publication. We shall keep the authority and even respectability but hope to liven things up a bit. The new editor is Kerry Parker of Sheffield College. She will take on a stronger role than I and my predecessors have had, and will be working at IoPP in Bristol two days a week. There are many obvious advantages in this, and I look forward to seeing the new design and approach that will start with the January 2000 issue. So, it's goodbye from me - and also from the unsung heroine of Physics Education for even longer. Managing Editor Dr Jill Membrey has been doing the really hard work at Bristol for many years, but is now moving on to other things at IoPP. I am extremely grateful for the highly professional care and support she has provided for myself and the Editorial Board over the years. The new Managing Editor is Andrea Pomroy, who arrives at

  14. Flying fish accelerate at 5 G to leap from the water surface

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Patricia; Phonekeo, Sulisay; Xu, Ke; Chang, Shui-Kai; Hu, David

    2013-11-01

    Flying fish can both swim underwater and glide in air. Transitioning from swimming to gliding requires penetration of the air-water interface, or breaking the ``surface tension barrier,'' a formidable task for juvenile flying fish measuring 1 to 5 cm in length. In this experimental investigation, we use high-speed videography to characterize the kinematics of juvenile flying fish as they leap from the water surface. During this process, which lasts 0.05 seconds, flying fish achieve body accelerations of 5 times earth's gravity and gliding speeds of 1.3 m/s, an order of magnitude higher than their steady swimming speed. We rationalize this anomalously high speed on the basis of the hydrodynamic and surface tension forces and torques experienced by the fish. Specifically, leaping fish experience skin friction forces only on the submerged part of their body, permitting them to achieve much higher speeds than in steady underwater swimming. We also perform experiments using a towed flying fish mimc to determine optimality of various parameters in this process, including body angle and start position with respect to the water surface.

  15. Cover Art: River's Edge: Downward, Outward, Upward

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jonee Kulman Brigham

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available Artist's Statement for the cover art of IJPS volume 4, issue 3: River's Edge: Downward, Outward, Upward, 2015. Mixed Media: photograph, inkjet printed on presentation matte of colored pencil over photograph.

  16. Leap Motion Gesture Control With Carestream Software in the Operating Room to Control Imaging: Installation Guide and Discussion.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pauchot, Julien; Di Tommaso, Laetitia; Lounis, Ahmed; Benassarou, Mourad; Mathieu, Pierre; Bernot, Dominique; Aubry, Sébastien

    2015-12-01

    Nowadays, routine cross-sectional imaging viewing during a surgical procedure requires physical contact with an interface (mouse or touch-sensitive screen). Such contact risks exposure to aseptic conditions and causes loss of time. Devices such as the recently introduced Leap Motion (Leap Motion Society, San Francisco, CA), which enables interaction with the computer without any physical contact, are of wide interest in the field of surgery, but configuration and ergonomics are key challenges for the practitioner, imaging software, and surgical environment. This article aims to suggest an easy configuration of Leap Motion on a PC for optimized use with Carestream Vue PACS v11.3.4 (Carestream Health, Inc, Rochester, NY) using a plug-in (to download at https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B_F4eBeBQc3yNENvTXlnY09qS00&authuser=0) and a video tutorial (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yVPTgxg-SIk). Videos of surgical procedure and discussion about innovative gesture control technology and its various configurations are provided in this article. © The Author(s) 2015.

  17. Development of excavator training simulator using leap motion controller

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fahmi, F.; Nainggolan, F.; Andayani, U.; Siregar, B.

    2018-03-01

    Excavator is a heavy machinery that is used for many industries purposes. Controlling the excavator is not easy. Its operator has to be trained well in many skills to make sure it is safe, effective, and efficient while using the excavator. In this research, we proposed a virtual reality excavator simulator supported by a device called Leap Motion Controller that supports finger and hand motions as an input. This prototype will be developed than in the virtual reality environment to give a more real sensing to the user.

  18. Gas, benefits and question marks. The Oklo reactors: 100 % natural. The Kyoto protocol: use it or lose it?. Small hydro power: a great leap forward. The energy mix of South Korea

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Anon.

    2005-01-01

    This issue of Alternatives newsletter contains a main press-kit about natural gas economics worldwide and 4 articles dealing with the Oklo natural reactor, the Kyoto protocol, the small hydro-power in China, and the energy mix of South Korea: 1 - 'Gas benefits and question marks': The world's most widely distributed fossil fuel, natural gas is also the fastest-growing energy source of the past thirty years. Its position as the fuel of choice in the global energy mix is due in large part to its many domestic and industrial applications. 2 - 'The Oklo reactors: 100% natural': Another look at this extraordinary 2 billion year-old phenomenon in words and pictures: the nuclear fission reaction that created the natural reactors of Gabon. 3 - 'The Kyoto Protocol: use it or lose it?': Nearly eight years after its signature, the Kyoto Protocol is still hotly debated. Two experts give us their views: Spencer Abraham, former U.S. Secretary for Energy, and Jean-Charles Hourcade of CIRED, the international center for research on the environment and development. 4 - 'Small hydro power: a great leap forward': The Chinese government has responded to the need for rural electrification with an aid program for the country's poorest cantons. Enter the small hydro plant in northern Guangxi province. 5 - 'The energy mix of South Korea': Faced with continuing strong economic growth and energy demand, South Korea has multiplied its projects, from hydropower to tidal power to nuclear and even hydrogen in the longer term

  19. Effects of intergroup upward comparison, trait self-esteem, and identity shift on state self-esteem and affect in upward comparison with in-group members

    OpenAIRE

    Isobe, Chikae; Ura, Mitsuhiro

    2006-01-01

    The present study investigated factors that protect people low in trait self-esteem (Low-SEs), who may be less skilled at constructing information in self-enhancing manners, from threats after interpersonal upward comparison with in-group members. We hypothesized that even Low-SEs can maintain their state self-esteem under intergroup upward comparison. Furthermore, this study explored the possibility that individuals used identity-shift, a strategy to maintain their personal identity, even in...

  20. China's "Great Leap" toward Madison Avenue.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Anderson, Michael H.

    1981-01-01

    Examines the expanding use of advertising in China. Discusses the impact of transnational corporations in communication and other areas on the development of China, and the implications that the introduction of advertising has for China's role as one of the models for developing countries. (JMF)

  1. Preparation of TiC/Ni3Al Composites by Upward Melt Infiltration

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    2000-01-01

    TiC/Ni3Al composites have been prepared using upward infiltration method. The densificstion was performed by both Ni3Al melt filling and TiC sintering during the infiltration. The dissolution of TiC in liquid Ni3Al has been evidenced by finding Ni3(Al,Ti)C after fast cooling in the TiC/Ni3Al composites. The dissolution may be responsible for the infiltration and sintering. Compared with downward infiltration, the upward infiltration brought about higher strength and fracture toughness and shorter infiltration time. TiC/20 vol. pct Ni3Al composite processed by upward infiltration had a flexural strength of 1476 Mpa with a statistic Weibull modulus of 20.2 and a fracture toughness of 20.4 Mpa(m). Better mechanical properties may be attributed to melt unidirectional movement in upward infiltration.

  2. A case study of lightning attachment to flat ground showing multiple unconnected upward leaders

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cummins, Kenneth L.; Krider, E. Philip; Olbinski, Mike; Holle, Ronald L.

    2018-04-01

    On 10 July 2015, a cloud-to-ground (CG) lightning flash that produced two ground terminations was photographed from inside the safety of a truck in southern New Mexico. An analysis of archived NLDN data verified that this was a two-stroke flash, and a close-up view of the first stroke shows that it also initiated at least 12 unconnected, upward leaders (or "streamers") near the ground termination. No unconnected upward leaders were seen near the second ground attachment. After combining an analysis of the photograph with information provided by the NLDN, we infer that the first stroke was of negative (normal) polarity, had modest peak current, and struck about 460 m (± 24%) from the camera. Attachment occurred when an upward-propagating positive leader reached an inferred height of about 21 m above local ground. The second stroke struck ground about 740 m from the camera, and the height of its attachment leader is estimated to be 15 m. The estimated lengths of the unconnected upward leaders in the two-dimensional (2-D) plane of the first stroke range from 2 to 8 m, and all appear to be located within 15 m (2-D) of the main ground termination, with 24% uncertainty. Many of the unconnected upward leaders (inferred to be positive) exhibit multiple upward branches, and most of those branches have upward-directed forks or splits at their ends. This is the first report showing such extensive branching for positive upward leaders in natural lightning strikes to ground. None of the upward leaders can be seen to emanate from the tops of tall, isolated, or pointed objects on the ground, but they likely begin on small plants and rocks, or flat ground. In terms of lightning safety, this photo demonstrates that numerous upward leaders can be produced near a lightning strike point and have the potential to damage or cause injury at more than one specific point on the ground.

  3. The long-term forecast of Taiwan's energy supply and demand: LEAP model application

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Huang, Yophy, E-mail: yohuanghaka@gmail.com [Deptartment of Public Finance and Tax Administration, National Taipei College of Business, Taipei Taiwan, 10051 (China); Bor, Yunchang Jeffrey [Deptartment of Economics, Chinese Culture University, Yang-Ming-Shan, Taipei, 11114, Taiwan (China); Peng, Chieh-Yu [Statistics Department, Taoyuan District Court, No. 1 Fazhi Road, Taoyuan City 33053, Taiwan (China)

    2011-11-15

    The long-term forecasting of energy supply and demand is an extremely important topic of fundamental research in Taiwan due to Taiwan's lack of natural resources, dependence on energy imports, and the nation's pursuit of sustainable development. In this article, we provide an overview of energy supply and demand in Taiwan, and a summary of the historical evolution and current status of its energy policies, as background to a description of the preparation and application of a Long-range Energy Alternatives Planning System (LEAP) model of Taiwan's energy sector. The Taiwan LEAP model is used to compare future energy demand and supply patterns, as well as greenhouse gas emissions, for several alternative scenarios of energy policy and energy sector evolution. Results of scenarios featuring 'business-as-usual' policies, aggressive energy-efficiency improvement policies, and on-schedule retirement of Taiwan's three existing nuclear plants are provided and compared, along with sensitivity cases exploring the impacts of lower economic growth assumptions. A concluding section provides an interpretation of the implications of model results for future energy and climate policies in Taiwan. - Research Highlights: > The LEAP model is useful for international energy policy comparison. > Nuclear power plants have significant, positive impacts on CO{sub 2} emission. > The most effective energy policy is to adopt demand-side management. > Reasonable energy pricing provides incentives for energy efficiency and conservation. > Financial crisis has less impact on energy demand than aggressive energy policy.

  4. [A new human machine interface in neurosurgery: The Leap Motion(®). Technical note regarding a new touchless interface].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Di Tommaso, L; Aubry, S; Godard, J; Katranji, H; Pauchot, J

    2016-06-01

    Currently, cross-sectional imaging viewing is used in routine practice whereas the surgical procedure requires physical contact with an interface (mouse or touch-sensitive screen). This type of contact results in a risk of lack of aseptic control and causes loss of time. The recent appearance of devices such as the Leap Motion(®) (Leap Motion society, San Francisco, USA) a sensor which enables to interact with the computer without any physical contact is of major interest in the field of surgery. However, its configuration and ergonomics produce key challenges in order to adapt to the practitioner's requirements, the imaging software as well as the surgical environment. This article aims to suggest an easy configuration of the Leap Motion(®) in neurosurgery on a PC for an optimized utilization with Carestream(®) Vue PACS v11.3.4 (Carestream Health, Inc., Rochester, USA) using a plug-in (to download at: https://drive.google.com/?usp=chrome_app#folders/0B_F4eBeBQc3ybElEeEhqME5DQkU) and a video tutorial (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yVPTgxg-SIk). Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

  5. Upward Pricing Pressure in Two-Sided Markets

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Affeldt, P.; Filistrucchi, L.; Klein, T.J.

    2012-01-01

    Abstract: Pricing pressure indices have recently been proposed as alternative screening devices for horizontal mergers involving differentiated products. We extend the concept of Upward Pricing Pressure (UPP) proposed by Farrell and Shapiro (2010) to two-sided markets. Examples of such markets are

  6. Emerging psychopathology moderates upward social mobility: The intergenerational (dis)continuity of socioeconomic status.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Véronneau, Marie-Hélène; Serbin, Lisa A; Stack, Dale M; Ledingham, Jane; Schwartzman, Alex E

    2015-11-01

    Socioeconomic status (SES) is relatively stable across generations, but social policies may create opportunities for upward social mobility among disadvantaged populations during periods of economic growth. With respect to expanded educational opportunities that occurred in Québec (Canada) during the 1960s, we hypothesized that children's social and academic competence would promote upward mobility, whereas aggression and social withdrawal would have the opposite effect. Out of 4,109 children attending low-SES schools in 1976-1978, a representative subsample of 503 participants were followed until midadulthood. Path analyses revealed that parents' SES predicted offspring's SES through associations with offspring's likeability, academic competence, and educational attainment. Interaction effects revealed individual risk factors that moderated children's ability to take advantage of intrafamilial or extrafamilial opportunities that could enhance their educational attainment. Highly aggressive participants and those presenting low academic achievement were unable to gain advantage from having highly educated parents. They reached lower educational attainment than their less aggressive or higher achieving peers who came from a similarly advantaged family background. Growing up with parents occupying low-prestige jobs put withdrawn boys and outgoing girls at risk for low educational attainment. In conclusion, social policies can raise SES across generations, with great benefits for the most disadvantaged segments of the population. However, children presenting with emerging psychopathology or academic weaknesses do not benefit from these policies as much as others, and should receive additional, targeted services.

  7. Upward pricing pressure in two-sided markets

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Affeldt, P.; Filistrucchi, L.; Klein, T.J.

    2013-01-01

    Measuring upward pricing pressure (UPP) has recently been proposed by Farrell and Shapiro (2010) as an alternative screening device for horizontal mergers. We extend the concept of UPP to two-sided markets. Examples of such markets are the newspaper market, where the demand for advertising is

  8. A Study of Upward Influence in Organizations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schilit, Warren K.; Locke, Edwin A.

    1982-01-01

    Researchers interviewed 83 subordinate employees and 70 supervisory employees to investigate the ways subordinates try to influence their supervisors. Supervisors and subordinates reported similar agents and methods of influence, causes of success, and outcomes of attempts at upward influence, but different causes of failure. (Author/RW)

  9. Liquid velocity in upward and downward air-water flows

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sun Xiaodong; Paranjape, Sidharth; Kim, Seungjin; Ozar, Basar; Ishii, Mamoru

    2004-01-01

    Local characteristics of the liquid phase in upward and downward air-water two-phase flows were experimentally investigated in a 50.8-mm inner-diameter round pipe. An integral laser Doppler anemometry (LDA) system was used to measure the axial liquid velocity and its fluctuations. No effect of the flow direction on the liquid velocity radial profile was observed in single-phase liquid benchmark experiments. Local multi-sensor conductivity probes were used to measure the radial profiles of the bubble velocity and the void fraction. The measurement results in the upward and downward two-phase flows are compared and discussed. The results in the downward flow demonstrated that the presence of the bubbles tended to flatten the liquid velocity radial profile, and the maximum liquid velocity could occur off the pipe centerline, in particular at relatively low flow rates. However, the maximum liquid velocity always occurred at the pipe center in the upward flow. Also, noticeable turbulence enhancement due to the bubbles in the two-phase flows was observed in the current experimental flow conditions. Furthermore, the distribution parameter and the void-weighted area-averaged drift velocity were obtained based on the definitions

  10. Identification of a low copy number plasmid in Xylella fastidiosa Strain Stag’s Leap

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xylella fastidiosa (Xf) causes Pierce’s Disease (PD) in grapevine. The Stag’s Leap strain is known for its high virulence level and is a model for PD research. Research on Xf has been difficult due to its nutritional fastidiousness. One difficult research issue is the low copy number plasmid. Plasmi...

  11. Upward lightning attachment analysis on wind turbines and correlated current parameters

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Vogel, Stephan; Ishii, M.; Saito, M.

    2017-01-01

    This work provides insight in the attachment characteristics of upward initiated lightning discharges to wind turbines and their possible consequences for the lightning protection of wind turbine blades. All discharges were recorded at the Japanese coast of the Sea of Japan which is known...... for intense upward lightning activity. 172 video recordings of lightning discharges on rotating wind turbines are analysed and attachment angle, detachment angle, and the resulting angular displacement were determined. A classification between self-initiated and other-triggered upward lightning events...... is performed by means of video analysis. The results reveal that the majority of discharges are initiated on vertical blades; however, also attachments to horizontal blades are reported. Horizontal attachment (or a slightly inclined blade state) is often related with a triggered lightning event prior...

  12. Leaping shampoo glides on a lubricating air layer

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, S.; Li, E. Q.; Marston, J. O.; Bonito, A.; Thoroddsen, S. T.

    2013-06-01

    When a stream of shampoo is fed onto a pool in one's hand, a jet can leap sideways or rebound from the liquid surface in an intriguing phenomenon known as the Kaye effect. Earlier studies have debated whether non-Newtonian effects are the underlying cause of this phenomenon, making the jet glide on top of a shear-thinning liquid layer, or whether an entrained air layer is responsible. Herein we show unambiguously that the jet slides on a lubricating air layer. We identify this layer by looking through the pool liquid and observing its rupture into fine bubbles. The resulting microbubble sizes suggest this air layer is of submicron thickness. This thickness estimate is also supported by the tangential deceleration of the jet during the rebounding.

  13. Leaping shampoo glides on a lubricating air layer

    KAUST Repository

    Lee, S.

    2013-06-10

    When a stream of shampoo is fed onto a pool in one\\'s hand, a jet can leap sideways or rebound from the liquid surface in an intriguing phenomenon known as the Kaye effect. Earlier studies have debated whether non-Newtonian effects are the underlying cause of this phenomenon, making the jet glide on top of a shear-thinning liquid layer, or whether an entrained air layer is responsible. Herein we show unambiguously that the jet slides on a lubricating air layer. We identify this layer by looking through the pool liquid and observing its rupture into fine bubbles. The resulting microbubble sizes suggest this air layer is of submicron thickness. This thickness estimate is also supported by the tangential deceleration of the jet during the rebounding.

  14. Leaping shampoo glides on a lubricating air layer

    KAUST Repository

    Lee, S.; Li, Erqiang; Marston, J. O.; Bonito, A.; Thoroddsen, Sigurdur T

    2013-01-01

    When a stream of shampoo is fed onto a pool in one's hand, a jet can leap sideways or rebound from the liquid surface in an intriguing phenomenon known as the Kaye effect. Earlier studies have debated whether non-Newtonian effects are the underlying cause of this phenomenon, making the jet glide on top of a shear-thinning liquid layer, or whether an entrained air layer is responsible. Herein we show unambiguously that the jet slides on a lubricating air layer. We identify this layer by looking through the pool liquid and observing its rupture into fine bubbles. The resulting microbubble sizes suggest this air layer is of submicron thickness. This thickness estimate is also supported by the tangential deceleration of the jet during the rebounding.

  15. Atmospheric neutrino oscillations from upward throughgoing muon multiple scattering in MACRO

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ambrosio, M.; Antolini, R.; Bakari, D.; Baldini, A.; Barbarino, G.C.; Barish, B.C.; Battistoni, G.; Becherini, Y.; Bellotti, R.; Bemporad, C.; Bernardini, P.; Bilokon, H.; Bloise, C.; Bower, C.; Brigida, M.; Bussino, S.; Cafagna, F.; Calicchio, M.; Campana, D.; Carboni, M.; Caruso, R.; Cecchini, S.; Cei, F.; Chiarella, V.; Chiarusi, T.; Choudhary, B.C.; Coutu, S.; Cozzi, M.; De Cataldo, G.; Dekhissi, H.; De Marzo, C.; De Mitri, I.; Derkaoui, J.; De Vincenzi, M.; Di Credico, A.; Favuzzi, C.; Forti, C.; Fusco, P.; Giacomelli, G.; Giannini, G.; Giglietto, N.; Giorgini, M.; Grassi, M.; Grillo, A.; Gustavino, C.; Habig, A.; Hanson, K.; Heinz, R.; Iarocci, E.; Katsavounidis, E.; Katsavounidis, I.; Kearns, E.; Kim, H.; Kumar, A.; Kyriazopoulou, S.; Lamanna, E.; Lane, C.; Levin, D.S.; Lipari, P.; Longo, M.J.; Loparco, F.; Maaroufi, F.; Mancarella, G.; Mandrioli, G.; Manzoor, S.; Margiotta, A.; Marini, A.; Martello, D.; Marzari-Chiesa, A.; Mazziotta, M.N.; Michael, D.G.; Mikheyev, S.; Monacelli, P.; Montaruli, T.; Monteno, M.; Mufson, S.; Musser, J.; Nicolo, D.; Nolty, R.; Orth, C.; Osteria, G.; Palamara, O.; Patera, V.; Patrizii, L.; Pazzi, R.; Peck, C.W.; Perrone, L.; Petrera, S.; Popa, V.; Raino, A.; Reynoldson, J.; Ronga, F.; Rrhioua, A.; Satriano, C.; Scapparone, E.; Scholberg, K.; Sciubba, A.; Serra, P.; Sioli, M.; Sirri, G.; Sitta, M.; Spinelli, P.; Spinetti, M.; Spurio, M.; Steinberg, R.; Stone, J.L.; Sulak, L.R.; Surdo, A.; Tarle, G.; Togo, V.; Vakili, M.; Walter, C.W.; Webb, R

    2003-07-24

    The energy of atmospheric neutrinos detected by MACRO was estimated using multiple Coulomb scattering of upward throughgoing muons. This analysis allows a test of atmospheric neutrino oscillations, relying on the distortion of the muon energy distribution. These results have been combined with those coming from the upward throughgoing muon angular distribution only. Both analyses are independent of the neutrino flux normalization and provide strong evidence, above the 4{sigma} level, in favour of neutrino oscillations.

  16. Does LEAP change the screening paradigm for food allergy in infants with eczema?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Allen, K J; Koplin, J J

    2016-01-01

    The LEAP randomized controlled trial provides the first direct evidence that delayed introduction of peanut in an infant's diet significantly increases the risk of peanut allergy. However, as often is the case in ground-breaking research, the LEAP study raises almost as many questions as it resolves. Although the quality of design and excellence in study execution is unquestioned, the particular difficulty this study raises is how to generalize results from a trial of high-risk infants, which screened infants for the presence of peanut allergy prior to peanut introduction, to the general population. Although many existing infant feeding guidelines already allow for the introduction of allergenic foods from 4 to 6 months of age irrespective of co-existent risk factors for peanut allergy, these will now need to be revised to more strongly state that avoidance may be harmful. Interim guidelines have already been published which incorporate these recommendations. However, the question as to how to achieve timely introduction of peanut into an infant's diet in a safe and cost-effective way, particularly in high-risk infants, remains unresolved. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  17. Look Up for Healing: Embodiment of the Heal Concept in Looking Upward.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    N D Leitan

    Full Text Available Conceptual processing may not be restricted to the mind. The heal concept has been metaphorically associated with an "up" bodily posture. Perceptual Symbol Systems (PSS theory suggests that this association is underpinned by bodily states which occur during learning and become instantiated as the concept. Thus the aim of this study was to examine whether processing related to the heal concept is promoted by priming the bodily state of looking upwards.We used a mixed 2x2 priming paradigm in which 58 participants were asked to evaluate words as either related to the heal concept or not after being primed to trigger the concept of looking up versus down (Direction--within subjects. A possible dose-response effect of priming was investigated via allocating participants to two 'strengths' of prime, observing an image of someone whose gaze was upward/downward (low strength and observing an image of someone whose gaze was upward/downward while physically tilting their head upwards or downwards in accord with the image (high strength (Strength--between subjects.Participants responded to words related to heal faster than words unrelated to heal across both "Strength" conditions. There was no evidence that priming was stronger in the high strength condition.The present study found that, consistent with a PSS view of cognition, the heal concept is embodied in looking upward, which has important implications for cognition, general health, health psychology, health promotion and therapy.

  18. An improved shuffled frog leaping algorithm based evolutionary framework for currency exchange rate prediction

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dash, Rajashree

    2017-11-01

    Forecasting purchasing power of one currency with respect to another currency is always an interesting topic in the field of financial time series prediction. Despite the existence of several traditional and computational models for currency exchange rate forecasting, there is always a need for developing simpler and more efficient model, which will produce better prediction capability. In this paper, an evolutionary framework is proposed by using an improved shuffled frog leaping (ISFL) algorithm with a computationally efficient functional link artificial neural network (CEFLANN) for prediction of currency exchange rate. The model is validated by observing the monthly prediction measures obtained for three currency exchange data sets such as USD/CAD, USD/CHF, and USD/JPY accumulated within same period of time. The model performance is also compared with two other evolutionary learning techniques such as Shuffled frog leaping algorithm and Particle Swarm optimization algorithm. Practical analysis of results suggest that, the proposed model developed using the ISFL algorithm with CEFLANN network is a promising predictor model for currency exchange rate prediction compared to other models included in the study.

  19. Representing or defecting ? : the pursuit of individual upward mobility in low status groups

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Bleeker, Dennis

    2010-01-01

    This dissertation investigated the conditions under which the individual upward mobility of mem-bers of low status groups is likely to succeed and when it is likely to meet resistance. In addition, it examines how upwardly mobile individuals can create such beneficial conditions. The results

  20. Physical mechanism and numerical simulation of the inception of the lightning upward leader

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li Qingmin; Lu Xinchang; Shi Wei; Zhang Li; Zou Liang; Lou Jie

    2012-01-01

    The upward leader is a key physical process of the leader progression model of lightning shielding. The inception mechanism and criterion of the upward leader need further understanding and clarification. Based on leader discharge theory, this paper proposes the critical electric field intensity of the stable upward leader (CEFISUL) and characterizes it by the valve electric field intensity on the conductor surface, E L , which is the basis of a new inception criterion for the upward leader. Through numerical simulation under various physical conditions, we verified that E L is mainly related to the conductor radius, and data fitting yields the mathematical expression of E L . We further establish a computational model for lightning shielding performance of the transmission lines based on the proposed CEFISUL criterion, which reproduces the shielding failure rate of typical UHV transmission lines. The model-based calculation results agree well with the statistical data from on-site operations, which show the effectiveness and validity of the CEFISUL criterion.

  1. Enrofloxacin and Probiotic Lactobacilli Influence PepT1 and LEAP-2 mRNA Expression in Poultry

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Pavlova, Ivelina; Milanova, Aneliya; Danova, Svetla; Fink-Gremmels, Johanna

    2016-01-01

    Expression of peptide transporter 1 (PepT1) and liver-expressed antimicrobial peptide 2 (LEAP-2) in chickens can be influenced by food deprivation, pathological conditions and drug administration. Effect of three putative probiotic Lactobacillus strains and enrofloxacin on the expression of PepT1

  2. Sky glint correction in measurements of upward radiance above the sea surface

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jerzy Olszewski

    2000-06-01

    Full Text Available An experiment has been performed to determine the upward water-leaving radiance by non-contact measurement of the total upward and downward radiance above the sea surface from a moving ship. The method for achieving this aim is described: the radiance meters are both tilted in such a way that the upward radiance meter can 'see' that part of the measured downward radiance which would be reflected if the water surface were smooth and which is not derived directly from solar glitter. Both meters are firmly fixed in a special frame, which ensures that the required orientation is the most probable one. Time records of the measured parameters are analysed. The results are presented in several forms: frequency (histogram analysis appears to be the most promising one.

  3. Upward creep of the heart: A frequent source of false-positive reversible defects during thallium-201 stress-redistribution SPECT

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Friedman, J.; Van Train, K.; Maddahi, J.; Rozanski, A.; Prigent, F.; Bietendorf, J.; Waxman, A.; Berman, D.S.

    1989-01-01

    A new cause of artifactual 201 Tl defects on single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) termed upward creep of the heart is described. In 102 consecutive patients undergoing 201 Tl SPECT, 30 (29%) demonstrated upward creep defined by an upward movement of the heart of greater than or equal to 2 pixels during acquisition. In 45 consecutive patients with a less than 5% likelihood of coronary artery disease, 17 (38%) had upward creep. Of these nine had reversible 201 Tl defects localized to the inferior and basal inferoseptal walls, while none of the 28 without upward creep had defects. The 17 low likelihood patients with upward creep had longer exercise duration and higher peak heart rate than those without upward creep. In five additional low likelihood patients with upward creep in whom imaging was immediately repeated, the upward creep pattern disappeared on the repeated images. After we changed our test protocol to begin imaging 15 min postexercise, only five (14%) of 36 low likelihood patients tested demonstrated upward creep. Upward creep is probably related to a transient increase in mean total lung volume early following exhaustive exercise, resulting in a mean lower position of the diaphragm (and thus the heart) at the beginning of imaging. The frequency of this source of false-positive 201 Tl studies can be reduced by delaying SPECT acquisition until 15 min postexercise

  4. Matter effects in upward-going muons and sterile neutrino oscillations

    CERN Document Server

    Ambrosio, M; Auriemma, G; Bakari, D; Baldini, A; Barbarino, G C; Barish, B C; Battistoni, G; Becherini, Y; Bellotti, R; Bemporad, C; Bernardini, P; Bilokon, H; Bisi, V; Bloise, C; Bower, C; Brigida, M; Bussino, S; Cafagna, F; Calicchio, M; Campana, D; Carboni, M; Caruso, R; Cecchini, S; Cei, F; Chiarella, V; Choudhary, B C; Coutu, S; De Cataldo, G; Dekhissi, H; De Marzo, C; De Mitri, I; Derkaoui, J E; De Vincenzi, M; Di Credico, A; Erriquez, O; Favuzzi, C; Forti, C; Fusco, P; Giacomelli, G; Giannini, G; Giglietto, N; Giorgini, M; Grassi, M; Gray, L; Grillo, A; Guarino, F; Gustavino, C; Habig, A; Hanson, K; Heinz, R; Iarocci, Enzo; Katsavounidis, E; Katsavounidis, I; Kearns, E T; Kim, H; Kyriazopoulou, S; Lammanna, E; Lane, C; Levins, D S; Lipari, P; Longley, N P; Longo, M J; Loparco, F; Maaroufi, F; Mancarella, G; Mandrioli, G; Margiotta, A; Marini, A; Martello, D; Marzari-Chiesa, A; Mazziotta, M N; Michael, D G; Mikheyev, S P; Miller, L; Monacelli, P; Montaruli, T; Monteno, M; Mufson, S L; Musser, J; Nicolò, D; Nolty, R; Orth, C; Osteria, G; Palamara, O; Patera, V; Patrizii, L; Pazzi, R; Peck, C W; Perrone, L; Petrera, S; Pistilli, P; Popa, V; Rainó, A; Reynoldson, J; Ronga, F; Rrhioua, A; Satriano, C; Scapparone, E; Scholberg, K; Sciubba, A; Serra, P; Sioli, M; Sirri, G; Sitta, M; Spinelli, P; Spinetti, M; Spurio, M; Steinberg, R; Stone, J L; Sulak, Lawrence R; Surdo, A; Tarle, G; Togo, V; Vakili, M; Walter, C W; Webb, R

    2001-01-01

    The angular distribution of upward-going muons produced by atmospheric neutrinos in the rock below the MACRO detector shows anomalies in good agreement with two flavor nu /sub mu / to nu /sub tau / oscillations with maximum mixing and Delta m/sup 2/ around 0.0024 eV/sup 2/. Exploiting the dependence of magnitude of the matter effect on the oscillation channel, and using a set of 809 upward-going muons observed in MACRO, we show that the two flavor nu /sub mu / to nu /sub s/ oscillation is disfavored with 99% C.L. with respect to nu /sub mu / to nu /sub tau /. (29 refs).

  5. Marcus canonical integral for non-Gaussian processes and its computation: pathwise simulation and tau-leaping algorithm.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Tiejun; Min, Bin; Wang, Zhiming

    2013-03-14

    The stochastic integral ensuring the Newton-Leibnitz chain rule is essential in stochastic energetics. Marcus canonical integral has this property and can be understood as the Wong-Zakai type smoothing limit when the driving process is non-Gaussian. However, this important concept seems not well-known for physicists. In this paper, we discuss Marcus integral for non-Gaussian processes and its computation in the context of stochastic energetics. We give a comprehensive introduction to Marcus integral and compare three equivalent definitions in the literature. We introduce the exact pathwise simulation algorithm and give the error analysis. We show how to compute the thermodynamic quantities based on the pathwise simulation algorithm. We highlight the information hidden in the Marcus mapping, which plays the key role in determining thermodynamic quantities. We further propose the tau-leaping algorithm, which advance the process with deterministic time steps when tau-leaping condition is satisfied. The numerical experiments and its efficiency analysis show that it is very promising.

  6. Species interactions slow warming-induced upward shifts of treelines on the Tibetan Plateau

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liang, Eryuan; Wang, Yafeng; Piao, Shilong; Lu, Xiaoming; Camarero, Jesús Julio; Zhu, Haifeng; Zhu, Liping; Ciais, Philippe; Peñuelas, Josep

    2016-01-01

    The alpine treeline is commonly regarded as being sensitive to climatic warming because regeneration and growth of trees at treeline generally are limited by low temperature. The alpine treelines of the Tibetan Plateau (TP) occur at the highest elevations (4,900 m above sea level) in the Northern Hemisphere. Ongoing climatic warming is expected to shift treelines upward. Studies of treeline dynamics at regional and local scales, however, have yielded conflicting results, indicating either unchanging treeline elevations or upward shifts. To reconcile this conflict, we reconstructed in detail a century of treeline structure and tree recruitment at sites along a climatic gradient of 4 °C and mean annual rainfall of 650 mm on the eastern TP. Species interactions interacted with effects of warming on treeline and could outweigh them. Densification of shrubs just above treeline inhibited tree establishment, and slowed upward movement of treelines on a time scale of decades. Interspecific interactions are major processes controlling treeline dynamics that may account for the absence of an upward shift at some TP treelines despite continued climatic warming. PMID:27044083

  7. Species interactions slow warming-induced upward shifts of treelines on the Tibetan Plateau.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liang, Eryuan; Wang, Yafeng; Piao, Shilong; Lu, Xiaoming; Camarero, Jesús Julio; Zhu, Haifeng; Zhu, Liping; Ellison, Aaron M; Ciais, Philippe; Peñuelas, Josep

    2016-04-19

    The alpine treeline is commonly regarded as being sensitive to climatic warming because regeneration and growth of trees at treeline generally are limited by low temperature. The alpine treelines of the Tibetan Plateau (TP) occur at the highest elevations (4,900 m above sea level) in the Northern Hemisphere. Ongoing climatic warming is expected to shift treelines upward. Studies of treeline dynamics at regional and local scales, however, have yielded conflicting results, indicating either unchanging treeline elevations or upward shifts. To reconcile this conflict, we reconstructed in detail a century of treeline structure and tree recruitment at sites along a climatic gradient of 4 °C and mean annual rainfall of 650 mm on the eastern TP. Species interactions interacted with effects of warming on treeline and could outweigh them. Densification of shrubs just above treeline inhibited tree establishment, and slowed upward movement of treelines on a time scale of decades. Interspecific interactions are major processes controlling treeline dynamics that may account for the absence of an upward shift at some TP treelines despite continued climatic warming.

  8. An investigation on near wall transport characteristics in an adiabatic upward gas-liquid two-phase slug flow

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zheng, Donghong; Che, Defu

    2007-08-01

    The near-wall transport characteristics, inclusive of mass transfer coefficient and wall shear stress, which have a great effect on gas-liquid two-phase flow induced internal corrosion of low alloy pipelines in vertical upward oil and gas mixing transport, have been both mechanistically and experimentally investigated in this paper. Based on the analyses on the hydrodynamic characteristics of an upward slug unit, the mass transfer in the near wall can be divided into four zones, Taylor bubble nose zone, falling liquid film zone, Taylor bubble wake zone and the remaining liquid slug zone; the wall shear stress can be divided into two zones, the positive wall shear stress zone associated with the falling liquid film and the negative wall shear stress zone associated with the liquid slug. Based on the conventional mass transfer and wall shear stress characteristics formulas of single phase liquid full-pipe turbulent flow, corrected normalized mass transfer coefficient formula and wall shear stress formula are proposed. The calculated results are in good agreement with the experimental data. The shear stress and the mass transfer coefficient in the near wall zone are increased with the increase of superficial gas velocity and decreased with the increase of superficial liquid velocity. The mass transfer coefficients in the falling liquid film zone and the wake zone of leading Taylor bubble are lager than those in the Taylor bubble nose zone and the remaining liquid slug zone, and the wall shear stress associated falling liquid film is larger than that associated the liquid slug. The mass transfer coefficient is within 10-3 m/s, and the wall shear stress below 103 Pa. It can be concluded that the alternate wall shear stress due to upward gas-liquid slug flow is considered to be the major cause of the corrosion production film fatigue cracking.

  9. A great leap forward in microbial ecology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Okabe, Satoshi; Oshiki, Mamoru; Kamagata, Yoichi; Yamaguchi, Nobuyasu; Toyofuku, Masanori; Yawata, Yutaka; Tashiro, Yosuke; Nomura, Nobuhiko; Ohta, Hiroyuki; Ohkuma, Moriya; Hiraishi, Akira; Minamisawa, Kiwamu

    2010-01-01

    Ribosomal RNA (rRNA) sequence-based molecular techniques emerged in the late 1980s, which completely changed our general view of microbial life. Coincidentally, the Japanese Society of Microbial Ecology (JSME) was founded, and its official journal "Microbes and Environments (M&E)" was launched, in 1985. Thus, the past 25 years have been an exciting and fruitful period for M&E readers and microbiologists as demonstrated by the numerous excellent papers published in M&E. In this minireview, recent progress made in microbial ecology and related fields is summarized, with a special emphasis on 8 landmark areas; the cultivation of uncultured microbes, in situ methods for the assessment of microorganisms and their activities, biofilms, plant microbiology, chemolithotrophic bacteria in early volcanic environments, symbionts of animals and their ecology, wastewater treatment microbiology, and the biodegradation of hazardous organic compounds.

  10. When climate twitches, evolution takes great leaps

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kerr, R.A.

    1992-01-01

    Earth's climate system has ridden a slow roller coaster for the past 60 million years. It warmed gradually until about 53 million years ago, reaching a peak that brought crocodiles to northern Canada; then it entered a long, undulating downgrade toward the ice-age world of the past few million years. Because the same span of time brought major evolutionary changes, including the rise of modern mammals, paleontologists have long assumed that these slow temperature changes helped spur the processes of evolution. But recent findings have suggested that another, more potent mechanisms was also at work: Abrupt climate excursions, superimposed on these long-term trends, have now been linked to rapid periods of mammal evolution. The evidence for short, sharp evolutionary shocks comes from studies of a pair of mirror-image climate shifts at opposite ends of the Eocene epoch, 55 million and 33.5 million years ago. In both cases, researchers studying the record of climate preserved in sea-floor sediments have found that a gradual climate change-warming in the first case, cooling in the second - suddenly steepened into a short-lived pulse of extreme warming or cooling. The short time scale of these events and their clear coincidence with turning points in the evolution of mammals are providing the tightest links yet between global climate change and evolution on land

  11. Upward migration of radio-cesium and strontium in a sand-filled lysimeter

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sanford, W.E.; Larsen, I.L.; McConnell, J.W.; Rogers, R.D.

    1998-01-01

    The upward migration of 134 Cs, 137 Cs, and 90 Sr was observed in a silica sand-filled lysimeter at the Field Lysimeter Investigations: Low Level Waste Data Base Development experiment site at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The source of the radionuclides first observed on the surface was identified from isotopic analysis as being from the buried waste. Cores of the sand were collected and analyzed for the vertical distribution of the radionuclides. Results of analyses revealed that pulses (elevated levels) in the activity of the Cs and Sr radioisotopes occurred at the same depths. During the sectioning of the sand core collected from directly above the buried waste form it was discovered that a fine root from an unidentified plant was present throughout all but the upper few centimeters of the core. Because the upward migration was unexpected, information that may lead to the determination of a definitive mechanism of migration was not preserved. The distribution of the radionuclides coupled with the presence of the root suggest that Cs and Sr migrated upward in the evapotranspiration stream of the root. Further study must be undertaken to confirm this phenomenon. Upward migration of radionuclides as observed here could result in direct exposures and offsite releases from underground storage facilities. (Copyright (c) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V., Amsterdam. All rights reserved.)

  12. Does upward mobility result in greater well-being? Evidence from a pre-registered study on a large population-based survey

    OpenAIRE

    Cheung, Felix; Jackson, Joshua; Hill, Patrick

    2017-01-01

    Income inequality gained increasing attention in public discourse. Promoting upward mobility is a potential solution to income inequality. The current study tested whether upward mobility predicts greater well-being, whether upward mobility attenuates the negative effects of income inequality, and whether gender differences in upward mobility differentially predict well-being for men and women. Upward mobility was operationalized as changes in income rank across generations for families in th...

  13. LAMI: A gesturally controlled three-dimensional stage Leap (Motion-based) Audio Mixing Interface

    OpenAIRE

    Wakefield, Jonathan P.; Dewey, Christopher; Gale, William

    2017-01-01

    Interface designers are increasingly exploring alternative approaches to user input/control. LAMI is a Leap (Motion-based) AMI which takes user’s hand gestures and maps these to a three-dimensional stage displayed on a computer monitor. Audio channels are visualised as spheres whose Y coordinate is spectral centroid and X and Z coordinates are controlled by hand position and represent pan and level respectively. Auxiliary send levels are controlled via wrist rotation and vertical hand positio...

  14. Upward swimming of a sperm cell in shear flow.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Omori, Toshihiro; Ishikawa, Takuji

    2016-03-01

    Mammalian sperm cells are required to swim over long distances, typically around 1000-fold their own length. They must orient themselves and maintain a swimming motion to reach the ovum, or egg cell. Although the mechanism of long-distance navigation is still unclear, one possible mechanism, rheotaxis, was reported recently. This work investigates the mechanism of the rheotaxis in detail by simulating the motions of a sperm cell in shear flow adjacent to a flat surface. A phase diagram was developed to show the sperm's swimming motion under different shear rates, and for varying flagellum waveform conditions. The results showed that, under shear flow, the sperm is able to hydrodynamically change its swimming direction, allowing it to swim upwards against the flow, which suggests that the upward swimming of sperm cells can be explained using fluid mechanics, and this can then be used to further understand physiology of sperm cell navigation.

  15. Are Millennials with Student Loans Upwardly Mobile?

    OpenAIRE

    Whitaker, Stephan

    2015-01-01

    Students have been amassing ever growing levels of debt to attend college. The situation has raised concerns about whether the debt is high enough that the benefits of borrowing—in terms of students’ future socioeconomic outcomes—are compromised. This Commentary investigates relationships between student debt, mobility, and upward social mobility. The findings suggest that student debts have not become so burdensome that they undo the advantages of higher skills. However, the advantages enjoy...

  16. Shuffled Frog Leaping Algorithm for Preemptive Project Scheduling Problems with Resource Vacations Based on Patterson Set

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yi Han

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available This paper presents a shuffled frog leaping algorithm (SFLA for the single-mode resource-constrained project scheduling problem where activities can be divided into equant units and interrupted during processing. Each activity consumes 0–3 types of resources which are renewable and temporarily not available due to resource vacations in each period. The presence of scarce resources and precedence relations between activities makes project scheduling a difficult and important task in project management. A recent popular metaheuristic shuffled frog leaping algorithm, which is enlightened by the predatory habit of frog group in a small pond, is adopted to investigate the project makespan improvement on Patterson benchmark sets which is composed of different small and medium size projects. Computational results demonstrate the effectiveness and efficiency of SFLA in reducing project makespan and minimizing activity splitting number within an average CPU runtime, 0.521 second. This paper exposes all the scheduling sequences for each project and shows that of the 23 best known solutions have been improved.

  17. New data on two-phase water-air hydrodynamics in vertical upward and downward tubes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lau, V [Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd., Saskatoon, SK (Canada); Rezkallah, K S [Saskatchewan Univ., Saskatoon (Canada). Mechanical Engineering Dept.

    1996-12-31

    The three key parameters involved in the analysis of the hydrodynamic characteristics of a two-phase system (i.e. pressure drop, void fraction, and flow pattern associated with the flow) are taken in vertical upward and downward tubes, using water-air mixture at atmospheric pressure. The acquired data set covers a wide range of liquid and gas flow rates, as well as void fractions. Using the acquired data set, two sets of flow pattern maps, for both upward and downward flows, are developed in the present study. Furthermore, a set of correlations for predicting the frictional pressure drop in both upward and downward flow were also developed. (author). 16 refs., 13 figs.

  18. UPWARD MOVEMENT OF PLUTONIUM TO SURFACE SEDIMENTS DURING AN 11-YEAR FIELD STUDY

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kaplan, D.; Beals, D.; Cadieux, J.; Halverson, J.

    2010-01-25

    An 11-y lysimeter study was established to monitor the movement of Pu through vadose zone sediments. Sediment Pu concentrations as a function of depth indicated that some Pu moved upward from the buried source material. Subsequent numerical modeling suggested that the upward movement was largely the result of invading grasses taking up the Pu and translocating it upward. The objective of this study was to determine if the Pu of surface sediments originated from atmosphere fallout or from the buried lysimeter source material (weapons-grade Pu), providing additional evidence that plants were involved in the upward migration of Pu. The {sup 240}Pu/{sup 239}Pu and {sup 242}Pu/{sup 239}Pu atomic fraction ratios of the lysimeter surface sediments, as determined by Thermal Ionization Mass Spectroscopy (TIMS), were 0.063 and 0.00045, respectively; consistent with the signatures of the weapons-grade Pu. Our numerical simulations indicate that because plants create a large water flux, small concentrations over multiple years may result in a measurable accumulation of Pu on the ground surface. These results may have implications on the conceptual model for calculating risk associated with long-term stewardship and monitored natural attenuation management of Pu contaminated subsurface and surface sediments.

  19. Measurements by A LEAP-Based Virtual Glove for the Hand Rehabilitation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Giuseppe Placidi

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available Hand rehabilitation is fundamental after stroke or surgery. Traditional rehabilitation requires a therapist and implies high costs, stress for the patient, and subjective evaluation of the therapy effectiveness. Alternative approaches, based on mechanical and tracking-based gloves, can be really effective when used in virtual reality (VR environments. Mechanical devices are often expensive, cumbersome, patient specific and hand specific, while tracking-based devices are not affected by these limitations but, especially if based on a single tracking sensor, could suffer from occlusions. In this paper, the implementation of a multi-sensors approach, the Virtual Glove (VG, based on the simultaneous use of two orthogonal LEAP motion controllers, is described. The VG is calibrated and static positioning measurements are compared with those collected with an accurate spatial positioning system. The positioning error is lower than 6 mm in a cylindrical region of interest of radius 10 cm and height 21 cm. Real-time hand tracking measurements are also performed, analysed and reported. Hand tracking measurements show that VG operated in real-time (60 fps, reduced occlusions, and managed two LEAP sensors correctly, without any temporal and spatial discontinuity when skipping from one sensor to the other. A video demonstrating the good performance of VG is also collected and presented in the Supplementary Materials. Results are promising but further work must be done to allow the calculation of the forces exerted by each finger when constrained by mechanical tools (e.g., peg-boards and for reducing occlusions when grasping these tools. Although the VG is proposed for rehabilitation purposes, it could also be used for tele-operation of tools and robots, and for other VR applications.

  20. Measurements by A LEAP-Based Virtual Glove for the Hand Rehabilitation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Placidi, Giuseppe; Cinque, Luigi; Polsinelli, Matteo; Spezialetti, Matteo

    2018-03-10

    Hand rehabilitation is fundamental after stroke or surgery. Traditional rehabilitation requires a therapist and implies high costs, stress for the patient, and subjective evaluation of the therapy effectiveness. Alternative approaches, based on mechanical and tracking-based gloves, can be really effective when used in virtual reality (VR) environments. Mechanical devices are often expensive, cumbersome, patient specific and hand specific, while tracking-based devices are not affected by these limitations but, especially if based on a single tracking sensor, could suffer from occlusions. In this paper, the implementation of a multi-sensors approach, the Virtual Glove (VG), based on the simultaneous use of two orthogonal LEAP motion controllers, is described. The VG is calibrated and static positioning measurements are compared with those collected with an accurate spatial positioning system. The positioning error is lower than 6 mm in a cylindrical region of interest of radius 10 cm and height 21 cm. Real-time hand tracking measurements are also performed, analysed and reported. Hand tracking measurements show that VG operated in real-time (60 fps), reduced occlusions, and managed two LEAP sensors correctly, without any temporal and spatial discontinuity when skipping from one sensor to the other. A video demonstrating the good performance of VG is also collected and presented in the Supplementary Materials. Results are promising but further work must be done to allow the calculation of the forces exerted by each finger when constrained by mechanical tools (e.g., peg-boards) and for reducing occlusions when grasping these tools. Although the VG is proposed for rehabilitation purposes, it could also be used for tele-operation of tools and robots, and for other VR applications.

  1. Detection and characterization of pXFSL21, a novel single-copy plasmid from Xylella fastidiosa Strain Stag’s Leap

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xylella fastidiosa Strain Stag’s Leap, originally isolated from Napa Valley, California, is highly virulent in causing Pierce’s Disease (PD) of grapevine. Plasmids are extrachromosomal genetic elements associated with bacterial environmental adaptation such as virulence development. In this study, t...

  2. LEAP: local environmental action plan. Municipality of Lipkovo

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2004-01-01

    This document comprises all geo-environmental problems with adverse on the quality of the overall environment. Based on this, the document contains many scientific and expert statements and facts supported by data, diagrams maps, etc. At the same time, taking into consideration the problems appearing on the territory of Lipkovo Municipality, the environmental problems are by their priority presented as issues of first, second and third degree, requiring most urgent settlement through the leap document for the Municipality of Lipkovo. This is followed by the presentation of priorities and the strategy for elimination of degradation processes and establishment of environmental balance in the space. According to the current data, it seems that this Municipality is faced with numerous environmental problems, beginning with air pollution, water contamination, solid waste disposal, the landfill of the abandoned mine Lojane and the site around the Railroad Station at Tabanovci, supply of drinking water, destruction of forests, expansion of rural settlements over cultivable lands, the issue of space urbanization, unemployment, etc

  3. Dynamics of rainwater lenses on upward seeping saline groundwater

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Eeman, Sara

    2017-01-01

    Fresh water is generally a limited resource in coastal areas which are often densely populated. In low-lying areas, groundwater is mostly saline and both agriculture and freshwater nature depend on a thin lens of rainwater that is formed by precipitation surplus on top of saline, upward seeping

  4. A Diary Study of Self-Compassion, Upward Social Comparisons, and Body Image-Related Outcomes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thøgersen-Ntoumani, Cecilie; Dodos, Louisa; Chatzisarantis, Nikos; Ntoumanis, Nikos

    2017-07-01

    Self-compassion may protect individuals experiencing poor body image and associated maladaptive outcomes. The purpose of the study was to examine within-person associations (whilst controlling for between-person differences) between appearance-related self-compassion, appearance-related threats (operationalised as upward appearance comparisons), and body image-related variables, namely, social physique anxiety, drive for thinness, and body dissatisfaction. A diary methodology was used whereby young women (n = 126; M age = 21.26) responded to brief online surveys three times per day (11am, 3pm, and 7pm) every second day for one week (i.e. a total of 12 measurement points). Results of mixed linear modeling revealed that both state appearance-related upward comparisons and self-compassion independently predicted all three outcomes in a positive and negative fashion, respectively. No significant interaction effects between state appearance-related upward comparisons and self-compassion were found. The results suggested that appearance-based self-compassion was important, not just when there was a potential threat to body image via upward appearance comparisons. The findings highlight the importance of fostering self-compassion on a daily level. © 2017 The International Association of Applied Psychology.

  5. Submarine Upward Looking Sonar Ice Draft Profile Data and Statistics

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — This data set consists of upward looking sonar draft data collected by submarines in the Arctic Ocean. It includes data from both U.S. Navy and Royal Navy...

  6. An Extreme-ultraviolet Wave Generating Upward Secondary Waves in a Streamer-like Solar Structure

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zheng, Ruisheng; Chen, Yao; Feng, Shiwei; Wang, Bing; Song, Hongqiang

    2018-05-01

    Extreme-ultraviolet (EUV) waves, spectacular horizontally propagating disturbances in the low solar corona, always trigger horizontal secondary waves (SWs) when they encounter the ambient coronal structure. We present the first example of upward SWs in a streamer-like structure after the passing of an EUV wave. This event occurred on 2017 June 1. The EUV wave happened during a typical solar eruption including a filament eruption, a coronal mass ejection (CME), and a C6.6 flare. The EUV wave was associated with quasi-periodic fast propagating (QFP) wave trains and a type II radio burst that represented the existence of a coronal shock. The EUV wave had a fast initial velocity of ∼1000 km s‑1, comparable to high speeds of the shock and the QFP wave trains. Intriguingly, upward SWs rose slowly (∼80 km s‑1) in the streamer-like structure after the sweeping of the EUV wave. The upward SWs seemed to originate from limb brightenings that were caused by the EUV wave. All of the results show that the EUV wave is a fast-mode magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) shock wave, likely triggered by the flare impulses. We suggest that part of the EUV wave was probably trapped in the closed magnetic fields of the streamer-like structure, and upward SWs possibly resulted from the release of slow-mode trapped waves. It is believed that the interplay of the strong compression of the coronal shock and the configuration of the streamer-like structure is crucial for the formation of upward SWs.

  7. Touch-free, gesture-based control of medical devices and software based on the leap motion controller.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mauser, Stanislas; Burgert, Oliver

    2014-01-01

    There are several intra-operative use cases which require the surgeon to interact with medical devices. We used the Leap Motion Controller as input device and implemented two use-cases: 2D-Interaction (e.g. advancing EPR data) and selection of a value (e.g. room illumination brightness). The gesture detection was successful and we mapped its output to several devices and systems.

  8. Human disturbance and upward expansion of plants in a warming climate

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dainese, Matteo; Aikio, Sami; Hulme, Philip E.; Bertolli, Alessio; Prosser, Filippo; Marini, Lorenzo

    2017-08-01

    Climate change is expected to trigger an upward expansion of plants in mountain regions and, although there is strong evidence that many native species have already shifted their distributions to higher elevations, little is known regarding how fast non-native species might respond to climate change. By analysing 131,394 occurrence records of 1,334 plant species collected over 20 years in the European Alps, we found that non-natives are spreading upwards approximately twice as fast as natives. Whereas the spread of natives was enhanced by traits favouring longer dispersal distances, this was not the case for non-natives. This was due to the non-native species pool already being strongly biased towards species that had traits facilitating spread. A large proportion of native and non-native species seemed to be able to spread upwards faster than the current velocity of climate change. In particular, long-distance dispersal events and proximity to roads proved to be key drivers for the observed rapid spread. Our findings highlight that invasions by non-native species into native alpine communities are a potentially significant additional pressure on these vulnerable ecosystems that are already likely to suffer dramatic vegetation changes with ongoing warming and increasing human activity in mountain regions.

  9. Estimation of radiative parameters in participating media using shuffled frog leaping algorithm

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ren Ya-Tao

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available The transient radiative transfer in 1-D homogeneous media with ultra-short Gaussian pulse laser irradiated was investigation by the finite volume method. The concept of optimal detection distance was proposed. The radiation characteristic was studied thoroughly. Afterwards, a memetic meta-heuristic shuffled frog leaping algorithm was introduced to inverse transient radiative problems. It is demonstrated that the extinction coefficient and scattering albedo can be retrieved accurately even with noisy data in a homogeneous absorbing and isotropic scattering plane-parallel slab. Finally, a technique was proposed to accelerate the inverse process by reducing the searching space of the radiative parameters.

  10. Wind-powered wheel locomotion, initiated by leaping somersaults, in larvae of the southeastern beach tiger beetle (Cicindela dorsalis media.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alan Harvey

    2011-03-01

    Full Text Available Rapid movement is challenging for elongate, soft-bodied animals with short or no legs. Leaping is known for only a few animals with this "worm-like" morphology. Wheel locomotion, in which the animal's entire body rolls forward along a central axis, has been reported for only a handful of animals worldwide. Here we present the first documented case of wind-powered wheel locomotion, in larvae of the coastal tiger beetle Cicindela dorsalis media. When removed from their shallow burrows, larvae easily can be induced to enter a behavioral sequence that starts with leaping; while airborne, larvae loop their body into a rotating wheel and usually either "hit the ground rolling" or leap again. The direction larvae wheel is closely related to the direction in which winds are blowing; thus, all our larvae wheeled up-slope, as winds at our study site consistently blew from sea to land. Stronger winds increased both the proportion of larvae wheeling, and the distance traveled, exceeding 60 m in some cases. In addition, the proportion of larvae that wheel and the distance traveled by wheeling larvae are significantly greater on smooth sandy beaches than on beach surfaces made rough and irregular by pedestrian, equestrian, and vehicular traffic. Like other coastal species of tiger beetles, C. dorsalis media has suffered major declines in recent years that are clearly correlated with increased human impacts. The present study suggests that the negative effects of beach traffic may be indirect, preventing larvae from escaping from predators using wheel locomotion by disrupting the flat, hard surface necessary for efficient wheeling.

  11. Monitoring urban transport air pollution and energy demand in Rawalpindi and Islamabad using leap model

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Shabbir, Rabia; Ahmad, Sheikh Saeed [Department of Environmental Sciences, Fatima Jinnah Women University, Rawalpindi (Pakistan)

    2010-05-15

    A research associated with urban transportation was carried out in Rawalpindi and Islamabad to analyze the status of emission of air pollutants and energy demands. The study included a discussion of past trends and future scenarios in order to reduce the future emissions. A simple model of passenger transport has been developed using computer based software called Long-Range Energy Alternatives Planning System (LEAP). The LEAP model was used to estimate total energy demand and the vehicular emissions for the base year 2000 and extrapolated till 2030 for the future predictions. Transport database in Rawalpindi and Islamabad, together with fuel consumption values for the vehicle types and emission factors of NO{sub x}, SO{sub 2} and PM{sub 10} corresponding to the actual vehicle types, formed the basis of the transport demand, energy consumption and total emission calculations. Apart from base scenario, the model was run under three alternative scenarios to study the impact of different urban transport policy initiatives that would reduce energy demand and emissions in transport sector of Rawalpindi and Islamabad. The prime objective was to arrive at an optimal transport policy, which limits the future growth of fuel consumption as well as air pollution. (author)

  12. "Fist, Stick, Knife, Gun": Getting Real in Upward Bound.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pace, Barbara G.; Adkins, Theresa A.

    2002-01-01

    Describes how a teacher found literature for Upward Bound students. Presents Geoffrey Canada's "Fist, Stick, Knife, Gun: A Personal History of Violence in America" as a nonfiction work to provide clarity and connections that might not have been available in a fictional work, yet it had elements of literary fiction that made the text…

  13. Terapia baseada em realidade virtual usando o leap motion controller para reabilitação do membro superior após acidente vascular cerebral = Virtual reality therapy using the leap motion controller for post-stroke upper limb rehabilitation Virtual reality therapy using the Leap Motion Controller for post-stroke upper limb rehabilitation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Soares, Nayron Medeiros

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available OBJETIVOS: Avaliar a aplicabilidade de um sensor de movimento, baseado em realidade virtual, para promover a reabilitação do membro superior após um acidente vascular cerebral. RELATO DOS CASOS: Três pacientes após acidente vascular cerebral realizaram um treino para reabilitação do membro superior com realidade virtual usando a tecnologia Leap Motion Controller e o jogo Playground 3D®, durante três dias consecutivos. No primeiro e no terceiro dia, foram avaliados com os testes Caixa e Blocos, Coordenação Óculo-Manual de Melo e Estimulação Magnética Transcraniana. No último dia, foram aplicadas Fichas de Avaliação da Experiência do paciente. Após o treinamento proposto, observou-se diminuição do limiar motor em ambos os hemisférios cerebrais e melhores desempenhos nos testes que avaliaram a habilidade manual e óculo-manual. A terapia proposta foi bem recebida pelos pacientes testados. CONCLUSÕES: Não foram observados efeitos adversos e os resultados mostram-se promissores e precisos no treinamento realizado com realidade virtual usando a tecnologia Leap Motion Controller e o jogo Playground 3D®. O treinamento proporcionou uma participação ativa dos pacientes na reabilitação das sequelas de extremidade superior após um acidente vascular cerebral

  14. Experimental study on liquid velocity in upward and downward two-phase flows

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sun, X.; Paranjape, S.; Kim, S.; Ozar, B.; Ishii, M.

    2003-01-01

    Local characteristics of the liquid phase in upward and downward air-water two-phase flows were experimentally investigated in a 50.8-mm inner-diameter round pipe. An integral Laser Doppler Anemometry (LDA) system was used to measure the axial liquid velocity and its fluctuations. No effect of the flow direction on the liquid velocity radial profile was observed in single-phase liquid benchmark experiments. Local multi-sensor conductivity probes were used to measure the radial profiles of the bubble velocity and the void fraction. The measurement results in the upward and downward two-phase flows are compared and discussed. The results in the downward flow demonstrated that the presence of the bubbles tended to flatten the liquid velocity radial profile, and the maximum liquid velocity could occur off the pipe centerline, in particular at relatively low flow rates. However, the maximum liquid velocity always occurred at the pipe center in the upward flow. Also, noticeable turbulence enhancement due to the bubbles in the two-phase flows was observed in the current experimental flow conditions. Furthermore, the distribution parameter and the void weighted area-averaged drift velocity were obtained based on the definitions

  15. 34 CFR 645.13 - What additional services do Upward Bound Math and Science Centers provide and how are they...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... 34 Education 3 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false What additional services do Upward Bound Math and... Program? § 645.13 What additional services do Upward Bound Math and Science Centers provide and how are... provided under § 645.11(b), an Upward Bound Math and Science Center must provide— (1) Intensive instruction...

  16. Leadership Behaviour and Upward Feedback: Findings from a Longitudinal Intervention

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    D. van Dierendonck (Dirk); C. Haynes (Clare); C. Borrill (Carol); C. Stride (Chris)

    2007-01-01

    textabstractA sample of 48 managers and 308 staff members of a community health care organization took part in a study to investigate the influence of participating in an upward feedback program on leadership behaviour, both as indicated be self-ratings and subordinates’ ratings. The research design

  17. How Upward Moral Comparison Influences Prosocial Behavioral Intention: Examining the Mediating Role of Guilt and the Moderating Role of Moral Identity

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Heyun Zhang

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available Although it has been shown that exceptional good deeds exert influences on people's prosocial behavior and intention, we have known little about how common moral actions in our daily life. The present study aimed to examine how upward moral comparison influenced prosocial behavioral intention as well as to explore the mediating role of guilt and the moderating role of moral identity in the focal relationship. An experimental study was conducted with 162 Chinese undergraduates (103 women, 59 men randomly assigned to an upward moral comparison condition, an upward competence comparison condition or a control condition. Results indicated that participants in the upward moral comparison condition experienced higher levels of guilt and exhibited stronger motivation to act prosocially, relative to participants in the other two conditions. That is to say, upward moral comparison induces guilty experience, and then increases people's prosocial behavioral intention. Moreover, we have found that moral identity internalization moderates the upward moral comparison-guilt relationship, and the indirect effect of upward moral comparison on prosocial behavioral intention via guilt. The implications of these findings were discussed.

  18. How Upward Moral Comparison Influences Prosocial Behavioral Intention: Examining the Mediating Role of Guilt and the Moderating Role of Moral Identity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Heyun; Chen, Sisi; Wang, Rong; Jiang, Jiang; Xu, Yan; Zhao, Huanhuan

    2017-01-01

    Although it has been shown that exceptional good deeds exert influences on people's prosocial behavior and intention, we have known little about how common moral actions in our daily life. The present study aimed to examine how upward moral comparison influenced prosocial behavioral intention as well as to explore the mediating role of guilt and the moderating role of moral identity in the focal relationship. An experimental study was conducted with 162 Chinese undergraduates (103 women, 59 men) randomly assigned to an upward moral comparison condition, an upward competence comparison condition or a control condition. Results indicated that participants in the upward moral comparison condition experienced higher levels of guilt and exhibited stronger motivation to act prosocially, relative to participants in the other two conditions. That is to say, upward moral comparison induces guilty experience, and then increases people's prosocial behavioral intention. Moreover, we have found that moral identity internalization moderates the upward moral comparison-guilt relationship, and the indirect effect of upward moral comparison on prosocial behavioral intention via guilt. The implications of these findings were discussed.

  19. How Upward Moral Comparison Influences Prosocial Behavioral Intention: Examining the Mediating Role of Guilt and the Moderating Role of Moral Identity

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Heyun; Chen, Sisi; Wang, Rong; Jiang, Jiang; Xu, Yan; Zhao, Huanhuan

    2017-01-01

    Although it has been shown that exceptional good deeds exert influences on people's prosocial behavior and intention, we have known little about how common moral actions in our daily life. The present study aimed to examine how upward moral comparison influenced prosocial behavioral intention as well as to explore the mediating role of guilt and the moderating role of moral identity in the focal relationship. An experimental study was conducted with 162 Chinese undergraduates (103 women, 59 men) randomly assigned to an upward moral comparison condition, an upward competence comparison condition or a control condition. Results indicated that participants in the upward moral comparison condition experienced higher levels of guilt and exhibited stronger motivation to act prosocially, relative to participants in the other two conditions. That is to say, upward moral comparison induces guilty experience, and then increases people's prosocial behavioral intention. Moreover, we have found that moral identity internalization moderates the upward moral comparison-guilt relationship, and the indirect effect of upward moral comparison on prosocial behavioral intention via guilt. The implications of these findings were discussed. PMID:28959221

  20. Managing upwards: a guide for the foundation year doctor.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hooke, Rachel

    2009-06-01

    The concept of managing your boss sounds peculiar, as people usually only think of managing staff under them. Nevertheless, adept management 'upwards' can reap dividends. It is not manipulative or sly - it is about good working relations. This article is mainly about dealing with consultants. However, the same principles can apply to other doctors more senior than you in the team.

  1. LEAPing on with language: An on-line language programme to support classroom teachers and parents of primary school children (aged 5-11 years).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Clare Allen, M; Kendrick, Andrew; Archbold, Sue; Harrigan, Suzanne

    2014-05-01

    The Leaping on with Language programme provides a combination of strategies and activities to accelerate children's spoken language use from simple sentences to complex language. Using a conversational philosophy it expands the building blocks of language (vocabulary, grammar, speech), whilst emphasising the importance of developing independent social communication and acknowledging a child's developing self esteem and self identity between the ages of 4-11. Three pilot projects evaluated the programme with a total of 51 delegates. The outcomes were hugely positive. Changes in behaviour were reported from the 3rd pilot 1 month later. Comments regarding the length of training, practical strategies and more film clips were implemented. Leaping on with language is now a free to access resource available on line.

  2. Interfacial structures and area transport in upward and downward two-phase flow

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Paranjape, S. S.; Kim, S.; Ishii, M.; Kelly, J.

    2003-01-01

    An experimental study has been carried out for upward and downward two-phase flow to study local interfacial structures and interfacial area transport. The flow studied, is an adiabatic, air-water, co-current, two-phase flow, in 25.4 mm and 50.8 mm ID test sections. Flow regime map is obtained using the characteristic signals obtained from an impedance void meter, employing neural network based identification methodology. A four sensor conductivity probe is used to measure the local two phase flow parameters, in bubbly flow regime. The local profiles of these parameters as well as their axial development reveal the nature of the interfacial structures and the bubble interaction mechanisms occurring in the flow. Furthermore, this study provides a good database for the development of the interfacial area transport equation, which dynamically models the changes in the interfacial area along a flow field. An interfacial area transport equation is used for downward flow based on that developed for the upward flow, with certain modifications in the bubble interaction terms. The area averaged values of the interfacial area concentration are compared with those predicted by the interfacial area transport model. The differences in the interfacial structures and interfacial area transport in co-current downward and upward two-phase flows are studied

  3. New flags, upward forces and sheltered harbours: The new ‘Great Game’ in the Pacific Islands region

    OpenAIRE

    Kowasch, Matthias; Lindenmann, Peter

    2014-01-01

    The centre of the global economy and the US-geostrategic focus seem to be shifting to the Asia-Pacific region. The present paper deals with the role of Pacific Island states in this new ‘Great Game’ between China and Western powers. Pacific Island states have a long tradition in building non-confrontational and open ties with rival powers. While only four countries in the Pacific have known mineral resources, others depend mainly on tourism, fisheries and remittances. China is interested in t...

  4. Upward Mobility Through Job Restructuring. Personnel Management Series No. 26.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Civil Service Commission, Washington, DC.

    The May, 1974, bulletin issued by the Civil Service Commission deals with job restructuring, the process of realigning job duties to develop technician-type or "bridge" jobs in Federal agencies, as a means to provide upward mobility for employees. Besides being highly beneficial to employees in dead end jobs at low grade levels, job restructuring…

  5. The Lifestyle Engagement Activity Program (LEAP): Implementing Social and Recreational Activity into Case-Managed Home Care.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Low, Lee-Fay; Baker, Jessica Rose; Harrison, Fleur; Jeon, Yun-Hee; Haertsch, Maggie; Camp, Cameron; Skropeta, Margaret

    2015-12-01

    The Lifestyle Engagement Activity Program (LEAP) incorporates social support and recreational activities into case-managed home care. This study's aim was to evaluate the effect of LEAP on engagement, mood, and behavior of home care clients, and on case managers and care workers. Quasi-experimental. Five Australian aged home care providers, including 2 specializing in care for ethnic minorities. Clients (n = 189) from 5 home care providers participated. The 12-month program had 3 components: (1) engaging support of management and staff; (2) a champion to drive practice change; (3) staff training. Case managers were trained to set meaningful social and/or recreational goals during care planning. Care workers were trained in good communication, to promote client independence and choice, and in techniques such as Montessori activities, reminiscence, music, physical activity, and humor. Data were collected 6 months before program commencement, at baseline, and 6 and 12 months. The Homecare Measure of Engagement Staff report and Client-Family interview were primary outcomes. Secondary outcomes were the Cohen-Mansfield Agitation Inventory; apathy, dysphoria, and agitation subscales of the Neuropsychiatric Inventory-Clinician Rating; the geriatric depression scale; UCLA loneliness scale; and home care satisfaction scale. Staff provided information on confidence in engaging clients and the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale. Twelve months after program commencement, clients showed a significant increase in self- or family-reported client engagement (b = 5.39, t[113.09] = 3.93, P recreationally engage clients (b = 0.52, t(21.33) = 2.80, P = .011, b = 0.29, t(198.69) = 2.58, P = .011, respectively). There were no significant changes in care worker-rated client engagement or client or family self-complete measures of depression or loneliness (P > .05). Client and family self-rated apathy increased over 12 months (b = 0.04, t(43.36) = 3.06, P = .004; b = 3.63, t(34.70) = 2.20, P

  6. AIMING AT THE TOP - UPWARD SOCIAL-COMPARISON OF ABILITIES AFTER FAILURE

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    YBEMA, JF; BUUNK, BP

    1993-01-01

    This study examined the effects of feedback on a task on information seeking and partner preferences as forms of social comparison. It was predicted that subjects who experienced failure and perceived control over future performance would, for reasons of self-improvement, choose more strongly upward

  7. 34 CFR 645.20 - How many applications for an Upward Bound award may an eligible applicant submit?

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... 34 Education 3 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false How many applications for an Upward Bound award may an eligible applicant submit? 645.20 Section 645.20 Education Regulations of the Offices of the Department of... Does One Apply for An Award? § 645.20 How many applications for an Upward Bound award may an eligible...

  8. 77 FR 21089 - Notice of Submission for OMB Review; Application for Grants Under the Upward Bound Math and...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-04-09

    ... Upward Bound Math and Science Program AGENCY: Office of Postsecondary Education, Department of Education. SUMMARY: The Upward Bound Math and Science (UBMS) program provides grants to institutions of higher... for success in a program of postsecondary education that lead to careers in math and science. DATES...

  9. Upward translocation of 14C-amino compounds in xylem and phloem of citrus trees (citrus unshiu marc.)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kato, Tadashi; Yamagata, Makoto; Tsukahara, Sadao

    1985-01-01

    Upward and lateral movements of 14 C-amino compounds in intact trees and excised shoots, and upward translocation of major amino compounds in intact shoots were examined in the early stage of new shoot development. The results were summarized as follows. 1. Uniformly 14 C-labelled arginine, asparagine, aspartic acid and proline were steadily taken up by roots of intact trees, translocated to old leaves and new shoots, and appeared in the fed compound and its metabolized products in these organs. 2. 14 C-arginine, asparagine and proline were translocated upward not only via the xylem but also via the phloem. Lateral movements, from the xylem to the pholoem and from the phloem to the xylem, also occurred. These compounds showed different patterns in their movements. 14 C-arginine and its metabolic products tended to accumulate in the xylem and translocate upward in the xylem. This was in contrast to 14 C-proline and its metabolic products, which tended to accumulate in the phloem and translocate upward in the phloem. These findings were supported by the results obtained in intact shoots. 3. The 14 C-amino compounds were metabolized to soluble and insoluble compounds during the translocation and in the new shoots. However, they differed significantly in the extent of metabolic conversion during translocation; proline was hardly metabolized, arginine and asparagine were moderately metabolized, and aspartic acid was almost completely metabolized. (author)

  10. Lifting the Veil: A Realist Critique of Sistema's Upwardly Mobile Path

    Science.gov (United States)

    Logan, Owen

    2016-01-01

    El Sistema sits somewhere between a social project and a classical music initiative. However, its promise of delivering upward mobility has not been sufficiently examined as a structural phenomenon which dovetails with critical policy issues in taxation, educational provision, human rights, and welfare. This article argues that Sistema-style…

  11. Upward Feedback and Its Contribution to Employees' Feeling of Self-Determination

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bauer, Johannes; Mulder, Regina H.

    2006-01-01

    Purpose--The paper seeks to show that self-determination is a widely regarded motivational variable in educational research that relates to intrinsically motivated, self-directed learning at work. This study aimed to find out whether the possibility to provide upward feedback to supervisors contributes to employees' feelings of self-determination.…

  12. Mixing of high density solution in vertical upward flow

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kumamaru, Hiroshige; Hosogi, Nobuyoshi; Komada, Toshiaki; Fujiwara, Yoshiki

    1999-01-01

    Experimental and analytical studies have been performed in order to provide fundamental data and a numerical calculation model on the mixing of boric acid solution, injected from the standby liquid control system (SLCS), under a low natural circulation flow during an ATWS in a BWR. First, fundamental experiments on the mixing of high-density solution in vertically-upward water flow have been performed by using a small apparatus. Mixing patterns observed in the experiments have been classified to two groups, i.e. complete mixing (entrainment) and incomplete mixing (entrainment). In the complete mixing, the injected high-density solution is mixed (entrained) completely into the vertically-upward water flow. From the experiments, the minimum water flow rates in which the complete mixing (entrainment) is achieved have been obtained for various solution densities and solution injection rates. Secondly, two-dimensional numerical calculations have been performed. A continuity equation for total fluid, momentum equations in two directions and a continuity equation for solute are solved by using the finite difference method for discretization method and by following the MAC method for solution procedure. The calculations have predicted nearly the minimum water flow rate in which the complete mixing is achieved, while the calculations have been performed only for one combination of the solution density and solution injection rate until now. (author)

  13. Air-water upward flow in prismatic channel of rectangular base

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Carvalho Tofani, P. de.

    1984-01-01

    Experiments had carried out to investigate the two-phase upward air-water flow structure, in a rectangular test section, by using independent measuring techniques, which comprise direct viewing and photography, electrical probes and gamma-ray attenuation. Flow pattern maps and correlations for flow pattern transitions, void fraction profiles, liquid film thickness and superficial average void fraction are proposed and compared to available data. (Author) [pt

  14. Structural Motion Grammar for Universal Use of Leap Motion: Amusement and Functional Contents Focused

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Byungseok Lee

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Motions using Leap Motion controller are not standardized while the use of it is spreading in media contents. Each content defines its own motions, thereby creating confusion for users. Therefore, to alleviate user inconvenience, this study categorized the commonly used motion by Amusement and Functional Contents and defined the Structural Motion Grammar that can be universally used based on the classification. To this end, the Motion Lexicon was defined, which is a fundamental motion vocabulary, and an algorithm that enables real-time recognition of Structural Motion Grammar was developed. Moreover, the proposed method was verified by user evaluation and quantitative comparison tests.

  15. Possible applications of the LEAP motion controller for more interactive simulated experiments in augmented or virtual reality

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wozniak, Peter; Vauderwange, Oliver; Mandal, Avikarsha; Javahiraly, Nicolas; Curticapean, Dan

    2016-09-01

    Practical exercises are a crucial part of many curricula. Even simple exercises can improve the understanding of the underlying subject. Most experimental setups require special hardware. To carry out e. g. a lens experiments the students need access to an optical bench, various lenses, light sources, apertures and a screen. In our previous publication we demonstrated the use of augmented reality visualization techniques in order to let the students prepare with a simulated experimental setup. Within the context of our intended blended learning concept we want to utilize augmented or virtual reality techniques for stationary laboratory exercises. Unlike applications running on mobile devices, stationary setups can be extended more easily with additional interfaces and thus allow for more complex interactions and simulations in virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR). The most significant difference is the possibility to allow interactions beyond touching a screen. The LEAP Motion controller is a small inexpensive device that allows for the tracking of the user's hands and fingers in three dimensions. It is conceivable to allow the user to interact with the simulation's virtual elements by the user's very hand position, movement and gesture. In this paper we evaluate possible applications of the LEAP Motion controller for simulated experiments in augmented and virtual reality. We pay particular attention to the devices strengths and weaknesses and want to point out useful and less useful application scenarios.

  16. Underlying mechanism of precursory activity from analysis of upward earthquake migration

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    O. A. Molchanov

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available In this paper we analyse the upward earthquake hypocentral migration in the ten known subduction zones and discuss a possible mechanism of such migration. The total time of the migration appears to range from 2.5 to 10 years. It leads to the estimation of the average velocity Vz~ 60−300 km yr−1. It probably corresponds to the movement of the forcing agent like stress or deformation wave from depths of the upper mantle (600–700 km to the level of the lithosphere with subsequent initiation of fluid migration inside the crust to trigger shallow earthquakes. Averaged over all zones upward migration travel time is about 5 years (< Vz > ≈120 km yr−1 that coincides approximately with the period of characteristic temperature variation (El Nino and crustal seismic periodicity in the Pacific region. These findings are helpful for the study of the seismic precursors and analysis of earthquake triggering.

  17. UPWARD POWER TENDENCIES IN A HIERARCHY - POWER DISTANCE THEORY VERSUS BUREAUCRATIC RULE

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    WILKE, HAM

    1993-01-01

    Two contrasting notions concerning upward power tendencies within hierarchically structured groups are investigated. Power Distance Theory assumes that people have a desire for power that results in a tendency to reduce the power distance towards a more powerful other, and this tendency is assumed

  18. Leap Motion-based virtual reality training for improving motor functional recovery of upper limbs and neural reorganization in subacute stroke patients

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Zun-rong; Wang, Ping; Xing, Liang; Mei, Li-ping; Zhao, Jun; Zhang, Tong

    2017-01-01

    Virtual reality is nowadays used to facilitate motor recovery in stroke patients. Most virtual reality studies have involved chronic stroke patients; however, brain plasticity remains good in acute and subacute patients. Most virtual reality systems are only applicable to the proximal upper limbs (arms) because of the limitations of their capture systems. Nevertheless, the functional recovery of an affected hand is most difficult in the case of hemiparesis rehabilitation after a stroke. The recently developed Leap Motion controller can track the fine movements of both hands and fingers. Therefore, the present study explored the effects of a Leap Motion-based virtual reality system on subacute stroke. Twenty-six subacute stroke patients were assigned to an experimental group that received virtual reality training along with conventional occupational rehabilitation, and a control group that only received conventional rehabilitation. The Wolf motor function test (WMFT) was used to assess the motor function of the affected upper limb; functional magnetic resonance imaging was used to measure the cortical activation. After four weeks of treatment, the motor functions of the affected upper limbs were significantly improved in all the patients, with the improvement in the experimental group being significantly better than in the control group. The action performance time in the WMFT significantly decreased in the experimental group. Furthermore, the activation intensity and the laterality index of the contralateral primary sensorimotor cortex increased in both the experimental and control groups. These results confirmed that Leap Motion-based virtual reality training was a promising and feasible supplementary rehabilitation intervention, could facilitate the recovery of motor functions in subacute stroke patients. The study has been registered in the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (registration number: ChiCTR-OCH-12002238). PMID:29239328

  19. Leap Motion-based virtual reality training for improving motor functional recovery of upper limbs and neural reorganization in subacute stroke patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Zun-Rong; Wang, Ping; Xing, Liang; Mei, Li-Ping; Zhao, Jun; Zhang, Tong

    2017-11-01

    Virtual reality is nowadays used to facilitate motor recovery in stroke patients. Most virtual reality studies have involved chronic stroke patients; however, brain plasticity remains good in acute and subacute patients. Most virtual reality systems are only applicable to the proximal upper limbs (arms) because of the limitations of their capture systems. Nevertheless, the functional recovery of an affected hand is most difficult in the case of hemiparesis rehabilitation after a stroke. The recently developed Leap Motion controller can track the fine movements of both hands and fingers. Therefore, the present study explored the effects of a Leap Motion-based virtual reality system on subacute stroke. Twenty-six subacute stroke patients were assigned to an experimental group that received virtual reality training along with conventional occupational rehabilitation, and a control group that only received conventional rehabilitation. The Wolf motor function test (WMFT) was used to assess the motor function of the affected upper limb; functional magnetic resonance imaging was used to measure the cortical activation. After four weeks of treatment, the motor functions of the affected upper limbs were significantly improved in all the patients, with the improvement in the experimental group being significantly better than in the control group. The action performance time in the WMFT significantly decreased in the experimental group. Furthermore, the activation intensity and the laterality index of the contralateral primary sensorimotor cortex increased in both the experimental and control groups. These results confirmed that Leap Motion-based virtual reality training was a promising and feasible supplementary rehabilitation intervention, could facilitate the recovery of motor functions in subacute stroke patients. The study has been registered in the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (registration number: ChiCTR-OCH-12002238).

  20. Leap Motion-based virtual reality training for improving motor functional recovery of upper limbs and neural reorganization in subacute stroke patients

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zun-rong Wang

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Virtual reality is nowadays used to facilitate motor recovery in stroke patients. Most virtual reality studies have involved chronic stroke patients; however, brain plasticity remains good in acute and subacute patients. Most virtual reality systems are only applicable to the proximal upper limbs (arms because of the limitations of their capture systems. Nevertheless, the functional recovery of an affected hand is most difficult in the case of hemiparesis rehabilitation after a stroke. The recently developed Leap Motion controller can track the fine movements of both hands and fingers. Therefore, the present study explored the effects of a Leap Motion-based virtual reality system on subacute stroke. Twenty-six subacute stroke patients were assigned to an experimental group that received virtual reality training along with conventional occupational rehabilitation, and a control group that only received conventional rehabilitation. The Wolf motor function test (WMFT was used to assess the motor function of the affected upper limb; functional magnetic resonance imaging was used to measure the cortical activation. After four weeks of treatment, the motor functions of the affected upper limbs were significantly improved in all the patients, with the improvement in the experimental group being significantly better than in the control group. The action performance time in the WMFT significantly decreased in the experimental group. Furthermore, the activation intensity and the laterality index of the contralateral primary sensorimotor cortex increased in both the experimental and control groups. These results confirmed that Leap Motion-based virtual reality training was a promising and feasible supplementary rehabilitation intervention, could facilitate the recovery of motor functions in subacute stroke patients. The study has been registered in the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (registration number: ChiCTR-OCH-12002238.

  1. Experimental detection of upward-going cosmic particles and consequences for correction of density radiography of volcanoes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jourde, Kevin; Gibert, Dominique; Marteau, Jacques; de Bremond d'Ars, Jean; Gardien, Serge; Girerd, Claude; Ianigro, Jean-Christophe; Carbone, Daniele

    2014-05-01

    Muon tomography measures the flux of cosmic muons crossing geological bodies to determine their density. Three acquisitions with different sights of view were made at la soufrière de Guadeloupe. All of them show important density fluctuations and reveal the volcano phreatic system. The telescopes used to perform these measurements are exposed to noise fluxes with high intensities relative to the tiny flux of interest. We give experimental evidences ofa so far never described source of noise caused by a flux of upward-going particles. Data acquired on La soufrière of Guadeloupe and Mount Etna reveal that upward-going particles are detected only when the rear side of the telescope is exposed to a wide volume of atmosphere located below the altitude of the telescope and with a rock obstruction less than several tens of meters. Biases produced on density muon radiographies by upward-going fluxes are quantified and correction procedures are applied to radiographies of la soufrière.

  2. On the Upward Bias of the Dissimilarity Index and Its Corrections

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mazza, Angelo; Punzo, Antonio

    2015-01-01

    The dissimilarity index of Duncan and Duncan is widely used in a broad range of contexts to assess the overall extent of segregation in the allocation of two groups in two or more units. Its sensitivity to random allocation implies an upward bias with respect to the unknown amount of systematic segregation. In this article, following a multinomial…

  3. An improved model to determine the inception of positive upward leader–streamer system considering the leader propagation during dark period

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Xie Shijun; He Junjia; Chen Weijiang

    2013-01-01

    Stem–leader transition and front-streamer inception are two essential conditions for the inception of positive upward leader–streamer system (LSS). Previous models have not considered the initial-leader propagation during dark period and have not been verified systematically. In this paper, a series of positive upward discharge simulation experiments was designed and carried out. Characteristic parameters of the discharge process related to the inception of positive upward LSS, namely, the first-corona inception voltage, the first-corona charge, the dark period, and the LSS inception voltage, were obtained. By comparing these experiment results with simulation results calculated using previous models, it was found that it is improper to assume that the length of the initial leader is a fixed value. Finally, an improved inception model of positive upward LSS considering the leader propagation during dark period was developed and verified with experiment results.

  4. Environmental and economic assessment of landfill gas electricity generation in Korea using LEAP model

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shin, Ho-Chul; Park, Jin-Won; Kim, Ho-Seok; Shin, Eui-Soon

    2005-01-01

    As a measure to establish a climate-friendly energy system, Korean government has proposed to expand landfill gas (LFG) electricity generation capacity. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the impacts of LFG electricity generation on the energy market, the cost of generating electricity and greenhouse gases emissions in Korea using a computer-based software tool called 'Long-range Energy Alternative Planning system' (LEAP) and the associated 'Technology and Environmental Database'. In order to compare LFG electricity generation with existing other generating facilities, business as usual scenario of existing power plants was surveyed, and then alternative scenario investigations were performed using LEAP model. Different alternative scenarios were considered, namely the base case with existing electricity facilities, technological improvement of gas engine and LFG maximum utilization potential with different options of gas engine (GE), gas turbine (GT), and steam turbine (ST). In the technological improvement scenario, there will be 2.86 GWh or more increase in electricity output, decrease of 45 million won (Exchange rate (1$=1200 won)). in costs, and increase of 10.3 thousand ton of CO 2 in global warming potentials due to same period (5 year) of technological improvement. In the maximum utilization potential scenario, LFG electricity generation technology is substituted for coal steam, nuclear, and combined cycle process. Annual cost per electricity product of LFG electricity facilities (GE 58MW, GT 53.5MW, and ST 54.5MW) are 45.1, 34.3, and 24.4 won/kWh, and steam turbine process is cost-saving. LFG-utilization with other forms of energy utilization reduces global warming potential by maximum 75% with compared to spontaneous emission of CH 4 . LFG electricity generation would be the good solution for CO 2 displacement over the medium term and additional energy profits

  5. Summer Upward Bound, Terre Haute, Indiana. Secondary Program in Compensatory Education, 4.

    Science.gov (United States)

    American Institutes for Research in the Behavioral Sciences, Palo Alto, CA.

    Upward Bound was a precollege program geared for high school students with potential who had been handicapped by economic, cultural, and educational deprivation. It involved a full-time summer program and follow-up programs (counseling, cultural activities, and physical education) during the academic year. Students stayed in the program for three…

  6. Upward Appraisal: A Tool for the Continuous Improvement of Library Managers' Skills.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stein, Joan E.

    Effective management and the importance of feedback in relation to improvement are becoming critical issues for libraries. Upward appraisal evaluates managers' performance based on input from their staff, rather than the traditional top-down evaluation format in which a manager is evaluated solely by their superior. This paper discusses the…

  7. Pattern recognition techniques for horizontal and vertically upward multiphase flow measurement

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arubi, Tesi I. M.; Yeung, Hoi

    2012-03-01

    The oil and gas industry need for high performing and low cost multiphase meters is ever more justified given the rapid depletion of conventional oil reserves that has led oil companies to develop smaller and marginal fields and reservoirs in remote locations and deep offshore, thereby placing great demands for compact and more cost effective solutions of on-line continuous multiphase flow measurement for well testing, production monitoring, production optimisation, process control and automation. The pattern recognition approach for clamp-on multiphase measurement employed in this study provides one means for meeting this need. High speed caesium-137 radioisotope-based densitometers were installed vertically at the top of a 50.8mm and 101.6mm riser as well as horizontally at the riser base in the Cranfield University multiphase flow test facility. A comprehensive experimental campaign comprising flow conditions typical of operating conditions found in the Petroleum Industry was conducted. The application of a single gamma densitometer unit, in conjunction with pattern recognition techniques to determine both the phase volume fractions and velocities to yield the individual phase flow rates of horizontal and vertically upward multiphase flows was investigated. The pattern recognition systems were trained to map the temporal fluctuations in the multiphase mixture density with the individual phase flow rates using statistical features extracted from the gamma counts signals as their inputs. Initial results yielded individual phase flow rate predictions to within ±5% relative error for the two phase airwater flows and ±10% for three phase air-oil-water flows data.

  8. Long-term scenario alternatives and their implications: LEAP model application of Panama's electricity sector

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    McPherson, Madeleine; Karney, Bryan

    2014-01-01

    Panama recently enacted a new law, which aims to promote wind energy by mandating long term power purchase tenders. The implications of this new law lend some uncertainty to Panama's electricity development pathway. This paper quantitatively analyzes the current status of power generation in Panama, and explores various potential future scenarios and the associated impacts on the system marginal cost, global warming potential, and resource diversity index. To this end, this study applies the scenario development methodology developed by Schwartz in the context of the energy-economic modeling platform ‘Long-range Energy Alternative Planning’ (LEAP). Four scenarios are developed and analyzed. The Business as Usual scenario extrapolates the electricity generation trend that has been observed over the last decade; it is compared to three alternative scenarios which have more specific objectives. Scenario 1 encourages climate mitigation without incorporating new technologies in the generation mix, Scenario 2 maximizes resource diversity, and Scenario 3 minimizes global warming potential. For each scenario, the composition of the electricity generation profile, system marginal cost, global warming potential, and resource diversity is predicted quantitatively. These scenarios to not attempt to forecast likely developments, but rather illuminate the tradeoffs that different development pathways entail. - Highlights: • This paper models Panama's electricity sector using the LEAP model platform. • Four scenarios are developed and analyzed. • Impact analysis includes: system cost, global warming potential, resource diversity index. • Panama can achieve a sustainable grid with existing technologies and costs. • There is an tradeoff between the resource diversity and global warming potential

  9. Evaluation of optimal dual axis concentrated photovoltaic thermal system with active ventilation using Frog Leap algorithm

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gholami, H.; Sarwat, A.I.; Hosseinian, H.; Khalilnejad, A.

    2015-01-01

    Highlights: • Electro-thermal performance of open-loop controlled dual axis CPVT is investigated. • For using the absorbed heat, active ventilation with a heat storage tank is used. • Economic optimization of the system is performed, using Frog Leap algorithm. • Detailed model of all sections is simulated with their characteristics evaluation. • Triple-junction photovoltaic cells, which are the most recent technology, are used. - Abstract: In this study, design and optimization of a concentrated photovoltaic thermal (CPVT) system considering electrical, mechanical, and economical aspects is investigated. For this purpose, each section of the system is simulated in MATLAB, in detail. Triple-junction photovoltaic cells, which are the most recent technology, are used in this study. They are more efficient in comparison to conventional photovoltaic cells. Unlike ordinary procedures, in this work active ventilation is used for absorbing the thermal power of radiation, using heat storage tanks, which not only results in increasing the electrical efficiency of the system through decreasing the temperature, but also leads to storing and managing produced thermal energy and increasing the total efficiency of the system up to 85 percent. The operation of the CPVT system is investigated for total hours of the year, considering the needed thermal load, meteorological conditions, and hourly radiation of Khuznin, a city in Qazvin province, Iran. Finally, the collector used for this system is optimized economically, using frog leap algorithm, which resulted in the cost of 13.4 $/m"2 for a collector with the optimal distance between tubes of 6.34 cm.

  10. Clinical Assessment of Scapula Motion: Scapula Upward Rotation and Relationship with Injury in Swimmers

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jo Brown

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Abnormal scapulothoracic mechanics and scapulohumeral rhythm are implicated in shoulder pathologies, including glenohumeral impingement and rotator cuff tears. Upward scapula rotation, specifically asymmetry of scapula motion and associations of patterns through range with injury, was investigated in dominant and non-dominant limbs of nationally ranked junior and Paralympic swimmers during competition season. The static and throughout phases measures of upward scapula rotation were: Phase I (start position, 45°, Phase II (45° to 90°, Phase III (90° to 135° and Phase IV (135° to max. Injury was assessed with a validated questionnaire. Differences between side (dominant and non-dominant, group (junior and Paralympic, and phase were examined. Significant differences (P < 0.05 between groups were identified for dominant side at rest, 45° and 135°, and in phases II and IV (including range. Scapulohumeral rhythm was higher in the non-dominant limb of Paralympic swimmers but in the dominant limb of junior swimmers. Greatest differences in upward rotation between injured and non-injured swimmers were found in Phase 1: 43.6% (3.3° Paralympic; 73.1% (8° junior. Results suggest asymmetry of movement in both limbs, through all phases, and at single points in range, should be investigated for assessing injury and developing preventive strategies and rehabilitation protocols.

  11. Warming-induced upward migration of the alpine treeline in the Changbai Mountains, northeast China.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Du, Haibo; Liu, Jie; Li, Mai-He; Büntgen, Ulf; Yang, Yue; Wang, Lei; Wu, Zhengfang; He, Hong S

    2018-03-01

    Treeline responses to environmental changes describe an important phenomenon in global change research. Often conflicting results and generally too short observations are, however, still challenging our understanding of climate-induced treeline dynamics. Here, we use a state-of-the-art dendroecological approach to reconstruct long-term changes in the position of the alpine treeline in relation to air temperature at two sides in the Changbai Mountains in northeast China. Over the past 160 years, the treeline increased by around 80 m, a process that can be divided into three phases of different rates and drives. The first phase was mainly influenced by vegetation recovery after an eruption of the Tianchi volcano in 1702. The slowly upward shift in the second phase was consistent with the slowly increasing temperature. The last phase coincided with rapid warming since 1985, and shows with 33 m per 1°C, the most intense upward shift. The spatial distribution and age structure of trees beyond the current treeline confirm the latest, warming-induced upward shift. Our results suggest that the alpine treeline will continue to rise, and that the alpine tundra may disappear if temperatures will increase further. This study not only enhances mechanistic understanding of long-term treeline dynamics, but also highlights the effects of rising temperatures on high-elevation vegetation dynamics. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  12. A New Method Based On Modified Shuffled Frog Leaping Algorithm In Order To Solve Nonlinear Large Scale Problem

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Aliasghar Baziar

    2015-03-01

    Full Text Available Abstract In order to handle large scale problems this study has used shuffled frog leaping algorithm. This algorithm is an optimization method based on natural memetics that uses a new two-phase modification to it to have a better search in the problem space. The suggested algorithm is evaluated by comparing to some well known algorithms using several benchmark optimization problems. The simulation results have clearly shown the superiority of this algorithm over other well-known methods in the area.

  13. Analysis of the atmospheric upward radiation in low latitude area

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Haiying; Wu, Zhensen; Lin, Leke; Lu, Changsheng

    2016-10-01

    Remote sensing using THz wave has irreplaceable advantage comparing to the microwave and the infrared waves, and study on the THz remote sensing become more and more popular in recent years. The major applications of the remote sensing in THz wavelengths are the retrieval of the atmospheric parameters and the microphysical information of the ice cloud. The remote sensing of the atmosphere is based on the radiation of THz wave along the earth-space path of which the most significant part is the upward radiation of the atmosphere. The upward radiation of the atmosphere in sunny day in the low latitude area is computed and analyzed in this paper. The absorption of THz wave by the atmosphere is calculated using the formulations illustrated in the Recommendation ITU-R P.676 to save machine hour, the frequency range is then restricted below 1THz. The frequencies used for the retrieval of atmospheric parameters such as temperature and water content are usually a few hundred GHz, at the lower end of THz wavelengths, so this frequency range is sufficient. The radiation contribution of every atmospheric layer for typical frequencies such as absorption window frequencies and peak frequencies are analyzed. Results show that at frequencies which absorption is severe, information about lower atmosphere cannot reach the receiver onboard a satellite or other high platforms due to the strong absorption along the path.

  14. Upwardly Mobile: Attitudes toward the Class Transition among First-Generation College Students

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hinz, Serena E.

    2016-01-01

    First-generation, working-class college students are on the path to upward mobility and may have social and psychological problems related to cultural differences between the working class and the middle class. In her study, Hurst (2007, 2010) reports that students of working-class origin often choose loyalty to one class. However, I revise…

  15. New flags, upward forces and sheltered harbours: The new ‘Great Game’ in the Pacific Islands region

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kowasch, Matthias

    2014-03-01

    Full Text Available The centre of the global economy and the US-geostrategic focus seem to be shifting to the Asia-Pacific region. The present paper deals with the role of Pacific Island states in this new ‘Great Game’ between China and Western powers. Pacific Island states have a long tradition in building non-confrontational and open ties with rival powers. While only four countries in the Pacific have known mineral resources, others depend mainly on tourism, fisheries and remittances. China is interested in the vast mineral resources in the Pacific Island region, visible in increasing investment. Nevertheless, Australia remains the principal economic and key security partner for most of the Island states. Besides a painful colonial history, unequal distribution of mining benefits and social disparities are reasons for independence movements. Besides a painful colonial history, unequal distribution of mining benefits and social disparities are reasons for independence movements that are another issue in Pacific Island politics.

  16. Medium- and Long-term Prediction of LOD Change with the Leap-step Autoregressive Model

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Q. B.; Wang, Q. J.; Lei, M. F.

    2015-09-01

    It is known that the accuracies of medium- and long-term prediction of changes of length of day (LOD) based on the combined least-square and autoregressive (LS+AR) decrease gradually. The leap-step autoregressive (LSAR) model is more accurate and stable in medium- and long-term prediction, therefore it is used to forecast the LOD changes in this work. Then the LOD series from EOP 08 C04 provided by IERS (International Earth Rotation and Reference Systems Service) is used to compare the effectiveness of the LSAR and traditional AR methods. The predicted series resulted from the two models show that the prediction accuracy with the LSAR model is better than that from AR model in medium- and long-term prediction.

  17. The leap from ROI to SROI: Farther than expected?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gargani, John

    2017-10-01

    Social return on investment (SROI) is a popular method for evaluating the impact that organizations have on society and the environment. It has its roots in finance, where return on investment (ROI) is used to evaluate investments. Over the past ten years, SROI has made the leap from a tool for building private wealth to one that advances the public good. Has it landed us in a better place? To answer the question, I describe the general approach to financial analysis, how it is applied to financial decisions, and how it has been adapted to evaluate impact. I then consider the strengths and weaknesses of SROI, and suggest how, by pushing beyond the constraints of financial analysis, it can give stakeholders voice and provide evidence of success from diverse perspectives. Along the way, I propose a conceptual model for value, a foundational concept in SROI that has been criticized by some as underdeveloped, and I include a technical appendix that identifies potential sources of statistical bias in SROI estimates. I conclude by acknowledging our growing need to incorporate efficiency as one of multiple success criteria and the role that SROI-properly implemented-can play. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  18. An Analysis of the Precision and Reliability of the Leap Motion Sensor and Its Suitability for Static and Dynamic Tracking

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jože Guna

    2014-02-01

    Full Text Available We present the results of an evaluation of the performance of the Leap Motion Controller with the aid of a professional, high-precision, fast motion tracking system. A set of static and dynamic measurements was performed with different numbers of tracking objects and configurations. For the static measurements, a plastic arm model simulating a human arm was used. A set of 37 reference locations was selected to cover the controller’s sensory space. For the dynamic measurements, a special V-shaped tool, consisting of two tracking objects maintaining a constant distance between them, was created to simulate two human fingers. In the static scenario, the standard deviation was less than 0.5 mm. The linear correlation revealed a significant increase in the standard deviation when moving away from the controller. The results of the dynamic scenario revealed the inconsistent performance of the controller, with a significant drop in accuracy for samples taken more than 250 mm above the controller’s surface. The Leap Motion Controller undoubtedly represents a revolutionary input device for gesture-based human-computer interaction; however, due to its rather limited sensory space and inconsistent sampling frequency, in its current configuration it cannot currently be used as a professional tracking system.

  19. An analysis of the precision and reliability of the leap motion sensor and its suitability for static and dynamic tracking.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guna, Jože; Jakus, Grega; Pogačnik, Matevž; Tomažič, Sašo; Sodnik, Jaka

    2014-02-21

    We present the results of an evaluation of the performance of the Leap Motion Controller with the aid of a professional, high-precision, fast motion tracking system. A set of static and dynamic measurements was performed with different numbers of tracking objects and configurations. For the static measurements, a plastic arm model simulating a human arm was used. A set of 37 reference locations was selected to cover the controller's sensory space. For the dynamic measurements, a special V-shaped tool, consisting of two tracking objects maintaining a constant distance between them, was created to simulate two human fingers. In the static scenario, the standard deviation was less than 0.5 mm. The linear correlation revealed a significant increase in the standard deviation when moving away from the controller. The results of the dynamic scenario revealed the inconsistent performance of the controller, with a significant drop in accuracy for samples taken more than 250 mm above the controller's surface. The Leap Motion Controller undoubtedly represents a revolutionary input device for gesture-based human-computer interaction; however, due to its rather limited sensory space and inconsistent sampling frequency, in its current configuration it cannot currently be used as a professional tracking system.

  20. 77 FR 37016 - Applications for New Awards: Upward Bound Math and Science Program

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-06-20

    ... DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Applications for New Awards: Upward Bound Math and Science Program AGENCY... Bound Math and Science Program. Notice inviting applications for new awards for fiscal year (FY) 2012.... There are three types of grants under the UB Program: regular UB grants, Veterans UB grants, and UB Math...

  1. Openness to Experience as a Predictor and Outcome of Upward Job Changes into Managerial and Professional Positions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nieß, Christiane; Zacher, Hannes

    2015-01-01

    In industrial and organizational psychology, there is a long tradition of studying personality as an antecedent of work outcomes. Recently, however, scholars have suggested that personality characteristics may not only predict, but also change due to certain work experiences, a notion that is depicted in the dynamic developmental model (DDM) of personality and work. Upward job changes are an important part of employees’ careers and career success in particular, and we argue that these career transitions can shape personality over time. In this study, we investigate the Big Five personality characteristics as both predictors and outcomes of upward job changes into managerial and professional positions. We tested our hypotheses by applying event history analyses and propensity score matching to a longitudinal dataset collected over five years from employees in Australia. Results indicated that participants’ openness to experience not only predicted, but that changes in openness to experience also followed from upward job changes into managerial and professional positions. Our findings thus provide support for a dynamic perspective on personality characteristics in the context of work and careers. PMID:26110527

  2. Using leap motion to investigate the emergence of structure in speech and language.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eryilmaz, Kerem; Little, Hannah

    2017-10-01

     In evolutionary linguistics, experiments using artificial signal spaces are being used to investigate the emergenceof speech structure. These signal spaces need to be continuous, non-discretized spaces from which discrete unitsand patterns can emerge. They need to be dissimilar from-but comparable with-the vocal tract, in order tominimize interference from pre-existing linguistic knowledge, while informing us about language. This is a hardbalance to strike. This article outlines a new approach that uses the Leap Motion, an infrared controller that canconvert manual movement in 3d space into sound. The signal space using this approach is more flexible than signalspaces in previous attempts. Further, output data using this approach is simpler to arrange and analyze. Theexperimental interface was built using free, and mostly open- source libraries in Python. We provide our sourcecode for other researchers as open source.

  3. Neural Network Analysis of LEAP Energy Spectra

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Holdridge, Robert E

    2002-09-10

    The Laser Electron Acceleration Project (LEAP) group has been conducting a proof of principle experiment on the acceleration of electrons with a pair of crossed laser beams. To date there has been no experimental verification of electron acceleration with crossed laser beams in a dielectric loaded vacuum, although the energy profile of an accelerated electron bunch has been well described by theory. The experiment is subject to unavoidable time dependent fluctuations in the independent variables. Changes in the experimental parameters can dramatically alter the beam profile incident near the focal plane of a high-resolution spectrometer located downstream from the accelerator cell. Neural networks (NNs) appear to provide an ideal tool for the positive determination of an acceleration event, being adaptable and able to handle highly complex nonlinear problems. Typical NNs under such conditions require a training set consisting of a representative data set along with ''answers'' which have been determined to be consistent with the variable state of the experimental parameters. A strategy of pattern recognition with respect to the status of independent variables can be employed to determine the signature characteristics of a laser perturbed electron bunch. Data cuts representing characteristics that were thought to be distinctive to accelerated beam profile images were implemented in the algorithm employed. Statistical analysis of the results of data cuts made on the energy profile images from the experiment is presented, as well as conclusions drawn from the results of this analysis. Finally, a discussion of future directions to be taken in this work is given including the orientation towards on-line, real-time analysis.

  4. Investigation of forced convection heat transfer of supercritical pressure water in a vertically upward internally ribbed tube

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang Jianguo; Li Huixiong; Guo Bin; Yu Shuiqing; Zhang Yuqian; Chen Tingkuan

    2009-01-01

    In the present paper, the forced convection heat transfer characteristics of water in a vertically upward internally ribbed tube at supercritical pressures were investigated experimentally. The six-head internally ribbed tube is made of SA-213T12 steel with an outer diameter of 31.8 mm and a wall thickness of 6 mm and the mean inside diameter of the tube is measured to be 17.6 mm. The experimental parameters were as follows. The pressure at the inlet of the test section varied from 25.0 to 29.0 MPa, and the mass flux was from 800 to 1200 kg/(m 2 s), and the inside wall heat flux ranged from 260 to 660 kW/m 2 . According to experimental data, the effects of heat flux and pressure on heat transfer of supercritical pressure water in the vertically upward internally ribbed tube were analyzed, and the characteristics and mechanisms of heat transfer enhancement, and also that of heat transfer deterioration, were also discussed in the so-called large specific heat region. The drastic changes in thermophysical properties near the pseudocritical points, especially the sudden rise in the specific heat of water at supercritical pressures, may result in the occurrence of the heat transfer enhancement, while the covering of the heat transfer surface by fluids lighter and hotter than the bulk fluid makes the heat transfer deteriorated eventually and explains how this lighter fluid layer forms. It was found that the heat transfer characteristics of water at supercritical pressures were greatly different from the single-phase convection heat transfer at subcritical pressures. There are three heat transfer modes of water at supercritical pressures: (1) normal heat transfer, (2) deteriorated heat transfer with low HTC but high wall temperatures in comparison to the normal heat transfer, and (3) enhanced heat transfer with high HTC and low wall temperatures in comparison to the normal heat transfer. It was also found that the heat transfer deterioration at supercritical pressures was

  5. Downstream lightening and upward heavying, sorting of sediments of uniform grain size but differing in density

    Science.gov (United States)

    Viparelli, E.; Solari, L.; Hill, K. M.

    2014-12-01

    Downstream fining, i.e. the tendency for a gradual decrease in grain size in the downstream direction, has been observed and studied in alluvial rivers and in laboratory flumes. Laboratory experiments and field observations show that the vertical sorting pattern over a small Gilbert delta front is characterized by an upward fining profile, with preferential deposition of coarse particles in the lowermost part of the deposit. The present work is an attempt to answer the following questions. Are there analogous sorting patterns in mixtures of sediment particles having the same grain size but differing density? To investigate this, we performed experiments at the Hydrosystems Laboratory at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. During the experiments a Gilbert delta formed and migrated downstream allowing for the study of transport and sorting processes on the surface and within the deposit. The experimental results show 1) preferential deposition of heavy particles in the upstream part of the deposit associated with a pattern of "downstream lightening"; and 2) a vertical sorting pattern over the delta front characterized by a pattern of "upward heavying" with preferential deposition of light particles in the lowermost part of the deposit. The observed downstream lightening is analogous of the downstream fining with preferential deposition of heavy (coarse) particles in the upstream part of the deposit. The observed upward heavying was unexpected because, considering the particle mass alone, the heavy (coarse) particles should have been preferentially deposited in the lowermost part of the deposit. Further, the application of classical fractional bedload transport relations suggests that in the case of mixtures of particles of uniform size and different densities equal mobility is not approached. We hypothesize that granular physics mechanisms traditionally associated with sheared granular flows may be responsible for the observed upward heavying and for the

  6. Cover Image Innate or learned preference for upward-facing flowers?: implications for the costs of pendent flowers from experiments on captive bumble bees

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Takashi T Makino

    2012-10-01

    Full Text Available Pollinator preferences for phenotypic characters, including floral orientation, can affect plant reproductive success. For example, hawkmoths and syrphid flies prefer upward- over downward-facing flowers in field experiments. Although such preferences suggest a cost of pendent flowers in terms of pollinator attraction, we cannot rule out the possibility that the preferences have been affected by prior experience: pollinators might choose the same type of flowers to which they have already become accustomed. To test for innate preference, we observed bumble bees foraging on an array of upward- and downward-facing artificial flowers. Without any prior experience with vertical flowers, 91.7% bees chose an upward-facing flower at the very first visit. In addition to this innate preference, we also found that the preference was strengthened by experience, which suggests that the bees learned upward-facing flowers were easier to handle. Although bumble bees may concentrate on pendent flowers in the field, such learned preferences are evidently imposed on a template of upward-facing preference. Because bee-pollinated pendent flowers face particular difficulties in attracting visits, therefore, we expect them to compensate through other means, such as greater floral rewards.

  7. Measurement of the rate of droplet deposition in vertical upward and downward annular flows

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Murakami, Toshihiro; Okawa, Tomio; Takei, Rei

    2008-01-01

    The deposition rate of droplets was measured for vertical annular two-phase flows in a small diameter tube by means of the double film extraction technique. The test section was a round tube of 5 mm in inside diameter, air and water were used as test fluids, and the flow direction was set to upward and downward; the system pressure and the flow rates of gas and liquid phases were changed parametrically. If the droplet velocity relative to the continuous gas phase is in the equilibrium state, the shear induced lift force acting on droplets is directed toward the tube centerline in upflow while toward the tube wall in downflow. Particular attention was therefore paid to the effect of flow direction. It was shown experimentally that the deposition rate of droplets in downward flow is greater than that in upward flow. The difference in the measured deposition rate may be attributed to the direction of lift force acting on droplets. (author)

  8. The 1964 Great Alaska Earthquake and tsunamis: a modern perspective and enduring legacies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brocher, Thomas M.; Filson, John R.; Fuis, Gary S.; Haeussler, Peter J.; Holzer, Thomas L.; Plafker, George; Blair, J. Luke

    2014-01-01

    The magnitude 9.2 Great Alaska Earthquake that struck south-central Alaska at 5:36 p.m. on Friday, March 27, 1964, is the largest recorded earthquake in U.S. history and the second-largest earthquake recorded with modern instruments. The earthquake was felt throughout most of mainland Alaska, as far west as Dutch Harbor in the Aleutian Islands some 480 miles away, and at Seattle, Washington, more than 1,200 miles to the southeast of the fault rupture, where the Space Needle swayed perceptibly. The earthquake caused rivers, lakes, and other waterways to slosh as far away as the coasts of Texas and Louisiana. Water-level recorders in 47 states—the entire Nation except for Connecticut, Delaware, and Rhode Island— registered the earthquake. It was so large that it caused the entire Earth to ring like a bell: vibrations that were among the first of their kind ever recorded by modern instruments. The Great Alaska Earthquake spawned thousands of lesser aftershocks and hundreds of damaging landslides, submarine slumps, and other ground failures. Alaska’s largest city, Anchorage, located west of the fault rupture, sustained heavy property damage. Tsunamis produced by the earthquake resulted in deaths and damage as far away as Oregon and California. Altogether the earthquake and subsequent tsunamis caused 129 fatalities and an estimated $2.3 billion in property losses (in 2013 dollars). Most of the population of Alaska and its major transportation routes, ports, and infrastructure lie near the eastern segment of the Aleutian Trench that ruptured in the 1964 earthquake. Although the Great Alaska Earthquake was tragic because of the loss of life and property, it provided a wealth of data about subductionzone earthquakes and the hazards they pose. The leap in scientific understanding that followed the 1964 earthquake has led to major breakthroughs in earth science research worldwide over the past half century. This fact sheet commemorates Great Alaska Earthquake and

  9. Leap motion controlled videogame-based therapy for rehabilitation of elderly patients with subacute stroke: a feasibility pilot study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Iosa, Marco; Morone, Giovanni; Fusco, Augusto; Castagnoli, Marcello; Fusco, Francesca Romana; Pratesi, Luca; Paolucci, Stefano

    2015-08-01

    The leap motion controller (LMC) is a new optoelectronic system for capturing motion of both hands and controlling a virtual environment. Differently from previous devices, it optoelectronically tracks the fine movements of fingers neither using glows nor markers. This pilot study explored the feasibility of adapting the LMC, developed for videogames, to neurorehabilitation of elderly with subacute stroke. Four elderly patients (71.50 ± 4.51 years old) affected by stroke in subacute phase were enrolled and tested in a cross-over pilot trial in which six sessions of 30 minutes of LMC videogame-based therapy were added on conventional therapy. Measurements involved participation to the sessions, evaluated by means of the Pittsburgh Rehabilitation Participation Scale, hand ability and grasp force evaluated respectively by means of the Abilhand Scale and by means of the dynamometer. Neither adverse effects nor spasticity increments were observed during LMC training. Participation to the sessions was excellent in three patients and very good in one patient during the LMC trial. In this period, patients showed a significantly higher improvement in hand abilities (P = 0.028) and grasp force (P = 0.006). This feasibility pilot study was the first one using leap motion controller for conducting a videogame-based therapy. This study provided a proof of concept that LMC can be a suitable tool even for elderly patients with subacute stroke. LMC training was in fact performed with a high level of active participation, without adverse effects, and contributed to increase the recovery of hand abilities.

  10. Energy efficiency and CO_2 mitigation potential of the Turkish iron and steel industry using the LEAP (long-range energy alternatives planning) system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ates, Seyithan A.

    2015-01-01

    With the assistance of the LEAP (long-range energy alternatives planning) energy modeling tool, this study explores the energy efficiency and CO_2 emission reduction potential of the iron and steel industry in Turkey. With a share of 35%, the steel and iron industry is considered as the most energy-consuming sector in Turkey. The study explores that the energy intensity rate can be lowered by 13%, 38% and 51% in SEI (slow-speed energy efficiency improvement), AEI (accelerating energy efficiency improvement) and CPT (cleaner production and technology scenario) scenarios, respectively. Particularly the projected aggregated energy savings of the scenarios CPT and AES are very promising with saving rates of 33.7% and 23% respectively. Compared to baseline scenarios, energy efficiency improvements correspond to economic potential of 0.1 billion dollars for SEI, 1.25 dollars for AEI and 1.8 billion dollars for CPT scenarios annually. Concerning GHG (greenhouse gas) emissions, in 2030 the iron and steel industry in Turkey is estimated to produce 34.9 MtCO_2 in BAU (business-as-usual scenario), 32.5 MtCO_2 in SEI, 24.6 MtCO_2 in AEI and 14.5 MtCO_2 in CPT a scenario which corresponds to savings of 9%–39%. The study reveals that energy consumption and GHG emissions of the iron and steel industry can be lowered significantly if the necessary measures are implemented. It is expected that this study will fill knowledge gaps pertaining to energy efficiency potential in Turkish energy intensive industries and help stakeholders in energy intensive industries to realize the potential for energy efficiency and GHG mitigation. - Highlights: • This paper explores energy efficiency potential of iron and Steel industry in Turkey. • We applied the LEAP modeling to forecast future developments. • Four different scenarios have been developed for the LEAP modeling. • There is a huge potential for energy efficiency and mitigation of GHG emissions.

  11. Experimental Investigation of the Hot Water Layer Effect on Upward Flow Open Pool Reactor Operability

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Abou Elmaaty, T.

    2014-01-01

    The open pool reactor offers a high degree of reliability in the handling and manoeuvring, the replacement of reactor internal components and the suing of vertical irradiation channels. The protection of both the operators and the reactor hall environment against radiation hazards is considered a matter of interest. So, a hot water layer is implemented above many of the research reactors main pool, especially those whose flow direction is upward flow. An experimental work was carried out to ensure the operability of the upward flow open pool research reactor with / without the hot water layer. The performed experiment showed that, the hot water layer is produced an inverse buoyant force make the water to diffuse downward against the ordinary natural circulation from the reactor core. An upward flow - open pool research reactor (with a power greater than 20 M watt) could not wok without a hot water layer. The high temperature of the hot water layer surface could release a considerable amount of water vapour into the reactor hall, so a heat and mass transfer model is built based on the measured hot water layer surface temperature to calculate the amount of released water vapour during the reactor operating period. The effects of many parameters like the ambient air temperature, the reactor hall relative humidity and the speed of the pushed air layer above the top pool end on the evaporation rate is studied. The current study showed that, the hot water layer system is considered an efficient shielding system against Gamma radiation for open pool upward flow reactor and that system should be operated before the reactor start up by a suitable period of time. While, the heat and mass transfer model results showed that, the amount of the released water vapour is increased as a result of both the increase in hot water layer surface temperature and the increase in air layer speed. As the increase in hot water layer surface temperature could produce a good operability

  12. Experimental Investigation of the Hot Water Layer Effect on Upward Flow Open Pool Reactor Operability

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Abou Elmaaty, T.

    2015-01-01

    The open pool reactor offers a high degree of reliability in the handling and manoeuvring, the replacement of reactor internal components and the swing of vertical irradiation channels. The protection of both the operators and the reactor hall environment against radiation hazards is considered a matter of interest. So, a hot water layer implemented above many of the research reactors main pool, especially those whose flow direction is upward flow. An experimental work was carried out to ensure the operability of the upward flow open pool research reactor with / without the hot water layer. The performed experiment showed that, the hot water layer produced an inverse buoyant force making the water to diffuse downward against the ordinary natural circulation from the reactor core. An upward flow-open pool research reactor (with a power greater than 20 Mw) could not wok without a hot water layer. The high temperature of the hot water layer surface could release a considerable amount of water vapour into the reactor hall, so a heat and mass transfer model is built based on the measured hot water layer surface temperature to calculate the amount of released water vapour during the reactor operating period. The effects of many parameters like the ambient air temperature, the reactor hall relative humidity and the speed of the pushed air layer above the top pool end on the evaporation rate is studied. The current study showed that, the hot water layer system is considered an efficient shielding system against gamma radiation for open pool upward flow reactor and that system should be operated before the reactor start up by a suitable period of time. While, the heat and mass transfer model results showed that, the amount of the released water vapour is increased as a result of both the increase in hot water layer surface temperature and the increase in air layer speed. As the increase in hot water layer surface temperature could produce a good operability conditions from

  13. Leaping shampoo glides on a 500-nm-thick lubricating air layer

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Erqiang; Lee, Sanghyun; Marston, Jeremy; Bonito, Andrea; Thoroddsen, Sigurdur

    2013-11-01

    When a stream of shampoo is fed onto a pool in one's hand, a jet can leap sideways or rebound from the liquid surface in an intriguing phenomenon known as the Kaye effect. Earlier studies have debated whether non-Newtonian effects are the underlying cause of this phenomenon, making the jet glide on top of a shear-thinning liquid layer, or whether an entrained air layer is responsible. Herein we show unambiguously that the jet slides on a lubricating air layer [Lee et al., Phys. Rev. E 87, 061001 (2013)]. We identify this layer by looking through the pool liquid and observing its rupture into fine micro-bubbles. The resulting micro-bubble sizes suggest that the thickness of this air layer is around 500 nm. This thickness estimate is also supported by the tangential deceleration of the jet during the rebounding, with the shear stress within the thin air layer sufficient for the observed deceleration. Particle tracking within the jet shows uniform velocity, with no pronounced shear, which would be required for shear-thinning effects. The role of the surfactant may primarily be to stabilize the air film.

  14. Leap motion evaluation for assessment of upper limb motor skills in Parkinson's disease.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Butt, A H; Rovini, E; Dolciotti, C; Bongioanni, P; De Petris, G; Cavallo, F

    2017-07-01

    The main goal of this study is to investigate the potential of the Leap Motion Controller (LMC) for the objective assessment of motor dysfunctioning in patients with Parkinson's disease (PwPD). The most relevant clinical signs in Parkinson's Disease (PD), such as slowness of movements, frequency variation, amplitude variation, and speed, were extracted from the recorded LMC data. Data were clinically quantified using the LMC software development kit (SDK). In this study, 16 PwPD subjects and 12 control healthy subjects were involved. A neurologist assessed the subjects during the task execution, assigning them a score according to the MDS/UPDRS-Section III items. Features of motor performance from both subject groups (patients and healthy controls) were extracted with dedicated algorithms. Furthermore, to find out the significance of such features from the clinical point of view, machine learning based methods were used. Overall, our findings showed the moderate potential of LMC to extract the motor performance of PwPD.

  15. Simultaneous removal of organic contaminants and heavy metals from kaolin using an upward electrokinetic soil remediation process

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang, J.-Y.; Huang, X.-J.; Kao, Jimmy C.M.; Stabnikova, Olena

    2007-01-01

    Kaolins contaminated with heavy metals, Cu and Pb, and organic compounds, p-xylene and phenanthrene, were treated with an upward electrokinetic soil remediation (UESR) process. The effects of current density, cathode chamber flushing fluid, treatment duration, reactor size, and the type of contaminants under the vertical non-uniform electric field of UESR on the simultaneous removal of the heavy metals and organic contaminants were studied. The removal efficiencies of p-xylene and phenanthrene were higher in the experiments with cells of smaller diameter or larger height, and with distilled water flow in the cathode chamber. The removal efficiency of Cu and Pb were higher in the experiments with smaller diameter or shorter height cells and 0.01 M HNO 3 solution as cathode chamber flow. In spite of different conditions for removal of heavy metals and organics, it is possible to use the upward electrokinetic soil remediation process for their simultaneous removal. Thus, in the experiments with duration of 6 days removal efficiencies of phenanthrene, p-xylene, Cu and Pb were 67%, 93%, 62% and 35%, respectively. The experiment demonstrated the feasibility of simultaneous removal of organic contaminants and heavy metals from kaolin using the upward electrokinetic soil remediation process

  16. Evaluation of upward heat flux in ex-vessel molten core heat transfer using MELCOR

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Park, S.Y.; Park, J.H.; Kim, S.D.; Kim, D.H.; Kim, H.D.

    2000-01-01

    The purpose of this study is to share experiences of MELCOR application to resolve the molten corium-concrete interaction (MCCI) issue in the Korea Next Generation Reactor (KNGR). In the evaluation of concrete erosion, the heat transfer modeling from the molten corium internal to the corium pool surface is very important and uncertain. MELCOR employs Kutateladze or Greene's bubble-enhanced heat transfer model for the internal heat transfer. The phenomenological uncertainty is so large that the model provides several model parameters in addition to the phenomenological model for user flexibility. However, the model parameters do not work on Kutateladze correlation at the top of the molten layer. From our experience, a code modification is suggested to match the upward heat flux with the experimental results. In this analysis, minor modification was carried out to calculate heat flux from the top molten layer to corium surface, and efforts were made to find out the best value of the model parameter based on upward heat flux of MACE test M1B. Discussion also includes its application to KNGR. (author)

  17. Examples of Small-scale Urban Area. Experiment Energy Leap Built Environment; Voorbeeldenboek Kleinschalige Binnenstedelijke Gebieden. Experiment Energiesprong Gebouwde Omgeving

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    2011-03-15

    The Dutch government considers the transition process to be necessary and stimulates investments in energy innovations in the built environment. This innovation effort is the programme 'Energy Leap' (Energiesprong), which is being carried out by the Steering Group Experimental Housing (SEV) on behalf of the Dutch Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations (BZK). The programme is derived from the Innovation Agenda for Energy in the Built Environment. The examples in this book are intended to inspire (potential) participants in the Experiment Energy Leap for Small-scale Urban Areas. The examples focus explicitly on the reduction of CO2 emissions in urban areas, and thus, in addition to CO2 reduction on a building level, the aspects of energy supply, (local) energy production and the energy infrastructure [Dutch] Het SEV-programma Energiesprong (SEV is Stuurgroep Experimenten Volkshuisvesting) beoogt een substantiele bijdrage te leveren aan de condities waaronder de energietransitie effectief tot stand kan komen. In dit basisplan wordt uiteengezet hoe de markt daartoe moet kunnen komen en welke activiteiten daarvoor worden ondersteund, opgezet en/of uitgevoerd vanuit Energiesprong. Het SEV-programma Energiesprong wordt in opdracht van het Ministerie van Binnenlandse Zaken en Koninkrijksrelaties (BZK) uitgevoerd. Het programma is afgeleid van de Innovatie Agenda energie Gebouwde Omgeving. Dit voorbeeldenboek dient ter inspiratie van (potentiele) deelnemers aan het Experiment Energiesprong kleinschalige Binnenstedelijke Gebieden. De voorbeelden richten zich expliciet op de CO2-reductie van binnenstedelijke gebieden en daarmee, naast de CO2-reductie op woning- en gebouwniveau, op de aspecten energievoorziening, (locale) energieopwekking en energie-infrastructuur.

  18. The transition from flooding to upwards cocurrent annular flow in a vertical pipe

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wallis, G.B.

    1962-02-01

    The limits of countercurrent flow in a vertical pipe are related to the onset of cocurrent upwards annual flow. The results are confirmed by evidence from several sources and lead to the criterion v g =(0.8→0.9)p g -1/2 [D g (p f -p g )] 1/2 for the minimum gas superficial velocity which will support a liquid film in concurrent flow. (author)

  19. Phase distribution phenomena in upward cocurrent bubbly flows. A critical review of the experimental and theoretical works

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Grossetete, C.

    1992-09-01

    The most important and challenging problems in two-phase bubbly flow today are related to the physical understanding and the modeling of multidimensional phenomena such as the distribution of phases in space. We present here a critical review of the available experimental and theoretical studies in gas-liquid adiabatic and non-reactive upward bubbly flows which have been carried out to define and improve the physical models needed to close the three-dimensional two-fluid model equations. It appears that: so far, the axial development of two-phase upward bubbly flows has not been handled thoroughly. Little is known about the way the pressure gradient as well as the gas-liquid mixing conditions affect the distribution of phases, the problems related to the closing of the two-fluid model equations are far from being solved. The physical models proposed seem often to be too much complex considering how little we know about the mechanisms involved, there are still very few multidimensional numerical models whose results have been compared with experimental data on bubbly flows. The boundary conditions introduced in the codes as well as the sensitivity of the results to the parameters of the codes are never precisely stated. To bridge some of those gaps, we propose to perform an experimental and numerical study of the axial development of two-phase air-water upward bubbly flows in vertical pipes

  20. LEAPing through the looking glass: secondary analysis of the effect of skin test size and age of introduction on peanut tolerance after early peanut introduction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Greenhawt, M; Fleischer, D M; Chan, E S; Venter, C; Stukus, D; Gupta, R; Spergel, J M

    2017-08-01

    In the Learning Early About Peanut Allergy (LEAP) study, early peanut introduction in high-risk 4- to 11-month-olds was associated with a significantly decreased risk of developing peanut allergy. However, the influences of key baseline high-risk factors on peanut tolerance are poorly understood. Secondary analysis was conducted on the publically available LEAP dataset, exploring relationships between peanut tolerance, baseline peanut/egg sensitization, eczema severity/duration, age of introduction, gender, and race. A multiple logistic regression model predicting odds of successful oral food challenge (OFC) at 60 months noted higher odds with early introduction (OR 9.2, P introduction group was 83% vs 43% in the avoidance group with SPT wheal of introduction between 6 and 11 months than at 4-6 months. Increasing eczema severity had limited impact on the probability of peanut tolerance in the early introduction arm. Increasing peanut wheal size predicted peanut tolerance only in the avoidance arm. Peanut introduction between 6 and 11 months of age was associated with the highest rates of peanut tolerance, questioning the 'urgency' of introduction before 6 months. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  1. Noosphere: Does the Internet Provide an Evolutionary Leap to a Higher Level of Collective Intelligence?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tatjana Milivojević

    2015-09-01

    Full Text Available The neologism noosphere signifies global human consciousness. According to T. de Chardin, it is the third stage in the development of the earth, after the geosphere and the biosphere. As well as the emergence of life has fundamentally changed the geosphere, the emergence of human consciousness has fundamentally changed the biosphere. De Chardin envisioned the “planetarization” of mankind, which is equivalent to the current globalization by information technology. From an anthropological point of view, internet is not a technology or media as others: it has the potential to revolutionize the current civilizational paradigm. With the advent of the internet the idea of the noosphere has been reactualized and related to the concept of collective intelligence. The article questions the hypothesis of an evolutionary leap in a greater collective intelligence or higher level of collective consciousness presenting pros and cons.

  2. Intensity of Upward Muon Flux Due to Cosmic-Ray Neutrinos Produced in the Atmosphere

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, T. D.; Robinson, H.; Schwartz, M.; Cool, R.

    1963-06-01

    Calculations were performed to determine the upward going muon flux leaving the earth's surface after production by cosmic-ray neutrinos in the crust. Only neutrinos produced in the earth's atmosphere are considered. Rates of the order of one per 100 sq m/day might be expected if an intermediate boson exists and has a mass less than 2 Bev. (auth)

  3. Heat flow measurements in Great Meteor East, Madeira Abyssal Plain, during Discovery Cruise 144

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Noel, M.

    1984-01-01

    This report describes 21 closely spaced heat flow measurements which were made along two survey lines in an area of faulted sediments east of Great Meteor Seamount in the Madeira Abyssal Plain. The heat flow was found to be correlated with basement topography as mapped by seismic reflection profiling. Data modelling suggests that this is due both to the thermal conductivity contrast between sediments and basement rocks and to the presence of hydrothermal circulation within basement highs. The existence of non-linear temperature profiles in sediments covering basement highs suggests that the underlying circulation is causing an upward movement of porewater. There is no firm evidence to show that the sediment faults act as preferred pathways for porewater advection. (author)

  4. Design and evaluation of an augmented reality simulator using leap motion.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wright, Trinette; de Ribaupierre, Sandrine; Eagleson, Roy

    2017-10-01

    Advances in virtual and augmented reality (AR) are having an impact on the medical field in areas such as surgical simulation. Improvements to surgical simulation will provide students and residents with additional training and evaluation methods. This is particularly important for procedures such as the endoscopic third ventriculostomy (ETV), which residents perform regularly. Simulators such as NeuroTouch, have been designed to aid in training associated with this procedure. The authors have designed an affordable and easily accessible ETV simulator, and compare it with the existing NeuroTouch for its usability and training effectiveness. This simulator was developed using Unity, Vuforia and the leap motion (LM) for an AR environment. The participants, 16 novices and two expert neurosurgeons, were asked to complete 40 targeting tasks. Participants used the NeuroTouch tool or a virtual hand controlled by the LM to select the position and orientation for these tasks. The length of time to complete each task was recorded and the trajectory log files were used to calculate performance. The resulting data from the novices' and experts' speed and accuracy are compared, and they discuss the objective performance of training in terms of the speed and accuracy of targeting accuracy for each system.

  5. Design and evaluation of an augmented reality simulator using leap motion

    Science.gov (United States)

    de Ribaupierre, Sandrine; Eagleson, Roy

    2017-01-01

    Advances in virtual and augmented reality (AR) are having an impact on the medical field in areas such as surgical simulation. Improvements to surgical simulation will provide students and residents with additional training and evaluation methods. This is particularly important for procedures such as the endoscopic third ventriculostomy (ETV), which residents perform regularly. Simulators such as NeuroTouch, have been designed to aid in training associated with this procedure. The authors have designed an affordable and easily accessible ETV simulator, and compare it with the existing NeuroTouch for its usability and training effectiveness. This simulator was developed using Unity, Vuforia and the leap motion (LM) for an AR environment. The participants, 16 novices and two expert neurosurgeons, were asked to complete 40 targeting tasks. Participants used the NeuroTouch tool or a virtual hand controlled by the LM to select the position and orientation for these tasks. The length of time to complete each task was recorded and the trajectory log files were used to calculate performance. The resulting data from the novices' and experts' speed and accuracy are compared, and they discuss the objective performance of training in terms of the speed and accuracy of targeting accuracy for each system. PMID:29184667

  6. The grand leap of the whale up the Niagara Falls: converting philosophical conclusions into policy prescriptions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Holm, Søren

    2015-04-01

    This article analyzes a neat conjuring trick employed in bioethics, that is, the immediate conversion of a philosophical conclusion into a policy prescription, and compares it to the "grand leap of the whale up the Niagara Falls" mentioned by Benjamin Franklin. It is shown that there is no simple and easy way to achieve the conversion, by considering arguments falling under four headings: (1) reasonable disagreement about values and theories, (2) general jurisprudential arguments, (3) the differences between policymaking and philosophy, and (4) the messy world of implementation. The particular issue used to illustrate the difficulties in moving from philosophical conclusion to policy description is infanticide of healthy infants, but the analysis is general, and the conclusion that the immediate move to policy is illegitimate is quite general.

  7. The ghost of Afrikaner identity in Ancestral voices, Leap year and The long silence of Mario Salviati (Etienne van Heerden

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mariëtte van Graan

    2017-04-01

    Full Text Available Ghost characters are a characteristic of the novels of Etienne van Heerden, but little research has been done concerning the nature and function of these ghost characters. In this article I discuss Van Heerden’s use of ghost characters diachronically with reference to the novels Ancestral voices (1986, Leap year (1993 and The long silence of Mario Salviati (2000. In order to clarify the nature of these ghosts, I use the so-called science of the paranormal as a framework. The ghosts in the three novels will be classified accordingly, and then discussed within the context of the novels in which they appear. In this way, I shall show how the ghost characters in these novels can be read as a constantly changing embodiment of Afrikaner identity (a central theme in Van Heerden’s oeuvre. Van Heerden’s Afrikaner changes with the times: in Ancestral voices the ghost characters form a collective that represents a fragmented image of the stereotypical, archaic male Afrikaner identity; in Leap year a liminal character is written in a liminal time to embody a liminal Afrikaner identity; and in The long silence of Mario Salviati Van Heerden moves away from the exclusive Afrikaner identity to a broader South African identity by using ghost characters from very different backgrounds and origins. In conclusion I shall compare these identities and the historical contexts of these novels in order to show the function of Van Heerden’s ghost characters as constant rewritings of South African identities.

  8. LEAP: A randomized-controlled trial of a lay-educator inpatient asthma education program.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rice, Jessica L; Matlack, Kristen M; Simmons, Marsha D; Steinfeld, Jonathan; Laws, Margaret A; Dovey, Mark E; Cohen, Robyn T

    2015-06-29

    To evaluate the impact of LEAP, a volunteer-based, inpatient asthma education program for families of inner-city children with asthma. 711 children ages 2-17 years admitted with status asthmaticus were randomized to receive usual care or usual care plus a supplemental education intervention. Both groups completed a baseline interview. Trained volunteer lay educators conducted individualized bedside education with the intervention group. Primary outcome was attendance at a post-hospitalization follow-up visit 7-10 days after discharge. Secondary outcomes included parent-reported asthma management behaviors, symptoms, and self-efficacy scores from a one month follow-up interview. Post-hospitalization asthma clinic attendance was poor (38%), with no difference between groups. Families randomized to the intervention group were more likely to report use of a controller (OR 2.4, 95% CI 1.3-4.2, peducation by trained lay volunteers was associated with improved asthma management behaviors. This novel volunteer-based program could have widespread implications as a sustainable model for asthma education. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  9. Penetration of the renewable sources of energy in Mexico: group of approach to determine the exogenous parameters of the LEAP simulation model (Annexe 10 in 'A vision of year 2030 on the use of the renewable energies in Mexico'); Penetracion de las fuentes renovables de energia en Mexico: grupo de enfoque para determinar los parametros exogenos del modelo de simulacion LEAP (Anexo 10 en 'Una vision al 2030 de la utilizacion de las energias renovables en Mexico')

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pernudi, Montserrat; Alonso C, Antonio [Analitica Consultores S.A. de C.V., Mexico D.F. (Mexico)

    2005-08-15

    The LEAP simulation model requires the values of some exogenous variables: At international level, the population increase, the economic growth and the international oil prices; at domestic level, the population increase, the economic growth, the energy intensity, the elasticity of demand of energy-price, and the elasticity of energy demand-gross national product. The use of the LEAP model for the estimation of the penetration of the renewable energies in Mexico comprises of the requirements established in the study. To estimate the future long term values of variables as the exogenous ones required by this model by means of expert opinion can be, given the nature of same, equally or more complicated and speculative than to directly consider the future rates of penetration of the renewable energies. In order to reflect on the future values of these variables a group of approach with experts was integrated. [Spanish] El modelo de simulacion LEAP requiere los valores de algunas variables exogenas: A nivel internacional, el crecimiento demografico, el crecimiento economico y los precios internacionales del petroleo; a nivel nacional, el crecimiento demografico, el crecimiento economico, la intensidad energetica, la elasticidad de demanda de energia-precio, y la elasticidad de demanda de energia-producto interno bruto. El uso del modelo LEAP para la estimacion de la penetracion de las energias renovables en Mexico forma parte de los requerimientos establecidos en el estudio. Estimar los futuros valores a largo plazo de variables como las exogenas requeridas por dicho modelo mediante opinion experta puede resultar, dada la naturaleza de las mismas, tan o mas complicado y especulativo que estimar las futuras tasas de penetracion de las energias renovables directamente. Para reflexionar sobre los futuros valores de dichas variables se integro un grupo de enfoque con expertos.

  10. The Leap of a Provincial SME into the Global Market Using E-commerce: The Success of Adequate Planning

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sainz de Abajo, Beatriz; García Salcines, Enrique; Burón Fernández, F. Javier; López Coronado, Miguel; de Castro Lozano, Carlos

    The leap into the global market is not easy when it involves a provincial family business. This article demonstrates how adequate planning is fundamental in a small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) with the tight budget they have available to them, in order to be able to differentiate themselves in a highly competitive market, taking into accounts the benefits and risks involved. The Information Technology (IT) tools put in place will give the necessary support and allow for the possibility of increasing and improving the infrastructure as the company requires. An adequate strategy for the future to increases sales would be e-marketing techniques as well as the current promotions which contribute to diffusing the brand.

  11. The Great Recession and America's Geography of Unemployment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thiede, Brian C; Monnat, Shannon M

    The Great Recession of 2007-2009 was the most severe and lengthy economic crisis in the U.S. since the Great Depression. The impacts on the population were multi-dimensional, but operated largely through local labor markets. To examine differences in recession-related changes in county unemployment rates and assess how population and place characteristics shaped these patterns. We calculate and decompose Theil Indexes to describe recession-related changes in the distribution of unemployment rates between counties and states. We use exploratory spatial statistics to identify geographic clusters of counties that experienced similar changes in unemployment. We use spatial regression to evaluate associations between county-level recession impacts on unemployment and demographic composition, industrial structure, and state context. The recession was associated with increased inequality between county labor markets within states, but declining between-state differences. Counties that experienced disproportionate recession-related increases in unemployment were spatially clustered and characterized by large shares of historically disadvantaged racial and ethnic minority populations, low educational attainment, and heavy reliance on pro-cyclical industries. Associations between these sources of vulnerability were partially explained by unobserved state-level factors. The local consequences of macroeconomic trends are associated with county population characteristics, as well as the structural contexts and policy environments in which they are embedded. The recession placed upward pressure on within-state inequality between local labor market conditions. To present new estimates of the recession's impact on local labor markets, quantify how heterogeneous impacts affected the distribution of unemployment prevalence, and identify county characteristics associated with disproportionately large recession-related increases in unemployment.

  12. On the Specification of Upward-Propagating Tides for ICON Science Investigations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Forbes, Jeffrey M.; Zhang, Xiaoli; Hagan, Maura E.; England, Scott L.; Liu, Guiping; Gasperini, Federico

    2017-10-01

    The National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) Thermosphere Ionosphere Electrodynamics General Circulation Model (TIEGCM) will provide a physics-based context for the interpretation of ICON measurements. To optimize the realism of the model simulations, ICON wind and temperature measurements near the ˜97 km lower boundary of the TIEGCM will be used to specify the upward-propagating tidal spectrum at this altitude. This will be done by fitting a set of basis functions called Hough Mode Extensions (HMEs) to 27-day mean tidal winds and temperatures between 90 and 105 km altitude and between 12 °S and 42 °N latitude on a day-by-day basis. The current paper assesses the veracity of the HME fitting methodology given the restricted latitude sampling and the UT-longitude sampling afforded by the MIGHTI instrument viewing from the ICON satellite, which will be in a circular 27° inclination orbit. These issues are investigated using the output from a reanalysis-driven global circulation model, which contains realistic variability of the important tidal components, as a mock data set. ICON sampling of the model reveals that the 27-day mean diurnal and semidiurnal tidal components replicate well the 27-day mean tidal components obtained from full synoptic sampling of the model, but the terdiurnal tidal components are not faithfully reproduced. It is also demonstrated that reconstructed tidal components based on HME fitting to the model tides between 12 °S and 42 °N latitude provide good approximations to the major tidal components expected to be encountered during the ICON mission. This is because the constraints provided by fitting both winds and temperatures over the 90-105 km height range are adequate to offset the restricted sampling in latitude. The boundary conditions provided by the methodology described herein will greatly enhance the ability of the TIEGCM to provide a physical framework for interpreting atmosphere-ionosphere coupling in ICON observations

  13. Feeling bad, but satisfied : the effects of upward and downward comparison upon mood and marital satisfaction

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Buunk, B.P.; Ybema, J.F.

    2003-01-01

    In a sample of 135 women from rural areas, the effects of social comparison with the marriage of another woman upon mood, identification and relationship evaluation were examined. Upward targets evoked a more positive mood, and a less negative mood than downward targets, while, in contrast, the

  14. Freezing of aluminium oxide and iron flowing upward in circular quartz glass tubes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kuhn, D.; Moeschke, M.; Werle, H.

    1983-10-01

    The freezing of aluminium oxide and iron flowing upward in circular quartz glass tubes has been studied in a series of experiments. Several tubes were used in the same test. This demonstrated a good reproducibility and allowed systematic parameter variations, especially of the channel diameter. The time-dependance of the penetration was observed with a film camera and these date provide a good basis for a detailed check of sophisticated models which are in development. (orig.) [de

  15. Dry-out heat fluxes of falling film and low-mass flux upward-flow in heated tubes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Koizumi, Yasuo; Ueda, Tatsuhiro; Matsuo, Teruyuki; Miyota, Yukio

    1998-01-01

    Dry-out heat fluxes were investigated experimentally for a film flow falling down on the inner surface of vertical heated-tubes and for a low mass flux forced-upward flow in the tubes using R 113. This work followed the study on those for a two-phase natural circulation system. For the falling film boiling, flow state observation tests were also performed, where dry-patches appearing and disappearing repeatedly were observed near the exit end of the heated section at the dry-out heat flux conditions. Relation between the dry-out heat flux and the liquid film flow rate is analyzed. The dry-out heat fluxes of the low mass flux upflow are expressed well by the correlation proposed in the previous work. The relation for the falling film boiling shows a similar trend to that for the upflow boiling, however, the dry-out heat fluxes of the falling film are much lower, approximately one third, than those of the upward flow. (author)

  16. Upward nitrate transport by phytoplankton in oceanic waters: balancing nutrient budgets in oligotrophic seas

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tracy A. Villareal

    2014-03-01

    Full Text Available In oceanic subtropical gyres, primary producers are numerically dominated by small (1–5 µm diameter pro- and eukaryotic cells that primarily utilize recycled nutrients produced by rapid grazing turnover in a highly efficient microbial loop. Continuous losses of nitrogen (N to depth by sinking, either as single cells, aggregates or fecal pellets, are balanced by both nitrate inputs at the base of the euphotic zone and N2-fixation. This input of new N to balance export losses (the biological pump is a fundamental aspect of N cycling and central to understanding carbon fluxes in the ocean. In the Pacific Ocean, detailed N budgets at the time-series station HOT require upward transport of nitrate from the nutricline (80–100 m into the surface layer (∼0–40 m to balance productivity and export needs. However, concentration gradients are negligible and cannot support the fluxes. Physical processes can inject nitrate into the base of the euphotic zone, but the mechanisms for transporting this nitrate into the surface layer across many 10s of m in highly stratified systems are unknown. In these seas, vertical migration by the very largest (102–103 µm diameter phytoplankton is common as a survival strategy to obtain N from sub-euphotic zone depths. This vertical migration is driven by buoyancy changes rather than by flagellated movement and can provide upward N transport as nitrate (mM concentrations in the cells. However, the contribution of vertical migration to nitrate transport has been difficult to quantify over the required basin scales. In this study, we use towed optical systems and isotopic tracers to show that migrating diatom (Rhizosolenia mats are widespread in the N. Pacific Ocean from 140°W to 175°E and together with other migrating phytoplankton (Ethmodiscus, Halosphaera, Pyrocystis, and solitary Rhizosolenia can mediate time-averaged transport of N (235 µmol N m-2 d-1 equivalent to eddy nitrate injections (242 µmol NO3− m

  17. Doing worse, but feeling happy : Social comparison and identification in response to upward and downward targets

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Groothof, H.; Siero, F.W.; Buunk, Abraham (Bram)

    2007-01-01

    We investigated people's responses to exposure to downward and upward targets. In Study 1, among 197 participants, it was predicted and found that such exposure led to a contrast effect on self-evaluation, and to an assimilation effect on affect. In Study 2, among 148 participants, it was predicted

  18. Mindfulness training promotes upward spirals of positive affect and cognition : Multilevel and autoregressive latent trajectory modeling analyses

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Garland, Eric L.; Geschwind, Nicole; Peeters, Frenk; Wichers, Marieke

    2015-01-01

    Recent theory suggests that positive psychological processes integral to health may be energized through the self-reinforcing dynamics of an upward spiral to counter emotion dysregulation. The present study examined positive emotion-cognition interactions among individuals in partial remission from

  19. The Mediating Roles of Upward Social Comparison and Self-esteem and the Moderating Role of Social Comparison Orientation in the Association between Social Networking Site Usage and Subjective Well-Being.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Jin-Liang; Wang, Hai-Zhen; Gaskin, James; Hawk, Skyler

    2017-01-01

    The increased pervasiveness of social media use has raised questions about potential effects on users' subjective well-being, with studies reaching contrasting conclusions. To reconcile these discrepancies and shed new light on this phenomenon, the current study examined: (1) whether upward social comparison and self-esteem mediate the association between social networking site (SNS) usage and users' subjective well-being, and (2) whether the association between SNS usage and upward social comparison is moderated by users' social comparison orientation. Data from 696 participants were collected. Structural equation modeling revealed that upward social comparison and self-esteem mediated the relationship between SNS usage and users' subjective well-being. We found that social comparison orientation moderated the association between passive SNS usage and users' upward social comparison. Specifically, social comparison orientation strengthened the association between passive SNS usage and upward social comparison. The results might suggest a process through which passive SNS usage is related to subjective well-being, and identify a context under which these associations may differ.

  20. Making great leaps forward: Accounting for detectability in herpetological field studies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mazerolle, Marc J.; Bailey, Larissa L.; Kendall, William L.; Royle, J. Andrew; Converse, Sarah J.; Nichols, James D.

    2007-01-01

    Detecting individuals of amphibian and reptile species can be a daunting task. Detection can be hindered by various factors such as cryptic behavior, color patterns, or observer experience. These factors complicate the estimation of state variables of interest (e.g., abundance, occupancy, species richness) as well as the vital rates that induce changes in these state variables (e.g., survival probabilities for abundance; extinction probabilities for occupancy). Although ad hoc methods (e.g., counts uncorrected for detection, return rates) typically perform poorly in the face of no detection, they continue to be used extensively in various fields, including herpetology. However, formal approaches that estimate and account for the probability of detection, such as capture-mark-recapture (CMR) methods and distance sampling, are available. In this paper, we present classical approaches and recent advances in methods accounting for detectability that are particularly pertinent for herpetological data sets. Through examples, we illustrate the use of several methods, discuss their performance compared to that of ad hoc methods, and we suggest available software to perform these analyses. The methods we discuss control for imperfect detection and reduce bias in estimates of demographic parameters such as population size, survival, or, at other levels of biological organization, species occurrence. Among these methods, recently developed approaches that no longer require marked or resighted individuals should be particularly of interest to field herpetologists. We hope that our effort will encourage practitioners to implement some of the estimation methods presented herein instead of relying on ad hoc methods that make more limiting assumptions.

  1. Ethnic diversity and social capital in upward mobility systems: Problematizing the permeability of intra-organizational career boundaries

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Ossenkop, C.; Vinkenburg, C.J.; Jansen, P.G.W.; Ghorashi, H.

    2015-01-01

    Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to contribute to a better understanding of the complex relationship between ethnic diversity, social capital, and objective career success in upward mobility systems over time. The authors conceptualize the underlying process of why intra-organizational career

  2. The Great Recession and America's geography of unemployment

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Brian Thiede

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available Background: The Great Recession of 2007-2009 was the most severe and lengthy economic crisis in the US since the Great Depression of the 1930s. The impacts on the population were multi-dimensional, but operated largely through local labor markets. Objective: To examine differences in recession-related changes in county unemployment rates and assess how population and place characteristics shaped these patterns. Methods: We calculate and decompose Theil Indexes to describe recession-related changes in the distribution of unemployment rates between counties and states. We use exploratory spatial statistics to identify geographic clusters of counties that experienced similar changes in unemployment. We use spatial regression to evaluate associations between county-level recession impacts on unemployment and demographic composition, industrial structure, and state context. Results: The recession was associated with increased inequality between county labor markets within states, but declining between-state differences. Counties that experienced disproportionate recession-related increases in unemployment were spatially clustered and characterized by large shares of historically disadvantaged racial and ethnic minority populations, low educational attainment, and heavy reliance on pro-cyclical industries. Associations between these sources of vulnerability were partially explained by unobserved state-level factors. Conclusions: The local consequences of macroeconomic trends are associated with county population characteristics, and the structural contexts and policy environments in which they are embedded. The recession placed upward pressure on within-state disparities in local labor market conditions. Contribution: To present new estimates of the recession's impact on local labor markets, quantify how heterogeneous impacts affected the distribution of unemployment prevalence, and identify county characteristics associated with disproportionately

  3. Prediction, analysis and solution of flow inversion phenomenon in a typical MTR reactor with upward core cooling

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    El-Morshedy, Salah El-Din

    2010-01-01

    Research reactors of power greater than 20 MW are usually designed to be cooled with upward coolant flow direction inside the reactor core. This is mainly to prevent flow inversion problems following a pump coast down. However, in some designs and under certain operating conditions, flow inversion phenomenon is predicted. In the present work, the best-estimate Material Testing Reactors Thermal-Hydraulic Analysis program (MTRTHA) is used to simulate a typical MTR reactor behavior with upward cooling under a hypothetical case of loss of off-site power. The flow inversion phenomenon is predicted under certain decay heat and/or pool temperature values below the design values. The reactor simulation under loss of off-site power is performed for two cases namely; two-flap valves open and one flap-valve fails to open. The model results for the flow inversion phenomenon prediction is analyzed and a solution of the problem is suggested. (orig.)

  4. Application of long range energy alternative planning (LEAP) model for Thailand energy outlook 2030 : reference case

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Charusiri, W.; Eua-arporn, B.; Ubonwat, J.

    2008-01-01

    In 2004, the total energy consumption in Thailand increased 8.8 per cent, from 47,806 to 60,260 ktoe. Long-range Energy Alternatives Planning (LEAP) is an accounting tool that simulates future energy scenarios. According to a Business As Usual (BAU) case, the overall energy demand in Thailand is estimated to increase from 61,262 to 254,200 ktoe between 2004 and 2030. Commercial energy consumption, which comprises petroleum products, natural gas, coal and its products, and electricity, increased by 9.0 per cent in Thailand in 2004, and new and renewable energy increased by 7.8 per cent. Nearly 60 per cent of the total commercial energy supply in Thailand was imported and increased for a fifth year in a row. The changes in energy consumption can be attributed to population growth and increase in economic activity and development. 10 refs., 5 tabs., 14 figs

  5. The Mediating Roles of Upward Social Comparison and Self-esteem and the Moderating Role of Social Comparison Orientation in the Association between Social Networking Site Usage and Subjective Well-Being

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jin-Liang Wang

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available The increased pervasiveness of social media use has raised questions about potential effects on users’ subjective well-being, with studies reaching contrasting conclusions. To reconcile these discrepancies and shed new light on this phenomenon, the current study examined: (1 whether upward social comparison and self-esteem mediate the association between social networking site (SNS usage and users’ subjective well-being, and (2 whether the association between SNS usage and upward social comparison is moderated by users’ social comparison orientation. Data from 696 participants were collected. Structural equation modeling revealed that upward social comparison and self-esteem mediated the relationship between SNS usage and users’ subjective well-being. We found that social comparison orientation moderated the association between passive SNS usage and users’ upward social comparison. Specifically, social comparison orientation strengthened the association between passive SNS usage and upward social comparison. The results might suggest a process through which passive SNS usage is related to subjective well-being, and identify a context under which these associations may differ.

  6. The Mediating Roles of Upward Social Comparison and Self-esteem and the Moderating Role of Social Comparison Orientation in the Association between Social Networking Site Usage and Subjective Well-Being

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Jin-Liang; Wang, Hai-Zhen; Gaskin, James; Hawk, Skyler

    2017-01-01

    The increased pervasiveness of social media use has raised questions about potential effects on users’ subjective well-being, with studies reaching contrasting conclusions. To reconcile these discrepancies and shed new light on this phenomenon, the current study examined: (1) whether upward social comparison and self-esteem mediate the association between social networking site (SNS) usage and users’ subjective well-being, and (2) whether the association between SNS usage and upward social comparison is moderated by users’ social comparison orientation. Data from 696 participants were collected. Structural equation modeling revealed that upward social comparison and self-esteem mediated the relationship between SNS usage and users’ subjective well-being. We found that social comparison orientation moderated the association between passive SNS usage and users’ upward social comparison. Specifically, social comparison orientation strengthened the association between passive SNS usage and upward social comparison. The results might suggest a process through which passive SNS usage is related to subjective well-being, and identify a context under which these associations may differ. PMID:28553256

  7. Estimate of the soil water retention curve from the sorptivity and β parameter calculated from an upward infiltration experiment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moret-Fernández, D.; Latorre, B.

    2017-01-01

    The water retention curve (θ(h)), which defines the relationship between the volumetric water content (θ) and the matric potential (h), is of paramount importance to characterize the hydraulic behaviour of soils. Because current methods to estimate θ(h) are, in general, tedious and time consuming, alternative procedures to determine θ(h) are needed. Using an upward infiltration curve, the main objective of this work is to present a method to determine the parameters of the van Genuchten (1980) water retention curve (α and n) from the sorptivity (S) and the β parameter defined in the 1D infiltration equation proposed by Haverkamp et al. (1994). The first specific objective is to present an equation, based on the Haverkamp et al. (1994) analysis, which allows describing an upward infiltration process. Secondary, assuming a known saturated hydraulic conductivity, Ks, calculated on a finite soil column by the Darcy's law, a numerical procedure to calculate S and β by the inverse analysis of an exfiltration curve is presented. Finally, the α and n values are numerically calculated from Ks, S and β. To accomplish the first specific objective, cumulative upward infiltration curves simulated with HYDRUS-1D for sand, loam, silt and clay soils were compared to those calculated with the proposed equation, after applying the corresponding β and S calculated from the theoretical Ks, α and n. The same curves were used to: (i) study the influence of the exfiltration time on S and β estimations, (ii) evaluate the limits of the inverse analysis, and (iii) validate the feasibility of the method to estimate α and n. Next, the θ(h) parameters estimated with the numerical method on experimental soils were compared to those obtained with pressure cells. The results showed that the upward infiltration curve could be correctly described by the modified Haverkamp et al. (1994) equation. While S was only affected by early-time exfiltration data, the β parameter had a

  8. High-speed and supersonic upward plasma drifts: multi-instrumental study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Astafyeva, E.; Zakharenkova, I.; Hairston, M. R.; Huba, J.; Coley, W. R.

    2017-12-01

    Since the pioneering observations by Aggson et al. (1992, JGR, doi: 10.1002/92JA00644), there have been several reports of the occurrence of high-speed (Vz>800 m/s) and supersonic plasma flows in the post-sunset (e.g., Hysell et al., 1994, JGR, doi: 10.1029/94JA00476; Hanson et al., 1997, JGR, doi: 10.1029/96JA03376) and the pre-dawn sector (Astafyeva and Zakharenkova, 2015, GRL, doi:10.1002/2015GL066369). However, despite this observational evidence, these events remain rare and are not well understood. The main issue is to determine the background conditions leading to the occurrence of these high-speed plasma drifts. In this work, we perform a multi-instrumental study of high-speed and supersonic upward plasma drift events/structures. For this purpose, we analyze data from several ground-based and space-borne instruments, including data from the DMSP, Swarm and C/NOFS (IVM instrument) satellites. In addition to the space-borne instruments, we use data from ground-based GPS-receivers and ionosondes to further investigate the background ionosphere conditions, as well as the effects produced by the plasma bubbles and ionospheric irregularities. Besides the observations, we add the SAMI3/ESF modeling results on plasma bubble simulations and high-speed drifts inside plasma bubbles. TIE-GCM runs (from the CCMC, https://ccmc.gsfc.nasa.gov) are used to define the background atmospheric/ionospheric and electrodynamical conditions leading to the occurrence of the high-speed and supersonic plasma drift events. Our search of events with upward plasma drift exceeding 800 m/s in the data of DMSP for the years 2002-2016 shows that such high-speed events are extremely rare. During this period of time, only 6 events were found, two of them occurred during the recovery phase of a geomagnetic storm, while the other four were detected during geomagnetically quiet conditions. Concerning the generation of such events, our preliminary results show that enhanced electric fields are

  9. Peptidase inhibitors reduce opiate narcotic withdrawal signs, including seizure activity, in the rat.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pinsky, C; Dua, A K; LaBella, F S

    1982-07-15

    Narcotic withdrawal was precipitated by administration of naloxone in a low dose at 2 h after the final dose of morphine in a 9-day dependency-inducing schedule. Withdrawal was characterized by leaps, increased nocifensor activity and by cerebral cortical epileptiform activity, the latter not generally reported to be prominent in narcotic withdrawal. Single large doses of morphine did not provoke epileptiform activity at 2 h postinjection but did induce an acute opioid dependency wherein a moderately high dose of naloxone, ineffective in non-dependent rats, provoked upward leaping and electrocortical epileptiform activity. Pretreatment of the 9-day dependent rats with peptidase inhibitors, administered intracerebroventricularly, significantly reduced withdrawal severity including the epileptiform activity. We propose that peptidase inhibitors protect certain species of endogenous opioids and/or other neuropeptides that tend to suppress expression of the narcotic withdrawal syndrome. Furthermore, our findings suggest that epileptiform activity is a nascent form of cerebral activity hitherto largely unnoticed in narcotic withdrawal and that neuropeptides may be involved in certain epileptic states.

  10. Education as Literacy for Freedom: Implications for Latin America and the Caribbean from an Upward Bound Project.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dottin, Erskine S.

    The Upward Bound Project for low income youth in Florida emphasizes humanistic education rather than education based on the capitalistic model of production, consumption, and competition. The project, which can serve as a model for education in developing countries, focuses on creating self-concepts and values to counteract those of an acquisitive…

  11. Development of a nonlocal convective mixing scheme with varying upward mixing rates for use in air quality and chemical transport models.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mihailović, Dragutin T; Alapaty, Kiran; Sakradzija, Mirjana

    2008-06-01

    Asymmetrical convective non-local scheme (CON) with varying upward mixing rates is developed for simulation of vertical turbulent mixing in the convective boundary layer in air quality and chemical transport models. The upward mixing rate form the surface layer is parameterized using the sensible heat flux and the friction and convective velocities. Upward mixing rates varying with height are scaled with an amount of turbulent kinetic energy in layer, while the downward mixing rates are derived from mass conservation. This scheme provides a less rapid mass transport out of surface layer into other layers than other asymmetrical convective mixing schemes. In this paper, we studied the performance of a nonlocal convective mixing scheme with varying upward mixing in the atmospheric boundary layer and its impact on the concentration of pollutants calculated with chemical and air-quality models. This scheme was additionally compared versus a local eddy-diffusivity scheme (KSC). Simulated concentrations of NO(2) and the nitrate wet deposition by the CON scheme are closer to the observations when compared to those obtained from using the KSC scheme. Concentrations calculated with the CON scheme are in general higher and closer to the observations than those obtained by the KSC scheme (of the order of 15-20%). Nitrate wet deposition calculated with the CON scheme are in general higher and closer to the observations than those obtained by the KSC scheme. To examine the performance of the scheme, simulated and measured concentrations of a pollutant (NO(2)) and nitrate wet deposition was compared for the year 2002. The comparison was made for the whole domain used in simulations performed by the chemical European Monitoring and Evaluation Programme Unified model (version UNI-ACID, rv2.0) where schemes were incorporated.

  12. Exploring direct 3D interaction for full horizontal parallax light field displays using leap motion controller.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Adhikarla, Vamsi Kiran; Sodnik, Jaka; Szolgay, Peter; Jakus, Grega

    2015-04-14

    This paper reports on the design and evaluation of direct 3D gesture interaction with a full horizontal parallax light field display. A light field display defines a visual scene using directional light beams emitted from multiple light sources as if they are emitted from scene points. Each scene point is rendered individually resulting in more realistic and accurate 3D visualization compared to other 3D displaying technologies. We propose an interaction setup combining the visualization of objects within the Field Of View (FOV) of a light field display and their selection through freehand gesture tracked by the Leap Motion Controller. The accuracy and usefulness of the proposed interaction setup was also evaluated in a user study with test subjects. The results of the study revealed high user preference for free hand interaction with light field display as well as relatively low cognitive demand of this technique. Further, our results also revealed some limitations and adjustments of the proposed setup to be addressed in future work.

  13. Bubble Clouds and their Transport within the Surf Zone as Measured with a Distributed Array of Upward-Looking Sonars

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Dahl, Peter

    2000-01-01

    ... in the surf zone and the effects of these bubbles on acoustic propagation. This paper discusses data gathered by the Applied Physics Laboratory, University of Washington, using a set of four upward-looking sonars (frequency 240 kHz...

  14. The Great Recession was not so Great

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van Ours, J.C.

    2015-01-01

    The Great Recession is characterized by a GDP-decline that was unprecedented in the past decades. This paper discusses the implications of the Great Recession analyzing labor market data from 20 OECD countries. Comparing the Great Recession with the 1980s recession it is concluded that there is a

  15. The Great Recession and America’s Geography of Unemployment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thiede, Brian C.; Monnat, Shannon M.

    2017-01-01

    Background The Great Recession of 2007–2009 was the most severe and lengthy economic crisis in the U.S. since the Great Depression. The impacts on the population were multi-dimensional, but operated largely through local labor markets. Objective To examine differences in recession-related changes in county unemployment rates and assess how population and place characteristics shaped these patterns. Methods We calculate and decompose Theil Indexes to describe recession-related changes in the distribution of unemployment rates between counties and states. We use exploratory spatial statistics to identify geographic clusters of counties that experienced similar changes in unemployment. We use spatial regression to evaluate associations between county-level recession impacts on unemployment and demographic composition, industrial structure, and state context. Results The recession was associated with increased inequality between county labor markets within states, but declining between-state differences. Counties that experienced disproportionate recession-related increases in unemployment were spatially clustered and characterized by large shares of historically disadvantaged racial and ethnic minority populations, low educational attainment, and heavy reliance on pro-cyclical industries. Associations between these sources of vulnerability were partially explained by unobserved state-level factors. Conclusions The local consequences of macroeconomic trends are associated with county population characteristics, as well as the structural contexts and policy environments in which they are embedded. The recession placed upward pressure on within-state inequality between local labor market conditions. Contribution To present new estimates of the recession’s impact on local labor markets, quantify how heterogeneous impacts affected the distribution of unemployment prevalence, and identify county characteristics associated with disproportionately large recession

  16. Upward continuation of Dome-C airborne gravity and comparison with GOCE gradients at orbit altitude in east Antarctica

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Yildiz, Hasan; Forsberg, René; Tscherning, Carl Christian

    2017-01-01

    spherical harmonic models confirmed the quality of the airborne data and that they contain more high-frequency signal than the global models. First, the airborne gravity data were upward continued to GOCE altitude to predict gravity gradients in the local North-East-Up reference frame. In this step...

  17. Quantum Leap in Cartography as a requirement of Sustainable Development of the World

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tikunov, Vladimir S.; Tikunova, Iryna N.; Eremchenko, Eugene N.

    2018-05-01

    Sustainable development is one of the most important challenges for humanity and one of the priorities of the United Nations. Achieving sustainability of the whole World is a main goal of management at all levels - from personal to local to global. Therefore, decision making should be supported by relevant geospatial information system. Nevertheless, classical geospatial products, maps and GIS, violate fundamental demand of `situational awareness' concept, well-known philosophy of decision-making - same representation of situation within a same volume of time and space for all decision-makers. Basic mapping principles like generalization and projections split the universal single model of situation on number of different separate and inconsistent replicas. It leads to wrong understanding of situation and, after all - to incorrect decisions. In another words, quality of the sustainable development depends on effective decision-making support based on universal global scale-independent and projection-independent model. This new way for interacting with geospatial information is a quantum leap in cartography method. It is implemented in the so-called `Digital Earth' paradigm and geospatial services like Google Earth. Com-paring of both methods, as well as possibilities of implementation of Digital Earth in the sustain-able development activities, are discussed.

  18. Influence of Mining Thickness on the Rationality of Upward Mining in Coal Seam Group

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Y. Li

    2016-04-01

    Full Text Available This study aimed to determine the influence of mining thickness on the rationality of upward mining in coal seam group. Numerical simulation and theoretical analysis were performed to investigate the influence of the mining thicknesses of initial mining seam on the destruction and pressure relief effect of the upper coal seam in a high-gas coal seam group. The mechanical model of the roof failure based on the mining thickness was established by assuming that the gob formed after adjacent panels have fully been caved is the infinite plane. On the basis of this model, an equation was derived to calculate the roof failure height of the panel. Considering the geological conditions of No. 9 and No. 12 coal seams of Zhaogezhuang Coal Mine, economic effectiveness, and proposed techniques, we concluded that the top layer (4 m of the No. 12 coal seam should be mined first. The top layer of the No. 9 coal seam should be subsequently mined. The topcaving technique was applied to the exploitation of the lower layer of the No. 12 coal seam. Practically monitored data revealed that the deformation and failure of the No. 2699 panel roadway was small and controllable, the amount of gas emission was reduced significantly, and the effect of upward mining was active. The results of this study provide theory basics for mine designing, and it is the provision of a reference for safe and efficient coal exploitation under similar conditions.

  19. Far-zone contributions of airborne gravity anomalies' upward/downward continuation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Boyang Zhou

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available Airborne gravimetry has become a vital technique in local gravity field approximation, and upward/downward continuation of gravity data is a key process of airborne gravimetry. In these procedures, the integral domain is divided into two parts, namely the near-zone and the far-zone. The far-zone contributions are approximated by the truncation coefficients and a global geo-potential model, and their values are controlled by several issues. This paper investigates the effects of flight height, the size of near-zone cap, and Remove-Compute-Restore (RCR technique upon far-zone contributions. Results show that at mountainous area the far-zone contributions can be ignored when EIGEN-6C of 360 degree is removed from the gravity data, together with a near-zone cap of 1° and a flight height less than 10 km, while at flat area EIGEN-6C of 180 degree is feasible.

  20. Drift-flux parameters for upward gas flow in stagnant liquid

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kataoka, Yoshiyuki; Suzuki, Hiroaki; Murase, Michio

    1987-01-01

    The drift-flux model is widely used for gas-liquid two phase flow analysis, because it is applicable to various flow patterns and a wide range of void fractions. The drift-flux parameters for upward gas flow in stagnant liquid, however, have not been well examined. In this study, the distribution parameter C o and the drift velocity V gj for stagnant liquid were derived from the void fraction correlation and boundary conditions of drift-flux parameters, and then compared with C o and V gj for high liquid velocities. Also using the two region model where a circular flow area was divided into an inner region of cocurrent up-flow and an outer annulus region of liquid down flow, C o and V gj for stagnant liquid and for high liquid velocity were compared. The results showed that C o values for stagnant liquid were larger than values for high liquid velocity, while V gj values were almost the same for both cases. (author)

  1. The Great Beyond: Higher Dimensions, Parallel Universes and the Extraordinary Search for a Theory of Everything

    Science.gov (United States)

    Halpern, Paul

    2005-08-01

    Praise for The Great Beyond "A marvelous book-very clear, very readable. A brilliant introduction to the math and physics of higher dimensions, from Flatland to superstrings. Its greatest strength is a wealth of fascinating historical narrative and anecdote. I enjoyed it enormously." -Ian Stewart, author of Flatterland "A remarkable journey from Plato's cave to the farthest reaches of human thought and scientific knowledge. This mind-boggling book allows readers to dream strange visions of hyperspace, chase light waves, explore Klein's quantum odyssey and Kaluza's cocoon, leap through parallel universes, and grasp the very essence of conscience and cosmos. Buy this book and feed your head." -Clifford Pickover, author of A Passion for Mathematics "Halpern looks with a bemused eye at the wildest ideas currently afoot in physics. He takes us into the personal world of those who relish and explore seemingly outlandish notions, and does it with a light, engaging style." -Gregory Benford, author of Foundation's Fear "An informative, stimulating, and thoughtful presentation at the very frontiers of contemporary physics. It is quite on a par with Brian Greene's The Elegant Universe or his more recent The Fabric of the Cosmos, and as such, deserves to receive wide non-specialist coverage among an intelligent, curious, thinking public." -Professor E. Sheldon, Contemporary Physics

  2. Priority of Talent Cultivation and Shanxi Transformation and Leaping%人才培养优先与山西转型跨越

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    李莉

    2013-01-01

    Number, quality, distribution and using status of Shanxi human resources are not suited to the development of eco-nomic transition and leaping. So, personnel training has become an impending issue need to be solved. The paper was ex-pounded requirements of ages of the priorities of personnel training and Shanxi transformation & leaping, and analyzed achievements and shortcomings of development of human resources in Shanxi province. Finally, the paper was put forward the establishment of human resources training mode, and establishing security personnel training mechanism through strength-ening organizational leadership and system security, increasing funding guarantee, building talent motivation and growth envi-ronment and exploring management modes of international first-class enterprises’ talents.%山西人才资源的数量、质量、分布及运用状况,已不适应经济转型跨越发展,因此人才培养问题成为迫在眉睫的关键问题。阐述了人才培养优先与山西转型跨越的时代要求,分析了山西省人才资源开发取得的成绩和存在的不足,提出了建立人才资源培养模式的建议,并提出通过加强组织领导与制度保障、加大经费投入保障,营造人才激励和成长环境、探索国际化一流企业人才管理模式等形式,建立人才培养保障机制。

  3. LEAP into the Pfizer Global Virtual Library (PGVL) space: creation of readily synthesizable design ideas automatically.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hu, Qiyue; Peng, Zhengwei; Kostrowicki, Jaroslav; Kuki, Atsuo

    2011-01-01

    Pfizer Global Virtual Library (PGVL) of 10(13) readily synthesizable molecules offers a tremendous opportunity for lead optimization and scaffold hopping in drug discovery projects. However, mining into a chemical space of this size presents a challenge for the concomitant design informatics due to the fact that standard molecular similarity searches against a collection of explicit molecules cannot be utilized, since no chemical information system could create and manage more than 10(8) explicit molecules. Nevertheless, by accepting a tolerable level of false negatives in search results, we were able to bypass the need for full 10(13) enumeration and enabled the efficient similarity search and retrieval into this huge chemical space for practical usage by medicinal chemists. In this report, two search methods (LEAP1 and LEAP2) are presented. The first method uses PGVL reaction knowledge to disassemble the incoming search query molecule into a set of reactants and then uses reactant-level similarities into actual available starting materials to focus on a much smaller sub-region of the full virtual library compound space. This sub-region is then explicitly enumerated and searched via a standard similarity method using the original query molecule. The second method uses a fuzzy mapping onto candidate reactions and does not require exact disassembly of the incoming query molecule. Instead Basis Products (or capped reactants) are mapped into the query molecule and the resultant asymmetric similarity scores are used to prioritize the corresponding reactions and reactant sets. All sets of Basis Products are inherently indexed to specific reactions and specific starting materials. This again allows focusing on a much smaller sub-region for explicit enumeration and subsequent standard product-level similarity search. A set of validation studies were conducted. The results have shown that the level of false negatives for the disassembly-based method is acceptable when the

  4. A study of upward going particles with the Extreme Energy Events telescopes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Abbrescia, M. [Museo Storico della Fisica e Centro Studi e Ricerche E. Fermi, Roma (Italy); INFN and Dipartimento di Fisica, Università di Bari, Bari (Italy); Avanzini, C.; Baldini, L. [Museo Storico della Fisica e Centro Studi e Ricerche E. Fermi, Roma (Italy); INFN and Dipartimento di Fisica, Università di Pisa, Pisa (Italy); Ferroli, R. Baldini [Museo Storico della Fisica e Centro Studi e Ricerche E. Fermi, Roma (Italy); INFN Laboratori Nazionali di Frascati, Frascati (RM) (Italy); Batignani, G. [Museo Storico della Fisica e Centro Studi e Ricerche E. Fermi, Roma (Italy); INFN and Dipartimento di Fisica, Università di Pisa, Pisa (Italy); Bencivenni, G. [INFN Laboratori Nazionali di Frascati, Frascati (RM) (Italy); Bossini, E. [Museo Storico della Fisica e Centro Studi e Ricerche E. Fermi, Roma (Italy); INFN Gruppo Collegato di Siena and Dipartimento di Fisica, Università di Siena, Siena (Italy); Chiavassa, A. [INFN and Dipartimento di Fisica, Università di Torino, Torino (Italy); Cicalo, C. [Museo Storico della Fisica e Centro Studi e Ricerche E. Fermi, Roma (Italy); INFN and Dipartimento di Fisica, Università di Cagliari, Cagliari (Italy); Cifarelli, L. [Museo Storico della Fisica e Centro Studi e Ricerche E. Fermi, Roma (Italy); INFN and Dipartimento di Fisica, Università di Bologna, Bologna (Italy); Coccia, E. [INFN and Dipartimento di Fisica, Università di Roma Tor Vergata, Roma (Italy); Corvaglia, A. [Museo Storico della Fisica e Centro Studi e Ricerche E. Fermi, Roma (Italy); INFN and Dipartimento di Matematica e Fisica, Università del Salento, Lecce (Italy); and others

    2016-04-21

    In this paper the first study of the upward going events detected by the telescopes of the Extreme Energy Event (EEE) project is reported. The EEE project consists of a detector array of Multigap Resistive Plate Chambers located at selected sites on the Italian territory. During autumn 2014 the first coordinated data taking period took place and around one billion candidate tracks were collected. Among them, of particular interest is the sample of particles which cross the telescopes from below. The results obtained demonstrate that the EEE telescopes can distinguish the electrons produced as decay products of cosmic muons stopped in the ground, or in the last chamber of the telescopes themselves, confirming the excellent performance of the system for the investigation of intriguing cosmic phenomena.

  5. A study of upward going particles with the Extreme Energy Events telescopes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Abbrescia, M.; Avanzini, C.; Baldini, L.; Ferroli, R. Baldini; Batignani, G.; Bencivenni, G.; Bossini, E.; Chiavassa, A.; Cicalo, C.; Cifarelli, L.; Coccia, E.; Corvaglia, A.

    2016-01-01

    In this paper the first study of the upward going events detected by the telescopes of the Extreme Energy Event (EEE) project is reported. The EEE project consists of a detector array of Multigap Resistive Plate Chambers located at selected sites on the Italian territory. During autumn 2014 the first coordinated data taking period took place and around one billion candidate tracks were collected. Among them, of particular interest is the sample of particles which cross the telescopes from below. The results obtained demonstrate that the EEE telescopes can distinguish the electrons produced as decay products of cosmic muons stopped in the ground, or in the last chamber of the telescopes themselves, confirming the excellent performance of the system for the investigation of intriguing cosmic phenomena.

  6. The collective roots and rewards of upward educational mobility.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shahrokni, Shirin

    2018-02-02

    Drawing on in-depth interviews with descendants of North African working-class immigrants admitted to elite higher institutions in France, this paper investigates the under-researched role of family dynamics in facilitating upward educational mobility and informing the experience of social ascension. It shows that concrete mobility strategies, such as authoritative parenting and close mentorship from older siblings have been deployed to enable the respondents' educational attainment. Moreover, a set of moral resources transmitted through stories about family-rooted aspirations and stories about post-migration hardships and sacrifices have contributed to forging strong motivational dispositions that have facilitated school success among the respondents. These resources have further shaped the symbolic significance the interviewees associate with mobility. In contrast with the dominant individual-centred narrative of success, for second-generation North African immigrants, mobility represents a powerful way of 'giving back' to former-generation migrants whose mobility dreams often had to be relinquished. The respondents also position themselves as role-models for other youths of racially and socially disadvantaged backgrounds: their mobility pathways are described as vital for collective advancements particularly through the sense of minority empowerment these generate. © London School of Economics and Political Science 2018.

  7. Aspiring to Level 5 Leadership

    Science.gov (United States)

    DeMary, Jo Lynne S.

    2005-01-01

    The author shares the lessons she learned from the book, Good to Great. Author Jim Collins and his team of researchers had spent five years studying the characteristics of companies that had gone from good to great and compared these companies with organizations that had yet to make the leap. The concepts and strategies they developed were based…

  8. Exploring Direct 3D Interaction for Full Horizontal Parallax Light Field Displays Using Leap Motion Controller

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vamsi Kiran Adhikarla

    2015-04-01

    Full Text Available This paper reports on the design and evaluation of direct 3D gesture interaction with a full horizontal parallax light field display. A light field display defines a visual scene using directional light beams emitted from multiple light sources as if they are emitted from scene points. Each scene point is rendered individually resulting in more realistic and accurate 3D visualization compared to other 3D displaying technologies. We propose an interaction setup combining the visualization of objects within the Field Of View (FOV of a light field display and their selection through freehand gesture tracked by the Leap Motion Controller. The accuracy and usefulness of the proposed interaction setup was also evaluated in a user study with test subjects. The results of the study revealed high user preference for free hand interaction with light field display as well as relatively low cognitive demand of this technique. Further, our results also revealed some limitations and adjustments of the proposed setup to be addressed in future work.

  9. Mapping alternative energy paths for taiwan to reach a sustainable future: An application of the leap model

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Wei-Ming

    Energy is the backbone of modern life which is highly related to national security, economic growth, and environmental protection. For Taiwan, a region having limited conventional energy resources but constructing economies and societies with high energy intensity, energy became the throat of national security and development. This dissertation explores energy solutions for Taiwan by constructing a sustainable and comprehensive energy planning framework (SCENE) and by simulating alternative energy pathways on the horizon to 2030. The Long-range Energy Alternatives Planning system (LEAP) is used as a platform for the energy simulation. The study models three scenarios based on the E4 (energy -- environment -- economic -- equity) perspectives. Three scenarios refer to the business-as-usual scenario (BAU), the government target scenario (GOV), and the renewable and efficiency scenario (REEE). The simulation results indicate that the most promising scenario for Taiwan is the REEE scenario, which aims to save 48.7 million tonnes of oil equivalent (Mtoe) of final energy consumption. It avoids USD 11.1 billion on electricity expenditure in final demand sectors. In addition, the cost of the REEE path is the lowest among all scenarios before 2020 in the electricity generation sector. In terms of global warming potential (GWP), the REEE scenario could reduce 35 percent of the GWP in the demand sectors, the lowest greenhouse gases emission in relation to all other scenarios. Based on lowest energy consumption, competitive cost, and least harm to the environment, the REEE scenario is the best option to achieve intergenerational equity. This dissertation proposes that promoting energy efficiency and utilizing renewable energy is the best strategy for Taiwan. For efficiency improvement, great energy saving potentials do exist in Taiwan so that Taiwan needs more ambitious targets, policies, and implementation mechanisms for energy efficiency enhancement to slow down and decrease

  10. Indirana chiravasi, a new species of Leaping Frog (Anura: Ranixalidae from Western Ghats of India

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A.D. Padhye

    2014-09-01

    Full Text Available Indirana chiravasi, a new species of leaping frog is described from the northern Western Ghats around Amboli, Sindhudurg District, Maharashtra, India. It differs from all its congeners based on a combination of characters including presence of median single internal vocal sac, head longer than wide, distinct canthus rostralis, tympanum 2/3rd to 3/4th the diameter of eye, vomerine teeth in two oblique series at the posterior border of choanae, long midventral lingual papilla, first finger longer than or equal to second, presence of double outer palmer tubercle, thin and elongated inner metatarsal tubercle, absence of outer metatarsal tubercle, webbing moderate, dorsal skin with glandular folds but without warts, ventral skin smooth without mottling and palms and soles dark brown. Molecular analysis based on mitochondrial 12S and 16S genes and nuclear rhodopsin and rag1 genes suggests that the species is genetically distinct from other species for which genetic data is available. Preliminary observations on the development of the species are also provided. We also provide genetic data and images for Indirana gundia collected from the type locality.

  11. Validation of the Leap Motion Controller using markered motion capture technology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smeragliuolo, Anna H; Hill, N Jeremy; Disla, Luis; Putrino, David

    2016-06-14

    The Leap Motion Controller (LMC) is a low-cost, markerless motion capture device that tracks hand, wrist and forearm position. Integration of this technology into healthcare applications has begun to occur rapidly, making validation of the LMC׳s data output an important research goal. Here, we perform a detailed evaluation of the kinematic data output from the LMC, and validate this output against gold-standard, markered motion capture technology. We instructed subjects to perform three clinically-relevant wrist (flexion/extension, radial/ulnar deviation) and forearm (pronation/supination) movements. The movements were simultaneously tracked using both the LMC and a marker-based motion capture system from Motion Analysis Corporation (MAC). Adjusting for known inconsistencies in the LMC sampling frequency, we compared simultaneously acquired LMC and MAC data by performing Pearson׳s correlation (r) and root mean square error (RMSE). Wrist flexion/extension and radial/ulnar deviation showed good overall agreement (r=0.95; RMSE=11.6°, and r=0.92; RMSE=12.4°, respectively) with the MAC system. However, when tracking forearm pronation/supination, there were serious inconsistencies in reported joint angles (r=0.79; RMSE=38.4°). Hand posture significantly influenced the quality of wrist deviation (P<0.005) and forearm supination/pronation (P<0.001), but not wrist flexion/extension (P=0.29). We conclude that the LMC is capable of providing data that are clinically meaningful for wrist flexion/extension, and perhaps wrist deviation. It cannot yet return clinically meaningful data for measuring forearm pronation/supination. Future studies should continue to validate the LMC as updated versions of their software are developed. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  12. Removal of heavy metals from kaolin using an upward electrokinetic soil remedial (UESR) technology

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang, J.-Y.; Huang, X.-J.; Kao, Jimmy C.M.; Stabnikova, Olena

    2006-01-01

    An upward electrokinetic soil remedial (UESR) technology was proposed to remove heavy metals from contaminated kaolin. Unlike conventional electrokinetic treatment that uses boreholes or trenches for horizontal migration of heavy metals, the UESR technology, applying vertical non-uniform electric fields, caused upward transportation of heavy metals to the top surface of the treated soil. The effects of current density, treatment duration, cell diameter, and different cathode chamber influent (distilled water or 0.01 M nitric acid) were studied. The removal efficiencies of heavy metals positively correlated to current density and treatment duration. Higher heavy metals removal efficiency was observed for the reactor cell with smaller diameter. A substantial amount of heavy metals was accumulated in the nearest to cathode 2 cm layer of kaolin when distilled water was continuously supplied to the cathode chamber. Heavy metals accumulated in this layer of kaolin can be easily excavated and disposed off. The main part of the removed heavy metals was dissolved in cathode chamber influent and moved away with cathode chamber effluent when 0.01 M nitric acid was used, instead of distilled water. Energy saving treatment by UESR technology with highest metal removal efficiencies was provided by two regimes: (1) by application of 0.01 M nitric acid as cathode chamber influent, cell diameter of 100 mm, duration of 18 days, and constant voltage of 3.5 V (19.7 kWh/m 3 of kaolin) and (2) by application of 0.01 M nitric acid as cathode chamber influent, cell diameter of 100 cm, duration of 6 days, and constant current density of 0.191 mA/cm 2 (19.1 kWh/m 3 of kaolin)

  13. Forecasting of Energy Consumption in China Based on Ensemble Empirical Mode Decomposition and Least Squares Support Vector Machine Optimized by Improved Shuffled Frog Leaping Algorithm

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shuyu Dai

    2018-04-01

    Full Text Available For social development, energy is a crucial material whose consumption affects the stable and sustained development of the natural environment and economy. Currently, China has become the largest energy consumer in the world. Therefore, establishing an appropriate energy consumption prediction model and accurately forecasting energy consumption in China have practical significance, and can provide a scientific basis for China to formulate a reasonable energy production plan and energy-saving and emissions-reduction-related policies to boost sustainable development. For forecasting the energy consumption in China accurately, considering the main driving factors of energy consumption, a novel model, EEMD-ISFLA-LSSVM (Ensemble Empirical Mode Decomposition and Least Squares Support Vector Machine Optimized by Improved Shuffled Frog Leaping Algorithm, is proposed in this article. The prediction accuracy of energy consumption is influenced by various factors. In this article, first considering population, GDP (Gross Domestic Product, industrial structure (the proportion of the second industry added value, energy consumption structure, energy intensity, carbon emissions intensity, total imports and exports and other influencing factors of energy consumption, the main driving factors of energy consumption are screened as the model input according to the sorting of grey relational degrees to realize feature dimension reduction. Then, the original energy consumption sequence of China is decomposed into multiple subsequences by Ensemble Empirical Mode Decomposition for de-noising. Next, the ISFLA-LSSVM (Least Squares Support Vector Machine Optimized by Improved Shuffled Frog Leaping Algorithm model is adopted to forecast each subsequence, and the prediction sequences are reconstructed to obtain the forecasting result. After that, the data from 1990 to 2009 are taken as the training set, and the data from 2010 to 2016 are taken as the test set to make an

  14. Method of online cleanliness control for upward-facing transport mirrors in integration test bed

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhao Longbiao; Qin Lang; Zhou Guorui; Ye Yayun; Zhang Chuanchao; Miao Xinxiang; Wang Hongbin; Yuan Xiaodong; Wang Xiaohong; Cheng Xiaofeng

    2013-01-01

    An online cleanliness control method based on the online monitoring system was developed for controlling the particle pollution and damage of upward-facing transport mirrors in the integration test bed. By building up gas knife system, the online cleanliness processing was effectively achieved for the particle pollution on the mirror surface. By using the gas screen, the cleanliness of the mirror surface was effectively online maintained. The image processing system was applied to assessing the effect of online cleanliness processing. The experimental results indicate that the particle pollution was reduced by the gas knife and the gas screen was useful to avoid the settlement of particle pollution. (authors)

  15. Determination of trace element level in different tissues of the leaping mullet (Liza saliens, Mugilidae) collected from Caspian Sea.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ebrahimzadeh, Mohammad Ali; Eslami, Shahram; Nabavi, Seyed Fazel; Nabavi, Seyed Mohammad

    2011-12-01

    The concentrations of Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, Cd, and Zn were determined in the brain, heart, liver, gill, gonad, spleen, kidney, and red and white muscles of Liza saliens (leaping mullet). Trace element levels in fish samples were analyzed by flame atomic absorption spectrometry. Among the non-essential metals, the levels of Ni and Pb in the tissues were higher than limits for fish proposed by FAO/WHO, EU, and TFC. Generally, the levels of the non-essential metals were much higher than those of manganese in the red and white muscles. Fe distribution pattern in tissues was in order of spleen > liver > heart > gill > brain > kidney > gonad > red muscle > white muscle. Red muscle was not within the safe limits for human consumption because non-essential metal (Ni, Pb) contents were higher than standard limits.

  16. Experimental heat transfer to supercritical carbon dioxide flowing upward vertical tube with highly conducting surroundings

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Son, Hyung M.; Suh, Kune Y.

    2012-01-01

    Highlights: ► Performed experiment for the upward SCO 2 flow surrounded by highly conducting metal. ► Selected dimensionless groups representing the property variations and buoyancy. ► Developed the heat transfer correlation for the mixed thermal boundary condition. ► Wrote a finite element heat transfer code to find the appropriate correlation. ► Coupled the 1D convection and 2D heat conduction via heat transfer coefficient. - Abstract: This paper presents heat transfer characteristics of supercritical carbon dioxide flow inside vertical circular pipe surrounded by highly conducting material, and develops an adequate tool to test the performance of available heat transfer correlations with. The possible situations are illustrated for the nuclear power plant to which the above-mentioned geometric configuration might be applicable. An experimental loop with vertical circular geometry is designed and constructed to test the upward flow in supercritical state when the axial heat transfer is enhanced by the surrounding metals, resulting in a wall boundary condition between the constant heat flux and temperature. The set of correlations and important findings are critically reviewed from extensive literature survey. Incorporating nondimensional groups resorting to past insights from the available literature, a convective heat transfer correlation is proposed. The optimization procedure is described which utilizes a random walk method along with the in-house finite element heat transfer code to determine the coefficients of the proposed heat transfer correlation. The proposed methodology can be applied to evaluation of heat transfer when the heat transfer coefficient data cannot directly be determined from the experiment.

  17. Modeling on bubbly to churn flow pattern transition for vertical upward flows in narrow rectangular channel

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang Yanlin; Chen Bingde; Huang Yanping; Wang Junfeng

    2011-01-01

    A theoretical model was developed to predict the bubbly to churn flow pattern transition for vertical upward flows in narrow rectangular channel. The model was developed based on the imbalance theory of Helmholtz and some reasonable assumptions. The maximum ideal bubble in narrow rectangular channel and the thermal hydraulics boundary condition leading to bubbly flow to churn flow pattern transition was calculated. The model was validated by experimental data from previous researches. Comparison between predicted result and experimental result shows a reasonable good agreement. (author)

  18. Actively Coping with Violation: Exploring Upward Dissent Patterns in Functional, Dysfunctional, and Deserted Psychological Contract End States

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    René Schalk

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available Recently, scholars have emphasized the importance of examining how employees cope with psychological contract violation and how the coping process contributes to psychological contract violation resolution and post-violation psychological contracts. Recent work points to the important role of problem-focused coping. Yet, to date, problem-focused coping strategies have not been conceptualized on a continuum from constructive to destructive strategies. Consequently, potential differences in the use of specific types of problem-focused coping strategies and the role these different strategies play in the violation resolution process has not been explored. In this study, we stress the importance of focusing on different types of problem-focused coping strategies. We explore how employee upward dissent strategies, conceptualized as different forms of problem-focused coping, contribute to violation resolution and post-violation psychological contracts. Two sources of data were used. In-depth interviews with supervisors of a Dutch car lease company provided 23 case descriptions of employee-supervisor interactions after a psychological contract violation. Moreover, a database with descriptions of Dutch court sentences provided eight case descriptions of employee-organization interactions following a perceived violation. Based on these data sources, we explored the pattern of upward dissent strategies employees used over time following a perceived violation. We distinguished between functional (thriving and reactivation, dysfunctional (impairment and dissolution and deserted psychological contract end states and explored whether different dissent patterns over time differentially contributed to the dissent outcome (i.e., psychological contract end state. The results of our study showed that the use of problem-focused coping is not as straightforward as suggested by the post-violation model. While the post-violation model suggests that problem

  19. Actively Coping with Violation: Exploring Upward Dissent Patterns in Functional, Dysfunctional, and Deserted Psychological Contract End States.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schalk, René; De Ruiter, Melanie; Van Loon, Joost; Kuijpers, Evy; Van Regenmortel, Tine

    2018-01-01

    Recently, scholars have emphasized the importance of examining how employees cope with psychological contract violation and how the coping process contributes to psychological contract violation resolution and post-violation psychological contracts. Recent work points to the important role of problem-focused coping. Yet, to date, problem-focused coping strategies have not been conceptualized on a continuum from constructive to destructive strategies. Consequently, potential differences in the use of specific types of problem-focused coping strategies and the role these different strategies play in the violation resolution process has not been explored. In this study, we stress the importance of focusing on different types of problem-focused coping strategies. We explore how employee upward dissent strategies, conceptualized as different forms of problem-focused coping, contribute to violation resolution and post-violation psychological contracts. Two sources of data were used. In-depth interviews with supervisors of a Dutch car lease company provided 23 case descriptions of employee-supervisor interactions after a psychological contract violation. Moreover, a database with descriptions of Dutch court sentences provided eight case descriptions of employee-organization interactions following a perceived violation. Based on these data sources, we explored the pattern of upward dissent strategies employees used over time following a perceived violation. We distinguished between functional (thriving and reactivation), dysfunctional (impairment and dissolution) and deserted psychological contract end states and explored whether different dissent patterns over time differentially contributed to the dissent outcome (i.e., psychological contract end state). The results of our study showed that the use of problem-focused coping is not as straightforward as suggested by the post-violation model. While the post-violation model suggests that problem-focused coping will most

  20. Actively Coping with Violation: Exploring Upward Dissent Patterns in Functional, Dysfunctional, and Deserted Psychological Contract End States

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schalk, René; De Ruiter, Melanie; Van Loon, Joost; Kuijpers, Evy; Van Regenmortel, Tine

    2018-01-01

    Recently, scholars have emphasized the importance of examining how employees cope with psychological contract violation and how the coping process contributes to psychological contract violation resolution and post-violation psychological contracts. Recent work points to the important role of problem-focused coping. Yet, to date, problem-focused coping strategies have not been conceptualized on a continuum from constructive to destructive strategies. Consequently, potential differences in the use of specific types of problem-focused coping strategies and the role these different strategies play in the violation resolution process has not been explored. In this study, we stress the importance of focusing on different types of problem-focused coping strategies. We explore how employee upward dissent strategies, conceptualized as different forms of problem-focused coping, contribute to violation resolution and post-violation psychological contracts. Two sources of data were used. In-depth interviews with supervisors of a Dutch car lease company provided 23 case descriptions of employee-supervisor interactions after a psychological contract violation. Moreover, a database with descriptions of Dutch court sentences provided eight case descriptions of employee-organization interactions following a perceived violation. Based on these data sources, we explored the pattern of upward dissent strategies employees used over time following a perceived violation. We distinguished between functional (thriving and reactivation), dysfunctional (impairment and dissolution) and deserted psychological contract end states and explored whether different dissent patterns over time differentially contributed to the dissent outcome (i.e., psychological contract end state). The results of our study showed that the use of problem-focused coping is not as straightforward as suggested by the post-violation model. While the post-violation model suggests that problem-focused coping will most

  1. Data collection and field experiments at the Apache Leap research site. Annual report, May 1995--1996

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Woodhouse, E.G.; Bassett, R.L.; Neuman, S.P.; Chen, G.

    1997-08-01

    This report documents the research performed during the period May 1995-May 1996 for a project of the U.S. Regulatory Commission (sponsored contract NRC-04-090-051) by the University of Arizona. The project manager for this research in Thomas J. Nicholson, Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research. The objectives of this research were to examine hypotheses and test alternative conceptual models concerning unsaturated flow and transport through fractured rock, and to design and execute confirmatory field and laboratory experiments to test these hypotheses and conceptual models at the Apache Leap Research Site near Superior, Arizona. Each chapter in this report summarizes research related to a specific set of objectives and can be read and interpreted as a separate entity. Topics include: crosshole pneumatic and gaseous tracer field and modeling experiments designed to help validate the applicability of contiuum geostatistical and stochastic concepts, theories, models, and scaling relations relevant to unsaturated flow and transport in fractured porous tuffs; use of geochemistry and aquifer testing to evaluate fracture flow and perching mechanisms; investigations of 234 U/ 238 U fractionation to evaluate leaching selectivity; and transport and modeling of both conservative and non-conservative tracers

  2. Internal causes of radon and its daughters upward migration and cluster phenomenon

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jia Wenyi; Fang Fang; Zhou Rongsheng; Ma Yingjie; Qiu Yuande; Hou Xinsheng; Wu Yunping; Zu Xiulan; Wang Xiaoqin

    1999-01-01

    Radon and its daughters have a very big specific gravity. But under laboratory conditions, they have the ability to migrate upward. The phenomenon can't be interpreted by an external cause but by an internal cause. The mechanism is that radon and most of its daughters and parents are decaying bodies able to radiate α-particles. After deceleration, 4He can combine with radon and its daughters and parents to form clusters. When the buoyancy of air is greater than the gravity of the clusters, self-ascending occurs. Accordingly, the distance that Rn covered during 3.825 days (Rn half-life) should not be regarded as Rn and its daughters migrating distance, but should be calculated according to all effects. That clusters can be formed by 4He, Rn and its daughters are valuable to study because of the similarity between Rn and heavy metal particles

  3. Environmental and economic assessment of the chemical absorption process in Korea using the LEAP model

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Song, Ho-Jun; Lee, Seungmoon; Maken, Sanjeev; Ahn, Se-Woong; Park, Jin-Won; Min, Byoungryul; Koh, Wongun

    2007-01-01

    CO 2 emission from fossil fuels is a major cause for the global warming effect, but it is hard to remove completely in actuality. Moreover, energy consumption is bound to increase for the continuous economic development of a country that has an industrial formation requiring high-energy demand. Therefore, we need to consider not only a device for CO 2 mitigation but also its impact when a CO 2 mitigation device is applied. The device for CO 2 emission mitigation can be classified into three fields: energy consumption reduction, development of CO 2 removal and recovery technology, and development of alternative energy technology. Among these options, CO 2 removal and recovery technology has a merit that can be applied to a process in the near future. Therefore, research for CO 2 removal and recovery is actively progressing in Korea. In this study, environmental and economic assessment according to the energy policy change for climate change agreement and increase of CO 2 mitigation technology is accomplished, on the bases of operating data for the CO 2 chemical absorption pilot plant that is installed in the Seoul coal steam power plant. The Long-range Energy Alternatives Planning system (LEAP) was used to analyze the alternative scenario, and results were shown quantitatively

  4. Aggregation in organic light emitting diodes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Meyer, Abigail

    Organic light emitting diode (OLED) technology has great potential for becoming a solid state lighting source. However, there are inefficiencies in OLED devices that need to be understood. Since these inefficiencies occur on a nanometer scale there is a need for structural data on this length scale in three dimensions which has been unattainable until now. Local Electron Atom Probe (LEAP), a specific implementation of Atom Probe Tomography (APT), is used in this work to acquire morphology data in three dimensions on a nanometer scale with much better chemical resolution than is previously seen. Before analyzing LEAP data, simulations were used to investigate how detector efficiency, sample size and cluster size affect data analysis which is done using radial distribution functions (RDFs). Data is reconstructed using the LEAP software which provides mass and position data. Two samples were then analyzed, 3% DCM2 in C60 and 2% DCM2 in Alq3. Analysis of both samples indicated little to no clustering was present in this system.

  5. Relativistic self-focusing of ultra-high intensity X-ray laser beams in warm quantum plasma with upward density profile

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Habibi, M.; Ghamari, F.

    2014-01-01

    The results of a numerical study of high-intensity X-ray laser beam interaction with warm quantum plasma (WQP) are presented. By means of an upward ramp density profile combined with quantum factors specially the Fermi velocity, we have demonstrated significant relativistic self-focusing (RSF) of a Gaussian electromagnetic beam in the WQP where the Fermi temperature term in the dielectric function is important. For this purpose, we have considered the quantum hydrodynamics model that modifies refractive index of inhomogeneous WQPs with the inclusion of quantum correction through the quantum statistical and diffraction effects in the relativistic regime. Also, to better illustration of the physical difference between warm and cold quantum plasmas and their effect on the RSF, we have derived the envelope equation governing the spot size of X-ray laser beam in Q-plasmas. In addition to the upward ramp density profile, we have found that the quantum effects would be caused much higher oscillation and better focusing of X-ray laser beam in the WQP compared to that of cold quantum case. Our computational results reveal the importance of the use of electrons density profile and Fermi speed in enhancing self-focusing of laser beam

  6. China Accomplished Its First Space Rendezvous and Docking

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    Chen Xiaoli

    2011-01-01

    At 1:36 am on November 3,China's Shenzhou 8 unmanned spaceship and Tiangong 1 space lab spacecraft accomplished the country's first space docking procedure and coupling in space at more than 343km above Earth's surface,marking a great leap in China's space program.

  7. Resource use efficiency, ecological intensification and sustainability of intercropping systems

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Mao, L.; Zhang, L.; Zhang, S.; Evers, J.B.; Werf, van der W.; Wang, J.; Sun, H.; Su, Z.; Spiertz, J.H.J.

    2015-01-01

    The rapidly growing demand for food, feed and fuel requires further improvements of land and water management, crop productivity and resource-use efficiencies. Combined field experimentation and crop growth modelling during the past five decades made a great leap forward in the understanding of

  8. SensorScheme: Supply Chain Management Automation using Wireless Sensor Networks

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Evers, L.; Havinga, Paul J.M.; Kuper, Jan; Lijding, M.E.M.; Meratnia, Nirvana

    2007-01-01

    The supply chain management business can benefit greatly from automation, as recent developments with RFID technology shows. The use of Wireless Sensor Network technology promises to bring the next leap in efficiency and quality of service. However, current WSN system software does not yet provide

  9. Mixed convection heat transfer to carbon dioxide flowing upward and downward in a vertical tube and an annular channel

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bae, Yoon Y.

    2011-01-01

    Highlights: → Experimental results of heat transfer at a supercritical pressure for a tube with an inner diameter of 4.57 mm and a corresponding annular channel (8 mm x 10 mm, 1 mm gap) were compared each other. → Effect of various parameters such as pressure, flow direction, diameter, channel shape, was investigated. → Existing correlation for supercritical heat transfer were evaluated against the experimental data. → Some unusual characteristics of supercritical heat transfer, such as overshoot and non-monotonic behavior against buoyancy parameter, were discussed. → New correlations were proposed based on the experimental data. - Abstract: This paper addresses three main subjects in supercritical heat transfer: (1) difference in thermal characteristics between upward and downward flows; (2) effect of simulating flow channel shape; (3) evaluation of the existing supercritical heat transfer correlations. To achieve the objectives, a series of experiments was carried out with CO 2 flowing upward and downward in a circular tube with an inner diameter of 4.57 mm and an annular channel created between a tube with an inner diameter of 10 mm and a heater rod with an outer diameter of 8 mm. The working fluid, CO 2 , has been regarded as an appropriate modeling fluid for water, primarily because of their similarity in property variations against reduced temperatures. The mass flux ranged from 400 to 1200 kg/m 2 s. The heat flux was varied between 30 and 140 kW/m 2 so that the pseudo-critical point was located in the middle of the heated section at a given mass flux. The measurements were made at a pressure of 8.12 MPa, which corresponds to 110% of the critical pressure of CO 2 . The difference between the upward and downward flows was observed clearly. The heat transfer deterioration was observed in the downward flow through an annular subchannel over the region beyond the critical point. Several well-known correlations were evaluated against the experimental

  10. Heat transfer characteristics of supercritical pressure waster in vertical upward annular channels

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang Han; Bi Qincheng; Yang Zhendong; Wu Gang

    2013-01-01

    Within the range of pressure from 23 to 28 MPa, mass flux from 350 to 1000 kg/(m 2 · s), and outside wall heat flux from 200 to 1000 kW/m 2 , experimental investigation was conducted on the heat transfer characteristics of supercritical pressure water in vertical upward annular channels. The effects of heat flux, pressure, mass flux and spiral spacer on heat transfer were analyzed, and two types of heat transfer deterioration occurred in the experiments were compared. The experimental results show that the heat transfer of water can be enhanced by increasing the mass flux or decreasing the wall heat flux. The effect of pressure on heat transfer is not uniform and depends on heat transfer form. It was found that the spiral spacer not only enhances the heat transfer of water, but also delays the heat transfer deterioration which occurs in high heat flux and low mass flux conditions. (authors)

  11. Peritoneal catheter fixation combined with straight upward tunnel and low implant position to prevent catheter malfunction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Qingyan; Jiang, Chunming; Zhu, Wei; Sun, Cheng; Xia, Yangyang; Tang, Tianfeng; Wan, Cheng; Shao, Qiuyuan; Liu, Jing; Jin, Bo; Zhang, Miao

    2018-03-01

    Catheter malfunction is the main reason for early peritoneal dialysis (PD) technique failure. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of a new surgery technique with catheter fixation to the lower abdominal wall combined with straight upward tunnel and low implant position in reducing catheter malfunction. Patients with end stage renal disease who received PD in our centre from January 2013 to December 2015 were involved in this study. They were randomly divided into three groups according to surgical technique: traditional open surgery group, modified open surgery group and modified open surgery with catheter fixation group. All patients were followed up for six months after surgery. Catheter- related complications were analyzed. A total of 152 patients were involved. Among them, 49 received traditional open surgery (TOS group), 49 received modified open surgery (MOS group), and 54 received modified open surgery with catheter fixation (MOS-F group). During follow-up, no patients (0%) in MOS-F group developed catheter malfunction which was significantly lower than that of the TOS group (0 vs 16.33%, P = 0.002). Although not statistically significant, the incidence of catheter malfunction was lower in MOS-F group than that in MOS group (0 vs 4.08%, P = 0.134). No significant difference was observed in the episodes of infection, bleeding, leakage, inflow or outflow pain, hernia and delayed wound healing among the three groups (all P > 0.05). Catheter fixation combined with straight upward tunnel and low implant position can effectively prevent catheter malfunction in PD catheter placement. © 2016 Asian Pacific Society of Nephrology.

  12. CrossRef A study of upward going particles with the Extreme Energy Events telescopes

    CERN Document Server

    Abbrescia, M; Baldini, L; Ferroli, R Baldini; Batignani, G; Bencivenni, G; Bossini, E; Chiavassa, A; Cicalo, C; Cifarelli, L; Coccia, E; Corvaglia, A; De Gruttola, D; De Pasquale, S; Di Giovanni, A; D׳Incecco, M; Dreucci, M; Fabbri, F L; Fattibene, E; Ferraro, A; Forster, R; Frolov, V; Galeotti, P; Garbini, M; Gemme, G; Gnesi, I; Grazzi, S; Gustavino, C; Hatzifotiadu, D; La Rocca, P; Maggiora, A; Maron, G; Mazziotta, M N; Miozzi, S; Nania, R; Noferini, F; Nozzoli, F; Panareo, M; Panetta, M P; Paoletti, R; Perasso, L; Pilo, F; Piragino, G; Riggi, F; Righini, G C; Rodriguez, A R; Sartorelli, G; Scapparone, E; Schioppa, M; Scribano, A; Selvi, M; Serci, S; Siddi, E; Squarcia, S; Stori, L; Taiuti, M; Terreni, G; Vistoli, M C; Votano, L; Williams, M C S; Zani, S; Zichichi, A; Zuyeuski, R

    2016-01-01

    In this paper the first study of the upward going events detected by the telescopes of the Extreme Energy Event (EEE) project is reported. The EEE project consists of a detector array of Multigap Resistive Plate Chambers located at selected sites on the Italian territory. During autumn 2014 the first coordinated data taking period took place and around one billion candidate tracks were collected. Among them, of particular interest is the sample of particles which cross the telescopes from below. The results obtained demonstrate that the EEE telescopes can distinguish the electrons produced as decay products of cosmic muons stopped in the ground, or in the last chamber of the telescopes themselves, confirming the excellent performance of the system for the investigation of intriguing cosmic phenomena.

  13. On the One-Dimensional Modeling of Vertical Upward Bubbly Flow

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    C. Peña-Monferrer

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available The one-dimensional two-fluid model approach has been traditionally used in thermal-hydraulics codes for the analysis of transients and accidents in water–cooled nuclear power plants. This paper investigates the performance of RELAP5/MOD3 predicting vertical upward bubbly flow at low velocity conditions. For bubbly flow and vertical pipes, this code applies the drift-velocity approach, showing important discrepancies with the experiments compared. Then, we use a classical formulation of the drag coefficient approach to evaluate the performance of both approaches. This is based on the critical Weber criteria and includes several assumptions for the calculation of the interfacial area and bubble size that are evaluated in this work. A more accurate drag coefficient approach is proposed and implemented in RELAP5/MOD3. Instead of using the Weber criteria, the bubble size distribution is directly considered. This allows the calculation of the interfacial area directly from the definition of Sauter mean diameter of a distribution. The results show that only the proposed approach was able to predict all the flow characteristics, in particular the bubble size and interfacial area concentration. Finally, the computational results are analyzed and validated with cross-section area average measurements of void fraction, dispersed phase velocity, bubble size, and interfacial area concentration.

  14. Upward Trend in Catalytic Efficiency of Rare-Earth Triflate Catalysts in Friedel-Crafts Aromatic Sulfonylation Reactions

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Duus, Fritz; Le, Thach Ngoc; Nguyen, Vo Thu An

    2014-01-01

    A series of 14 lanthanide (Ln) triflates were investigated as sustainable catalysts for aromatic sulfonylation reactions under microwave irradiation. The catalytic efficiency of the early triflates La(OTf)3–Eu(OTf)3 is good for long irradiation times. For the later lanthanides, yields reaching over...... 90 % were achieved for short irradiation periods. This was the case especially for Tm(OTf)3, Yb(OTf)3, and Lu(OTf)3, of which Yb(OTf)3 was the most efficient. The upward trend in catalytic efficiency therefore correlates with the lanthanide sequence in the periodic table. The results can be explained...

  15. CRISPR technologies for bacterial systems: Current achievements and future directions

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Choi, Kyeong Rok; Lee, Sang Yup

    2016-01-01

    Throughout the decades of its history, the advances in bacteria-based bio-industries have coincided with great leaps in strain engineering technologies. Recently unveiled clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated proteins (Cas) systems are now revolution......Throughout the decades of its history, the advances in bacteria-based bio-industries have coincided with great leaps in strain engineering technologies. Recently unveiled clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated proteins (Cas) systems are now...... revolutionizing biotechnology as well as biology. Diverse technologies have been derived from CRISPR/Cas systems in bacteria, yet the applications unfortunately have not been actively employed in bacteria as extensively as in eukaryotic organisms. A recent trend of engineering less explored strains in industrial...... microbiology-metabolic engineering, synthetic biology, and other related disciplines-is demanding facile yet robust tools, and various CRISPR technologies have potential to cater to the demands. Here, we briefly review the science in CRISPR/Cas systems and the milestone inventions that enabled numerous CRISPR...

  16. ALPHABET SIGN LANGUAGE RECOGNITION USING LEAP MOTION TECHNOLOGY AND RULE BASED BACKPROPAGATION-GENETIC ALGORITHM NEURAL NETWORK (RBBPGANN

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wijayanti Nurul Khotimah

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Sign Language recognition was used to help people with normal hearing communicate effectively with the deaf and hearing-impaired. Based on survey that conducted by Multi-Center Study in Southeast Asia, Indonesia was on the top four position in number of patients with hearing disability (4.6%. Therefore, the existence of Sign Language recognition is important. Some research has been conducted on this field. Many neural network types had been used for recognizing many kinds of sign languages. However, their performance are need to be improved. This work focuses on the ASL (Alphabet Sign Language in SIBI (Sign System of Indonesian Language which uses one hand and 26 gestures. Here, thirty four features were extracted by using Leap Motion. Further, a new method, Rule Based-Backpropagation Genetic Al-gorithm Neural Network (RB-BPGANN, was used to recognize these Sign Languages. This method is combination of Rule and Back Propagation Neural Network (BPGANN. Based on experiment this pro-posed application can recognize Sign Language up to 93.8% accuracy. It was very good to recognize large multiclass instance and can be solution of overfitting problem in Neural Network algorithm.

  17. Great Apes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sleeman, Jonathan M.; Cerveny, Shannon

    2014-01-01

    Anesthesia of great apes is often necessary to conduct diagnostic analysis, provide therapeutics, facilitate surgical procedures, and enable transport and translocation for conservation purposes. Due to the stress of remote delivery injection of anesthetic agents, recent studies have focused on oral delivery and/or transmucosal absorption of preanesthetic and anesthetic agents. Maintenance of the airway and provision of oxygen is an important aspect of anesthesia in great ape species. The provision of analgesia is an important aspect of the anesthesia protocol for any procedure involving painful stimuli. Opioids and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are often administered alone, or in combination to provide multi-modal analgesia. There is increasing conservation management of in situ great ape populations, which has resulted in the development of field anesthesia techniques for free-living great apes for the purposes of translocation, reintroduction into the wild, and clinical interventions.

  18. Robust upward dispersion of the neutron spin resonance in the heavy fermion superconductor Ce1−xYbxCoIn5

    Science.gov (United States)

    Song, Yu; Van Dyke, John; Lum, I. K.; White, B. D.; Jang, Sooyoung; Yazici, Duygu; Shu, L.; Schneidewind, A.; Čermák, Petr; Qiu, Y.; Maple, M. B.; Morr, Dirk K.; Dai, Pengcheng

    2016-01-01

    The neutron spin resonance is a collective magnetic excitation that appears in the unconventional copper oxide, iron pnictide and heavy fermion superconductors. Although the resonance is commonly associated with a spin-exciton due to the d(s±)-wave symmetry of the superconducting order parameter, it has also been proposed to be a magnon-like excitation appearing in the superconducting state. Here we use inelastic neutron scattering to demonstrate that the resonance in the heavy fermion superconductor Ce1−xYbxCoIn5 with x=0, 0.05 and 0.3 has a ring-like upward dispersion that is robust against Yb-doping. By comparing our experimental data with a random phase approximation calculation using the electronic structure and the momentum dependence of the -wave superconducting gap determined from scanning tunnelling microscopy (STM) for CeCoIn5, we conclude that the robust upward-dispersing resonance mode in Ce1−xYbxCoIn5 is inconsistent with the downward dispersion predicted within the spin-exciton scenario. PMID:27677397

  19. Heat transfer to sub- and supercritical water flowing upward in a vertical tube at low mass fluxes: numerical analysis and experimental validation

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Odu, Samuel Obarinu; Koster, P.; van der Ham, Aloysius G.J.; van der Hoef, Martin Anton; Kersten, Sascha R.A.

    2016-01-01

    Heat transfer to supercritical water (SCW) flowing upward in a vertical heated tube at low mass fluxes (G ≤ 20 kg/m2 s) has been numerically investigated in COMSOL Multiphysics and validated with experimental data. The turbulence models, essential to describing local turbulence, in COMSOL have been

  20. The multiplier effect : how the accumulation of cultural and social capital explains steep upward social mobility of children of low-educated immigrants

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Crul, Maurice; Schneider, Jens; Keskiner, Elif; Lelie, Frans

    2017-01-01

    We introduce what we have coined the multiplier effect. We explain the steep upward mobility of children of low-educated immigrants by studying how they overcome obstacles on their regular pathway, via alternative routes or through loopholes in the education and labour market system. The idea of the

  1. Communism and Hunger: Preface

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    From the Guest Editors

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available Over the past two decades, researchers have made significant progress in studying the great political famines of the twentieth century. As a result of increased access to formerly closed archives and the collective efforts of the international scholarly community, we now have a rather accurate picture of the causes, dynamics, demographic impact, and consequences of the pan-Soviet famines of 1931-33, the Ukrainian Holodomor, the Kazakh great hunger, and the terrible famine of 1959-61 in China produced by the Great Leap Forward...

  2. The influence of the unsaturated zone on the upward transport of radionuclides in soils

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Elert, M.; Lindgren, M.

    1993-07-01

    The transport of radionuclides from the deep soil to the surface soil is an important part of biosphere modelling. In this study the effect of transient hydrological conditions on the upward transport of radionuclides through soils has been studied. The effect of varying soil properties, climate conditions have been considered as well as the effect of a fluctuating groundwater level. It was shown that the soil characteristics influences the radionuclide concentration; an increased hydraulic conductivity leads to increase in the concentration in the root zone. The climate conditions were shown to be of major importance. A dispersion dependent on both velocity and saturation leads to a more effective upward transport of radionuclides to the root zone than if dispersion is assumed to be dependent only on the saturation. The boundary condition used in the case with varying groundwater level may be more realistic than the boundary condition applied for the case with a constant groundwater level. All calculations with varying groundwater level gave lower radionuclide concentration in the root zone. Sorption is redox sensitive for many radionuclides and the redox potential in the soil will be affected by the degree of water saturation. The performed calculations did, however, not result in any significant change in the radionuclide concentration in the root zone due to variation in sorption. A comparison between the results of the two models show that the compartment model in all studied cases predicts a higher annual average radionuclide concentration in the root zone than the numerical model. Annual variation in soil water flow were not included in the compartment model. During the summer the concentration in the root zone may be several times higher than the annual average. This may be important for plant uptake, since this increased concentrations coincides with the plant growing season. The calculations made with the simple compartment model also show that these

  3. Cold War competition and food production in China, 1957-1962.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Yixin

    2009-01-01

    This article examines how Mao's grand strategy for Cold War competition inflicted a catastrophic agricultural failure in China and victimized tens of millions of Chinese peasants. It argues that Khrushchev's 1957 boast about the Soviet Union surpassing the United States in key economic areas inspired Mao to launch an industrialization program that would push the People's Republic past Great Britain in some production categories within fifteen years. Beginning in 1958 Mao imposed unrealistic targets on Chinese grain production to extract funds from agriculture for rapid industrial growth. Maoists placed relentless pressure on communist cadres for ruthless implementation of the Great Leap Forward. Contrary to Maoist plans, China's grain output in 1959-1960 declined sharply from 1957 levels and rural per capita grain retention decreased dramatically. Throughout China, party cadres' mismanagement of agricultural production was responsible for the decline in grain output, and the communist state's excessive requisition of grain caused food shortages for the peasants. But the key factor determining the famine's uneven impact on the peasantry in the provinces was the degree to which provincial leaders genuinely and energetically embraced Maoist programs. This is illustrated by a close examination of the Great Leap famine in Anhui Province.

  4. The invisible minority: revisiting the debate on foreign-accented speakers and upward mobility in the workplace.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Akomolafe, Soji

    2013-01-01

    Of some of the major types of discrimination, the one that gets the least attention is national origin discrimination and in particular, accent discrimination, especially when it comes to upward mobility in the workplace. Yet, unlike other forms of discrimination, accent discrimination is rarely a subject of any robust public debate. This paper is a modest attempt to help establish a framework for understanding the relative neglect to which the discourse on accent discrimination has been subjected vis-a-vis the overall national debate on diversity. Hopefully, in the process, it will stimulate a more robust conversation on the plight of foreign-accented speakers.

  5. Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Great Lakes Mussel Watch(2009-2014)

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — Following the inception of the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) to address the significant environmental issues plaguing the Great Lakes region, the...

  6. An assessment of void fraction correlations for vertical upward steam-water flow

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vijayan, P.K.; Maruthi Ramesh, N.; Pilkhwal, D.S.; Saha, D.

    1997-01-01

    An assessment of sixteen void fraction correlations have been carried out using experimental void fraction data compiled from open literature for vertical upward steam-water flow. Nearly 80% of all the data pertained to natural circulation flow. This assessment showed that best prediction is obtained by Chexal et al. (1996) correlation followed by Hughmark (1965) and the Mochizuki and Ishii (1992) correlations. The Mochizuki-Ishii correlation is found to satisfy all the three limiting conditions whereas Chexal et al. (1996) correlation satisfies all the limiting conditions at moderately high mass fluxes (greater than 140 kg/m 2 s) while Hughmark correlation satisfies only one of the three limiting conditions. The available void fraction data in the open literature for steam-water two-phase flow lies predominantly in the low quality region. This is the reason why correlations like Hughmark which do not satisfy the upper limiting condition (i.e. at x=1, α=1) perform rather well in assessments. Additional work is required for the generation of high quality (greater than 40%) void fraction data. (author)

  7. Upward Shift and Steepening of the Blood Pressure Response to Exercise in Hypertensive Subjects at High Altitude.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Caravita, Sergio; Faini, Andrea; Baratto, Claudia; Bilo, Grzegorz; Macarlupu, Josè Luis; Lang, Morin; Revera, Miriam; Lombardi, Carolina; Villafuerte, Francisco C; Agostoni, Piergiuseppe; Parati, Gianfranco

    2018-06-09

    Acute exposure to high-altitude hypobaric hypoxia induces a blood pressure rise in hypertensive humans, both at rest and during exercise. It is unclear whether this phenomenon reflects specific blood pressure hyperreactivity or rather an upward shift of blood pressure levels. We aimed at evaluating the extent and rate of blood pressure rise during exercise in hypertensive subjects acutely exposed to high altitude, and how these alterations can be counterbalanced by antihypertensive treatment. Fifty-five subjects with mild hypertension, double-blindly randomized to placebo or to a fixed-dose combination of an angiotensin-receptor blocker (telmisartan 80 mg) and a calcium-channel blocker (nifedipine slow release 30 mg), performed a cardiopulmonary exercise test at sea level and after the first night's stay at 3260 m altitude. High-altitude exposure caused both an 8 mm Hg upward shift ( P blood pressure/oxygen consumption relationship during exercise, independent of treatment. Telmisartan/nifedipine did not modify blood pressure reactivity to exercise (blood pressure/oxygen consumption slope), but downward shifted ( P blood pressure and oxygen consumption by 26 mm Hg, both at sea level and at altitude. Muscle oxygen delivery was not influenced by altitude exposure but was higher on telmisartan/nifedipine than on placebo ( P blood pressure response to exercise. The effect of the combination of telmisartan/nifedipine slow release outweighed these changes and was associated with better muscle oxygen delivery. URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT01830530. © 2018 The Authors. Published on behalf of the American Heart Association, Inc., by Wiley.

  8. Effects of a Mathematics Fluency Program on Mathematics Performance of Students with Challenging Behaviors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Whitney, Todd; Hirn, Regina G.; Lingo, Amy S.

    2016-01-01

    In the present study, we examined the effects of a fluency-building mathematics program called Great Leaps Math on fluency of basic addition mathematics facts zero to nine and word problem solving using a multiple probe design across participants. Three elementary students with challenging behaviors and mathematics difficulty participated in the…

  9. A Heat Transfer Correlation in a Vertical Upward Flow of CO2 at Supercritical Pressures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, Hyung Rae; Bae, Yoon Yeong; Song, Jin Ho; Kim, Hwan Yeol

    2006-01-01

    Heat transfer data has been collected in the heat transfer test loop, named SPHINX (Supercritical Pressure Heat Transfer Investigation for NeXt generation), in KAERI. The facility primarily aims at the generation of heat transfer data in the flow conditions and geometries relevant to SCWR (SuperCritical Water-cooled Reactor). The produced data will aid the thermohydraulic design of a reactor core. The loop uses carbon dioxide, and later the results will be scaled to the water flows. The heat transfer data has been collected for a vertical upward flow in a circular tube with varying mass fluxes, heat fluxes, and operating pressures. The results are compared with the existing correlations and a new correlation is proposed by fine-tuning the one of the existing correlations

  10. Internal Architecture of Meteorite Impact Crater at Bukit Bunuh, Lenggong – Perak, Malaysia Inferred from Upward Continuation of Magnetic Field Intensity Data

    Science.gov (United States)

    Muhammad, S. B.; Saad, R.; Saidin, M.; Yusoh, R.; Sabrian, T. A.; Samuel, Y. M.

    2018-04-01

    2–D upward continuation of magnetic field data acquired at Bukit Bunuh, Lenggong – Perak, Malaysia, with the objective to ascertain the impact crater and possible rebounds, has be carried out and interpreted in this study. Ground magnetic survey was conducted first as regional study in the entire area followed by a detailed study at the suspected crater region. Data from both studies were compiled, corrected and separated (regional – residual). The residual magnetic data ranged between -272 and +134.2 nT. 2–D upward continuation at various planes of observation was carried out on the gridded residual magnetic field data after coordinates were converted (from degrees to meters) to understate anomalies due to shallow features. The planes were at 250 m, 500 m and 750 m above the ground level. The continuation at 500 m revealed a low magnetic region, believed to be an impact crater, which is now filled with sediments, surrounded by a high magnetic shallow bedrock. Other high magnetic key features interpreted as rebounds (R) also remained after filtering out the ambiguous anomalies.

  11. The role of fault zones in affecting multiphase flow at Yucca Mountain

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tsang, Y.W.; Pruess, K.; Wang, J.S.Y.

    1993-01-01

    Within Yucca Mountain, the potential High Level Nuclear-Waste Repository site, there are large scale fault zones, most notably the Ghost Dance Fault. The effect of such high-permeability, large scale discontinuities on the flow and transport is a question of concern in assessing the ability of the site to isolate radio-nuclides from the biosphere. In this paper, we present a numerical study to investigate the role of the fault in affecting both the liquid and gas phase flows in the natural state at Yucca Mountain prior to waste emplacement, as well as after the waste emplacement when the fluid flow is strongly heat-driven. Our study shows that if the characteristic curves of the Ghost Dance Fault obey the same relationship between saturated permeability and capillary scaling parameter, as is observed from the measured data of Yucca Mountain welded and nonwelded tuffs. Apache Leap tuffs, and Las Cruces soil, then a large saturated permeability of the Ghost Dance Fault will play little role in channeling water into the fault, or inenhancing the flow of water down the fault. However, the Fault may greatly enhance the upward gas flow after emplacement of waste. This may have implications on the transport of gaseous radio-nuclides such as C 14 . The results of this study also focus attention on the need for field measurements of fluid flow in the fault zones

  12. SAFARI optical system architecture and design concept

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Pastor, Carmen; Jellema, Willem; Zuluaga-Ramírez, Pablo; Arrazola, David; Fernández-Rodriguez, M.; Belenguer, Tomás; González Fernández, Luis M.; Audley, Michael D.; Evers, Jaap; Eggens, Martin; Torres Redondo, Josefina; Najarro, Francisco; Roelfsema, P.

    2016-01-01

    SpicA FAR infrared Instrument, SAFARI, is one of the instruments planned for the SPICA mission. The SPICA mission is the next great leap forward in space-based far-infrared astronomy and will study the evolution of galaxies, stars and planetary systems. SPICA will utilize a deeply cooled 2.5m-class

  13. What's Next for China and the U.S.? Grade 10 Lesson. Schools of California Online Resources for Education (SCORE): Connecting California's Classrooms to the World.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Davis, W. J.

    In this unit, students prepare a report on China, specifically on the relevance of key events in China's recent history (The Communist Revolution, The Great Leap Forward, The Cultural Revolution, Tiananmen Square) to its current economic and political changes. Students assume the role of presidential advisors who are expected to know the present…

  14. Great Lakes Literacy Principles

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fortner, Rosanne W.; Manzo, Lyndsey

    2011-03-01

    Lakes Superior, Huron, Michigan, Ontario, and Erie together form North America's Great Lakes, a region that contains 20% of the world's fresh surface water and is home to roughly one quarter of the U.S. population (Figure 1). Supporting a $4 billion sport fishing industry, plus $16 billion annually in boating, 1.5 million U.S. jobs, and $62 billion in annual wages directly, the Great Lakes form the backbone of a regional economy that is vital to the United States as a whole (see http://www.miseagrant.umich.edu/downloads/economy/11-708-Great-Lakes-Jobs.pdf). Yet the grandeur and importance of this freshwater resource are little understood, not only by people in the rest of the country but also by many in the region itself. To help address this lack of knowledge, the Centers for Ocean Sciences Education Excellence (COSEE) Great Lakes, supported by the U.S. National Science Foundation and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, developed literacy principles for the Great Lakes to serve as a guide for education of students and the public. These “Great Lakes Literacy Principles” represent an understanding of the Great Lakes' influences on society and society's influences on the Great Lakes.

  15. Sea ice draft in the Weddell Sea, measured by upward looking sonars

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A. Behrendt

    2013-06-01

    Full Text Available The presented database contains time-referenced sea ice draft values from upward looking sonar (ULS measurements in the Weddell Sea, Antarctica. The sea ice draft data can be used to infer the thickness of the ice. They were collected during the period 1990–2008. In total, the database includes measurements from 13 locations in the Weddell Sea and was generated from more than 3.7 million measurements of sea ice draft. The files contain uncorrected raw drafts, corrected drafts and the basic parameters measured by the ULS. The measurement principle, the data processing procedure and the quality control are described in detail. To account for the unknown speed of sound in the water column above the ULS, two correction methods were applied to the draft data. The first method is based on defining a reference level from the identification of open water leads. The second method uses a model of sound speed in the oceanic mixed layer and is applied to ice draft in austral winter. Both methods are discussed and their accuracy is estimated. Finally, selected results of the processing are presented. The data can be downloaded from doi:10.1594/PANGAEA.785565.

  16. Structures to radiate heat softly

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Perilae, T.; Wikstroem, T. [ed.

    1997-11-01

    Over the past fifty years, heating systems in single-family houses have taken a great leap forward. First wood-burning stoves gave way to oil heaters; then these were superseded by central heating systems; and now conventional central heating systems have lost their way with the increasingly widespread use of room-specific heating systems

  17. The Great Urban Leap? On the Local Political Economy of Rural Urbanisation in China

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Elena Meyer-Clement

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available This paper provides insights into the local political economy of China’s current in situ urbanisation as compared to the 1980s and 1990s, focusing on the role played by county and township governments in shaping urbanisation in their localities. Marked differences were observed in the extent to which local cadres are able to steer the urbanisation process and adapt the relevant policies to local conditions and demands of the population. If leading county and township cadres are able to assert a relatively autonomous position vis-à-vis the superior municipality, a rural urbanisation process that considers both urban and rural interests and integrates local economic initiatives seems to become a potential alternative to the prevailing city-centred urban expansionism.

  18. The Great Urban Leap? On the Local Political Economy of Rural Urbanisation in China

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Elena Meyer-Clement

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available This paper provides insights into the local political economy of China’s current in situ urbanisation as compared to the 1980s and 1990s, focusing on the role played by county and township governments in shaping urbanisation in their localities. Marked differences were observed in the extent to which local cadres are able to steer the urbanisation process and adapt the relevant policies to local conditions and demands of the population. If leading county and township cadres are able to assert a relatively autonomous position vis-à-vis the superior municipality, a rural urbanisation process that considers both urban and rural interests and integrates local economic initiatives seems to become a potential alternative to the prevailing city-centred urban expansionism.

  19. The Three Gorges Dam: A great leap backward for China's electricity consumers and economy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Adams, P.; Ryder, G.

    1999-01-01

    Reasons why the Three Gorges Dam, the largest hydroelectric power project in the world, is not only an environmental disaster, but also an economically unsound undertaking for the Chinese economy are discussed. The thrust of the argument is that rapid advancement in technology, in combination with the economic reforms to decentralize electric power production in China, will allow private enterprise to be in direct competition with the Three Gorges (and other bid dam) projects. These factors, combined with the economic pressures resulting from the shutting down of money-losing state enterprises and consequently, a significant reduction in the demand for electricity, spell disaster for the big dam projects conceived during the centrally-planned, Maoist era. Because of the Three Gorges project's unusually large size, the outdated and unreliable power transmission networks in China, and because the local state transmission grids are not connected to China's national grid, the central government will have to invest some $ 30 billion over the next three years in a new national transmission grid. The aggregate result of these events will be that competition from cheaper, cleaner power producers (such as combined cycle power producers) will price the Three Gorges power out of the market by the time it is expected to go into production in 2009. Based on the assessment of reputable world economic and engineering organizations, Probe International recommends cancellation of the project to avoid environmental and economic disaster. 61 refs

  20. Prenatal malnutrition and subsequent foetal loss risk: Evidence from the 1959-1961 Chinese famine

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shige Song

    2013-10-01

    Full Text Available Background: Scientists disagree on whether prenatal malnutrition has long-term influences on women's reproductive function, and empirical evidence of such long-term effects remains limited and inconsistent. Methods: Using the retrospective pregnancy history of 12,567 Chinese women collected in a nationally representative sample survey in 2001, this study conducted difference-in-differences analyses to investigate the relationship between prenatal exposure to the 1959-1961 Great Leap Forward Famine in China and the subsequent risk of involuntary foetal loss, including miscarriage and stillbirth, and how this relationship changes between the rural and urban populations. Results: Prenatal exposure to the Great Leap Forward Famine had no long-term effect on women's risk of miscarriage. Such an exposure increased the risk of stillbirth among urban women but not among rural women. Conclusions: The results support the foetal origins hypothesis. The significant urban-rural difference in the effect of prenatal famine exposure on stillbirth suggests the presence of a long-term negative foetal origins effect and a strong selection effect caused by famine-induced population attrition.

  1. SOCIAL MOVEMENTS AND HISTORICAL-CRITICAL PEDAGOGY: THE LEAP OF QUALITY REQUIRED IN PRACTICE OF SCHOOL EDUCATION AND NON-SCHOOL

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Maria de Fatima Felix Rosar

    2013-12-01

    Full Text Available The content of this article is structured in three sections: 1- Preamble, 2- Contradictions and dialectical overcoming the history of education, 3- Social Movements and Historical-Critical Pedagogy in Brazil. Identifies relationships between experiences of qualitative change of the social order in the sixteenth, eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, and education as political and pedagogical element constitutive of revolutionary processes. It is evident that among the conservative ideologies of the old social order, played by the Church and bourgeois state, emerge new perspectives of education and society, thus overcoming the contradictions produce processes that can be identified in the history of education. Social movements as an expression of conflicts between these ideologies can be strengthened to the extent that work with the prospect of united struggles and deepen their strategies from their anchorage in the historical-dialectical materialism. The Historical- Critical Pedagogy, as a theoretical and practical perspective grounded in Marxist thought, has been linked to social movements and pedagogical processes in and out of school, contributing to a qualitative leap occurs in national education and the struggles of building the socialism.

  2. Limiting oxygen concentration for extinction of upward spreading flames over inclined thin polyethylene-insulated NiCr electrical wires with opposed-flow under normal- and micro-gravity

    KAUST Repository

    Hu, Longhua; Lu, Yong; Yoshioka, Kosuke; Zhang, Yangshu; Fernandez-Pello, Carlos; Chung, Suk-Ho; Fujita, Osamu

    2016-01-01

    . The experiments reported here used polyethylene (PE)-insulated (thickness of 0.15 mm) Nichrome (NiCr)-core (diameter of 0.5 mm) electrical wires. Limiting oxygen concentrations (LOC) at extinction were measured for upward spreading flame at various forced opposed-flow

  3. A Heat Transfer Correlation in a Vertical Upward Flow of CO{sub 2} at Supercritical Pressures

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kim, Hyung Rae; Bae, Yoon Yeong; Song, Jin Ho; Kim, Hwan Yeol [Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Taejon (Korea, Republic of)

    2006-07-01

    Heat transfer data has been collected in the heat transfer test loop, named SPHINX (Supercritical Pressure Heat Transfer Investigation for NeXt generation), in KAERI. The facility primarily aims at the generation of heat transfer data in the flow conditions and geometries relevant to SCWR (SuperCritical Water-cooled Reactor). The produced data will aid the thermohydraulic design of a reactor core. The loop uses carbon dioxide, and later the results will be scaled to the water flows. The heat transfer data has been collected for a vertical upward flow in a circular tube with varying mass fluxes, heat fluxes, and operating pressures. The results are compared with the existing correlations and a new correlation is proposed by fine-tuning the one of the existing correlations.

  4. Theory and observations of upward field-aligned currents at the magnetopause boundary layer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wing, Simon; Johnson, Jay R

    2015-11-16

    The dependence of the upward field-aligned current density ( J ‖ ) at the dayside magnetopause boundary layer is well described by a simple analytic model based on a velocity shear generator. A previous observational survey confirmed that the scaling properties predicted by the analytical model are applicable between 11 and 17 MLT. We utilize the analytic model to predict field-aligned currents using solar wind and ionospheric parameters and compare with direct observations. The calculated and observed parallel currents are in excellent agreement, suggesting that the model may be useful to infer boundary layer structures. However, near noon, where velocity shear is small, the kinetic pressure gradients and thermal currents, which are not included in the model, could make a small but significant contribution to J ‖ . Excluding data from noon, our least squares fit returns log( J ‖,max_cal ) = (0.96 ± 0.04) log( J ‖_obs ) + (0.03 ± 0.01) where J ‖,max_cal = calculated J ‖,max and J ‖_obs = observed J ‖ .

  5. Taking a leap of faith: Meaningful participation of people with experiences of homelessness in solutions to address homelessness

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Trudy Laura Norman

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available Participation of people with experiences of homelessness is critical to the development of meaningful strategies to end homelessness. The purpose of this study was to gain insights from people who have been homeless in a mid-sized Canadian city, as to strategies that facilitate meaningful participation in solutions to end homelessness. Within an overarching framework of collaborative research, we collected data through seven focus groups and employed interpretive description as our approach to data analysis. In our analysis, we identified both exclusionary and inclusionary forces that impact participation. Exclusionary forces included being ‘caught in the homelessness industry’, ‘homelessness is a full time job’ and facing stigma/discrimination that make participation a ‘leap of faith’. Inclusionary forces included earning respect and building trust to address unequal power relations, and restoring often ‘taken for granted’ social relations. Specific strategies to enhance participation include listening, valuing skills and stories, and supporting advocacy efforts. The study findings illuminate ways in which power imbalances are lived out in the daily lives of people who experience homelessness, as well as mitigating forces that provide direction as to strategies for addressing power inequities that seek to make participation and social inclusion meaningful. Keywords: homelessness, social policy, social exclusion, social inclusion, advocacy

  6. Browse Title Index

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Vol 21, No 1 (2007), “I Shall Take The Leap To The Great Beyond…”: Johannes Fagan's Studies And Suicide In London (1916-1920), Abstract. H van der Mescht. Vol 22, No 2 (2008), “O, Boereplaas, geboortegrond!” Afrikaner nostalgia and the romanticisation of the platteland in post-1994 South Africa, Abstract. D van Zyl.

  7. Beat the Odds...Why Some Schools With Latino Children Beat the Odds and Others Don't

    Science.gov (United States)

    Waits, Mary Jo; Campbell, Heather E.; Gau, Rebecca; Jacobs, Ellen; Rex, Tom; Hess, Robert K.

    2006-01-01

    Using the methodology of Jim Collins from his book "Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap...and Other's Don't," the authors of this report, under the sponsorship of the Center for the Future of Arizona and the Morrison Institute, found 12 elementary and middle schools in Arizona--schools whose students are mostly Latino and…

  8. Mechanical interaction buffer/backfill. Finite element calculations of the upward swelling of the buffer against both dry and saturated backfill

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Boergesson, Lennart (Clay Technology AB, Lund (Sweden)); Hernelind, Jan (5T-Engineering AB, Vaesteraas (Sweden))

    2009-10-15

    The mechanical interaction between the buffer material in the deposition hole and the backfill material in the deposition tunnel is an important process in the safety assessment since the primary function of the backfill is to keep the buffer in place and not allow it to expand too much and thereby loose too much of its density and barrier properties. In order to study the upwards swelling of the buffer and the subsequent density reduction a number of finite element calculations have been performed. The calculations have been done with the FE-program Abaqus with 3D-models of a deposition hole and the deposition tunnel. In order to refine the modelling only the two extreme cases of completely un-wetted (dry) and completely water saturated (wet) backfill have been modelled. For the wet case the influence of different factors has been studied while only one calculation of the dry case has been done. The calculated upwards swelling of the buffer varied between 2 and 15 cm for the different wet cases while it was about 10 cm for the dry case. In the wet reference case the E-modulus of the block and pellets fillings was 50 MPa and 3.24 MPa respectively, the friction angle between the buffer and the rock and canister was 8.7 deg and there were no swelling pressure from the backfill. There is a strong influence of the friction angle on both the upwards swelling and the canister heave. The friction is important for preventing especially canister displacements. The unrealistic case of no friction yielded strong unacceptable influence on the buffer with an upwards swelling of 15 cm and a strong heave of 5 cm of the canister. The influence of the backfill stiffness is as expected strong. Both buffer swelling and canister heave are twice as large at the E-modulus E = 25 MPa than at the E-modulus E = 100 MPa. The influence of the stiffness of the pellets filling is not strong since there are no pellets on the floor in the model used. The influence of the swelling pressure of the

  9. Mechanical interaction buffer/backfill. Finite element calculations of the upward swelling of the buffer against both dry and saturated backfill

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Boergesson, Lennart; Hernelind, Jan

    2009-10-01

    The mechanical interaction between the buffer material in the deposition hole and the backfill material in the deposition tunnel is an important process in the safety assessment since the primary function of the backfill is to keep the buffer in place and not allow it to expand too much and thereby loose too much of its density and barrier properties. In order to study the upwards swelling of the buffer and the subsequent density reduction a number of finite element calculations have been performed. The calculations have been done with the FE-program Abaqus with 3D-models of a deposition hole and the deposition tunnel. In order to refine the modelling only the two extreme cases of completely un-wetted (dry) and completely water saturated (wet) backfill have been modelled. For the wet case the influence of different factors has been studied while only one calculation of the dry case has been done. The calculated upwards swelling of the buffer varied between 2 and 15 cm for the different wet cases while it was about 10 cm for the dry case. In the wet reference case the E-modulus of the block and pellets fillings was 50 MPa and 3.24 MPa respectively, the friction angle between the buffer and the rock and canister was 8.7 deg and there were no swelling pressure from the backfill. There is a strong influence of the friction angle on both the upwards swelling and the canister heave. The friction is important for preventing especially canister displacements. The unrealistic case of no friction yielded strong unacceptable influence on the buffer with an upwards swelling of 15 cm and a strong heave of 5 cm of the canister. The influence of the backfill stiffness is as expected strong. Both buffer swelling and canister heave are twice as large at the E-modulus E = 25 MPa than at the E-modulus E = 100 MPa. The influence of the stiffness of the pellets filling is not strong since there are no pellets on the floor in the model used. The influence of the swelling pressure of the

  10. Effectiveness of Serious Games for Leap Motion on the Functionality of the Upper Limb in Parkinson’s Disease: A Feasibility Study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Edwin Daniel Oña

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available The design and application of Serious Games (SG based on the Leap Motion sensor are presented as a tool to support the rehabilitation therapies for upper limbs. Initially, the design principles and their implementation are described, focusing on improving both unilateral and bilateral manual dexterity and coordination. The design of the games has been supervised by specialized therapists. To assess the therapeutic effectiveness of the proposed system, a protocol of trials with Parkinson’s patients has been defined. Evaluations of the physical condition of the participants in the study, at the beginning and at the end of the treatment, are carried out using standard tests. The specific measurements of each game give the therapist more detailed information about the patients’ evolution after finishing the planned protocol. The obtained results support the fact that the set of developed video games can be combined to define different therapy protocols and that the information obtained is richer than the one obtained through current clinical metrics, serving as method of motor function assessment.

  11. How does the architecture of a fault system controls magma upward migration through the crust?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Iturrieta, P. C.; Cembrano, J. M.; Stanton-Yonge, A.; Hurtado, D.

    2017-12-01

    The orientation and relative disposition of adjacent faults locally disrupt the regional stress field, thus enhancing magma flow through previous or newly created favorable conduits. Moreover, the brittle-plastic transition (BPT), due to its stronger rheology, governs the average state of stress of shallower portions of the fault system. Furthermore, the BPT may coincide with the location of transient magma reservoirs, from which dikes can propagate upwards into the upper crust, shaping the inner structure of the volcanic arc. In this work, we examine the stress distribution in strike-slip duplexes with variable geometry, along with the critical fluid overpressure ratio (CFOP), which is the minimum value required for individual faults to fracture in tension. We also determine the stress state disruption of the fault system when a dike is emplaced, to answer open questions such as: what is the nature of favorable pathways for magma to migrate? what is the architecture influence on the feedback between fault system kinematics and magma injection? To this end, we present a 3D coupled hydro-mechanical finite element model of the continental lithosphere, where faults are represented as continuum volumes with an elastic-plastic rheology. Magma flow upon fracturing is modeled through non-linear Stoke's flow, coupling solid and fluid equilibrium. A non-linear sensitivity analysis is performed in function of tectonic, rheology and geometry inputs, to assess which are the first-order factors that governs the nature of dike emplacement. Results show that the CFOP is heterogeneously distributed in the fault system, and within individual fault segments. Minimum values are displayed near fault intersections, where local kinematics superimpose on regional tectonic loading. Furthermore, when magma is transported through a fault segment, the CFOP is now minimized in faults with non-favorable orientations. This suggests that these faults act as transient pathways for magma to

  12. Mechanisms of diurnal precipitation over the US Great Plains: a cloud resolving model perspective

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Myong-In; Choi, Ildae; Tao, Wei-Kuo; Schubert, Siegfried D.; Kang, In-Sik

    2010-02-01

    The mechanisms of summertime diurnal precipitation in the US Great Plains were examined with the two-dimensional (2D) Goddard Cumulus Ensemble (GCE) cloud-resolving model (CRM). The model was constrained by the observed large-scale background state and surface flux derived from the Department of Energy (DOE) Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Program’s Intensive Observing Period (IOP) data at the Southern Great Plains (SGP). The model, when continuously-forced by realistic surface flux and large-scale advection, simulates reasonably well the temporal evolution of the observed rainfall episodes, particularly for the strongly forced precipitation events. However, the model exhibits a deficiency for the weakly forced events driven by diurnal convection. Additional tests were run with the GCE model in order to discriminate between the mechanisms that determine daytime and nighttime convection. In these tests, the model was constrained with the same repeating diurnal variation in the large-scale advection and/or surface flux. The results indicate that it is primarily the surface heat and moisture flux that is responsible for the development of deep convection in the afternoon, whereas the large-scale upward motion and associated moisture advection play an important role in preconditioning nocturnal convection. In the nighttime, high clouds are continuously built up through their interaction and feedback with long-wave radiation, eventually initiating deep convection from the boundary layer. Without these upper-level destabilization processes, the model tends to produce only daytime convection in response to boundary layer heating. This study suggests that the correct simulation of the diurnal variation in precipitation requires that the free-atmospheric destabilization mechanisms resolved in the CRM simulation must be adequately parameterized in current general circulation models (GCMs) many of which are overly sensitive to the parameterized boundary layer

  13. A rapid upward shift of a forest ecotone during 40 years of warming in the Green Mountains of Vermont.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Beckage, Brian; Osborne, Ben; Gavin, Daniel G; Pucko, Carolyn; Siccama, Thomas; Perkins, Timothy

    2008-03-18

    Detecting latitudinal range shifts of forest trees in response to recent climate change is difficult because of slow demographic rates and limited dispersal but may be facilitated by spatially compressed climatic zones along elevation gradients in montane environments. We resurveyed forest plots established in 1964 along elevation transects in the Green Mountains (Vermont) to examine whether a shift had occurred in the location of the northern hardwood-boreal forest ecotone (NBE) from 1964 to 2004. We found a 19% increase in dominance of northern hardwoods from 70% in 1964 to 89% in 2004 in the lower half of the NBE. This shift was driven by a decrease (up to 76%) in boreal and increase (up to 16%) in northern hardwood basal area within the lower portions of the ecotone. We used aerial photographs and satellite imagery to estimate a 91- to 119-m upslope shift in the upper limits of the NBE from 1962 to 2005. The upward shift is consistent with regional climatic change during the same period; interpolating climate data to the NBE showed a 1.1 degrees C increase in annual temperature, which would predict a 208-m upslope movement of the ecotone, along with a 34% increase in precipitation. The rapid upward movement of the NBE indicates little inertia to climatically induced range shifts in montane forests; the upslope shift may have been accelerated by high turnover in canopy trees that provided opportunities for ingrowth of lower elevation species. Our results indicate that high-elevation forests may be jeopardized by climate change sooner than anticipated.

  14. Field studies at the Apache Leap Research Site in support of alternative conceptual models

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Woodhouse, E.G.; Davidson, G.R.; Theis, C. [eds.] [and others

    1997-08-01

    This is a final technical report for a project of the U.S Nuclear Regulatory Commission (sponsored contract NRC-04-090-51) with the University of Arizona. The contract was an optional extension that was initiated on July 21, 1994 and that expired on May 31, 1995. The project manager was Thomas J. Nicholson, Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research. The objectives of this contract were to examine hypotheses and conceptual models concerning unsaturated flow and transport through fractured rock, and to design and execute confirmatory field and laboratory experiments to test these hypotheses and conceptual models at the Apache Leap Research Site near Superior, Arizona. The results discussed here are products of specific tasks that address a broad spectrum of issues related to flow and transport through fractures. Each chapter in this final report summarizes research related to a specific set of objectives and can be read and interpreted as a separate entity. The tasks include detection and characterization of historical rapid fluid flow through fractured rock and the relationship to perched water systems using environmental isotopic tracers of {sup 3}H and {sup 14}C, fluid- and rock-derived {sup 2343}U/{sup 238}U measurements, and geophysical data. The water balance in a small watershed at the ALRS demonstrates the methods of acounting for ET, and estimating the quantity of water available for infiltration through fracture networks. Grain density measurements were made for core-sized samples using a newly designed gas pycnometer. The distribution and magnitude of air permeability measurements have been measured in a three-dimensional setting; the subsequent geostatistical analysis is presented. Electronic versions of the data presented here are available from authors; more detailed discussions and analyses are available in technical publications referenced herein, or soon to appear in the professional literature.

  15. Field studies at the Apache Leap Research Site in support of alternative conceptual models

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Woodhouse, E.G.; Davidson, G.R.; Theis, C.

    1997-08-01

    This is a final technical report for a project of the U.S Nuclear Regulatory Commission (sponsored contract NRC-04-090-51) with the University of Arizona. The contract was an optional extension that was initiated on July 21, 1994 and that expired on May 31, 1995. The project manager was Thomas J. Nicholson, Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research. The objectives of this contract were to examine hypotheses and conceptual models concerning unsaturated flow and transport through fractured rock, and to design and execute confirmatory field and laboratory experiments to test these hypotheses and conceptual models at the Apache Leap Research Site near Superior, Arizona. The results discussed here are products of specific tasks that address a broad spectrum of issues related to flow and transport through fractures. Each chapter in this final report summarizes research related to a specific set of objectives and can be read and interpreted as a separate entity. The tasks include detection and characterization of historical rapid fluid flow through fractured rock and the relationship to perched water systems using environmental isotopic tracers of 3 H and 14 C, fluid- and rock-derived 2343 U/ 238 U measurements, and geophysical data. The water balance in a small watershed at the ALRS demonstrates the methods of acounting for ET, and estimating the quantity of water available for infiltration through fracture networks. Grain density measurements were made for core-sized samples using a newly designed gas pycnometer. The distribution and magnitude of air permeability measurements have been measured in a three-dimensional setting; the subsequent geostatistical analysis is presented. Electronic versions of the data presented here are available from authors; more detailed discussions and analyses are available in technical publications referenced herein, or soon to appear in the professional literature

  16. An Improved Shuffled Frog Leaping Algorithm and Its Application in Dynamic Emergency Vehicle Dispatching

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xiaohong Duan

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available The traditional method for solving the dynamic emergency vehicle dispatching problem can only get a local optimal strategy in each horizon. In order to obtain the dispatching strategy that can better respond to changes in road conditions during the whole dispatching process, the real-time and time-dependent link travel speeds are fused, and a time-dependent polygonal-shaped link travel speed function is set up to simulate the predictable changes in road conditions. Response times, accident severity, and accident time windows are taken as key factors to build an emergency vehicle dispatching model integrating dynamic emergency vehicle routing and selection. For the unpredictable changes in road conditions caused by accidents, the dispatching strategy is adjusted based on the real-time link travel speed. In order to solve the dynamic emergency vehicle dispatching model, an improved shuffled frog leaping algorithm (ISFLA is proposed. The global search of the improved algorithm uses the probability model of estimation of distribution algorithm to avoid the partial optimal solution. Based on the Beijing expressway network, the efficacy of the model and the improved algorithm were tested from three aspects. The results have shown the following: (1 Compared with SFLA, the optimization performance of ISFLA is getting better and better with the increase of the number of decision variables. When the possible emergency vehicle selection strategies are 815, the objective function value of optimal selection strategies obtained by the base algorithm is 210.10% larger than that of ISFLA. (2 The prediction error of the travel speed affects the accuracy of the initial emergency vehicle dispatching. The prediction error of ±10 can basically meet the requirements of the initial dispatching. (3 The adjustment of emergency vehicle dispatching strategy can successfully bypassed road sections affected by accidents and shorten the response time.

  17. Solute transport with time-variable flow paths during upward and downward flux in a heterogeneous unsaturated porous medium

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cremer, Clemens; Neuweiler, Insa; Bechtold, Michel; Vanderborght, Jan

    2014-05-01

    To acquire knowledge of solute transport through the unsaturated zone in the shallow subsurface is decisive to assess groundwater quality, nutrient cycling or to plan remediation strategies. The shallow subsurface is characterized by structural heterogeneity and strongly influenced by atmospheric conditions. This leads to changing flow directions, strong temporal changes in saturation and heterogeneous water fluxes during infiltration and evaporation events. Recent studies (e.g. Lehmann and Or, 2009; Bechtold et al.,2011) demonstrated the importance of lateral flow and solute transport during evaporation conditions (upward flux). The heterogeneous structure in these studies was constructed using two types of sand with strong material contrasts and arranged in parallel with a vertical orientation. Lateral transport and redistribution of solute from coarse to fine media was observed deeper in the soil column and from fine to coarse close to the soil surface. However, if boundary conditions are reversed due to precipitation, the flow field is not necessarily reversed in the same manner, resulting in entirely different transport patterns for downward and upward flow. Therefore, considering net-flow rates alone is misleading when describing transport under those conditions. In this contribution we analyze transport of a solute in the shallow subsurface to assess effects resulting from the temporal change of heterogeneous soil structures due to dynamic flow conditions. Two-dimensional numerical simulations of unsaturated flow and transport are conducted using a coupled finite volume and random walk particle tracking algorithm to quantify solute transport and leaching rates. Following previous studies (Lehmann and Or, 2009; Bechtold et al., 2011), the chosen domain is composed of two materials, coarse and fine sand, arranged in parallel with a vertical orientation. Hence, one sharp interface of strong material heterogeneity is induced. During evaporation both sands are

  18. Great Lakes Science Center

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Laboratory Consortium — Since 1927, Great Lakes Science Center (GLSC) research has provided critical information for the sound management of Great Lakes fish populations and other important...

  19. Chromophores from photolyzed ammonia reacting with acetylene: Application to Jupiters Great Red Spot

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carlson, Robert W.; Baines, Kevin H.; Anderson, M. S.; Filacchione, G.; Simon, A. A.

    2016-01-01

    The high altitude of Jupiter's Great Red Spot (GRS) may enhance the upward flux of gaseous ammonia (NH3 ) into the high troposphere, where NH3 molecules can be photodissociated and initiate a chain of chemical reactions with downwelling acetylene molecules (C2H2 ). These reactions, experimentally studied earlier by (Ferris and Ishikawa [1987] Nature 326, 777-778) and (Ferris and Ishikawa [1988] J. Amer. Chem. Soc. 110, 4306-4312), produce chromophores that absorb in the visible and ultraviolet regions. In this work we photolyzed mixtures of NH3 and C2H2 using ultraviolet radiation with a wavelength of 214 nm and measured the spectral transmission of the deposited films in the visible region (400-740 nm). From these transmission data we estimated the imaginary indices of refraction. Assuming that ammonia grains at the top of the GRS clouds are coated with this material, we performed layered sphere and radiative transfer calculations to predict GRS reflection spectra. Comparison of those results with observed and previously unreported Cassini visible spectra and with true-color images of the GRS show that the unknown GRS chromophore is spectrally consistent with the coupled NH3-C2H2 photochemical products produced in our laboratory experiments. Using high-resolution mass spectrometry and infrared spectroscopy we infer that the chromophore-containing residue is composed of aliphatic azine, azo, and diazo compounds.

  20. An Institutional Assessment of Ethnic Conflict in China

    Science.gov (United States)

    2008-12-01

    from minority groups is forecasted under the institutional theory of ethnic conflict. Institutional theorists assert that when minorities are...outcome however, does align with the predictions made under an institutional theory of ethnic conflict. Two, during the Great Leap Forward and Cultural...intended. However, this exact response from minority groups is forecasted under the institutional theory of ethnic conflict. Institutional theorists

  1. On the occurrence of burnout downstream of a flow obstacle in boiling two-phase upward flow within a vertical annular channel

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mori, Shoji; Tominaga, Akira; Fukano, Tohru

    2007-01-01

    If a flow obstacle, such as a spacer is placed in a boiling two-phase flow within a channel, the temperature on the surface of the heating tube is severely affected by the existence of the spacer. Under certain conditions, a spacer has a cooling effect, and under other conditions, the spacer causes dryout of the cooling water film on the heating surface. The burnout mechanism, which always occurs upstream of a spacer, however, remains unclear. In a previous paper [Fukano, T., Mori, S., Akamatsu, S., Baba, A., 2002. Relation between temperature fluctuation of a heating surface and generation of drypatch caused by a cylindrical spacer in a vertical boiling two-phase upward flow in a narrow annular channel. Nucl. Eng. Des. 217, 81-90], we reported that the disturbance wave has a significant effect on dryout and burnout occurrence and that a spacer greatly affects the behavior of the liquid film downstream of the spacer. In the present study, we examined in detail the influences of a spacer on the heat transfer and film thickness characteristics downstream of the spacer by considering the result in steam-water and air-water systems. The main results are summarized as follows: (1)The spacer averages the liquid film in the disturbance wave flow. As a result, dryout tends not to occur downstream of the spacer. This means that large temperature increases do not occur there. However, traces of disturbance waves remain, even if the disturbance waves are averaged by the spacer. (2)There is a high probability that the location at which burnout occurs is upstream of the downstream spacer, irrespective of the spacer spacing. (3)The newly proposed burnout occurrence model can explain the phenomena that burnout does occur upstream of the downstream spacer, even if the liquid film thickness t Fm is approximately the same before and behind the spacer

  2. On the occurrence of burnout downstream of a flow obstacle in boiling two-phase upward flow within a vertical annular channel

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mori, Shoji [Yokohama National University, Yokohama 240-8501 (Japan)], E-mail: morisho@ynu.ac.jp; Tominaga, Akira [Ube National College of Technology, Ube 755-8555 (Japan)], E-mail: tominaga@ube-k.ac.jp; Fukano, Tohru [Kurume Institute of University, Fukuoka 830-0052 (Japan)], E-mail: fukanot@cc.kurume-it.ac.jp

    2007-12-15

    If a flow obstacle, such as a spacer is placed in a boiling two-phase flow within a channel, the temperature on the surface of the heating tube is severely affected by the existence of the spacer. Under certain conditions, a spacer has a cooling effect, and under other conditions, the spacer causes dryout of the cooling water film on the heating surface. The burnout mechanism, which always occurs upstream of a spacer, however, remains unclear. In a previous paper [Fukano, T., Mori, S., Akamatsu, S., Baba, A., 2002. Relation between temperature fluctuation of a heating surface and generation of drypatch caused by a cylindrical spacer in a vertical boiling two-phase upward flow in a narrow annular channel. Nucl. Eng. Des. 217, 81-90], we reported that the disturbance wave has a significant effect on dryout and burnout occurrence and that a spacer greatly affects the behavior of the liquid film downstream of the spacer. In the present study, we examined in detail the influences of a spacer on the heat transfer and film thickness characteristics downstream of the spacer by considering the result in steam-water and air-water systems. The main results are summarized as follows: (1)The spacer averages the liquid film in the disturbance wave flow. As a result, dryout tends not to occur downstream of the spacer. This means that large temperature increases do not occur there. However, traces of disturbance waves remain, even if the disturbance waves are averaged by the spacer. (2)There is a high probability that the location at which burnout occurs is upstream of the downstream spacer, irrespective of the spacer spacing. (3)The newly proposed burnout occurrence model can explain the phenomena that burnout does occur upstream of the downstream spacer, even if the liquid film thickness t{sub Fm} is approximately the same before and behind the spacer.

  3. Great Lakes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Edsall, Thomas A.; Mac, Michael J.; Opler, Paul A.; Puckett Haecker, Catherine E.; Doran, Peter D.

    1998-01-01

    The Great Lakes region, as defined here, includes the Great Lakes and their drainage basins in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York. The region also includes the portions of Minnesota, Wisconsin, and the 21 northernmost counties of Illinois that lie in the Mississippi River drainage basin, outside the floodplain of the river. The region spans about 9º of latitude and 20º of longitude and lies roughly halfway between the equator and the North Pole in a lowland corridor that extends from the Gulf of Mexico to the Arctic Ocean.The Great Lakes are the most prominent natural feature of the region (Fig. 1). They have a combined surface area of about 245,000 square kilometers and are among the largest, deepest lakes in the world. They are the largest single aggregation of fresh water on the planet (excluding the polar ice caps) and are the only glacial feature on Earth visible from the surface of the moon (The Nature Conservancy 1994a).The Great Lakes moderate the region’s climate, which presently ranges from subarctic in the north to humid continental warm in the south (Fig. 2), reflecting the movement of major weather masses from the north and south (U.S. Department of the Interior 1970; Eichenlaub 1979). The lakes act as heat sinks in summer and heat sources in winter and are major reservoirs that help humidify much of the region. They also create local precipitation belts in areas where air masses are pushed across the lakes by prevailing winds, pick up moisture from the lake surface, and then drop that moisture over land on the other side of the lake. The mean annual frost-free period—a general measure of the growing-season length for plants and some cold-blooded animals—varies from 60 days at higher elevations in the north to 160 days in lakeshore areas in the south. The climate influences the general distribution of wild plants and animals in the region and also influences the activities and distribution of the human

  4. Spine oncology: Daedalus, Theseus, and the Minotaur.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Donthineni, Rakesh; Ofluoglu, Onder

    2009-01-01

    Over the past three decades, progress has been dramatic in the management of spine tumors. For example, advanced imaging technologies made available at manageable costs have lowered the threshold for scanning. CT, MRI, and PET imaging modalities have greatly enhanced the ability of the surgeon to accurately delineate the extension of the lesion within the bone, the soft tissue, and the spinal canal. Such enhancements have led to great leaps forward in preoperative planning and postoperative evaluation, including improved reconstruction options are resulting in improved outcomes. This article introduces the theme of this volume.

  5. Mechanisms of Diurnal Precipitation over the United States Great Plains: A Cloud-Resolving Model Simulation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, M.-I.; Choi, I.; Tao, W.-K.; Schubert, S. D.; Kang, I.-K.

    2010-01-01

    The mechanisms of summertime diurnal precipitation in the US Great Plains were examined with the two-dimensional (2D) Goddard Cumulus Ensemble (GCE) cloud-resolving model (CRM). The model was constrained by the observed large-scale background state and surface flux derived from the Department of Energy (DOE) Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Program s Intensive Observing Period (IOP) data at the Southern Great Plains (SGP). The model, when continuously-forced by realistic surface flux and large-scale advection, simulates reasonably well the temporal evolution of the observed rainfall episodes, particularly for the strongly forced precipitation events. However, the model exhibits a deficiency for the weakly forced events driven by diurnal convection. Additional tests were run with the GCE model in order to discriminate between the mechanisms that determine daytime and nighttime convection. In these tests, the model was constrained with the same repeating diurnal variation in the large-scale advection and/or surface flux. The results indicate that it is primarily the surface heat and moisture flux that is responsible for the development of deep convection in the afternoon, whereas the large-scale upward motion and associated moisture advection play an important role in preconditioning nocturnal convection. In the nighttime, high clouds are continuously built up through their interaction and feedback with long-wave radiation, eventually initiating deep convection from the boundary layer. Without these upper-level destabilization processes, the model tends to produce only daytime convection in response to boundary layer heating. This study suggests that the correct simulation of the diurnal variation in precipitation requires that the free-atmospheric destabilization mechanisms resolved in the CRM simulation must be adequately parameterized in current general circulation models (GCMs) many of which are overly sensitive to the parameterized boundary layer heating.

  6. Credit spread variability in U.S. business cycles: the Great Moderation versus the Great Recession

    OpenAIRE

    Hylton Hollander; Guangling Liu

    2014-01-01

    This paper establishes the prevailing financial factors that influence credit spread variability, and its impact on the U.S. business cycle over the Great Moderation and Great Recession periods. To do so, we develop a dynamic general equilibrium framework with a central role of financial intermediation and equity assets. Over the Great Moderation and Great Recession periods, we find an important role for bank market power (sticky rate adjustments and loan rate markups) on credit spread variab...

  7. Credit spread variability in U.S. business cycles: The Great Moderation versus the Great Recession

    OpenAIRE

    Hylton Hollander and Guangling Liu

    2014-01-01

    This paper establishes the prevailing financial factors that influence credit spread variability, and its impact on the U.S. business cycle over the Great Moderation and Great Recession periods. To do so, we develop a dynamic general equilibrium framework with a central role of financial intermediation and equity assets. Over the Great Moderation and Great Recession periods, we find an important role for bank market power (sticky rate adjustments and loan rate markups) on credit spread variab...

  8. Fault-Related Controls on Upward Hydrothermal Flow: An Integrated Geological Study of the Têt Fault System, Eastern Pyrénées (France

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Audrey Taillefer

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available The way faults control upward fluid flow in nonmagmatic hydrothermal systems in extensional context is still unclear. In the Eastern Pyrénées, an alignment of twenty-nine hot springs (29°C to 73°C, along the normal Têt fault, offers the opportunity to study this process. Using an integrated multiscale geological approach including mapping, remote sensing, and macro- and microscopic analyses of fault zones, we show that emergence is always located in crystalline rocks at gneiss-metasediments contacts, mostly in the Têt fault footwall. The hot springs distribution is related to high topographic reliefs, which are associated with fault throw and segmentation. In more detail, emergence localizes either (1 in brittle fault damage zones at the intersection between the Têt fault and subsidiary faults or (2 in ductile faults where dissolution cavities are observed along foliations, allowing juxtaposition of metasediments. Using these observations and 2D simple numerical simulation, we propose a hydrogeological model of upward hydrothermal flow. Meteoric fluids, infiltrated at high elevation in the fault footwall relief, get warmer at depth because of the geothermal gradient. Topography-related hydraulic gradient and buoyancy forces cause hot fluid rise along permeability anisotropies associated with lithological juxtapositions, fracture, and fault zone compositions.

  9. HYPE: a WFD tool for the identification of significant and sustained upward trends in groundwater time series

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lopez, Benjamin; Croiset, Nolwenn; Laurence, Gourcy

    2014-05-01

    The Water Framework Directive 2006/11/CE (WFD) on the protection of groundwater against pollution and deterioration asks Member States to identify significant and sustained upward trends in all bodies or groups of bodies of groundwater that are characterised as being at risk in accordance with Annex II to Directive 2000/60/EC. The Directive indicates that the procedure for the identification of significant and sustained upward trends must be based on a statistical method. Moreover, for significant increases of concentrations of pollutants, trend reversals are identified as being necessary. This means to be able to identify significant trend reversals. A specific tool, named HYPE, has been developed in order to help stakeholders working on groundwater trend assessment. The R encoded tool HYPE provides statistical analysis of groundwater time series. It follows several studies on the relevancy of the use of statistical tests on groundwater data series (Lopez et al., 2011) and other case studies on the thematic (Bourgine et al., 2012). It integrates the most powerful and robust statistical tests for hydrogeological applications. HYPE is linked to the French national database on groundwater data (ADES). So monitoring data gathered by the Water Agencies can be directly processed. HYPE has two main modules: - a characterisation module, which allows to visualize time series. HYPE calculates the main statistical characteristics and provides graphical representations; - a trend module, which identifies significant breaks, trends and trend reversals in time series, providing result table and graphical representation (cf figure). Additional modules are also implemented to identify regional and seasonal trends and to sample time series in a relevant way. HYPE has been used successfully in 2012 by the French Water Agencies to satisfy requirements of the WFD, concerning characterization of groundwater bodies' qualitative status and evaluation of the risk of non-achievement of

  10. Multi-Scale Long-Range Magnitude and Sign Correlations in Vertical Upward Oil-Gas-Water Three-Phase Flow

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhao, An; Jin, Ning-de; Ren, Ying-yu; Zhu, Lei; Yang, Xia

    2016-01-01

    In this article we apply an approach to identify the oil-gas-water three-phase flow patterns in vertical upwards 20 mm inner-diameter pipe based on the conductance fluctuating signals. We use the approach to analyse the signals with long-range correlations by decomposing the signal increment series into magnitude and sign series and extracting their scaling properties. We find that the magnitude series relates to nonlinear properties of the original time series, whereas the sign series relates to the linear properties. The research shows that the oil-gas-water three-phase flows (slug flow, churn flow, bubble flow) can be classified by a combination of scaling exponents of magnitude and sign series. This study provides a new way of characterising linear and nonlinear properties embedded in oil-gas-water three-phase flows.

  11. What Makes a Great Journal Great in Economics? The Singer Not the Song.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    C-L. Chang (Chia-Lin); M.J. McAleer (Michael); L. Oxley (Les)

    2010-01-01

    textabstractThe paper is concerned with analysing what makes a great journal great in economics, based on quantifiable measures. Alternative Research Assessment Measures (RAM) are discussed, with an emphasis on the Thomson Reuters ISI Web of Science database (hereafter ISI). The various ISI RAM that

  12. Great Basin Experimental Range: Annotated bibliography

    Science.gov (United States)

    E. Durant McArthur; Bryce A. Richardson; Stanley G. Kitchen

    2013-01-01

    This annotated bibliography documents the research that has been conducted on the Great Basin Experimental Range (GBER, also known as the Utah Experiment Station, Great Basin Station, the Great Basin Branch Experiment Station, Great Basin Experimental Center, and other similar name variants) over the 102 years of its existence. Entries were drawn from the original...

  13. The GREAT3 challenge

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Miyatake, H; Mandelbaum, R; Rowe, B

    2014-01-01

    The GRavitational lEnsing Accuracy Testing 3 (GREAT3) challenge is an image analysis competition that aims to test algorithms to measure weak gravitational lensing from astronomical images. The challenge started in October 2013 and ends 30 April 2014. The challenge focuses on testing the impact on weak lensing measurements of realistically complex galaxy morphologies, realistic point spread function, and combination of multiple different exposures. It includes simulated ground- and space-based data. The details of the challenge are described in [1], and the challenge website and its leader board can be found at http://great3challenge.info and http://great3.projects.phys.ucl.ac.uk/leaderboard/, respectively

  14. Ground reaction forces and knee mechanics in the weight acceptance phase of a dance leap take-off and landing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kulig, Kornelia; Fietzer, Abbigail L; Popovich, John M

    2011-01-01

    Aesthetic constraints allow dancers fewer technique modifications than other athletes to negotiate the demands of leaping. We examined vertical ground reaction force and knee mechanics during a saut de chat performed by healthy dancers. It was hypothesized that vertical ground reaction force during landing would exceed that of take-off, resulting in greater knee extensor moments and greater knee angular stiffness. Twelve dancers (six males, six females; age 18.9 ± 1.2 years, mass 59.2 ± 9.5 kg, height 1.68 ± 0.08 m, dance training 8.9 ± 5.1 years) with no history of low back pain or lower extremity pathology participated in the study. Saut de chat data were captured using an eight-camera Vicon system and AMTI force platforms. Peak ground reaction force was 26% greater during the landing phase, but did not result in increased peak knee extensor moments. Taking into account the 67% greater knee angular displacement during landing, this resulted in less knee angular stiffness during landing. In conclusion, landing was accomplished with less knee angular stiffness despite the greater peak ground reaction force. A link between decreased joint angular stiffness and increased soft tissue injury risk has been proposed elsewhere; therefore, landing from a saut de chat may be more injurious to the knee soft tissue than take-off.

  15. 78 FR 48374 - Great Lakes Pilotage Rates-2014 Annual Review and Adjustment

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-08-08

    ... exercising the discretion provided by Step 7 of the Appendix A methodology. The result is an upward... Employee benefits 21,282 14,645 35,927 Payroll taxes 5,032 3,463 8,495 Other taxes 5,042 3,470 8,512 Travel... 262,387 Dispatch expense 6,060 9,090 15,150 Employee Benefits 40,419 60,628 101,047 Payroll taxes 7...

  16. Mechanism of jet-flutter: self-induced oscillation of an upward plane jet impinging on a free surface

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Madarame, Haruki; Iida, Masao

    1998-01-01

    An upward plane jet impinging on the free surface of a shallow rectangular tank oscillates without any external periodic force. The movement of the impinging point leaves additional fluid mass on the surface behind the point, which does not balance the momentum supplied by the jet. The imbalance generates propagating waves, and a surface level gap appears there. The level gap is flattened not by the waves but by the vertical motion of water columns. The imbalance causes lateral displacement of jet, which in turn causes the imbalance, forming a positive feedback loop. The above model explains well why the frequency corresponds to that of water column oscillation in a partitioned tank with the same water depth, and the oscillation region has a wide range above a certain velocity limit determined by the water depth. (author)

  17. Self Induced Buoyant Blow Off in Upward Flame Spread on Thin Solid Fuels

    Science.gov (United States)

    Johnston, Michael C.; T'ien, James S.; Muff, Derek E.; Olson, Sandra L.; Ferkul, Paul V.

    2013-01-01

    Upward flame spread experiments were conducted on a thin fabric cloth consisting of 75% cotton and 25% fiberglass. The sample is sandwiched symmetrically with stainless steel plates with the exposed width varying between 2 to 8.8 cm from test to test and >1.5m tall. The bottom edge was ignited resulting in a symmetric two sided flame. For the narrower samples (. 5cm), two sided flame growth would proceed until reaching some limiting value (15-30 cm depending on sample width). Fluctuation or instability of the flame base on one side would initially become visible and then the flame base would retreat downstream and cause extinguishment on one side. Detailed examination of the still images shows that the fuel continues to vaporize from the extinguished side due to the thermally thin nature of the fuel. But, due to the remaining inert fiberglass mesh, which acts as a flashback arrestor, the extinguished side was not able to be reignited by the remaining flame. The remaining flame would then shrink in length due to the reduced heat transfer to the solid to a shorter length. The one-sided flame will spread stably with a constant speed and a constant flame length to the end of the sample. A constant length flame implies that the pyrolysis front and the burnt out fronts move at the same speed. For the wider samples (. 7cm), no one-sided extinction is observed. Two-sided flames spread all the way to the top of the sample. For these wider widths, the flames are still growing and have not reached their limiting length if it exists. Care was taken to minimize the amount of non-symmetries in the experimental configuration. Repeated tests show that blow-off can occur on either side of the sample. The flame growth is observed to be very symmetric during the growth phase and grew to significant length (>10cm) before extinction of the flame on one side. Our proposed explanation of this unusual phenomenon (i.e. stronger two ]sided flame cannot exist but weaker one-sided flame can

  18. Identification of retinal ganglion cells and their projections involved in central transmission of information about upward and downward image motion.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Keisuke Yonehara

    Full Text Available The direction of image motion is coded by direction-selective (DS ganglion cells in the retina. Particularly, the ON DS ganglion cells project their axons specifically to terminal nuclei of the accessory optic system (AOS responsible for optokinetic reflex (OKR. We recently generated a knock-in mouse in which SPIG1 (SPARC-related protein containing immunoglobulin domains 1-expressing cells are visualized with GFP, and found that retinal ganglion cells projecting to the medial terminal nucleus (MTN, the principal nucleus of the AOS, are comprised of SPIG1+ and SPIG1(- ganglion cells distributed in distinct mosaic patterns in the retina. Here we examined light responses of these two subtypes of MTN-projecting cells by targeted electrophysiological recordings. SPIG1+ and SPIG1(- ganglion cells respond preferentially to upward motion and downward motion, respectively, in the visual field. The direction selectivity of SPIG1+ ganglion cells develops normally in dark-reared mice. The MTN neurons are activated by optokinetic stimuli only of the vertical motion as shown by Fos expression analysis. Combination of genetic labeling and conventional retrograde labeling revealed that axons of SPIG1+ and SPIG1(- ganglion cells project to the MTN via different pathways. The axon terminals of the two subtypes are organized into discrete clusters in the MTN. These results suggest that information about upward and downward image motion transmitted by distinct ON DS cells is separately processed in the MTN, if not independently. Our findings provide insights into the neural mechanisms of OKR, how information about the direction of image motion is deciphered by the AOS.

  19. 75 FR 6354 - NOAA Great Lakes Habitat Restoration Program Project Grants under the Great Lakes Restoration...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-02-09

    ...-04] RIN 0648-ZC10 NOAA Great Lakes Habitat Restoration Program Project Grants under the Great Lakes... Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Department of Commerce. ACTION: Notice of funding availability; Date... on January 19, 2010. That notice announced the NOAA Great Lakes Habitat Restoration Program Project...

  20. The Next Great Generation?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brownstein, Andrew

    2000-01-01

    Discusses ideas from a new book, "Millennials Rising: The Next Great Generation," (by Neil Howe and William Strauss) suggesting that youth culture is on the cusp of a radical shift with the generation beginning with this year's college freshmen who are typically team oriented, optimistic, and poised for greatness on a global scale. Includes a…

  1. Connecting theory to fat talk: body dissatisfaction mediates the relationships between weight discrepancy, upward comparison, body surveillance, and fat talk.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arroyo, Analisa

    2014-06-01

    The fat talk literature is meager in terms of offering theoretical explanations for women's self-disparaging communication. The research presented here sought to establish a relationship between three prominent body image theories - self-discrepancy theory, social comparison theory, and objectification theory - and fat talk by proposing body dissatisfaction as a potential mediating mechanism. Young adult women (N=201) completed an online questionnaire. As predicted, results revealed that body dissatisfaction significantly mediated the relationships between weight discrepancy, upward comparison, body surveillance and fat talk. Effect size estimates indicated that the size of each indirect effect was medium in magnitude. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  2. Multivariate multiscale complex network analysis of vertical upward oil-water two-phase flow in a small diameter pipe.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gao, Zhong-Ke; Yang, Yu-Xuan; Zhai, Lu-Sheng; Dang, Wei-Dong; Yu, Jia-Liang; Jin, Ning-De

    2016-02-02

    High water cut and low velocity vertical upward oil-water two-phase flow is a typical complex system with the features of multiscale, unstable and non-homogenous. We first measure local flow information by using distributed conductance sensor and then develop a multivariate multiscale complex network (MMCN) to reveal the dispersed oil-in-water local flow behavior. Specifically, we infer complex networks at different scales from multi-channel measurements for three typical vertical oil-in-water flow patterns. Then we characterize the generated multiscale complex networks in terms of network clustering measure. The results suggest that the clustering coefficient entropy from the MMCN not only allows indicating the oil-in-water flow pattern transition but also enables to probe the dynamical flow behavior governing the transitions of vertical oil-water two-phase flow.

  3. Potential uranium host rocks and structures in the central Great Plains

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zeller, E.J.; Dreschhoff, G.; Angino, E.; Holdoway, K.; Hakes, W.; Jayaprakash, G.; Crisler, K.; Saunders, D.F.

    1975-01-01

    A preliminary study was completed of the uranium potential of the Central Great Plains. The study area extends from longitude 99 to 104 0 W and is bounded by the North Platte River on the north and the Canadian River on the south. This region has no known commercial uranium accumulations, but is an area which contains formations with similar facies that are known to have deposits in other areas. A new method of utilizing petroleum exploration gamma-ray well log data was tested in the western Kansas portion of the survey area. Gamma activities in the Dakota and Morrison formations were computer-processed by trend surface analysis, statistically analyzed, and the anomalies were compared with regional geomorphic lineaments derived from satellite imagery as well as regional geology, to draw conclusions as to their origin and significance. Conclusions are: (1) possible uraniferous provinces have been outlined in the subsurface of western Kansas; (2) the new well log data approach can be used to define potential uraniferous provinces in any well-explored petroleum region; (3) the close spatial correlation between anomalies and regional geomorphic lineaments provides strong support for the concept that the lineaments represent vertical fracture zones which can act as preferred pathways for vertical fluid migration; and (4) the location of the strongest anomalies over impervious salt bodies indicates that any uranium bearing mineralizers must have moved down through the geologic section rather than upward. Recommendations are made to extend the application of the well-log approach, to do drilling and sampling to prove whether the anomalies are really due to uranium, and to add geobotanical and emanometric measurements during future studies

  4. Great Lakes Environmental Database (GLENDA)

    Data.gov (United States)

    U.S. Environmental Protection Agency — The Great Lakes Environmental Database (GLENDA) houses environmental data on a wide variety of constituents in water, biota, sediment, and air in the Great Lakes area.

  5. Surface tension effects on vertical upward annular flows in a small diameter pipe

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sadatomi, Michio, E-mail: sadatomi@mech.kumamoto-u.ac.jp [Dept. of Advanced Mechanical Systems, Kumamoto Univ., 39-1, Kurokami 2-chome, Chuou-ku, Kumamoto 860-8555 (Japan); Kawahara, Akimaro [Dept. of Advanced Mechanical Systems, Kumamoto Univ., 39-1, Kurokami 2-chome, Chuou-ku, Kumamoto 860-8555 (Japan); Suzuki, Aruta [Plant Design & Engineering Dept., Environment, Energy & Plant Headquarters, Hitachi Zosen Corporation, 7-89, Nankokita 1-chome, Suminoe-ku, Osaka, 559-8559 (Japan)

    2016-12-15

    Highlights: • Surface tension effects were clarified on annular flow in a small diameter pipe. • The mean liquid film thickness became thinner with decreasing of surface tension. • The liquid droplet fraction and the interfacial shear stress became higher with it. • New prediction methods for the above parameters were developed and validated. - Abstract: Experiments were conducted to study the surface tension effects on vertical upward annular flows in a 5 mm I.D. pipe using water and low surface tension water with a little surfactant as the test liquid and air as the test gas. Firstly, the experimental results on the mean liquid film thickness, the liquid droplet fraction and the interfacial shear stress in annular flows together with some flow pictures are presented to clarify the surface tension effects. From these, the followings are clarified: In the low surface tension case, the liquid film surface becomes rough, the liquid film thickness thin, the liquid droplet fraction high, and the interfacial shear stress high. Secondary, correlations in literatures for the respective parameters are tested against the present data. The test results show that no correlation for the respective parameters could predict well the present data. Thus, correlations are revised by accounting for the surface tension effects. The results of the experiments, the correlations tests and their revisions mentioned above are presented in the present paper.

  6. 33 CFR 100.124 - Maggie Fischer Memorial Great South Bay Cross Bay Swim, Great South Bay, New York.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Maggie Fischer Memorial Great South Bay Cross Bay Swim, Great South Bay, New York. 100.124 Section 100.124 Navigation and Navigable... NAVIGABLE WATERS § 100.124 Maggie Fischer Memorial Great South Bay Cross Bay Swim, Great South Bay, New York...

  7. Upward migration of Vesuvius magma chamber over the past 20,000 years.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Scaillet, B; Pichavant, M; Cioni, R

    2008-09-11

    Forecasting future eruptions of Vesuvius is an important challenge for volcanologists, as its reawakening could threaten the lives of 700,000 people living near the volcano. Critical to the evaluation of hazards associated with the next eruption is the estimation of the depth of the magma reservoir, one of the main parameters controlling magma properties and eruptive style. Petrological studies have indicated that during past activity, magma chambers were at depths between 3 and 16 km (refs 3-7). Geophysical surveys have imaged some levels of seismic attenuation, the shallowest of which lies at 8-9 km depth, and these have been tentatively interpreted as levels of preferential magma accumulation. By using experimental phase equilibria, carried out on material from four main explosive events at Vesuvius, we show here that the reservoirs that fed the eruptive activity migrated from 7-8 km to 3-4 km depth between the ad 79 (Pompeii) and ad 472 (Pollena) events. If data from the Pomici di Base event 18.5 kyr ago and the 1944 Vesuvius eruption are included, the total upward migration of the reservoir amounts to 9-11 km. The change of preferential magma ponding levels in the upper crust can be attributed to differences in the volatile content and buoyancy of ascending magmas, as well as to changes in local stress field following either caldera formation or volcano spreading. Reservoir migration, and the possible influence on feeding rates, should be integrated into the parameters used for defining expected eruptive scenarios at Vesuvius.

  8. Knowledge brokering on emissions modelling in Strategic Environmental Assessment of Estonian energy policy with special reference to the LEAP model

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kuldna, Piret; Peterson, Kaja; Kuhi-Thalfeldt, Reeli

    2015-01-01

    Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) serves as a platform for bringing together researchers, policy developers and other stakeholders to evaluate and communicate significant environmental and socio-economic effects of policies, plans and programmes. Quantitative computer models can facilitate knowledge exchange between various parties that strive to use scientific findings to guide policy-making decisions. The process of facilitating knowledge generation and exchange, i.e. knowledge brokerage, has been increasingly explored, but there is not much evidence in the literature on how knowledge brokerage activities are used in full cycles of SEAs which employ quantitative models. We report on the SEA process of the national energy plan with reflections on where and how the Long-range Energy Alternatives Planning (LEAP) model was used for knowledge brokerage on emissions modelling between researchers and policy developers. Our main suggestion is that applying a quantitative model not only in ex ante, but also ex post scenario modelling and associated impact assessment can facilitate systematic and inspiring knowledge exchange process on a policy problem and capacity building of participating actors. - Highlights: • We examine the knowledge brokering on emissions modelling between researchers and policy developers in a full cycle of SEA. • Knowledge exchange process can evolve at any modelling stage within SEA. • Ex post scenario modelling enables systematic knowledge exchange and learning on a policy problem

  9. Knowledge brokering on emissions modelling in Strategic Environmental Assessment of Estonian energy policy with special reference to the LEAP model

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kuldna, Piret, E-mail: piret.kuldna@seit.ee [Stockholm Environment Institute Tallinn Centre, Lai 34, Tallinn 10133 (Estonia); Peterson, Kaja [Stockholm Environment Institute Tallinn Centre, Lai 34, Tallinn 10133 (Estonia); Kuhi-Thalfeldt, Reeli [Stockholm Environment Institute Tallinn Centre, Lai 34, Tallinn 10133 (Estonia); Tallinn University of Technology, Ehitajate tee 5, Tallinn 19086 (Estonia)

    2015-09-15

    Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) serves as a platform for bringing together researchers, policy developers and other stakeholders to evaluate and communicate significant environmental and socio-economic effects of policies, plans and programmes. Quantitative computer models can facilitate knowledge exchange between various parties that strive to use scientific findings to guide policy-making decisions. The process of facilitating knowledge generation and exchange, i.e. knowledge brokerage, has been increasingly explored, but there is not much evidence in the literature on how knowledge brokerage activities are used in full cycles of SEAs which employ quantitative models. We report on the SEA process of the national energy plan with reflections on where and how the Long-range Energy Alternatives Planning (LEAP) model was used for knowledge brokerage on emissions modelling between researchers and policy developers. Our main suggestion is that applying a quantitative model not only in ex ante, but also ex post scenario modelling and associated impact assessment can facilitate systematic and inspiring knowledge exchange process on a policy problem and capacity building of participating actors. - Highlights: • We examine the knowledge brokering on emissions modelling between researchers and policy developers in a full cycle of SEA. • Knowledge exchange process can evolve at any modelling stage within SEA. • Ex post scenario modelling enables systematic knowledge exchange and learning on a policy problem.

  10. Monte Carlo: in the beginning and some great expectations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Metropolis, N.

    1985-01-01

    The central theme will be on the historical setting and origins of the Monte Carlo Method. The scene was post-war Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory. There was an inevitability about the Monte Carlo Event: the ENIAC had recently enjoyed its meteoric rise (on a classified Los Alamos problem); Stan Ulam had returned to Los Alamos; John von Neumann was a frequent visitor. Techniques, algorithms, and applications developed rapidly at Los Alamos. Soon, the fascination of the Method reached wider horizons. The first paper was submitted for publication in the spring of 1949. In the summer of 1949, the first open conference was held at the University of California at Los Angeles. Of some interst perhaps is an account of Fermi's earlier, independent application in neutron moderation studies while at the University of Rome. The quantum leap expected with the advent of massively parallel processors will provide stimuli for very ambitious applications of the Monte Carlo Method in disciplines ranging from field theories to cosmology, including more realistic models in the neurosciences. A structure of multi-instruction sets for parallel processing is ideally suited for the Monte Carlo approach. One may even hope for a modest hardening of the soft sciences

  11. Numerical Simulation on Forced Convective Condensation of Steam Upward Flow in a Vertical Pipe

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Guo-Dong Qiu

    2014-05-01

    Full Text Available A transient three-dimensional volume of fluid (VOF simulation on condensation of upward flow of wet steam inside a 12 mm i.d. vertical pipe is presented. The effect of gravity and surface tension are taken into account. A uniform wall temperature has been fixed as boundary conditions. The mass flux is 130~6400 kg m−2's−1 and the turbulence inside the vapor phase and liquid phase have been handled by Reynolds stress model (RSM. The vapor quality of fluid is 0~0.4. The numerical simulation results show that, in all the simulation conditions, the bubbly flow, slug flow, churn flow, wispy annular flow, and annular flow are observed; in addition, the results of flow pattern are in good agreement with the regime map from Hewitt and Roberts. The typical velocity field characteristic of each flow pattern and the effect of velocity field on heat transfer of condensation are analyzed, indicating that the slug flow and churn flow have obvious local eddy. However, no obvious eddy is observed in other flow patterns and the streamlines are almost parallel to the flow direction. The simulation results of heat transfer coefficients and frictional pressure drop show good agreement with the correlations from existing literatures.

  12. Great Expectations

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Dickens, Charles

    2005-01-01

    One of Dickens's most renowned and enjoyable novels, Great Expectations tells the story of Pip, an orphan boy who wishes to transcend his humble origins and finds himself unexpectedly given the opportunity to live a life of wealth and respectability. Over the course of the tale, in which Pip

  13. Setting the Record Straight: Strong Positive Impacts Found from the National Evaluation of Upward Bound. Re-Analysis Documents Significant Positive Impacts Masked by Errors in Flawed Contractor Reports

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cahalan, Margaret; Goodwin, David

    2014-01-01

    In January 2009, in the last week of the Bush Administration, the U.S. Department of Education (ED), upon orders from the departing political appointee staff, published the final report in a long running National Evaluation of Upward Bound (UB). The study was conducted by the contractor, Mathematica Policy Research. After more than a year in…

  14. The great intimidators.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kramer, Roderick M

    2006-02-01

    After Disney's Michael Eisner, Miramax's Harvey Weinstein, and Hewlett-Packard's Carly Fiorina fell from their heights of power, the business media quickly proclaimed thatthe reign of abrasive, intimidating leaders was over. However, it's premature to proclaim their extinction. Many great intimidators have done fine for a long time and continue to thrive. Their modus operandi runs counter to a lot of preconceptions about what it takes to be a good leader. They're rough, loud, and in your face. Their tactics include invading others' personal space, staging tantrums, keeping people guessing, and possessing an indisputable command of facts. But make no mistake--great intimidators are not your typical bullies. They're driven by vision, not by sheer ego or malice. Beneath their tough exteriors and sharp edges are some genuine, deep insights into human motivation and organizational behavior. Indeed, these leaders possess political intelligence, which can make the difference between paralysis and successful--if sometimes wrenching--organizational change. Like socially intelligent leaders, politically intelligent leaders are adept at sizing up others, but they notice different things. Those with social intelligence assess people's strengths and figure out how to leverage them; those with political intelligence exploit people's weaknesses and insecurities. Despite all the obvious drawbacks of working under them, great intimidators often attract the best and brightest. And their appeal goes beyond their ability to inspire high performance. Many accomplished professionals who gravitate toward these leaders want to cultivate a little "inner intimidator" of their own. In the author's research, quite a few individuals reported having positive relationships with intimidating leaders. In fact, some described these relationships as profoundly educational and even transformational. So before we throw out all the great intimidators, the author argues, we should stop to consider what

  15. Churn-annular flow pattern transition in a vertical upward gas-liquid two-phase flow in various conduits

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Takenaka, Nobuyuki; Ueda, Tadanobu; Asano, Hitoshi

    2008-01-01

    Void fraction was measured by neutron radiography for a vertical upward gas-water two-phase flow in a concentric annular tube with and with out a spacer, 4x4 rod bundle with and without a spacer and a tight rod bundle with and without a wrapping wire for various gas and liquid flow rates. The flow patterns of these two-phase flows were determined by the Mishima-Ishii flow pattern map and void fraction was calculated by the Ishii's drift flux model. The predicted values were compared with the experimental results. The void fraction was well predicted by the Mishima-Ishii flow pattern map and the Ishii's drift flux model except the annular flow region with void fraction lower than 0.8 for conduits with small equivalent diameter. A new churn-annular flow pattern transition condition of the void fraction equal to 0.8 was added. The void fraction for the present experimental condition was successful predicted with the new transition model. (author)

  16. Equatorial density depletions observed at 840 km during the great magnetic storm of March 1989

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Greenspan, M.E.; Rasmussen, C.E.; Burke, W.J.; Abdu, M.A.

    1991-01-01

    Early on March 14, 1989, a thermal plasma probe on the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) F9 spacecraft detected extensive and dramatic decreases in the ion density at 840 km, near 2130 LT, during two consecutive transequatorial passes over South America. The order of magnitude decreases in the ion density extended more than 4,000 km along the satellite track. The depletions were accompanied by upward and westward plasma drifts, both in excess of 100 m/s. Their onsets and terminations were marked by extremely sharp density gradients. A partial depletion was detected over the eastern Pacific during the following orbit. The DMSP F9 ground track passed slightly west of a Brazilian total electron content (TEC) station and two Brazilian ionosondes during the first depletion encounter. The TEC fell far below normal during the night of March 13-14. The ionosonde measurements indicate that, in the hour after sunset, before DMSP passed through the depletions, the F 2 layer rose rapidly and disappeared, but at the time of the first depletion encounter, h m F 2 was decreasing over one of the stations. The authors develop a phenomenological model reconciling DMSP F8, F9 and ground-based measurements. The calculations show that rapid upward drifts sustained for several hours can produce depletions in the equatorial ion density with sharp gradients at their high-latitude boundaries, consistent with the data. They discuss possible contributing mechanisms for generating these upward drifts. These include direct penetration of the magnetospheric electric field to low latitudes, the electric fields generated by the disturbance dynamo, and the effects of conductivity gradients near the dusk terminator and the South Atlantic anomaly

  17. What great managers do.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Buckingham, Marcus

    2005-03-01

    Much has been written about the qualities that make a great manager, but most of the literature overlooks a fundamental question: What does a great manager actually do? While there are countless management styles, one thing underpins the behavior of all great managers. Above all, an exceptional manager comes to know and value the particular quirks and abilities of her employees. She figures out how to capitalize on her staffers' strengths and tweaks her environment to meet her larger goals. Such a specialized approach may seem like a lot of work. But in fact, capitalizing on each person's uniqueness can save time. Rather than encourage employees to conform to strict job descriptions that may include tasks they don't enjoy and aren't good at, a manager who develops positions for his staff members based on their unique abilities will be rewarded with behaviors that are far more efficient and effective than they would be otherwise. This focus on individuals also makes employees more accountable. Because staffers are evaluated on their particular strengths and weaknesses, they are challenged to take responsibility for their abilities and to hone them. Capitalizing on a person's uniqueness also builds a stronger sense of team. By taking the time to understand what makes each employee tick, a great manager shows that he sees his people for who they are. This personal investment not only motivates individuals but also galvanizes the entire team. Finally, this approach shakes up existing hierarchies, which leads to more creative thinking. To take great managing from theory to practice, the author says, you must know three things about a person: her strengths, the triggers that activate those strengths, and how she learns. By asking the right questions, squeezing the right triggers, and becoming aware of your employees' learning styles, you will discover what motivates each person to excel.

  18. Nuclear fusion an energetic option to the future

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Medialdea Utande, A.; Sanchez Sanz, J.

    2007-01-01

    Nuclear fusion is the energy source of the Sun and the rest of starts. The great availability of deuterium on Earth, the inherent safety of the reactions involved and the intrinsic environmental respect make fusion an attractive energy source for the future of making of man king. International promising contributions are making Fusion Science and Technology progress by leaps and bounds to achieve its long term goal of cost-effective energy-producing plasmas. (Author)

  19. The virtues of variety in regional innovation systems and entrepreneurial ecosystems

    OpenAIRE

    Cooke, Philip

    2016-01-01

    - Today, interesting and important interconnections have been made that promise great leaps forward for innovation systems and entrepreneurial ecosystems - especially operating at the regional or sub-national level of the space economy. Of course, there are politics in such relationships. Most notable are those that are critical of anything that “interferes” with market hegemony (neoliberal bias) which has weakened commitments such as those pioneered in South Korea in the early years of th...

  20. The Three Gorges Dam: A great leap backward for China's electricity consumers and economy

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Adams, P.; Ryder, G. [Probe International, Toronto, ON (Canada)

    1999-12-16

    Reasons why the Three Gorges Dam, the largest hydroelectric power project in the world, is not only an environmental disaster, but also an economically unsound undertaking for the Chinese economy are discussed. The thrust of the argument is that rapid advancement in technology, in combination with the economic reforms to decentralize electric power production in China, will allow private enterprise to be in direct competition with the Three Gorges (and other bid dam) projects. These factors, combined with the economic pressures resulting from the shutting down of money-losing state enterprises and consequently, a significant reduction in the demand for electricity, spell disaster for the big dam projects conceived during the centrally-planned, Maoist era. Because of the Three Gorges project's unusually large size, the outdated and unreliable power transmission networks in China, and because the local state transmission grids are not connected to China's national grid, the central government will have to invest some $ 30 billion over the next three years in a new national transmission grid. The aggregate result of these events will be that competition from cheaper, cleaner power producers (such as combined cycle power producers) will price the Three Gorges power out of the market by the time it is expected to go into production in 2009. Based on the assessment of reputable world economic and engineering organizations, Probe International recommends cancellation of the project to avoid environmental and economic disaster. 61 refs.

  1. Effects of task-specific and impairment-based training compared with usual care on functional walking ability after inpatient stroke rehabilitation: LEAPS Trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nadeau, Stephen E; Wu, Samuel S; Dobkin, Bruce H; Azen, Stanley P; Rose, Dorian K; Tilson, Julie K; Cen, Steven Y; Duncan, Pamela W

    2013-05-01

    After inpatient stroke rehabilitation, many people still cannot participate in community activities because of limited walking ability. To compare the effectiveness of 2 conceptually different, early physical therapy (PT) interventions to usual care (UC) in improving walking 6 months after stroke. The locomotor experience applied post-stroke (LEAPS) study was a single-blind, randomized controlled trial conducted in 408 adults with disabling hemiparetic stroke. Participants were stratified at baseline (2 months) by impairment in walking speed: severe (exercise at home (home exercise program [HEP], n = 126). LTP participants were 18% more likely to transition to a higher functional walking level: severe to >0.4 m/s and moderate to >0.8 m/s than UC participants (95% confidence interval [CI] = 7%-29%), and HEP participants were 17% more likely to transition (95% CI = 5%-29%). Mean gain in walking speed in LTP participants was 0.13 m/s greater (95% CI = 0.09-0.18) and in HEP participants, 0.10 m/s greater (95% CI = 0.05-0.14) than in UC participants. Progressive PT, using either walking training on a treadmill and overground, conducted in a clinic, or strength and balance exercises conducted at home, was superior to UC in improving walking, regardless of severity of initial impairment.

  2. Comparison of amino acids physico-chemical properties and usage of late embryogenesis abundant proteins, hydrophilins and WHy domain.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jaspard, Emmanuel; Hunault, Gilles

    2014-01-01

    Late Embryogenesis Abundant proteins (LEAPs) comprise several diverse protein families and are mostly involved in stress tolerance. Most of LEAPs are intrinsically disordered and thus poorly functionally characterized. LEAPs have been classified and a large number of their physico-chemical properties have been statistically analyzed. LEAPs were previously proposed to be a subset of a very wide family of proteins called hydrophilins, while a domain called WHy (Water stress and Hypersensitive response) was found in LEAP class 8 (according to our previous classification). Since little is known about hydrophilins and WHy domain, the cross-analysis of their amino acids physico-chemical properties and amino acids usage together with those of LEAPs helps to describe some of their structural features and to make hypothesis about their function. Physico-chemical properties of hydrophilins and WHy domain strongly suggest their role in dehydration tolerance, probably by interacting with water and small polar molecules. The computational analysis reveals that LEAP class 8 and hydrophilins are distinct protein families and that not all LEAPs are a protein subset of hydrophilins family as proposed earlier. Hydrophilins seem related to LEAP class 2 (also called dehydrins) and to Heat Shock Proteins 12 (HSP12). Hydrophilins are likely unstructured proteins while WHy domain is structured. LEAP class 2, hydrophilins and WHy domain are thus proposed to share a common physiological role by interacting with water or other polar/charged small molecules, hence contributing to dehydration tolerance.

  3. Great Ellipse Route Planning Based on Space Vector

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    LIU Wenchao

    2015-07-01

    Full Text Available Aiming at the problem of navigation error caused by unified earth model in great circle route planning using sphere model and modern navigation equipment using ellipsoid mode, a method of great ellipse route planning based on space vector is studied. By using space vector algebra method, the vertex of great ellipse is solved directly, and description of great ellipse based on major-axis vector and minor-axis vector is presented. Then calculation formulas of great ellipse azimuth and distance are deduced using two basic vectors. Finally, algorithms of great ellipse route planning are studied, especially equal distance route planning algorithm based on Newton-Raphson(N-R method. Comparative examples show that the difference of route planning between great circle and great ellipse is significant, using algorithms of great ellipse route planning can eliminate the navigation error caused by the great circle route planning, and effectively improve the accuracy of navigation calculation.

  4. Nothing Great Is Easy

    OpenAIRE

    Stansbie, Lisa

    2014-01-01

    A solo exhibition of 13 pieces of art work.\\ud \\ud Nothing Great is Easy is an exhibition of sculpture, film, drawing and photography that proposes reconstructed narratives using the sport of swimming and in particular the collective interaction and identity of the channel swimmer. The work utilises the processes, rituals/rules, language and the apparatus of sport.\\ud \\ud “Nothing great is easy” are the words on the memorial to Captain Matthew Webb who was the first man to swim the English ch...

  5. Climate variability and Great Plains agriculture

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rosenberg, N.J.; Katz, L.A.

    1991-01-01

    The ways in which inhabitants of the Great Plains, including Indians, early settlers, and 20th century farmers, have adapted to climate changes on the Great Plains are explored. The climate of the Great Plains, because of its variability and extremes, can be very stressful to plants, animals and people. It is suggested that agriculture and society on the Great Plains have, during the last century, become less vulnerable to the stresses imposed by climate. Opinions as to the sustainability of agriculture on the Great Plains vary substantially. Lockeretz (1981) suggests that large scale, high cost technologies have stressed farmers by creating surpluses and by requiring large investments. Opie (1989) sees irrigation as a climate substitute, however he stresses that the Ogallala aquifer must inevitably become depleted. Deborah and Frank Popper (1987) believe that farming on the Plains is unsustainable, and destruction of shelterbelts, out-migration of the rural population and environmental problems will lead to total collapse. With global warming, water in the Great Plains is expected to become scarcer, and although improvements in irrigation efficiency may slow depletion of the Ogallala aquifer, ultimately the acreage under irrigation must decrease to levels that can be sustained by natural recharge and reliable surface flows. 23 refs., 2 figs

  6. Touchless control module for diagnostic images at the surgery room using the Leap Motion system and 3D Slicer Software

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Andrés Felipe Botero-Ospina

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Durante los procedimientos quirúrgicos es importante que el personal (cirujanos, residentes o asistentes interactúe con el paciente, evitando cualquier contacto físico con equipo y materiales que pudieron no ser esterilizados apropiadamente. Esto se hace con el fin de evitar al paciente infecciones y complicaciones posteriores a la cirugía. Con el aumento de la disponibilidad de imágenes diagnósticas esta herramienta se ha hecho cada vez más indispensable en los quirófanos, pero no siempre es posible mantener el control de asepsia de los equipos informáticos en los cuales se ejecutan los programas de visualización, factor que dificulta el acceso al personal asistencial a la información contenida en las imágenes. En este trabajo se presenta el desarrollo de un sistema que permite manipular un programa de visualización de imágenes diagnósticas mediante gestos evitando que el cirujano tenga contacto directo con la computadora. El sistema, que requiere una computadora con el software 3D-Slicer y el dispositivo Leap Motion, permite mediante gestos realizados con las manos acceder a operaciones básicas como el movimiento entre cortes de un volumen, cambio del tamaño de la imagen y cambio del plano anatómico de visualización, operaciones que para el cirujano son esenciales para la ubicación espacial y la toma de decisiones.

  7. Der Einfluss von personeller Einkommensverteilung auf die „Great Depression“ und die „Great Recession“

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Stefan Trappl

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available Der Einfluss gestiegener Einkommensungleichheit auf die „Great Depression“ und die „Great Recession“ wurde mehrfach postuliert (Galbraith 1954/2009; Eccles 1951; Rajan 2010; Stiglitz 2012; Piketty 2014. Konkrete empirische Arbeiten zum Zusammenhang zwischen Einkommensverteilung und dem Entstehen von Wirtschaftskrisen gibt es aber bislang wenige. Kumhof/Ranciere (2010 überprüften die von Rajan (2010 aufgestellte Hypothese, die einen entsprechenden Zusammenhang postuliert, mittels Modellrechnung. Bordo/Meissner (2012 und darauf aufbauend Gu/Huang (2014 verwendeten unterschiedliche Regressionsmodelle in Bezug auf einen entsprechenden Zusammenhang, ohne jedoch eindeutige Ergebnisse zu liefern. Die vorliegende Arbeit schließt an diese Arbeiten an, beschränkt die Untersuchung allerdings auf Staaten, für die Daten für die letzten hundert Jahre verfügbar sind, und untersucht zudem explizit die Zeiträume um die beiden größten Krisen der letzten hundert Jahre, die „Great Depression“ und die „Great Recession“. Die Auswertungen zeigen, dass die personelle Einkommensverteilung ein guter Prädiktor für die Kriseneintrittswahrscheinlichkeit ist.

  8. Great Lakes Bathymetry

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — Bathymetry of Lakes Michigan, Erie, Saint Clair, Ontario and Huron has been compiled as a component of a NOAA project to rescue Great Lakes lake floor geological and...

  9. What Caused the Great Depression?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Caldwell, Jean; O'Driscoll, Timothy G.

    2007-01-01

    Economists and historians have struggled for almost 80 years to account for the American Great Depression, which began in 1929 and lasted until the early years of World War II. In this article, the authors discuss three major schools of thought on the causes of the Great Depression and the long failure of the American economy to return to full…

  10. The Sixth Great Mass Extinction

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wagler, Ron

    2012-01-01

    Five past great mass extinctions have occurred during Earth's history. Humanity is currently in the midst of a sixth, human-induced great mass extinction of plant and animal life (e.g., Alroy 2008; Jackson 2008; Lewis 2006; McDaniel and Borton 2002; Rockstrom et al. 2009; Rohr et al. 2008; Steffen, Crutzen, and McNeill 2007; Thomas et al. 2004;…

  11. Global change and upward shift of treeline in the Alps: genetic consequences of pastures colonization

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Piotti A

    2007-01-01

    Full Text Available In the Alps global warming and change in land use, in particular the drastic reduction in cattle grazing, are causing a progressive treeline ecotone upwards shift. The colonization dynamics of woody species are modulated by high selective pressure on seedlings due to the extreme ecological conditions of this habitat. We studied the colonization dynamics of Norway spruce in a treeline plot, at the upper limit of the Paneveggio forest (Trentino, Italy. We have exhaustively sampled the study stand, collecting needle tissue from all the adults and the juveniles detected, and we have genotyped all the samples (376 with 4 SSR markers. Parentage relationships between the few adults presents in the stand (23 and the juveniles were established. Our results indicate that, in spite of extreme ecological condition of the treeline environment, local adaptations do not seem to favour local parents: only 4% of juveniles have both parents among local adult trees, while 96% of juveniles are completely or partially sired outside the sampling area. Assessing parentage relationship also allowed the estimation of relative reproductive success of local adult trees. Out of a total of 23 adult trees, 5 trees were involved in the 59% of successful reproductive events detected inside the sampling area.

  12. Great magnetic storms

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tsurutani, B.T.; Yen Te Lee; Tang, F.; Gonzalez, W.D.

    1992-01-01

    The five largest magnetic storms that occurred between 1971 and 1986 are studied to determine their solar and interplanetary causes. All of the events are found to be associated with high speed solar wind streams led by collisionless shocks. The high speed streams are clearly related to identifiable solar flares. It is found that (1) it is the extreme values of the southward interplanetary magnetic fields rather than solar wind speeds that are the primary causes of great magnetic storms, (2) shocked and draped sheath fields preceding the driver gas (magnetic cloud) are at least as effective in causing the onset of great magnetic storms (3 of 5 events ) as the strong fields within the driver gas itself, and (3) precursor southward fields ahead of the high speed streams allow the shock compression mechanism (item 2) to be particularly geoeffective

  13. Community-based physical activity as adjunctive smoking cessation treatment: Rationale, design, and baseline data for the Lifestyle Enhancement Program (LEAP randomized controlled trial

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mark W. Vander Weg

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available Despite advances in behavioral and pharmacological treatment for tobacco use and dependence, quit rates remain suboptimal. Increasing physical activity has shown some promise as a strategy for improving cessation outcomes. However, initial efficacy studies focused on intensive, highly structured exercise programs that may not be applicable to the general population of smokers. We describe the rationale and study design and report baseline participant characteristics from the Lifestyle Enhancement Program (LEAP, a two-group, randomized controlled trial. Adult smokers who engaged in low levels of leisure time physical activity were randomly assigned to treatment conditions consisting of an individualized physical activity intervention delivered by health fitness instructors in community-based exercise facilities or an equal contact wellness control. All participants received standard cognitive behavioral smoking cessation counseling combined with nicotine replacement therapy. The primary outcomes are seven-day point prevalence abstinence at seven weeks, six- and 12 months. Secondary outcomes include self-reported physical activity, dietary intake, body mass index, waist circumference, percent body fat, and nicotine withdrawal symptoms. Participants consist of 392 sedentary smokers (mean [standard deviation] age = 44.6 [10.2] = years; 62% female; 31% African American. Results reported here provide information regarding experiences recruiting smokers willing to change multiple health behaviors including smoking and physical activity.

  14. Experimental investigation on flow patterns of gas-liquid two-phase upward flow through packed channel with spheres

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang Nan; Sun Zhongning; Zhao Zhongnan

    2011-01-01

    Experiments of visualized two-phase upward flow were conducted in the packed channel, which filled with 3, 5, 8 mm in diameter of glass sphere respectively. The gas superficial velocity ranges from 0.005 to 1.172 m/s. The liquid superficial velocity ranges from 0.004 to 0.093 m/s. Four representative flow patterns were observed as bubbly flow, cluster flow, liquid-pulse flow and churn-pulse flow, and corresponding flow pattern maps were also presented. It is found that the pulse flow region is dominant. The comparisons of flow pattern map between packed channel and non-packed channel show that the bubbly flow region in packed channel is narrower than that of non-packed channel due to the packing. The comparisons of flow pattern maps for three different packing sizes show that the cluster flow region expands with the increase of the packing diameter. In the low liquid superficial velocity, the cluster flow directly changes to churn-pulse flow in the packed channel with 8 mm packing. (authors)

  15. Interfacial area transport of vertical upward air-water two-phase flow in an annulus at elevated pressures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ozar, Basar; Hibiki, Takashi; Ishii, Mamoru; Euh, Dong-Jin

    2009-01-01

    The interfacial area transport of vertical, upward, air-water two-phase flows in an annular channel has been investigated at different system pressures. The inner and outer diameters of the annular channel were 19.1 mm and 38.1 mm, respectively. Twenty three inlet flow conditions were selected, which coverED bubbly, cap-slug, and churn-turbulent flows. These flow conditions also overlapped with twelve conditions of our previous study for comparison. The local flow parameters, such as void fractions, interfacial area concentrations (IAC), and bubble interface velocities, were measured at nine radial positions for the three axial locations (z/D h =52, 149 and 230) and converted into area-averaged parameters. The axial evolutions of local flow structure was interpreted in terms of bubble coalescence, breakup, expansion of the gas-phase due to pressure drop and system pressure. An assessment of interfacial area transport equation (IATE) was made and compared with the experimental data. A discussion of the comparison between model prediction and the experimental results were made. (author)

  16. Moving inwards, moving outwards, moving upwards: the role of spirituality during the early stages of breast cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Swinton, J; Bain, V; Ingram, S; Heys, S D

    2011-09-01

    The paper reflects on a study which explored the role of spirituality in the lives of women during the first year after being diagnosed with breast cancer. The study utilised a qualitative method (hermeneutic phenomenology) designed to provide rich and thick understanding of women's experiences of breast cancer and to explore possible ways in which spirituality may, or may not, be beneficial in enabling coping and enhancing quality of life. The paper draws on the thinking of David Hay and Viktor Frankl to develop a model of spirituality that includes, but is not defined by, religion and that has the possibility to facilitate effective empirical enquiry. It outlines a threefold movement - inwards, outwards and upwards - that emerged from in-depth interviews with women who have breast cancer. This framework captures something of the spiritual movement that women went through on their cancer journeys and offers some pointers and possibilities for better and more person-centred caring approaches that include recognition of the spiritual dimension of women's experiences for the management of those with breast cancer. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

  17. 'Great Power Style' in China's Economic Policy

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jiang, Yang

    2011-01-01

    China’s ascendance attracts concern, even though Beijing claims to be a responsible great power and tries to demonstrate its ‘great power style’ in economic diplomacy. This article therefore discusses the following questions: to what extent does the current notion and practice of Chinese ‘great...... power style’ in economic diplomacy comply with, or differ from, the criteria of benign hegemony; and what are the major constraining factors? Conceptually, China’s ‘great power style’ is rooted in ancient Chinese political philosophy and institution, but it highly resembles the Western notion of benign...

  18. Application of Shuffled Frog Leaping Algorithm and Genetic Algorithm for the Optimization of Urban Stormwater Drainage

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kumar, S.; Kaushal, D. R.; Gosain, A. K.

    2017-12-01

    Urban hydrology will have an increasing role to play in the sustainability of human settlements. Expansion of urban areas brings significant changes in physical characteristics of landuse. Problems with administration of urban flooding have their roots in concentration of population within a relatively small area. As watersheds are urbanized, infiltration decreases, pattern of surface runoff is changed generating high peak flows, large runoff volumes from urban areas. Conceptual rainfall-runoff models have become a foremost tool for predicting surface runoff and flood forecasting. Manual calibration is often time consuming and tedious because of the involved subjectivity, which makes automatic approach more preferable. The calibration of parameters usually includes numerous criteria for evaluating the performances with respect to the observed data. Moreover, derivation of objective function assosciat6ed with the calibration of model parameters is quite challenging. Various studies dealing with optimization methods has steered the embracement of evolution based optimization algorithms. In this paper, a systematic comparison of two evolutionary approaches to multi-objective optimization namely shuffled frog leaping algorithm (SFLA) and genetic algorithms (GA) is done. SFLA is a cooperative search metaphor, stimulated by natural memetics based on the population while, GA is based on principle of survival of the fittest and natural evolution. SFLA and GA has been employed for optimizing the major parameters i.e. width, imperviousness, Manning's coefficient and depression storage for the highly urbanized catchment of Delhi, India. The study summarizes the auto-tuning of a widely used storm water management model (SWMM), by internal coupling of SWMM with SFLA and GA separately. The values of statistical parameters such as, Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency (NSE) and Percent Bias (PBIAS) were found to lie within the acceptable limit, indicating reasonably good model performance

  19. On the occurrence of burnout downstream of a flow obstacle in boiling two-phase upward flow within a vertical annular channel

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mori, Shoji; Tominaga, Akira; Fukano, Tohru

    2004-01-01

    If a flow obstruction such as a spacer is set in a boiling two-phase flow within an annular channel, the inner tube of which is used as a heater, the temperature on the surface of the heater tube is severely affected by the existence of the spacer. In some case the spacer has a cooling effect, and in the other case it causes the dryout of the cooling liquid film on the heating surface resulting in the burnout of the tube. But the burnout mechanism near the spacer is not still clear. In the present paper we discus the influence of the flow obstacle on the occurrence of burnout downstream of the flow obstacle in boiling two-phase upward flow within a vertical annular channel. (author)

  20. Evaluation of the Leap Motion Controller during the performance of visually-guided upper limb movements.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Niechwiej-Szwedo, Ewa; Gonzalez, David; Nouredanesh, Mina; Tung, James

    2018-01-01

    Kinematic analysis of upper limb reaching provides insight into the central nervous system control of movements. Until recently, kinematic examination of motor control has been limited to studies conducted in traditional research laboratories because motion capture equipment used for data collection is not easily portable and expensive. A recently developed markerless system, the Leap Motion Controller (LMC), is a portable and inexpensive tracking device that allows recording of 3D hand and finger position. The main goal of this study was to assess the concurrent reliability and validity of the LMC as compared to the Optotrak, a criterion-standard motion capture system, for measures of temporal accuracy and peak velocity during the performance of upper limb, visually-guided movements. In experiment 1, 14 participants executed aiming movements to visual targets presented on a computer monitor. Bland-Altman analysis was conducted to assess the validity and limits of agreement for measures of temporal accuracy (movement time, duration of deceleration interval), peak velocity, and spatial accuracy (endpoint accuracy). In addition, a one-sample t-test was used to test the hypothesis that the error difference between measures obtained from Optotrak and LMC is zero. In experiment 2, 15 participants performed a Fitts' type aiming task in order to assess whether the LMC is capable of assessing a well-known speed-accuracy trade-off relationship. Experiment 3 assessed the temporal coordination pattern during the performance of a sequence consisting of a reaching, grasping, and placement task in 15 participants. Results from the t-test showed that the error difference in temporal measures was significantly different from zero. Based on the results from the 3 experiments, the average temporal error in movement time was 40±44 ms, and the error in peak velocity was 0.024±0.103 m/s. The limits of agreement between the LMC and Optotrak for spatial accuracy measures ranged between

  1. Recensie "The Great Reset" : Richard Florida

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Roy van Dalm

    2010-01-01

    Like the Great Depression and the Long Depression before it, experts have viewed prolonged economic downturns as crises. In The Great Reset , bestselling author Richard Florida argues that we should instead see the recent recession as an opportunity to create entirely new ways of working and living

  2. Thirty years of great ape gestures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tomasello, Michael; Call, Josep

    2018-02-21

    We and our colleagues have been doing studies of great ape gestural communication for more than 30 years. Here we attempt to spell out what we have learned. Some aspects of the process have been reliably established by multiple researchers, for example, its intentional structure and its sensitivity to the attentional state of the recipient. Other aspects are more controversial. We argue here that it is a mistake to assimilate great ape gestures to the species-typical displays of other mammals by claiming that they are fixed action patterns, as there are many differences, including the use of attention-getters. It is also a mistake, we argue, to assimilate great ape gestures to human gestures by claiming that they are used referentially and declaratively in a human-like manner, as apes' "pointing" gesture has many limitations and they do not gesture iconically. Great ape gestures constitute a unique form of primate communication with their own unique qualities.

  3. ["Great jobs"-also in psychiatry?].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Spiessl, H; Hübner-Liebermann, B

    2003-09-01

    Against the background of a beginning shortage of psychiatrists, results from interviews with 112 employees of an automotive company with the topic "Great Job" are presented to discuss their relevance to psychiatry. The interviews were analysed by means of a qualitative content analysis. Most employees assigned importance to great pay, constructive collaboration with colleagues, and work appealing to personal interests. Further statements particularly relevant to psychiatry were: successful career, flexible working hours, manageable job, work-life balance, well-founded training, no bureaucracy within the company, and personal status in society. The well-known economic restrictions in health care and the still negative attitude towards psychiatry currently reduce the attraction of psychiatry as a profession. From the viewpoint of personnel management, the attractors of a great job revealed in this study are proposed as important clues for the recruitment of medical students for psychiatry and the development of psychiatric staff.

  4. Pacific salmonines in the Great Lakes Basin

    Science.gov (United States)

    Claramunt, Randall M.; Madenjian, Charles P.; Clapp, David; Taylor, William W.; Lynch, Abigail J.; Léonard, Nancy J.

    2012-01-01

    Pacific salmon (genus Oncorhynchus) are a valuable resource, both within their native range in the North Pacific rim and in the Great Lakes basin. Understanding their value from a biological and economic perspective in the Great Lakes, however, requires an understanding of changes in the ecosystem and of management actions that have been taken to promote system stability, integrity, and sustainable fisheries. Pacific salmonine introductions to the Great Lakes are comprised mainly of Chinook salmon, coho salmon, and steelhead and have accounted for 421, 177, and 247 million fish, respectively, stocked during 1966-2007. Stocking of Pacific salmonines has been effective in substantially reducing exotic prey fish abundances in several of the Great Lakes (e.g., lakes Michigan, Huron, and Ontario). The goal of our evaluation was to highlight differences in management strategies and perspectives across the basin, and to evaluate policies for Pacific salmonine management in the Great Lakes. Currently, a potential conflict exists between Pacific salmonine management and native fish rehabilitation goals because of the desire to sustain recreational fisheries and to develop self-sustaining populations of stocked Pacific salmonines in the Great Lakes. We provide evidence that suggests Pacific salmonines have not only become naturalized to the food webs of the Great Lakes, but that their populations (specifically Chinook salmon) may be fluctuating in concert with specific prey (i.e., alewives) whose populations are changing relative to environmental conditions and ecosystem disturbances. Remaining questions, however, are whether or not “natural” fluctuations in predator and prey provide enough “stability” in the Great Lakes food webs, and even more importantly, would a choice by managers to attempt to reduce the severity of predator-prey oscillations be antagonistic to native fish restoration efforts. We argue that, on each of the Great Lakes, managers are pursuing

  5. The Great Firewall of China: A Critical Analysis

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Whiting, Michael D

    2008-01-01

    Censorship has a great impact on society as we enter the cyber environment. The Chinese "Great Firewall", as it is commonly called, brings great attention to China as they enter into the global economy...

  6. Great Lakes rivermouths: a primer for managers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pebbles, Victoria; Larson, James; Seelbach, Paul; Pebbles, Victoria; Larson, James; Seelbach, Paul

    2013-01-01

    Between the North American Great Lakes and their tributaries are the places where the confluence of river and lake waters creates a distinct ecosystem: the rivermouth ecosystem. Human development has often centered around these rivermouths, in part, because they provide a rich array of ecosystem services. Not surprisingly, centuries of intense human activity have led to substantial pressures on, and alterations to, these ecosystems, often diminishing or degrading their ecological functions and associated ecological services. Many Great Lakes rivermouths are the focus of intense restoration efforts. For example, 36 of the active Great Lakes Areas of Concern (AOCs) are rivermouths or areas that include one or more rivermouths. Historically, research of rivermouth ecosystems has been piecemeal, focused on the Great Lakes proper or on the upper reaches of tributaries, with little direct study of the rivermouth itself. Researchers have been divided among disciplines, agencies and institutions; and they often work independently and use disparate venues to communicate their work. Management has also been fragmented with a focus on smaller, localized, sub-habitat units and socio-political or economic elements, rather than system-level consideration. This Primer presents the case for a more holistic approach to rivermouth science and management that can enable restoration of ecosystem services with multiple benefits to humans and the Great Lakes ecosystem. A conceptual model is presented with supporting text that describes the structures and processes common to all rivermouths, substantiating the case for treating these ecosystems as an identifiable class.1 Ecological services provided by rivermouths and changes in how humans value those services over time are illustrated through case studies of two Great Lakes rivermouths—the St. Louis River and the Maumee River. Specific ecosystem services are identified in italics throughout this Primer and follow definitions described

  7. On the occurrence of burnout downstream of the flow obstacle in boiling two-phase upward flow within a vertical annular channel

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mori, Shoji; Fukano, Tohru

    2003-01-01

    If a flow obstruction such as a spacer is set in a boiling two-phase flow within an annular channel, the inner tube of which is used as a heater, the temperature on the surface of the heater tube is severely affected by the existence of the spacer. In some cases the spacer has a cooling effect, and in the other case it causes the dryout of the cooling liquid film on the heating surface resulting in the burnout of the tube. But the thermo-fluid dynamic mechanism to cause burnout near the spacer is not still clear. In the present paper we discuss the influence of the flow obstacle on the occurrence of burnout downstream of the flow obstacle in boiling two-phase upward flow within a vertical annular channel. (author)

  8. Signature Work: A Survey of Current Practices

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peden, Wilson

    2015-01-01

    At the centennial annual meeting of the "Association of American Colleges and Universities" (AAC&U), President Carol Geary Schneider introduced the "LEAP Challenge," the next phase of AAC&U's Liberal Education and America's Promise (LEAP) initiative. The LEAP Challenge calls on all colleges and universities to engage…

  9. Use of cycle stacking patterns to define third-order depositional sequences: Middle to Late Cambrian Bonanza King Formation, southern Great basin

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Montanez, I.P.; Droser, M.L. (Univ. of California, Riverside (United States))

    1991-03-01

    The Middle to Late Cambrian Bonanza King Formation (CA, NV) is characterized by superimposed scales of cyclicity. Small-scale cycles (0.5 to 10m) occur as shallowing-upward peritidal and subtidal cycles that repeat at high frequencies (10{sup 4} to 10{sup 5}). Systematic changes in stacking patterns of meter-scale cycles define several large-scale (50-250 m) third-order depositional sequences in the Bonanza King Formation. Third-order depositional sequences can be traced within ranges and correlated regionally across the platform. Peritidal cycles in the Bonanza King Formation are both subtidal- and tidal flat-dominated. Tidal flat-dominated cycles consist of muddy bases grading upward into thrombolites or columnar stromatolites all capped by planar stromatolites. Subtidal cycles in the Bonanza King Formation consist of grainstone bases that commonly fine upward and contain stacked hardgrounds. These are overlain by digitate-algal bioherms with grainstone channel fills and/or bioturbated ribbon carbonates with grainstone lenses. Transgressive depositional facies of third-order depositional sequences consist primarily of stacks of subtidal-dominated pertidial cycles and subtidal cycles, whereas regressive depositional facies are dominated by stacks of tidal flat-dominated peritidal cycles and regoliths developed over laminite cycle caps. The use of high frequency cycles in the Bonanza King Formation to delineate regionally developed third-order depositional sequences thus provides a link between cycle stratigraphy and sequence stratigraphy.

  10. Perturbation electric fields and disturbance currents investigated during the 25 September 1998 great storm

    Science.gov (United States)

    Horvath, Ildiko; Lovell, Brian C.

    2014-10-01

    This study investigates the ionosphere's response to the 25 September 1998 great storm and utilizes multi-instrument observations covering the Australian (140°E; geographic) and Indian (75°E) longitude sectors. Results show the domination of eastward (westward) electrojet at 140°E (75°E). Its causative net eastward (westward) perturbation electric (E) field drove the forward (reverse) plasma fountain, caused the presence (absence) of the equatorial ionization anomaly (EIA). These strong longitudinal differences were due to a combination of various LT-dependent, E field-driven, and competing mechanisms. Perturbation E fields are identified as prompt penetration E field (PPEF) and disturbance dynamo E field (DDEF). Due to the later (earlier) local time at 140°E (75°E), the undershielding PPEF was eastward (westward) directed early in the main phase. A series of periodic substorms occurred during the recovery phase. The substorm-related eastward PPEFs became overpowered by westward DDEFs over India but remained dominant in the Australian sector. Thus, eastward PPEFs (westward DDEFs) dominated at 140°E (75°E). At 140°E these eastward PPEFs exhibited a strong positive correlation with the variations of both the cross polar cap potential drop and the asymmetric ring current, significantly increased the net equatorial upward E × B drift and thus caused EIA development with plasma bubbles scintillating GPS signals. Based on the strong and independent correlation of these asymmetric ring current events with both the EIA development and the scintillation activity, we propose that the ASY-H index could provide a natural tool for modeling EIA development and scintillation episodes during severe storms characterized by periodic substorm-related eastward PPEFs.

  11. Famous puzzles of great mathematicians

    CERN Document Server

    Petković, Miodrag S

    2009-01-01

    This entertaining book presents a collection of 180 famous mathematical puzzles and intriguing elementary problems that great mathematicians have posed, discussed, and/or solved. The selected problems do not require advanced mathematics, making this book accessible to a variety of readers. Mathematical recreations offer a rich playground for both amateur and professional mathematicians. Believing that creative stimuli and aesthetic considerations are closely related, great mathematicians from ancient times to the present have always taken an interest in puzzles and diversions. The goal of this

  12. The Great London Smog of 1952.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Polivka, Barbara J

    2018-04-01

    : The Great London Smog of December 1952 lasted five days and killed up to 12,000 people. The smog developed primarily because of extensive burning of high-sulfur coal. The health effects were both immediate and long lasting, with a recent study revealing an increased likelihood of childhood asthma development in those exposed to the Great Smog while in utero or during their first year of life. Subsequent pollution legislation-including the U.S. Clean Air Act and its amendments-have demonstrably reduced air pollution and positively impacted health outcomes. With poor air quality events like the Great Smog continuing to occur today, nurses need to be aware of the impact such environmental disasters can have on human health.

  13. A study on the upward and downward facing pool boiling heat transfer characteristics of graphene-modified surface

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, Ji Hoon; Ahn, Ho Seon; Kim, Ji Min

    2016-01-01

    Recently, graphene, carbon in two dimensions, were highlighted as a good heat transfer materials, according to its high thermal conductivity. Lateral conduction and water absorption into the structure helped graphene films to inhibit the formation of hot spots, which means increasing of critical heat flux (CHF) and boiling heat transfer coefficient (BHTC) performances. In this study, we report a promising increase of CHF and BHTC results with 2D graphene films. Furthermore, we tried to observe bubble behavior via high-speed visualization to investigate a relationship between bubble behavior and pool boiling performances in downward facing boiling. The effect of graphene film coating on the pool boiling performances of upward and downward facing heater surface were examined. 2D- and 3D- graphene film showed good enhancement results on the CHF (by 111% and 60%) and BHTC (by 40% and 20-25%) performances. Bubble behavior change was significant factor on the CHF and BHTC performances in downward facing boiling. The amount of evaporation heat flux was calculated from the velocity, bubble diameter, frequency, orientation angle and superheat that the post-products of the high-speed visualization

  14. Great Expectations for Middle School Counselors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wright, Robert J.

    2012-01-01

    During the Great Recession, 2008 to 2010, school systems scrambled to balance budgets, and the ratio of counselors to students became even larger. To make matters worse, the Great Recession had a major impact on cuts in educational funding. Budget cutbacks tend to occur where the public will be least likely to notice. The loss of teachers and the…

  15. Great Indoors Awards 2007

    Index Scriptorium Estoniae

    2007-01-01

    Hollandis Maastrichtis jagati 17. XI esimest korda rahvusvahelist auhinda The Great Indoors Award. Aasta sisekujundusfirmaks valiti Masamichi Katayama asutatud Wonderwall. Auhinna said veel Zaha Hadid, Heatherwick Studio, Ryui Nakamura Architects ja Item Idem

  16. Energy and water in the Great Lakes.

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tidwell, Vincent Carroll

    2011-11-01

    The nexus between thermoelectric power production and water use is not uniform across the U.S., but rather differs according to regional physiography, demography, power plant fleet composition, and the transmission network. That is, in some regions water demand for thermoelectric production is relatively small while in other regions it represents the dominate use. The later is the case for the Great Lakes region, which has important implications for the water resources and aquatic ecology of the Great Lakes watershed. This is today, but what about the future? Projected demographic trends, shifting lifestyles, and economic growth coupled with the threat of global climate change and mounting pressure for greater U.S. energy security could have profound effects on the region's energy future. Planning for such an uncertain future is further complicated by the fact that energy and environmental planning and regulatory decisionmaking is largely bifurcated in the region, with environmental and water resource concerns generally taken into account after new energy facilities and technologies have been proposed, or practices are already in place. Based on these confounding needs, the objective of this effort is to develop Great Lakes-specific methods and tools to integrate energy and water resource planning and thereby support the dual goals of smarter energy planning and development, and protection of Great Lakes water resources. Guiding policies for this planning are the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River Basin Water Resources Compact and the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement. The desired outcome of integrated energy-water-aquatic resource planning is a more sustainable regional energy mix for the Great Lakes basin ecosystem.

  17. Integrated Design for Geoscience Education with Upward Bound Students

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cartwright, T. J.; Hogsett, M.; Ensign, T. I.; Hemler, D.

    2009-05-01

    Capturing the interest of our students is imperative to expand the conduit of future Earth scientists in the United States. According to the Rising Above the Gathering Storm report (2005), we must increase America's talent pool by improving K-12 mathematics and science education. Geoscience education is uniquely suited to accomplish this goal, as we have become acutely aware of our sensitivity to the destructive forces of nature. The educational community must take advantage of this heightened awareness to educate our students and ensure the next generation rebuilds the scientific and technological base on which our society rests. In response to these concerns, the National Science Foundation advocates initiatives in Geoscience Education such as IDGE (Integrated Design for Geoscience Education), which is an inquiry-based geoscience program for Upward Bound (UB) students at Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia. The UB program targets low-income under-represented students for a summer academic-enrichment program. IDGE builds on the mission of UB by encouraging underprivileged students to investigate science and scientific careers. During the two year project, high school students participated in an Environmental Inquiry course utilizing GLOBE program materials and on-line learning modules developed by geoscience specialists in land cover, soils, hydrology, phenology, and meteorology. Students continued to an advanced course which required IDGE students to collaborate with GLOBE students from Costa Rica. The culmination of this project was an educational expedition in Costa Rica to complete ecological field studies, providing first-hand knowledge of the international responsibility we have as scientists and citizens of our planet. IDGE was designed to continuously serve educators and students. By coordinating initiatives with GLOBE headquarters and the GLOBE country community, IDGE's efforts have yielded multiple ways in which to optimize positive

  18. Scaling-Up Effective Language and Literacy Instruction: Evaluating the Importance of Scripting and Group Size Components

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bleses, Dorthe; Højen, Anders; Dale, Philip

    2018-01-01

    participated in a cluster-randomized evaluation of three variations of a language-literacy focused curriculum (LEAP) comprising 40 twice-weekly 30-min lessons. LEAP-LARGE and LEAP-SMALL conditions involved educators’ implementation of a scope and sequence of objectives using scripted lessons provided to whole......-class and small groups, respectively. In LEAP-OPEN, educators followed the scope and sequence but were allowed to determine the instructional activities for each of 40 lessons (i.e., they received no scripted lessons). A business-as-usual (BAU) condition served as the control. Overall, the largest effect sizes...

  19. Policy and Development - A study of outbound tourism in China 1978-2008

    OpenAIRE

    LI, SHUJIE

    2011-01-01

    Along with the development of tourism itself, research into the subject has made great leaps since the Second World War. Tourism has been widely recognized as very complex, since many other industries are involved in it, and tourism policy has even been thought of as ‘not only a continuation of politics’ but also an integral part of the world’s political economy.’ Therefore, the study of it should be tightly linked with history, because ‘there is no way that contemporary international politic...

  20. The Great War and German Memory

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Leese, Peter

    2012-01-01

    Review essay on Jason Crouthamel, The Great War and German Memory. Society, Politics and Psychological Trauma, 1914-18 (2009) and Anton Kaes, Shell Shock Cinema: Weimar Culture and the Wounds of War (2009)......Review essay on Jason Crouthamel, The Great War and German Memory. Society, Politics and Psychological Trauma, 1914-18 (2009) and Anton Kaes, Shell Shock Cinema: Weimar Culture and the Wounds of War (2009)...

  1. Measurement of air distribution and void fraction of an upwards air–water flow using electrical resistance tomography and a wire-mesh sensor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Olerni, Claudio; Jia, Jiabin; Wang, Mi

    2013-01-01

    Measurements on an upwards air–water flow are reported that were obtained simultaneously with a dual-plane electrical resistance tomograph (ERT) and a wire-mesh sensor (WMS). The ultimate measurement target of both ERT and WMS is the same, the electrical conductivity of the medium. The ERT is a non-intrusive device whereas the WMS requires a net of wires that physically crosses the flow. This paper presents comparisons between the results obtained simultaneously from the ERT and the WMS for evaluation and calibration of the ERT. The length of the vertical testing pipeline section is 3 m with an internal diameter of 50 mm. Two distinct sets of air–water flow rate scenarios, bubble and slug regimes, were produced in the experiments. The fast impedance camera ERT recorded the data at an approximate time resolution of 896 frames per second (fps) per plane in contrast with the 1024 fps of the wire-mesh sensor WMS200. The set-up of the experiment was based on well established knowledge of air–water upwards flow, particularly the specific flow regimes and wall peak effects. The local air void fraction profiles and the overall air void fraction were produced from two systems to establish consistency for comparison of the data accuracy. Conventional bulk flow measurements in air mass and electromagnetic flow metering, as well as pressure and temperature, were employed, which brought the necessary calibration to the flow measurements. The results show that the profiles generated from the two systems have a certain level of inconsistency, particularly in a wall peak and a core peak from the ERT and WMS respectively, whereas the two tomography instruments achieve good agreement on the overall air void fraction for bubble flow. For slug flow, when the void fraction is over 30%, the ERT underestimates the void fraction, but a linear relation between ERT and WMS is still observed. (paper)

  2. An experimental comparison between forced convection burn-out in freon 12 flowing vertically upwards through uniformly and non-uniformly heated round tubes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Stevens, G.F.; Elliott, D.F.; Wood, R.W.

    1965-05-01

    Some correlations of forced convection burn-out data are based on the approximate linearity of the relationship between burn-out heat flux and the channel-averaged quality at the burn-out point. These correlations perform satisfactorily on data obtained from uniformly heated configurations. Therefore the further inference is sometimes made that the burn-out heat flux is uniquely related to the quality, and that the burn-out in non-uniformly heated configurations can be calculated from measurements made with uniform heating. This report presents burn-out data for Freon 12 flowing vertically upwards through both uniformly and non-uniformly heated round tubes. This data shows that the quality at burn-out does depend on the heat flux profile, and that the inference mentioned above is not justified. (author)

  3. Gymnasts utilize visual and auditory information for behavioural synchronization in trampolining.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Heinen, T; Koschnick, J; Schmidt-Maaß, D; Vinken, P M

    2014-08-01

    In synchronized trampolining, two gymnasts perform the same routine at the same time. While trained gymnasts are thought to coordinate their own movements with the movements of another gymnast by detecting relevant movement information, the question arises how visual and auditory information contribute to the emergence of synchronicity between both gymnasts. Therefore the aim of this study was to examine the role of visual and auditory information in the emergence of coordinated behaviour in synchronized trampolining. Twenty female gymnasts were asked to synchronize their leaps with the leaps of a model gymnast, while visual and auditory information was manipulated. The results revealed that gymnasts needed more leaps to reach synchronicity when only either auditory (12.9 leaps) or visual information (10.8 leaps) was available, as compared to when both auditory and visual information was available (8.1 leaps). It is concluded that visual and auditory information play significant roles in synchronized trampolining, whilst visual information seems to be the dominant source for emerging behavioural synchronization, and auditory information supports this emergence.

  4. Great ape genetic diversity and population history

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Prado-Martinez, Javier; Sudmant, Peter H; Kidd, Jeffrey M

    2013-01-01

    Most great ape genetic variation remains uncharacterized; however, its study is critical for understanding population history, recombination, selection and susceptibility to disease. Here we sequence to high coverage a total of 79 wild- and captive-born individuals representing all six great ape...

  5. GREAT: a web portal for Genome Regulatory Architecture Tools.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bouyioukos, Costas; Bucchini, François; Elati, Mohamed; Képès, François

    2016-07-08

    GREAT (Genome REgulatory Architecture Tools) is a novel web portal for tools designed to generate user-friendly and biologically useful analysis of genome architecture and regulation. The online tools of GREAT are freely accessible and compatible with essentially any operating system which runs a modern browser. GREAT is based on the analysis of genome layout -defined as the respective positioning of co-functional genes- and its relation with chromosome architecture and gene expression. GREAT tools allow users to systematically detect regular patterns along co-functional genomic features in an automatic way consisting of three individual steps and respective interactive visualizations. In addition to the complete analysis of regularities, GREAT tools enable the use of periodicity and position information for improving the prediction of transcription factor binding sites using a multi-view machine learning approach. The outcome of this integrative approach features a multivariate analysis of the interplay between the location of a gene and its regulatory sequence. GREAT results are plotted in web interactive graphs and are available for download either as individual plots, self-contained interactive pages or as machine readable tables for downstream analysis. The GREAT portal can be reached at the following URL https://absynth.issb.genopole.fr/GREAT and each individual GREAT tool is available for downloading. © The Author(s) 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.

  6. The upward trend is continuing. Booming wind power creates hundreds of new jobs; Aufwind haelt weiter an. Windkraft-Boom schafft hunderte neue Arbeitsplaetze

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hinsch, C.

    1999-08-01

    During the first half of 1999, installers of wind energy systems erected more than 600 wind turbines in all parts of Germany with a total capacity of approximately 515 megawatts. The upward trend of the last years is thus continuing. It shows in the employment sector, too: manufacturers alone created more than 500 new jobs during the first half year. A mid-term valuation is given. (orig.) [German] Im ersten Halbjahr 1999 errichteten die Windkraft-Monteure bundesweit ueber 600 Windturbinen mit einer Gesamtleistung von rund 515 Megawatt. Damit setzt sich der Aufschwung der letzten Jahre fort. Das zeigt sich auch bei der Beschaeftigung: Allein die Hersteller stellten im ersten Halbjahr ueber 500 neue Mitarbeiter ein. Eine Halbzeitbilanz wird praesentiert. (orig.)

  7. Void fraction development in gas-liquid flow after a U-bend in a vertically upwards serpentine-configuration large-diameter pipe

    Science.gov (United States)

    Almabrok, Almabrok A.; Aliyu, Aliyu M.; Baba, Yahaya D.; Lao, Liyun; Yeung, Hoi

    2018-01-01

    We investigate the effect of a return U-bend on flow behaviour in the vertical upward section of a large-diameter pipe. A wire mesh sensor was employed to study the void fraction distributions at axial distances of 5, 28 and 47 pipe diameters after the upstream bottom bend. The study found that, the bottom bend has considerable impacts on up-flow behaviour. In all conditions, centrifugal action causes appreciable misdistribution in the adjacent straight section. Plots from WMS measurements show that flow asymmetry significantly reduces along the axis at L/D = 47. Regime maps generated from three axial locations showed that, in addition to bubbly, intermittent and annular flows, oscillatory flow occurred particularly when gas and liquid flow rates were relatively low. At this position, mean void fractions were in agreement with those from other large-pipe studies, and comparisons were made with existing void fraction correlations. Among the correlations surveyed, drift flux-type correlations were found to give the best predictive results.

  8. Mitigation of upward and downward vertical displacement event heat loads with upper or lower massive gas injection in DIII-D

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hollmann, E. M.; Commaux, N.; Eidietis, N. W.; Lasnier, C. J.; Moyer, R. A.; Parks, P. B.; Shiraki, D.

    2015-10-01

    Intentionally triggered upward and downward vertical displacement events (VDEs) leading to disruptions were pre-emptively mitigated with neon massive gas injection (MGI) coming from either above or below the plasma. Global indicators of disruption mitigation effectiveness (conducted heat loads, radiated power, and vessel motion) do not show a clear improvement when mitigating with the gas jet located closer to the VDE impact area. A clear trend of improved mitigation is observed for earlier MGI timing relative to the VDE impact time. The plasma edge magnetic perturbation is seen to lock to a preferential phase during the VDE thermal quench, but this phase is not clearly matched by preliminary attempts to fit to the conducted heat load phase. Clear indications of plasma infra-red (IR) emission are observed both before and during the disruptions. This IR emission can affect calculation of disruption heat loads; here, the time decay of post-disruption IR signals is used to correct for this effect.

  9. Mitigation of upward and downward vertical displacement event heat loads with upper or lower massive gas injection in DIII-D

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hollmann, E. M.; Moyer, R. A.; Commaux, N.; Shiraki, D.; Eidietis, N. W.; Parks, P. B.; Lasnier, C. J.

    2015-01-01

    Intentionally triggered upward and downward vertical displacement events (VDEs) leading to disruptions were pre-emptively mitigated with neon massive gas injection (MGI) coming from either above or below the plasma. Global indicators of disruption mitigation effectiveness (conducted heat loads, radiated power, and vessel motion) do not show a clear improvement when mitigating with the gas jet located closer to the VDE impact area. A clear trend of improved mitigation is observed for earlier MGI timing relative to the VDE impact time. The plasma edge magnetic perturbation is seen to lock to a preferential phase during the VDE thermal quench, but this phase is not clearly matched by preliminary attempts to fit to the conducted heat load phase. Clear indications of plasma infra-red (IR) emission are observed both before and during the disruptions. This IR emission can affect calculation of disruption heat loads; here, the time decay of post-disruption IR signals is used to correct for this effect

  10. Experimental study of the self-evaporation of an adiabatic upward flow of water in a duct of uniform cross section

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Barois, Guy

    1969-01-01

    This research thesis aims at being a contribution to a better knowledge of the expansion process in a flow, by studying the formation of vapour in an upward adiabatic vertical flow. This self-evaporation occurs in a duct with a large cross section (10 x 10 cm) in order to make neglectable pressure losses due to friction on the wall with respect to other pressure losses. After a presentation of the characteristics of the experimental installation, the author describes the flow, outlines the influence of dissolved air on vapour bubble nucleation. He describes the method used to measure the difference between the liquid temperature and that it would have had in thermal equilibrium under a vapour pressure equal to the cross section static pressure. Different theoretical analytical studies proposed by other authors are presented, and the author proposes a model for the calculation of pressure loss associated with this self-evaporation [fr

  11. Dryout-type critical heat flux in vertical upward annular flow: effects of entrainment rate, initial entrained fraction and diameter

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Zan; Wadekar, Vishwas; Wang, Chenglong; Sunden, Bengt

    2018-01-01

    This study aims to reveal the effects of liquid entrainment, initial entrained fraction and tube diameter on liquid film dryout in vertical upward annular flow for flow boiling. Entrainment and deposition rates of droplets were included in mass conservation equations to estimate the local liquid film mass flux in annular flow, and the critical vapor quality at dryout conditions. Different entrainment rate correlations were evaluated using flow boiling data of water and organic liquids including n-pentane, iso-octane and R134a. Effect of the initial entrained fraction (IEF) at the churn-to-annular flow transition was also investigated. A transitional Boiling number was proposed to separate the IEF-sensitive region at high Boiling numbers and the IEF-insensitive region at low Boiling numbers. Besides, the diameter effect on dryout vapor quality was studied. The dryout vapor quality increases with decreasing tube diameter. It needs to be pointed out that the dryout characteristics of submillimeter channels might be different because of different mechanisms of dryout, i.e., drying of liquid film underneath long vapor slugs and flow boiling instabilities.

  12. Mud extrusion and ring-fault gas seepage - upward branching fluid discharge at a deep-sea mud volcano.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Loher, M; Pape, T; Marcon, Y; Römer, M; Wintersteller, P; Praeg, D; Torres, M; Sahling, H; Bohrmann, G

    2018-04-19

    Submarine mud volcanoes release sediments and gas-rich fluids at the seafloor via deeply-rooted plumbing systems that remain poorly understood. Here the functioning of Venere mud volcano, on the Calabrian accretionary prism in ~1,600 m water depth is investigated, based on multi-parameter hydroacoustic and visual seafloor data obtained using ship-borne methods, ROVs, and AUVs. Two seepage domains are recognized: mud breccia extrusion from a summit, and hydrocarbon venting from peripheral sites, hosting chemosynthetic ecosystems and authigenic carbonates indicative of long-term seepage. Pore fluids in freshly extruded mud breccia (up to 13 °C warmer than background sediments) contained methane concentrations exceeding saturation by 2.7 times and chloride concentrations up to five times lower than ambient seawater. Gas analyses indicate an underlying thermogenic hydrocarbon source with potential admixture of microbial methane during migration along ring faults to the peripheral sites. The gas and pore water analyses point to fluids sourced deep (>3 km) below Venere mud volcano. An upward-branching plumbing system is proposed to account for co-existing mud breccia extrusion and gas seepage via multiple surface vents that influence the distribution of seafloor ecosystems. This model of mud volcanism implies that methane-rich fluids may be released during prolonged phases of moderate activity.

  13. Study of void fraction and mixing of immiscible liquids in a pool configuration by an upward gas flow

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Casas, J.C.; Corradini, M.L.

    1992-01-01

    In this paper, investigations are performed to study the mixing between immiscible liquids in a pool configuration due to an upward gas flow. A water-R113 system is sued in the bubbly/churn-turbulent regimes to determine the effects of the unagitated pool depth on layer mixing. The superficial gas velocity at which full mixing is attained is observed to increase with the pool depth, although it is concluded that this is a weak dependency. Mixing in the churn-turbulent regime is studied with Wood's metal-water and Wood's metal-silicone fluid (100 cS) as pairs of fluids. Additional past mixing data from six other fluids are also included in the data base. A criterion is proposed to determine if two liquids will entrain in bubbly or churn-turbulent flow. Correlations are derived that, for a set of given conditions, allow prediction of the mixing state (mixed or segregated) of a system. Because of the indirect method of measuring the mixed layer thickness, pool void fraction experiments are also performed. For the case of water and R113, the effect of unagitated pool depth on the void fraction is studied

  14. Development of a high spectral resolution surface albedo product for the ARM Southern Great Plains Central Facility

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    McFarlane, Sally A.; Gaustad, Krista L.; Mlawer, Eli J.; Long, Charles N.; Delamere, Jennifer

    2011-09-01

    We present a method for identifying dominant surface type and estimating high spectral resolution surface albedo at the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) facility at the Southern Great Plains (SGP) site in Oklahoma for use in radiative transfer calculations. Given a set of 6-channel narrowband visible and near-infrared irradiance measurements from upward and downward looking multi-filter radiometers (MFRs), four different surface types (snow-covered, green vegetation, partial vegetation, non-vegetated) can be identified. A normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) is used to distinguish between vegetated and non-vegetated surfaces, and a scaled NDVI index is used to estimate the percentage of green vegetation in partially vegetated surfaces. Based on libraries of spectral albedo measurements, a piecewise continuous function is developed to estimate the high spectral resolution surface albedo for each surface type given the MFR albedo values as input. For partially vegetated surfaces, the albedo is estimated as a linear combination of the green vegetation and non-vegetated surface albedo values. The estimated albedo values are evaluated through comparison to high spectral resolution albedo measurements taken during several Intensive Observational Periods (IOPs) and through comparison of the integrated spectral albedo values to observed broadband albedo measurements. The estimated spectral albedo values agree well with observations for the visible wavelengths constrained by the MFR measurements, but have larger biases and variability at longer wavelengths. Additional MFR channels at 1100 nm and/or 1600 nm would help constrain the high resolution spectral albedo in the near infrared region.

  15. Development of a high spectral resolution surface albedo product for the ARM Southern Great Plains central facility

    Science.gov (United States)

    McFarlane, S. A.; Gaustad, K. L.; Mlawer, E. J.; Long, C. N.; Delamere, J.

    2011-09-01

    We present a method for identifying dominant surface type and estimating high spectral resolution surface albedo at the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) facility at the Southern Great Plains (SGP) site in Oklahoma for use in radiative transfer calculations. Given a set of 6-channel narrowband visible and near-infrared irradiance measurements from upward and downward looking multi-filter radiometers (MFRs), four different surface types (snow-covered, green vegetation, partial vegetation, non-vegetated) can be identified. A normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) is used to distinguish between vegetated and non-vegetated surfaces, and a scaled NDVI index is used to estimate the percentage of green vegetation in partially vegetated surfaces. Based on libraries of spectral albedo measurements, a piecewise continuous function is developed to estimate the high spectral resolution surface albedo for each surface type given the MFR albedo values as input. For partially vegetated surfaces, the albedo is estimated as a linear combination of the green vegetation and non-vegetated surface albedo values. The estimated albedo values are evaluated through comparison to high spectral resolution albedo measurements taken during several Intensive Observational Periods (IOPs) and through comparison of the integrated spectral albedo values to observed broadband albedo measurements. The estimated spectral albedo values agree well with observations for the visible wavelengths constrained by the MFR measurements, but have larger biases and variability at longer wavelengths. Additional MFR channels at 1100 nm and/or 1600 nm would help constrain the high resolution spectral albedo in the near infrared region.

  16. Development of a high spectral resolution surface albedo product for the ARM Southern Great Plains central facility

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    J. Delamere

    2011-09-01

    Full Text Available We present a method for identifying dominant surface type and estimating high spectral resolution surface albedo at the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM facility at the Southern Great Plains (SGP site in Oklahoma for use in radiative transfer calculations. Given a set of 6-channel narrowband visible and near-infrared irradiance measurements from upward and downward looking multi-filter radiometers (MFRs, four different surface types (snow-covered, green vegetation, partial vegetation, non-vegetated can be identified. A normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI is used to distinguish between vegetated and non-vegetated surfaces, and a scaled NDVI index is used to estimate the percentage of green vegetation in partially vegetated surfaces. Based on libraries of spectral albedo measurements, a piecewise continuous function is developed to estimate the high spectral resolution surface albedo for each surface type given the MFR albedo values as input. For partially vegetated surfaces, the albedo is estimated as a linear combination of the green vegetation and non-vegetated surface albedo values. The estimated albedo values are evaluated through comparison to high spectral resolution albedo measurements taken during several Intensive Observational Periods (IOPs and through comparison of the integrated spectral albedo values to observed broadband albedo measurements. The estimated spectral albedo values agree well with observations for the visible wavelengths constrained by the MFR measurements, but have larger biases and variability at longer wavelengths. Additional MFR channels at 1100 nm and/or 1600 nm would help constrain the high resolution spectral albedo in the near infrared region.

  17. Critical heat flux in a vertical annulus under low upward flow and near atmospheric pressure

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schoesse, T.; Aritomi, Masanori; Lee, Sang-Ryoul; Kataoka, Yoshiaki; Yoshioka, Yuzuru; Chung, Moon-Ki.

    1997-01-01

    As future boiling water reactors (BWR), concepts of evolutional ABWR (ABWR-IER) and natural circulation BWR (JSBWR) have been investigated in order to reduce their construction cost and simplify their maintenance and inspection procedures. One of the promised features of the design of the evolutional ABWR is to reduce the number of internal pumps and to remove the Motor Generation (MG) sets. These design changes may induce boiling transition in the fuel rods of reactor core during a pump trip transient due to the more rapid flow coastdown characteristics than these of the present design. In addition, the understanding of critical heat flux (CHF) is one important subject to grasp safety margin during the start-up for the natural circulation BWR and to establish the rational start-up procedure in which thermo-hydraulic instabilities can be suppressed. The present study is to clarify CHF characteristics under low velocity conditions. CHF measurements were conducted in a vertical upward annulus channel composed of an inner heated rod and an outer tube made of glass. CHF data were obtained repeatedly under the condition of stable inlet flow to examine statistically their reproducibility. The flow regime was investigated from flow observation and measurement of differential pressure fluctuation. The CHF data are correlated with the flow regime transition. It was clear from the obtained flow pattern and the CHF data that the CHF behavior could be classified into specified regions by the mass flux and inlet subcooling conditions. A CHF correlation was developed and agreed with other researchers' data within acceptable error. (author)

  18. Earthtech, Dig-Texas and Upward Bound: Outreach to At-Risk Students with Interdisciplinary STEM Activities

    Science.gov (United States)

    Olgin, J. G.; Güereque, M.; Pennington, D. D.; Everett, A.; Dixon, J. G.; Reyes, A.; Houser, P. I. Q.; Baker, J. A.; Stocks, E.; Ellins, K.

    2015-12-01

    The Geological Sciences department at the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) hosted the EarthTech outreach program - a one-week intensive summer camp for low-income, at-risk high school students. The EarthTech program engaged students in STEM activities from geological and environmental sciences. Developed and led by university student-mentors with guidance from a supervising faculty member, the course engaged Upward Bound students with lectures, interactive projects, and excursions to local ecological preserves and geological sites around El Paso, Texas. Topics covered plant and animal distribution and diversity, water and soil dynamics, evolution and paleontology, geohazards, and planetary science. Field trips were combined with hands-on activities, including activities from DIG Texas teaching modules. The NSF-funded DIG Texas Instructional Blueprints project is organizing vetted, high quality online educational resources and learning activities into teaching modules. The modules follow a storyline and demonstrate congruency with the Next Generation Science Standards. Selected DIG Texas resources were included in the daily curriculum to complement the field trip and other hands-on activities. EarthTech students created ESRI Online GIS story maps in which they showed the locations of the field trips, incorporated photographs they had taken, and provided written reflections about their camp experiences. The DIG Texas project evaluation collected survey and interview data from the university student mentors throughout the week to ascertain the efficacy of the program. This poster presentation will include an overview of the program, including examples of work and evaluation results.

  19. Great Basin geologic framework and uranium favorability

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Larson, L.T.; Beal, L.H.

    1978-01-01

    Work on this report has been done by a team of seven investigators assisted over the project span by twenty-three undergraduate and graduate students from May 18, 1976 to August 19, 1977. The report is presented in one volume of text, one volume or Folio of Maps, and two volumes of bibliography. The bibliography contains approximately 5300 references on geologic subjects pertinent to the search for uranium in the Great Basin. Volume I of the bibliography lists articles by author alphabetically and Volume II cross-indexes these articles by location and key word. Chapters I through IV of the Text volume and accompanying Folio Map Sets 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, discuss the relationship of uranium to rock and structural environments which dominate the Great Basin. Chapter 5 and Map Sets 6 and 7 provide a geochemical association/metallogenic grouping of mineral occurrences in the Great Basin along with information on rock types hosting uranium. Chapter VI summarizes the results of a court house claim record search for 'new' claiming areas for uranium, and Chapter VII along with Folio Map Set 8 gives all published geochronological data available through April 1, 1977 on rocks of the Great Basin. Chapter VIII provides an introduction to a computer analysis of characteristics of certain major uranium deposits in crystalline rocks (worldwide) and is offered as a suggestion of what might be done with uranium in all geologic environments. We believe such analysis will assist materially in constructing exploration models. Chapter IX summarizes criteria used and conclusions reached as to the favorability of uranium environments which we believe to exist in the Great Basin and concludes with recommendations for both exploration and future research. A general summary conclusion is that there are several geologic environments within the Great Basin which have considerable potential and that few, if any, have been sufficiently tested

  20. Great Books. What Works Clearinghouse Intervention Report

    Science.gov (United States)

    What Works Clearinghouse, 2011

    2011-01-01

    "Great Books" is a program that aims to improve the reading, writing, and critical thinking skills of students in kindergarten through high school. The program is implemented as a core or complementary curriculum and is based on the Shared Inquiry[TM] method of learning. The purpose of "Great Books" is to engage students in…

  1. Libraries Achieving Greatness: Technology at the Helm

    Science.gov (United States)

    Muir, Scott P.

    2009-01-01

    Libraries have been around for thousands of years. Many of them are considered great because of their magnificent architecture or because of the size of their collections. This paper offers ten case studies of libraries that have used technology to achieve greatness. Because almost any library can implement technology, a library does not have to…

  2. Hybridisations of Variable Neighbourhood Search and Modified Simplex Elements to Harmony Search and Shuffled Frog Leaping Algorithms for Process Optimisations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aungkulanon, P.; Luangpaiboon, P.

    2010-10-01

    Nowadays, the engineering problem systems are large and complicated. An effective finite sequence of instructions for solving these problems can be categorised into optimisation and meta-heuristic algorithms. Though the best decision variable levels from some sets of available alternatives cannot be done, meta-heuristics is an alternative for experience-based techniques that rapidly help in problem solving, learning and discovery in the hope of obtaining a more efficient or more robust procedure. All meta-heuristics provide auxiliary procedures in terms of their own tooled box functions. It has been shown that the effectiveness of all meta-heuristics depends almost exclusively on these auxiliary functions. In fact, the auxiliary procedure from one can be implemented into other meta-heuristics. Well-known meta-heuristics of harmony search (HSA) and shuffled frog-leaping algorithms (SFLA) are compared with their hybridisations. HSA is used to produce a near optimal solution under a consideration of the perfect state of harmony of the improvisation process of musicians. A meta-heuristic of the SFLA, based on a population, is a cooperative search metaphor inspired by natural memetics. It includes elements of local search and global information exchange. This study presents solution procedures via constrained and unconstrained problems with different natures of single and multi peak surfaces including a curved ridge surface. Both meta-heuristics are modified via variable neighbourhood search method (VNSM) philosophy including a modified simplex method (MSM). The basic idea is the change of neighbourhoods during searching for a better solution. The hybridisations proceed by a descent method to a local minimum exploring then, systematically or at random, increasingly distant neighbourhoods of this local solution. The results show that the variant of HSA with VNSM and MSM seems to be better in terms of the mean and variance of design points and yields.

  3. Fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva (FOP): watch the great toes!

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kartal-Kaess, Mutlu; Shore, Eileen M; Xu, Meiqi; Schwering, Ludwig; Uhl, Markus; Korinthenberg, Rudolf; Niemeyer, Charlotte; Kaplan, Frederick S; Lauten, Melchior

    2010-11-01

    Fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva (FOP) is a rare genetic disorder and the most disabling condition of heterotopic (extraskeletal) ossification in humans. Extraskeletal bone formation associated with inflammation preceding the osseous conversion usually begins in the first decade, predominantly in the head, neck, and shoulders. All patients have malformed great toes. Most patients have a spontaneous mutation of the ACVR1 gene. We report a 17-year-old girl with malformed great toes who had her first episode of heterotopic ossification and impaired mobility of the left hip at the age of 13 years. No inflammatory fibroproliferative masses preceded the onset of heterotopic ossification. Radiographic studies demonstrated myositis ossificans, but failure to associate the great toe malformation with heterotopic ossification led to a failure to diagnose FOP. She underwent repeated and unnecessary operative procedures to remove a recurrent lesion. FOP was finally suspected when the great toe malformation was correlated with the trauma-induced heterotopic ossification. Genetic analysis confirmed the presence of the classic FOP mutation (ACVR1 c.617G>A; R206H). This case highlights the importance of examining the great toes in anyone with heterotopic ossification. The association of malformations of the great toe with heterotopic ossification in all cases of classic FOP will lead to prompt clinical diagnosis and the prevention of iatrogenic harm.

  4. Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Laboratory Consortium — NOAA-GLERL and its partners conduct innovative research on the dynamic environments and ecosystems of the Great Lakes and coastal regions to provide information for...

  5. The Great Mathematician Project

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goldberg, Sabrina R.

    2013-01-01

    The Great Mathematician Project (GMP) introduces both mathematically sophisticated and struggling students to the history of mathematics. The rationale for the GMP is twofold: first, mathematics is a uniquely people-centered discipline that is used to make sense of the world; and second, students often express curiosity about the history of…

  6. Chance findings about early holocene tidal marshes of Grays Harbor, Washington, in relation to rapidly rising seas and great subduction earthquakes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Phipps, James B.; Hemphill-Haley, Eileen; Atwater, Brian F.

    2015-06-18

    Tidal marshes commonly build upward apace with gradual rise in the level of the sea. It is expected, however, that few tidal marshes will keep up with accelerated sea-level rise later in this century. Tidal marshes have been drowned, moreover, after subsiding during earthquakes.

  7. State Government Revenue Recovery from the Great Recession

    OpenAIRE

    James Alm; David L. Sjoquist

    2014-01-01

    The "Great Recession" lasted from December 2007 to June 2009, and it wreaked havoc on the revenues of state (and local) governments. While the U.S. economy has improved since the end of the Great Recession, state government revenues have in most cases still not completely recovered. We use various indicators to measure how different states have -- or have not -- recovered in the aftermath of the Great Recession, and we also attempt to explain why these different patterns of recovery have emer...

  8. Upward Altitudinal Shifts in Habitat Suitability of Mountain Vipers since the Last Glacial Maximum.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Masoud Yousefi

    Full Text Available We determined the effects of past and future climate changes on the distribution of the Montivipera raddei species complex (MRC that contains rare and endangered viper species limited to Iran, Turkey and Armenia. We also investigated the current distribution of MRC to locate unidentified isolated populations as well as to evaluate the effectiveness of the current network of protected areas for their conservation. Present distribution of MRC was modeled based on ecological variables and model performance was evaluated by field visits. Some individuals at the newly identified populations showed uncommon morphological characteristics. The distribution map of MRC derived through modeling was then compared with the distribution of protected areas in the region. We estimated the effectiveness of the current protected area network to be 10%, which would be sufficient for conserving this group of species, provided adequate management policies and practices are employed. We further modeled the distribution of MRC in the past (21,000 years ago and under two scenarios in the future (to 2070. These models indicated that climatic changes probably have been responsible for an upward shift in suitable habitats of MRC since the Last Glacial Maximum, leading to isolation of allopatric populations. Distribution will probably become much more restricted in the future as a result of the current rate of global warming. We conclude that climate change most likely played a major role in determining the distribution pattern of MRC, restricting allopatric populations to mountaintops due to habitat alterations. This long-term isolation has facilitated unique local adaptations among MRC populations, which requires further investigation. The suitable habitat patches identified through modeling constitute optimized solutions for inclusion in the network of protected areas in the region.

  9. New Mexico Fiber-Optic Link Marks Giant Leap Toward Future of Radio Astronomy

    Science.gov (United States)

    1998-12-01

    SOCORRO, NM -- Scientists and engineers at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) have made a giant leap toward the future of radio astronomy by successfully utilizing the Very Large Array (VLA) radio telescope in conjunction with an antenna of the continent-wide Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA) using the longest fiber-optic data link ever demonstrated in radio astronomy. The 65-mile fiber link will allow scientists to use the two National Science Foundation (NSF) facilities together in real time, and is the first step toward expanding the VLA to include eight proposed new radio-telescope antennas throughout New Mexico. LEFT: Miller Goss, NRAO's director of VLA/VLBA Operations, unveils graphic showing success of the Pie Town-VLA fiber link. The project, funded by the NSF and Associated Universities, Inc. (AUI), which operates NRAO for the NSF, links the VLA and the VLBA antenna in Pie Town, NM, using a Western New Mexico Telephone Co. fiber-optic cable. The successful hookup was announced at a ceremony that also marked the 10th anniversary of NRAO's Operations Center in Socorro. "Linking the Pie Town antenna to the VLA quadruples the VLA's ability to make detailed images of astronomical objects," said Paul Vanden Bout, NRAO's Director. "This alone makes the link an advance for science, but its greater importance is that it clearly demonstrates the technology for improving the VLA's capabilities even more in the future." "Clearly, the big skies and wide open spaces in New Mexico create near perfect conditions for the incredible astronomical assets located in our state. This new fiber-optic link paves the way for multiplying the already breathtaking scientific capabilities of the VLA," Senator Pete Domenici (R-NM) said. The VLA is a system of 27 radio-telescope antennas distributed over the high desert west of Socorro, NM, in the shape of a giant "Y." Made famous in movies, commercials and numerous published photos, the VLA has been one of the most productive

  10. Great Lakes CoastWatch Node

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — CoastWatch is a nationwide National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) program within which the Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory (GLERL)...

  11. Great Lakes Research Review, 1982. Appendices.

    Science.gov (United States)

    1982-11-01

    7D-i53 28 GREAT LAKES RESEARCH REVIEW 1982 PPENDICES (U) / PETROLEUM REFINERY PO INT SOURCE TASK FORCE WINDSOR (ONTARIO) NOV 82UNCLASSIFIED F/G 8...C7 U. 3 X 7 45 1 2 0. ODm C of. C.’ WC.’ L. LI 7 R-Ri53 62B GREAT LKES RESEARCH REVIEW 1982 PPENDICES (U) 2/3 PETROLEUM REFINERY POINT SOURCE TASK...NUMBER ORGANIZATION* TITLE OF PROJECT 001 A** 0300 ERL-D Acute and Early Life Stage Toxicity Testing of Priority Pollutant Chemicals 002 A 0302 ERL-D

  12. 46 CFR 30.10-33 - Great Lakes-TB/L.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... 46 Shipping 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Great Lakes-TB/L. 30.10-33 Section 30.10-33 Shipping COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY TANK VESSELS GENERAL PROVISIONS Definitions § 30.10-33 Great Lakes—TB/L. Under this designation shall be included all tank vessels navigating the Great Lakes. ...

  13. Does Sympathy Motivate Prosocial Behaviour in Great Apes?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liebal, Katja; Vaish, Amrisha; Haun, Daniel; Tomasello, Michael

    2014-01-01

    Prosocial behaviours such as helping, comforting, or sharing are central to human social life. Because they emerge early in ontogeny, it has been proposed that humans are prosocial by nature and that from early on empathy and sympathy motivate such behaviours. The emerging question is whether humans share these abilities to feel with and for someone with our closest relatives, the great apes. Although several studies demonstrated that great apes help others, little is known about their underlying motivations. This study addresses this issue and investigates whether four species of great apes (Pongo pygmaeus, Gorilla gorilla, Pan troglodytes, Pan paniscus) help a conspecific more after observing the conspecific being harmed (a human experimenter steals the conspecific’s food) compared to a condition where no harming occurred. Results showed that in regard to the occurrence of prosocial behaviours, only orangutans, but not the African great apes, help others when help is needed, contrasting prior findings on chimpanzees. However, with the exception of one population of orangutans that helped significantly more after a conspecific was harmed than when no harm occurred, prosocial behaviour in great apes was not motivated by concern for others. PMID:24416212

  14. Second-Generation Outcomes of the Great Migration.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alexander, J Trent; Leibbrand, Christine; Massey, Catherine; Tolnay, Stewart

    2017-12-01

    The mass migration of African Americans out of the South during the first two-thirds of the twentieth century represents one of the most significant internal migration flows in U.S. Those undertaking the Great Migration left the South in search of a better life, and their move transformed the cultural, social, and political dynamics of African American life specifically and U.S. society more generally. Recent research offers conflicting evidence regarding the migrants' success in translating their geographic mobility into economic mobility. Due in part to the lack of a large body of longitudinal data, almost all studies of the Great Migration have focused on the migrants themselves, usually over short periods of their working lives. Using longitudinally linked census data, we take a broader view, investigating the long-term economic and social effects of the Great Migration on the migrants' children. Our results reveal modest but statistically significant advantages in education, income, and poverty status for the African American children of the Great Migration relative to the children of southerners who remained in the South. In contrast, second-generation white migrants experienced few benefits from migrating relative to southern or northern stayers.

  15. Professor Witold Nowicki - a greatly spirited pathologist.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wincewicz, A; Szepietowska, A; Sulkowski, S

    2016-06-01

    This paper presents a complete overview of the scientific, professional and social activity of a great Polish pathologist, Witold Nowicki (1878-1941), from mainly Polish-written, original sources with a major impact on mostly his own publications. The biographical commemoration of this eminent professor is not only due to the fact that he provided a profound microscopic characterization of pneumatosis cystoides in 1909 and 1924. Nowicki greatly influenced the development of anatomical pathology in Poland, having authored over 82 publications, with special reference to tuberculosis, lung cancer, sarcomatous carcinomas, scleroma and others. However, the first of all his merits for the readership of Polish pathologists was his textbook titled Anatomical Pathology, which was a basic pathology manual in pre-war Poland. Witold Nowicki - as the head of the academic pathological anatomy department and former dean of the medical faculty - was shot with other professors by Nazi Germans in the Wuleckie hills in Lvov during World War Two. Professor Nowicki was described as being "small in size but great in spirit" by one of his associates, and remains an outstanding example of a meticulous pathologist, a patient tutor and a great social activist to follow.

  16. OF THE GREAT TEMPLE OF BEL

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A. Denker

    2017-02-01

    Full Text Available The Great Temple of Bel in Palmyra was a unique edifice which had blended the well established lines of Greco-Roman architecture with the art and taste of the Orient. With the gilded bronze capitals of its 41 Corinthian columns it was the product of enormous effort and budget. It was the gem of a remarkable epoch of wealthy Palmyra and mighty Roma. With its splendidly decorated adyta ceilings it became a source of inspiration and imagination for Western architecture and decorative arts. While continuing to captivate the World, it was leveled and vanished as a grim result of conflict based vandalism. The aim of this work is to piece together this, the most eloquent and stupendous monument of the Roman East, from its ruins and reconstruct it as it was once extant. Its loss is irreplacable, but its photo-realistic reconstruction can offer some solace by waking the memories of the great temple as in the past. The lost reality of the Great Temple of Bel is revived here by digitally constructing its “ghost images".

  17. 78 FR 5474 - Great Lakes Pilotage Advisory Committee

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-01-25

    ... DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY Coast Guard [USCG-2013-0029] Great Lakes Pilotage Advisory... Meeting. SUMMARY: The Great Lakes Pilotage Advisory Committee (GLPAC) will meet on February 11, 2013, in..., 2013, after the committee completes its work on the agenda given under SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION...

  18. Kerosene-water separation in T-junction with orientation upward branch with a 60° angle: Variation of diameter ratio

    Science.gov (United States)

    Puspitasari, Dewi; Indarto, Purnomo, Khasani

    2016-06-01

    Research on the T-junction is still underway for the flow of liquid-liquid (kerosene-water). Some research on the characteristics of kerosene-water separation was performed using T-junction oriented upward branch with a 60° angle. To observe the effect of diameters ratio on the phase separation that produced T-junction then made a test section with a horizontal pipe diameter 36 mm, while the side arm 36 mm diameter, 26 mm and 19 mm (diameters ratio of 1, 0.7 and 0.5) by using plexiglass pipe type. Based on experimental results and visualization of data flow in the test section, to the value obtained 60% water cut, the maximum separation efficiency of 94%, FK = 0.94 and FW = 0.001 with a diameter ratio of 1. For other diameter ratio of 0.7 and 0.5 respectively separation efficiency of 66%, FK = 1 and Fw = 0.34 for 0.7 and separation efficiency of 84%, FK = 1 and Fw = 0.16 for 0.5, the best value is obtained at a water cut 60% too. All the best conditions to achieve the above-stratified flow pattern.

  19. Experimental investigation of the liquid volumetric mass transfer coefficient for upward gas-liquid two-phase flow in rectangular microchannels

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    X. Y. Ji

    2010-12-01

    Full Text Available The gas-liquid two-phase mass transfer process in microchannels is complicated due to the special dynamical characteristics. In this work, a novel method was explored to measure the liquid side volumetric mass transfer coefficient kLa. Pressure transducers were utilized to measure the pressure variation of upward gas-liquid two-phase flow in three vertical rectangular microchannels and the liquid side volumetric mass transfer coefficient kLa was calculated through the Pressure-Volume-Temperature correlation of the gas phase. Carbon dioxide-water, carbon dioxide-ethanol and carbon dioxide-n-propanol were used as working fluids, respectively. The dimensions of the microchannels were 40 µm×240 µm (depth×width, 100 µm×800 µm and 100 µm×2000 µm, respectively. Results showed that the channel diameter and the capillary number influence kLa remarkably and that the maximum value of kLa occurs in the annular flow regime. A new correlation of kLa was proposed based on the Sherwood number, Schmidt number and the capillary number. The predicted values of kLa agreed well with the experimental data.

  20. Void fraction and interfacial velocity in gas-liquid upward two-phase flow across tube bundles

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ueno, T.; Tomomatsu, K.; Takamatsu, H.; Nishikawa, H.

    1997-01-01

    Tube failures due to flow-induced vibration are a major problem in heat exchangers and many studies on the problem of such vibration have been carried out so far. Most studies however, have not focused on two-phase flow behavior in tube bundles, but have concentrated mainly on tube vibration behavior like fluid damping, fluid elastic instability and so on. Such studies are not satisfactory for understanding the design of heat exchangers. Tube vibration behavior is very complicated, especially in the case of gas-liquid two-phase flow, so it is necessary to investigate two-phase flow behavior as well as vibration behavior before designing heat exchangers. This paper outlines the main parameters that characterize two-phase behavior, such as void fraction and interfacial velocity. The two-phase flow analyzed here is gas-liquid upward flow across a horizontal tube bundle. The fluids tested were HCFC-123 and steam-water. HCFC-123 stands for Hydrochlorofluorocarbon. Its chemical formula is CHCl 2 CF 3 , which has liquid and gas densities of 1335 and 23.9 kg/m 3 at a pressure of 0.40 MPa and 1252 and 45.7 kg/m 3 at a pressure of 0.76 MPa. The same model tube bundle was used in the two tests covered in this paper, to examine the similarity law of two-phase flow behavior in tube bundles using HCFC-123 and steam-water two-phase flow. We also show numerical simulation results for the two fluid models in this paper. We do not deal with vibration behavior and the relationship between vibration behavior and two-phase flow behavior. (author)

  1. Arthroscopy of the great toe

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Frey, C.; van Dijk, C. N.

    1999-01-01

    The few available reports of arthroscopic treatment of the first MTP joint in the literature indicate favorable outcome. However, arthroscopy of the great toe is an advanced technique and should only be undertaken by experienced surgeons

  2. Large-Eddy Simulation of the Impact of Great Garuda Project on Wind and Thermal Environment over Built-Up Area in Jakarta

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yucel, M.; Sueishi, T.; Inagaki, A.; Kanda, M.

    2017-12-01

    `Great Garuda' project is an eagle-shaped offshore structure with 17 artificial islands. This project has been designed for the coastal protection and land reclamation of Jakarta due to catastrophic flooding in the city. It offers an urban generation for 300.000 inhabitants and 600.000 workers in addition to its water safety goal. A broad coalition of Indonesian scientists has criticized the project for being negative impacts on the surrounding environment. Despite the vast research by Indonesian scientist on maritime environment, studies on wind and thermal environment over built-up area are still lacking. However, the construction of the various islands off the coast may result changes in wind patterns and thermal environment due to the alteration of the coastline and urbanization in the Jakarta Bay. Therefore, it is important to understand the airflow within the urban canopy in case of unpredictable gust events. These gust events may occur through the closely-packed high-rise buildings and pedestrians may be harmed from such gusts. Accordingly, we used numerical simulations to investigate the impact of the sea wall and the artificial islands over built-up area and, the intensity of wind gusts at the pedestrian level. Considering the fact that the size of turbulence organized structure sufficiently large computational domain is required. Therefore, a 19.2km×4.8km×1.0 km simulation domain with 2-m resolution in all directions was created to explicitly resolve the detailed shapes of buildings and the flow at the pedestrian level. This complex computation was accomplished by implementing a large-eddy simulation (LES) model. Two case studies were conducted considering the effect of realistic surface roughness and upward heat flux. Case_1 was conducted based on the current built environment and Case_2 for investigating the effect of the project on the chosen coastal region of the city. Fig.1 illustrates the schematic of the large-eddy simulation domains of two cases

  3. Nuclear technology and beyond

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Akiyama, Mamoru

    1997-01-01

    After the confrontation of East and West, and the problem of North and South, we are now facing the era of Globalization in the presence of twenty-first century. Tracing the history of civilization, human being has progressed along with the accumulation of experience, and the development of science and technology. Science and technology bloomed in modern ages, especially, energy technology showed the giant leap in this century. Nuclear science and technology has been developed for peaceful purposes, and for the benefit of humanity. As a result, today, its progress led nuclear science and technology to have the great applicability to the development of the society. Toward the twenty-first century and Globalization, the science and technology developed in nuclear field is hoped to play a great contribution in various area of the society. (author)

  4. An Integrated Approach To Offshore Wind Energy Assessment: Great Lakes 3D Wind Experiment

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Barthelmie, R. J. [Cornell Univ., Ithaca, NY (United States). Sibley School of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering; Pryor, S. C. [Cornell Univ., Ithaca, NY (United States). Dept. of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences

    2017-09-18

    This grant supported fundamental research into the characterization of flow parameters of relevance to the wind energy industry focused on offshore and the coastal zone. A major focus of the project was application of the latest generation of remote sensing instrumentation and also integration of measurements and numerical modeling to optimize characterization of time-evolving atmospheric flow parameters in 3-D. Our research developed a new data-constrained Wind Atlas for the Great Lakes, and developed new insights into flow parameters in heterogeneous environments. Four experiments were conducted during the project: At a large operating onshore wind farm in May 2012; At the National Renewable Energy Laboratory National Wind Technology Center (NREL NWTC) during February 2013; At the shoreline of Lake Erie in May 2013; and At the Wind Energy Institute of Canada on Prince Edward Island in May 2015. The experiment we conducted in the coastal zone of Lake Erie indicated very complex flow fields and the frequent presence of upward momentum fluxes and resulting distortion of the wind speed profile at turbine relevant heights due to swells in the Great Lakes. Additionally, our data (and modeling) indicate the frequent presence of low level jets at 600 m height over the Lake and occasions when the wind speed profile across the rotor plane may be impacted by this phenomenon. Experimental data and modeling of the fourth experiment on Prince Edward Island showed that at 10-14 m escarpment adjacent to long-overseas fetch the zone of wind speed decrease before the terrain feature and the increase at (and slightly downwind of) the escarpment is ~3–5% at turbine hub-heights. Additionally, our measurements were used to improve methods to compute the uncertainty in lidar-derived flow properties and to optimize lidar-scanning strategies. For example, on the basis of the experimental data we collected plus those from one of our research partners we advanced a new methodology to

  5. Great software debates

    CERN Document Server

    Davis, A

    2004-01-01

    The industry’s most outspoken and insightful critic explains how the software industry REALLY works. In Great Software Debates, Al Davis, shares what he has learned about the difference between the theory and the realities of business and encourages you to question and think about software engineering in ways that will help you succeed where others fail. In short, provocative essays, Davis fearlessly reveals the truth about process improvement, productivity, software quality, metrics, agile development, requirements documentation, modeling, software marketing and sales, empiricism, start-up financing, software research, requirements triage, software estimation, and entrepreneurship.

  6. The Great Kanto earthquake and F. Scott Fitzgerald

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kawakatsu, Hitoshi; Bina, Craig R.

    How many recall the following striking sentence from The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, which appears on the second page of the novel, where Fitzgerald first introduces Gatsby? “If personality is an unbroken series of successful gestures, then there was something gorgeous about him, some heightened sensitivity to the promises of life, as if he were related to one of those intricate machines that register earthquakes ten thousand miles away.”This line may have failed to focus our attention when we first read the book in our younger days. Now, however, as a Japanese seismologist and an American geophysicist (and student of Japanese culture), we would be greatly remiss for failing to take greater note of this statement. Indeed, as The Great Gatsby was published in 1925, it occurred to us that the earthquake Fitzgerald might have been thinking of was the Great Kanto earthquake, which occurred on September 1, 1923 and devastated the Tokyo metropolitan area.

  7. What Caused the Great Recession?

    OpenAIRE

    Homburg, Stefan

    2014-01-01

    This paper examines five possible explanations for the Great Recession of 2008 and 2009, using data for the United States and the eurozone. Of these five hypotheses, four are not supported by the data, while the fifth appears reasonable.

  8. Ambient Response Analysis of the Great Belt Bridge

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Brincker, Rune; Frandsen, Jeanette B.; Andersen, Palle

    2000-01-01

    In this paper an ambient response analysis of the Great Belt Bridge is presented. The Great Belt Bridge is one of the largest suspension bridges in the world, and the analysis was carried out in order to investigate the possibilities of estimating reliable damping values from the ambient response...

  9. The Great Plains IDEA Gerontology Program: An Online, Interinstitutional Graduate Degree

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sanders, Gregory F.

    2011-01-01

    The Great-Plains IDEA Gerontology Program is a graduate program developed and implemented by the Great Plains Interactive Distance Education Alliance (Great Plains IDEA). The Great Plains IDEA (Alliance) originated as a consortium of Colleges of Human Sciences ranging across the central United States. This Alliance's accomplishments have included…

  10. The Great Depression: An ERIC/ChESS Sample.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kulczak, Carrie

    2001-01-01

    Provides citations with abstracts from the ERIC database focusing on the Great Depression. Includes both background information and teaching materials on such topics as an overview of the New Deal, the arts and the Great Depression, and information on the Civilian Conservation Corps. Offers directions for accessing the materials. (CMK)

  11. Understanding Great Earthquakes in Japan's Kanto Region

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kobayashi, Reiji; Curewitz, Daniel

    2008-10-01

    Third International Workshop on the Kanto Asperity Project; Chiba, Japan, 16-19 February 2008; The 1703 (Genroku) and 1923 (Taisho) earthquakes in Japan's Kanto region (M 8.2 and M 7.9, respectively) caused severe damage in the Tokyo metropolitan area. These great earthquakes occurred along the Sagami Trough, where the Philippine Sea slab is subducting beneath Japan. Historical records, paleoseismological research, and geophysical/geodetic monitoring in the region indicate that such great earthquakes will repeat in the future.

  12. Merging Geospatial Data into a User-Friendly Application to Support Sustainable Development

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Aeronautics and Space Administration — For this project, an economic development tool called the Local Economic Analysis Portfolio (LEAP) tool was produced. LEAP is a Geographic Information System (GIS)...

  13. Using Music to Teach about the Great Depression

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stevens, Robert L.; Fogel, Jared A.

    2007-01-01

    The Great Depression is typically taught through history textbooks, but the music of this time allows students to learn about this era through different perspectives. The Great Depression witnessed many musical styles--from the light heartedness of popular music to the sadness of the blues, gospel, which offered inspiration, to the tension between…

  14. Child Poverty and the Great Recession in the United States

    OpenAIRE

    Marianne Bitler; Hilary Hoynes; Elira Kuka

    2014-01-01

    In the midst of the Great Recession, median real household income fell from $61,597 in 2007 to $57,025 in 2010 and $51,007 in 2012. Given that the effects of the Great Recession on unemployment were greater for less skilled workers the authors expect the effects of the Great Recession on household incomes to be larger in relative terms for individuals in the lower end of the income distribution. To explore this issue, in this paper, they comprehensively examine the effects of the Great Recess...

  15. 99mTc-HDP Bone Scan Findings of Acute Rhabdomyolysis of Lumbar Multifidus and Thigh Muscles and Bone Scan and US Signs of Acute Tubular Necrosis in Excessive Rabbit's Leaping: A Case Report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bahk, Yong Whee; Kim, Jang Min

    2008-01-01

    Marked rhabdomyolysis (RML) complicated by acute tubular necrosis is not a rare disease. It is characterized by disintegration of skeletal muscle fibers due to a variety of causes including excessive physical exercise, trauma, operation, infection, bed-ridden life, alcohol, drugs, toxins, exhaustion and others. We report a case of RML with acute renal failure studied using magnification bone scan which specifically identified the muscles injured by excessive rabbit's leap. The injured muscles recognized were the multifidus of the lumbar spine and the anterior and posterior muscle groups of the thigh. In addition, 99 mTc-HDP bone scan findings of acute tubular necrosis correlated with that of the sonographic signs are described. Patient was treated simply with normal saline hydration and bed rest and uneventfully recovered to be discharged on the fourth hospital day. Lab data on the final hospital day: LDH=20 IU/L (normalized) and CPK=600 IU/L (still higher than normal), BUN=14.2 mg/dl (normalized) and creatinin=1.5 mg/dl (normalized) GOT=20 mg/dl (normalized) and GPT=72 mg/dl (higher than normal), respectively

  16. The diverse impacts of the great recession

    OpenAIRE

    Makoto Nakajima

    2013-01-01

    The Great Recession had a large negative impact on the U.S. economy. Asset prices, most notably stock and house prices, declined substantially, resulting in a loss in wealth for many American households. In this article, Makoto Nakajima documents how diverse households were affected in a variety of dimensions during the Great Recession, in particular between 2007 and 2009, using newly available data from the 2007-2009 Survey of Consumer Finances. He discusses why it is important to look at th...

  17. Review of Critical Heat Flux Correlations for Upward Flow in a Vertical Thin Rectangular Channel

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Choi, Gil Sik; Chang, Soon Heung

    2014-01-01

    From the view point of safety, this type of fuel has higher resistance to earthquake and external impact. The cross section of coolant flow channel in the reactor core composed with the plate fuel is a thin rectangular shape. Thermal-hydraulic characteristics of this thin rectangular channel are different with those of general circular rod fuel bundle flow channel. Accordingly it could be thought that the CHF correlation in a thin rectangular channel is different with that in a circular channel, for which a large number of researches on CHF prediction have been carried out. The objective of this paper is to review previous researches on CHF in a thin rectangular channel, summarize the important conclusion and propose the new simple CHF correlation, which is based on the data set under high pressure and high flow rate condition. The researches on CHF in rectangular channel have been partially carried out according to the pressure, heated surface number, heated surface wettability effect, flow driving force and flow direction conditions. From the literature researches on CHF for upward flow in a vertical thin rectangular channel, some CHF prediction methods were reviewed and compared. There is no universal correlation which can predict CHF at all conditions, but generally, Katto empirical correlation is known to be useful at high pressure and high flow rate. The new simple correlation was developed from the restricted data set, the CHF prediction capacity of which is better than that of Katto. Even though the prediction consistency of the new simple correlation is lower, MAE and RMS error decreased quite. For the more development of the new simple CHF correlation, the more advanced regression analysis method and theoretical analysis should be studied in future

  18. Review of Critical Heat Flux Correlations for Upward Flow in a Vertical Thin Rectangular Channel

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Choi, Gil Sik; Chang, Soon Heung [Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

    2014-05-15

    From the view point of safety, this type of fuel has higher resistance to earthquake and external impact. The cross section of coolant flow channel in the reactor core composed with the plate fuel is a thin rectangular shape. Thermal-hydraulic characteristics of this thin rectangular channel are different with those of general circular rod fuel bundle flow channel. Accordingly it could be thought that the CHF correlation in a thin rectangular channel is different with that in a circular channel, for which a large number of researches on CHF prediction have been carried out. The objective of this paper is to review previous researches on CHF in a thin rectangular channel, summarize the important conclusion and propose the new simple CHF correlation, which is based on the data set under high pressure and high flow rate condition. The researches on CHF in rectangular channel have been partially carried out according to the pressure, heated surface number, heated surface wettability effect, flow driving force and flow direction conditions. From the literature researches on CHF for upward flow in a vertical thin rectangular channel, some CHF prediction methods were reviewed and compared. There is no universal correlation which can predict CHF at all conditions, but generally, Katto empirical correlation is known to be useful at high pressure and high flow rate. The new simple correlation was developed from the restricted data set, the CHF prediction capacity of which is better than that of Katto. Even though the prediction consistency of the new simple correlation is lower, MAE and RMS error decreased quite. For the more development of the new simple CHF correlation, the more advanced regression analysis method and theoretical analysis should be studied in future.

  19. Research Article Special Issue

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    2018-02-01

    Feb 1, 2018 ... INTERACTION USING GESTURAL MUSICAL CONTROLLER ... applications which have successfully used in hand tracking using Leap Motion controller. ... indicated that the Leap Motion is a promising tool that providing ...

  20. Improvement on reaction model for sodium-water reaction jet code and application analysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Itooka, Satoshi; Saito, Yoshinori; Okabe, Ayao; Fujimata, Kazuhiro; Murata, Shuuichi

    2000-03-01

    In selecting the reasonable DBL on steam generator (SG), it is necessary to improve analytical method for estimating the sodium temperature on failure propagation due to overheating. Improvement on sodium-water reaction (SWR) jet code (LEAP-JET ver.1.30) and application analysis to the water injection tests for confirmation of code propriety were performed. On the improvement of the code, a gas-liquid interface area density model was introduced to develop a chemical reaction model with a little dependence on calculation mesh size. The test calculation using the improved code (LEAP-JET ver.1.40) were carried out with conditions of the SWAT-3·Run-19 test and an actual scale SG. It is confirmed that the SWR jet behavior on the results and the influence to analysis result of a model are reasonable. For the application analysis to the water injection tests, water injection behavior and SWR jet behavior analyses on the new SWAT-1 (SWAT-1R) and SWAT-3 (SWAT-3R) tests were performed using the LEAP-BLOW code and the LEAP-JET code. In the application analysis of the LEAP-BLOW code, parameter survey study was performed. As the results, the condition of the injection nozzle diameter needed to simulate the water leak rate was confirmed. In the application analysis of the LEAP-JET code, temperature behavior of the SWR jet was investigated. (author)

  1. The Great Books and Economics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hartley, James E.

    2001-01-01

    Describes an introductory economics course in which all of the reading material is drawn from the Great Books of Western Civilization. Explains the rationale and mechanics of the course. Includes an annotated course syllabus that details how the reading material relates to the lecture material. (RLH)

  2. Forecasting of Energy-Related CO2 Emissions in China Based on GM(1,1 and Least Squares Support Vector Machine Optimized by Modified Shuffled Frog Leaping Algorithm for Sustainability

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shuyu Dai

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available Presently, China is the largest CO2 emitting country in the world, which accounts for 28% of the CO2 emissions globally. China’s CO2 emission reduction has a direct impact on global trends. Therefore, accurate forecasting of CO2 emissions is crucial to China’s emission reduction policy formulating and global action on climate change. In order to forecast the CO2 emissions in China accurately, considering population, the CO2 emission forecasting model using GM(1,1 (Grey Model and least squares support vector machine (LSSVM optimized by the modified shuffled frog leaping algorithm (MSFLA (MSFLA-LSSVM is put forward in this paper. First of all, considering population, per capita GDP, urbanization rate, industrial structure, energy consumption structure, energy intensity, total coal consumption, carbon emission intensity, total imports and exports and other influencing factors of CO2 emissions, the main driving factors are screened according to the sorting of grey correlation degrees to realize feature dimension reduction. Then, the GM(1,1 model is used to forecast the main influencing factors of CO2 emissions. Finally, taking the forecasting value of the CO2 emissions influencing factors as the model input, the MSFLA-LSSVM model is adopted to forecast the CO2 emissions in China from 2018 to 2025.

  3. The great scientific revolutions of the 20. century

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Parrochia, D.

    1997-01-01

    Three great physical revolutions are studied here: the theory of relativity (general and restricted); the quantum mechanics (and its different interpretations); the theory of the determinist chaos (its pre-history as its applications). These three theories contribute to modify the answers that it is possible to bring to great metaphysical questions and to give a hint of a new philosophical landscape. (N.C.)

  4. Development of blow down and sodium-water reaction jet analysis codes-Validation by sodium-water reaction tests (SWAT-1R)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hiroshi Seino; Akikazu Kurihara; Isao Ono; Koji Jitsu

    2005-01-01

    Blow down analysis code (LEAP-BLOW) and sodium-water reaction jet analysis code (LEAP-JET) have been developed in order to improve the evaluation method on sodium-water reaction event in the steam generator (SG) of a sodium cooled fast breeder reactor (FBR). The validation analyses by these two codes were carried out using the data of Sodium-Water Reaction Test (SWAT-1R). The following main results have been obtained through this validation: (1) The calculational results by LEAP-BLOW such as internal pressure and water flow rate show good agreement with the results of the SWAT- 1R test. (2) The LEAP-JET code can qualitatively simulate the behavior of sodium-water reaction. However, it is found that the code has tendency to overestimate the maximum temperature of the reaction jet. (authors)

  5. Unemployment of Non-western Immigrants in the Great Recession

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Cervený, J.; van Ours, J.C.

    2013-01-01

    Abstract: This paper examines whether unemployment of non-western immigrant workers in the Netherlands was disproportionally affected by the Great Recession. We analyze unemployment data covering the period November 2007 to February 2013 finding that the Great Recession affected unemployment rates

  6. Great tit hatchling sex ratios

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Lessells, C.M.; Mateman, A.C.; Visser, J.

    1996-01-01

    The sex of Great Tit Parus major nestlings was determined using PCR RAPDs. Because this technique requires minute amounts of DNA, chicks could be sampled soon (0-2d) after hatching, before any nestling mortality occurred. The proportion of males among 752 chicks hatching in 102 broods (98.9% of

  7. Locating the Great Red Spot: Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lesniak, Michael V.; Stapleton, J. C.

    2014-01-01

    The Great Red Spot, a persistent storm in Jupiter's atmosphere, is the most prominent feature of that planet's disk as viewed from Earth. Combined with the fact that Jupiter is a gas giant planet and has no visible surface with discernible landmarks, this means that following the passage of the Great Red Spot is the primary method of observing the planet's rotation. Therefore, it is paramount for any program which generates synthetic images of the planet to accurately place the feature. The U.S. Naval Observatory's "Apparent Disk of a Solar System Object" online web service (http://aa.usno.navy.mil/data/docs/diskmap.php) is such a program. The Great Red Spot's planetary latitude is locked between two of Jupiter's striated atmospheric layers at 22 °S. However, its planetary longitude is not constant; over time it migrates east and west along the atmospheric layer boundary it is trapped within. Observing and recording its longitude is made difficult because Jupiter's atmosphere is subject to differential rotation and the Great Red Spot slowly migrates with respect to the surrounding atmospheric layers. Furthermore, the Great Red Spot does not move at a uniform rate. Currently its relative motion is approximately 0°.051 per day. Since its first recorded observation in 1831, the Great Red Spot has made almost three complete laps around the planet at the 22nd parallel. "Apparent Disk of a Solar System Object" operates over any requested date between 1700 and 2100 A.D. Therefore, our treatment of the Great Red Spot needs to take into account both historical positions and future predicted motion. Based on researching past observations of the spot's position on the disk, we find that its behavior prior to 2009 is best represented by a 10-part piecewise function. Each component of the piecewise function is a 2nd order polynomial. Observations from 2009-present are better fit with a linear function; this function is used for future years by extrapolation. Using these fits

  8. Unemployment of non-western immigrants in the Great Recession

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Cervený, J.; van Ours, J.C.

    2013-01-01

    This paper examines whether unemployment of non-western immigrant workers in the Netherlands was disproportionally affected by the Great Recession. We analyze unemployment data covering the period November 2007–February 2013 finding that the Great Recession affected unemployment rates of non-western

  9. The Making of a Great Captain

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Weibel, Theodore G

    2006-01-01

    ... judgement. This paper examines the hypothesis that Great Captains are a product of their families, are highly educated from an early age, possess the qualities of a genius, encounter grand life experiences...

  10. Great Lakes Energy Institute

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Alexander, J. Iwan [Case Western Reserve Univ., Cleveland, OH (United States)

    2012-11-18

    The vision of the Great Lakes Energy Institute is to enable the transition to advanced, sustainable energy generation, storage, distribution and utilization through coordinated research, development, and education. The Institute will place emphasis on translating leading edge research into next generation energy technology. The Institute’s research thrusts focus on coordinated research in decentralized power generation devices (e.g. fuel cells, wind turbines, solar photovoltaic devices), management of electrical power transmission and distribution, energy storage, and energy efficiency.

  11. Great Basin wildlife disease concerns

    Science.gov (United States)

    Russ Mason

    2008-01-01

    In the Great Basin, wildlife diseases have always represented a significant challenge to wildlife managers, agricultural production, and human health and safety. One of the first priorities of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Division of Fish and Wildlife Services was Congressionally directed action to eradicate vectors for zoonotic disease, particularly rabies, in...

  12. Great Basin Factsheet Series 2016 - Information and tools to restore and conserve Great Basin ecosystems

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jeanne C. Chambers

    2016-01-01

    Land managers are responsible for developing effective strategies for conserving and restoring Great Basin ecosystems in the face of invasive species, conifer expansion, and altered fire regimes. A warming climate is magnifying the effects of these threats and adding urgency to implementation of management practices that will maintain or improve ecosystem...

  13. American undergraduate students' value development during the Great Recession.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Park, Heejung; Twenge, Jean M; Greenfield, Patricia M

    2017-02-01

    The Great Recession's influence on American undergraduate students' values was examined, testing Greenfield's and Kasser's theories concerning value development during economic downturns. Study 1 utilised aggregate-level data to investigate (a) population-level value changes between the pre-recession (2004-2006: n = 824,603) and recession freshman cohort (2008-2010: n = 662,262) and (b) overall associations of population-level values with national economic climates over long-term periods by correlating unemployment rates and concurrent aggregate-level values across 1966-2015 (n = 10 million). Study 2 examined individual-level longitudinal value development from freshman to senior year, and whether the developmental trajectories differed between those who completed undergraduate education before the Great Recession (freshmen in 2002, n = 12,792) versus those who encountered the Great Recession during undergraduate years (freshmen in 2006, n = 13,358). Results suggest American undergraduate students' increased communitarianism (supporting Greenfield) and materialism (supporting Kasser) during the Great Recession. The recession also appears to have slowed university students' development of positive self-views. Results contribute to the limited literature on the Great Recession's influence on young people's values. They also offer theoretical and practical implications, as values of this privileged group of young adults are important shapers of societal values, decisions, and policies. © 2016 International Union of Psychological Science.

  14. Estimating Spring Condensation on the Great Lakes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Meyer, A.; Welp, L.

    2017-12-01

    The Laurentian Great Lakes region provides opportunities for shipping, recreation, and consumptive water use to a large part of the United States and Canada. Water levels in the lakes fluctuate yearly, but attempts to model the system are inadequate because the water and energy budgets are still not fully understood. For example, water levels in the Great Lakes experienced a 15-year low period ending in 2013, the recovery of which has been attributed partially to decreased evaporation and increased precipitation and runoff. Unlike precipitation, the exchange of water vapor between the lake and the atmosphere through evaporation or condensation is difficult to measure directly. However, estimates have been constructed using off-shore eddy covariance direct measurements of latent heat fluxes, remote sensing observations, and a small network of monitoring buoys. When the lake surface temperature is colder than air temperature as it is in spring, condensation is larger than evaporation. This is a relatively small component of the net annual water budget of the lakes, but the total amount of condensation may be important for seasonal energy fluxes and atmospheric deposition of pollutants and nutrients to the lakes. Seasonal energy fluxes determine, and are influenced by, ice cover, water and air temperatures, and evaporation in the Great Lakes. We aim to quantify the amount of spring condensation on the Great Lakes using the National Center for Atmospheric Prediction North American Regional Reanalysis (NCEP NARR) Data for Winter 2013 to Spring 2017 and compare the condensation values of spring seasons following high volume, high duration and low volume, low duration ice cover.

  15. Precipitation Dynamical Downscaling Over the Great Plains

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hu, Xiao-Ming; Xue, Ming; McPherson, Renee A.; Martin, Elinor; Rosendahl, Derek H.; Qiao, Lei

    2018-02-01

    Detailed, regional climate projections, particularly for precipitation, are critical for many applications. Accurate precipitation downscaling in the United States Great Plains remains a great challenge for most Regional Climate Models, particularly for warm months. Most previous dynamic downscaling simulations significantly underestimate warm-season precipitation in the region. This study aims to achieve a better precipitation downscaling in the Great Plains with the Weather Research and Forecast (WRF) model. To this end, WRF simulations with different physics schemes and nudging strategies are first conducted for a representative warm season. Results show that different cumulus schemes lead to more pronounced difference in simulated precipitation than other tested physics schemes. Simply choosing different physics schemes is not enough to alleviate the dry bias over the southern Great Plains, which is related to an anticyclonic circulation anomaly over the central and western parts of continental U.S. in the simulations. Spectral nudging emerges as an effective solution for alleviating the precipitation bias. Spectral nudging ensures that large and synoptic-scale circulations are faithfully reproduced while still allowing WRF to develop small-scale dynamics, thus effectively suppressing the large-scale circulation anomaly in the downscaling. As a result, a better precipitation downscaling is achieved. With the carefully validated configurations, WRF downscaling is conducted for 1980-2015. The downscaling captures well the spatial distribution of monthly climatology precipitation and the monthly/yearly variability, showing improvement over at least two previously published precipitation downscaling studies. With the improved precipitation downscaling, a better hydrological simulation over the trans-state Oologah watershed is also achieved.

  16. Great Basin paleoenvironmental studies project

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1993-01-01

    Project goals, project tasks, progress on tasks, and problems encountered are described and discussed for each of the studies that make up the Great Basin Paleoenvironmental Studies Project for Yucca Mountain. These studies are: Paleobotany, Paleofauna, Geomorphology, and Transportation. Budget summaries are also given for each of the studies and for the overall project

  17. The power mix in Great-Britain

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Trebuchet, Charlotte

    2012-11-01

    This study addresses a new reform of the electric power sector in Great Britain: RIIO (Revenue = Incentives + Innovations + Outputs). The author discusses aspects related to market organisation and aspects related to the grid. First, she gives an overview of the situation of the electricity sector in Great-Britain by describing its evolution from the start of the liberalisation policy until our days, and by presenting the regulation of the electric power transport network. In a second part, she analyses which changes will be introduced by RIIO. She comments the general principles of this reform and discusses its implications for the sector. Appendices describe the LCN Fund (Low carbon network Fund) mechanism which is a specific bidding and selection process, and briefly indicate the projects selected by this fund in 2010 and 2011

  18. Alexander the Great's relationship with alcohol.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liappas, J A; Lascaratos, J; Fafouti, S; Christodoulou, G N

    2003-05-01

    This study sought to clarify if Alexander the Great indulged pathologically in alcohol and whether it contributed to his death. The texts of the historians Diodorus of Sicily, Plutarch, Arrian, Curtius Rufus, Athenaeus, Aelian and Justin were studied, with their information concerning wine consumption by Macedonians, and especially Alexander, and were evaluated. The surviving historical texts, all later than Alexander's epoch, are based on a series of contemporary histories and especially on the 'Royal Journals', an official diary written in the imperial court. Alexander consumed large quantities of undiluted wine periodically, reaching pathological intoxication. However, the existing data do not provide convincing evidence that Alexander the Great manifested abuse of or dependence on alcohol according to DSM-IV or ICD-10 criteria and it seems unlikely that alcohol was involved in his untimely death.

  19. The Social Construction of the Great Belt Fixed Link

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Munch, Birgitte

    1994-01-01

    Working paper in Technology Management. Actor Network theory (ANT) used upon the process of negotiating legislation and constructing the Great Belt fixed link.......Working paper in Technology Management. Actor Network theory (ANT) used upon the process of negotiating legislation and constructing the Great Belt fixed link....

  20. Great Importance Attached to Intangible Cultural Heritage

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    2005-01-01

    @@ Intangible Cultural Heritage on Verge of Extinction? With the acceleration of globalization and modernization, dramatic changes have taken place in China's cultural ecology: intangible cultural heritage is confronted with great challenges and a lot of orally and behaviorally transmitted cultural heritage disappear one after another; a great deal of traditional craftsmanship is on the verge of extinction; a large number of precious objects and materials of historical and cultural values are destroyed,deserted or lost in foreign countries; arbitrary misuse and excessive exploitation of intangible cultural heritage occur from time to time. Therefore, the protection of intangible cultural heritage brooks no delay.